The left-handed booksellers of London, by Garth Nix

Title: The left-handed booksellers of London
Author: Garth Nix
Genre/ issues: Urban fantasy. Magic. Mythology.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

But – yes there’s a but. It felt like this was a book I’d have really loved if I’d read it at another time, but today it was just a book I pretty much enjoyed. I think that’s on me rather than the intricately detailed world that Garth Nix has created. If fantasy in mostly recognisable worlds is your thing, and you love a good book which values books and bookstores as part of its narrative, I’d recommend giving The Left-Handed Booksellers of London a go. I’d like to think I could be a left handed bookseller, but I’m pretty sure I’d be more likely to be a right handed one. And that’s ok too.

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 76/100

Happy reading,

They both die at the end, by Adam Silvera

Title: They both die at the end
Author: Adam Silvera
Genre/ issues: YA. Queer fiction. Friendship. Death.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

They Both Die at the End, by Adam Silvera. Sigh. They really did, huh? I mean, it’s right there on the cover. I’ve seen countless reviews where people talked about hoping against hope that they’d get to the end and discover that Rufus and Mateo made it past the end alive and intact. I guess, once I met them, I was just holding out hope that this had all been some elaborate ruse that everyone was in on, and I’d finish the book to discover they made it ok too. Sigh.
So, the premise is fairly simple. Roughly current day, but there’s a corporation that has the ability to know who is going to die, so from midnight people who are scheduled to die at some point in the next 24 hours get the call. They know it’s their last day, and they get to decide how to live it, and who to live it with. Rufus and Mateo live very different lives, but have their own reasons for seeking out a stranger, a fellow Decker, to share their last day with. What follows is an epic 24 hours – well, slightly less than 24 I guess – in which these two amazing souls criss-cross New York and get to know each other, and themselves, much better. I love the interplay of other characters’ lives, some weaving in very briefly with our main characters, others recurring, but all impacting in some way on the course of this heartbreaking and beautiful final day. How would you spend tomorrow if you knew it was your last? Would you be happy with how you spent today? I’m leaving this book reflecting on what’s important to me, and what’s really not in the grand scheme of things. It’s a beautiful read.

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 75/100

Happy reading,

The extraordinaries by TJ Klune

Title: The extraordinaries
Author: TJ Klune
Genre/ issues: YA. Superheroes. Friendship. Queer fiction. Mental health.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, search Indies to locate your closest independent bookstore, or find it on Booktopia. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I love a good superhero story. Can’t get enough YA fiction. And books with great queer characters? Sign me up. I read The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune earlier this year and it’s easily one of the best books I’ve read, this year and for a long time before that really. So I was excited to read some more of their work.

The Extraordinaries tells the story of Nick, who struggles with his ADHD, has a fantastic group of friends, and writes a popular fanfiction about the superheroes in Nova City with a heavy dose of teen lust over Shadow Star. If I had to describe this book in one sentence, I’d say it’s what The Boys would be if it was a wholesome quirky queer YA novel.

I personally found some of the plot twists a bit predictable, but that didn’t in any way minimise my enjoyment of it – and, let’s face it, a mid-40s cishet woman is probably not the target audience for this book! I loved the characters – Nick’s feelings for Seth and his bow ties, Jazz and Gibby’s banter, and Nick’s dad’s overwhelming desire to protect his son all felt really authentic and engaging. The way that Nick’s struggle with ADHD is represented was particularly great, and I think would resonate will readers who deal with this themselves. I’m assuming given the stinger at the very end that we’ll see more in this universe, and I’m here for it.

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 64/100

Happy reading,

Truel1f3, by Jay Kristoff

Title: Truelife
Author: Jay Kristoff
Genre/ issues: Sci-fi. YA fiction. Dystopian fiction. Artificial intelligence.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, search Indies to locate your closest independent bookstore, or find it on Booktopia. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 60/100

Happy reading,