Emira

This was a difficult read. There were moments where I just wanted to fling my e-reader across the room and stop reading all together. But I knew I had to get through it. At first, it was because of the pay off— I wanted Strane to be brought to justice. I wanted her to let go of the pain and abuse he had caused her. But in the second to last chapter, I let go of all of that. She doesn't need to be happy in the end, this isn't a fairytale. She just needed to start healing. The first step is always the hardest.

Throughout the book, we had to see Vanessa go through abuse and gaslighting by someone she thought loved her. As she grew older, she truly believed that Strane was the only one who could love her the way she needed to be loved. He had made her believe that.

“To be groomed is to be loved and handled like a precious, delicate thing.”
Later in the book, “He worshipped me. I was lucky.”

When we see her in the “present”, her life becomes increasingly messy. I was angry at her constant avoidance and the excuses she made for Strane. “The longer I talk, the more confident I become, blaming myself, absolving Strane.” But she was just a child. She didn't know any better. In some ways, even in her 30s — she was stuck at fifteen.

The topic of victimhood and self-flagellation becomes this entangled mess throughout. Vanessa didn't see herself as a victim but a willing participant in what had happened. Which lead to her self-destruction over the years. “I'm not a victim because I've never wanted to be, and if I don't want to be, then I'm not. That's how it works. THe difference between rape and sex is a state of mind. You can't rape the willing, right?” The abuse and gaslighting she had gone through was just so ingrained in her being by then.

In the end, I didn't really need her to bring him to justice. I just wanted her to start healing from the abuse she endured. “There must be a point where you're allowed to be defined by something other than what he did to you. [...] I can imagine how it might feel to not be his, not to be him. To feel that maybe I could be good”

This book made me sick to my stomach. But I knew, from the very beginning, that I needed to see it all the way through. If there is anything to be gained from reading this book, it's this; Believe women.

If you know me at all, you'll know that I cried. No. I BAWLED... more than once.

Yes, this was beautifully written. But there was more to it! When King grieved, I grieved. When he was angry, I was angry. King's love for Khalid and Khalid's love for King was marvellously done.

His thoughts and feelings–his confusion about the kind of world we live in, our lives and the people we love are questions I find myself asking from time to time.

It was wonderful. I don't think I'll stop thinking about this one for a while.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is one of those books that feels calming to read. Most of the topics that was delved into were heavy but the writing felt calm throughout.

honest and beautifully written.

Smiled from cover to cover. The Paris trip was amazing.

As usual, Alice Oseman blends the light and fluffy feelings of first loves with serious topics like bullying with such ease.

Loved it.

I suppose it was a fun time? In all honesty, it's been about a week since I finished this book and I can't remember a single thing about it.

Dark academia– mad creepy. Went in knowing that it had “Gossip Girl meets Get Out but make it Black and queer” vibes and I was all for it. Had me screaming at some points, loved the twists and turns. After this rollercoaster of a book, I really needed that epilogue.

I loved it. I don't think there's anything I could say that hasn't already been said. It's 5:30am and I couldn't put this book down till I finished it. I just really loved it (and obviously, I cried)

Note: I actually DNFed this book my first try reading it. But I'm so glad I decided to pick it up again.

I've been listening to MFM since their third episode and I've always admired how honest and open Karen and Georgia are. This book was no exception. From their struggles of mental health, drug addiction to their family relationships, they laid it all out for us to read (or listen to).

The best thing about it is that there are so many people who are able to relate to their stories and there's something to learn from it.

I'm thankful to them both for getting me through some really tough times. I'm glad that I found their podcast and stuck with them all these years later.

Stay sexy and appreciate your favourite podcast hosts,
Emira

In most cases, I dislike reading books set in high schools. It's something about the way teenagers interact in books. But I thought the writing was well done. I liked that it had a soundtrack to go with the book. The main message is to accept yourself and that it's important to find real friends rather than being popular.

The relationship between Ryen and Misha was a little confusing. They're hot and cold very often. Although, I really liked the whole pen-pal thing they had going on. The antagonists were awful and spiteful- but it's not all too surprising seeing that high school students can be quite ruthless.

