Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts

Sunday 24 July 2022

Nerd Church - The Devil Wears Double Standards

Warning: this post briefly discusses sexual assault and slut-shaming/victim blaming.

 

I recently read The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger.

And while I largely enjoyed it, and it's really well written, I have Some Thoughts™ about the way it treats women - especially women with any type of ambition or aspirations.


'The Devil Wears Double Standards' with a red high heel shoe



The Devil Wears Prada is a book about Andy, who becomes an assistant to Miranda Priestly - boss b**ch in chief at fashion magazine 'Runway.'

Miranda is a living nightmare who seems to delight in making her assistants' lives hell.

Friday 4 March 2022

Friday Fics Fix - IT and Walt Whitman


'Richie, who calls Eddie up sometimes in the middle of the night to explain the entire plot of a novel he just read in two hours to him.'


'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape


This is a weird one - and not in the usual way that fanfiction is weird.

This is weird because it's so... grown-up. 

I mean... grown-up fanfiction, who knew?

(And no, I don't mean in an 18+ sexy-times way - that's way more common. đŸ˜…)

Friday 28 August 2020

From My TBR: 15 Young Adult and Middle Grade Books By Black Authors

 

(Warning: this post references racism and police brutality)


 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.



'From My TBR: 15 Young Adult and Middle Grade Books By Black Authors' against a background of the page-side of closed books, lined-up


There are three important reasons for me writing this post:

1. Black Lives still Matter.

2. It's always a good time to highlight diverse books.

and 3. There are so many amazing Black creators out there, who don't always get the recognition they deserve.


So here's a small selection of some of the Young Adult (YA) and Middle Grade (MG) books on my TBR list that were written by Black authors.

For those of you who don't know the book-blog lingo - a TBR is a 'to-be-read' list. Mine is immortal and cannot be stopped. Send help.

For those of you who are British like me, and/or haven't heard the book blogging term, Middle Grade books are those aimed at (roughly) ages 8-12, or 8-14, depending who you ask.

(Quick disclaimer: obviously, I haven't read these books, just their synopses, so I don't know what they're like in terms of content, quality, etc.)


I hope you find something to add to your own TBR, and remember to support Black authors, and other Black creators.

There're so many talented Black authors out there who deserve our attention!


Friday 21 August 2020

Review Time! - Queer As A Five-Dollar Bill by Lee Wind

(Warning: this post discusses Homophobia and bigotry, including physical violence)

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.



'Queer As A Five Dollar Bill' written in mismatched letters over a background of a five dollar bill, ft. Abraham Lincoln





Title: Queer As A Five-Dollar Bill

'Queer As A Five-Dollar Bill' book cover with $5 poking out of the back of a boy's jeans
Author: Lee Wind

Genre: YA, Contemporary, LGBTQ+ (Gay & M/M)



Wednesday 19 June 2019

Mini-Review! - Dat's Love and Other Stories by Leonora Brito

**This post contains affiliate links for Amazon.com (US). I earn commission from qualifying purchases**



Dat's Love & Other Stories title image with red willow branches hanging down over the corner




Title: Dat's Love and Other Stories

(Also published as 'Selected Stories)

Author: Leonora Brito

'Selected Stories' book cover with an artsy illustration of a Black woman
Genres: Anthology, Short Stories, Contemporary(-ish,) Historical Fiction



Wednesday 13 March 2019

Month in Review(s) - February 2019



February was... OK.




February title image w/ desk, paper, and scattered hearts


Look, I'd love to say it was great. But my Depression has been kind of up-and-down.

So I can't honestly call it 'great' - but 'ok' is fairly accurate.

I survived it. I even enjoyed some of it. So 'ok' is what I'm gonna call it.


Wednesday 27 February 2019

Mini-Review! - Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie

**This post contains affiliate links for Amazon.com (USA) - I receive a small commission for products purchased using these links**


Home Fire title image





Home Fire book cover
Title: Home Fire


Author: Kamila Shamsie

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Retellings







Wednesday 9 January 2019

Month In Review(s) - December 2018



In order to fully boot 2018's a** out the back door, there's still a little business to attend to - in this case, December's wrap-up.



December title image against a snowy background


Except for Christmas (which is always amazing - I love Christmas,) December sucked.


Friday 28 December 2018

Review Time! - Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson


**This post contains affiliate links for Amazon USA, I receive a small commission for any qualifying purchases made using these links**



Piecing Me Together title image with multi-coloured jigsaw-piece background







Title: Piecing Me Together

Author: Renée Watson

Genre: Young Adult (with New Adult crossover appeal,) Contemporary Fiction

Amazon: USA





Wednesday 7 November 2018

Month In Review(s) - October 2018





Argh. October.

October was pretty much like the previous months - stressful, full of family worries, and working uber-hard.

My grandparents are both still in hospital. Life is still hectic.

Only October also managed to give me the gift of about four or five different colds. I'm one of those people who get colds on a rotating-door type basis. đŸ˜·




October title image with leaves background and smiling carved pumpkins icons in corner



Wednesday 24 October 2018

Really Mini-Reviews - Escorting the Escort by Lyss Em and Babyvamp by Lyssa Dering





Really Mini-Reviews title image with inset title images for Escorting the Escort and Babyvamp, and icon of books in bottom corner



You want some awesome M/M New Adult romance novellas?

Of course ya do!

Today I've got reviews of Escorting the Escort by Lyss Em and Babyvamp by Lyssa Dering - which are both written by the same author, just under different names.

They explore orientations beyond just Gay or Straight, and are pretty damned awesome t'boot!




Sunday 23 September 2018

#BannedBooksWeek: Nerd Church - F**k It, Let's Talk Censorship (Ft. Thirteen Reasons Why)





Warning: this post discusses suicide, suicidal thoughts, mental health problems, sexual harassment, and censorship.

Links may also discuss these topics.




(Did you notice I self-censored in the title of this post? I can't bring myself to swear without *'s because in a traditional Welsh household, the only one allowed to swear is your mam. Lol.)





Banned Books Week banner with megaphone and book: 'Banning books silences stories speak out! Banned Books Week September 23-29, 2018 www.bannedbooksweek.org'
Via Banned Books Week






Banned Books Week is back! (23-29 Sept 2018)



And, darling nerdlets, I'm here once again to ask all the goddamn awkward questions!

Cos that's kinda what this week is about!





Wednesday 5 September 2018

Month in Review(s) - August 2018




August... August can shut the f**k up.



August hand-drawn calendar and sunglasses



Sorry if that was a little aggressive! But my Nanny is back in hospital again and... this time scares me even more than the last two times.

Which isn't August's fault, y'know, as a month.

But it isn't anyone else's fault either.

And sometimes it helps to have something to anthropomorphise your fear and anger at - y'know, aside from Parkinson's Disease itself.



Wednesday 15 August 2018

Review Time! - Learning Curves by Ceillie Simkiss





Learning Curves title image on note paper with decorative hearts







Title: Learning Curves



Author: Ceillie Simkiss

Genre:

New Adult, Novella, Contemporary Fiction, LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Asexual, Panromantic,) Romance (F/F)

Release Date: 17th August 2018


Amazon: UK - USA