📚Book Review📚

📖 BL Metamorphosis, Vol. 1 by Kaori Tsurutani

A bit slow moving, but still a lovely story about two lonely people at different stages of life who are drawn together by a mutual interest in BL stories. My Nan introduced me to romance stories, so I really like the portrayal of the age gap between the protagonists and the ways in which they are able to relate to one another while still feeling a bit awkward about how to approach such a friendship. I hope to continue this series as soon as I’m able to find a copy of the second volume for a reasonable price.

📖 SOTUS, Vol. 1 by BitterSweet and Kei Shichiri

The live action adaptation of SOTUS was, I'm fairly certain, the first Thai BL series that I ever watched - so it holds a fair amount of nostalgia for me. Classic university setting with engineering students. I was really happy to be able to get my hands on a manga version (based on the original novel by BitterSweet). I'm looking forward to reading the next volume (as soon as my book budget allows).

#reading #bookishcommunity #bookishcommunityuk #bookreview #readingbuddy

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Reading buddy badges - great for Primary schools, libraries and book events 📚 https://www.koolbadges.co.uk/reading-buddy-badge-p-11598.html #readingbuddy #reading #badges #readingbadges #readingchampion #readingambassador #koolbadges #bookish #bookbadges

📚July 2025 recap📚

I read a total of five books in July, two of which were manga volumes, one translated work, one ebook, and one library loan.

💛💛💛💛🖤- Elizabeth and her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim
💛💛💛💛💛- The Moon on a Rainy Night, Volume 1 by Kuzushiro
💛💛💛🖤🖤- Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
💛💛💛🖤🖤- Nana, Volume 1 by Ai Yazawa
💛💛💛💛🖤- The Sirens by Emilia Hart

In addition, I read the short stories ‘Home’ and ‘The Flowering’ by Soyeon Jeong, and the novelette ‘Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy’ by Martha Wells.

Husband and I finished the first season of ‘Murderbot’ and started watching the new seasons of ‘Foundation’ and ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’. I binge-watched ‘Too Much’, and two Japanese BL series: ‘When It Rains, It Pours’, and ‘Love is a Poison’.

Family finished watching the currently available episodes of ‘The Apothecary Diaries’, and rewatched ‘Murderbot’ with our Teen, as well as ‘Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai’ (which I personally refer to as ‘Adolescence Syndrome’, that being the central concept). We also started watching the current seasons of ‘Sakamoto Days’ and ‘Kaiju No. 8’.

Twiglet has been very adorable and spent a lot of time snuggling with me in the mornings since I don’t have to get up so early and can do a bit of bed rotting.

#reading #manga #bookishcommunity #bookishcommunityuk #readingbuddy

📚Book Review📚

‘Cat + Gamer, Volume 1’ by Wataru Nadatani

I bought this manga volume because it was featured in a BookTube video by ‘Gavin Reads It All’ and I have a particular soft spot for black and white cats. This is such a gentle and wholesome story of an inexperienced cat butler learning the ropes whilst trying to balance her new duties with work and her existing gaming hobby. There are snippets from the cat’s point of view as well (adorable). Has a similar vibe to ‘My Roommate is a Cat’ (which I haven’t read but loved the anime adaptation of). Will definitely be continuing this series.

#bookreview #reading #readingbuddy #catsandbooks #booksandcats #bookishcommunity #bookishcommunityuk

📚Book Review📚
In the spirit of continuing to try to make better use of the library system and to cross books off my long-term TBR, I saw that a book I’ve been wanting to read for about five years was available digitally and decided to make it my first book review for June: ‘Semiosis’ by Sue Burke (published in 2018).

This one is about colonists starting a new life on a planet they call Pax, and explores the challenges that the colony faces as well as the alliances they form with indigenous species.

If anyone hasn’t picked up this one yet, the vibe is somewhat similar to the more recently published ‘Alien Clay’ by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I enjoyed both stories, and found them interesting but not particularly inspiring if that makes sense.

I know that not every story can be, or even needs to be, something that blows your mind - and ‘Semiosis’ is definitely much better than a lot of stories - but it lacked a truly alien feel to any aspect of what could have been a fascinating exploration of a vast intellect spanning generations. The book moves along and deals with issues that face the colonists through the lens of a character from each generation. In some ways it felt kind of like Asimov’s Foundation series but with Hari as a plant system.

This is the first book in a trilogy, and I would recommend giving this one a read if you like stories where humans have to try to survive on a planet where we are the aliens - just don’t expect anything too deep.

Q. Have you read any of the books in this series? Can you recommend anything similar?

#bookreview #reading #scifibooks #aliencontact #bookishcommunity #bookishcommunityuk #readingbuddy #catsandbooks #booksandcats

I’ve been trying to read more poetry this year, so I’ve continued this trend by reading the newly reissued ‘Dream Work’ by Mary Oliver. Cover photo by Vicki Jauron.

Dogfish, Wild Geese, The River, and Starfish are definite favourites, but the haunting end to The Journey really hit me:

‘But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice,
which you slowly
recognised as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do -
determined to save
the only life you could save.’

#reading #poetrycollection #bookishcommunity #bookishcommunityuk #readingbuddy #caturday #catsandbooks #booksandcats

I’m starting off the month with another much-anticipated sequel. ‘The Tainted Cup’ made my top five for 2024, so I’m very glad to report that I was not disappointed in this second installment.

‘A Drop of Corruption’ by Robert Jackson Bennett.

Cover art by Tom Roberts.

Book two in the Shadow of the Leviathan series sees the eccentric detective Ana Dolabra match wits with a formidable adversary. Ana and Din are again called to investigate an unusual murder, this time in a case that spirals into a conspiracy decades in the making, and one that will push Ana’s abilities to new limits in her quest to solve the mystery before time runs out.

This story was exactly what I wanted it to be, and I’m very happy to have spent the past few days revisiting this world and solving another mystery with Ana and Din. I’m very satisfied, and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

The weather is unpleasantly sticky at the moment, which made the descriptions of Yarrow feel that much more visceral.

#reading #fantasybooks #murdermystery #bookishcommunity #bookishcommunityuk #readingbuddy #caturday #catsandbooks #booksandcats

📚January 2025 recap📚

I read eight books in January: one cyberpunk eARC, three science fiction novels, one poetry collection, one fantasy debut from last year, one science-fiction novella, and one ebook of a problematic classic.

💛💛💛🖤🖤 Nytho - Sheri Singerling
💛💛💛💛💛 Network Effect - Martha Wells
💛💛💛💛💛 System Collapse - Martha Wells
💛💛💛💛🖤 The Stardust Grail - Yume Kitasei
💛💛💛💛🖤 Blue Horses - Mary Oliver
💛💛💛💛🖤 So Let Them Burn - Kamilah Cole
💛💛💛💛💛 The Cybernetic Tea Shop - Meredith Katz
💛💛🖤🖤🖤 Breakfast at Tiffany’s - Truman Capote

I also read the short story ‘Counting Casualties’ by Yoon Ha Lee.

My husband and I finished watching the first season of ‘Only Murders in the Building’. We got caught up with the latest ‘Doctor Who,’ started watching season two of ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ and also started the first season of ‘Sakamoto Days’ as a family, and I watched season two of ‘The Rig’.

#bookreview #scifibooks #fantasybooks #poetrycollections #catsandbooks #booksandcats #readingbuddy #bookishcommunity #bookishcommunityuk

I don't wanna talk about how many treats we went through to get this pic...
But she's just a cute little girl who loves treats and cuddles from mom
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