Bookish Babble

Here you will find my reading roundups, as well as book related quotes, facts, jokes and memes that I find on the big bad web and are too good not to share. As well as bookish blog tags and challenges that I partake in from time to time.

February Reading Round up

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Reads this month: Candy Hearts, The heart of Space, Runaways: that was yesterday, The Witch Boy, The Hidden Witch, Mindful Parenting, The Boys of Summer, Panic and Frenzy.

Fave Feb read: The Witch Boy and The Hidden Which by Molly Knox Ostertag. I am loving this cute n’ queer witchtastic MG graphic novel series and am keen to get my hands on the third book.

 

Challenge Reads:

#AusYABloggers Fun In The Sun prompt: #LoveOzYA book, The Boys of Summer by C.J. Duggan.

#TBRtrim20 New: The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag.

#TBRtrim20 Old: The Boys of Summer by C.J. Duggan.

Reviews Written:

Candy Hearts by Erin McLellan | ★ 4/5 | Queer, Erotic Romance | VIEW.

The Heart of Space by Cendrine Marrouat | ★ 3/5 | Poetry | VIEW.

There is still time to jump on board with the challenges I’m doing this year > > >

Reading Challenge One: If you are after an easy, fun, social and super chill reading challenge for next year, then take a look at the #AusYABloggers 2020 Reading Challenge There are prizes up for grabs and you only have to read a book a month, that fits that months theme to qualify.

Reading Challenge Two: If you want to slash your TBR and are an Instagram user then #TBRtrim20 could be for you. This one also has prizes up for grabs and you can totally do both challenges at the same time, I will be! Even doing both you are only committing yourself to read a minimum of three books a month – obviously, you can read MORE if you are able/want to.

Thanks for visiting sarahfairbairn.com 🙂
Until next time, enjoy your shelves 🙂
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January Reading Round up

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Reads this month: Rocky to the Rescue, Ninja Kid 1, The Cursed Key, Marie Claire, Nils: The Tree of Life, Ghost Revelations, Chosen by the Alpha, Ninja Kid 2, Frankie, Enshrine.

Challenge Reads:

#AusYABloggers New Beginnings Prompt:  #LoveOzMG book, Ninja Kid #1 (from nerd to ninja) by Anh Do. Ninja Kid gives as; a boy with new Ninja powers, a forest full of deadly giant spiders, and a school trip no one will forget. It’s a fun and exciting read, with the underlying message of believing in yourself, practice makes perfect and that anything is possible – all valuable messages for both young and old.

#TBRtrim20 New: Why yes I am doubling up, bite me, I’m a busy mum with two little boys who works full time, I gotta catch a break somewhere. And it was a Christmas purchase so it totally counts. Ninja Kid #1 (from nerd to ninja) by Anh Do.

#TBRtrim20 Old: I originally planned to read Shadows of the realm because it is the oldest book on my Goodreads TBR. But as I’ve got all three books sitting on the shelf, I knew if I read it and loved it, i’d want to head straight into the next two. So, It will have to wait until I have the time to dedicate to all of the books in the trilogy.

So, to pick another old read I was browsing the early end of my TBR Goodreads shelves, just focusing on books I owned and see if any of them grabbed my attention and I couldn’t for the life of me remember how I came to have a copy of Chosen by the Alpha (The Shadow Pack Rules #1) by Michele Bardsley. I figured that was a good enough reason to read it.

Reviews written:

★ 4/5 | NA, Romance, Urban Fantasy | The Cursed Key (The Cursed Key Trilogy #1) by Miranda Brock & Rebecca Hamilton | VIEW.
★ 4/5 | Adult, Reverse Harem, Urban Fantasy | Ghost Revelations (Ghost Dud #1) by Aspen Black | VIEW.
★ 2/5 | Graphic Novel, Fantasy | The Tree of Life by Jérôme Hamon | VIEW.
★ 4/5 | YA, Fantasy, Romance | Enshrine by Kay Bennson | VIEW.

