Month: September 2019

Reviews

The Flatshare Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Flatshare Review

41436031._SY475_Tiffany has just recently been dumped by her boyfriend and is in dire need for a place to stay. Funds are short and in a moment of desperation she decided to accept a flatshare with a man she has never met before. From the times of 9am – 6pm Leon has the flat and the rest of the time it’s all hers.

I thought this was such a unique concept! Sharing your life and bed with someone you have never met at different times of the day. I enjoyed all the rules that Tiffany had to comply with and the fact that Leon’s girlfriend was adamant that he was not to meet Tiffany. Gradually coexisting quite well together and getting to know each other through the notes was incredibly cute and highly engaging for me.

I originally thought it was going to this fluffy little contemporary romance that would be a nice palate cleanser for me but the book actually went in an explored some deeper tones that I was not expecting. Case in point was the whole evolution of Tiffy realizing that her ex-boyfriend wasn’t who she thought he was and the way he was manipulating and gas-lighting her throughout the course of their relationship. There was times when I would get so frustrated with how much she would be swayed by him but then just thinking of how for two years she has been second guessing herself and being manipulated by this sociopath who wants to own her basically. I thought she clawed her way out of his clutches so well and I was so glad that she decided to get help and figure out what was happening.

I like the way Leon’s perspective was formatted throughout the book. It really went a ways in demonstrating how little he actually talks and the weight of his thoughts and how he expressed himself. We really see him come out of his shell in the book and get a look into his mind and how he manages to process everything that is changing around him. Leaving his girlfriend after realizing he wasn’t in love with her and developing feelings for Tiffy before he even really met her and dealing with all of the drama with his brother and understanding how much it means to him that people think he’s innocent.

I love that Tiffy and Leon are such contrasting characters that somehow mesh so well together. It was a little insta-lovey I will admit but there was so much back and forth between them that it seemed inevitable really.

It was never easy for Tiffy and Leon at any stage of the book which made me appreciate the ending so much more. It did tie together a little conveniently but at that point I was beyond caring and just was so invested in these characters and the story that I loved every minute of it!

⭐️4.5/5 stars almost perfect!

Reviews

The Poet X Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Poet X Review

y648This was wonderful!

The Poet X follows the story of Xiomara (X) who has had her guard up her entire life. Ever since she developed curves living in her Harlem neighborhood she has had to literally use her fists and fight for her right to be heard.

I loved the concept of this book and the way it was formatted. I think this was the first time that I read a book that was written entirely in verse and even though there wasn’t as many words on the page I feel that I got more of a grasp of the story and X’s feelings through the way she expressed herself in her poems. It really painted a picture in my mind of what X had to deal with on a daily basis and how through her passion for writing and poems she was finally able to find her voice.

X is such a relatable character. I can see so many young girls picking this book up and seeing themselves reflected in the words being written. There is a real feeling of isolation for many young girls out there that X evoked so well throughout the course of the book. It honestly brought me back to my own teenage years and had me reflecting on how I felt at that time of my life.

Even though it was a relatively short book there was a lot of growth shown in all of the characters. At the start X seems really angry with the world and almost resents being a girl and is jealous of her brother even though she is the strong one who always fights for him. She subtly softens throughout the course of the plot line and even though she has to endure so much through her mother and her religious beliefs she really comes out of the other side stronger and more at peace with herself.

It was really fascinating to see the way that something as innocent as writing down your innermost feelings in poems and kissing a boy on the subway could be construed as such a shameful act that literally brought Xiomara’s whole world down around her. I would have liked to see her brother stand up for her a little more seeing as how she was his protector for so many years, especially since her mother loves him so much. But I can understand why, he also had this whole other life that he was trying to protect for himself and he didn’t want to have that exposed like how X’s was. I just felt like she took most of the brunt of her mother’s wrath and he could of lessened it a lot more had he said something.

I adored this book, I loved the diversity of the characters, the setting, the concept, it all really come together beautifully into what I think is a compulsory read for everyone!

⭐️5/5 A MUST Read!!!

Updates

🎓 Hogwarts Graduation 🎓

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on 🎓 Hogwarts Graduation 🎓

I am now eligible to become a Charms Teacher!! As you can see from my N.E.W.T.S Wrap Up I managed to complete all of the exams and have officially graduated from Hogwarts! I had sooooo much fun with this read-a-thon and credit to Book Roast for coming up with the concept and putting in so much effort! She has done a great job and I will be 100% participating in future read-a-thons to come!

Hogwarts teacher diploma

Top Ten Tuesdays

Books I Enjoyed Outside my Comfort Zone

by amyleighreads10 Comments on Books I Enjoyed Outside my Comfort Zone

So I typically only read fantasy but since starting my blog I have really started to expand my reading tastes and dip my toes in other genres. As this week’s Top Ten Tuesday is books I enjoyed outside of my comfort zone I went through and picked 5 books that sparked my love of these other genres.

1 copyThe Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware – I had wanted to pick up mystery/thrillers for the longest time and I came across The Death of Mrs Westaway in a book store and I remembered it had some good reviews so I picked it up and LOVED it!

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2 copySawkill Girls by Claire Legrand – this was my first real foray into more dark/horror fantasy and I really enjoyed it! This book was super eerie and strange and it captured me right from the start.

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3 copyThe Hating Game by Sally Thorne – This book propelled me back into the world of adult romance/smut. I am a sucker for the hate to love trope and this book executed it perfectly.

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4 copyReady Player One by Ernest Cline – Sci-fi isn’t my thing at all and Ready Player One has really been the only book in the sci-fi genre I have been able to stomach so far. I recently read The Long Way to A Small Angry Planet not too long ago and didn’t really enjoy it all that much but I am still open to picking up more books from this genre and exploring what else it has to offer!

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5 copyEliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia – this was my real first kind of hard hitting young adult contemporary book with mental health representation included. Up until I picked Eliza and Her Monsters up I was just reading a lot of fluffy YA books with no real substance.

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