Enjoyed reading about Coraline's adventures? Here are 12 quotes that will take you right back into the thrill of it all. Coraline is an 11-year-old explorer. The Joneses have just moved into a new home and Coraline is determined to scout every nook and cranny in her neighbourhood. However, the weather's been wet and dreary and Coraline has no choice but to stay home. She explores her new home instead, counting the windows and all things blue, when she discovers a tiny door. What Coraline finds behind the door is a bricked-up wall but she's soon going to discover new mysteries that lay behind it. I loved Coraline, the book, and Coraline, the film, so I had to combine them and present to you these 12 quotes from the book with scenes from the film. What are your favourite quotes from Coraline?

Call Me By Your Name is not the romantic story about two boys in Italy. The problems in this book lies deeper than what that peach could hold. Fair warning that this review includes spoilers to the book because I really needed to rant about it and get it out of my system. About Call Me By Your Name 17-year-old Elio spends his summer on the Italian riviera with his family For six weeks, he is joined by his father's house guest, Oliver. In exchange for the help offered by Oliver, Oliver, the American academic graduate, gets to do whatever he pleases while at Elio's residence. What starts off as an innocent boy's ostentatious actions to charm Oliver slowly develop into a summer fling. From the morning swims in 'heaven' to their sultry evening in Rome, the experiences gone through by both Elio and Oliver cause repercussions that would affect them for the rest of their lives. Call Me By Your Name Review We have a few things to discuss but let's first talk about the writing. I'm a bit on the fence about André Aciman's writing. It is wonderful but can be very pretentious at times. The obscure literary references made no sense at all and Elio's melodramatic teenage angst was cringey, to say the least. The wordy sentences were a mouthful to read and listen to. This is especially so for Armie Hammer, who is the narrator of the audiobook and plays Oliver in the live-action movie of the same name. The descriptions were way too long and it was awfully draggy. It's meant to entice the reader and bring them into Aciman's version of Italy but all it does it bring me to boredom. Besides the writing, I also found the characters to be dull. For one, Elio is the most unrealistic teenager ever. At the ripe age of 17, he can speak so many languages fluently—English, Italian and German, to name a few—and he can translate the most difficult sheet music as if it was second nature. He also magically has the wisdom of an 80-year-old, not sure how that's supposed to work. Elio was also an undeveloped character. We know nothing of his life pre-Oliver and his thoughts only revolved around that basic white man. I don't know if that was supposed to be some hint to Elio and Oliver's unhealthy dynamic in their relationship but it felt shallow, even for a hormones-raging teenager. Then we have Oliver, this 24-year-old is writing some kind of book throughout his stay in Italy. He works on his manuscripts during the day and then sends them off to his Italian translator in the evenings. He's handsome. He says "later" instead of "goodbye". He wears red bathing suits. That's pretty much all I got from him. I couldn't care less for either Elio or Oliver. Nothing about the characters interested me, including the other side characters. Then we have the plot. Oh, I have so many things to say about the plot; we'll be here for a while. It is one of the most problematic things I've ever read. Right off the bat, we have Elio and Oliver's age gap. Elio is 17 and Oliver is 24. These two have had an intimate relationship on more than one occasion. First, Elio is a minor. Second, Oliver states multiple times how it was "wrong" for them to participate in such behaviour, yet he continues to do it. Honestly, what is wrong with you. Don't even get me started on all the weird shit Elio was saying about Oliver. If I didn't kill him, then I'd cripple him for life, so that he'd be with us in a wheelchair. I would always know where he was, and he'd be easy to find. I would feel superior to him and become his master, now that he was crippled. I think this boy needs therapy. Like right now. This is seriously not normal teenage thoughts. Yes, Elio. Yes, I am. Terrified actually. And then we have the infamous peach scene. If you've watched the movie, you know that it is THE most famous scene. What people enjoy about that scene genuinely baffles me but now I simply cannot let it pass. I let myself hang back, holding the fruit in both hands, grateful that I hadn't gotten the sheet dirty with juice or come. The bruised and damaged peach, like a rape victim, lay on its side on my desk, shamed, loyal, aching, and confused, struggling not to spill what I'd left inside. The bruised and damaged peach lay on it's side like a WHAT? How did anyone who read this seriously let that slide. An accurate representation of my reaction after reading that. I should've stopped reading then and there for my own sanity but no, I decided to continue. We had never taken a shower together. We had never even