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Author: Holly Smale

— Book Reviews, Reviews —

Mini review: Geek Girl (Holly Smale)

June 25, 2014

Plot: ★★ Characters: ★★★ Readability: ★★ Harriet Manners, the geek girl of the title, never wanted to be a model.  In fact, she doesn’t exactly get fashion, and she’s only at the fashion show because her best friend Nat dragged her.  Since she’s not exactly popular at school, she goes along with it when she’s… Read More Mini review: Geek Girl (Holly Smale)

Faith

Trainee teacher | INFJ | Slytherin | Bi

Hey, I’m Faith, and it’s just me here at GeekyZooGirl. I’m currently training to be a teacher, but in my free time I can usually be found reading, blogging, watching TV or at the cinema (all with a stash of snacks!). I’m a huge bookworm, so most of my posts are book-related, but I’m also a disney nerd, a Linkin Park fan and food-obsessed, so things can get a little varied!

 

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Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give, #0) by Angie ThomasGhost Wood Song (Ghost Wood Song, #1) by Erica WatersSisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca RossHairpin Curves by Elia WintersA Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Books Reviewed This Year

I have reviewed 1 books so far this year.

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Currently Reading

A Promised Land A Promised Land by Barack Obama
The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris by Mark Honigsbaum
Jane Eyre Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
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geekyzoogirl

“And little David still looks at the world as if “And little David still looks at the world as if it’s huge and unexplored. Because there are always new things to discover if you take the time to look for them.” Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, David Attenborough (Little People, Big Dreams)⠀
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It’s been all change around here for us, as we get closer to the due date for our little girl, and it’s starting to feel very near indeed now! We’ve got ~8 weeks until she arrives, so we’re really thinking about making space and preparing for her arrival, and while that involves lots of practical things it also involves some really cute and fun things, like buying animal related books she won’t be ready for for a while yet 😂 ⠀
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QOTD: What’s something you’re really looking forward to in 2021, or that’s bringing you joy even with everything going on at the minute? Can be as big or small as you like!⠀
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#bookish #bookstagram #babyzoogirl #littlepeoplebigdreams #davidattenborough #newborn #expecting #2021baby #nesting #nonfictionreads #booksaboutanimals #cantwaittomeetyou #babybooks #childrensbooks #childrensbookstagram #flatlaybooks
“To say that men can be bullheaded would be insu “To say that men can be bullheaded would be insulting to the bull.” - Julia Quinn, The Duke and I⠀
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I picked up The Duke and I on a kindle deal on a bit of a whim because I’d heard everyone talking about Bridgerton, and ended up enjoying it more than I expected to. It was certainly steamier than I was expecting (!) but it was also surprisingly funny!⠀
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January seems to be absolutely flying by, or is that just me?! I can’t believe we’re already more than halfway through the month. I’ve managed to finish 5 books so far this month, and am hoping to finish at least 2 more before the month is out.⠀
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📚HAPPENING NOW📚⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
WELCOME BOOK LOVERS!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
To Week 23 of #BookishBounds!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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📖Come join our amazing group to gain some inspiration, some new friends, and especially some new titles to add to your ever growing TBR pile. 🤦🏼‍♀️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Want to join in on the fun? Just complete the steps below! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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📚1. To join message @fyebooks⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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📚2. Follow @fyebooks and @books_and_stethoscopes⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🥂With our group you can use your own bookish photo or one that we will provide for the week! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥂You can follow any accounts that inspire you! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🥂When does this happen?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
—> Saturday 7pm EST - Sunday, 7pm EST each week⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🥂We hope to see you there!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#BookishBoundswe23⠀
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QOTD: How is your January going so far? And what was the latest book to surprise you? In a good OR bad way!⠀
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#bookish #romancereads #januaryreads #midmonthprogress #recentreads #thedukeandi #juliaquinn #bridgerton #thepeopleatnumber9 #felicityeverett #thewickedandthedivine #recentreads #bujo #bookbujo #readinggoals #monthlyreading #bookishbujo #readingbujo #fictionreads
“One could argue that all that really matters is “One could argue that all that really matters is that we learn to deal with where we are at any given moment, not where we were,” - Christopher Paolini, To Sleep in A Sea of Stars

It has been a good week for book post! First up I ordered myself a copy of The King of Elfhame when Waterstones had their double stamps deal this weekend, so I’m looking forward to getting stuck into that. Secondly, I decided to treat myself to a bookish subscription this year. Bert’s books came highly recommended so I decided to try out the fantasy and non-fiction bestsellers, which surprisingly enough send out one of the current bestsellers in the categories you pick. What really appealed was that you can ask for a list of 5 to choose from, so I decided to do that for the fantasy subscription, to rule out the chance of ending up with something I’ve already got. Non-fiction I’ve stuck to random since I don’t buy that much. It gets me the best of both worlds - a surprise and an element of control - and I was super excited to open it when my parcel arrived today. I’m absolutely thrilled with these two (I mean, could What do animals think and feel? be any more perfect for me?!).

QOTD: What was the last piece of book mail you got really excited about or what’s a book you’d love to order yourself right now?

