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Sjon recommended Summer Book in Books (curated)

 
Summer Book
Summer Book
Tove Jansson, Esther Freud | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"As counterweight to the weird and eerie elements in many of the books I have selected I propose the sweet and kind Summer Book. Tove Jansson’s fictionalized memoir about the summers she spent as a girl with her grandmother on a tiny island in the archipelago off Finland’s south coast is a wonderful ode to the curiosity of childhood and the wisdom of old age. In a precise, lyrical language that never gives in to easy sentiments Jansson allows us to take part in the summer days with the girl and the grandmother as one is discovering nature for the first time and the other is contemplating its vulnerability. It is sunshine in the shape of a book — for the shadowy part of Jansson’s oeuvre one must look to her children stories about the Moomins."

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ClareR (6256 KP) rated Ravensong in Books

Jan 26, 2024  
Ravensong
Ravensong
TJ Klune | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I’m developing a serious TJ Klune addiction, and I’m ok with that.

This Bennett pack, though! They’re not just putting themselves through the emotional wringer - what about me?!

I loved reading Gordo’s story - his trauma, sadness, abandonment issues - and how he’s found again.

All of these books have been a joy so far (and I’ve already read the next in the series). What I particularly like, is how I’m drawn in to this book, and how I become so invested in their lives. Look, I know it’s a story about a werewolf pack, but at no point does it seem to be “just” a werewolf book. There are so many parallels that can be drawn to real people’s lives (especially that of found family). And that’s why I love them.

And werewolves. Of course.
  
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Merissa (14146 KP) rated His Druid Lover (The Amber Druid Series #3) in Books

Mar 31, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)  
His Druid Lover (The Amber Druid Series #3)
His Druid Lover (The Amber Druid Series #3)
Trish F. Leger | 2015 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
In this short novella, we meet Eloise, an Amber Druid having issues with her employer, and Baron, a 'normal' human albeit a rich, successful one. They have skirted around each other for the past year, wanting to know more about the other, but circumstances being unwilling to help. So when they do meet, you know that it will move fast and burn hot.
 
This is very well written, with a fast and exciting pace, that will leave you wanting to know more about their story and the Amber Druids overall. Definitely recommended by me.
 
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
 
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 5, 2016
  
FT
Finding the Flame
Katie Nox | 2022
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
132 of 230
Kindle
Finding the Flame ( A Collection of Poems)
By Katie Nox ( Katie Everwood)
⭐️⭐️⭐️

A collection of poetry from Katie Nox, the poetry pen name for author, Katie Epstein.
Finding the Flame is all about the journey of how we become lost in the dark to find the flame that guides the light.
Hurt.
Healing.
Growth.
Empowerment.
Self love.
It's all about having reflection, to change perspective on the strength we all possess.


Ok so first of all this it’s becoming a little annoying trying to find books by this author as there are so many name changes it makes your head spin!
The book itself was so sweet and the poems were just lovely! Some very relatable! That’s all they were though was sweet!
  
Looking for Alaska
Looking for Alaska
John Green | 2013 | Children
8
8.1 (49 Ratings)
Book Rating
I just finished reading Looking for Alaska, making it the fifth John Green book I've read, after Will Grayson, Will Grayson, Let It Snow, The Fault In Our Stars, and An Abundance of Katherines. I enjoyed Looking for Alaska immensely, just like I did the other three. (My favorite being Let It Snow, which he wrote with two other authors as a set of three related short stories.) I haven't made a habit out of reading young adult fiction, but for John Green I'll definitely make an exception. I should also pick up some of Maureen Johnson's books; her contribution to Let It Snow was excellent.

I have a confession to make before I go any further: I am a Nerdfighter. I was introduced to John and Hank Green about two years ago by one of my best friends, by way of Crash Course. Since then I've (almost!) caught up on their Vlogbrother videos, watched most of the Crash Course videos (sorry Hank, I'm just not into chemistry) and started watching Sci Show. John and Hank are both extremely educated, well spoken, and yet extremely entertaining and fun to watch. Watching the vlogbrothers episodes where John talks about writing the books (as he's writing them!) is what finally made me go pick up his books to read. And he's GOOD.

In Looking for Alaska, Miles Halter goes away to boarding school at Culver Creek, his father's alma mater. He's in search of his "great perhaps," his meaning for life. (The phrase comes from Francois Rabelais' last words "I go to seek a Great Perhaps." Miles doesn't want to wait until he dies to go in search of his.) Culver Creek really marks a turning point in Miles' life - from a friendless outcast in his old school to one of the closest friends of Alaska Young. Alaska is a bit of a bad girl (sneaking cigarettes and alcohol into school constantly and pulling ingenious pranks) but also an enigma. The entire school body loves her, but even to her closest friends she doesn't reveal much about herself.

The book is divided into "before" and "after" and it wasn't until within a few pages till the end of the "before" section that I realized what the event was. "After" deals with the characters of the book coming to terms with their life-altering event.

In The Fault In Our Stars, John Green dealt with the lead up to a life-altering event that the characters knew was coming - a long, drawn-out sort of grief. Looking For Alaska deals with the fallout of an event no one knew was coming, and while the emotions are just as deep, they feel sharper somehow for being so unexpected.

I definitely recommend this book, and all of John Green's books. He's a very talented writer, and isn't afraid to put "adult" themes into his "young adult" books. As if sex and alcohol and death and deep meaning-of-life questions aren't things every teenager deals with? I like that he doesn't pull his emotional punches. His books may be "young adult" but they're not fluffy or "easy to read." Easy in terms of grammar and flow perhaps, but not in content. I teared up reading parts of Looking For Alaska, and outright sobbed for a good portion of The Fault In Our Stars. (Which is now a movie!)

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com (review originally written 4 years ago.)
  
Show all 3 comments.
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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) Jan 28, 2018

Same! I recently finished Turtles All The Way Down, his newest book. I'll be getting the review of that up soon. I also am not a young adult, but I really like his writing regardless. I'm looking forward to his brother's book that should be coming out soon - I don't know the title, but his brother is Hank Green, and he just wrote a book aimed at an adult audience. I'm eager to see if he's as good at writing as his brother is!

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Kaz4ray (17 KP) Jan 28, 2018

Thanks, I’ll keep an eye out for him. Ive got Turtles All the Way Down in my reading pile so I’ll look forward to reading your review.