"Robin Hood is the best-loved outlaw of all time. In this beautifully illustrated edition, Henry Gilbert tells of the adventures of the Merry Men of the Sherwood Forest - Robin himself, Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet and Alan-a-Dale, as well as Maid Marian, good King Richard, and Robin's deadly enemies Guy of Gisborne and the evil Sheriff of Nottingham."
I know Robin Hood is generally seen as a tale for children, but I couldn't help but read this edition when I found it at a book fair. I read every word of this book while outside in the bush, as I thought Robin would approve. It certainly added to the atmosphere.
The language does take some getting used to, but I found that after a few pages it becomes quite natural and actually adds to the story. Every character's personality comes through in their language, and it really felt as though I was in the greenwood with them all. As well as this, there are some absolutely beautiful descriptions of nature within every chapter, which speak to the beauty of the greenwood and Robin's connection to it. One of my favourites is found on page 44:
"Most of the villeins lay on their backs, feeling pure enjoyment in looking up into the weaving masses of leaves above their heads, through which, like flaming spear-heads, the sunlight slid now and then as the gentle summer breeze stirred the deeps of the trees."
Additionally, the comments on equality and justice are just as relevant today as they were when these tales were first told. Robin Hood, who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, who lays justice to those who do wrong with no punishment, who defends the innocent, the poor, and women and children with an iron fist, is a symbol of hope to us all; he is testament to the everlasting dream of justice in an unfair society. Robin Hood is the embodiment of a chivalrous and fair man, and we can revere his violent acts against the rich as they finally receive the punishment we know they deserve.
Also, he literally stormed the largest castle in all the land against all odds because they killed his wife, which is honestly all anyone could ask for.
I was dreading the final chapter as soon as I started the novel. I was never actually aware of many of Robin Hood's tales beforehand, so I didn't know how he died - I was expecting some giant battle or valiant sacrifice, where I would be forced to hear of his death amongst the chaos - but, thankfully, this was not the case. His death was almost beautiful. I was sobbing pretty hard all the same, but it gave a nice sense of closure.
I don't think I will ever walk through nature the same way again - in a good way, of course. In all its beauty and all its mysteries, lies the hope of a better future in Robin Hood.
Growing Up Queer in Australia - edited Benjamin Law
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘No amount of YouTube videos and queer think pieces prepared me for this moment.’
‘The mantle of “queer migrant” compelled me to keep going – to go further.’
‘I never “came out” to my parents. I felt I owed them no explanation.’
‘All I heard from the pulpit were grim hints.’
‘I became acutely aware of the parts of myself that were unpalatable to queers who grew up in the city.’
‘My queerness was born in a hot dry land that was never ceded.’
‘Even now, I sometimes think that I don’t know my own desire.’
Compiled by celebrated author and journalist Benjamin Law, Growing Up Queer in Australia assembles voices from across the spectrum of LGBTIQA+ identity. Spanning diverse places, eras, ethnicities and experiences, these are the stories of growing up queer in Australia.
‘For better or worse, sooner or later, life conspires to reveal you to yourself, and this is growing up.’
With contributions from David Marr, Fiona Wright, Nayuka Gorrie, Steve Dow, Holly Throsby, Sally Rugg, Tony Ayres, Nic Holas, Rebecca Shaw and many more.
I am privileged enough to have grown up with the internet, with information about queer people and queer identities so difficult to hide, such that even at a christian school, I was able to find the words to describe myself almost as soon as I recognised those parts of myself.
Even so, hearing first-person accounts of Australian queer people, like me, dealing with Australia's culture and biases, made me felt seen in a way I don't think any other medium could have.
Growing Up Queer in Australia portrayed all different aspects of queerness, from celebration and pride to rejection and heartbreak. It was a wonderful reflection of thoughts and feelings I've had, as well as those I would never have considered to be part of the queer experience.
I really appreciated the range of queer identities represented in the book; from lesbian and gay to queer, every letter of LGBTQ+ was represented. I do wish we got more stories from the '+' part of the queer community, but I am glad that Growing Up Queer does make an effort to include more than just gay and lesbian authors. I especially appreciated the range in gender identities and presentation of the authors, including both masc- and femme-presenting lesbians and their struggles, trans people who realised both early and late in life, people who had strong gendered feelings that didn't neatly fit into these boxes.
