Bookish Enby

Book Review: Summer Bird Blue

Posted on July 4, 2019February 25, 2020 by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Rep: Mixed Kids of Immigrants; Queer Rep ( Aromantic Asexual; F/F couple)
Recommend: Yes!

Warnings for the story: No major ones but there is a car crash, that could be triggering for some

Rumi is Aromantic Asexual. Much much needed rep for both! Rumi looses her younger sister in a car crash, and looses the gift to create music. Something she only ever did with her sister.

Deals with grief, healing past and current family wounds. I don’t know if author is Aromantic Asexual or not, so can’t say if ownvoices.

Book Review: Starfish

Posted on July 4, 2019February 25, 2020 by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Rep: Japanese-American rep
Recommend: Yes!

Warnings for the book: Childhood Sexual abuse; Someone tries to commit suicide; Abusive Mother

Kiko has her dream school picked out and everything sorted. Until, she doesn’t get in. A horror many dread. Her mother is a mess, her uncle may have done thing her Mother is covering up, her father has started a new family with someone else.

I read Summer Bird Blue first, and I do think I loved that one more. I did greatly enjoy the one too however. Unlike, Summer Bird Blue, there is no queer rep. I don’t know if the author herself has experienced sexual abuse so I can’t say weather this is ownvoices or not.

I would say to still get this book. It flew completely under the radar. I never heard of this book nor the author.

Book Review: How To Hang A Witch

Posted on May 31, 2019February 25, 2020 by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: How To Hang A Witch by Adriana Mather
Rep: None
Recommend?: Yes!

The author is a direct descadent of Cotton Mather from the salem witch trials, which makes this story so intresting.

Sam moves to Salem, Mass and runs afoul of a group of kids who are descadent of the Salem Witches hung during the trials.

A kinda sorta love triangle but Sam chooses quickly and stays with him in both books. So, I could handle it.

Kinda a book that flew under the radar but shouldn’t be missed!

Book Review: Spellbook Of The Lost And Found

Posted on May 31, 2019February 25, 2020 by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: Spellbook Of The Lost And Found
Rep: Queer Witches In Ireland
Recommend?: Totally!
Trigger Warnings: off page rape; Drug abuse and acholo abuse

It’s Summer and I’m in a witchy mood so going to do some witch-themed book reviews!

This book you spend the whole time wondering if anyone is really a witch, what *is* the spellbook of lost and found,ect. Magickal realism is one of my favorite styles.

All the teenagers are named after flowers, so it can be abit tricky to remember who is who, and which time line.

Olive and Rose are one set of kids in this tale. Rose *is* raped off page at the bone fire, so you never see the act at all. Hazel and her twin brother Rowan both love Ivy. They believe their mother is dead and each blame themselves for the fire that started.

It’s a tale of be careful what you ask for, and sometimes what is lost is meant to stay lost.

It’s a total mind trip but this book is so good.

Book Review: The Lost Coast

Posted on May 30, 2019February 25, 2020 by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta
Rep:
Danny: Lesbian
Imogen: Lesbian
Rush: Lesbian
June: pacific islander; lesbain
Hawthorn: black; bisexual
Lelia: tan; greyromantic greysexual; non-binary
Recommoned? : Totally!

Great mix of rep. The magick each girl ( Lelia stays with She the whole book) does is super cool and very different from each other. Out of the girls, I think I relate best to Imogen, she kinda reminds me of Luna. That airy, watery dreamer who has one foot only in reality. Plus water witches are so cool.

The book to my knowledge is a stand-alone and does tie up neatly at the end.

Totally get this book for queer witches in alive forest

Book Review: These Witches Don’t Burn

Posted on May 30, 2019February 25, 2020 by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling
Rep: Hannah is a Lesbian; Verionca makes some odd comments so she is either Bisexual or Lesbian; Morgan is Bisexual; Cal is Transgender ( i believe FTM); There is a wife and wife couple in the covan with a baby.
Recommed?: Totally!

So much rep, and the author is a married Lesbian herself so Ownvoices on top of what I already listed. Story takes place in Salem, Mass. I can understand the eye rolls at that location but as an rl Witch who lives in Mass, Salem will always be our Mecca.

I don’t know how many books ate planned in the series, Goodreads only lists 2.

There IS a case of one animal sacrifced. It is sorta off page and we only show up after the fact. So kinda a trigga warning. Also Verionca tries to forceably hook up Hannah with a guy at the bone fire and makes rude comments about Hannah having to “get used to men hitting on you”. She also spends alot of the book trying to force herself on Hannah and shames Hannah for going on a date with Morgan then promptly has sex with Savannah.

I would still totally rec this book for all the great rep.

Book Review: I Wish You All The Best

Posted on May 30, 2019February 25, 2020 by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: I wish you all the best by Mason Deaver
Rep: Ben is Non-Binary, Their sexual/romantic isn’t given; Nate is Black and Bisexual; Mariam Haidari is Muslim and Non-Binary, They are dating a girl; The author is Non-Binary so this story is OwnVoices.
Recommend?: Totally!

Ben’s coming out went alot worse than my own. I wasn’t disowned but instead my parents still call me a “she” and use female-coded gendered words when I have stated during my coming out that I am not a girl and I want They/Them/Theirs.

Finding Non-Binary rep is nearly impossible so I was unsure how this book would be, as no two Non-Binary people have the same extact world view. I’m Genderfluid, that already colors my Non-Binary existance very differently.

I love love love the use of “They” for Ben and others in the book. It might normalize it’s usage the more it’s used in YA novels.

Totally get on this book!

Book Review: Don’t Date Rosa Santos

Posted on May 30, 2019February 25, 2020 by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: Dont date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno
Rep: Rosa is Bisexual; Casual use of real world Witchcraft
Recommend?: Totally!

I tend to roll my eyes at romance (I’m super Aro, sorry peeps!) but this one was really cute and soft. I loved that the curse is less like Lena from Beauitful Creatures and more inter-family folklore. There is so much ‘Is it real?’ and “What is the curse REALLY about?”. I love books on family were the family is flawed but not cruel to one another.

It is YA but Rosa is 18 and Alex is already dropped out of first year of Collage. So, Not your typcial ages for a YA novel (which seems to be 14-16 in most cases).

Even if you loath romance, this book is so cute, you totally gotta go on this book!

Book Review: Illuminae

Posted on May 16, 2019February 25, 2020 by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: Illuminae by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman
Rep: None
Trigger Warnings: Images of War

Like with their newer books, talks of anti-tech and a sickness that creates zombie-like humans is featured here.

It’s a much older book so lack of rep isn’t too shocking but rep would have been nice.

I totally recommend this book. I have yet to read Gemina and Obsido. I was going to wait until I had but the book was begging for me to review it. Once i read all 3 books in the series, I’ll do a review of the series as a whole.