⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Brené Brown interviewed Abby on one of her podcasts, & they had a great discussion about Wolfpack. I felt everything covered in the episode is covered in the book, however, I enjoyed reading it just as much. If you prefer audio, I recommend the podcast episode.

The rules Abby has destroyed (& then rebuilt) are useful life skills & ideas to live by. I really appreciated how open & honest she was throughout the book.

💚💚💚
This was a simple, enjoyable, & quite predictable chick-lit read. I wanted something light to kickstart 2021 while on holiday, & this ticked the box.

Most of the characters lacked redeeming qualities, except Jack, however, my expectations were low on this one. Funnily enough, I found the characters far more enjoyable in the TV series, & I preferred the direction the story line headed in.

💚💚💚💚💚

What a great book! Easy to read & set out in a way that it will be easy to relocate pieces of info!

I picked this up as research for a job interview as a children‘s officer in a library. While I found the early years information more of a reminder than new knowledge, the sections on readers 4-8, 8-12, & 13+ were helpful & insightful!

I will definitely purchase a copy for future reference as it has TONS of book recommendations! 😍

So, these were my #aprilreads As you can see I am a tad behind. 😳 Life is just busy ALL. THE. TIME. I can‘t lock down time to read.

Tagged book was my favourite, but Virgil Wander & In An Absent Dream were close seconds.

It was a fairly good month, but one of the slower months so far in 2019. Actually, May has been even slower. I‘ll post about that in July. 😂

1. Captain Marvel Vol 2: Stay Fly, Angels & Demons, In Cold Blood, & I‘m trying REALLY HARD with Wuthering Heights, but I‘m about to give up on that. 😳

2. Ayiti by Roxanne Gay. I picked it up at the library on Friday. I‘m very excited to get started on it.

3. Game of Thrones. I‘ve been disappointed with the new season though. There‘s been some cool bits, but mostly I just cringe my way through each episode.

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

It was Election Day in Australia today. 🇦🇺 Everything went as predicted (at least by me!) & now I am replacing my disappointment with a hearty glass of port & a new book.

Shit happens & life goes on!

#saturdaynight

I found something warm & comforting about this book. It gave me the feeling I get when I catch up with a friend over coffee, & we talk for hours.

The story unravels slowly, so patience is needed. It‘s written beautifully & I came out the other end glad that I persisted.

I read this as a friend received it as a part of book delivery gift we gave her! It‘s not a book I‘d normally choose, which makes me even happier that I gave it a chance.

Each book in this series has been so different & I love it! I felt really sorry for Lundy & could appreciate why she made the choices she did. I did feel the story was a little rushed in places, but I‘ve had this issue with every book. I guess it‘s expected when you read a novella & when you love a series so much & want to know every detail possible!

I wonder what we will learn about next in this series? 🤔

I have so much to catch up on in the way of reviews! Also, it‘s not Friday in 🇦🇺, but that never stops me!

1. Tagged book made me LOL for real a few times!
2. Watching my 2 yr old son drink & enjoy a “coffee” (don‘t worry, it was just a babycino) & taking family photos under a beautiful Autumn tree. 🍁🍂
3. Mexican food is pretty fab & always a part of our weekly menu. 🌮🌯
4. Yes, I have 20 in total!
5. 💚💚💚

#friyayintro @howjessreads

I have been waiting SO LONG for this graphic novel to come out! Lucy has been a favourite of mine for so long & she announced this book during my own pregnancy. 🤰🏻

I want to share this page as it mirrors my own thoughts & experience.

I‘m disappointed in myself for not giving this book enough of my attention. ☹️ I really struggled to keep up with the story. Because it was an ebook, I always read it in bed, before I fell asleep (my partner can‘t sleep with a lamp on). I find that I struggle immensely to focus on certain books at this point of the day.

No stars for this one because I think given the circumstances, I can‘t rate it properly, but for me this was a pan.

I loved this, even more than I loved the first book. The #audiobook 🎧 are read by the author & Don‘s lines are read perfectly! I laughed, I almost cried, but mostly I became FURIOUS during this book!

I found myself getting angry at the way Don was treated throughout the book, not just by strangers or that HORRIBLE psychologist, Lydia, but by his friends & family!

(More in the comments. 👇🏻 I have a lot to say about this book!)