been in the same bathroom together. "Don't flush," I'd said, "I want to look." What I saw brought out strains of compassion, for him, for his body, for his life, which suddenly seemed so frail and vulnerable. "Our bodies won't have secrets now," I said as I took my turn and sat down. He had hopped into the bathtub, and was about to turn on the shower. "I want you to see mine," I said. He did more. He stepped out, kissed me on the mouth, and pressing and massaging my tummy with the flat of his palm, watched the whole thing happen. Mum, can you pick me up? I'm scared. I honestly don't understand what was so romantic about Elio and Oliver's relationship. It's obvious from Elio's monologue that he was naive and delusional about his feelings and relationship towards Oliver. He was so smitten by Oliver, purely because of physical attraction, that he couldn't see past sound reason. Oliver, being the grown man he is, is also obviously taking advantage of Elio's lack of experience. There is nothing romantic about their relationship. It is problematic and one-sided, not in a cute and fun way. My Recommendation ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5) Not going to lie, I would have given this book two stars at first. There were some beautiful quotes that I enjoyed and resonated with, despite the writing being a bit bland. However, there are just so many things wrong in this book that I just cannot not bring it up. I also would've closed one eye about the main characters' age gap but it turns out that the writer is not even gay. If you're going to write a gay love story, at least have some experience with it, won't you? I will never recommend this book. It was a waste of my time and money, and I will not be going forward with reading the second part of the series. I don't even know WHY a second book was written... One of it is enough to give me enough trauma to last me a lifetime.

The epitome of 'no thoughts, just vibes', In Watermelon Sugar will take you on a whirlwind of an adventure filled with watermelon, trout and talking tigers. I'm going to be honest with you: the only reason I read this was because Harry Styles recommended it. He also has a song with the same title so I was guessing that this should be a pretty good read. I don't think I would've picked this up on my own accord honestly. About In Watermelon Sugar Brautigan brings you into this fantasy world called IDEATH—which has nothing to do with iPhones, by the way. The sun rises in a different colour each day, people travel to the length of their dreams and its inhabitants devour watermelon like water. The people of IDEATH lead gentle lives, rejecting the violence and hate of the old gang at the Forgotten Works. In Watermelon Sugar is narrated by a nameless person. The narrator goes on about his day, meeting his friends at IDEATH, chilling in his shack and going on his nightly walks. In Watermelon Sugar Review In Watermelon Sugar was a very confusing read. I had to reread it multiple times and even resort to reading summaries before I could even have a brief idea of what was going on. The first few pages of this novel aim to enchant you into IDEATH, sharing its beauty of watermelontrout oil and rivers that are only inches wide. I found this fantasy land to be interesting in theory but I couldn't grasp it properly. It was like I had this world at the tip of my fingers but I couldn't welcome it into my arms wholeheartedly. There was just something missing from it that failed to transport me into IDEATH. While the world-building is pretty good at times, there was practically no plot to it. It's mostly character-driven so we're really just going off of vibes here. The narration was a bit chaotic, as one's brain usually is, but it just didn't work very well for this story. It was disorganised and difficult for me to keep up with. I had no clue what was going on most of the time. In Watermelon Sugar is also told in a direct and straightforward manner. Things that may seem weird to us are perfectly normal in the world of IDEATH. A tiger who's a Mathematical genius? Perfectly normal. A house made out of watermelon sugar? Cool, everyone has those. Corpses in the river? No biggie. It was a strange thing for me to understand at first because I had to switch off my 21st-century brain to adapt to this utopia. And what was that ending? It was so abrupt like the writer just decided to stop writing. I did not appreciate that conclusion, especially after the headaches I went through trying to understand the mere concept of In Watermelon Sugar. My Recommendation ★★☆☆☆ (2/5) This book is the weirdest thing I have ever read. The narration in In Watermelon Sugar was all over the place. I was begging for an ounce of context but all I got was fancy mumbo jumbo. In the end, I could kind of figure out what was happening but it was too bizarre for me to continue caring. I took away nothing from the book, not even the vibes. If I'm being optimistic, I would probably give this book another chance and read it again in the future to see whether I share the same sentiments as I do now. However, there's just too much nonsense going on in this book that I don't think I'll bother putting myself through that again. I think I can live without that watermelon sugar high for now.

