Review Time! - The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

Title: The Idea of You

Author: Amanda Prowse

Genre: contemporary

Amazon: UK - USA

Month in Review(s) - August 2017

August. Yeah, August...

August, for me, was stressful.

My 88-year-old grandfather was very unwell and ended up in hospital, he's better now but we still have to do a lot to make sure he and my grandmother are safe, happy, and as healthy as they can be.

Review! - Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan by Hildi Kang

Title: Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan

Author: Hildi Kang

Genre: Kids/Middle Grade, Historical Fiction

Amazon: UK - USA

Review! - Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

Title: Our Own Private Universe

Author: Robin Talley

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance (F/F)

Amazon: UK - USA

Month in Review(s) - July 2017

July was a big month for this little book nerd's blog!

This was the month that Diary of a Reading Addict (DORA) became Dora Reads - with a custom URL to match.

It's something that'd been on my mind for a while, and I'm so glad I did it!

Month in Review(s) - June 2017

June was too damned hot here in the UK.

It regularly reached over 28C, & often over 30C. I officially melt at around 23.5C, so I was NOT happy.

Review! - Something Beautiful by Amanda Gernentz Hanson

Title: Something Beautiful

Author: Amanda Gernentz Hanson

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary*, Romance* (M/F; M/M,) (*ish,) LGBTQ+ (and sexually fluid)

Release Date: 27^th June 2017

Amazon: UK - USA

Review Time! - Such a Good Girl by Amanda K Morgan

(Warning: This review contains discussions of child abuse, domestic abuse, and sexual abuse, amongst other such heavy topics.)

Title: Such a Good Girl

Author: Amanda K Morgan

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Crime*, Thriller* (*ish)

Release Date: 20^th June 2017

Amazon: UK - USA

Review Time! - Thirteen Hours by Francis Gideon

Title: Thirteen Hours

Author: Francis Gideon

Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Paranormal, Zombies, Steampunk, LGBTQ+, Romance (M/M; secondary F/F,) Novella/Short Story

Amazon: UK - USA

Month in Review(s) - April 2017

(Warning: this post discusses depression, and has brief references to suicidal thoughts.)

April started sh**ty for yours truly - as you'll know if you read my March wrap-up, I've been having depression problems again.

So March wasn't too good, and April started out not too good.

But I went to the doctor, who put my tablet dose up, and things are starting to look up.

I've only been on this new dose for just over a week... but man, I feel so much better. I hate it that people are so anti-meds. I'm still alive because of those tablets.

Review Time! - Room Empty by Sarah Mussi

(Warning: This post discusses anorexia, addiction, suicide, abuse, and a whole heap of other heavy topics.)

Title: Room Empty

Author: Sarah Mussi

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance* (M/F,) Crime* (*ish)

Amazon: UK - USA

#Prideathon TBR

Really Mini Reviews! - 3 #OwnVoices Asian Historical Novels

Over half of the world's population lives on the continent of Asia, without counting people of Asian descent or birth who live elsewhere.

My reading certainly doesn't reflect that, does yours?

Month in Review(s) - March 2017

March was difficult, guys.

My depression has not been good, and I had an awful cold.

So, between the two, my concentration was utterly shot. I also had a lot of work on, which I had to prioritise. (Because I need money.)

The result of those factors was that I only wrote/published two reviews in March (granted, I did publish plenty of other posts too.)

I have to admit that, as my own worst critic, I'm kind of disappointed.

Review Time! - The Voices of Martyrs by Maurice Broaddus

Title: The Voices of Martyrs

Author: Maurice Broaddus

Genre: anthology, short stories

Genre (of individual stories): historical fiction, contemporary, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, vampires, urban fantasy, horror, dystopian, magic realism

Amazon: UK - USA

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

Honestly, I like me some short stories - and I never fail to be impressed by Rosarium Publishing - so I figured, why not? And decided to give this a shot.

Premise:

A collection of voices - an unforgotten collected memory that encompasses the past, present, and future.

These short stories are tales of strength, pain, sacrifice, and life. These are the voices of martyrs.

Review! - Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Title: Caraval

Author: Stephanie Garber

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Series: Caraval #1

Amazon: UK - USA

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

This book has a lot of hype attached; does it deserve it? Urmmm - let's take a look...

