Category: LGBTQ+

Cosy Sunday Reading Update – Heartstopper Volume 4 and 5

Posted December 10, 2023 by Emma in 2023 Books, Bookish Post, Heartstopper, LGBTQ+, UKYA, YA / 2 Comments

Hello my lovely readers, I took a bit of lengthy unintentional break from the blog. Like with everything, work got super busy. But I’m hoping as I my term comes to an end in a week and half I’ll be coming back. But today, I had a very chilled and cosy Sunday, reading and I want to record it, here on my blog. I wanted to document my feeling for Heartstopper whilst reading it.

Blanket + Christmas Tree lights + Christmas fireplace ASMR + BOOKS = A Cosy Sunday Reading

I’ve been unwell the last few days and today I felt so much better but wanted to relax and recover even more. I joined Beth at Booksnest with her public sprints from 11am which helped. I finished my read of The Hunger Games and then proceeded to read my most anticipated read of the year Heartstopper Volume 5.

Before I did that I read Heartstopper Volume 4 and I forgot a lot since my first time reading it last year especially with 2 seasons of the show I really couldn’t remember what happened. I’m so glad I reread it though, there is a lot of strong emotions both positive with 100 mega smiles with some really sad and heartbreaking ones as well.

Heartstopper Volume 4 is almost the climax of many things including Nick and Charlie’s love for each other, Charlie’s eating disorder and mental health, and especially about opening up to close family and friends. I forgot that Issac isn’t part of the graphic novel and Aled is, or Charlie has a little brother, Oliver, and I loved seeing Mr Ajayi and Mr Farouk in the story more too. Nick and Charlie have been in this bubble for 3 and half books and time for them to go out of their own comfort zone essentially and that continues into Volume 5.

Now I want to share my feeling with Volume 5 without really going into the story so much. Heartstopper Volume 5 is all about the next step, for Nick and Charlie’s relationship, Nick’s future and Charlie’s character. Alice Oseman really captures their relationship so beautifully in art form. That hasn’t changed in Volume 5, it’s almost a semi climax of everything she has created before that is in those moments in this volume.

Everything she draws has so much meaning. She writes a story so real, a true representation of teenage years, speaking as a school librarian, I’m so happy to recommend this so my students have something that I didn’t at their age. She creates and writes sensitive topics and discussions so positivity and real. It has the impact it needs without it being inappropriate for the age which I honestly applaud. There is an overwhelming emotion of proudness with this book, that I don’t think I’ve felt so strongly in a book like this.

Heartstopper is the best comfort read and has been my obsession this year! The friendships, the characters, the teachers and the little doggies make it so much more. It’s huggable and loveable and emotions run high in these novel. When it said ‘Heartstopper will conclude in Volume 6′ I cried as I am not for this series to end.

Have you read Heartstopper Volume 5? I want to fangirl. Let me know in the comments.

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ARC Book Review | How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok

Posted September 19, 2023 by Emma in 2023 Books, Book Review, Bookish Post, LGBTQ+, Mystery, YA / 2 Comments
ARC Book Review | How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok

Good evening, my wonderful readers. As I’m writing this, I’m wrapped up in a blanket, I can certainly feel that Autumn is coming. Today’s is an ARC review, I feel I haven’t read a book before publication for ages and it feels so good. I’m really excited for you to read this book and this is great for your Autumn TBRs too. I’lll also be interviewing the author on publication day about this book so welcome to How to Find a Missing Girl themed week! On to the review shall we… How to Find a Missing Girl saved my reading! […]

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Under the Cover #5 with David Fenne – author of Overemotional

Posted September 13, 2023 by Emma in Bookish Post, Interview, LGBTQ+, UKYA, Under the Cover, YA / 0 Comments
Under the Cover #5 with David Fenne – author of Overemotional

Happy hump day my bookish friends. I’m back with my author interviews and I have some amazing ones lined up over the next few weeks. I’m so excited. Today I am welcoming, David Fenne author of OVEREMOTIONAL which I reviewed last week. Under the Cover is where I interview some of favourite authors and authors I’ve recently read and discovered. I’m trying to refresh my blog and I love interviewing authors and getting an insight into their storytelling, hence Under the Cover was born. I was lucky enough to see David at a YA panel at CampYA, I finished his book at the […]