There is still plenty of time to jump on board with the challenges I’m doing this year > > >

Reading Challenge One: If you are after a easy, fun, social and super chill reading challenge for next year, then take a look at the #AusYABloggers 2020 Reading Challenge There are prizes up for grabs and you only have to read a book a month, that fits that months theme to qualify.

Reading Challenge Two: If you want to slash your TBR and are an Instagram user then #TBRtrim20 could be for you. This one also has prizes up for grabs and you can totally do both challenges at the same time, I will be! Even doing both you are only committing yourself to reading a minimum of three books a month – obviously you can read MORE if you are able/want to.

Thanks for visiting sarahfairbairn.com 🙂
Until next time, enjoy your shelves 🙂

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

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Where has this year gone!! I read a lot of good books this year, partook in lots of book tours, both as a participant and helping run them with the #AusYABloggers. But I also had a lot of moments where I just wanted to give up on this review blog gig. My reading goals for next year, in an attempt to make my way out of this funk and save myself from burn out, is to read less review copies and focus on the books that I’ve purchased over the years because I wanted to read them and then never got the time to.

I accomplished some of the things I had intended to in 2019, but there were three major things I never got to.  1) Lose weight. I’m currently on prescribed pain meds, anti-inflammatory meds and anti-depressants, all as a way to try and help me live with my Arthritis. I would like to get down to as low of a weight as is healthy for my height-age ratio, to try and help ease the strain on my joints. But lets be real, I’ve been trying to lose weight my entire life. So don’t hold your breath for me.  2) Creating a back catalog of my reviews. Currently if you go into the review catalog of this blog I only have this years listed – argh so many old reviews to go through.  3) I never got around to re-editing and submitting a manuscript I had been working on in previous years. So those are my first priority (after my kids and the Camp Quality FunX4) for me in 2020. I will be helping to run (and take part in) two reading challenges, which I believe will help me accomplish my reading goals for next year.

Reading Challenge One: If you are after a easy, fun, social and super chill reading challenge for next year, then take a look at the #AusYABloggers 2020 Reading Challenge There are prizes up for grabs and you only have to read a book a month, that fits that months theme to qualify.

The themes are:
January – New Beginnings
February – Fun in the sun
March – Lost and Found
April – Spookalicious
May – After Dark
June – Coming Out
July – Indigenous Voices
August – Tropes-ahoy
September – Awesome Anthologies
October – Mental Health
November – Glorious Graphics
December – Happy Holidays

Find out more HERE

Reading Challenge Two: If you want to slash your TBR and are an Instagram user then #TBRtrim20 could be for you. This one also has prizes up for grabs and you can totally do both challenges at the same time, I will be! Even doing both you are only committing yourself to reading a minimum of three books a month – obviously you can read MORE if you are able/want to.

I’m really not sure how to wrap this post up – I hope you all have a fantastic festive season and happy new year. I’ve still got one or two more reviews to put up before the 31st. This isn’t suppose to be goodbye from me for the year (hehehe we’ll see). I’m just doing this post now, in case I get too busy with the silly season to do it later.

XOXO Sarah 🙂

Thanks for visiting sarahfairbairn.com 🙂
Until next time, enjoy your shelves 🙂

September 2019 Bookish Summary

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Total books read in August: 7
Comics/ Graphic Novels = 1 | #LoveOzYA / #LoveNzYA = 1 | the remainder = 5

The Ritual (Tales of Mentara #2) by Ashley Uzzell
A YA fantasy about a rag tag band of kids who end up accidentally trapped in another world.
I really like the world Ashley has created, I liked the plot, and I love the magic abilities Ashley has created for POV Charlotte. But in both the first and second book, while reading and being in the characters heads, they felt older to me, more like 15-19 rather than 9-13.
My Review | View on Goodreads

Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
Mr Fox and his furry family and friends Vs Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Classic Roald Dahl. I read this out loud to my boys and they were both captivated. Mr Fox is still just as fantastic as I remember from my childhood!
View on Goodreads

