Recent Reads Reviewed #22

Happy Christmas Hammy the Wonder Hamster by Poppy Harris - 3/5

Firstly, isn’t this book cover adorable with the festive hamster and graphic type? This was a sweet, engaging book about Hammy the hamster and his owner, Bethany. The idea of a Brainiac, talking hamster was executed quite well, and I particularly like the scene with Hammy venturing out to the snow in Bethany’s garden. I felt because the story was simplistic, it was worth a three star rating.

How to Walk in High Heels by Camilla Morton - 5/5

I was aware of this book for many years, and finally picked it up in a charity shop to read from cover to cover. The basic premise is a practical, yet stylish guide to life for young women, covering things like how to be an art lover, how to understand politics, etc.

The author who is known for working at vogue, and now a columnist in many publications quite rightly showed some flare with her writing. I genuinely found it entertaining and very informative on a range of topics.

Where Are Santa's Pants? by Richard Merritt - 3/5

In a style similar to Where’s Wally, the idea behind this book is to spot Santa’s pants among the detailed Christmassy illustrations on each page. My Mum bought this for a bit of fun for me at Christmas, and I can see the appeal for children to immerse themselves into all the characters and fun things going on in the pictures. It’s nice not to take things too seriously sometimes.

Earth Heroes: 20 Inspiring Stories of People Saving Our World by Lily Dyu - 5/5

While aimed at a slightly younger age than myself I see this book being popular with anyone who has an interest in the current climate crisis. Although I haven’t seen many people mention it online since its release in autumn last year it is a note-worthy read that I recommend you check out.

We follow twenty inspiring stories of people saving our world, each one had a special something that made this the fantastic book it is. Some of the people are well known, while others that are less so are still making significant change. I shed a few tears on a some of the more emotional stories.

The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Guide to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify by Francine Jay - 5/5

I asked for this book for Christmas last year, and read it over the New Year period. It was one of my most anticipated reads going into 2020, and luckily I wasn't disappointed. The joy of less is an important topic that I wanted to explore further, and I found the book covered lots of bases. 

It’s split into sections, first we cover philosophy which in my mind was the most fascinating, and later the author takes us through how to streamline, then room by room and finally lifestyle. The author made some very insightful observations that inspired me and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this read to others.

Paper Girls, Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan - 5/5

I’m thoroughly enjoying the Paper Girls series so far, and volume three did not disappoint. It was nice to see the each of the characters personalities become more developed while the plot remained fast paced and interesting. If you are not familiar with the Paper Girls series, I recommend you give book one a go. Expect to meet a group of head-strong paper girls, within a dystopian time-travelling world.

Grandmas from Mars by Michelle Robinson - 5/5

This was a really strong, well-executed children’s picture book. There’s lots of great stories about Grandmas out there, and this was one of my favourites. We follow Fred, and Nell along with other children in the village who are usually babysitted by their dearest Grandmas. The children soon notice, after an alien invasion that their Grandmas seem a bit off and quickly realise they are imposters. Written in rhyme, and with striking illustrations, children everywhere can learn to appreciate their Grandmas.

What genre of books do you gravitate towards?

Do you read mostly fiction or non-fiction? :-) Xx