bookwyrmdancer's reviews
472 reviews

Weyward by Emilia Hart

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes

5.0


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The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense

5.0

Nobody's Perfect by Stephanie Butland

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood by Lucy Jones

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I’m not sure how to adequately express how much I loved this book. I generally tend towards fiction rather than non fiction and it takes a special kind of non fiction book to capture and hold my attention - an even more special kind to earn five stars and a place on my favourite books list. Matrescence is that kind of special.

I started reading it when I was just a few weeks into new motherhood. It has taken me 6 months to finish it (reading a hardback becomes much harder with a baby around!). Motherhood is something I have yearned for for a long time and when it finally arrived it broke me apart in unexpected ways. This book made me feel so SEEN. It echoed many of my thoughts, feelings and frustrations back to me. It explained some of the unexplainable. It took some of the most isolating moments of my life and showed me I was not, in fact, alone in them. It is beautifully written, thoroughly researched, honest and impassioned. It is essential reading and - I can’t emphasise this enough - not just for mothers! Not even just for parents. For anyone and everyone. It shines a light on a central but significantly overlooked element of our society and offers a call to arms for lasting positive change. It also unlocks the wonder and the terror of one of the most transformative human experiences. Read it.
The Christmas Book Club by Sarah Morgan

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0

Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I adored this book. A love letter to the power of stories to help, heal or simply offer escape, and a poignant reflection on the most challenging period of our times. Stephanie Borland beautifully weaves together snippets of story from different characters lives as they navigate the Covid-19 pandemic. This book is raw, emotional and very, very human. I picked it up without looking at what it was about based purely on how much I enjoyed Lost for Words and this was not at all the story I expected. Depending on your personal experience of the pandemic, this book could be quite challenging or triggering - it does not shy away from the heartbreaking realities of the pandemic and the grief, both collective and individual, that it brought. But it is also lovely in the way it captures the best of humanity that arose during that time. It is a beautiful tapestry of ordinary lives marked by extraordinary times. It made me feel quite emotional to read it but I am so glad I did because it also felt like an important acknowledgment of what we all went through - are still coming through. It also contains a whole host of excellent book recommendations for both pandemic induced and every day ailments. I’ll definitely be revisiting the book pharmacy.

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The Best, Most Awful Job: Twenty Writers Talk Honestly About Motherhood by Katherine May

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad

5.0

I just loved this collection of essays. Beautiful and real, they capture some of the nuances of motherhood that are too little spoken about. The hold a mirror up to the contradictory nature of this best, most awful job, revealing both the indescribable joy and unfathomable darkness of life as a mother.

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The Witches of Vardø by Anya Bergman

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0


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