Search

Search only in certain items:

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
Aimee Bender | 2010 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved the concept of this books and as soon as I heard about it I was intrigued and wanted to read it. I read The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake in a couple of days, which with 3 children rarely happens, so I continued to find it intriguing and compelling throughout.

However, I found the narrative elusive and shadowy which was often frustrating. Whilst I understand that Bender was creating a narrative largely written from the perspective of a child, from whom many things were hidden and secret, I still found that as a reader you were constantly trying to grasp what she was describing and failing. I found this made the book less plausible and destroyed the intrigue turning it into annoying gameplay.

I have read other novels with narratives from the perspective of a child such as The Earth Hums in B Flat, The Book Thief, Mister Pip, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Room etc and found these all to be written far more skillfully than Bender manages here. It is an art to realistically write through the eyes of a child but reveal things to an adult reader through the child's naive perspective of the world. If this is failed to be achieved it can leave the reader feeling frustrated and disillusioned through being led on a journey that is over-constructed and inauthentic.
  
102 of 230
Kindle
Stolen Mage Bride ( stolen Brides of the Fae book 2)
By Sylvia Mercedes
⭐️⭐️⭐️

A brutal king. A gentle mage. A bond neither of them desires . . . nor has the strength to resist.

King Lodírhal has no choice—he must battle the human champion in single combat and save his people from slaughter.

Mage Dasyra also has no choice—she must serve her masters and channel the powerful magic in her soul for a chance to stop the deadly fae king.

But when they meet on the battlefield, these two adversaries discover they have bigger problems in store. For they are fated by the gods to be each other’s True Love . . . and the moment they lock eyes, the Fatebond awakens. Now all that matters is breaking the bond before it can be sealed for eternity.

Can these mortal enemies work together and survive the perilous journey to the Sundering Place? Or are the demands of fate—and the desires awakening in both their reluctant hearts—too powerful to be thwarted?


This is the second In a series written by several different authors all set in the same world. It was ok bits seemed a bit rushed were other bits seemed dragged out. But overall it was ok.
  
Mockingbird
Mockingbird
Kathryn Erskine | 2016 | Children
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Mocking Bird Review

I'm writing this in a document first so I can copy/paste to everything else later LOL.

Mocking Bird was given to me by my aunt who occasionally sends me books she thinks I'd enjoy. I'm mentioning this because Mocking Bird arrived with a purpose. My family, or more accurately, my Mom's side of the family suspected I was Autistic but I was never tested.

When I read the book for the first time (2016/17-ish) I found that Caitlin and I shared a lot of quirks and that I related to her in a way I hadn't related to any protagonist before. I mentioned these things to my Bonus Mom who skimmed it and said:

“We're getting you tested”

Months later I was officially diagnosed as Autistic.

With that little story out of the way onto the book itself.

I loved this book and frequently re-read it. I love seeing the world as Caitlin does even in the middle of a tragedy. Reading her journey and how she navigated the world without her brother really hit home for me. It treats the topic respectfully and realistically. Showcasing her day-to-day struggles in a world without her brother.

I have to admit, I was at first caught off guard by the formatting of the book. The dialogue is in italics and without quotation marks but in the context of the book, it makes sense.

It's a very fast read for me. If I were to just sit down with it and read without stopping I would most likely finish in a few hours maybe even less time than that but ten-year-old me would probably flip the book over and start again.

It really is that enjoyable and I cannot say enough good things about it but as someone who has very little experience or know-how writing a book review I've probably bored you already.

I love this book and highly recommend it!
  
    Being Reem

    Being Reem

    Joey Essex

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    Book

    Joey's bestselling book updated with an exclusive new chapter! The nation's favourite Essex boy...