Loved Call Me By Your Name? Here are the best 10 quotes that will take you back to the Italian riviera with Elio and Oliver. Call Me By Your Name follows Elio during one summer on the Italian riviera when he was joined by a particular American academic graduate, Oliver. The two develop a close relationship during the six weeks they spend together. What starts off as an innocent boy's ostentatious actions to charm Oliver slowly develop into a summer fling. From the morning swims in 'heaven' to their sultry evening in Rome, the experiences gone through by both Elio and Oliver cause repercussions that would affect them for the rest of their lives. I mentioned in my review how the plot was really disturbing for me to read. There were so many problematic plot points that the book was such a turn-off. However, the writing that was relatable and painful (I mean this literally, metaphorically and emotionally) made me continue reading. I am also simply someone who doesn't put down a book no matter how bad it is. So, here are some of my favourite quotes from Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman. What are your favourite quotes from Call Me By Your Name?

Loved A Man Called Ove? Here are the best 10 quotes from the novel that will take you back to Ove's Swedish suburb. A man called Ove gets his life turned upside down one fine November morning when his new next-door neighbours drive their trailer over his mailbox. Ove, an old, cantekerous Swede who has strict routines and a grumpy persona, was obviously not happy about this. What follows is a tale filled with unkempt cats, unlikely friendships and a community's unexpected reassessment of the one person they thought they had all figured out. I loved A Man Called Ove. Even though it's my first read of 2023, I have a feeling that this will be one of my best reads of the year. The story was absolutely heartbreaking, and the writing was perfection. So, here are some of my favourite quotes from A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. What are your favourite quotes from A Man Called Ove?

I know we're already a month into 2023—how crazy is that?—but Happy New Year! Before I start posting about all the books I've read in January, I wanted to share with you my reading goals for 2023. I love setting reading goals for myself to make sure that I'm always reading something at all times. Books hold so much knowledge, both in fiction and non-fiction books, and I want to be able to absorb as much wisdom as I possibly can. I have set myself four goals (rules? guidelines?) Read 52 books Prioritise the books on my shelf No buying of new books Be more consistent with book reviews Read 52 books To be frank, reading 52 books in a year is a scary number for me. As someone who makes her reading goal the same number as the year—22 books in 2022, 21 books in 2021, that sort of thing—a number that is double what my supposed reading goal for the year is is terrifying. However, I chose 52 specifically because that is how many weeks there are in a year. And when you think about it like that, I think reading one book per week is a manageable goal for me. Prioritise the books on my shelf I have way too many unread books on my shelf—more than a normal person should have, I'm guessing—so I really want to get to them this year. It's also the perfect time for me to work on this goal because I am moving out (not sure when but the packing and clearing have already commenced) so I won't be able to take all my books with me. But before passing them on, I'd love to show them some love first. Even though I'm prioritising the books on my shelf, I can still borrow books from the library if I really want to read them. I'll also allow myself this exception if they're a part of a series I own but I don't have the full series in my collection. No buying of new books This one goes hand-in-hand with my previous goal. I bought so many new books in 2022 that I have more unread books than read books on my shelf. Not forgetting the books I bought years ago from book fairs and have yet to read. This isn't a strict rule. I will still allow myself the joy of buying books as long as I read it the instant I buy it. The problem isn't inherently with buying a lot of books, but that I buy them and don't end up reading them until months (or even years) later. I don't want my books to be a place where dust collects, and I'd rather have them when I'm ready to cherish them. Furthermore, buying the book I want to read when I want to read it ensures that the book will be promptly read! Since I'm a big mood reader, having these exceptions and leeway will prevent reading from becoming a chore as I'm always reading the things that I'm in the mood for. Be more consistent with book reviews I love writing book reviews! They are so fun to make and I love having this post available so that I have a full overview of everything I thought about this book I read. But sometimes, I procrastinate writing them and by the time I come to it, I can barely remember what the book was about. Therefore, I want to be more consistent with my book reviews. Ideally, I'd write it the second I finish the book so that my emotions and feelings are still fresh in my head. What are your reading goals for this year?

