AvidBards
Books

The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse Book Review

Exploring Faith and Survival in The Burning Chambers: A Historical Dive into the Huguenot Rebellion Title: The Burning ChambersAuthor: Kate MossePublisher: PAN MACMILLANThemes: Forbidden love, Religious persecution, Family loyalty, Survival amidst conflict, Identity and belonging “You well know that if a lie is repeated often enough, in the face of the clearest evidence to the contrary, even the most level-headed of men start to believe in it. Falsehood easily becomes accepted truth.” A good book recommendation is like a little gift, especially when it comes from one of your favourite people who knows exactly what you’ll love. The Burning Chambers…

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Books

“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin

Friendship, Ambition, and Second Chances Through the Lens of Gaming and Identity Title: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and TomorrowAuthor: Gabrielle ZevinGenre: Literary FictionPublisher: Knopf (2022)Themes: Friendship, Creativity, Identity, Video Games, Ambition, RedemptionTW: Death, Trauma, Guns, Ambiguous Consent “What is a game?” Marx said. “It’s tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It’s the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.” Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow was one of those books that had me completely obsessed from the first page. The novel offered a…

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Books

Cleopatra and Frankenstein – Book Review

The Dark Side of Bohemian Life in NYC Title: Cleopatra and FrankensteinAuthor: Coco MellorsGenre: Literary FictionPublisher: Bloomsbury Publishing (2022)Themes: Love, Creativity, Identity, Loneliness, Addiction, Ambition, RedemptionTW: Addiction, self-harm, suicidal ideation and attempt, loss of a parent, sexual assault “People are like this too, you know,” he says eventually. “We break. We put ourselves back together. The cracks are the best part. You don’t have to hide them.” Coco Mellors’ Cleopatra and Frankenstein is an ambitious debut that attempts to paint an intimate, raw picture of love, identity, and the exhilarating chaos of life in New York City. The novel centres…

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Books

6 Perfect Books for Cosy Autumn and Spooky Halloween Vibes

As the air turns crisp and the days grow shorter, nothing beats curling up with a good book in the autumn. Whether you’re craving the eerie atmosphere of Halloween or just want something that pairs perfectly with a pumpkin spice latte, I’ve got you covered. Here’s a mix of spine-tingling thrillers, atmospheric mysteries, and cosy autumnal reads that’ll make you want to settle in and never leave your reading nook. 1. The October Country by Ray Bradbury I mean, it’s literally called “The October Country”—could there be a better autumn read? Ray Bradbury is a master of the eerie and…

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Books

Books series recommended by BookTok

Reading books series recommended by BookTok so you don’t have to: Reviews by an English lit PhD student Like most people, TikTok became my saving grace throughout the numerous lockdowns in this pandemic. Need a laugh? TikTok. Need a break? TikTok. Need book recommendations? Apparently, also TikTok. Though is took me almost 6 months before I stumbled across what has affectionately come to be known as BookTok, I have thrown myself fully into the world, which for me translated to fantasy and high fantasy new adult fiction.  Always on the hunt for new reading material, I spent the last three…

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Books

Book Review: ‘Sub-Lebrity*: *The Queer Life of a Show-Biz Footnote’ by Leon Acord

At AvidBards, we continue to be honoured when authors ask us to review their books. Though we’ve admittedly been much slower to take on new books and respond to requests in the last little while (especially throughout the pandemic), one request that really piqued our interest was actor Leon Acord’s memoir entitled Sub-Lebrity*: *The Queer Life of a Show-Biz Footnote.

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