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My Top 5 YA Standalone books ‘I wish I had when I was younger’

Posted August 25, 2023 by Emma in Book List, Bookish Post, LGBTQ+, UKYA, YA / 2 Comments
My Top 5 YA Standalone books ‘I wish I had when I was younger’

Hello my bookish friends, today’s post is inspired by Heartstopper. With the new season out and the hype and love around it, the comment I keep seeing or reading is ‘I wish I had this book/series when I was younger’. So I thought I would do a few posts, from standalone books to book series (which will include Heartstopper no doubt). So as an adult reading Young Adult and some Children’s books, it got me thinking about the books I wished I had when I was younger. Young Adult books wasn’t a category when I was a young adult. I […]

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Book Review | How to Die Famous by Benjamin Dean – a queer Karen McManus Mystery

Posted August 18, 2023 by Emma in 2023 Books, Book Review, Bookish Post, LGBTQ+, UKYA / 1 Comment
Book Review | How to Die Famous by Benjamin Dean – a queer Karen McManus Mystery

Hello my friends, welcome to my first book review of the Summer Holidays. I have broken up for the 6 weeks and I am catching up on some amazing books I’ve read. Today I’m reviewing the new Benjamin Dean book, I also met him at CampYA this weekend which was amazing. So before I say any more I think I should save it for my review, so here is a little more about the book. The return teen TV sitcom Sunset High with a murderous curse. Abel has always wanted to be a star and to get onto the revamp […]

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Happy National Book Lovers Day with my ultimate favourite books!

Happy National Book Lovers Day with my ultimate favourite books!

Happy Book Lovers Day my fellow readers! August 9th is National Book Lovers Day celebrating our favourite books and what it means to be a reader, to be a book lover. On my bookstagram I post about my favourite books all the time but not here. They do tend to change every so often especially this year where I’ve added at least 3 new favourites. But how does it become a favourite book? I have my own criteria when it comes to favourite books that I thought I would share. Yes it may be 5 stars and the storytelling is […]

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My Top 5 Underrated LGBTQ+ Book Recommendations for Pride Month

Posted June 23, 2023 by Emma in 2023 Books, Book List, Bookish Post, LGBTQ+, UKYA, YA / 1 Comment
My Top 5 Underrated LGBTQ+ Book Recommendations for Pride Month

Happy Pride Month my friends. The last few years I have read more queer books, I find for me as a reader and a librarian it’s important for me to read different, diverse and inclusive books. I think Heartstopper really kicked off my love for LGBTQ+ books. I’ve grown as a reader and I love that. So I thought today I would share some of favourite books, some underrated ones that you might not have heard of that need to be on your radar. ONLY ON THE WEEKENDS BY DEAN ATTA This was my first verse novel and I absolutely […]

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Blog Tour – Book Review | If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude – a unique sapphic dystopian YA…

Blog Tour – Book Review |  If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude – a unique sapphic dystopian YA…

Hello my bookish friends. I am really excited to be part of the Ultimate Blog Tour with The Write Reads for debut novel, If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude. Sadly life got in the way, so here is my delayed review. It’s the start of Pride Month and I have the perfect YA Dystopian recommendation for your to add to your TBR piles. Whilst I have put a content warning above, the first few pages is about the main character, Avery about to take her own life. There is a lot of reference to it throughout the book. I […]

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Blog Tour | Book Review – Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan

Blog Tour | Book Review – Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan

Happy Sunday my bookish friends, today I’m really excited for my stop on the Ultimate Blog Tour with The Write Reads for debut novel, Straight Expectations. My first book of May and what a brilliant start to the month. Before I head into my review here is a little bit more about the book. Another book I didn’t really know what to expect. Opening the first few pages on my kindle and I knew I was going to love it. It instantly it gave me Boy Queen by George Lester and Heartstopper vibes. Max is loud and proud at school, […]

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