Runaways, Vol. 1: Find Your Way Home by Rainbow Rowell
Vol 1 collects the first 6 episodes of Rowell’s reboot of Vaughan’s original series and what a fantastic reboot it is!! I’ve already gone and ordered the next two collections!
I don’t think you would need to have read all the previous series by Vaughan to enjoy Rowell’s reboot, she does summarise a little, but It makes it all that much more epic if you are already invested in the characters.
View on Goodreads

My Father’s Shadow by Jannali Jones
My Father’s Shadow is the kind of book you just can’t put down. The constant uneasy vibe that Jannali Jones has created with her magnificent writing propels you forward and keeps you right on the edge of your seat. It is an outstanding #ownvoices #loveozya debut. It is nail bitingly, edge of your seat brilliant!! A must read for all #loveozya aficionados and crime/mystery/thriller buffs.
My Review | View on Goodreads

Minecraft: Diary of a Minecraft Enderman Book 1 by Pixel Kid
My son brought this home from his school library for us to read, rather strange as he’s never played the game – Nevertheless it was an amusing read and quite easy to read out loud.
View on Goodreads

Nemesis (Circuit Fae, #4) by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Lesbian Fae queens, magic and mayhem, multiverses collapsing and colliding, action packed battles, love triumphing overall…it would have been better if I hadn’t come in at the fourth book in the series but…ummm…oops.
My Review | View on Goodreads

The Jinni (The Forbidden Wish prequel) by Jessica Khoury
This is the story of the Jinni we grow to love in The Forbidden Wish. You do not need to have read The Forbidden Wish in order to enjoy this short story, but you might find it contains mild spoilers.
Add to Goodreads

Conclusion: I managed to get three review books in during the month, and a few shorts and comics to boost those reading feels.

Thanks for visiting sarahfairbairn.com 🙂
Until next time, enjoy your shelves 🙂

AUGUST 2019 BOOKISH SUMMARY

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Total books read in August: 3

The Forbidden Wish (The Forbidden Wish #1) by Jessica Khoury
A dreamy retelling of Aladdin, that dare I say I prefer to the Disney version. The writing is beautiful and the action captivating. This version has so many kickass female characters and that’s always a win for me. Girl power!
The biggest differences: the jinni is female! She is powerful, smart and cunning, but also lonely and sad. The princess is a great warrior, but also compassionate and caring of her people. And then there is her kickass Watchmaidens who are loving, loyal and fierce warriors also.
View on Goodreads

Silken Scales & Perfect Pitch (The Chameleon Effect, books 1 & 2) by Alex Hayes
By the end of the epilogue of Silken Scales I was hooked! Aliens, Action and Romance. What more could you ask for – well some Queer characters would have been nice.
Amongst the romance and alien slaying, there are some deeper things dealt with; mental health, alcoholism, and parental neglect/abuse.
All in all, I liked both books and I am keen to read the next one.
My review | View on Goodreads (book 1) | View on Goodreads (book 2)

Conclusion: August was a super busy and I only managed to get three books read and I am now super behind on my years TBR, but it was a AWESOME month.

On August 1st Shane and I went down to the Sydney international boat show and lusted after things we can’t afford.

I partook in the @AusYABloggers Buckley’s tour HERE.

Brooklynne and I chatted about Trans fiction and Brooklynne’s hunt for excellent Trans girl fiction. We discussed books we’ve read and books we are looking forward to reading HERE.

I took a solo trip down to Sydney to attend an event for the release of It Sounded Better In My by Nina Kenwood, view my review of the book is HERE.

I then attended a @read3rz_revu luncheon celebrating the release of The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim.

And then of course there was the Sydney Tea Festival that mum and I attended.

