jennybeautifulbook's reviews
889 reviews

Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices by S.K. Ali, Aisha Saeed

5.0

 This was SUCH a cute and heartwarming read. Reading this on Eid made this book so much beautiful.  This anthology was holistic and wholesome, intertwining each story with morals and essential islamic principles: faith, generosity, love, acceptance and hope.  This book will not only touch your heart but also open your eyes. I will be forever grateful to all the author's who contributed their pieces to the book 

The Bunnicula Collection: Books 1-3: #1: Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery; #2: Howliday Inn; #3: The Celery Stalks at Midnight by Deborah Howe, James Howe

4.0

 I really loved this! It was so wholesome and I wish I could have discovered it when I was younger.
I found myself laughing all the time during this story at Harold and Chester's crazy antics. 

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa

4.0

 I very much liked Mar and Bas, both complex characters and likeable in their individual ways; both following in their father’s footsteps and striving to do right by their families and their crews. I particularly enjoyed the banter between them and the whole frenemies-to-more vibe they had going on.

The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight by R.L. Stine

4.0

 I enjoyed this one a lot. I love the setting of a scenic, isolated rural farm where anything can happen and help is far away; it's the perfect setting for a scary story, and this story definitely has its scary moments. The characters were mostly good, and the story flowed well and kept me heavily invested. 

Autumncrow by Cameron Chaney

4.5

This is a book of short stories based around a strange town called Autumncrow. They vary in subjects but all are creepy! The writing in the collection was straightforward with an easy, casual narration style. I enjoyed the humour sprinkled throughout the stories and found myself laughing aloud several times. Some of the stories were quite fun, fitting the mold of a classic horror narrative, while others were more emotional, stretching outside the usual tropes of the genre. As always with short story collections, I liked some of the stories more than others, but there weren’t any stories that I disliked. 

Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt

2.0

I have nothing to say about this book. 

Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw by Eddie Ndopu

4.5

As I HHA is was eye opening to me. Ndopu got into Oxford University and thought he was breaking down a barrier for disabled individuals. But, even before he got on campus, he runs into issues with obtaining a personal caretaker. It's astonishing.  When he needs more money to help pay for a caretaker, the university tells him to create a gofund me page. Remember: this is to accommodate Ndopu so that he has equal access to meet his most basic needs and the university is unwilling to help. 

Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings

4.0

I enjoyed Jazz's memoir, and think that books like this are so important, we absolutely need to see more on the market. I love that she have a wonderful parents who support her since she was little. I remember watching her show and was amazed on how her parents was so supportive. 

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib

4.0

 An amazing memoir. Habib recounts her childhood as an Ahmadi Muslim in Pakistan, where her family had to hide to stay safe in the face of Islamic extremists and then how this pattern of hiding combined with sexism and homophobia followed her to Canada, where she felt forced to hide her femininity and queerness. Passages about her finding her people, other queer Muslims, made me cry. 

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

3.5

Honestly, this was just okay. It's clear I've missed what everyone else loves about it. And that's mostly due to the fact that I'm not sure I understood half of it. And maybe I will reread it and enjoy it more the second time.