iksme's reviews
140 reviews

Sistersong by Lucy Holland

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

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

5.0

Mind-blowing. In a publishing world full of Greek mythology retellings and a English school system that starts with 1066, there is a deep hope I feet when I closed this book, that our ancient folklore may be remembered by more than the few who seek it out. And also the trans main character made my heart sing. 10/10 read from start to finish.

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

4.25

Absolute slay, would recommend. I realised I follow books better when they are written from a woman's perspective.

The Sisterhood by Katherine Bradley

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

"This is a story about love" A feminist retelling of 1984 with a hint of intersectionality. It builds on the original text in an organic and natural fashion. We follow Julia and learn about her past and present. We learn her side of their relationship. It is compleatley different.

The House of Sorrowing Stars by Beth Cartwright

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

This Land: The Struggle for the Left by Owen Jones

informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

A clear dissection of the events and trials of Jeremy Corbyn's time as Labour leader, told from a leftist perspective, counteracting the overpowering narrative of the right-wing media in this country

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

challenging sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Every time I read this book, it emotionally destroys me. It is similar to an out-of-body experience. You will cry if you read this, even if you usually don't. It is a deep and sickeningly realistic depiction of what it is like to experience trauma and its effects on the community, including the beginnings of collective community trauma. There is a main character who is a queer domestic violence survivor, and her story is so thought out, so real it is as though she is guiding you through this book. this read hurt my heart and helped me feel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Gaslighting, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexual harassment

Mine Would Be You by K. Jamila
Did not finish book. Stopped at 21%.

I would not read this book if it were actually fanfiction. It reads like a plumped-up version of my immortal, and that is worse than a 1-star review.

The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

Cute read, a solid book, well written with very few clunky metaphors. But nothing more than that. Its adorable and exactly what I needed (I read cute and fluffy romance when I'm stressed).

Running with Lions by Julian Winters

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

This book is amazing if you treat it like published fanfiction, it has clunky metaphors and lines which don't quite fit, BUT the cuteness is almost too much. The couple are adorable. I would definitely recommend it to people, but only on the fanfic condition.

Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig

hopeful informative fast-paced

4.0

A book that made me feel so seen, feminism has always felt like it's for the "normal" people, and I never questioned that. Thank you to this book for allowing me to realise there is an intersection between feminism and disability. I can finally see myself there now.