Diversity Recs: Bisexual Characters II

Goodreads 

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

A coming-of-age story featuring two boys who fall in love in a writing class. Tanner, openly bisexual whilst living in California but is pushed back into the closet when he moves to Utah and Sebastian, the Mormon prodigy from a strict religious community who mentors the class. Determined to write a book in four months and planning to coast through high school, Tanner's plans change when he meets Sebastian. It takes him less than a month to fall in love. This book will be released on September 12th.

Goodreads

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

Graced with the world's most beautiful cover, this book is jam packed with magic realism, beautiful familial and romantic relationships and celebrates generations of the Nomeolvides women. The book features houses filled with huge families, and more importantly, queer women. Our main character, Estrella, her cousins and some of their mum's and grandmother's are bisexual and this is stated. Yes, this is a YA novel that features older women actually having a sexuality. I also believe there is a genderqueer character although I am not 100% certain (please correct me if I'm wrong.) This book will be released on October 3rd.

Goodreads

Like Water by Rebecca Podos

Savannah Espinoza always planned to escape her small town in New Mexico but when her father is diagnosed with Huntington's disease, she and her mother must care for him. Now her life revolves around caring for her dad, working as a performing mermaid at a water park and distracting herself with one boy after the other. That is until she meets Leigh, wildly ambitious and the friend Savannah has been missing in her life. However, it isn't long before feelings of friendship become something more. A story of identity and first love. This book will be released on October 17th.

Goodreads

That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston

This sci-fi novel taking place in the near-future tells the story of the world if the British Empire had never fallen and the U.S had never rose. Victoria-Margaret is crown princess of the Empire but genetically arranged matchmaking will soon enter her into a forced marriage like her mother before her. However, before she must accept her fate, she must go incognito for one summer in the far corner of the Empire. Here she meets Helena and August, both prominent figures and during this action-packed summer, the three form an unlikely bond that could change the course of their future. This book will be released on October 3rd. 

Goodreads

Wild by Hannah Moskowitz

Zack Ramos knows of two things - he must be a parent to his 12 year old sister once their mum's Alzheimer's progresses too far and he must train for a hundred mile race through the mountains of Tennessee. His support comes from longtime girlfriend, Jordan, whom he met online and still hasn't met. And Jordan herself is coming to terms with how she's going to tell Zack that she's deaf. In terms of representation, this book is packed with it. A Guatemalan/Jewish Deaf bisexual love interest and Filipino bisexual protagonist. Hardly any of the cast is white and of course, we have a main character with a disability that is a main focus of the story. Hilarious, heart-warming and diverse, this short story is definitely one you need to pick up!

Happy Reading!

Love Angharad @

Mini Reviews (June 2017)

I've been struggling with writing reviews lately. Although I can have a lot of thoughts about a book, sometimes I find it difficult to express them all in review form. Sometimes I feel as though I don't have anything exciting to say but still want you guys to hear my opinions. So I've come up with a new idea of creating posts that feature my latest reads, including some mini reviews. The good, the bad and the overall rather than including the synopsis, background, etc. So without further ado, here are my latest four reads and what I thought about them in a few sentences.

Goodreads | Book Depository

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

This may be weird to admit, but the first book genre I fell in love with as a child was crime thrillers purely because that is what my mother read so the house was full of them! I picked this book up on a whim in Brighton train station and completed it during the journey. Although it was addictive (as most crime-thrillers are) and I did read it in one sitting, the big reveal/ending/plot-twist kind of fell flat for me and it's something I called from the beginning. However, considering this is a debut novel, I think there is definitely potential for the author's future works.

Goodreads | Book Depository

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

So this book is marketed as being like The Breakfast Club but with murder and for those who may not know, that is one of my favourite movies and I love a good murder mystery. This book had huge pros such as the relationship that forms between the members of the 'Murder Squad,' especially between 'Queen Bee' Addy and the 'Brains,' Bronwyn. However, I didn't like the addition of somebody's sexuality being a spoiler and once again, the big reveal just made me feel unsatisfied and felt very rushed. I wanted a huge twist. However, loved the Breakfast Club vibes and the characters themselves. Overall, a three star read for me.