Month in Review(s) - February 2017

February. The shortest of months, and the one with Valentine's Day crammed into the middle there.

Which may explain why four of the 5 books I reviewed this month were romances - guess it even got to yours truly! (I'm not going all soft on you though, dearest nerdlets, I'm still your Rebel Valentine! Lol.)

Why I'm Hesitant To Read Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle

(Warning: this post contains a fast-moving gif which may cause problems to those with light-sensitive medical conditions such as migraine or epilepsy.)



It's St. David's Day - so what better time to finally give you all the low-down on why I'm hesitant, as a Welsh person, to read Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle.

OK, before we get into the 'but you haven't read it so you can't judge it!' sh**, these are the reasons I'm hesitant to read it.

I may eventually read it. If I can bring myself to. One day.

(And if that day should ever come, I'll tell you what I think! But don't expect me to be overly happy with it - see my reasons below.)

And honestly, if you liked the books then that's fine - dudes, I have zero problem with you liking what you like.

This is just me explaining a few things that annoy me about this series.

OK, the number one problem is the name Owen Glendower. It should be Owain Glyndŵr.

What's the difference? Anglicisation my friends, which is offensive - especially when it comes to a real historical figure and freedom fighter like Glyndŵr. (More on the man himself later.)

I'm not as bothered by the changing of Owain to Owen - it should be Owain, but Owen and Owain are somewhat interchangeable. So I'm willing to give Stiefvater leeway on that point.

The Glyndŵr to Glendower though? *shudders*

I should explain that Maggie Stiefvater was asked this very question on Tumblr in 2015, and answered in a way that suggests to me that she doesn't understand the culture she was writing in this series.

Glyndŵr means (roughly) 'water banks.'

It's a common Welsh naming tradition (or was) to be given a name related to where you live.

Glendower is gibberish. It has no meaning in the language, it's just a corruption to make it more palatable to English people.

I know that not many of you have ever spoken Welsh or pronounced Welsh words, but trust me, Glyndŵr is a natural flow. 'Glendower' is a tainted jolt to the system.

''Glendower' is a tainted jolt to the system...'  Click to Tweet

But what about what Stiefvater said on Tumblr about us not knowing Glyndŵr's 'true' name?

What Maggie said:

'Interestingly, Owain Glyndŵr wasn’t necessarily even the true name of our recumbent king. He’s also known as Owain ap Gruffydd or Owain Glyndyfrdwy, and centuries of historians have used all versions interchangeably, sometimes within the same document.'

In honesty, her response troubles me. Because she clearly has no understanding of Wales or Welsh history.

Until the 19th Century (1837, actually,) across the whole of the UK, there was no such thing as a legal name, because there were no birth certificates.

Glyndŵr lived in the 14th and 15th Centuries - which was before all that civil registration stuff.

Even after the 19th Century, the Welsh had legal names, and then, sometimes, other names - all of which are 'true' names.

The first name she mentioned, Owain ap Grufydd, is a patronymic.

For a start, it should be Gruffydd, not Grufydd - f and ff are different letters in Welsh.

Owain ap Gruffydd means Owain, son of Gruffydd. It literally means his father was Gruffydd.

It's perfectly acceptable to have this name and another name, and the patronymic system is still used by some today, with or without it being written on their birth certificate.








Owain Glyndyfrdwy is a more specific geographical name.

Afon Dyfyrdwy is the Welsh (and original) name of the now-Anglicised River Dee.

Remember how earlier I said his name meant 'water banks' - this version of the name is just being specific about what water. It means 'the banks of the River Dee.'

It may be difficult for non-Welsh people to understand, but the surname Glyndyfrdwy, in this instance, is the same as the surname Glyndŵr. Glyndŵr is just the short version.








But Stiefvater didn't use Glyndyfrdwy, or ap Gruffydd. She used Glendower.

So, apparently she knew there were three names, and added the fourth - offensive - name instead.

True, as she points out, she was by no means the first. But Shakespeare wasn't Welsh either. And that she should be so ignorant of what the Anglicisation means makes me worry for the actual books.

