October Wrap Up…

Welcome to my October Wrap Up. I had an okay reading month, finishing 11 books (3 books off my TBR). I also received 2 ARC’s this month.

I have reviews up or coming up for these books so as usual this is just going to be a brief rundown on each book I read.

Without further ado, let’s get into my October Wrap Up:

Before You Were Born by Katrina Germein: This book was beautiful. Katrina Germein did a fantastic job in capturing the excitement in the lead-up to the birth of a baby. It was sweet, heartfelt, and filled with joy. The fantastic Illustrations by Helene Magisson were bold, bright, and inclusive, which added an extra layer of wonder to this already wonderful little book. I am so glad that I now have this book on my bookshelf and I know I will be re-reading it many times in the future.

Emmeline Pankhurst by Lisbeth Kaiser: This book is part of the Little People Big Dreams series which I have recently started reading, and this is one of my new favourites. While I knew of Emmeline Pankhurst I am embarrassed to say that I didn’t actually know much else about her. I loved this little book and I learned a lot from reading it. I also really adored the amazing illustrations by Ana Sanfelippo. The combination of information and illustrations made for a wonderful reading experience.

Jane Austen by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara: This was one of the books in the Little People Big Dreams series that I was most excited to get my hands on. I am a massive fan of Jane Austen, so I couldn’t wait to dive into this book. As I had hoped; it was awesome. The information was varied and entertaining and the amazing Illustrations by Katie Wilson perfectly complimented the story being told. I am so happy to finally have this book on my bookshelf.

David Attenborough by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara: Another book from the Little People Big Dreams series this time with illustrations by Mikyo Noh. I love David Attenborough so I was very excited to get my hands on this book. It was everything I had hoped it would be and so much more. I loved learning about David Attenborough’s early life and how he became the legend he is today. The mix of information and illustrations was absolutely perfect. This book is easily one of my favourites books from the Little People Big Dreams series.

Mahatma Gandhi by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara: Last book from the Little People Big Dreams series for the month. This is another one where I knew of Mahatma Gandhi but I didn’t actually know much about him. Through the fantastic information provided and the beautiful Illustrations by Albert Arrayas, I learned so much about Gandhi and his journey. I am so glad that I decided to pick this book up and I know that I will be re-reading it many times in the future.

The Amazing True Story Of How Babies Are Made by Fiona Katauskas: This book was wonderful. I will admit it was far more thorough than I thought it was going to be; so you should probably have a look through it alone before you give it to little ones just in case you want to skip certain sections. I loved that it used common sense and wonderful illustrations to cover what could be a difficult subject to approach. I also loved that it was inclusive. A great book for parents and children to read together.

Frida Kahlo by Isabel Thomas: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had no idea who Frida Kahlo was before going into this book so I had both an entertaining and informative reading experience. This book was filled with information as well as Frida’s own words and recreations of her famous artworks. On top of all of this is the fantastic Illustrations by Marianna Madriz which add an extra level of awesome to this already amazing book.

City of Villains by Estelle Laure: I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the concept and the descriptions, and I also loved parts of the story, but overall something was missing for me. It felt too young to be a YA book for starters, it also had some issues with the pacing which made the story feel messy at times. I also had a problem connecting with the characters. I felt like I was missing their backstories which made it difficult to care what was happening to them. Overall, this book just wasn’t for me.

How Decent Folk Behave by Maxine Beneba Clarke: This book was great. I have read some of Maxine Beneba Clarke’s works before but this is the first time I have read one of her poetry collections. There wasn’t a poem in this collection that didn’t have an emotional punch, and some of them were utterly heartbreaking. I loved that a lot of the poems were about current events and how the world was when the collection was being written last year. I am not a massive poetry reader but I am very glad that I decided to read this collection.

The Last Woman In The World by Inga Simpson: This book was fantastic. I loved the plot, the characters, and the writing. Very few books give me chills but this one did on many occasions. Given the plot; which I won’t spoil, I felt compelled to keep reading, I wanted to know what was happening and what the characters were going to face next. On top of the awesome plot and wonderful characters was the breathtaking writing and descriptions, the writing had me hooked from the very first page. In all honesty, I loved every second of this book and I hope that everyone reads it.