1. Tagged book I started in early March because of #womenreadwomen2019 but I am yet to finish! 🤦🏻‍♀️ The discussion for it fell the same day as my son‘s 2nd b‘day. I had no time to participate. Other books I‘m reading are The Rosie Effect & Virgil Wander.
2. Swing Time by Zadie Smith. I had to look on Goodreads for this one as majority of books I read are on my Libby app, so I don‘t see the cover regularly.
3. GREEN, of course! 💚
#weekendreads

After seeing Captain Marvel at the cinemas a month ago, I was keen to get back into reading stories about her! I never read this run of Captain Marvel. I found the story predictable & a bit boring, unfortunately. What I did like about it was the way Captain Marvel found her feet as a leader on a ship, & not at the front, fighting! The relationship development between Marvel & Abigail was great & I loved the banter between the two.

This has been my least fav in the series so far. I still think it‘s worth a read because I think the whole series is fantastic! Each one has been so different. McGuire has a lot to say & I think the world needs to hear more voices like hers! Cora, one of the newbies to the story, was someone I could relate to in terms of how she deals with societies issues with her weight. It was also great to have Kade back! 😁

#audiobook 🎧

I went into this graphic novel knowing very little about it. I‘m a sucker for time travel, so I was sucked into this book quite quickly. The colours in the art were incredibly appealing to me as well. I loved Clowes interpretation of the future.

I hadn‘t touched a graphic novel IN OVER A YEAR so it was a real delight to get back into this style after a long break.

I‘ve been reading a lot of feminist literature lately. It‘s ignited something inside me. This book set that fire into a blaze! 🔥🔥🔥 Not only did I come out the other side enraged, but I gained a deeper understanding & appreciation for everything women living through the 1960‘s - 1970‘s have gone through.

I read so many gems during my #marchreads. It was difficult to tag a favourite. Other favs were Accidental Feminists, Patience & Say Hello!

7/8 were female writers. 1/8 went towards my #bucketlist 20 #readingchallenge. Falling very behind on that one! I also bailed on 1 book.

Pretty impressed with March considering it was my lead up month to Oxfam! 🙌🏻

Hello! Not really book related, but this has contributed to my lack of reading lately. I was so tired the weeks after completing this walk! On top of that, many of the books I‘m currently reading are just not doing it for me. 😕

Tagged Captain Marvel: Rise of Alpha Flight, because it‘s the one read I‘m loving. ❤️💛💙

It‘s currently Sat in 🇦🇺 atm, but whatever!

1. Pushing through this because a friend received it as part of a gift we bought her. 😕
2. Cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, doing some paperwork & lesson planning (#teacherlife), finishing The Umbrella Academy & HOPEFULLY, reading! 🤣 I will also celebrate Easter with family on Sunday.
3. Yes! I cooked up a heap last week for snacks & meals. 🥚
4. 🤔 I like the name Audrey?
5. 👍🏻
#friyayintro

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I‘m pulling my phone out every five minutes to take snap shots of truth bombs.

#feminism #australianauthors #femaleauthor

This book started off promising, but after awhile I lost interest & had to push my way through. There seemed to be a lot of hype around this book. I‘m not entirely sure why. I feel as though this story has been done before? There were some great quotes though!

#audiobook 🎧

I‘m not really sure why I picked this in the first place. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I‘ve heard lots of great things about Zoe. I‘ve read some of her writing before & found it amusing. This book was a miss for me, BUT, I think if I were going through a break up or struggling with being single, it might help. None of it seemed new to me. Some of my views aligned with Zoe‘s, but there were a few things I didn‘t agree with at all.

A quick & easy #audiobook. 🎧 Jack was my favourite character in the first book, so I was pretty wrapped that she was one of the main characters this time around. I LOVED how McGuire touched on childhood & how a child‘s mind & views can be shaped. My only issues are that book feels a little short. It seems to move quite quickly. I also had an issue with the voice used in the audio book, but I‘ll talk about that in the comments. 👇🏻

Another great read! 👏🏻 I appreciated the honesty in Carly‘s book. I loved that she made me uncomfortable, as odd as that sounds. She writes in such an engaging & entertaining way, that when she tells it like it is & points out the privileges that non-disabled people have, you bloody well listen! Carly provides ideas & advice on how to be an ally to the disabled & visible differences community, along with ways to make some real changes. 💪🏻

WOW! 👏🏻I don‘t know why I waited SO LONG to read this. I knew I‘d love it, but I guess a part of me wanted to save it for later.