I also welcome the intersectionality present in Growing Up. As someone who is white and able-bodied, it was eye-opening to read how deep the authors' queerness was related to other marginalised parts of their identity such as disability and race. I appreciated the variety in Australian class and location represented in the book, including rural, small towns, suburban and city perspectives. It made me really happy in one story to notice where they were from and say "Hey, that's near me! That's my community!"
As Benjamin Law addresses in the wonderfully written foreword, I am very glad that the title chosen is 'Growing Up Queer in Australia.' The use of 'queer' feels very inclusive and tells me Law is not shying away from the tougher parts of queer identities in an effort to make the book more marketable.
For me personally though, trying to digest the a-spec parts of my identity has been a big part of my personal discovery, and for this reason I would loved to have seen asexual and aromantic representation. It seems from personal anecdote to make up a surprisingly large section of the lgbtq+ community, so it was a bit disappointing that with dozens of authors involved, there was not a single a-spec author.
In general, I was a little disappointed there weren't many authors from the '+' part of lgbtq+, such as a-spec, non-binary and genderfluid. There are some identities that feel marginalised even within the queer community and this book could have been a good opportunity to bring light to them. I would have especially loved to see 'contradictory' identities such as he/him lesbians.
I am still giving 5 stars because I understand when compiling and publishing a book like this, there will always be people who felt left out by it, and I can see and appreciate the effort that has gone into diversity and intersectionality in Growing Up Queer.
Growing Up Queer, through its diverse collection of stories, reaches out and says, You are not alone. There are others who have been in the same situation.
"Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the source of all discord and unhappiness: the printed book.
Montag never questions the destruction or his own bland life, until he is shown a past where people didn't live in fear and a present where one sees the world through ideas.
Montag starts hiding books in his home. Soon they'll make him run for his life."
I've had this book on my shelf for ages and never got round to reading it. And then I read it entirely in about 3 hours. It was SO good.
Ray Bradbury's writing style really itches my brain. It has this perfect mix of beautiful, complex imagery, dialogue, and narration. The story moved at a reasonable pace and I knew what was happening most of the time.
I wish there was a bit more of an introduction into the world - there were some parts I kept getting quite confused by. Like the parlour? I couldn't really visualise what that was in my head, and it was brought up so frequently, but I never really knew what it was about. Was it like a giant television screen they stepped into? Why was there a family in it? Why were they always yelling? Why did it only have three walls? I felt a lot more comfortable after Beatty came over and explained that whole history, but some parts still didn't sit right in my mind.
There was some points that were so so relevant to today's society. I can't believe this was published in 1953 - were things really that bad then as they are today? That whole monologue about how content kept being cut down further and further from books to magazines to headlines to cartoons, until society just ended up rejecting the book and watching pictures - did Bradbury somehow predict the future??? And then more people meant more minorities who would get offended from the books, so instead of books we just had to stuff them with facts that let them see nothing more than the surface level of the world. I mean, you can see this stuff everyday now, everywhere. His talent for realism in his dystopian science fiction worlds is crazy, and this book should be a poignant warning and wake-up call for society.
But why, WHY, did Clarisse have to die so early??? She was such an awesome character, and had such an impact on the protagonist - I wish she was developed further. Especially since she is introduced at the very beginning, when the reader is not fully aware of how impactful her words really are, because they are still half in the real-world while reading them. Bradbury himself, in the 50th anniversary introduction, said he wished he kept her until the end. But oh well.
Overall, EVERYONE should read this book and remind themselves of the power of knowledge and searching for the deeper meaning in things.
“It's Christmas and Holden Caulfield has just been expelled from yet another school. Fleeing the crooks at Pencey Prep, he pinballs around New York City seeking solace in fleeting encounters - shooting the bull with strangers in dive hotels, wandering alone round Central Park, getting beaten up by pimps and cut down by erstwhile girlfriends.
