Definitely a strong 3.5 stars from me, so I'm giving it a 4! The Love Song of Sawyer Bell was a really great, sex-positive f/f rom♦ Video Review ♦
Definitely a strong 3.5 stars from me, so I'm giving it a 4! The Love Song of Sawyer Bell was a really great, sex-positive f/f romance novel that is easy to get through and really enjoyable.
Going into this I was super excited about both the f/f romance but also following the lives of musicians. Now while I was definitely satisfied with the romance part, there wasn't as much musician life included as I had hoped. The novel is really short and because this really only takes place over the band's summer tour, there's only so much of that routine you can include.
Instead I found and loved an element of this story that I wasn't even expecting to be dealt with in detail and that is Sawyer's journey with making her passion a job. The whole reason why Sawyer auditions to go on tour with a rockband is because she has lost her love for music because of the pressure she is facing at Juilliard. I thought the way that Avon Gale handled falling out of love with music because of the pressure was so well done. This portrayed the struggle you are going through when you think you have achieved your dream and you know you are supposed to love it but you're realising it's just not making you happy. The fear you have when you think you've lost your passion for the thing you've always loved most. As someone who has made her passion her job as well I found this so relatable. It is so real and honest but hopeful and inspiring at the same time and it was easily my favourite part of the novel.
This novel is also incredibly sex-positive and handled especially bisexuality so well. The main character Vix is bisexual and Sawyer is gay. There's also several other queer side characters, including an ace character, although that was only really briefly mentioned. There is a lot of talk about the male gaze regarding wlw and queer (but especially bi) stereotypes. Whenever anything problematic comes up, Vix is basically immediately there to shut it down and it was so refreshing to read.
The relationship between Vix and Sawyer is really wonderful. It develops from friends to friends with benefits to lovers. Sawyer is only coming to terms with her sexuality in this novel and had a really wonderful journey. All of the sex scenes in this book are a lot about communication and consent, showing that you can still have a lot of fun or rather even MORE fun when you make this a normal part of your sexual relationship. I don't think I have ever read any Romance that has put such a focus on communication during sex especially and it makes me unbelievably happy.
Overall The Love Song of Sawyer Bell was a really enjoyable read that I would absolutely recommend.
Definitely a strong 3.5 stars from me, so I'm giving it a 4! The Love Song of Sawyer Bell was a really great, sex-positive f/f romance novel that is easy to get through and really enjoyable.
Going into this I was super excited about both the f/f romance but also following the lives of musicians. Now while I was definitely satisfied with the romance part, there wasn't as much musician life included as I had hoped. The novel is really short and because this really only takes place over the band's summer tour, there's only so much of that routine you can include.
Instead I found and loved an element of this story that I wasn't even expecting to be dealt with in detail and that is Sawyer's journey with making her passion a job. The whole reason why Sawyer auditions to go on tour with a rockband is because she has lost her love for music because of the pressure she is facing at Juilliard. I thought the way that Avon Gale handled falling out of love with music because of the pressure was so well done. This portrayed the struggle you are going through when you think you have achieved your dream and you know you are supposed to love it but you're realising it's just not making you happy. The fear you have when you think you've lost your passion for the thing you've always loved most. As someone who has made her passion her job as well I found this so relatable. It is so real and honest but hopeful and inspiring at the same time and it was easily my favourite part of the novel.
This novel is also incredibly sex-positive and handled especially bisexuality so well. The main character Vix is bisexual and Sawyer is gay. There's also several other queer side characters, including an ace character, although that was only really briefly mentioned. There is a lot of talk about the male gaze regarding wlw and queer (but especially bi) stereotypes. Whenever anything problematic comes up, Vix is basically immediately there to shut it down and it was so refreshing to read.
The relationship between Vix and Sawyer is really wonderful. It develops from friends to friends with benefits to lovers. Sawyer is only coming to terms with her sexuality in this novel and had a really wonderful journey. All of the sex scenes in this book are a lot about communication and consent, showing that you can still have a lot of fun or rather even MORE fun when you make this a normal part of your sexual relationship. I don't think I have ever read any Romance that has put such a focus on communication during sex especially and it makes me unbelievably happy.
Overall The Love Song of Sawyer Bell was a really enjoyable read that I would absolutely recommend.
The Tiger's Watch was an enjoyable read with an interesting set of characters and intricate world building.
