Top 5 Wednesday – Books featuring Mental Health

Hey booknerds! It’s another Top 5 Wednesday post! This is hosted by Sam over on Thoughts on Tomes where you share you top 5 for the chosen topic for that week. You can check out each weeks topic over on Goodreads.

At the beginning of this month it was mental health awareness week. It’s so important to speak about mental health and to get rid of the stigma so people who are suffering don’t feel alone and can get help.

One of the things I am seeing more of is books that include characters who suffer from mental health and I’ve read some really great ones and a few that are releasing soon that I’m really looking forward to reading.

1 The Weight of our Sky by Hanna Alkaf – this book deals with a character suffering from OCD and I really loved it.

2 Are we all Lemmings and Snowflakes? By Holly Bourne – this book was so well done and has a cast of characters dealing with different mental health conditions

3 All the Things we Never Said by Yasmin Rahman – releasing soon and I’ve heard really great things

4 The Million Pieces of Neena Gill by Emma Smith-Barton – another book that’s releasing soon and I’m hoping to read the arc soon!

5 No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen – in this book the main characters mum suffers from anxiety and we see how it not only affects her but how it affects him too.

So these are some books that I loved and I am looking forward to reading that feature mental health.

Have you read any books with great mental health rep?

Top 5 Wednesday – Rainy Day Reads

Hey booknerds! It’s another Top 5 Wednesday post! This is hosted by Sam over on Thoughts on Tomes where you share you top 5 for the chosen topic for that week. You can check out each weeks topic over on Goodreads.

I’m a mood reader so I tend to decide what book to read depending on what I feel like picking up at the time but I think it would be nice to read a contemporary book while cosied up on the sofa or bed with a cup of tea and a blanket.

So these are some contemporaries that I loved and think would be great to read on a rainy day!

1 Geekerella by Ashley Poston – a geeky retelling of Cinderella which I adored!

2 Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan – I absolutely loved this book which has themes of female empowerment and sisterhood!

3 Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – the contemporary book that convinced me to read more in this genre!

4 The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston – I read this recently and adored it even more than Geekerella!

5 Moxie by Jennifer Matthieu – another female empowerment book that I loved!

As you can tell I tend to read contemporaries if they are about something that I am passionate about. So female empowerment themes or it being totally geeky!

Do you enjoy reading contemporaries? What type of books do you enjoy reading on a rainy day?

Top 5 Wednesdays – Favourite Jokesters

Hey booknerds! It’s another Top 5 Wednesday post! This is hosted by Sam over on Thoughts on Tomes where you share you top 5 for the chosen topic for that week. You can check out each weeks topic over on Goodreads.

I don’t tend to read many funny books, I’m more of a, the book has killed me kinda girl, but some books do have great characters who are sassy and sarcastic and have great banter. That’s my kind of funny!

So these are the characters that put a smile on my face:

1 Jesper from Six of Crows – there is some amazing banter between the characters in this duology! Jesper and Nina are some of my favourites when it comes to being funny in these books!

2 Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles – he is sassy and sarcastic and his banter with Cinder is the absolute best!

3 Nik from The Illuminae Files – I adore Nik and I feel he’s so underappreciated! He has great banter both with Hanna and Ezra!

4 Sevro from Red Rising – his sarcasm is the best! Even this trilogy is brutal I loved how Sevro would make things light hearted

5 Lubayd from The Kingdom of Copper – Alizayd’s friend and someone who is always cracking jokes and everyone who meets him, loves! His witty remarks about Alizayd would have me cackling!

So these are my favourite jokesters! Who are your favourite funny or witty characters?

Top 5 Wednesday – Collectibles On Your Bookshelf

Hey booknerds! It’s another Top 5 Wednesday post! This is hosted by Sam over on Thoughts on Tomes where you share you top 5 for the chosen topic for that week. You can check out each weeks topic over on Goodreads.

It’s become pretty common to have merch inspired by your favourite fandoms. There’s everything from clothing to homeware to stationary and so much more! And yes, I have become slightly obsessed with some of these and my bookshelves are filled by not only books, but also bookish merch!

So these are the things that I collect most:

1 Candles – I have well over 80 candles but in my defence I actually burn these on a daily basis and many are almost empty. See totally justified!

2 Enamel pins – another thing that I collect and have far too many of, according to my husband, but what does he know?! I love how they can displayed on banners, clothes and bags!

3 Mugs – do I need that many mugs? Probably not, not I do in fact need them okay?! I do make use of them by using them to store my pens and bookmarks

4 Bookmarks – magnetic character bookmarks are especially my weakness. I just love how adorable they are!

5 Special edition/Signed books – see I do actually keep books on my bookshelves! These are ones that I take extra care with and no-one is allowed to touch them!

Special shout out to tote bags – even though they’re not on my bookshelves I still have so many bookish ones!

So these are bookish things I collect. Do you collect anything?

Top 5 Wednesday – Books You Thought You Would Hate But Ended Up Loving

Hey booknerds! It’s another Top 5 Wednesday post! This is hosted by Sam over on Thoughts on Tomes where you share you top 5 for the chosen topic for that week. You can check out each weeks topic over on Goodreads.

As the saying goes, never judge a book by it’s cover. And well I’m really glad I didn’t get put off by books that didn’t look or sound like my kind of thing. Some of these I was basically forced to read by my sisters as they loved it and needed someone to fangirl with!

So these are the books I am glad I gave a chance to because I loved them all!

1 Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – the first contemporary book I read because my sister loved it and told me I HAD to read it. And yes, I completely fell in love and it’s what convinced me to try reading more contemporary books.

2 Light Years by Kass Morgan – the most recent book I gave a chance to and loved. I was a little put off by the cover but several bloggers said they loved it and I had gotten the arc in an illumicrate box so I thought I may as well give it a go and yup, I need the sequel already!

3 The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh – I don’t typically read romance but a retelling of Arabian nights is what swayed me and Shazi and Khalid are my OTP and I completely fell in love!

4 The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer – thank goodness my sister forced me to read Cinder because OMG this is one of my favourite series ever!

5 The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare – the weird covers of TMI had put me off reading any of these books and while TMI is not a favourite, TID most certainly is! I adored this trilogy!

So these are books that I thought I would hate but ended up loving! Some of these have actually become some of my all time favourite books!
Is there a book that you’re glad you gave a chance to?