So a fantastic, but busy month 🙂

Past Monthly Summaries: Jan 19 ∣ Feb 19 ∣ Mar 19 ∣ April 19 ∣ May 19 | June/July 19 

Thanks for visiting sarahfairbairn.com 🙂
Until next time, enjoy your shelves 🙂

June/July 2019 BOOKISH SUMMARY

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Total books read in June/July: 14

Comics/ Graphic Novels = 6 | #LoveOzYA / #LoveNzYA = 6 | the remainder = 2

Comics: In the last two months I continued reading the Runaways and Heartstopper series and started reading the Lumberjanes series.
I’m still really enjoying the Runaways and Heartstopper series. I love that as the series goes on Runaways, has gotten queerer. Currently there is one Lesbian main character and another shapeshifting genderfluid one – awesomesause!
Heartstopper is the queerest, most heart-warming and adorable comic series I’ve ever read.
And out of the three collected Runaways editions I read, I especially loved Vol 6, as we spent most of the issue just hanging out with the youngest Runaway, 11-yr-old mutant girl Molly – she’s kick ass and adorable.
I found Lumberjanes to be whimsical and super cute. It follows a group of girls banding together to deal with magical and evil things that start happening at their camp.

Poetry: I’ve also been trying to indulge in more poetry compendiums to fend off readers burn out. I really enjoyed being submerged in Amanda Lovelace and Omar Sakr’s worlds.

Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOZYA Stories – anthology.
I loved the variety of own voices rep! The story highlights for me were Light Bulb and Questions to ask straight relatives. A breathtakingly beautiful, dark and deep story. And while not really “YA”, still a brilliant personal essay. I felt both deep down in my soul.
View my Full Review | View on Goodreads

Devil’s Ballast by Meg Caddy
Devil’s Ballast is a fictionalised historical YA tale based on the life of female pirate Anne Bonny and is set at the start of Bonny’s pirating career. The friendship between Bonny and Read was the shining highlight of the book for me and I would love to read a sequel that follows the two creating pirate-y mayhem together.
View my Full Review | View on Goodreads

Hive (Hive #1) & Rogue (Hive #2) by A.J. Betts
I finished the last page of Hive, made a fresh cup of tea and started reading Rogue, so for me it was one 618-page epic dystopian Australian story. The only thing that could have made it better would have been some queer characters – But they were two lovely and exciting books that focused mainly on friendship and exploring the world around the protagonist.
View my Full joint Review | Hive on Goodreads | Rogue on Goodreads

Meet Me at the Intersection #ownvoices – anthology
Necessary reading for all Aussie teens and adults alike. A brilliant inclusive anthology featuring #ownvoices authors from marginalised groups. This anthology shows how beautiful and diverse Australia can be, but also how we need to look after each other better.
Stars In Our Eyes, Sheer Fortune, DNA, The Other Son and The Last Stop were highlights for me.
View on Goodreads

It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood
It Sounded Better in My Head is a new #LoveOzYA Contemporary YA Romance that is adorable, entertaining, relatable and warmed my heart. And while it may be a romance, there is also a heavy focus on friendship – which is always a winner for me.
Full Review COMING SOON | View on Goodreads

Buckley’s Unexpected Adventure by Dion Summergreene
I’m part of the #AusYABloggers tour for this #LoveOzMG title, it kicks off on Monday the 5th with review posts my myself and Star. So come back (pretty please) on Monday and or follow along with the tour HERE.
Full Review COMING SOON | View on Goodreads

Conclusion: June was that crazy that I didn’t even get a bookish babble reading round up posted. July was a little better. I did a Q&A with author Helen Scheuerer HERE and a Queer Book Chat HERE (over on the #AusYABloggers site) with fellow queer book lover and out and proud lesbian, Star.

I also partook in a seven day, no descriptions, black and white photo challenge on Instagram, which was kinda fun and changed up my feed for a while.

Shane and I signed up for the Camp Quality FUNx4, you can read about that HERE.