This ticked a lot of boxes for me:
✅ Female protagonist
✅ Exciting & adventurous
✅ Interesting themes
✅ Mentions of beautiful & outgoing costumes

Busting to read the rest! This was book 2 out of 20 for the #bucketlist20 I haven‘t been disappointed by this list so far!

#readingchallenge #jamesmustich

Another bail for me! I‘m having no luck with short stories this year. 😕 This is a shame because I‘m a lover of short stories.

Roxanne Gay summed up this story perfectly on a Goodreads review. To quote, the stories are “aggressively bland”. 👎🏻

I‘m bored with this book & I‘ve been AVOIDING IT, which is a sure sign that I need to drop it. Sorry, Tom Hanks!

My #februaryreads. 5/6 were written by females which I‘m pleased with. Most were pretty good! Tagged book has left the biggest impact. I also bailed on my first book for 2019!

I‘m currently reading three more books which I should be finished with soon. I read a bit slower this month but I‘m still proud of my efforts! 😊 After this month I‘ll have more time on the weekend to read.

1. I go at least once a week to take my toddler to story time. He has developed a love of books so afterwards we spend time browsing & borrowing together. 🥰

2. Currently 15. 3 are the toddler‘s!

3. Print & picture books, graphic novels, e-books & audiobooks.

4. Not yet! It will happen though. 🤫 All my holds came in at once! 😩

5. 3, down from 10!

6. Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley.

Thanks @monalyisha ! This was fun!

I‘m learning SO MUCH from this book! What a gift & what an excellent read so far.

#memoir #disability #appearancediversity #ichthyosis

I finished this days ago but I haven‘t been able to stop thinking about it. 💔 It was beautifully written. Historical fiction isn‘t always my cup of tea, but I enjoyed this. I knew nothing about Wilhelm Gustloff & now I want to know more because of this book.

I listened to the #audiobook version & I loved that each character was voiced by someone different.

The ONLY thing I didn‘t like was part of the ending. Otherwise, 4/5 for me.

After reading You last month, I was keen to read Hidden Bodies to see what Kepnes had in store for Joe! Unfortunately, I was left a little disappointed. It‘s entertaining, but it also goes overboard in terms of story & character. I thought we‘d learn more about Joe & why he is the way he is, but nothing new comes up. It felt a little repetitive at times. It hasn‘t ruined You for me, but I think this sequel was unnecessary. 😕

This lived up to my expectations! 😁 I personally enjoyed it even more than Fight Like A Girl. A lot of the information & views weren‘t new to me, but Ford has a response & explanation for EVERYTHING, so I found this side of the book really useful. I took my sweet time reading it because I wanted time to reflect on each chapter & then talk about it with my partner. It‘s another book that I think EVERYONE should read. 💚💚💚

#feminism

I picked up a reservation & library card at a local library tonight. I now own a total of three library cards, for three different libraries.🙊

I didn‘t want to leave the library. It was quite big & it looked well stocked! Libraries will forever be my safe haven & favourite place to calm down & relax. 🙌🏻📚

Booked tagged is my current audiobook. I picked it randomly then realised it was on my ‘to read‘ list on Goodreads!

#library #audiobook

It‘s now Sunday in 🇦🇺 but whatever!
1. Hot coffee. ☕️ Not really a food. I avoid eating while reading in case I make a mess!
2. Ran some training at my work on supporting behaviours in childcare. Walked 30km in the dark as part of my training for Oxfam. Today will be meal prep & going to the beach with my family. ☀️🌊
3. The more I think about it the more I 💚 this book!
4. I can deadlift 80kg for 1 rep?
5. 🖐🏻
#friyayintro @howjessreads

Argh! My first bailed book for 2019. 😩 I got through a third of this audiobook & found it incredibly boring. I don‘t think the narrator helped either. I picked it because I wanted something to listen to & I thought All The Light We Cannot See was OKAY.

I don‘t think the book is entirely to blame. I‘ve been too busy to read this week, so I‘m quite behind on my goals. Any free time I‘ve had I‘ve been too tired to read! 😴

1/20 for the #bucketlist20 #readingchallenge

Wow! What a great start to the challenge! What I loved about this book was that even though it was published in 1953, you couldn‘t tell. It could have easily been written this year! It‘s well known that this book is about censorship, but what I think it really focuses on is books. Books are important! Books make the world go round!

Which Bradbury book should I read next?

THIS!

