Take a photo of a barcode or cover
libraryoflanelle's reviews
697 reviews
The Fertile Earth: A Novel by Ruthvika Rao
4.5
‘The Fertile Earth’ is a captivating tale of two families set against the backdrop of 1950s to 1970s India. It is a story of the lives of two young people from different social standings, initially drawn together through friendship, and later bound by a tragic event.
When I first requested this book, I knew very little about it, which is often my favourite way to approach a story like this. Family sagas, especially those with a historical nature, can be quite hit or miss for me, but this one was most definitely a hit.
If, like me, you find yourself intimidated by politically charged historical novels, there's no need to worry. Before reading this book, I knew very little about the political landscape of post-partition and post-independence India, but Ruthvika Roa masterfully interweaves this background within the context of the characters we follow, without it ever feeling heavy-handed or overly complex. I became incredibly attached to the main characters and was deeply invested in how their lives would unfold. I could hardly put the book down, driven by the need to know what would happen next. These families and their stories will stay with me for a long time.
What truly stood out to me about this novel was the way each setting was vividly brought to life—from the dense jungles on the outskirts of a rural village, to the uncertainty of a politically charged, bustling city, and back to the jungle bordered village bound by feud and hierarchy. Every location was seamlessly constructed, leaving me well and truly entranced.
I read this book as an audiobook, and I absolutely have to highlight Sneha Mathan’s narration, which kept me utterly hooked. I became completely absorbed in the story and the way it was told. I highly recommend listening to this one on audio if you have the opportunity—I've may have already started a second listen! ;)
Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the audio ARC. All opinions are my own.
When I first requested this book, I knew very little about it, which is often my favourite way to approach a story like this. Family sagas, especially those with a historical nature, can be quite hit or miss for me, but this one was most definitely a hit.
If, like me, you find yourself intimidated by politically charged historical novels, there's no need to worry. Before reading this book, I knew very little about the political landscape of post-partition and post-independence India, but Ruthvika Roa masterfully interweaves this background within the context of the characters we follow, without it ever feeling heavy-handed or overly complex. I became incredibly attached to the main characters and was deeply invested in how their lives would unfold. I could hardly put the book down, driven by the need to know what would happen next. These families and their stories will stay with me for a long time.
What truly stood out to me about this novel was the way each setting was vividly brought to life—from the dense jungles on the outskirts of a rural village, to the uncertainty of a politically charged, bustling city, and back to the jungle bordered village bound by feud and hierarchy. Every location was seamlessly constructed, leaving me well and truly entranced.
I read this book as an audiobook, and I absolutely have to highlight Sneha Mathan’s narration, which kept me utterly hooked. I became completely absorbed in the story and the way it was told. I highly recommend listening to this one on audio if you have the opportunity—I've may have already started a second listen! ;)
Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the audio ARC. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Girls in Love by Jacqueline Wilson
I had a nostalgic time but WOULD NOT RECOMMEND to the target audience. More on why below:
(addition after re-reading the series:the 3rd and 4th books do get better with the below but are still a product of their time)
Much like many people, I am re- reading the ‘Girls’ series with a friend ahead of the release of ‘Think Again’ in September.
I am not giving a star rating because a. I am not the target audience and b. This book is a product of its time, so although nostalgic I would 100% NOT recommend this to teens or pre-teens today.
The main character Ellie, much like many girls of her age both then and now, is very fixated on her weight and dieting. Whilst this is arguably a ‘realistic’ portrayal of teen years, particularly for those socialised as girls, it could be (and likely has been) very triggering for young minds who do not yet have the critical thinking skills to separate themselves from the character’s negative self-talk.
In a world where we are doing so much to discourage diet culture and fatphobia, particularly amongst those socialised as girls, this series feels like it is no longer relevant or helpful for today’s teen minds. I would strongly encourage people not to promote these books to the target demographic as I am of the opinion that it would hinder rather then help.
I will also add that there are a few other problematic things within these pages that would also discourage me from recommending, namely the at times unsafe romantic and parental relationships and the use of the T***** slur toward the end of the book.
Overall, I will be continuing my re-read ahead of Think Again’s release but it’s a big nope from me as a recommendation!
(addition after re-reading the series:the 3rd and 4th books do get better with the below but are still a product of their time)
Much like many people, I am re- reading the ‘Girls’ series with a friend ahead of the release of ‘Think Again’ in September.
I am not giving a star rating because a. I am not the target audience and b. This book is a product of its time, so although nostalgic I would 100% NOT recommend this to teens or pre-teens today.
The main character Ellie, much like many girls of her age both then and now, is very fixated on her weight and dieting. Whilst this is arguably a ‘realistic’ portrayal of teen years, particularly for those socialised as girls, it could be (and likely has been) very triggering for young minds who do not yet have the critical thinking skills to separate themselves from the character’s negative self-talk.
In a world where we are doing so much to discourage diet culture and fatphobia, particularly amongst those socialised as girls, this series feels like it is no longer relevant or helpful for today’s teen minds. I would strongly encourage people not to promote these books to the target demographic as I am of the opinion that it would hinder rather then help.
I will also add that there are a few other problematic things within these pages that would also discourage me from recommending, namely the at times unsafe romantic and parental relationships and the use of the T***** slur toward the end of the book.
Overall, I will be continuing my re-read ahead of Think Again’s release but it’s a big nope from me as a recommendation!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Moderate: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
Minor: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Grief, and Death of parent
The Between by Tananarive Due
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content