I was excited to receive this ARC through Netgalley as I had heard so many great things about Julia Ember as a writer but hadn't read anything by her yet. I was interested to see the world she has created and how she would portray the bond between the inhabitor and their bonded animal.
There was a lot packed into this book even though it had just 180 pages. Even though the world building is overall well done and interesting, I still found myself confused about certain aspects of the world and plot. There's some aspects that I simply didn't understand and others that I still have lots of questions about. I don't really understand the history of this fantastical setting and feel like if there'd been more on that, it would have been easier to understand. You can tell Julia Ember put a lot of thought into the world building but it seemed almost too complex for a 180 page novel. As this is the first book in a trilogy, I'm hoping we get lots more on that in the sequels.
I think my favourite part of this novel is definitely the bond between inhabitor and animal. I think the way Ember described that bond was wonderful. I don't wanna give much away but I think it's a concept that, even though it's been done before in similar ways, Ember puts her very own touch to. While there is a little bit of romance in the book and Tashi has interesting relationships with different characters, the relationship they had with their animal and how it was described, was by far my favourite out of all of them.
The main character Tashi is genderfluid and uses they/them pronouns. I can't say much about the representation as I am cisgender and I would strongly encourage you to seek out and boost ownvoices reviews for this book. I liked that Tashi's identity got explained in the first 5% of the book. Even though it takes place in a Fantasy world, which often makes writers not want to use labels and descriptions we use today, it is clearly stated on page that Tashi is non-binary. While there is some misgendering happening in the beginning of the book when Tashi gets introduced to lots of new characters, no one ever misgenders Tashi after they've stated their preferred pronouns. Even confronted with opposing sides, Tashi's identity is respected and never used against them in any way.
Overall I think it is an enjoyable read with a lot of potential. I can definitely see myself continuing this series. I think there is still so much more to explore about the world but also the characters and their relationships.
Please feel free to correct me if I made any mistakes in this review as far as labels/pronouns etc. go!
The Tiger's Watch was an enjoyable read with an interesting set of characters and intricate world building.
I was excited to receive this ARC through Netgalley as I had heard so many great things about Julia Ember as a writer but hadn't read anything by her yet. I was interested to see the world she has created and how she would portray the bond between the inhabitor and their bonded animal.
There was a lot packed into this book even though it had just 180 pages. Even though the world building is overall well done and interesting, I still found myself confused about certain aspects of the world and plot. There's some aspects that I simply didn't understand and others that I still have lots of questions about. I don't really understand the history of this fantastical setting and feel like if there'd been more on that, it would have been easier to understand. You can tell Julia Ember put a lot of thought into the world building but it seemed almost too complex for a 180 page novel. As this is the first book in a trilogy, I'm hoping we get lots more on that in the sequels.
I think my favourite part of this novel is definitely the bond between inhabitor and animal. I think the way Ember described that bond was wonderful. I don't wanna give much away but I think it's a concept that, even though it's been done before in similar ways, Ember puts her very own touch to. While there is a little bit of romance in the book and Tashi has interesting relationships with different characters, the relationship they had with their animal and how it was described, was by far my favourite out of all of them.
The main character Tashi is genderfluid and uses they/them pronouns. I can't say much about the representation as I am cisgender and I would strongly encourage you to seek out and boost ownvoices reviews for this book. I liked that Tashi's identity got explained in the first 5% of the book. Even though it takes place in a Fantasy world, which often makes writers not want to use labels and descriptions we use today, it is clearly stated on page that Tashi is non-binary. While there is some misgendering happening in the beginning of the book when Tashi gets introduced to lots of new characters, no one ever misgenders Tashi after they've stated their preferred pronouns. Even confronted with opposing sides, Tashi's identity is respected and never used against them in any way.
Overall I think it is an enjoyable read with a lot of potential. I can definitely see myself continuing this series. I think there is still so much more to explore about the world but also the characters and their relationships.
Please feel free to correct me if I made any mistakes in this review as far as labels/pronouns etc. go!...more
It's now been a month since I've read this book and I still haven't found any proper words for it.
I love this so mucThis books is so so so SO special.
It's now been a month since I've read this book and I still haven't found any proper words for it.
I love this so much because this felt like a big blanket that I could just snuggle up in. The writing style is just so beautiful and mellow. This book talked about so many things, friendship, love, sexual fluidity, gender fluidity, faith and so much more and all of it resonated with me. This book touched me so much, made me emotional and it was a very "personal" experience. But I also think that this is just such a beautiful Contemporary novel that a lot of people will enjoy. If any of the themes I mentioned above speak to you, you should absolutely pick it up!