A heart-wrenching story of the importance of love, friendship and understanding, A Man Called Ove is a must-read. I re-read the last chapter again, wondering if I dreamt that all up. My heart swells, tears stream down my face. Slowly, I close the book, delicately as if it was a fragile item that might break if handled too harshly. I cherished the moments I spent with a man called Ove; a man I disliked in the beginning but grew fond of over time. About A Man Called Ove Pronounced as "Oo-veh", Ove is the grumpiest person you'll ever meet. This 59-year-old Swede has strict routines and a strong will, something many people find unpleasant when they first meet him. One November morning, Ove's world turns upside down when his new neighbours announce their arrival by driving their trailer over his mailbox. What a way to make a first impression, right? What follows is a tale filled with unkempt cats, unlikely friendships and a community's unexpected reassessment of the one person they thought they had all figured out. A Man Called Ove Review A Man Called Ove is an eye-opening read that is emotional, funny and hopeful. Backman's use of the language, and Henning Koch's ability to translate his words, is so beautiful. His writing is simple but the words he puts out are sweet on the lips. There was no difficulty for me to understand the language or context used in the story. I was able to dive headfirst into this Swedish suburb where motor vehicles were not allowed in the residential area. Though the story is filled with how grief affects the main character, the humour laced around it is perfectly done. Ove's snarky remarks (which oftentimes end up being quite hilarious) complements the story, and it doesn't take away from the message of the book. Alms from the church were out of the question, God should be bloody clear about that. Ove said as much to himself while he stood there in the changing rooms, maybe as much as his own benefit's as God's. "If you really had to take both Mum and Dad, you can keep your bloody money!" he yelled up at the ceiling. A Man Called Ove is mostly character-driven, which is not my favourite to read honestly, but it worked splendidly for this story. Even though Ove is a cantankerous man who can be tough to get through, his pure intentions keep me rooting for the best for him. It's also a lot easier as a reader to have some empathy for him since we learn about his life growing up and how it has come to this current point. Speaking of being character-driven, I'm so proud of Ove for his strong, positive character development. He was one of my most disliked characters at the beginning of the novel as his pessimistic behaviour was such a turn-off. But as I learned more about him, he is actually quite the charmer. Supporting him is a wonderfully diverse cast of characters from different ethnicities and socio-economic class. My Recommendation ★★★★★ (5/5) As the book covers heavy topics such as grief, loss, suicide and miscarriage, A Man Called Ove is ideal for adults. And if you go into this book, be prepared to have a stack of tissues with you because I guarantee you will be crying in almost every chapter. Backman has a particular knack for writing especially sad scenes then hit you on the head with his humour. It's the perfect balance. There are truly no words to express how much I adored this book. Fredrik Backman, you are not a complete idiot 😀 About Fredrik Backman Fredrik Backman is a Swedish author, blogger and columnist. A Man Called Ove is Backman's debut novel and became the number one bestseller across Scandinavia. It has sold over one million copies worldwide and has been made into an acclaimed Oscar-nominated film. Backman's books have been read and loved by people all around the world.

