I am back to book blogging but will no longer be blogging on Read Think Ponder.
You can now find me here, at The Quiet Pond.
I’m quitting book blogging. Thank you for everything.
Well, the title says it all, really: I’m quitting book blogging.
Freedom Swimmer by Wai Chim – A powerful and unforgettable story about daring to dream, bravery, and freedom
Summary:
Ming survived the famine that killed his parents during China’s ‘Great Leap Forward’, and lives a hard but adequate life, working in the fields… When a group of city boys comes to the village as part of a Communist Party re-education program, Ming and his friends aren’t sure what to make of the new arrivals. They’re not used to hard labour and village life. But despite his reservations, Ming befriends a charming city boy called Li. The two couldn’t be more different, but slowly they form a bond over evening swims and shared dreams…But as the bitterness of life under the Party begins to take its toll on both boys, they begin to imagine the impossible: freedom.
My review:
Note: review will discuss themes that may be distressing; tw’s for death and poverty
Before I delve into my high praises for this book, I want you to go into this book review knowing one thing: Freedom Swimmer by Wai Chim was based on the author’s father’s life. I didn’t know this when I read Freedom Swimmer; I only knew when I read the very end. So, knowing this, let me tell you how much I love Freedom Swimmer, and why you and everyone should read one of my top reads of 2017.
An Author Interview with C.B. Lee, the mind and soul behind Not Your Sidekick!
Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, friends!
I have a real treat for all of you today. I had the privilege and honour to interview one of my favourite authors, C.B. Lee! C.B., or Carrie, is the author of the fantastic Not Your Sidekick and brilliant Not Your Villain. In case you’ve missed it, Not Your Villain released this week and I adored it – I even gush about it in my review of it here! I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to interview Carrie. I absolutely adore her work, and this interview was a great way to engage with her work and stories even more.
Not Your Villain by C.B. Lee – Trans superhero MC, teens fighting for what’s right, and… confessing to your crush? (Yes please!)
Summary:
Bells Broussard thought he had it made when his superpowers manifested early. Being a shapeshifter is awesome. He can change his hair whenever he wants, and if putting on a binder for the day is too much, he’s got it covered. But that was before he became the country’s most-wanted villain.
After discovering a massive cover-up by the Heroes’ League of Heroes, Bells and his friends Jess, Emma, and Abby set off on a secret mission to find the Resistance. Meanwhile, power-hungry former hero Captain Orion is on the loose with a dangerous serum that renders meta-humans powerless, and a new militarized robotic threat emerges. Everyone is in danger. Between college applications and crushing on his best friend, will Bells have time to take down a corrupt government?
Sometimes, to do a hero’s job, you need to be a villain.
I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
My review:
In case you didn’t know, Not Your Sidekick was my favourite book of 2017, and remains to be one of my favourite books of all time. So, you can imagine how excited and ecstatic I was I was given the privilege to read its sequel, Not Your Villain! I adored Not Your Villain, and I cannot wait to tell you why.