Merged review:
This books is so so so SO special.
It's now been a month since I've read this book and I still haven't found any proper words for it.
I love this so much because this felt like a big blanket that I could just snuggle up in. The writing style is just so beautiful and mellow. This book talked about so many things, friendship, love, sexual fluidity, gender fluidity, faith and so much more and all of it resonated with me. This book touched me so much, made me emotional and it was a very "personal" experience. But I also think that this is just such a beautiful Contemporary novel that a lot of people will enjoy. If any of the themes I mentioned above speak to you, you should absolutely pick it up!...more
Someday I'll find words for this. But right now I am just CRYING (like for real just wiped tears of my face). I did not expect to get this ATTACHED buSomeday I'll find words for this. But right now I am just CRYING (like for real just wiped tears of my face). I did not expect to get this ATTACHED but holy fucking shit.. This is just such an enjoyable, wonderful duology. I WANT EVERYONE TO READ IT!
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Merged review:
Someday I'll find words for this. But right now I am just CRYING (like for real just wiped tears of my face). I did not expect to get this ATTACHED but holy fucking shit.. This is just such an enjoyable, wonderful duology. I WANT EVERYONE TO READ IT!
Drum Roll, Please was a truly delightful read with a lot of powerful messages packed into it.
I usually don’t really read Middle Gr♦ Video Review ♦
Drum Roll, Please was a truly delightful read with a lot of powerful messages packed into it.
I usually don’t really read Middle Grade but because of the themes of this book I felt drawn to it and was excited to give it a chance. And while the themes of this book were clearly Middle Grade, this really read like a lower YA. It did not feel juvenile at all and I can definitely recommend it to YA readers who are interested in the themes.
The summer camp aspect was wonderfully portrayed and brought me right back to my time in summer camps. This feeling of a space where everything feels possible in just a small amount of time came across so well. Even if you’ve never been to summer camp, you will get a good feeling for it.
Melly’s struggles with believing in herself and her abilities were also really well done. The way she feels like she doesn’t deserve to even be at camp and doesn’t really know her place without a band was realistic and written in a way that made it easy to understand where she was coming from.
The development of Melly's relationship with Adeline was wonderful. I think it was so cute when Melly had that moment where she realized why she had such intense feelings about Adeline. It was also great to see Melly in a questioning position but Adeline as someone who is 100% confident in what she wants and who she is. In general this had so many great friendships. I think the struggles that Melly had with her best friend Olivia were so relatable and realistic. I like when books portray the struggles of best friends growing up and going through puberty together. I think it's an issue in so many kids and teens lives that gets undermined pretty quickly.
Overall I had an amazing time while reading Drum Roll, Please. I could mention so many more moments and things that I really loved but I think you get the picture. If you're interested in summer camps, music and coming of age, this is absolutely the book for you, whether you read Middle Grade or not!
Drum Roll, Please was a truly delightful read with a lot of powerful messages packed into it.
I usually don’t really read Middle Grade but because of the themes of this book I felt drawn to it and was excited to give it a chance. And while the themes of this book were clearly Middle Grade, this really read like a lower YA. It did not feel juvenile at all and I can definitely recommend it to YA readers who are interested in the themes.
The summer camp aspect was wonderfully portrayed and brought me right back to my time in summer camps. This feeling of a space where everything feels possible in just a small amount of time came across so well. Even if you’ve never been to summer camp, you will get a good feeling for it.
Melly’s struggles with believing in herself and her abilities were also really well done. The way she feels like she doesn’t deserve to even be at camp and doesn’t really know her place without a band was realistic and written in a way that made it easy to understand where she was coming from.
The development of Melly's relationship with Adeline was wonderful. I think it was so cute when Melly had that moment where she realized why she had such intense feelings about Adeline. It was also great to see Melly in a questioning position but Adeline as someone who is 100% confident in what she wants and who she is. In general this had so many great friendships. I think the struggles that Melly had with her best friend Olivia were so relatable and realistic. I like when books portray the struggles of best friends growing up and going through puberty together. I think it's an issue in so many kids and teens lives that gets undermined pretty quickly.
Overall I had an amazing time while reading Drum Roll, Please. I could mention so many more moments and things that I really loved but I think you get the picture. If you're interested in summer camps, music and coming of age, this is absolutely the book for you, whether you read Middle Grade or not!
