Added this to my stack after reading (and loving!) The Humans but found it a less dazzling read than its sibling. Core message about gratitude, each individuals human impact to those around them and the sort of butterfly effect 🦋 is v profound and one i often ponder but i found the pace/ prose of the story to be not exactly my cuppa

A two-day page turner sort! V enjoyable and kept me guessing right to the end. Would recommend it for a v exciting kitten read if you (like me) sometimes consecutively read too many heavy/ deep books and need a refreshing, sharp crime thriller w a little spice of family drama 🎭 to keep your brain wheel greased x

Kurt Vonnegut is so grumpy. But so hopeful, witty, optimistic and humane in his thinking. And i find that dynamic so heartwarming and comforting. A great book of speeches to give you those “Buddhist catnaps” of Vonnegut‘s philosophy. Thoroughly enjoyable. Have since added Slaughterhouse Five to my stack!

Really loved this book infused with terrific humour despite the prose focussing on largely melancholic observations of the human existence and experience - beautifully highlighting its inherent contradictions, helplessness, sublimity and exhilaration. I feel i learned so much and already want to re-read. A beautiful open love letter to being human and humanness. One for the thinkers, dreamers and lovers.

A fine piece of imaginative work on the infamous Mad Emperor Caligula and the family tree before him - through the eyes of Claudius the meek (Emperor after Caligula). Ancient Roman history is the OG Game of Thrones (sans a infuriating finale thank goodness) - so any book like this that deepens the richness of characters, captures the tempests of an empire and shows the scheming, manipulative ways of those closest- brings it alive. Recommended!

While the book does pose some interesting thoughts and hypotheses, i agree with a review ive read on it - that it seems like haphazardly arranged piece done by a college lad in a dorm room with red string criss-crossing. There is an absence of cohesive thought & i find myself wondering what ive learnt (if anything)

Trigger warning for readers. A strong eloquent narration of the very real, raw turmoil that a sexual assault victim experiences when they have audacity to speak their truth. Being pushed and pulled and trampled and contorted and reduced to flash words designed to delegitimise. Really captures the ripples of how being invaded affects every aspect of your being, your very essence changed forever. Bravo to Chanel Miller. Know Her Name.

A lovely light, invigorating read (along with prequel: I am Livia) style of writing is really easy to follow and keeps you captivated. A great story told through the perspective of 3 women central in Augustus Caesar‘s life. I felt the characters and their feelings and was able to explore their decisions which i always appreciate in any book. Recommended!

Regardless of if you view Snowden as a hero or a traitor, the truths he uncovered cannot be ignored. Being surveilled is something that we almost seem to expect and accept as not too big a deal. This account really helped me understand why it is wrong and why i should take steps to protect myself. We are NOT products to be manipulated. If we remain complacent, it will proliferate. “At a certain point, denial of agency becomes a license to resist.”

I highly recommend this book to anyone who geeks about about Greek mythology, particularly surrounding the Trojan war. This series really pieces together the background and string-pulling that went one by the prickly & petty gods and the human anguish that results. It ties together all the elements of prophecy so beautifully and thoroughly in a retelling that jumps off the page! So much clarity is packed in re the WHYs behind the story. Love it!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who geeks about about Greek mythology, particularly surrounding the Trojan war. This series really pieces together the background and string-pulling that went one by the prickly & petty gods and the human anguish that results. It ties together all the elements of prophecy so beautifully and thoroughly in a retelling that jumps off the page! So much clarity is packed in re the WHYs behind the story. Love it!

A gripping heartwrenching account. One which i am almost ashamed to say makes a good story. Because its not a story its a sickening reality that many people live in til this very day and probably for many days to come. I am shaken when i realise that things like this exist alongside “normal” life. I pray for these people & hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel for each of them.

A story bursting with wit and charm. Generous with quirky characters (opinionated pigeons & reproachful cats included) it is a bright piece of work set im dark times. An encouraging tale thats imparts the importance of mastering ones circumstances (or risk being mastered by them!) I adore how the concepts of hope and home are framed. When all seems lost, there is still hope & at the end (of a long day or a long life) we all just want to find home

A book that made me want to be a witch! Really enjoyed how there was no grand absolution or catharsis granted to Circe as that would have undermined the painstaking development of her goddess. How everything she accomplished was a pioneering endeavour - only ever having herself to rely on. Despite taking millenia to grow and find her forms - she did come into herself & gracefully so. Punchy, succinct narration of an uplifting, engaging story

A most rich, intimate narrative of intertwining individuals delved into so deeply that you feel you almost know the characters personally. Their human nuances are so vividly captured- truly a fascinating read. Takes you on a journey examining love in its many stages and manifestations. Boldly displays the feelings and thinking (and over-thinking) that im certain everyone whos ever known love has experienced in reality

Any book that can move me to tears demands a review. A beautiful moving story that intertwines love & tragedy so elegantly. A novel that touches sublimely on the struggles of a man, a class, a society & a nation wracked in hostilities & whispered grievances. Highlights the fundamental inability/ unwillingness of people to see things plainly & broadly. Narrates historic events in Russia without weighing too heavily in any regard.