The city is beautiful and terrible in all its lonesome neon glamour, its mingled sense of possibility and emptiness. Holden passes through it like a ghost, thinking always of his kid sister Phoebe, the only person who really understands him, and his determination to escape the phonies and find a life of true meaning.”
This was a pretty good read. It was recommended to me by my mum, and I’m still not sure why - but nevertheless, I did enjoy it.
The language is very casual and easy to read. Holden seems to think a lot. It became a bit meta when he was talking with his old teacher about diverging from the path, and how he thinks it’s more interesting than just staying on topic. I have to agree with him. Even though the book only spans 2 and a half days in his life, I became very attached to Holden through all his divergents.
People tend to say Holden is misogynistic, but I really don’t think so - he’s just a teenage boy. Especially when he talks of all the wonderful girls and how they’ll end up marrying boring guys who don’t read books or care about how they keep their kings in the back, I thought that was a very thoughtful view on women for his time period. And the way he treats his sister Phoebe, he understands how she acts sometimes but this doesn’t make him love her any less. He treats her as a human - and he has hope for her future.
Holden tends to act very adult-like: going to bars, drinking, dancing with girls, hiring prostitutes, etc etc. - but it’s easy to forget that he’s just a child. He just wants to know where the ducks go in winter. He asks almost every adult figure in the books where they go and they never answer him. I thought this was very symbolic of how pretty much every adult has failed him - it’s only natural, then, how he looks to children for hope. He notices the boy singing when his parents don’t. He ties up the girls skates. He takes the kids through the museum even though they’re scared. He wipes off the obscenities on the wall. Even though he’s fully aware of how fucked up the world is, and has lived through all those experiences, he doesn’t ever try to push it on the kids. He would tell them where the ducks go.
I think I mainly liked this book just for Holden’s character (can you tell?). I would recommend for every teenager and young adult to read this.
"When Basil Hallward paints the portrait of young, handsome Dorian Gray, he falls prey to his dazzling beauty. Afraid that his youth and looks will waste away, Dorian expresses a wish that his portrait, and not he, will age and fade over time. His wish is granted, and over the ensuing years, Dorian indulges in every kind of vice and pleasure, never ageing or disfiguring. Only his portrait, hidden to the world, bears the mark of his actions, and as his soul grows ever more wasted and corrupted, devastating consequences lie in wait."
It's difficult to review this book. I keep going back and forth between thinking it was a masterpiece and thinking it was overrated.
When I first started reading it, the first thing I noticed was the language. Jesus Christ - every sentence was so profound, and every word carried so much weight. It was quite difficult to read at first, but I got used to it.
Lord Henry's character was, I thought, that of a typical all-knowing older man. I found him quite annoying at times. A character would say one line and he would repeat back 3 pages of misogynistic nonsense. I can understand why a younger man like Dorian would be fascinated by him.
Basil was by far my favourite character. A tortured artist, his soul enraptured by this dazzling young man, and absolutely smitten with him only to be ignored and cast aside (by his closest friend no less!) - His character held so much potential. I only wish there was more of him.
Dorian's character confused me. I wish it went into greater depth of those years where his soul became so corrupt - what terrible things did he do? Why DID people leave the room when he entered? How many people has he hurt? I was quite confused reading the latter half of this book because of all these unanswered questions. I still pictured him as the pure boy we met in the very first chapter, and barely saw a shred of corruption in his soul.
The scene where Geoffrey shot the rabbit - that stuck with me for some reason. I felt very connected to Dorian in that moment. I could understand his anxiety, and his need to escape - that feeling that something bad is going to happen, it just felt very familiar. It almost felt too perfect that the man that was shot was James, which resulted in the situation being resolved as soon as it began. The guilt that might have gripped Dorian could've catalysed a deeper exploration of his soul.
But it stuck with me. The whole book has stuck with me since I read it. I do recommend reading it to anyone who wants to. I just wish there was a deeper, more personal exploration of the characters and their souls.