Prime Ministers Of Australia by Jill B. Bruce: This book was published in 1996 so even though it was great, it was outdated. In saying that, I remember the Prime Ministers that Australia has had since 1996 so I was far more interested in reading about Prime Ministers from the past. I was surprised by how much I learned from this book, not only was there information about each Prime Minister, there was also information about both Parliament Houses, and the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament. I am glad that I read this book, I have a feeling I will be turning to it many times in the future.

That’s it for my October Wrap Up. I hope you all had a great reading month. Let me know what you guys read this month in the comments section.

Until my November Wrap Up…

Happy Reading…

~>GEM<~

The Last Woman In The World by Inga Simpson

‘AFTER THE FIRES. AFTER THE VIRUS. THEY CAME.

It’s night, and the walls of Rachel’s home creak as they settle into the cover of darkness. Fear has led her to a reclusive life on the land, her only occasional contact with her sister.

A hammering on the door. There stands a mother, Hannah, with a sick baby. They are running for their lives from a mysterious death sweeping the Australian countryside.

Now Rachel must face her worst fears: should she take up the fight to help these strangers survive in a society she has rejected for so long?’

This book was amazing.

This book had me hooked from the very first page and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I was not only compelled by the powerful story that was being told but also by the fantastic writing.

I am not usually a fan of thrillers as they tend to give away the ending too early and I lose interest once I figure out what is going on. This book was so smartly written and well-paced that I didn’t predict what was going to happen which made for a fantastic reading experience.

I won’t go into too much detail about the plot of the story as I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that it was chilling. The story felt so real and human which made it all the more terrifying.

The story itself wouldn’t have worked if it was for the three-dimensional, human characters. I loved the way that the characters dealt with various situations in different ways; this made for an interesting dynamic between the characters.

Inga Simpson has done a fabulous job with this book. The plot was brilliant, the characters were perfect, and the writing was captivating.

I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book. This is one of my favourite reads of the year.

The Last Woman In The World by Inga Simpson is a fantastic novel that you don’t want to miss.

Bookish Heavenly Virtues Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the Bookish Heavenly Virtues Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

CHASTITY

WHICH AUTHOR/BOOK/SERIES DO YOU WISH YOU HAD NEVER READ?

The Good Germans: Resisting the Nazis, 1933-1945 by Catrine Clay

TEMPERANCE

WHICH BOOK/SERIES DID YOU FIND SO GOOD THAT YOU DIDN’T WANT TO READ IT ALL AT ONCE AND YOU READ IT IN DOSES JUST TO MAKE THE PLEASURE LAST LONGER?

All We Dream by Pamela Cook

CHARITY

WHICH BOOK/SERIES/AUTHOR DO YOU TIRELESSLY PUSH TO OTHERS, TELLING THEM ABOUT IT OR EVEN GIVING AWAY SPARE COPIES BOUGHT FOR THAT REASON?

Get Back In Your Books! by Rory H. Mather

DILIGENCE

WHICH SERIES/AUTHOR DO YOU FOLLOW NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS AND HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO WAIT?

David Walliams

PATIENCE

IS THERE AN AUTHOR/BOOK/SERIES YOU’VE READ THAT IMPROVED WITH TIME THE MOST, STARTING OUT UNPROMISING, BUT ULTIMATELY PROVING REWARDING?

Chris Colfer

KINDNESS

WHICH FICTITIOUS CHARACTER WOULD YOU CONSIDER YOUR ROLE MODEL IN THE HASSLE OF EVERYDAY LIFE?

Odile Souchet – The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

HUMILITY

WHICH BOOK/SERIES/AUTHOR DO YOU FIND MOST UNDERRATED?

Pamela Cook

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Well that’s it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. As usual, hit me up with your answers in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading… 

~>GEM<~

How Decent Folk Behave by Maxine Beneba Clarke

‘On a daylight street in Minneapolis Minnesota, a Black man is asphyxiated – by callous knee of an officer, by cruel might of state, and under crushing weight of colony. In Melbourne the body of another woman has been found – this time, after catching a late tram home.

The Atlantic has run out of the English alphabet, when christening hurricanes this season. The earth is on fire – from the redwoods of California, to Australia’s east coast. The sea draws back, and tsunamis lash out in Samoa and Sumatra. Water rises in Sulawesi and Nagasaki. Bloated cod are surfacing, all along the Murray Darling.