Heartstopper Volume One had me giggling, kicking my feet, and hoping I get tackled by a rugby lad right this very instant (in the best way possible). I first found out about the Heartstopper series from Tumblr! The cast did a Q&A on Tumblr a few weeks before the release of the Netflix adaptation. I didn't think too much about it because I didn't really care at that point but then the Netflix adaptation came out last April, and that's when I really got into it! I watched the show in a day, then proceeded to binge watch it again another three more times. Talk about being healthily attached to something. The Heartstopper graphic novel series had been on my TBR list for a while (I'd forgotten about it prior to the show) but I pushed away picking it up because I don't usually read graphic novels. For the longest time I didn't consider graphic novels to be "proper books" because I felt that they didn't have enough words to be considered a book... Oh, how wrong I was. But I am fully smitten with the Netflix series that I had to go and pick up the book. It took a while because it was sold out in most places. But the show is seriously so good; I could go on and on about this show. Enough about the adaptation though; today, we're talking about the book. An accurate representation of me whenever I think of Heartstopper. About Heartstopper Volume One Probably the most adorable thing I've ever read, Heartstopper Volume One is a story about two schoolmates. Charles 'Charlie' Spring and Nicholas 'Nick' Nelson are studying at Truham Grammar School for Boys, but they've never met. They quickly become good after being made to sit together in form group. Charlie finds himself falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and the boys soon find themselves developing a close relationship. Heartstopper Volume One Review Honestly, this book was not what I expected. Usually when there is a book adaptation to a film/ show, they stray away from the main plot of the story and there is a huge difference in the different forms of media. I was pleasantly surprised to find that majority (about 90% I would say) are the same! So if you've watched the show then read the book like me, it's nice to be able to see and hear Joe Lock as Charlie and Kit Connor as Nick on my pages. If I wanted to take it a step further, I think I could also hear the music that was playing those scenes. The main difference would be that Imogen, Isaac and Elle are not in the books. Or in the first book anyway. I haven't read the other books yet so I'm not sure if they appear in the sequels. Like the show, Heartstopper Volume One was an absolute joy to experience. It was so chill and carefree and I loved the dynamics between the characters. It also helped that the characters were realistic portrayals of teenagers. Oseman has a knack for penning down the behaviours and communication between these young adults. I especially appreciated the awkward conversations that these characters have. Not only is the storyline wonderful, but the characters are so diverse. Obviously, there is positive representation of the LGBTQ+ folks in Heartstopper Volume One and the characters come from different ethnic backgrounds. The novel is so cutely illustrated. As one who can barely draw a smiley face, I am in awe of Alice Oseman's skills! There is so much detail that goes into each drawing and it's insane how she managed to do all that. The detail really adds onto the storyline as well because you can really tell the emotions of the characters from their facial expressions. I also couldn't help but laugh at the little tap tap taps and pat pats. They surprisingly added a lot to the story to show the dynamic between characters. Plus, it was a great humorous touch. My Recommendation ★★★★★ (5/5) Heartstopper Volume One is perfect for everyone. It's cute and wholesome and would bring a smile to anyone's face. The book is not a heartstopper; it's a heartwarmer. Plus there are Nick and Nellie scenes which makes it extra wholesome and adorable. I hope I have convinced you on how amazing this book is so please go read it right now! It's free on Tumblr, Tapas and Webtoon. Once you're done, watch the show already streaming on Netflix. I promise you won't regret it. And I'll have a new friend to share this insane obsession with.