Oh and English-speaking Welsh people? We don't generally call him Glendower. Only English people, who haven't yet been slapped repeatedly with a slice of bara brith* been taught better, call him that.

*bara brith is kind of a fruit loaf... it's a special kind of bread, basically - it's really nice.

So, what's the problem with Anglicisation anyway?

Look, I get it - Welsh is difficult to pronounce.

We have funny extra letters like 'Ll' and 'Ng' which should not be attempted without instruction, but English is a freaking weird language too (and I'm saying this as a first-language-English person.)

The problem with Anglicisation is that we are not English.

And Anglicisation marks every moment we've had to change our own language, just to suit the English.

It's a reminder of our history - of every time a kid was caned in school for speaking Welsh, every time the language was claimed to be literally making us stupid, every time a Welsh name was changed because we're not in charge in our own country.

And yes, we've had to change our names. One of my ancestors was named Dafydd Sion. On every official document his name is David John. Welsh names often weren't acceptable to English officials.

Our language has been suppressed, changed, and ridiculed. Because the English invaded several centuries ago, and haven't let us forget it since.

via GIPHY

(Every Welsh person ever, every time someone calls us English)

Look, like most in the South, I have more than a few drops of y Saeson running through my veins.

But I was born here. I am Cymry, not Saeson.

I have a fair amount of Cymry in my veins too, but I speak Saesneg, and only a little Cymraeg.

The reason? My grandmother's parents - both fluent Cymraeg speakers - made the decision that their children would never get on in life if they were first-language Welsh.

Welsh was seen as a language that literally made it's speakers stupid. Even now, if you want to sound 'posh' or 'professional,' what people mean is 'sound more English, sound less Welsh.'

And first language Welsh often leaves the odd cue in the accent to show that it's there - 'eu' pronounced as 'ew' etc.

Therefore, to bring a child up speaking Welsh could leave an inflection, even when speaking English, and it would be possible to be passed over for jobs, promotion, etc., just because of that.

Anglicisation is especially irritating and frustrating when it comes to Glyndŵr, who was fighting to free us from English rule.

Do you get that? He was a rebel, a self-declared prince. He wanted freedom from the English.

He called a parliament at Machynlleth (no, don't attempt to say it unless you've heard it said, you'll just hurt yourself! 😉) and wanted self-governance for the Welsh people.

'He was a rebel, a self-declared prince...'  Click to Tweet

Owain was also NOT a king.

The closest there has been to a King of Wales was Hywel Dda in the 10th Century, but he did not rule Morgannwg.

What we had were princes - occasionally called kings of their individual territories.

The prince with the most land, and therefore the most ability to moderate between all the others, was the Prince of Wales.

The last True Prince of Wales was Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Tywysog Cymru.

Owain was a self-declared Prince of Wales - had his rebellion been successful, perhaps he would have been confirmed as prince in truth, but it wasn't to be.

But wait, isn't Prince Charles the Prince of Wales?

When Llywelyn was murdered by the English crown, the English king transferred the title to his own son. The heir to throne has held this stolen title since that time.

Prince Charles is not the True Prince of Wales.







OK, let's look briefly at my other problems with this series:

The Goodreads synopsis of The Raven Boys says:

'“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.'







I have no idea why the St. Mark's Eve stuff is there (what even is that?), but it's totally possible for 'non-seers' to see spectres.

OK, we're traditionally big on divination here. It looks like Stiefvater has smashed some of our divination rituals into a phantom funeral and hoped for the best. *face palms*








Also, Neeve, as a name, is a) Irish, not Welsh and b) spelt Niamh.

And none of the rest of the names that I've seen seem in any way Welsh or British - they're more something you'd find in America or Ireland.

Sorry. Nitpicking I know, but it's the kind of thing that would really bug me if I read the books.

Ooh! Someone online briefly mentions a Gwenllian? That is a Welsh name - a good, strong, girl's name, meaning (very roughly) 'sacred brook.'



Update: Apparently most of the book is set in Virginia, so I'm even less bothered about the other names now.




I don't know how Stiefvater uses ravens here... but I'm wary.

Birds, and the crow family in particular, play a large part in our folklore and mythology. They are the way between worlds, often magical, and should be respected.

