KJK Reads

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Children's, Historical Fiction Thoughts:  What a cute story. It did throw me off a little being set so recently but having a young Morpurgo as the main character but it’s a fun little easter egg for the kids. I liked the idea of Michael setting off to find the almost family that he grew up hearing about and seeing the way in which so many lives intertwined with Alfie’s in his short years. I also liked the ending having the French and English ‘families’ staying in contact. The illustrations were beautiful and touching as ever and only having dashes of red for the poppies, flag, fires and boats left an impact. Favourite Quote:  “Like so many others, he came, and he died. End of story. But the story lives on, doesn't it?”

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Children's, War, Historical Fiction Thoughts:  This is such a beautiful little book, I really like the idea of using a story like this to get children more engaged in such an important day as Remembrance Day and the history behind it. I liked that Martens’ dad was shown as being killed by the war but decades after as it’s something we don’t tend to think about, even those of us who look into this period of history often, but it’s still a risk here in Europe (not just places like Angola where Lady Diana raised awareness). The use of the poem as an anchor for the love stories throughout Martens’ family is a cute way to do it with both grandfather and great grandfather finding love in the same way but a war apart. It’s really striking to keep the illustrations in black and white aside from the poppies when used as it draws the eye and emphasises their importance, I also find the cover even more so with the metallic sheen on the title and poppies. Favourite Quot...

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Self-Help  Thoughts:  I have read one of these (the mindfulness one) a few years back so I thought why not check this new release out. The colours are all so bright and beautiful which makes the book more attractive. The mix of famous quotes and the authors own after letters is cute and some of the quotes were really good. In terms of the actual letters, the book initially came across as one not for me and a bit unintentionally able body focused with the E for Exercise and W for Walking it does also include more accessible forms l such as Yoga and Tai Chi so it isn’t as inaccessible for me as I initially thought. I also liked that in the end it emphasises small changes and just using ones that fit for you. I also liked the positive approach to ageing that the book takes, especially in O for Opportunity, as it looks more at having a longer and better life rather than cheating the ageing process.  Favourite Quote:  “Longevity isn't about chasing...

Rating: 3.5 Themes: Non-Fiction, Humour Thoughts:  This book is an entertaining quick read, great as a palette cleanser between intense reads. It covers teachers from all over the world which makes me think maybe it’s the profession that drives them to such funny but extreme behaviours. I didn’t really understand the way in which they were broken into chapters as it all felt like it just flowed as one and the first few chapter titles were so broad. With the tales being a paragraph or 2 each we can pretty much stop wherever and know exactly where we are when we pick it up so they weren’t exactly necessary. The illustrations being just pencil drawings felt like they really fit, as if the students were doodling what they had experienced while in class. Favourite Quote:  “School: the best days of our lives! Or so we are always told. But ask anyone who's a few decades into their post-school life to name some outstanding memories of their formative years and they'll most likely have...

Rating: 2.5 Stars  Themes: Thriller, Quick Reads  Thoughts:  This is the first quick reads book that I have read and felt like it didn’t quite feel right. I read quick reads as a taster for new authors as well as whenever a story sounds interesting but I know the point is accessible stories for new and returning readers but this one felt more like the beginning of the authors full book rather than a story in it’s own right and we need to go buy/read the new book to be able to find out who actually did it which I’ve never felt before even with the books that are shortened versions of full length novels. We did find out why the kidnapping happened and the build up is great so I was looking forward to the explanations and while I did like the why it’s frustrating that the rest of the story is just missing. It’s a shame as the premise, writing and characters were all great, I just wish it was either a novel in its own right or penned as a prequel novella rather than a quick r...

Rating: 4 Stars  Themes: Quiz, Puzzles Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is awesome for a coffee lover (as a coffee lover). Some of the puzzles took a little more time to figure out than others but that was great coz depending on the day sometimes I only had time for a quick one. I also really liked having all those coffee facts and quotes sprinkled throughout the book and the illustrations that accompanied them were great. Favourite Quote: “Coffee is so complex that scientists haven’t been able to chemically analyze all the processes that take place during roasting.”

Rating: 2 Stars Themes: Fiction, Short Stories  Thoughts:  This was a quick read with many short stories fitted into only 108 pages. Some were quite interesting to me such as Teesside Tsunami and Ballad of the Oak but others didn’t really catch my attention. I liked the map at the beginning and especially the endnotes that separated the true history of Whitby and, as the author themselves says, the nonsense. Favourite Quote:  “The sea, like Whitby itself, is a very mysterious place.”

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Graphic Novel, History, Feminism  Thoughts:  The art in this book is soo well done. The majority of the illustrations are in blacks, whites and shades of grey which makes the ginger of Sally’s hair and the Suffragette colours really pop. The colour and artwork for the beginning of each part/chapter were also striking and gave a hint of what part of history we were getting into without giving too much away. In terms of the story I enjoyed looking at the suffragette movement from a bit more of an outsider perspective from that of Emily Davidson and the Pankursts that I’m used to reading from. I also appreciated the way in which Talbot handled the forcible feeding in the prisons as she managed to get across the horror and brutality of it without the images being too explicit, which is especially good considering the target age group for the book. Favourite Quote:  “Why should women go to Parliament Square and be battered about and insulted, when it pr...

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Graphic Novel, Historical Thoughts:  I was a little conflicted with this book, it’s handy as a first touch point with the war in Syria and its history but there was something a little lacking. Sometimes it was difficult to tell the characters apart which was a problem when I couldn’t tell which army the character was fighting for until a few text bubbles in. I’m not sure if the art style did this intentionally but I noticed that the art style meant we couldn’t see the differences in skin tone which has been shown to make white people care more. It was good that the weapons used were broken down so to speak each time they were used with the country of origin and who it was supplied to being shown as it shows just how many external countries were meddling in the war on different sides. Overall though, I did get the feeling of hope despite the horrors through this book, especially with the way Yasmin kept having her Freedom Hospital sign put up regardless of wh...

Rating: 2 Stars Themes: Contemprary Thoughts: This book had an amazing premise but it left me feeling really lacking instead. I did find it interesting to see how the different people reacted to/handled seeing the disturbing content every day from falling for conspiracy theories to mental health struggles and even becoming desensitised and shut down. But the use of slurs happened on more than one occasion and was completely unnecessary and the ending left me feeling like we were missing an actual ending.

Rating: 3.5 Stars Themes: Fantasy, Curse Thoughts: Corbett has managed to weave such strong themes throughout this book alongside the story and its curse. The parental themes are looked at from multiple sides with having both a mother and daughter duo and a father and son and she also looked at both strong turmoil and loving  Relationships. I did struggle to feel for Kate at first but that was a little unfair as I disliked how she treated Rhea but the pressure of living with that kind of a curse must have taken its toll on her, especially knowing it will pass on so I should have been more patient with her. I did like the boys and Rhea and I found the banter the characters had quite relatable as a Smoggie myself. I did quite like the journey and really felt the emotions for the way in which it all ended.  Favourite Quote: “To be without any hope of a reprieve is soul destroying.”