This is basically a whitewashed retelling of Aladdin! This is why I have decided not to go any further into my thoughts on this book. Ultimately I wouThis is basically a whitewashed retelling of Aladdin! This is why I have decided not to go any further into my thoughts on this book. Ultimately I wouldn't recommend it! I would love to link a review by a POC so if you have done a review of it & would be ok with me linking it here, please let me know!
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an early review copy!
Merged review:
This is basically a whitewashed retelling of Aladdin! This is why I have decided not to go any further into my thoughts on this book. Ultimately I wouldn't recommend it! I would love to link a review by a POC so if you have done a review of it & would be ok with me linking it here, please let me know!
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an early review copy!...more
I read the initial short story in 2016 and I remember the impact it had on me. This graphic novel simply couldn't keep up with that impact. And while I read the initial short story in 2016 and I remember the impact it had on me. This graphic novel simply couldn't keep up with that impact. And while the art is gorgeous, I thought it wasn't a very fitting style for this story....more
started this on a whim after a colleague lend it to me and absolutely loved it from start to finish. it was so easy to get into and I loved reading frstarted this on a whim after a colleague lend it to me and absolutely loved it from start to finish. it was so easy to get into and I loved reading from Eleanor's perspective!...more
I am in awe of the strength it must've taken to write this and to decide to open up to the world. I am so proud of Britney but god.. she just deservesI am in awe of the strength it must've taken to write this and to decide to open up to the world. I am so proud of Britney but god.. she just deserves so much better. I wish her nothing but happiness and freedom for the rest of her life....more
“If you plan to kill him, he is. Your victim. Your prince. All the same. You sink a knife in to someone's guts, you're bound to them in that m
“If you plan to kill him, he is. Your victim. Your prince. All the same. You sink a knife in to someone's guts, you're bound to them in that moment. Watch a murderer go through the world and you'll see all his victims trailing behind him on black cords, shades of ghosts waiting for their chance.”
I picked Nettle and Bone up on an absolute whim and had no idea what to expect. When I was travelling to Berlin for a concert I was browsing through an English Bookshop and out of all the books that I looked at and read the synopsis of, this was the one that sounded most intrigung to me.
And it absolutely did deliver on its premise, even if it was quite a bit darker than I had anticipated and there's definitely trigger warnings to be said for abuse, child loss and miscarriages, and that is for sure not even all.
But still the story managed to also be incredibly fun and heartwarming and I just loved the wit from the characters at all times. In general it was quite easy to fall in love with the characters and the relationships between them, which were all unique in some way or another and I loved that we had so many different connections between characters.
I do think the world building was a little bit lacking. While everything in this world was easy to understand, I do wish I had a little bit more background on the world itself and all the magic in it. I feel like I got glimpses into all of it, more than an actual understanding for it. But that's just me personally for what I would like in a story like this, again it doesn't have an effect on the storyline since the world building is coherent enough for the story we are reading.
Overall I had a great time reading this story and I'd definitely recommend it if you are drawn in by the synopsis because it really is just what it sounds like.. but with some really hard hitting themes....more
Bill ist und bleibt eine meiner größten Inspirationen. Sich in so jungem Alter so sehr zu öffnen und in dieser ehrlichen Weise über sein Leben und seiBill ist und bleibt eine meiner größten Inspirationen. Sich in so jungem Alter so sehr zu öffnen und in dieser ehrlichen Weise über sein Leben und seine Karriere zu berichten, finde ich sehr mutig, gerade weil er nach wie vor im Rampenlicht steht (auch wenn viele Leute das nicht wahrhaben wollen).
Ich liebe auch seinen Schreibstil und hoffe sooo sehr mehr von ihm zu lesen. Danke für dieses Buch, Bill....more
This woman could narrate cookbooks and manuals to me and would somehow still make it inspiring. I love listening to Michelle Obama's words and I so veThis woman could narrate cookbooks and manuals to me and would somehow still make it inspiring. I love listening to Michelle Obama's words and I so very much hope she keeps writing books, maybe someday even a fictional ones because her way of telling stories is just so incredible....more
This was such an interesting and informative read and I learned a lot from it. I can already tell it had an impact on me and how I see and understand This was such an interesting and informative read and I learned a lot from it. I can already tell it had an impact on me and how I see and understand other people and the content will stay with me for sure!...more
Lea (drumsofautumn)
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