book review
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There’s something incredibly special about Jess and Norma. It feels less like reading a book and more like sitting down with them, listening to their stories unfold in their own voices. Warm, honest, and deeply personal, this memoir captures not just their journey, but the unbreakable bond between them. It’s comforting, moving, and at times…
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Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is a dystopian novel that follows Kathy from her school days to her work as a carer and eventually a donor. The story’s ambiguity can be confusing at first, and I even had to Google a few details to follow along. Kathy’s emotionally distant narration made it hard…
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I discovered Simon Squibb on social media, where he asks people, “What’s your dream?” His book mixes practical advice with personal stories, sharing successes, mistakes, and tips for avoiding them. It’s inspiring and motivating, though occasionally pushy, and some ideas are controversial. I appreciated his reminder that everyone’s journey is different. Overall, it made me…
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How to Kill a Witch by Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi is a well-researched and thought-provoking look at the persecution of those accused of witchcraft, with a strong focus on the Scottish witch trials. Blending real cases with careful speculation, it highlights the injustice faced by many, particularly women. While the pacing can be slow…
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In a world where colourful covers can hide complex and explicit themes, how do we know what’s truly suitable for younger readers? As “spicy” BookTok recommendations continue to blur the line between Young Adult and Adult fiction, it raises an important question: should books come with age ratings like films and games?
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There’s something incredibly special about A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. It isn’t driven by high-stakes action or constant tension, but by the quiet, meaningful connections between its characters. Each member of the Wayfarer crew feels real, flawed, and deeply human, despite coming from entirely different worlds. It’s a story that reminds you…
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Chain Gang All Stars is set in a near-future America where prisoners can earn freedom by surviving a televised death-match programme. The story follows teammates and lovers Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker as rules shift and protests rise. While the large cast and frequent perspective changes can feel confusing, the central relationship is…
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After giving the book a full five stars last year, I was both excited and a little worried to see the film adaptation of Project Hail Mary. Would it capture the humour, tension and science that made the story so compelling? Thankfully, the film manages to stay true to the spirit of the book while…
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ke It Back is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that follows Zara Kaleel, a former barrister who leaves behind one of London’s brightest legal careers to work at a rape crisis centre. When she begins supporting Jodie Wolfe, a vulnerable sixteen-year-old who accuses four Muslim boys of rape, the case quickly spirals beyond the courtroom.…
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Spark of the Everflame is an accessible fantasy romance that feels very much like the foundation of something much bigger. While parts of the story are predictable, the political tension, layered world-building, and Diem’s coming-of-age journey left me with more questions than answers — and just enough intrigue to want to continue the series.
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I went into The Favourites expecting a straightforward romance set on the ice — what I found instead was a dramatic, twist-filled story of ambition, obsession and destructive love. Set against the glittering but ruthless world of competitive skating, this modern reimagining of Wuthering Heights delivers betrayal, sabotage and shock after shock. Just when you…
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When aliens turn Earth into a live-streamed dungeon survival game, Carl and his gloriously dramatic cat, Princess Donut, are thrown into chaos, carnage, and completely unhinged quests. Brutal, absurd, and laugh-out-loud funny, Dungeon Crawler Carl is a love letter to gamers everywhere — packed with RPG mechanics, savage humour, and a cat who absolutely refuses…
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Written in 1993 but set in 2024, Parable of the Sower feels less like dystopian fiction and more like a chilling forecast. As society fractures under climate change, inequality, and violence, Lauren Olamina begins to build a new belief system from the ashes — proving that even in collapse, something new can grow.
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The Trees confronts America’s history of racial violence through a darkly satirical lens, blending murder, history, and uncomfortable humour. While the novel raises powerful questions about reckoning and revenge, its strange structure and genre-blurring approach may leave readers unsettled — and unsure — by the final page.
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Leviathan Wakes is an expansive, cinematic science fiction novel that balances mystery, political tension, and interplanetary conflict across the solar system.
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I’m a big history fan, so I went into Eleanor expecting a history-focused book that would explore the life of a lesser-known Queen of England. Instead, the book is largely a retracing of Eleanor’s funeral procession through England, which, while interesting in places, wasn’t quite what I was expecting.
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Cultish challenges the idea that cults are only religious or inherently bad, instead presenting them as something that exists on a spectrum. By exploring sport, fandoms, and marketing alongside religion, Amanda Montell shows how language creates belonging — and how easily that sense of connection can shift from healthy to harmful.
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Wordslut is a thought-provoking read filled with linguistic facts that really stick with you. While its strong focus on American English made some examples less relatable as a British reader, it still offers an interesting exploration of how language shapes gender and identity, even if not every section brought new clarity for me.
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The Christmas Killer is the first in a winter-themed crime series by Alex Pine. Marketed around the chilling promise of “12 murders over 12 days,” it immediately sets festive expectations—though the execution doesn’t quite live up to the concept.
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“A Conspiracy of Truths is a clever slow-burn fantasy told through the wry voice of Chant, an old storyteller imprisoned for witchcraft. Despite the confined setting, the world feels vivid thanks to the many fables and stories woven throughout, and the dynamic between Chant and his young apprentice, Ylfing, keeps the narrative engaging. It’s not…