KJK Reads

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Cosy Mystery, Romance Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I read this book as a standalone as an introduction to Walsh’s work and I was not disappointed. The book is a great cozy mystery set in a small town and has both mystery and love throughout in different forms. I loved Shortcake and the unlikely friendship formed with Princess and the strong bonds between the different friends in the story. I also enjoyed the bits of comic relief throughout to diffuse the tension a little such as the bar scene or bits between Shortcake and Princess. The mystery was well developed and it took me quite a while to be able to suss it out, and even then I got the evidence wrong, which I love to do and the details about the Halloween party at the end was a great touch. Favourite Quote: “The murder had shattered the peaceful illusion of small-town safety, but it had also reminded me that I had people I cared about and wh...

Rating:  3 Stars Themes: Novella, Christmas, Suspense, Supernatural  Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I’ve never read a holiday supernatural suspense book before so I thought I’d start with a novella to dip my toe in and this book did not disappoint. The setting is so Christmassy that at the beginning waiting for the supernatural to kick in I almost forgot it was coming and then as it started I just needed to know more. Cookie was well developed, I started to really get into it as if I was living the story with her and Thad and Pip were characters I felt a connection with too. I really liked the way in which the story ended although I would have loved to see an epilogue or something to get just that little bit more insight into the ending but maybe that’s just testament to how much I liked the characters. Favourite Quote: “I had told myself when I was a little girl that a shadow can't exist in the light, but I had ...

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Self-Help Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a real whistlestop tour for becoming less technology dependent. It is extremely brief which can be helpful for those who are intimidated by thick books but want some guidance. There are some really good tips here like avoiding AI and having tech stations. However, some of the tips are quite biased such as taking zoom therapy offline and taking in person jobs while those are essential for some disabled individuals to be able to access them in the first place. While it does acknowledge that there are many who live offline through no choice of their own at the end it doesn’t accept those who like online through similarly uncontrollably circumstances. Favourite Quote: “Rejecting the online world is a privilege Use your power for good.”

Rating: 3 Stars  Themes: Romance, Friends to Lovers, Fake Dating, Dual POV Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is such a cute and cosy autumn read. The romance didn’t feel rushed despite the length of the book and it all felt realistic, I also appreciated how well fleshed out the festival story was alongside the romance element making this a more well rounded book. All the townspeople were such loveable characters and added some extra humour to the story, especially the book club ladies and their antics. However, my favourite character may have to be the cat instead, I loved Mr. Darcy and his personality really shone through. Vernon was also well written to be a truly hateable character making us happy when anything goes wrong for him. Favourite Quote: "There's something indecent about how attractive competent men are."

Rating: 3 Stars  Themes: Christmas, Non-Fiction, A-Z Guide, Humour  Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I picked this book up as a last minute grab before a hospital trip and it really did the job. It’s full of dry wit and had me stifling a laugh at a few points (so as not to be the crazy lady in the corner) and it really helped the time fly with me being so interested that I didn’t even notice how long I’d been in there until I finished it.  Favourite Quote:  “Christmas, a time of joy, goodwill and stress in increasingly uneven measure. Still, you get time off work and they suspend the roadworks until the New Year, so it's all worth it.”

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Horror, Short Story Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Tyo has done it again, with another creepy story that kept me guessing till the end and now I can’t wait for the next installment. This is my 5th book by this author and she has yet to disappoint me. The writing has a way of sucking me right in as if I was both watching in horror but also in Tessa’s shoes with the combination leaving me feeling really unnerved. Being set in a small town was a great touch and the small town community feels very realistic, coming from a small town family myself (most of my maternal side), and the reactions to Tessa as someone who left and came back for a visit was also disappointingly realistic in my experiences too. I really enjoyed the spirit of Tessa and the fact that she refused to change herself to fit back into small town life, especially since she knew there was more going on than people wanted her to know....

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Biography Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The essays in this book are short and easy to read in smaller sittings meaning I was able to pick it up whenever I had a moment with no worry of being disturbed in the middle. I thought the author took an interesting approach by remaining anonymous as I feel it made it easier to reflect myself onto the essays and it also means that readers aren’t swayed in their interpretation by their knowledge of the author. I myself really related to the essays on pain and its management as that is an experience I have in depth knowledge of and it allowed me to relate more. I did notice that the essays aren’t in chronological order but instead jump around which can be a little confusing but the author says in the beginning that it represents how their mind works which actually gives us a deeper insight into their experience than if they were to order it for t...