Goodreads

The Tiger's Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera

To say I loved this book is an understatement. After being accepted for it on Netgalley (god bless) and finishing it within a day with tears in my eyes, I've since been trying my hardest to get a physical ARC copy just so I can hold it. No lies. Beautiful, atmospheric, full of magic and mythology but the standout is the relationship between Shefali and Shizuka, the two girls who were destined to spend their lives together. I felt as though I went on the journey with the two girls, their love came bounding off the pages to the point that I could feel like I was intruding. This book comes out on October 3rd and I would encourage you all to preorder because it is worth it.

The Suffragettes 

This book is not only about the amazing Suffragettes, our ancestors who fought for women to have a voice but it was also a £1 and it's so cute, it's literally pocket size. This book is filled (I say filled, it's around 40 pages long) with news articles, speech transcripts, propaganda and memorabilia from the years of the Suffragettes. It isn't anything special and probably doesn't tell you anything you don't already know but it is still an informative read, especially for those who want a basic understanding of what these women faced. 

What have you guys read lately and what has been your favourite?

Love from Angharad @

May Wrap Up II

* Becky's Reads *

So I felt as though this was quite a slow reading month for me (mostly because I had my final deadlines for my degree, got into a bit of a slump and somehow spent four weeks finishing one book?) but I definitely read some books that I really enjoyed throughout May!

The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig

Although it took me almost a month to read this (I'm not exactly sure what happened there?) I really loved this book and I think I'd even say that I preferred it to the first one! I have always loved both mythology and history, so a world that includes them both is absolutely perfect for me. The world-building was absolutely lush, to the extent that I could almost smell the sea breeze purely from descriptions, or imagine that I was walking through the streets of modern-day New York (a city that I've never visited). 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

So as it's coming up to the summer, I was in the mood for a light contemporary read and after hearing about this series, I thought it would be perfect. It's a quick read with important family dynamics, a diverse main character (Korean/American) and a whole lot of baking goodness. I quickly finished the rest of the series within a few days and I can safely say that I recommend it. 

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

This book was definitely a mixed bag for me. The first half of the book took me a while to get into, I wasn't too invested with the plot or the romance but then the second half definitely improved to the point I gave this book four stars. However, since reading it, we have read some mixed reviews from Own Voice readers such as problems with bi-erasure and inaccuracies with Japanese history. We will be posting a full review soon!

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Although this was a fast read, I really enjoyed it! It has a diverse cast, it is really lighthearted, cute and fun but at the same time touched on important issues. Dimple wasn't a typical YA contemporary protagonist and I loved learning about all of the Indian traditions. I'm just excited for whatever this amazing author releases next!

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Although I thought ACOWAR wrapped up the trilogy really well (I definitely cried more than once) for the most part I was so happy with how things turned out, there are a couple of issues that needed discussing with this book (such as biphobia and ace phobia.) However, without overlooking these issues, I did really enjoy ACOWAR and have loved this series so much as a whole. I think in the future, Sarah J. Maas definitely needs to focus on bringing more diversity to her worlds and stop describing penises as 'velvet steel.'

So that was my reading month! I'm looking forward to the month of June (and not just because I'm going on holiday.) What was your favourite read this month?

Love Becky @

Our May Wrap Up!

* Angharad's Reads *

So after months and months of not doing a wrap-up and being caught up with our new business, we've decided to stop abandoning this blog (yay!) Although I'm behind on my reading challenge at the moment, I read more books this month than I thought I did! Some let me down but I also found another all time favourite so it was worth it. So without further ado, here's the books I read this month and what I thought about them. 

A Dance with Dragons 2: After the Feast by George R.R. Martin

So I've finally caught up with the ASOIAF series! This isn't a quick read series or even a happy series (it has more death than a graveyard) but the amount of magic and world building in these books is hard to beat. I don't watch the show anymore but these books more than make up for it! The unfortunate thing about catching up is that I now have to wait like everyone else for the next book. Wish me luck.

The Princess Saves Herself in this One by Amanda Lovelace

I have wanted to pick up this book of poetry for ages and then a miracle happened when I won a copy in a giveaway! I follow Amanda on Twitter and she seems like the most beautiful person so I just knew this would come across in her book. Her poems are raw and real, heartbreaking but beautiful. As the title suggests, this is the story of a princess who saves herself, a damsel who becomes queen, a girl who picks herself up. I also loved the size of this book as poetry books can definitely be too sparse. 

