#TsundokuSquad Book of the Month - February - Paris By Starlight (SPOILERS)

Book Title: Paris By Starlight

Author: Robert Dinsdale

My Rating: 3*

Publisher: Del Rey

Publication Date: 05/11/20

Genre(s): Fantasy, Magical Realism, Romance

Pages: 480

Format Read: Hardback

Goodreads: Every city has its own magic...

Every night on their long journey to Paris from their troubled homeland, Levon’s grandmother has read to them from a very special book. Called The Nocturne, it is a book full of fairy stories and the heroic adventures of their people who generations before chose to live by starlight.

And with every story that Levon’s grandmother tells them in their new home, the desire to live as their ancestors did grows. And that is when the magic begins…

Nobody can explain why nocturnal water dogs start appearing at the heels of every citizen of Paris-by-Starlight like the loyal retainers they once were. There are suddenly night finches in the skies and the city is transforming: the Eiffel Tower lit up by strange ethereal flowers that drink in the light of the moon.

But not everyone in Paris is won over by the spectacle of Paris-by-Starlight. There are always those that fear the other, the unexplained, the strangers in our midst. How long can the magic of night rub up against the ordinariness of day? How long can two worlds occupy the same streets and squares before there is an outright war?

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu Book Review & Film Comparison (SPOILERS)

 Book Title: Moxie

Author: Jennifer Mathieu

My Rating: 5*

Publisher: Hodder

Publication Date: 21/09/17

Genre(s): YA, Feminism, Contemporary

Pages: 340

Format Read: Paperback

Goodreads: Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with her high school teachers who think the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes, hallway harassment and gross comments from guys during class. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules.

Viv's mum was a tough-as-nails, punk rock Riot Grrrl in the '90s, and now Viv takes a page from her mother's past and creates Moxie, a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She's just blowing off steam, but other girls respond and spread the Moxie message. As Viv forges friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, she realises that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.

The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe Book Review

 Book Title: The Girls I’ve Been

Author: Tess Sharpe

My Rating: 4*

Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books

Publication Date: 04/02/21

Genre(s): YA, Thriller, LGBT

Pages: 336

Format Read: E-book Arc

Goodreads: Nora O’Malley’s been a lot of girls. As the daughter of a con-artist who targets criminal men, she grew up as her mother’s protégé. But when mom fell for the mark instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con: escape.

For five years Nora’s been playing at normal. But she needs to dust off the skills she ditched because she has three problems:

#1: Her ex walked in on her with her girlfriend. Even though they’re all friends, Wes didn’t know about her and Iris.

#2: The morning after Wes finds them kissing, they all have to meet to deposit the fundraiser money they raised at the bank. It’s a nightmare that goes from awkward to deadly, because:

#3: Right after they enter bank, two guys start robbing it.

The bank robbers may be trouble, but Nora’s something else entirely. They have no idea who they’re really holding hostage…

*thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review*

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus Review

Book Title: The Cousins

Author: Karen M. McManus

My Rating: 4*

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 03/12/20

Genre(s): Young Adult, Mystery

Pages: 325

Format Read: Paperback

Goodreads: The Storys are the envy of their neighbours: owners of the largest property on their East Coast island, they are rich, beautiful, and close. Until it all falls apart. The four children are suddenly dropped by their mother with a single sentence:

You know what you did.

They never hear from her again.

Years later, when 18-year-old cousins Aubrey, Milly and Jonah Story receive a mysterious invitation to spend the summer at their grandmother's resort, they have no choice but to follow their curiosity and meet the woman who's been such an enigma their entire lives.

This entire family is built on secrets, right? It's the Story legacy.

This summer, the teenagers are determined to discover the truth at the heart of their family. But some secrets are better left alone.

#TsundokuSquad Book of the Month- January (SPOILERS)

Hello!

In my last post I introduced the #TsundokuSquad book club I am a part of and today I am going to share our views on our first book! We chose Love at the Northern Lights by Darcie Boleyn. We read about 25% of the book every week and talked about it at the weekend.