Is it worth your time to read Red, White & Royal Blue, or was it just a Red, White & Royal fall through? With the film adaptation coming to Amazon Prime Video in the coming week, I had to get this book off my TBR list as soon as possible. About Red, White & Royal Blue Handsome and charismatic Alexander Claremont-Diaz is the First Son of the United States. And then there's His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales. He's full of himself, condescending and an overall pain in the arse. When The First Son and the Prince get into a public argument that threatens the relationship between US and Britain, their teams decide it's best to set them up in a public truce to straighten things out. Their damage control works and soon Alex and Henry find their friendship growing deeper than any of them could ever imagine. Red, White & Royal Blue Review Red, White & Royal Blue is written in the third POV with a focus on Alex and the American side of things, so I wished there was more time being spent on Henry as well. With the lack of Henry content, Henry felt like a character who lacked depth. Even though we don't get to see his perspective first-hand, his emails and text messages convey a flurry of emotions. That being said, Henry is the definition of Prince Charming. He's hot, charismatic and a little flirty. He writes the most beautiful words and it's impossible to not be charmed by him and his poetry. On the other hand, Alex is kind of an arrogant arse but he becomes tolerable as the book goes on. He also curses a lot but I grew accustomed to his dirty mouth. I'm giving full credit to Henry though for making Alex a better person by the end of the book. Together, Alex and Henry are the cutest couple and I was rooting for them to work things out, no matter how bad things got. The only other character that I have a strong opinion on is Zahra, the US President's deputy chief of staff and right-hand woman. I love her witty comments and her personality was such a breath of fresh air. The sarcastic and crude comments also made sense coming from her. Besides the two main characters (and Zahra), I couldn't quite grasp the rest of the characters properly. Maybe it was too many characters, too few descriptions of them (or too many, who knows), but they just didn't stick in my brain. Is there such a thing as too many queer folk? Speaking of other characters, the inclusion of these people in the book felt forced. Many of them had similar personalities, which made them all blend together as one big side character. I think it's great that there are people with so many sexualities and colours in the book but it felt like the author was just trying to cross off all the alphabets for the sake of "diversity". It didn't feel authentic and real. How much escapism do I need from a book? The characters aren't the only thing that isn't believable in this world. This fantasy land where U.S. and Britain exists is too perfect. If you could imagine having every possible negative scenario happening but then it miraculously gets cleaned up in 2 seconds—that's what basically happens in Red, White & Royal Blue. Everything was so easily resolved that there didn't seem to have any conflict or problems faced by the characters. Yes, they had to suffer for approximately 5 minutes but at the end of the day, it didn't affect them that badly. The romance was great; The politics not so much. As someone not from the US, the subject of American politics was very foreign to me. There was too much jargon that I just didn't understand, nor did I get an explanation of what those words meant. Furthermore, it usually came out preachy and a bit of a pushover. I don't get how US politics work, nor do I really care about it. So to have it constantly being shoved into my face was kind of exhausting. If I wanted to know how Americans run their elections, I would have read a book about US politics. There's only so much non-fiction that can be in a fiction book. Slow burn, but this was too slow. Spanning 418 pages, the storyline felt dragged out and the chapters were unbearably long. If you can swallow the US political propaganda they shove down your throat, you can get through this one. ★★★☆☆ (3/5) The trailer looks awesome! Despite how I felt about the book, you bet I will be sat for the movie. About Casey McQuiston Casey McQuiston is the New York times-bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue, as well as a pie enthusiast. They write books about smart people with bad manners falling in love. Born and raised in southern Louisiana, they now live in New York City with their poodle mix and personal assistant, Pepper.