Past Monthly Summaries: Jan 19 ∣ Feb 19 ∣ Mar 19 ∣ April 19 ∣ May 19

Thanks for visiting sarahfairbairn.com 🙂
Until next time, enjoy your shelves 🙂

May 2019 Bookish Summary

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Total books read in May: 4
Comics/ Graphic Novels = 0  |  #LoveOzYA / #LoveNzYA = 1 |  the remainder = 3

River Stone by Rachel Hennessy #LoveOZYA
River Stone is the first book in a new dystopian trilogy. It has a fresh and unique feel that drew me in right from the start and kept me hooked until the last page. It is a story of survival, of adapting, of friendship, of being human, and of being a teenager living in the shadow of expectation.
Published May 1st 2019 by MidnightSun Publishing [My Full Review] [View on Goodreads]

The Little Wave by Pip Harry #LoveOZMG
The Little is a delightful Middle Grade verse novel, and even though it deals with grief, bullying, navigating new friendships and the struggles of low-SES families, it is an immensely enjoyable read. Regardless of your age it will leave you with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart.
Published May 7th 2019 by UQP Books [My Full Review] [View on Goodreads]

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
An adorable YA graphic novel about friendship, family, young love, expectations, identity, fancy fashion and following your dreams.
Published February 13th 2018 by First Second [View on Goodreads]

Concrete Queers – issue 5 (poetry), 8 (music) and 11 (home).
Concrete Queers is a zine made by queer people for queer people, edited by Katherine Back and Alison Evans.
I enjoyed reading all three of the zines, but maybe Poetry and Music slightly more – I’ve always had an affinity for both.
Find out more at the Concrete Queers Website and Alison Evan’s etsy zine store.

Conclusion: It was a bit of a slow reading month unfortunately, but I had a lot of other things going on (non-bookish). Fingers crossed I get to devour more books this month.

I made the trek from Newcastle down to Parramatta for the Sydney Writers Festival all day YA love fest. And It was well worth the effort. I got to catch up with some fellow book bloggers and bookstagrammers and attended some fantastic sessions.

I only managed to post two reviews up on the blog during May BUT….. I published a personal essay I wrote about social expectations, sexuality and realisations that come with age. Titled: Me, myself and the land of self-reflection. You check it out HERE. And I published a post titled: Promises to my sons. Part poem, part letter, written to my sons. Check it out if you dare, HERE.

Past Monthly Summaries:
Jan 19 ∣ Feb 19 ∣ Mar 19 ∣ April 19

Thanks for visiting sarahfairbairn.com 🙂
Until next time, enjoy your shelves 🙂

April 2019 Bookish Summary

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Total books read in April: 6

Comics/ Graphic Novels = 0  |  #LoveOzYA / #LoveNzYA = 2 |  the remainder = 4

Highway Bodies by Alison Evans #LoveOZYA
Highway Bodies is an utterly Australian and brilliantly Queer Zombie Apocalypse story with heart and soul. It is a story of survival and learning how to function in a new world. It is a story of friendship and finding a place with people where you feel you belong.
Published February 1st 2019 by Echo Publishing [View on Goodreads]

Winter Wishes of the Heart by Ashley Uzzell
Winter Wishes of the Heart is a short and sweet read for when you need a quick pick me up. It contains four holiday themed tales of romance that were a delight to read. All the stories centre around protagonists dealing with varying levels of social anxiety, I loved that part!
I commend Ashley for fitting so much heart into so few words.
Published November 30th, 2017 by Ashley Uzzell [View on Goodreads]

Stay With Me by Kira Hawke
I went into this thinking I was going to get a little snap shot romance between two guys. What I got was an intense and bitter sweet story of two strangers lives colliding. A bitter sweet short story that highlights some of the worst and best parts of humanity. Wow, just wow. I was blown away by this one! I need to find more works by Kira Hawke!
Published October 18th, 2014 by Kira Hawke [View on Goodreads]

 

Dig by A.S. King
A skilfully written, intense and at times extremely dark tale of terminal illness, poverty, physical & sexual abuse, parental neglect, racism, white privilege and the danger of family legacy.
If you put in the emotional effort and get to the end of the book, you will be rewarded – the ending if worth the journey.
Published April 2nd, 2019 by Text Publishing [View on Goodreads] [View My Full Review]

