Reviewed by Vindhya Kathuria

The Hate U Give is a brutally honest book, speaking up about the very real issue of police brutality and giving a strong voice to the Black Lives Matter movement.  It unapologetically gives insight to the reality of racial bias in the justice system, through the eyes of a 16 year old girl whose world is shattered because of it.

Starr lives on the border of two completely different worlds; the rough neighbourhood where she lives and her posh high school in the suburbs. On one hand her “normal” consists of  gunshots, gang violence and riots. But despite all that it is where her true roots lie and a home she could never abandon.  On the other side exists a sense of safety, secureness and protection. But with it comes a cost to conceal her true self, she becomes the non confrontational Starr who holds back her slang and doesn't give anyone a reason to associate her with “ghetto”.

However the fine barrier between her two worlds clash when she witnesses the fatal shooting of her best friend Khalil. Another case of police brutality, another unarmed kid who did nothing wrong but was merely shot based on his race and colour, another name to add to the list of R.I.P hashtags, another person who deserved better.

Now Starr finds herself caught up in the middle of it all. Being the only witness to Khalil's death, only she knows the truth. What she says or doesn't say could determine everything. She is torn between fighting for justice for her friend or keeping quiet to avoid meeting the bullet herself.

This heartbreakingly powerful novel demands for change in the current police force and justice for those individuals who are harassed for their colour. It is a critically important read as it is not only informative and compelling but also teaches readers to stand up and use the greatest weapon they have ; their voice.

RESERVE YOUR COPY OF The Hate U Give! 

Reviewed by our very own Hannah Gough!

If you enjoyed the podcast Serial, this is a book for you!

True crime literature doesn't do it justice, as the author Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevichsuccessfully weaves in her own story. We don't live in a black and white world where people who commit crimes are wholly evil. However, how does one come to terms with a man who has confessed and is indeed guilty of a child's murder? Ricky is on death row when we first meet him and Alexandra is a young law student, but the story takes you back to the very beginning of both of their childhoods to try to make sense of it all. If you are ready for the journey, I cannot recommend this book enough. It reads like a thriller while calling into question the very essence of who we are as human beings.

RESERVE YOUR COPY OF The Fact of a Body! 

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

What goes through the mind of a truly lonely person? What does it feel like to have to live, when you really would rather not? In a world where social connections and physical appearance can make or break you, how do you cope with people’s stares and a total lack of friendships?

Every once in a while, a news report will reveal the true number of people who live lonely lives and most of us know people who at one point or another have experienced loneliness, but much like depression used to be, loneliness is today very much a taboo subject - often seen as a sign of weakness and therefore rarely a topic of conversation except in the abstract.

Enter: Eleanor Oliphant. 

A young woman with a dark past and a very predictable present. A life that follows the exact same schedule every single day, the same job, the same clothes and the same two bottles of vodka. 

“….usually, I don’t speak from the point at which I state my destination to the bus driver on Friday night, right through until I greet his colleague on Monday morning.”

Gail Honeyman’s debut novel “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” is a wonderful introduction not only to a lovable character but also to her world - a world where everything must stay very simple, very practical and very much the same. Any unexpected movements and she risks facing demons better contained safely within the confines of a regularly scheduled Wednesday afternoon telephone conversation. She has to stay strong, in control. Her password of choice....Seneca’s words: “Fire tests gold and adversity tests the brave”.

But Eleanor knows something is wrong - she knows she is lonely and the struggle between the safety of the known and the promise of unknown land her in a tug of war. 

“I took one of my hands in the other, tried to imagine what it would feel like it was another person’s hand holding mine. There have been times where I felt that I might die of loneliness. People sometimes say that they might die of boredom, that they’re dying for a cup of tea, but for me dying of loneliness is not hyperbole. When I feel like that, my head drops, and my shoulders slump and I ache, I physically ache, for human contact - I truly feel that I might tumble to the ground and pass away if someone doesn’t hold me, touch me.”

”People don’t like these facts, but I can’t help that”.

Fortunately for Eleanor, however, life refuses to be controlled and random acts of kindness force her to embark on a roller coast ride of chance encounters and risk taking her outside of the carefully set boundaries of her meticulously planned life - while stockpiling pills for a quick exit. 

“Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” may not seem like the perfect summer read, but believe me…it is! It is a heartwarming, funny and illuminating novel about the plight of so many people who live quietly among us, whose lives we don’t understand or appreciate. It is also the story of the power of parents over their children - for good and for (very) bad - and the responsibility of society to the children who need us the most. Finally, it is a novel about the wonderful unpredictability of life and how just one person can mean the difference between light and utter darkness. 

RESERVE YOUR COPY OF Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine! 

Reviewed by our very own Luaras Morina

I first heard about Luvvie Ajayi and her debut book on “The Read” podcast, which is hosted by Kid Fury and Crissle. Unknown to me, Luvvie Ajayi is a famous blogger, pop-culture critic and comedian. I was convinced that thiswas going to be my next book and I couldn’t wait to read it.

My first impressions, when starting to read the book, were that Luvvie Ajayi is honest, funny and likeable. She made me laugh out loud. Not like a when you text “LOL” in a serious face but like a serious and uncontrollable laugh out loud.

The book is split into four parts: Life, Culture, Social Media and Fame. I was sucked into the book right away and before I knew it, I was done and left wanting more. Luvvie tells the truth in a series of essays that depict and reflect our everyday lives. From minor thoughts on people that share Facebook updates of deceased people, to the over sharing relationship fanatics that display a“Days of Our Lives” mantra, to religious fanatics and eBehaviour - Luvvie is here to judge you. Hey, she even judged me for my Instagram obsessions of #HashtaggingComplicatedSentences #SorryNotSorry

“I’m Judding You” is an easy ready with a quirky take on certain slag words that you can’t help but laugh along to. The substance in the book is an opportunity to get a better understand of today’s world. It should not be mistaken as a comedy biography but rather a serious commentary with a humorous touch.

As Luvvie says “I am not asking them [readers] to make speeches on how they have a dream. I am, however, challenging people to not stay silent as the world crumbles”.

If I were you and are looking for a late Spring-early Summer read then this is the book. I promise you that you won’t regret it. Enjoy #lifewithluaras

RESERVE YOUR COPY OF i'm judging you TODAY!