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Retelling, Historical Fiction, Romance Thoughts: I have to say this was an interesting take on the Rosaline character we don’t get the chance to know in Shakespeare play. I understand some people have problems with it this book differing a lot from the traditional play but it is advertised under the banner of a retelling so it is to be expected that things would be different with Solomons giving her twist to the tale. I actually really enjoyed her take on Romeo with his behaviours being more inline with how I felt his character was reading Shakespeare. It could be because I had already had real life experiences with that kind of person but his quickly changing infatuation and silver tongue never sat right with me anyway and Solomons shows Romeo show many characteristics we should watch out for in our own relationships. I really liked the spirit and character of Rosaline too, her being strong willed and also strong of mind despite falling for Romeo for a time she...

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Self-Help, Graphic Novels Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a great little guide that I’m sure will help many young people navigate relationships going forward. The book is very brief so chances are more in depth research may be needed to build on the foundations here but it does advertise itself as quick and easy so that should be expected. I appreciated that the book incorporates all different types of relationships such as friendships, family and work as well as the typically thought of romantic relationships and the warnings for toxic relationships in them all. I also really appreciated that the book mentioned found families as someone who lives far away from most of their blood family, found family is extremely important but I know that not everyone understands their value and since different sexualities are mentioned in this guide and covered explicitly in another it’s great...

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Horror, Short Story Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. That baby is sooo creepy and I am glad I wasn’t left to watch her. Caroline wasn’t able to bond with her and at first it could be considered normal grief but then we know that it’s the baby and not her that isn’t right. I did think she was a little mean in her thoughts about Greg, afterall she chose him and chose to marry him knowing the type of person he was so it’s hardly fair to get arsey when he is so levelheaded and understanding when she doesn’t want to be. The baby is also quite interestingly written as even though we don’t see or hear much of her directly the silence and baby noises are perfectly timed to add to the unnervingness of the overall story. This was definitely a good first read of the evil baby trope as I’m branching out into horror and I was not disappointed. Favourite Quote: “Our parents abandoned us when we were young. We boun...

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Holocaust, Biography Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I read quite a lot of Holocaust stories but this book still taught me something new. I haven’t read about families who were hidden/protected in France or Italy before so this was something new to me. It was interesting to have the story of the author's family being told alongside his own factual trip back to follow their footsteps while writing. I also found the photos a great touch as it added a face to the names of people who deserve to be remembered, especially those willing to risk it all. Favourite Quote: “The Nazis intended to make the Jewish people disappear, so they had them cremated, which is forbidden in Judaism, and the ashes discarded. If no one could visit Jewish graves in remembrance, then the world might forget that they had existed. But many people were there, remembering in defiance of evil. In that way, we have won. And yet, ...

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Self-Help Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I think this book will be helpful to so many people with its approach to self-love and body positivity in more than one form. I loved that some of the initial affirmations could be applied to disabled bodies (like mine) and then prompt 12 explicitly mentioned chronic illness and I knew this book would be amazing for me to help heal my relationship with my body in more than one way. I also love the way in which Johnson actively tries to combat diet culture and disordered eating which means I will likely turn to this again in the future if I begin to struggle again.  Favourite Quote: “The thoughts and beliefs I have about my body didn't start with me. I learned them along the way from the people and institutions around me.”

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Romance, Christmas, Spice Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a cute Christmas romance. I was initially amused as Paige shares my mum's birthday and it definitely made for my favourite quote for how realistic it is. Paige herself is such a sweetheart who definitely deserved better than what she got with a horrid daughter and the cruel treatment by Monica as alluded to. Simon is also a sweetie which makes them a perfect pair with them both being able to provide the care and support the other needed. I was also impressed by how much spice that Warden managed to fit into such a short book and how it still didn’t take away from the story developing or a rushed ending. Favourite Quote: “It must be hard, having a birthday so close to the holidays. I'm a January baby, and that's been difficult enough. Five days before Christmas, I bet you're used to barely any celebration.”

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Children's Fiction, Educational Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I really enjoyed this book myself as it tells a real story about the land before settlers arrived. As a Brit myself I don’t have enough in-depth knowledge about the history and land boundaries of North America but this explains it in a great way to start children’s exploration of the land they live on. The illustrations themselves were beautiful and added to the overall impact of the story. I also liked the map of North America at the beginning and the map of Turtle Island at the end to base further learning on. Favourite Quote: Kiju always told him about the land. She would tell stories about the river and the forest. Where the moose ate his dinner and when it was time to tap the trees for syrup.  Mr. Trainor’s map didn’t tell any of these stories. They were all lines and boxes.”

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Fairy Tales, Classics Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a beautiful edition of the fairy tales that we know and love. The fact that most of us grew up hearing these elicits a wave of nostalgia while also being great for bedtime stories for kids. There is some of the original gore from the stories left in while still being somewhat softer, for example while the stepsisters in Cinderella do cut their feet to fit into the slipper the ending is Cinderella leaving with the prince and not the stepsisters and mother being blinded like in the fully original story. The borders around the stories added a classy feel to them and it seemed like the borders changed for each story which shows added effort to the production and a more expensive feel. I found the images great and complimentary to the stories and especially liked the ones with a pencil line feel to them. 