Clementine Ford, dropping almighty truth bombs. 💔

1. Hufflepuff, apparently. 🙄
2. Aspen wood with unicorn hair core, 12 1/4” and reasonably supple flexibility. Nice! 🙌🏻
3. Tortoiseshell cat. Where‘s my owl at!? 🦉
4. Pukwudgie. Interesting... 💚

Aside from the wand, none of this sounds like me imo. 😂 Still fun though. Thanks for tagging me @Sarz ! I hadn‘t done my wand or Ilvermony house yet.

#HPthings2know

1. The colour of the cover of Boys Will Be Boys is DIVINE! 😍💚
2. Neither! Paul & I have never really celebrated Valentine‘s Day.
3. Certain shades of blue, but only because they don‘t suit me. I love colour. 💛🧡❤️💜💙💚
4. I‘m not sure. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I know my mum like the name Declan, so maybe that? I‘ll ask next time I see my folks.
5. Okey dokey!

#friyayintro @howjessreads

“I watched white people reflect on the dynamics of their own lives, and start to consider how race had shaped it.”

Every white person needs to read this. Once read, they need to do something about making a change. 👍🏻

I appreciated the honesty in Reni‘s book & while I felt a range of emotions from sadness to guilt, from rage to hope, I agree that dwelling on these emotions isn‘t going to help anyone.

This quote. 🙌🏻

Bradbury is filling me with so many thoughts & feelings! Why have I not read this book sooner!? So many excellent quotes!

#audiobook #raybradbury #quote

I picked this audio book with no prior knowledge of what it was about. The blurb sounded interesting & it‘s a fairly short read, so I gave it a go. I thought it was fantastic! A really great blend of horror, sci-fi & fantasy, plus I‘m a sucker for stories about young adults struggling to find their place in the world. Jac was my fav character by far but I found myself intrigued by most of the characters! I can‘t wait to read more in this series!

It‘s no longer Friday in 🇦🇺 but whatever.

1. V C Andrews is amazing! Ruby was my favourite series.
2. Bit of both. 👍🏻 Best way to go.
3. Lynette & Ian. Carmel & Jungle (James).
4. The list is VERY long. The Goonies, Grease, Beauty & The Beast are just a few...
5. Melbourne, Australia. Basically home, but I love it so much. 💚

@howjessreads #friyayintro

So this should be fun! I‘m doing this to push myself out of my comfort zone & to also read some books that I‘ve always wanted to read. The chance of winning a Kobo ebook reader is a bonus.

I‘m kicking off with Fahrenheit 451 because I feel like its been popping up EVERYWHERE! So far, so good!

#jamesmustich #readingchallenge #bucketlist20

This has been on my to read list for a long time! I‘ve never read an Orwell book & it‘s one of my dad‘s favourite stories. He got me to watch the film forever ago, so I knew the story already. I still think that this book is clever in the way it uses animals to tell the tale. I find myself getting so angry on behalf of the animals, because of the way they‘re treated in the end. Simon Callow is perfect for the audio. 👌🏻 So talented.

#audiobook

Gah! I was so close reading 10 books in January! I have two books that I‘ve almost finished, but my eyes wouldn‘t stay open long enough to finish them last night. Oh well, this just inspires me to read more in February! 💪🏻📚

Book tagged is one I‘m currently reading & almost finished with!

#januaryreads #januarystats #januaryrecap

1. Animal Farm by George Orwell, Why I‘m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge, & Boys Will Be Boys by Clementine Ford.
2. 🦁 Gryffindor, but deep down I think I could easily be a Slytherin as well!🐍
3. You. It‘s not as good as the book but I‘m still enjoying it.

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

ANOTHER AMAZING AUDIOBOOK FOR 2019! I haven‘t shut up about this book all week. 🤭 I don‘t want to say too much because I went into this book absolutely BLIND & I think it contributed to the experience. It was so creepy, but I couldn‘t stop listening & I found myself intrigued by each of the messed up characters. I shook my head & pulled faces the whole time. I have SO MANY thoughts about this book!

#audiobook #audible

I haven‘t been able to shut up about this book! 🤭 I‘m only halfway through because it‘s far too inappropriate to listen to in the car. I‘m worried my toddler will pick up bad words. 😱

One of my friends told me to watch the series on Netflix, but I was determined to read the book first. I thought I‘d give Audible a try. I knew NOTHING about this book before reading it. It‘s creepy, but intriguing. I have SO many thoughts. 🤔

#audiobook #audible