Quite often, they're also people. Or warriors. Or Fair Folk. Or even (if you go back enough in our traditions) gods or goddesses.

I actually really liked the way Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children used birds, because it was respectful of our traditions, as well as putting Ransom Riggs' own spin on things - I loved the way he used shifters as guardians.

From what I've seen of the way Stiefvater understands, or doesn't, as the case may be, Welsh culture, I'm hesitant of how she'll handle brain (crows - of any and all types) in her books.









Maybe you think I'm making mountains out of mole-hills - but things being incorrect like this is likely to bug me the whole time I'm reading.

(Plus, could she not have added a historical note?! I mean, dude, really!)

Like this post? Try these:

• Welsh Halloween Traditions
• My Diverse Welsh Authors TBR
• Reading Roald Dahl in Welsh (Part 1)
• Reading Roald Dahl in Welsh (Part 2)

Review Time! - Outsider by Olivia Cunning

Title: Outsider

Author: Olivia Cunning

Genre: Romance (M/M/F; M/F; M/M,) LGBTQ+ (and polyamorous,) Contemporary

Series: Exodus End (#2)

Amazon: UK - USA

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

This book is #2 in a series, but they're more companion novels - focussing on different characters - rather than one continuous story.

Plus, even the publishers say that it can be read as standalone (so it's not just me this time!)

This book is 18+ only, on account of the amount of graphic sexy-times.

Huge thanks to Naz @ Read Diverse Books for taking the time to discuss queer and Latinx rep with me - any mistakes are 100% mine.

If any Latinx, queer male, and/or polyamorous reviewers have reviewed this title, let me know - I would love to link to your review.

This was a difficult one to review (which is why I keep procrastinating!) because there's so much the author got right, but also so much she got wrong, and I have to somehow explain all that!

So let's give this a shot!

Premise:

Meet Reagan, the new guitarist with Exodus End. She's kind of feeling like an imposter right now - after all, Exodus End are rock legends.

She's also trying to keep the fact that she's dating both Ethan and Trey, together, as a unit, a secret.

Meet Trey, guitarist with Sinners. Though he's Reagan's public boyfriend, he'd prefer things between him and Ethan to be public too.

Meet Ethan - Reagan's body-guard.

Ethan's still in the closet, so admitting he's in a relationship with both Reagan and Trey is out of the question.

But with the tabloids around, and the music business to navigate, things are not going to be plain sailing!

Best bits:

Trey is a beautiful character - he's such a darling, and Cunning writes him with real affection and a real understanding of his feelings and his vulnerabilities.

Basically, if I had to pick the best aspect of this book, Trey would be it. He's amazing.

I also loved the way the romance wasn't the only thing going on here - each of our trio has their own life, their own hopes, their own personality. They're complete people, not just defined by their relationship.

I liked that we get scenes from each of the characters' points-of-view (POVs,) without the other main characters present, and that we get an understanding of their relationships with family members, friends, etc.

Can we also point out that polyamory is portrayed as a viable and healthy relationship (albeit not perfect)? I think we can. Guys, that's just awesome.

And the relationship itself is not 2-dimensional. People say the wrong thing, they mess up, but they also make things better, comfort each other, make each other laugh etc.

Of course, the rock music was one of the draws of this book to me - obviously, you can't hear it, but the whole rock-star deal gave this book a centre and a vibe that was pretty cool.

Cunning also explores the issues of being in the public eye, and the problems with being a woman in what is still predominantly a male industry.

People think you got where you are because of sex, because of your looks, etc. - not because of your talent.
Reagan's frustration at the sexist press, fans, and the band management who want to turn her into a sex symbol, is more than justified.

She knows she's good enough to be there. But everyone else seems determined to undermine her achievements.

'She knows she's good enough to be there...'    Click to Tweet

Not so great bits:

The potentially distressing content in this book is:

- homophobia

- homophobic slurs

- biphobia

- bigotry against polyamory

- sexism

- sexist insults

- grief

- parental rejection/abandonment

- press harassment

- libel

- being closeted

- coming out

- being outed

- past emotional abuse (sexual-related)

- jealousy/overprotectiveness

- rough sex

- one brief but graphic instance of gore

- references to gangs

- references to bad neighbourhoods and guns

- references to past stalking and physical assault

I think that's everything - sorry if I missed anything.