The virus arrives, and the virus thrives. Authorities seal the public housing towers up, and truck in one cop to every five residents. Notre Dame is ablaze – the cathedral spire blackened, and teetering.

Out in Biloela, the deportation vans have arrived. Every Friday, in cities all across the world, children are walking out of school. The wolves are circling. The wolves are circling.

These poems speak of the world that is, and sing for a world that may one day be.’

This book was fantastic.

I have read two of Maxine Beneba Clarke’s works previously, but this is the first time I have read one of her poetry collections.

I didn’t really know what to expect going into this book so I was blown away by how powerful and emotional this collection was.

The poems in this collection are so compelling because they cover the events that we have been seeing and hearing about over recent years. From Global Warming, Black Lives Matter, and Me Too, this collection connects in a way that I have never felt before.

Maxine Beneba Clarke has done an amazing job with this collection. Each poem was stronger than the last making for an unforgettable reading experience.

How Decent Folk Behave by Maxine Beneba Clarke will stay with you long after the final poem.

Uni Update 21!

It’s that time again…

Uni Update!

Well another month of Uni is done and dusted. I have now completed my first Assessment and am currently working on both my second and tired Assessments.

I am still not loving this unit although I have managed to find a groove to work in that isn’t leaving me overwhelmed by all the required reading and writing tasks, so I am happy about that.

Hopefully the fact that I am already working on two of my remaining assessments helps me avoid rushing to finish it when it’s due while also trying to get my weekly course work done.

Overall this month has been better than last, but I am glad that I will be finishing this course next month.

Well that is all from me today. Hopefully I will have a better month next month and I will be able to tell you about in my next Uni Update.

Until then…

Happy Reading!

~>GEM<~

Martin Luther King Jr. by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

‘In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy best-selling Little People, Big Dreams series, discover the life of Martin Luther King Jr., the inspiring minister, and civil rights activist. Little Martin grew up in a family of preachers: his dad was a preacher, his uncle was a preacher, his grandfather was a preacher so maybe he’d become a great preacher too. One day, a friend invited him to play at his house. Martin was shocked when his mother wouldn’t let him in because he was black. That day he realized there was something terribly unfair going on. Martin believed that no one should remain silent and accept something if its wrong. And he promised himself that – when he grew up – he’d fight injustice with the most powerful weapon of all: words.’

This book was wonderful.

I have read quite a few books from Little People, Big Dreams series recently and this one is up there with one of my favourites. I knew who Martin Luther King Jr. was and what he has stood for and done in his life before I went into this book; so I was excited to get into this one.

Even though I went into this book knowing about Martin Luther King Jr. I was genuinely surprised by how much I actually learned while reading this book. Not only did I learn from the story itself but I also learned from the information that was provided at the back of the book.

Along with the amazing story being told, this book included fantastic illustrations by Mai Ly Degnan, that perfectly compliment Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara’s awesome story. The combination of the writing and illustrations made for a wonderful reading experience.

Martin Luther King Jr. by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara is a must-have for all young readers and their families.

Bookish Alphabet Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the Bookish Alphabet Tag. The rules are simple, select a book for each letter of the alphabet. It’s not required that you have read the books, only that you own them. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

A – A Tale of Sorcery by Chris Colfer

B – Blood River by Tony Cavanaugh

C – COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus… by Michael Mosley

D – Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs by Michael T. Osterholm and Mark Olshaker

E – Everless by Sara Holland

F – Firebird by Elizabeth Wein

G – Get Back In Your Books! by Rory H. Mather

H – How To Write A Love Story by Katy Cannon

I – Impact: The Story of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks by Matt Doeden

J – Just Ignore Him by Alan Davies

K – Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

L – Let It Go by Jen Calonita

M – Megamonster by David Walliams

N – Never Look Back by Alison Gaylin

O – Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

P – Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

Q – Quark’s Academy by Catherine Pelosi

R – Rachel’s War: The Story of an Australian WWI Nurse by Mark Wilson

S – Season of Storms by Andrzej Sapkowski

T – The Light After the War by Anita Abriel

U – Unbirthday by Liz Braswell

V – Vision of Hope: Rebuilding a Life Destroyed by Drugs and Alcohol by Leilani Faber

W – Winner Winner Bin Chicken Dinner by Kate Temple and Jol Temple

X – Xylophone Xavier by Susannah McFarlane

Y – You by Caroline Kepnes

Z – Zealot: A Book About Cults by Jo Thornely

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Well that’s it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. As usual, hit me up with your answers in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading… 

~>GEM<~

City of Villains by Estelle Laure

‘Mary Elizabeth Heart is a high school senior by day, but by night she’s an intern at the Monarch City police department. She watches with envy from behind a desk as detectives come and go, trying to contain the city’s growing crime rate. For years, tension has simmered between the city’s wealthy elite, and their plans to gentrify the decaying neighborhood called the Scar—once upon a time the epicenter of all things magic.