Lost in LA (The Bikini Collective #2) by Kate McMahon #LoveOZYA
Back with the three Aussie surfer girls again; Lost in LA is a charming tale of friendship and learning to appreciate the things we have, set to the back drop of the Malibu round of the World Junior Tour. There are surfing scenes that are written so descriptively you feel like you are out on the wave and there are friends sticking up for each other and woman banding together – A fantastic combo.
Published February 28th, 2019 by Kate McMahon [View on Goodreads] [View My Full Review]

Concrete Queers – issue 4 (romance), #6 (smut) and #7 (spec fic).
Concrete Queers is a zine made by queer people for queer people, edited by Katherine Back and Alison Evans.
I enjoyed all three zines very much, but there was a personal essay by Tegan Elizabeth in the romance issue that I really connected with.
Find out more at the Concrete Queers Website and Alison Evan’s etsy zine store.

Conclusion: April, oh April where did you go. You came in a rush and I don’t want to let you go. While I only managed to read 3 actual books this month (with some short stories and zines in between), it was still a fantastic month as the Newcastle Writers Festival took place. This year was my 5th year volunteering at the festival and yet again I had a great time. Friday was the highlight for me as I was ushering as part of the schools program and it was so fantastic to see the kids and authors engaging.

The Newcastle Writers Festival first ran in 2013, I heard about it through the Hunter Writers Centre, of which I was a member at the time, and attended the festival as a patron. I missed 2014 (baby drama), but started Volunteering in 2015 and will continue into the foreseeable future.

 Past Monthly Summaries: Jan 19 ∣ Feb 19 ∣ Mar 19

Thanks for visiting The Adventures of SacaKat.
Until next time, enjoy your shelves :-).

March 2019 Bookish Summary

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Total books read in March: 6

Comics/ Graphic Novels = 3  |  #LoveOzYA / #LoveNzYA = 0 |  the remainder = 3

The Quiet at the End of the World by Lauren James.
A YA Sci-Fi tale that follows Lowrie and Shen, the last teenagers on earth, as they live in the aftermath of a virus that caused global infertility. There are plenty of twists and turns and plenty of moments that make you ponder life and what it means to live.
Published March 7th, 2019 by Walker Books [View on Goodreads] [My Full Review Here].

Runaways, Vol. 4: True Believers by Brian K. Vaughan,  Adrian Alphona & Craig Yeung.
The teens get a grave visit from the future, fight off against some retired superheros and dodge a supreme bad guy. I wasn’t as into this one as the previous three, but it was still enjoyable and it ended with a cliff-hanger that has me keen for Vol.5.
Published November 29th, 2006 by Marvel [View on Goodreads].

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour.
A queer contemporary tale of a young woman drowning in, then dealing with her grief for the grandfather and life she’s lost and for the mother she never knew. A beautiful story that will break your heart, then turn around and heal it.
Published March 5th, 2019 by UQP [View on Goodreads] [My Full Review Here].

Long Macchiatos and Monsters by Alison Evans.
A sweet and heart-warming 44-page story set in Melbourne. It’s a meet cute and the two MAIN characters giving it Transgender and Nonbinary representation (woop woop). Alison is the bomb when it comes to inclusive queer YA, but I’d have to say this short would be considered an adult because of the sex.
Published January 28th, 2015 by Less Than Three Press, LLC [View on Goodreads].

Heartstopper Volume One by Alice Oseman.
I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading this. It is just about the sweetest thing I’ve read. Two teen boys meet, grow as friends, one openly gay, the other not so much, and the ending leaves us with the hope they could be more.
Published February 7th, 2019 by Hodder Children’s Books [View on Goodreads].

Darcy Swipes Left (OMG Classics) by Courtney Carbone (Adaptor) & Jane Austen.
Pride and Prejudice told entirely through social media posts and emojis. I’ve previously read the Shakespeare retellings in this series and enjoyed them. This wasn’t bad, but how could you ever capture the beauty of P&P in so few pages.
Published September 27th, 2016 by Random House Books [View on Goodreads].

Conclusion:

March was an off month for me reading wise. I only actually managed to read two full length books, I just had too much going on.
I did however manage to write and publish a short poem, which i’m going to try and do each month and I got to do a fun Q&A with author Michael Earp.

