Dal Cecil Runo

Many queer teens need a book like this.Admittedly, I am not into reading YA, not because I look down on it, please no, I don’t mean it that way. As someone born outside the States I don’t connect to the typical YA plot points like “going to prom, what dress should I buy?” My teen years are better off forgotten, so I just stay reading adult novels.That said, I gave this book a chance because it was recommended many times by fellow Latinx readers so, why not? I’m glad to say it was an enjoyable, and to some extend, relatable read. I recommend this book to queer Latinx readers who were also raised in strict religious families. This novel is like a friend that understands you and also tries to cheer you up with its authentic sibling dynamics and occasional fun moments.Extra cheers for the amazing audiobook narrator. 

Disability Awareness Matters
To those interested in learning more about the history of disability rights in the United States, this memoir by Judith Heumann is a fantastic starter point. The narration is a clear and honest depiction of the injustices and struggles as Heumann became an important voice for disability rights.
The memoir touches upon the topic of disability awareness around the world, but the main focus is of course in the fight for human rights in the United States, being Heumann's birth place.
Can't recommend it enough.

If you like scifi that doesn't seem like scifi, this book is for you. If you like time travel but you'd like to read a different type of time travel, this book is for you. If you prefer more character driven and emotional stories, this book is for you. 
This will make my top 10 favorites of the year, no doubt. 

Blood and Goth

A little bit of Twilight, a little bit of “Goth Beauty and the Beast,” a lot of blood. This book is a fast-pace ride of torture, hence the title.

I recommend this to people who like vampire stories but are looking for something a bit different. The author has created her own lore and creatures, but the influences are clearly present.

Overall it's a solid debut.

Accessible language, and very informative. This book is short and straight to the point. It also provides many referral articles in case readers would like to explore beyond the book. 

I'm not the audience for this book. This will be a much more helpful guide for people with no disabilities whatsoever. I'm blind, and many blind people have completely distorted circadian rhythms due to the distorted light information, or lack thereof that our eyes get. 
This book was more like a “one size” plan that kept saying “but do whatever works for you,” as a cope out.
It still has helpful information on a more healthy nutrition, but again, this is for average people who can afford all those organic foods, so this is not for people under the poverty line who eat whatever they can afford. Middle of the road, but it still has some good information.

I think I've found my favorite book of all time
Those are major words. I recommend this book to those who appreciate epistolary novels, environmental-themed science fiction with some pagan/spiritual elements, effortless minority representation and beautiful yet accessible prose. 
This book touched me in a way I thought no book would ever manage. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Xe Sands, which I think helped enhance Itäranta's words. I can't recommend this book enough.

Love this book. Love how it never tells me what's real and what isn't. Beautiful writing. 

A true page turner.

Started listening to the ebook (blind with screen reader aid) at 4 in the morning, and finished it by noon. If i keep turning pages when all i have is a faulty robotic voice, that's how I know it's a good one. I used the Scribd platform to read this, and I'm so glad I could find it there.
I'm not usually a quote highlight type of reader, but in this book i highlighted so many things, mostly from Elise's narration. I'm sure I forgot to highlight some parts because i was quick to turn the page and read the next scene.
This isn't the typical murder mystery, and that made me love it even more. I can't recommend it enough to anyone who enjoys reading in this genre, and even to those looking for a good introduction to murder mysteries.

It's hard to do time travel well, and she did it

I love this book for a lot of personal reasons. Why am I giving it 5 stars?

1. Did I put it down?
Yes and no. In the case of this book, I had to because the first time I listened to it, I was at work and running errands, but whenever I had the time I picked it up immediately.

2. What about the characters?
Again, this is a trademark of Joey's books, at least the books I've read. The characters are so real. Harri is a wonderful character, but in this story, I give the trophy to her mum, Rose. The woman has an aggressive case of fibromyalgia and other autoimmune conditions, and her actions throughout the book show that Joey doesn't just write a struggling character for shock value. No-oh, I saw my own mother reflected in Rose.

3. Structure?
Intriguin pacing with all the back and forth and time travel, plus Harri trying to uncover a crime that happened a 100 years before the story's present timeline. Think Octavia Butler's “Kindred” in the time travelling aspect, not the other aspects that only writers like Queen Octavia can write, but the time travel and time speed difference, that. Amazing.

4. Writing?

Solid, realistic, sounds like a teen, but Harri is mature beyond her years and it shows. I could notice the difference and the research that went into this when the characters from the previous century had more extensive dialogue moments.

5. Subjective stuff
I already said that I saw my own mother reflected in Rose's character. That is enough for a star already, but, I also liked the setting, and the crime aspect of it.

Please pick it up, it's worth a read and even a re-read. This review is happening after my my second read.

