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📘 Monuments 🖋️ Will Kostakis ➡️ Synopsis 🧡💚💜1/2 I found this novel to be a strange but intriguing premise. I mean it is set in Australia and when I look at the cover, it has somewhat Greek overtone (the statues and Greek pillars etc). I guess it was just a bit jarring however I note author's Greek descents and his tendency to write in with his culture background. As I have seen him at events and have also followed him on social media, I feel strongly that he was writing himself into this story. That this is one of those "book-I-wished-I-had-when-I-was-a-teen" for him; the protagonist called himself "super gay" and another character also regrets that he didn't come out earlier. An easily likeable protagonist despite the slightly sad start for him but it is a novel full of adventure and growth. The prose is very lighthearted and quite humourous at parts however I'm just not a fan. It made an easy and fast read but it just didn't really "call" to me. I did like the plot & twists at the end though as with time travel in play, things get a little mind bending. PS: I wanted to say thanks for the buddy read @Seventyeight.Sundays but you haven't even finished reading!! Hurry it up, yo 😅😆😜 🏷 #monuments #willkostakis #ya #youngadult #fantasy #humour #booksandbreakfast #booksandfood #booksandtea #aussieauthor #lgbtqia #dymocksreadingchallenge #bookstalife #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #ausbookstagrammer #booklover #booksta #igreads #lovetoread #eclecticreader #bookishfeatures #aussiebookstagrammers #readersofinstagram #bookreview #bookphoto #bookish #booklife #booksofinstagram #eclecticreader https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp3fWI3yzcy/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

📙 The Matchmaker 🖋️ Saman Shad ➡️ Synopsis 💗💗💗💗💗 A wonderful heartwarming love story set in my own backyard! I love this to bits from the very easy read, all the recognisable settings, to the guaranteed HEA. There were many things that are discussions-worthy too, especially as this story is totally immersed in culture. I don't read very many romcoms but I found this very enjoyable and actually unputdownable. I enjoyed that characters are of mature age (in their 30s) who have their own issues but had real good friends who helped them AND even seek professional help! They seem like sensible people most of the time but we all have our ups and downs so they also have their silly moments. Yet, these flaws are what made them and their love story even more vibrantly alive. A fabulous debut and I'm looking forward to her next book. There are 2 things I'm wishing for at the end of this book (from the author): 1. A playlist 2. 'The Matchmaker - Gastronomical Tour' - I'm totally IN for this!!!! My thanks to @penguinbooksaus for gifting me a copy of this book. Thoughts are mine own. 🏷 #thematchmaker #samanshad #romance #romcom #contemporary #chicklit #booksandflowers #flowersandbooks #booksandwine #aussieauthor #australianwomenwriters #pocauthor #poc #bookstalife #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #ausbookstagrammer #booklover #booksta #igreads #lovetoread #eclecticreader #bookishfeatures #aussiebookstagrammers #readersofinstagram #bookreview #bookphoto #bookish #booklife #booksofinstagram #eclecticreader https://www.instagram.com/p/CpOYez4Shuz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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📓 Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution 🖋️ R.F. Kuang 🎓🎓🎓🎓✒️ "Professor Lovell liked plain scones the least, though, so sultana scones were the staple of their afternoon teas ... [Robin] knew he didn't like sultanas in his scones; when Professor Lovell wasn't looking, he picked out his sultanas, slathered the denuded scone in clotted cream, and popped it in his mouth." Ok so the above quote doesn't really have anything to do with the plot in the book but seriously, all the mention of scones made me crave for some so what does one do but bake some! I'd suggest some fresh scones ready for reading the first part of the book but after that, I really needed wine. A. Lot. of. Wine. Honestly, I was wary of this book after The Poppy War trilogy. I mean that trilogy was violently brutal! And seriously, R.F. Kuang does not hold back her punches. Babel is excruciatingly brutal. I find that with The Poppy War trilogy, there is that veil of fantasy but in Babel, while there is still that fantasy veil, it is ever so sheer. Babel is a very dense reading. The amount of research must have been astounding. There was so much in this book from general history to linguistic ones. As the author has noted, however, certain things were fudged a little bit to fit because, after all, this is a work of fiction. I can't tell you what's been fudged but I'm still so very impressed with the meticulous details presented in this novel. The read will take a lot of focus and time but hoowee, it's absolutely worth IT! "'...And we're asking you now to finally, please, hear what we're trying to tell you. Please believe us.'" 🏷 #babel #rfkuang #speculativefiction #sff #booksandteas #bookandtea #sconesandteas #fantasy #bookstalife #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #ausbookstagrammer #booklover #booksta #igreads #lovetoread #eclecticreader #bookishfeatures #aussiebookstagrammers #readersofinstagram #bookreview #fantasybooks #bookphoto #bookish #booklife #booksofinstagram #eclecticreader https://www.instagram.com/p/CnOWsDLLzan/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