Note: it's a 3 star because I didn't enjoy the swearing. It was just too much for me at times. But to be fair, I'm a fairly soft-hearted person. You may not mind it as much.

this was too long.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm sure you've heard this in countless other reviews but it has to be said! The characters felt so real. I kept having to resist the urge to google the songs or the characters. All the while fully knowing that they were fictional. (Don't look at my search history because I may or may not have succeeded in my venture to resist-the-urge-to-google)

Daisy Jones & The Six captured the nostalgia of the 70s brilliantly. I'm not old enough to attest to that though so if you were alive in the 70s, I'm sure you'd have a more accurate idea of this.

I loved the use of the oral history format. It was wonderfully written. There were moments where I had to put the book down because I was angry at a character, or couldn't stop reading because I was just so engrossed in the story.

All in all, I think Daisy Jones & The Six can be summed up with just a few words: sex, drugs, rock&roll, and heartbreak.

I love this book.

Other than it being so flippin' cute, I just really saw myself in Hazel. Tbh, I was gonna bump it down to 4.5 stars because of the surprise pregnancy trope but I loved Josh & Hazel too much to do that.

Anyway, love love love!!! Probably my fav read of 2021 so far!

Edit: bought a physical copy because i NEED to see it on my shelf.

i read this when i was younger and loved it. might do a reread sometime soon

“You suck.”
“You suck even more.”

I loved From Lukov with Love so much. Their gradual hate-to-love relationship was realistic and didn't feel forced. It definitely felt like Ivan loved Jasmine from the very start though. Every time one of them called the other their best friend I wanted to scream because it was so cute.

I liked that they were so similar but they also evened each other out. Jasmine was, putting it mildly, stubborn and hot-headed. Ivan was calm and cool– unless he was with Jasmine then he was Satan. I enjoyed seeing how competitive ice skating was and how much work it took to be great at it (it's also one of my favourite Olympic sports). Their banter was so funny and I loved how honest they were with each other.

Their families! Aaaah they were so kind and supportive. I love big families. But there was also a bit of drama there. I really felt for Jasmine's anger towards her dad.

Ivan was an adorable sweetheart with a cold exterior. Now that I think about it... so was Jasmine.

From Lukov with Love? More like From Enemies-to-Best Friends-to-Love

4.5 Meatballs

This is one of those times where I know that I'll forget about this book in a couple of weeks. It wasn't a bad book. Just wasn't the best I've read by the duo.

I think this one was my least favourite of the three in the series. I didn't feel any depth to either of the main characters. Although, I enjoyed the storyline about Alexandra's past. To me, the children really stole the show. They were witty and smart. I felt their anger and sadness. As expected, I enjoyed seeing the Wallflowers (+ Ash and the mention of Gabriel) in this book.

“You'll be silent forever, and I'll be gone in the dark,” you threatened a victim once. Open the door. Show us your face. Walk into the light. - Michelle McNamara, I'll Be Gone in the Dark

This book hit me hard. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the Golden State Killer was arrested. I was in the library, working on an assignment at the time. I decided to take a short break and it was all over twitter— “Golden State Killer caught after 25 years” My heart was in my throat— I was elated. In fact, I remember making a noise quite loudly and saying something like “ohmygodnowaynowaynoway” Yes, people turned to stare.

And then I cried for about fifteen minutes. Full on sobbed. Mind you, I live half a world away and I wasn't alive when his crimes took place. So, I have no personal connection to this case. Yet, I couldn't help but feel an immense amount of relief and a sense of justice for the victims and their families.

I have nothing but good things to say about this book. It was written in a way that was accessible and informative at the same time. McNamara's writing style was great and often chilling. A really good read for fans of true crime.

Where do I begin?

Well, I suppose I should begin with the man himself; the Black Daniel. Or maybe I should start with the strong-willed (read: contrariest) Hester? These two make the most stubborn couple. But what are we to do? When they fall in love, it's hard to not fall in love with them.

Indigo had a good mix of light and serious moments.

In the light moments, we got to see Hester and Galen unabashedly in love. We see bits and pieces of Galen's life, before and after he became the Black Daniel. The strength and mutual respect behind their community. The bond Hester and Galen gained and shared. The slow build towards their love for each other. No matter how much they denied it, it was inevitable.

Although the core of Indigo is about love, it also delved into racism and slavery. I don't know much as I wasn't taught American history but I knew enough going in to know that it wasn't going to be an easy topic. Keep that in mind and I'll be sure to tread lightly as I continue to write this.