Can't get enough of Belly, Conrad, Jeremiah and Cousins Beach? Here's a compilation of the best quotes to take you back to the summer house. If you've been on the internet in the past two weeks, you'll know that The Summer I Turned Pretty is all the hype right now. With the second season currently premiering on Amazon Prime Video in weekly episodes, this is the show to catch for all the fun, summer feelings. Perfect for us book lovers, this show came from a book originally written by Jenny Han. Belly Conklin loves summer. Every year, the Fishers and the Conklins spend the summer at Cousins Beach. And Belly has had a massive crush on Conrad Fisher for as long as she can remember. Now that she's had her glow-up, she feels that this summer will be special. But little does she know, it'll also be the summer that'll change everything, both for the better and for worse. If you're looking for a fun, simple, summer read, The Summer I Turned Pretty is the one for you. While the novel itself was not my favourite, the quotes in the book were beautiful and painfully relatable. Click here to read my full review of The Summer I Turned Pretty! Making these GIFs are my favourite activity so of course, I had to include these quotes with clips from the first season of the series adaptation! Lola Tung (who plays Belly Conklin), Christopher Briney (Conrad Fisher), Gavin Casalegno (Jeremiah Fisher) and the rest of the cast have done a wonderful job bringing their characters to life and I cannot wait to see what they have in store for us in season two! Disclaimer: The quotes below may contain spoilers for those who have not yet read the book or watched the show. If you have not read The Summer I Turned Pretty, these quotes might convince you to get on the bandwagon. Or at least, please watch the show. Which one of these was your favourite quote from The Summer I Turned Pretty?

A charming and sweet second addition to the Heartstopper series, Heartstopper Volume Two manages to tug at my heartstrings (yet again). Click here to see my review of Heartstopper Volume One! About Heartstopper Volume Two Nick and Charlie are best friends. Nick knows Charlie's gay, and Charlie is sure Nick isn't. As the boys' feelings for one another develop, Nick struggles to place his newfound emotions. Figuring out one's sexuality isn't easy, and Nick is discovering all kinds of things about his family, friends and most importantly, himself. Heartstopper Volume Two Review My review of Heartstopper Volume Two is mostly the same as my review of Heartstopper Volume One. It's wholesome and absolutely adorable. It's like this book (and series) gets better the more I read it. I seriously devoured every second of reading this. Compared to the first volume, there were more cute moments between Nick and Charlie. Since they're open with their affection towards one another, we see them holding hands and hugging more. If you've watched the Netflix series, this volume basically covers episodes 4 to 8! Speaking of the Netflix adaptation, Elle, played by Yasmin Finney, is in the story now! Elle, a trans girl who used to be from Truham Grammar School for Boys, has transferred to the Higs Girls School. We see her budding romance with ex-schoolmate and Charlie's best friend, Tao Xu. I will never get over the production team doing Will Gao's, who plays Tao, hair so dirty. We get to see the dynamic between the boys and their friends. As we follow them on outings, we learn more about their peers. It's interesting to watch the way they interact with those around them. You can even see the stark difference between Nick's friend group and Charlie's friend group. Even though some of their friend choices may have been questionable, I admire these characters for standing up so bravely for what they believe in. I am once again in awe of Alice Oseman for putting such grit and determination into her characters. My Recommendation ★★★★★ (5/5) Like Heartstopper Volume One, Heartstopper Volume Two is a great read for anyone and everyone. Besides, once you've read the first one, you simply have to continue on with the series. I don't make the rules. A visual representation of the Heartstopper hyperfixation coming to get me. Plus, after that cliffhanger at the end of the first volume, I'm sure you're dying to find out what happens to Nick and Charlie. Heartstopper Volume Two ended with less of a cliffhanger than Volume One did, but I am looking forward to starting the third volume! I'm not saying I want to make some sort of announcement... but I want to tell the people I care about. And I want you to be able to tell people too. I like you so much! And I love liking you!