When the daughter of one of the city’s most powerful businessmen goes missing, Mary Elizabeth is thrilled when the Chief actually puts her on the case. But what begins as one missing person’s report soon multiplies, leading her down the rabbit hole of a city in turmoil. There she finds a girl with horns, a boyfriend with secrets, and what seems to be a sea monster lurking in a poison lake. As the mystery circles closer to home, Mary finds herself caught in the fight between those who once had magic, and those who will do anything to bring it back.’

I have mixed feelings about this book.

This is the first book in the City of Villains series so I was expecting more setup and back story; which I didn’t get, so I had trouble understanding the riffs and reasons the world was the way it was. I also had trouble understanding why the characters behaved the way they did since I didn’t know enough about their lives and struggles prior to the start of this book.

I loved the way elements of Disney tales were scattered throughout this story, it made me smile every time I came across one. I also really liked that they weren’t just placed in for the sake of it; they actually had meaning to the characters or the story.

I feel like the concept for this book was great; unfortunately, it just didn’t deliver for me. The issues with the lack of backstory also carried over to the characters in a major way. Since I didn’t know enough about the characters I found that I didn’t really care what happened to them. As the plot of this book mostly revolves around its characters I had trouble staying interested.

While this book is billed as YA I feel like its audience is actually closer to Middle Grade. Maybe the issues I had with this book wouldn’t be as noticeable for young readers.

City of Villains by Estelle Laure is out now.

Halloween Facts!

As I am really enjoying compiling Pointless Facts each month, I have decided to put together a Halloween Facts post. I hope you all enjoy these Halloween Facts.

Let’s jump in, shall we?

The longest haunted house in the world is “Factory of Terror” in Canton, Ohio.

A child born on Halloween is said to have the ability to talk to spirits.

The movie Halloween was filmed in 21 days.

Pumpkins are classified as a fruit, not as a vegetable.

Children are more than twice as likely to be killed in a pedestrian/car accident on Halloween than on any other night.

Halloween has variously been called All Hallows’ Eve, Witches Night, Lamswool, Snap-Apple Night, Samhaim, and Summer’s End.

Ireland is typically believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.

Potatoes were originally used to make jack-o’-lanterns on Halloween.

The most common Halloween costume for pets is a pumpkin.

Halloween is the Wiccan New Year.

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I hope you all enjoyed today’s Halloween Facts. Let me know in the comments if these facts were new to you or if you had already come across them.

~>GEM<~

Josephine Baker by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

‘Little Josephine grew up in St Louis, Missouri, during segregation. But Josephine loved to dance and perform and dreamed of being on stage. When she grew up, Josephine defied expectations and left for Paris, where audiences fell in love with her. She fought against segregation her whole life and kept going with style, whatever was thrown in her way.
 
With stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, this empowering series celebrates the important life stories of wonderful women of the world. From designers and artists to scientists, all of them went on to achieve incredible things, yet all of them began life as a little child with a dream. These books make the lives of these role models accessible for children, providing a powerful message to inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world!’

This book was beautiful.

I had no idea who Josephine Baker was before I read this book. Now I am actually looking forward to learning more about her and her achievements.

Even though this book is aimed at children I learned a lot and I had fun while doing it. Seeing the Journey Josephine Baker had and the things she had to do in order to live her dream was truly amazing.

All of the fantastic information provided in this book was perfectly complemented by beautiful illustrations by Agathe Sorlet. The illustrations added an extra layer to this little book and really made the story come alive.

Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara has done a wonderful job with this book. The information was perfectly presented to engage and entertain the reader. I can easily see this book being a favourite for young readers and their families.

Josephine Baker by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara is a wonderful addition to the Little People Big Dreams series.