EDIT: After reading the preface again, I'm quite fascinated by the whole notion of the portrait turning corrupt. Did it really reflect Dorian's soul, when it was Basil himself who put too much of himself into it? It is said that his art turned sour after Dorian's portrait - what if this was a reflection of his soul? A soul who had fallen in love with the most beautiful of men, only to be rejected and pushed away? In addition to this, his masterpiece was never admired - it was shut away behind a curtain in a dusty room, locked to everyone except Dorian. And he despised the thing. It's said that a man can be forgiven in making a useless thing as long as he admires it intensely - and Basil adored the portrait. Even after seeing its grotesque form, he still loved it - he still loved Dorian. Perhaps the only sin Dorian ever committed was his indifference towards his own portrait.
"Meursault will not conform. When his mother dies, he refuses to show his emotions simply to satisfy the expectations of others. And when he commits a random act of violence on a sun-drenched beach, his lack of remorse only compounds his guilt in the eyes of society and the law."
I don't know what to think of this novel. It was very short - I finished almost entirely in one train ride. I think this is the kind of book that requires months of reflection to truly understand.
I related to the main character quite heavily. We're not actually told a lot about Meursault explicitly, but I feel I can understand the reason for the way he thinks and acts. As someone who is also generally quiet and struggles to show emotions, particularly in the face of death, I agreed with most of what he had to say about society's expectations on the matter.
I didn't expect it to be so commentary on the judicial system. Even though most of this was Meursault's passive comments on the way it runs, good or bad, I still felt they were very profound and important to hear - and because I related to him so heavily, I couldn't help but agree with everything he said.
The writing style was weirdly beautiful. I've never read anything like it - such simple language, simple sentences, but with such huge impact and detailed imagery. I have never felt so immersed in the world of a book before, and I can surely attribute this to the way Camus described the temperature and the sun and the tiny little things in the environment that don't seem to bother anyone else, but always bother me. It felt like such a human world.
Meursault's outburst at the end was extraordinary. It was as if he had read my thoughts while I was reading the novel and spat them right back out at me in perfect articulation. And I don't think I will ever look at dusk or dawn quite the same way again.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to explore the tender indifference of the world, and maybe have an existential crisis while they're at it.
“From the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes a new romantic comedy that will stop readers in their tracks... Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.”
“The Q is a time, a place, and a person.”
I’m not sure exactly how I feel about it, it was good but not great though that may just be because it was a follow up to Red White and Royal Blue (one of my favourite books of all time) so I am judging from a very high standard. I was absolutely in love with the Augie storyline, I always love a historical element to a book what can I say. Where the book fell flat for me was the sci-fi element, I normally avoid the genre at all costs but I couldn’t skip this. The romance was fine, I wish it had more too it, the slow burn of it didn’t seem to lead anywhere for me. I will give it credit that when they did romance it worked amazing, I just wish there were more. The book reminds me a lot of The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan, particularly Naked in Manhattan (on the nose I know), but god I know August would love Chappell Roan (who doesn’t).
This book reads as a love letter to New York City, the thing is though I don’t know anything about New York nor do I really care to know about it. However, the sections of the book where we got glimpses of New Orleans I was in love with, I never see many books set there and I would have loved if it had more scenes there because the dynamics of the city in the book (and general) seem to be so much more interesting than New York to me.
Overall, this book was so hard to come up with a definitive rating for (it’s definitely in-between stars but that doesn’t really work), I loved it in sections and wanted it to be over in others, but overall I did enjoy it. As a feel good sapphic romance it was quite refreshing since those are so hard to find.
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
Imagine if the coffee shop au fan fiction of your favourite fantasy was a published book. That’s the best description of this book.
It was nice. The overwhelming emotion I got from this book was that of sitting next to the window in a cafe, sipping coffee and making intermittent conversation with a close friend.
The setting was your typical D&D fantasy setting. We get a nice image of different races such as humans, dwarves, hobbs and succubi intermingling, and a glimpse into the dynamics (and fantasy racism) between them. It would have been nice to get a little more insight into those dynamics, as they are often only mentioned once in the introduction of a character and never brought up again, as is the case for the hobb Calamity.
Viv is an interesting character. The idea of a muscly 8ft tall orc running a cozy cafe is a very fun image to picture, and it’s interesting reading how Viv, who is at first depicted as being quite organised and put-together, mis-steps and fumbles in an unfamiliar environment.