There's also a lot of swearing, and a lot of graphic sex, often involving three people. And there's some references to BDSM.

OK, there were some issues with the representation of various themes/groups of people in this book, so I'm gonna try and break it down for you the best I can, and as efficiently and clearly as I can.

Spoilers are marked in square brackets [] - and written in white.

Relationship issues:

[Trey] recounts a tale of emotional abuse with a very sexual element when he has a relationship with [Brian.]

Despite that, he's still friends with [Brian] and sees him in a generally positive light.

Look, this emotional abuse involved (this is potentially triggering as well as spoilerific) [turning him around, refusing to look at his face, and telling him to be a girl during sex.]

From where I'm stood, that's messed up.

The way Ethan acts towards Trey can also be very possessive and jealous - I didn't find it over-the-line, but it wouldn't surprise me if others did.

'From where I'm stood, that's messed up...'      Click to Tweet

Latinx (Mexican-American) representation:

(Ethan is Mexican-American, and both Trey and Reagan are white.)

• Negative trope of the homophobic and unaccepting Latinx family - something which gives the impression that all Latinx people are somehow homophobic, and really shouldn't have been tackled by a non-own-voices author.

• Ethan fears that his Latino brothers will beat up and harm his precious white boyfriend - I can't be the only one to see a problem there.

• Strange references to being in a Mariachi band as something shaming to the family, and the family's heritage. This seems inaccurate as Mariachi players take pride in their music, and the music is part of Mexican culture.

• Ethan has a different last name to the rest of his family. In context, this serves as a distancing of Ethan - who has a more Anglicised name - from the rest of his family, and makes that part of his life and heritage seem more 'Other.'

Polyamorous representation:

My main problem with this aspect was that, even though I know this is an'erotic romance,' the polyamorous people here are written as being heavy on the sexy times, and 'not satisfied' by only one partner.

While of course polyamorous people can have high sex drives, so can monogamous people.

The linking of libido with polyamory gives the wrong impression about polyamory as a whole.

And the repeated portrayal of sex-hungry polyamory in media can lead to some very persistent stereotyping.

Queer/LGBTQ+ representation:

• Ethan takes more offense to the word queer than the word perversion. While I get that queer was being used as a slur in this context... are we just supposed to let the perversion comment slide...?

• Being gay or bisexual is described as a lifestyle more than once. As I've said before, I don't like this, but it's a personal thing.

• The author gave the impression of confusion between the terms gay and bisexual (more in the 'sexual fluidity representation' section.)

Sexual fluidity representation:

Look, you guys know that I'm all for sexual fluidity in books. But you've gotta do it right.

If Reagan is the only girl Ethan has ever been attracted to, then fine, but you've really got to know what you're doing when you write that. And Cunning doesn't seem to.

I like that Ethan is questioning, rather than just going, 'ok, I'm bi now!' but in places, Cunning doesn't really seem to understand that there's a difference between the term gay and the term bisexual.

If that's supposed to be because Ethan is questioning, then say that. Don't just casually put gay in when he's in a relationship with a man and a woman.

(And yes, I know it can be an umbrella term, but since Ethan previously identified as gay, it might be an idea to be clearer about these things.)

It gives the impression of Ethan's sexuality changing simply for the purpose of the plot, and so that Cunning can write three-way sex-scenes, rather than because she supports fluidity or homoflexibility/being gay-fluid.

That's disappointing.

Verdict:

There need to be more polyamorous romances. And I'm glad that this presents a largely positive view of polyamory.

It's an enjoyable book, but there are a lot of problems with it.

These are problems that can't be ignored, and should be learned from.

'There need to be more polyamorous romances...'  Click to Tweet

Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA – Goodreads – Author's Site

Liked this post? Try these:

• 5 Simple Rules For Reading and Reviewing LGBTQ+ Books
• Fluid FAQs: 'What Is Sexually Fluid?' And Other Things You Probably Wanna Know
• Really Mini Reviews! - 3 Contemporary F/F (Lesbian) Romances