Summer, beaches and boys; Can you ask for any more than that? Yes actually, I would like to ask for the plot & my sanity back please. About The Summer I Turned Pretty Belly Conklin's best moments happen from June to August. Every year, the Fishers and the Conklins spend the summer at Cousins Beach. Belly has had a massive crush on Conrad Fisher ever since she was ten. Now that she's had her glow-up, she feels that this summer will be special. But little does she know, it'll also be the summer that'll change everything, both for the better and for worse. The Summer I Turned Pretty Review The people who inhabited Cousins Beach were... people! This is going to be a long post about the main characters so strap yourself in for the ride. Isabel Conklin, nicknamed Belly, the main female lead was insufferable. She kept complaining about everything. And by everything, I really mean everything. This girl doesn't have a single grateful bone in her body. And honestly, of all the nicknames available in the world, why choose Belly? I don't understand why one would torture themselves for a lifetime with such a horrendous nickname. Maybe if I had such an insufferable nickname, I too would act insufferably. She kept bringing down other women, comparing their bodies and used beauty as a measure of self-worth. I found this slightly disturbing since this is a book targeted toward young girls, and teaching them such values could be problematic in the long run. Not only did she have a horrible attitude towards others, but she was also acting extremely childish and immature. She stuck her tongue out (literally) whenever she never got her way. Only toddlers do that! It was exhausting seeing what a spoilt brat she is. Next, I do not understand how anyone could possibly like Jeremiah Fisher. He's basically Belly reincarnated as a boy. But I'll give this boy some slack and say that he's maybe 5% less annoying than Belly is. Conrad Fisher infuriated me. He was grumpy all the time and was constantly sending out mixed signals. I don't understand what Belly saw in him. Steven Conklin is a bully who keeps tearing his sister down for no apparent reason. There's a fine line between teasing between siblings and bullying and he definitely crossed the lines multiple times. Even though he wasn't in the book half the time, I despised his character. Cam Cameron is probably the most interesting guy. This future marine biologist is your typical nice guy and gives off golden retriever energy. He deserved better. Some controversial thoughts... There were some parts that kind of made me re-read the lines and think “Did the author really just write that?” Some lines were misogynistic, anti-feminist and really odd to read, especially coming from the hands of an Asian female writer. There were also a lot of controversial opinions presented in the book, especially on the topic of consent. Consent is overrated; Let's just kiss people who don't want to be kissed! What better way to cheer someone who just received intense, life-altering news: give them an unwarranted kiss! Everything else might suck but at least Cousins Beach is a cool place to be. I quite enjoyed the setting the book took place. The beach and seaside were pretty interesting. This reader thinks, "Damn, this is some really irritating writing." Just like Belly, the writing also got on my nerves. I find the use of “States-something-that-happened-in-a-long-sentence, Reiterates-that-something-again, I mean” really odd and infuriating to read. Seemed like the author kind of assumed that I (the reader) was too stupid for me to imply what they were trying to say. The first few uses of it were cute, but then it just became irritating. Even though this was written in first person, I found that there was still too much dialogue. Show me what happened, stop telling me! Also, I found the switching back from past to present quite jarring. There wasn't a need to place a specific age to when the past scene happened and it could've just been a cutaway in between scenes, rather than separated into a whole new chapter. It was tiring for me to adjust between past and present and it got me jumbled so many times. I would have read two pages then find a weird line and realised we had switched time periods again. No plot, just vibes. There's basically nothing going on in this book. You'd think Belly would've chosen a guy in the end (she kind of did but it wasn't anything concrete) but nope. Reading The Summer I Turned Pretty is basically reading Belly's schedule for three months, except she does the same thing every day of every week for the entire summer. Swimming, beaches, I-love-Conrad, dinner, I-love-Jeremiah-now, parties, swimming, Cam-is-cute, beaches, I-love-Conrad, dinner, swimming. The final verdict. Will I ever read this again? Never. But I will, unfortunately, be subjecting myself to the rest of the books in this trilogy because I have tragically bought them already. Damn you, TSITP TV series, for being so awfully addictive I bought the whole set of books in advance. Just stick to the series for this one. Nothing happens in the book that doesn't also happen in the show anyway. ★★☆☆☆ (2/5) About Jenny Han Jenny Han is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before series, now a Netflix movie. She is also the author of the Summer I Turned Pretty series, Shug, and Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream. Her books have been published in more than thirty languages. A former librarian, Han earned her MFA in creative writing at the New School. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.