One of the more jarring moments to me was when Hester recounts her time as a slave. Her and her friend, Ella, were standing over a vat of indigo ink. Ella said something to mean that she looked forward for her hands to be as dark with ink as her mother's were. The reason this struck out to me was that the children didn't know how the world was then. The lives they lived was all they knew and that was the life of a slave. Children are innocent with only love and joy in their hearts. They have to taught hate or to hate. My heart was full of anger and eyes tears.

Another thing I'd like to note is the white passing mentioned throughout the book. Galen was not only white passing, he was also unimaginably wealthy. Therefore, for most of his life, he was able to get away (almost) unscathed. Until he realised the brutality black people had to endure that is. But instead of turning a blind eye, he chose to aid those who didn't have the privileges he had.

Segue approaching!

Here's a few more things I loved:
Hester's vanilla scent
The name Black Daniel
The fact that Foster came back married?!? (i gasped and proceeded to rant at no one)
The Sheriff
The parts set at Galen's grandmother's home after they were married.
Raymond's constant teasing

All in all, I loved it. I loved Hester's sharp wit, Galen's incorrigibleness. I loved their acceptance for each other. Loved the family they made for themselves. And finally, I loved how much they loved each other.

“Indigo is what you are, Indigo is who you will be to be. At least to me, you will be Indigo.”

This graphic novel was beautifully done. The art by Brenna Thummler was lovely. There were a few pages where the whole page was full of colour and the art was gorgeous, it looked like it should've been hung on a wall. I've been a fan of Anne's story since watching Anne with an E on Netflix. But this graphic novel solidified my love for it. Anne, the Cuthberts, and (of course) Gilbert Blythe.

Next up: The original text itself.

Sigh. I knew what was going to happen at the End but I didn't want to believe it.

I'm still a little sad. But it was a really wonderful read.

It was really nice reading about the interconnectedness of the people in this universe– the parallels in their stories.

I loved their Solar Systems and the way they loved Mateo and Rufus while they grieved the boys.

Mateo and Rufus; they were so different in the beginning. But the way the bonded and became friends felt so easy. The way they spoke honestly about anything and everything. The way they came into their own, even on their Last Day. So much happened in (less than) 24 hours, but they loved and lived.

I read The Poet X through the audiobook, which was really good! I thought it was wonderfully written. I even teared up a few times. There were moments where I could completely relate to her struggles. I loved that she had Twin as her support system- someone who understood her but not completely. Her wanting to be heard was loud enough for it to reverberate through the writing.

I am a sucker for a happy ending. But I didn't think The Poet X needed one. But her struggles with her place in the world, religion and her family were swept under the rug towards the end. Xiomara had so much more to learn and go through. So, the happy ending felt like a pretty ribbon was tied in a bow to her story.

I loved the discussions of religion, sexual harassment, family expectations. But keep that in mind before going into this book, it can be a bit tough!

Will Mariana Zapata ever stop making me feel things? I doubt it.

For once, I liked the heroine more than the hero. Might've been because I could relate to Diana or maybe who I'd want to be. She was so kind– sometimes a little too kind– but she always stood up for the people she loved. I also liked that she cried a lot. I do that too!

Dallas was just a soft boy who just wanted to be loved and love in return. I think he chose the best person to do that with.

My only gripe, although it's a small one, is that I didn't feel the connection between Diana and Dallas the way I did with Aiden & Val (Wall of Winnipeg and Me) or Rey & Sal (Kulti). Don't get me wrong, they were really cute together but there was just something there that lacked a little.

Anyway, Louie and Josh were adorable and I absolutely loved them. Louie, especially, had me laughing out loud throughout the entire book. I think they were the highlight of the book for me. I also really liked seeing how Diana raised and interacted with them.

Every scene that cameoed our favourites from Kulti and The Wall of Winnipeg and Me made me so happy. I just read both books but I'm already thinking about when I'm going to revisit them.

There were a few moments that made me cry a lot. But there was also a good amount of humour to compensate afterwards.

cw: lost of a loved one, suicide, abuse

There were moments where I laughed out loud and there were moments where I had to set the book down to keep from squealing. I found both, Ash and Emma, to be witty and charming. I loved their back-and-forth. I'm beginning to love the tortured-hero trope. This had mad Beauty and the Beast vibes (right down to the dinner on opposite sides of the room) The other Wallflowers made many appearances in this book and although I've only met Penny, I know I already love them all. But my favourite character probably had to be Khan. His love for both Ash and Emma was apparent, moreover, he was hilarious in every scene he was in.