Review: The Princess and the Prick - Fairytales for Feminists - Walburga Appleseed - October 2020 When The Princess and the Prick by Walburga Appleseed arrived as a birthday gift, I practically squealed with delight. Having devoured Divine Dicks and Mortal Pricks, I knew I was in for a treat, and this feminist humour book for adults did not disappoint. From the very first page, Appleseed takes a wrecking ball to the fairy tales we grew up with, exposing the deeply problematic gender dynamics lurking beneath their sugary surfaces. The opening story sets the tone perfectly: a prince asking if he may kiss Sleeping Beauty, not waiting for an answer because she's unconscious, and kissing her anyway. It's simultaneously hilarious and horrifying , a masterclass in how consent violations were normalized in stories we fed to children for generations.  Each page feels like a gut-punch of recognition as you realize just how much casual sexism was baked into these "innocent" c...

Review: The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians - James Patterson and Matt Eversmann - April 2024 The moment I heard about this book's release, I knew it had to be mine. And honestly? OMFG. Every single page felt like it was written specifically for me – like the author had somehow crawled inside my brain and mapped out my soul. "This is you, Paula," each chapter whispered, and I couldn't look away. But here's the thing about books that mirror your heart so perfectly – they also hold up a reflection of what you've lost. Reading this stirred something bittersweet in me, because once upon a time, I lived and breathed this world. Working in the library wasn't just a job; it was my calling. Helping customers discover their next favourite read, doing readers advisory that's where my passion lived, where my heart sang loudest. Then the environment turned toxic. The place that once felt like sanctuary became suffocating, pushing me to dark places...