georgiasbookescapes's reviews
421 reviews

The Yield by Tara June Winch

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Albert “Poppy” Gondiwindi before dying starts writing a dictionary of the Pama-Nyungan language of the Wiradhuric subgroup of the Wiradjuri people. Poppy raised his family on the banks of the Murrumby River at Prosperous House on Massacre Plains. August Gondiwindi has been living the past 10 years on the other side of the world and has come home following the passing of Poppy. Filled with grief and feelings of guilt at all that passed before. August has now also learned that a mining company is intending to take over her home. And now August must help her family protect their home. 

I started reading this book on the lands of the Ngarrindjeri People and completed it largely on the land of the Kaurna People and I thank them for their commitment to caring for their country ongoing and acknowledge their ongoing connection to land, water and air. It is easy to see why this book has won so many awards. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. Deeply exploring connections to Country and family this book will break your heart. I think it’s safe to say Winch is an easy new favourite author of mine!

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Ari Abrams is the local meteorologist following a life long passion and works for the legendary Torrence Hale who she’s always idolised. But lately Torrence has been distracted in personal disputes with her ex-husband Seth who also works the news station. In a bid to make some positive changes, Ari and sports presenter Russel Barringer team up to pull a Parent Trap for Torrence and Seth. And as time continues, feelings begin to grow unexpectedly.

THIS BOOK IS SO DAMN CUTE!!! With Jewish representation once again present and this time Mental Health representation it’s another fast favourite for me by Solomon! If you’re looking for your next favourite rom-com - look no further! 😍

I Didn't Sign Up for This: A Couples Therapist Shares Real-Life Stories of Breaking Patterns and Finding Joy in Relationships . . . Including Her Own by Tracy Dalgleish

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Dr Dalgleish is a clinical psychologist from Canada with over 15 years therapeutic experience, largely working with couples and with relationship counselling. Dr Dalgleish shares 5 different couples stories. 3 who are couples she sees both of, one person she sees on their own, and Dr Dalgleish shares her own martial and relationship difficulties and how she had to navigate this. Insightful and full of strategies that you can try at home, this book is insightful and helpful for the right people in the right contexts. 

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Charlie is a tech millionaire, socially anxious and the latest Prince on reality TV show “Ever After”. Dev is a show runner and normally the show runner for the Princesses of the show. Except now he’s suddenly the show runner for the Prince Charlie. Throughout the show with Dev supporting Charlie to connect with the 20 Princesses, questions of who stories get told and why begin to arise in this beautiful LGBTQIA+ heavy representation book!

I LOVE THIS BOOK!! Diversity rep culturally and from the LGBTQIA+ community widely? Yep! Reality TV romance show? Check! I somehow kept on putting off this gem of a book until now and I wish I hadn’t left it for so long because I am now OBSESSED! I read Kiss Her Once For Me first and Ooft. Cochrun is officially a new favourite author for me! 😍 if you’ve been needing a sign to read this one - this is it! Run! Don’t walk! It’ll likely be a new favourite 😍

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

4 students share their perspectives during a school shooting in the USA. The book shares different perspectives from those witnessing this tragedy. How will each of them be affected.

This locker room school shooter perspective provides yet another perspective to such tragedies but one that if to be told quite hits the mark for me. Despite diverse characters, none of the characters quite provided me what I was hoping for in such a tragic story despite such a quick read.

Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Mateo is 18 and receives a call from the death casters. He is going to die at some time today. Rufus is 17 and receives a call from the death casters. He’s going to die at some time today. Mateo and Rufus match on the Last Friend app and spend their last day trying to live fully one last day. 

This. Book. 🥺🥺 it’s easy to see why this one is so popular. It makes you think - what would I do if I knew I would die sometime in the next 24 hours? What do I wish I’d always done? Silvera makes you wonder all these things and makes you fall madly in love with the characters in a YA setting. The only thing I wish is that I read it sooner! 

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Galadriel Higgins, better known as El attends the magical school of Scholomance where surviving school isn’t just a privilege but a task of hard work. There are no teachers and most everything is out to kill you. 

This is the perfect book for most all fans of HP. But better if you want a fantasy book that drops you in the story with minimal initial world building, the most sarcastic heroine and a school that’s designed to kill you unless you learn first. There’s so many aspects and ways I can see why this book is beloved. But as it turned out despite loving the sarcastic MC, being dropped into a fantasy world doesn’t really suit me that much with it not being my theme of choice. Nonetheless thank you Jacinta for getting me to read something different again for my 12 books recommended by 12 friends! 🥰

Love & Autism by Kay Kerr

emotional informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

Kay Kerr is an autistic woman and author who has published two novels and now this non-fiction piece of amazingness! Kerr interviewed 5 different autistic Australians showing how different each autistic person is and how different autism presents for each individual person. If you want to see what it’s like to have autism from a personal perspective and see how individual an experience it is and how there is no one way it is. This is a beautiful book to see how these individuals show love of their own. 💕

Next Of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young

dark emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

24 year old Chloe gets a call - her birth mother has just unexpectedly had another child and she can’t care for her.. can Chloe? Willing to do anything for her new baby sibling Chloe says yes. In an effort to help out kinship carers CPS have started a program called Team Up. In order to get custody of her baby sibling, Chloe needs to show a consistent income, and another kinship cater Warren needs stable accommodation for his brother Luke. So the two are teamed up to begin navigating their kinship care placements. But things begin to shift over time…

Be still my beating romance heart! A very unusual meet cute with sweet intentions of looking at kinship care as a romance this book ticks all the usual romance boxes with a social justice themed twist! If you’re looking for something different… this could be just what you’re looking for!