We are also treated to a wonderfully-sapphic romance, which is very cute and does leave you rooting for Viv to just confess already, goddammit! Although (and this might just be the aroace in me) it does feel a little like Viv just fell for the first attractive woman she saw, as she doesn’t seem to have much strong emotion for Tandri or even dwell on her in her thoughts much at all.
The book itself was a very easy read, and I finished it in a day. It held my interest the entire time, I didn’t find myself ever losing focus. The pacing was decent and the descriptions gave a complete image of the scene without being over-the-top.
My main criticisms are that the book felt a bit… nothing. I didn’t really get the sense that anything really happened or that there was much exploration of any ideas. The setting was not detailed enough nor was the concept of coffee in a fantasy world explored enough to make up for the lack of story. There were so many exciting possibilities for a fantasy take on a cafe, but nothing particularly novel was executed and I was left a little disappointed by the unfulfilled potential.
Whilst there was plot, there was very little tension and even the major complication was unable to perturb me with how quickly it becomes evident it will be resolved. There are so many more potentials for low-stakes conflict to arise in the opening of a cafe. Whilst I understand there is reason for this in-universe, everything seems to just fall in place for Viv, and any snags are easily brushed past.
I mentioned at the start it is like the coffee shop au fanfiction of your favourite fantasy. It does indeed feel a lot like a fanfiction which is lacking a source material. An interesting exploration into existing setting and characters, but there was not enough detail in the setting and characters for it to explore. The book did not leave me dwelling on it for any time after reading it, rather it had pretty much left my mind only 10 minutes later.
However, it was still a cozy feel-good book that made me feel comforted and fulfilled having read it. It inspired me to go make like 3 cups of coffee in a row after reading it. It was page-turning and I enjoyed the entire time I read it. Plus, the sapphic romance definitely inspires ideas for some very cute fanart.
There is a prequel, Bookshops & Bonedust which I am looking forward to reading for more coziness and hopefully a bit more detail in setting and characters.
I would recommend this book for someone looking for something comforting and lightweight to read, perhaps during a hard time or after having read something very heavy. If you are looking for something easy to read that will instantly lift your mood, read this.
I would also recommend it if you enjoy cozy fantasy, as it is THE cozy fantasy book. Between cafes, cute sapphic romances and the power of friendship, this is nothing short of cozy.
having written this, i'm off to go make my 3rd cup of coffee of the day after thinking about this book again...
"For there is only the trying. The rest is not our business."
- T.S. Eliot
Call me Endy or Oli. He/they/it. I was an avid reader in primary school, forgot how to read in senior school and am now re-learning how to read as a busy adult. I mostly read fantasy, science fiction and romance, but I am getting into non-fiction, historical fiction, poetry and classics.
Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune
The Outsider - Albert Camus
The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Robin Hood - Henry Gilbert
"Linus Baker leads a quiet life. At forty, he has a tiny house with a devious cat and his beloved records for company. And at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, he's spent many dull years monitoring their orphanages.
Then one day, Linus is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and given a highly classified assignment. He must travel to an orphanage where six dangerous children reside, including the Antichrist. There, Linus must somehow determine if they could bring on the end of days. But their guardian, charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, will do anything to protect his wards. As Arthur and Linus grow ever closer, Linus must choose between duty and his dreams."
This novel literally felt like a cup of hot chocolate by the fireplace. It was so fluffy and sweet and nearly burst my little gay heart at the end ❤️. I felt so connected to the main character, Linus, and each of the children - I did feel, however, Arthur's character could have been expanded upon further as he is so integral to the storyline (but lets hope this happens in the upcoming sequel).
The writing was so easy to read, I read this book in about 2 days (which at my pace, is insanely fast). The use of dialogue and the stream of consciousness style seemed to really itch my brain right in terms of getting content across. For some reason, I really love the way Linus keeps saying "Oh dear" throughout the story - even with his extraordinary character development, that one quality seemed to stay constant (and just made him more lovable, in my opinion).
Overall, I could not agree more with V.E. Schwab's review - "...like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket." - that is EXACTLY what it felt like. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to inject some warmth back into their lives.
romaincrisis
theartofmadeline
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turnnoffyourmind
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titsay
yousharknotpass