Flowerheart | 
pickThis was a pretty little story, with just enough magic and mystery to give it depth. The representation was so naturally part of the story, it was top notch. I thought it very interesting to approach depression and other mental illnesses from a magical perspective. The ending was…not entirely satisfying though, which moves this from a firm pick to a soft one. But a fun read overall.
so-soThis is a cute standalone story of a witch who has trouble controlling her powers. She accidentally causes poisonous flowers to grow from her father's chest, and she becomes an apprentice to a childhood friend to try and learn to gain control and cure her father.
There is not a lot of excitement in this book. It has magic, a little romance, and mystery in it.
I would recommend this to someone who wanted a slow-going, cozy read.
pickDon‘t know how to explain it, but it reads like a movie. Not much world-building but it was fine.
Not entirely satisfied with how it ended or how the conflicts were ‘resolved‘, though. It feels incomplete.
Regardless, I really enjoyed it. I love the LGBTQIA+ representation and how it tackles mental health [in fantasy/ a magical way].
pickStarted on audio ended up finishing it in print - aside from the characters being too young for how much adult responsibility they had (would have made more sense if they were at least 18 rather than 15/16) I really enjoyed this - Clara‘s magic often manifesting in flowers & how flower meanings were woven in were big pluses. This very much reminds me of the fantasy books I loved as a teen. Refreshing to get a stand-alone book too.
Me and the audiobook that I started because the other one I was listening to was getting a little bit creepy… so far - she‘s agreed to give A MAN her magic if he can heal her father and if that doesn‘t make you want to reach into a fictional world to shake a character and yell GIRL NO then I don‘t know what to tell you.
(Is the secret going to be that he‘s working for her “evil” mum?)
Amazon keeps saying PSSTTT - you‘d like this book - on their daily deal emails - to the point where it didn‘t actually occur to me that it could be a book that was also traditionally published that I could come across in a bookshop (especially in a bookshop that I think has a pretty uninspiring selection, generally… I was just in there trying to psych myself up to get my eyebrows waxed)
so-soThis is a sweet story and, for the most part, I enjoyed it. The imagery was really pretty and I loved the two main characters. For me, the pacing was really off, though, and I would have loved a little more worldbuilding!
My first book complete for #14books14weeks
@TheHeartlandBookFairy 🥳
Sigh. Made an online appointment for an oil change. Showed up and found out that their online appointment system doesn‘t actually work and that there was no record of my booking. So my half hour oil change has turned into an hour and a half because of the amount of people here 😪 At least I brought a book. Though at the rate I‘m getting through this I should have brought two!
All of my current library books 😊📚 With the reading slump I had, I fell behind on readalongs. I'm just about finished with Wilding and can't wait to read the tagged!!
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pickThis book is a feel-good, cozy read focusing on the "magic" that lives within us, purely our emotions. Catherine Bakewell took what so many are struggling with, depression, anxiety, and self-doubt and turned those negative emotions around. In this book, she tells a story of transformation through self-love and courage. I love it when I pick a book up, not knowing it's what I needed in that moment of my life.