Read I Can’t, a poem HERE

Read Michael Earp Q&A HERE

 Past Monthly Summaries:  Oct 18 ∣ Nov 18 ∣ Dec 18 ∣ Jan 19 ∣ Feb 19 ∣

Thanks for visiting The Adventures of SacaKat 🙂

Until next time, enjoy your shelves :-).

February 2019 Bookish Summary

/ Riot @ Absidity Art - Sarah Fairbairn / 7 Comments

Total books read in February: 8

Comics/ Graphic Novels = 2  |  #LoveOzYA / #LoveNzYA = 3 |  the remainder = 3

I Had Such Friends by Meg Gatland-Veness #LoveOzYa [Full Review Here].
The story follows Hamish during his last year of high school. We journey with him as he discovers his sexuality and self-identity. This story is filled with grief, hate, and heartbreaking sadness.
Published August 1st 2018 by Pantera Press [View on Goodreads].

Songs That Sound Like Blood by Jared Thomas #LoveOzYa [Full Review Here].
A beautiful coming of age tale about a young aboriginal girl coming out and discovering herself. This story is filled with courage, love and music. A heartfelt yarn that I highly recommend you read.
Published August 1st 2016 by Magabala Books [View on Goodreads].

Aurealis #99 by Michael Pryor, Alan Baxter, Michael Earp, Aaron Emmel, Gillian Polack, Chris Large & Russell Kirkpatrick.
I’d never read an issue of Aussie Sci-fi zine Aurealis before and I picked this one up because I wanted to read Michael Earp’s short story. I’m glad I did. Michael’s short story was brilliant, and I enjoyed the other shorts & articles.
Published April 9th, 2017 by Chimaera Publications [View on Goodreads].

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath [Full Review Here].
Should I be worried about how much I saw of myself in Esther Greenwood, a character that Plath based on herself?
This was one of the darkest and most beautiful things I’ve ever read. It was compulsive reading. The story, the writing, the words, the girl, it sucked me in.
Published 2006 by Harper Perennial Modern Classics (first published January 1963) [View on Goodreads].

Defensive Play (Boys on the Brink) by Jamie Deacon [Full Review Here].
A boy meets boy tale. We follow Davey as he gets his first boyfriend and comes out to his family and friends. It was a quick and cute read that I really enjoyed.
Published November 30th, 2018 by Beaten Track Publishing [View on Goodreads].

Runaways, Vol. 2: Teenage Wasteland by Brian K. Vaughan & Adrian Alphona.
Collects Runaways vol. 1, issues #7-12.
All the things I loved about Pride and Joy (issues #1-6) continue in this engrossing teen tale.
Published July 19th, 2006 by Marvel Comics [View on Goodreads].

Runaways, Vol. 3: The Good Die Young by Brian K. Vaughan & Adrian Alphona.
Collects Runaways vol. 1, issues #13-18.
And so the first story arc ends, but we are left with an opening for another and set up for the rest of the series – which I’m looking forward to reading 😊
Published June 7th, 2006 by Marvel Comics [View on Goodreads].

Freedom Swimmer by Wai Chim #LoveOzYa.
Based on the real-life events of the authors father and set in 1960’s China, Freedom Swimmer is a story of oppression, survival, friendship, hope and freedom. It is beautiful and powerful, and I implore you to read it.
I was in the water with Ming, willing him to keep moving forward.
Published September 1st, 2016 by Allen & Unwin [View on Goodreads].

Conclusion: How the heck is it march already? Where did February go?!
I had to DNF a book in february, my first for 2019 and my first in years! I’m still bummed about it, but life’s too short and my time’s too valuable (obviously this book does not appear above). While I enjoyed all my completed reads this month, Defensive Play was a highlight for me – it was a super cute and quick queer read.

Past Monthly Summaries: Oct 18 ∣ Nov 18 ∣ Dec 18 ∣ Jan 19

Thanks for visiting The Adventures of SacaKat.
Until next time, enjoy your shelves :-).