P.S. I Still Love You & Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

The second and third instalment in the Lara Jean trilogy. I read the first book in April after hearing about it being a cute little contemporary with a Korean American protagonist and it didn't disappoint. They are your typical coming-of-age stories but with beautiful scenes between Lara and her family as she deals with future plans and a more than complicated love life. I would definitely recommend this series as they are quick and perfect for the summer. 

Idiot Verse by Keaton Henson

For those who didn't know, Keaton Henson is a very talented singer/songwriter who also happens to do a bit of art and poetry on the side. When I heard about this book, I ordered it immediately and finished it in just a few minutes (it's very short and a few pages are dedicated to his own illustrations.) Despite being a huge fan of his, unfortunately this book of poetry just didn't resonate with me but don't let this put you off as I believe poetry is subjective and others may love it! Plus, look at that cover art.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

I am a HUGE sucker for post apocalyptic stories even though they have been done almost to death (har har.) This book has been on my shelves for about a year and the other day I decided to pick it up and ended up reading it in one sitting and it has become a new favourite of mine. This isn't an action-packed novel, it hardly even has a plot but it is about the characters and how they have survived and kept going since the world 'ended.' It shows how humanity rebuilds and how nature reclaims its domain and this is everything I've been looking for in a book.

A Jarful of Moonlight by Nazanin Mirsadeghi

We were sent this small book of poetry in exchange for an honest review.  The book is split into five parts with a small poem on each page but by the end, they come together to form a story of love, heartbreak and grief. For me, my end review is a bit of a mixed bag. Some poems resonated with me, some didn't and some reminded me of poems I've read before, either by other authors or on Tumblr. Our full review here!

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh 

I have been highly anticipating this read since hearing about it and the reason for that is because as a person who didn't watch a lot of disney films as a child, the one I loved more than anything with Mulan. And what's this? A Mulan retelling! Unfortunately, for reasons that will be discussed in a future review, I was left disappointed. Although it was very atmospheric and I enjoyed the main character, there were problems with bi-erasure amongst other things. However, if I could rate the book on cover alone it would be a full five stars.

Girl A

This is a memoir written by the victim who stopped the infamous Rochdale sex ring. Remaining anonymous, 'Hannah' tells the story of the abuse she, and other young girls, suffered at the hands of older men which for many years was ignored by social services and the police force. I decided to pick this up after watching the BBC drama, Three Girls and even after finishing it, I feel it is a book I can't rate. It's harrowing, it's difficult and it's a story that never should have to be told, especially by a young girl. 








So that is all my reads for the month of May. It was a mixed month but I read a lot more than I thought I did and I'm looking forward to June as I have a few books I'm so excited for. 
What did you guys read? What was your favourite?
Love Angharad @

A Jarful for Moonlight by Nazanin Mirsadeghi

Huge thanks to Bahar Books Publishing for this copy.

A Jarful of Moonlight is a collection of short love poems. For me, poetry books can be hit or miss but that is only because poetry is subjective, it either makes you feel something or it doesn't. However, I am always open-minded. The book is split into five parts with a small poem on each page but by the end, they come together to form a story of love, heartbreak and grief. 

For me, my end review is a bit of a mixed bag. Some poems resonated with me, some didn't and some reminded me of poems I've read before, either by other authors or on Tumblr. I don't know if Nazanin was heavily inspired by other works but I saw a lot of familiarity. I read the book in around ten minutes but it is easily a book you can pick up again or use to mark your favourite poems. I would recommend this collection if you're a fan of love poems in general or Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur and Salt by Nayyirah Waheed. 

Goodreads | Amazon

To conclude, I am assuming this is the author's first collection of poetry and because of this, I would give it around 3 stars! It is always hard to rate poetry as your experiences with it may be the complete opposite from somebody else's. However, for me, only one or two poems stuck out to me. It's clear that Nazanin is a gifted poet and her poems easily depict the feeling of love and self-discovery. I hope she continues to bare her soul to us through her poetry and I would definitely pick it up. 

Love,