October 2019 Wrap up

I know that it sounds very cliche but I will say it. I cannot believe that we are already in November and that we are so close to the end of 2019. This year and especially the last four months are very special to me and have changed my whole life and despite what some people think it is difficult to combine the mum life with the reading life. Anyway, I think that I am in a good place now that the baby is almost five months old. 

But enough of my ramblings! Let's see  together the books that I read in October. There is a mix of middle grade, non-fiction and fantasy.

The Magical Pillows ( Τα μαγικά μαξιλάρια) -  Evgenios Trivizas (Ευγένιος Τριβιζάς) --Greek Book--

From an amazing storyteller comes an amazing story, which is funny but full of meaning too. 

This is a Greek children's book that I read now for the first time and really liked.

Broom, Broom (LRB Collections: 7) - Sam Kinchin- Smith (series editor)

This is a non-fiction book and its main theme is witches and the way they were hunted. 

It wasn't one of my favorites.

Harry Potter : A Journey through Divination and Astronomy (A Journey through... #3) - Pottermore Publishing

Another installment of A Journey through series that focuses on the lessons from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft in Harry Potter. This one was about Divination and Astronomy and as the previous ones I really liked it.

The Attic's ghosts ( Τα φαντάσματα της σοφίτας) - Manos Kontoleon (Μάνος Κοντολέων) --Greek Book--

Beautiful story with beautiful messages. I have read it before as a child and when I saw it I grabbed it immediately.  

This is a Greek children's book that I highly recommend.

Fantastic Beasts - The Crimes of Grindelwald: The original screenplay - J. K. Rowling

I liked this one more than the first book and I believed that it also helped the fact that I had seen the movie beforehand.

Professional Ham cutter ( Επαγγελματίας Ζαμπονοκόφτης) - Nikos Bovolos (Νίκος Μπόβολος) --Greek Book--

Small funny stories from a professional ham cutter while working on a supermarket for several years.

Greta and the Giants : inspired by Greta Thunberg's stand to save the world - Zoe Tucker, Zoe Persico  (Illustrations)

It's an inspiring picture book with great illustrations and a great message for everyone.It uses allegory to make the important topic of Climate change accessible to young children.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley




These were all the books I read in October and I think I am slowly getting back on track with my reading.

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!

Athina

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Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker & Wendy Xu (Artist) - A Review

Yesterday was the release day of this beautiful graphic novel that I had the pleasure to read prior to its publication via Edelweiss+. I am talking about Mooncakes written by Suzanne Walker and illustrated by Wendy Xu which is published by Lion Forge. 

It's a beautiful story of love, family and of course witchcraft. It is also a very diverse read and that made it even more enjoyable for me. Mona and Tam are Chinese - American, queer and from unconventional families. Nova is hard - of - hearing and Tam is non-binary.  The rest of the cast is also amazing, especially the grandmothers. The story was really cute and fun and I really liked the style of the illustrations. I think they complemented the story very well. 

Overall this was the graphic novel I didn't know I needed it!!

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

I highly recommend Mooncakes if you want a diverse, witchy and lovely read!!

See you in the next post and don;t forget to keep reading!!!

Athina

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September 2019 Wrap Up

September has come to an end and October is here. This month was a vacation month for my family and as a result the reading was less than I wanted. However, I read six books and most of them were ebooks. 

Let's see them together...

Peter Pan - J. M. Barrie

The classic stoory of Peter Pan, was interesting but not as much as I thought it would be. I hadn't read as a child and maybe that was the reason.

3/5 Stars

The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J.K. Rowling

I really enjoyed reading these stories. They are a good dose of Harry Potter magic after reading the series. I also liked the fact that this edition had notes from Albus Dumbledore.

4/5 Stars

Renos and the band - Magali Le Huche, Eleni Mpakogiorgou (translator)

A very nice and cute book for little children that helps them to learn the music instruments of a band.

4/5 Stars

Harry Potter : A Journey through Care of Magical Creatures (A journey through ... #4) - Pottermore Publishing

Another book based on the lessons in Hogwarts . This one is for the care of magical creatures and has a lot of information about them.

4/5 Stars

House of Salt and Sorrows - Erin A. Craig

I read this book as a buddy read andiI really liked it, especially the second half of it where it gets more fast paced and dark. I liked the characters and the bond between the sisters.

4/5 Stars

A full review will follow soon.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them: The Original Screenplay - J. K. Rowling

I liked the story and how fast paced it was. Because it is a screenplay it read much more quickly than a regular book.


4/5 Stars





Those were the books I read this month.
Have you read any of them? What do you think?

Athina

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