Rating: 5 Stars  Themes: Classics, Fairy Tales Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. What a beautifully illustrated way to introduce the works of Oscar Wilde to children. This book collects the original 5 stories from the 1986 collection with The Young King from 1891 to provide a more complete collection of childfriendly books. The illustrations on the title page for each story gets us into the mindset of the next story and the illustrations throughout the book are beautiful. I also thought it was a nice touch to have each story having a unique border that felt like it tied into the story too.

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Horror, Short Stories, Serial Killers Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I really appreciated the author's note at the beginning vaguely warning everyone what was to come as it is seen by some as a writing sin so we can choose whether we are able to read the book or not. It did take quite a while to get into the book though with reviews and comments being in the beginning and the story not actually beginning till page 18. I think the chapter breaks being a slug considering the series being called Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs is a great touch. The story itself flows well and outlines the triggering of Mike's bloodlust well. However, the book was quite descriptively gorey which I didn’t mind, although I thought it wasn’t necessary to be as explicit as it was, but it may not be for everyone so definitely read trigger warnings and themes in reviews before jumping in.  Favourite Quote: “He hated ...

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Children's Fiction Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I appreciated the pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book as it made reading it a whole lot easier and I now know that I’ve been pronouncing Sikh, Diwali and Rangoli wrong for years so now I know better. It was cool to see the similarities across the South Asian holidays and the ways in which celebrations are shared such as how many use Diyas and the importance of family in them. I liked that the non-Asian child wished they could celebrate with her friends and the others found ways to share as the world today is trying to push division more than ever and even to/through children so it promotes acceptance and inclusion instead. I also liked the factual bit at the end which taught me quite a lot.

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Going on the title I knew this book would be a great bit of fun and I wasn’t disappointed. There are so many maps in this with them being used to answer all sorts of fun questions like the favourite crisp, quirkiest museums and spookiest spots across the country to more of a national debate like how to pronounce Scone, what a bread bun is called and the order in which to make a cream tea. Towards the end there are also some really informative maps such as the recovery of red kites, the nations microclimates so it’s not only fun but also some areas are educational too.  

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Childrens Non-Fiction, Self-Help Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The story is well developed which helps really get the message about worrying across and the rhyming element makes it fun for kids. There are some great coping strategies for anxious young minds written in June’s list, this might help them actually listen to the advice more than if an adult just tells them. It’s great that there is a conversation guide for caregivers to use with their child provided as it helps foster open communication and encourage them to go to parents, as like June said talking to an adult can help. Finally, I thought that the last page is an amazing lasting message to leave the children with.

Rating: 3.5 Stars Themes: Poetry, Self-Help Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This poetry collection is short but impactful with the pain pouring from the pages in some poems. Seventeen was especially impactful, possibly even more so with the author's note stating when it was written and how little it had been altered since. This is definitely not the poetry book for everyone as the blurb states there is vivid imagery as to trauma and life afterwards and not everyone will be in the state of mind or stage of their life to handle it but for those that need it, it will likely help them feel less alone. Finally, I loved the dedication and the dear reader being the first thing mentioned in acknowledgements.  Favourite Quote: “Flames lap up every limb within reach roots smolder, community disintegrates How do you define a body?”

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Self-Help Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a great little book to help us readdress how we feel about ourselves and where we are at in our lives. I love the terminology (like and invitation and be imperfect) as it makes it feel less formal and like there’s less pressure than some other self-help style books I have read/used. The guidance under each prompt/question was helpful as sometimes I can get confused as to whether I’m on the right track about what some prompts mean. I liked that the book allowed spaces for doodles and rage alongside written reflection and that there’s even a few ideas for those who aren't journal keepers (into writing it out) so if this is given as a gift but the recipient isn’t a journal keeper they can still use it in some form.

Rating: 5 Stars Themes:  Childrens, Non-Fiction  Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book provides a great new way to look at the colours that make a rainbow and have children engage more actively with colours than the traditional learning colour books. I liked that the science of a rainbow was briefly explained in a child friendly way at the end and the book actually made me wish I knew about colours and feelings that young. The 4 year old I watch loved guessing which colour was being described and actually enjoyed the book so much he later pretended a block was his phone (we read the e-book on my phone) and was describing colours for us to guess and then played at turning the page to show us.

Rating:  4.5 Stars Themes: Cookbook Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is the perfect cookbook to use heading into the colder months and I am so glad I got it going into Autumn so I’ll be well prepared for winter. The photography is beautiful and makes the dishes look so appetising. I liked that there were many different countries and cultures included such as Borscht as I love trying food from around the world and it’s all in one handy book rather than having sections in lots of books annotated and clogging up my kitchen counter. However, the beige and white text used kinda like a highlight in the ‘Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings’ chapter was unreadable which likely makes it inaccessible to many.