This book was raw and realistic to the point of being a bit scary. Octavia Butler's writing is powerful and doesn't shy away from telling things the way they really are.

I rarely enjoy reading in the dystopian genre, but I know if she wrote it, I'll enjoy it.

Maybe my favourite book of 2019. At least one of my favourites.

More Like This PleaseWhat a work of art. It's a non-fiction about nature that feels like a fictional adventure, but it's all true. I recommend this to anyone interested in learning about the gifts from Mother Earth, and North American indigenous cultures. This should become a required reading at some point in general North American education. There's so much knowledge shared in these pages. Please don't let this one out of your reading lists.

I listened to the audiobook version, because I'm blind. If there's an audiobook, I'll listen to that over my robotic screen reader. It was narrated by the author, and her voice is calm and soothing, which makes this an even more enjoyable experience.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am also a member of the street team for this book, but as you can see from this disclaimer, I am here to write my honest thoughts.

Savy Leiser has a unique style of writing that I got to know from her fiction books; very conversational and casual. Listening to her usual writing voice in a non-fiction book about starting your own business was a very nice touch.
She has the credentials to write such a book, and it is easy to research and find out about all the things she does for her author career and her Furever Home Friends business. This book is as honest as they come, full of helpful tips and useful information for those who are looking to create their own small business but maybe don't know where to start. This is not a motivational book with affirmations and prayers and dreams. Here she details how she did it. Things may vary depending on the kind of business the reader is looking to start, and also, depending on which country the reader lives in, if outside of the United States, things might be a little bit different with some of the chapters of the book, but that is just common sense.

I'm giving it five stars because I read this book in one afternoon, with a robotic text to speech software because I am almost blind, and still, I was never bored or confused. I've read it twice, and gone back to specific chapters from time to time and took some notes. I fully recommend it and I hope this helps people to start their own thing.

The thing with short stories is that there isn't much page time to get to know the characters. This is more of a plot driven short. A lot of research put in this work. That's why I liked it. Still, not a 5star for me.

Not the book for me. Anything with a half blind villain being the only blind in the book is not my jam, at all. I'm gonna leave it at that.

Love this!
To clarify, I'm partially blind and I use a screen reader with a robotic voice.

From concept to characters, this book is the bomb. This is a great blend of sci-fi, and a crime mystery, from a YA perspective.
Hetti is a relatable character. She feels real, despite this being a futuristic story.
Since this is a mystery, I don't wanna talk about the plot, I don't wanna say anything that might spoil it. So I'm just gonna say, that I'm almost a Clairvoyant, lol. I love the mystery genre, and if I can predict a reveal way before I should, I won't give a book 5 stars. Now look up, I gave this book 5 stars. I didn't see that coming!

It took me a long time t review this book, because I don't wanna spoil, and I've re-read it a couple of times, so, I don't want anything to slip.

One little nitpicky thing if you will. There was a description phrase about a character's car-driving style that repeated a wee bit, I spotted it. So, one little flaw if we can say so. Does it detract from the book? Nah. I love a story that I cannot predict.

A helpful discussion of story structure through the lens of various popular films. A nice alternative to books like Sace the Cat. Get ready to take some notes.

I've read several books on the subject, and this is the one I would end up recommending. It has some golden nuggets, and it's up to each writer to continue their own self awareness path after reading it, but this is the book that goes beyond the quick and easy tips and hacks and shows us a bit of psychology that's always involved in the topic of writer's block. 

Very Enjoyable Stories

If you like a bit of sci-fi, a bit of horror and a bit of the unknown all wrapped in a diverse cast of characters and settings, look no further.
This short story collection is varied but coherent.
I enjoyed reading this very much and would totally recommend this to science fiction and paranormal readers.

Great concept, generic execution. It simply wasn't for me. It's a good book, I can recommend it to science fiction lovers. 

One of my favorite authors of our time. I never read children's books, but he wrote this, so I gave it a try, and I loved it. Just sharing to spread the love. I know I'm biased. This author could make me read whatever genre he tries next. 

I need more books about lighthouses in my life. This was wonderful. Being this solitary person who does everything slowly, some of the characters in the story felt relatable in their aloofness towards society. I'm trying to make sense of this, but I can't. I want more like this type of atmospheric, slow, mysterious and solitary type of stories. 

Loved it. I don't know much about Turkey, so this was a little bit of a taste. I also know the author isn't Turkish, so I applaud the bravery of writing about such a rich and old culture. I assume it isn't perfect, but I couldn't put it down.

Wonderful Short Read

Less is more. Sjón can write something so epic in a hundred or so pages and still paint a vivid landscape in the mind of a reader.