📘 Shadow Rose 📚 Daughters of Moon and Sun 🖋️ Elsie Quail ➡️ Synopsis 🌞🌞🌞🌙 Firstly, I fell completely in love with this cover. It is just absolutely gorgeous! The premise of the story was also rather compelling and I do love a well-spun fantasy world. The world setting itself is really quite wonderful, especially the contrast between the human world vs. the Afterlife. The details of magic and different creatures to the compellingly dark dungeons where the Lady of Darkness was being kept prisoner kept me riveted. I also love a good quest for which these 3 friends set off to right a wrong. Unfortunately, I wasn't too keen on these characters. Maybe, it was my expectations... I somehow wanted Maeva to be just like Mia from The Nevernight Chronicles. Okay, not exactly but bad ass because, at the start of the book, that's what she kind of sounds like. However, she wasn't, exactly... She and her friends cried quite a lot in the book. I don't know why I mind so much when my tears are pretty much on tap but it bothered me. Her interaction with her bff & love interest was also really awkward which is in one way understandable BUT I kind of found the first time they actually got it together so very truly awkward or just really weird (in terms of setting than sexual content). But then again, it could just be me. This book is obviously not for children and these characters are also not children but yet, they also stamped their feet a number of times! I honestly can't remember the last time I stamped my feet because I'm upset, can you? Overall, lovely setting, really promising story arc but I was just unable to empathise with these characters. Thanks to the author for gifting me with an eARC copy of the book. All thoughts are my own. ⚠️ implied rape, implied domestic violence, death of a child. 🏷 #ShadowRose #ElsieQuail #DaughtersOfMoonAndSun #fantasy #lgbtqia #ff #indieauthor #independentauthor #bookstalife #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #ausbookstagrammer #booklover #booksta #igreads #lovetoread #eclecticreader #bookishfeatures #aussiebookstagrammers #readersofinstagram #bookreview #fantasybooks #bookphoto #bookish #booklife #booksofinstagram #eclecticreader https://www.instagram.com/p/CmKXXXmyPkO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

➡️ Come unbox December Classic Parcel with me 😁 ➡️ Swipe through 🤗 ➡️ 2023 calendar + sticky notes (I can see that I'm gonna need lots of these for this book!) ➡️ Christmas tea sampler + a mysterious leetle parcel ➡️ A wrapped Book + related (quote) bookmark ➡️ all unwrapped: Mother Tounge by Bill Bryson plus a very cutesy Christmas bauble which I've immediately placed on our tree 😍 I've been loving all parcels and the announced January theme is a terrific one to start the year with (I've read that one so...). Subscribe for yourself or your loved ones (great Christmas present!) using my rep code TIEN10 #NovelTeaBookclub #bookstalife #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #ausbookstagrammer #booklover #booksta #igreads #lovetoread #eclecticreader #bookishfeatures #aussiebookstagrammers #readersofinstagram #classicbookbox #classicbook #popularpenguins #penguinpopularclassics #classicbooks #ireadclassics #classiclover #MotherTongue #BillBryson #nonfiction https://www.instagram.com/p/Clx7l7MrdTo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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