#readmorebooks #bookmail #bertsbooks #bookpost #bookporn #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklover #bookhaul #bookaddict #waterstones #hollyblack #christopherpaolini #karstenbrensing #tosleepinaseaofstars #howthekingofelfhamelearnedtohatestories #whatdoanimalsthink #nonfictionbooks #nonfictionreads #fantasybooks #booksandpops #funkopop #cosimafunko #bookishcandles #bookishaesthetic #flatlaybooks
“Courage does not always roar. Valor does not al “Courage does not always roar. Valor does not always shine.” - Tomi Adeyemi, Children of Blood and Bone

New year means new goals and a renewed desire to tackle the seemingly endless TBR! (Or is that just me?!). Pictured here are various different series that I’m hoping to finally start this year - apart from the Wheel of Time which I’ve borrowed from a friend, the rest are all books I own, and hope I can knock off my owned-but-unread list!

QOTD: If you’ve read any of these, which would you recommend for me to start with? And any new series you’re hoping to read in 2021?

#readmorebooks #bookstagram #childrenofbloodandbone #tomiadeyemi #wheeloftime #robertjordan #emperoroftheeightislands #lianhearn #naturalhistoryofdragons #mariebrennan #brentweeks #theblackprism #wendyalec #nevernight #jaykristoff #adsom #veschwab #adriantchaikovsky #viper #bexhogan #replica #laurenoliver #booksta #flatlaybooks #tbr #wanttoread
“Don’t worry that you aren’t giving people w “Don’t worry that you aren’t giving people what they want. Give them who you are, and let that be enough.” - Brandon Sanderson, The Well of Ascension⠀
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It’s cold and grey here, and for me that means curling up with a book, some comfy pyjamas, and ideally some sugary snacks. Today I’ve got a Galaxy orange hot chocolate and some marshmallows 💚 the Hero of Ages was one of my last reads of 2020 and I’m really looking forward to reading more of his fantasy books this year!⠀
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📚HAPPENING NOW📚⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
WELCOME BOOK LOVERS!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
To Week 22 of #BookishBounds!⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
📖Come join our amazing group to gain some inspiration, some new friends, and especially some new titles to add to your ever growing TBR pile. 🤦🏼‍♀️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Want to join in on the fun? Just complete the steps below! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
📚1. To join message @fyebooks⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀
📚2. Follow @fyebooks and @notbrilliantbutbookish⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥂With our group you can use your own bookish photo or one that we will provide for the week! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥂You can follow any accounts that inspire you! ⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥂When does this happen?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
—> Saturday 7pm EST - Sunday, 7pm EST each week⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥂We hope to see you there!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀
#BookishBoundsdon22 ⠀
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QOTD: what’s your drink of choice? I actually don’t drink tea or coffee so it’ll always be hot chocolate for me!⠀
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#readmorebooks #booksta #brandonsanderson #thefinalempire #thewellofascension #theheroofages #mistborn #fantasybooks #babyyoda #grogu #fantasy #highfantasy #cosy #bookish #bookishlife #readersofinstagram #recentreads #comfortreads #papier #bookishcandle #hotchocolatetime
“Sometimes you can do everything right and thing “Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.”⠀
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I’m aiming to review as many books as possible this year so I finally got around to starting a review journal in a gorgeous new @papier notebook I got for Christmas. I’m hoping writing some bullet points in my notebook soon after finishing will help when it comes to writing reviews, as i don’t always have time to write a review straight away, but it only takes a few minutes to make a few notes to keep as a memory-aide for later. ⠀
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I really enjoyed The Hate U Give so I had high expectations for Concrete Rose and I’m pleased to say this met all of them. I absolutely loved it, and it’s definitely one I’ll be buying for my classroom library. Despite the heavy content and the choices Mav has to deal with, the story is full of heart, with funny moments, three-dimensional characters and imperfect but believable relationships. Thoroughly recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⠀
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QOTD: do you review all the books you read, or just some of them? If just some, how do you choose? Favourites? Least favourites? Review copies only? Share your processes!⠀
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#newyearnewreads Father Time⠀
#inspiredbookchallenge doing their duty⠀
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#bujo #bulletjournal #leuchtturm1917 #reviewjournal #minimalistbujo #bookbujo #bookreview #angiethomas #walkerbooks #concreterose #bookjournal #ya #2021reads #readmorebooks #bookstagram #readingjournal #bookjournal #blackauthors #authorsofcolour #bookstagram #contemporaryreads #yacontemporary #authorsofcolor #papier
“For most of us, “being busy” is code for be “For most of us, “being busy” is code for being functionally overwhelmed.” - Ryder Carroll, The Bullet Journal Method⠀
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It’s back to work for me tomorrow and I am definitely not feeling emotionally prepared, so I’m procrastinating by reading about bullet journaling and doing a bit of work on mine before switching off for the evening and watching Soul. I’m determined to stick with bullet journaling this year and that means making it work for me - less decor, more practical! Doesn’t stop me collecting a somewhat obscene amount of coloured pens though...⠀
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QOTD: Do you use a bullet journal? Any tips for a not-organised-enough teacher who can’t draw? If you don’t, what other planning method do you use, or are you one of those super humans who just somehow remembers where they’re supposed to be at all times?!⠀
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#grimdragon Specifically random⠀
#inspiredbookchallenge my read today⠀
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#rydercarroll #bujo #bulletjournal #leuchtturm1917 #backtowork #procrastinating #minimalistbujo #gridspacinglayout #teacherlife #penaddiction #penaddicts #bujoforbooklovers #bulletjournaling
“For people of colour, race is in everything we “For people of colour, race is in everything we do. Because the universal experience is white.”- Nikesh Shukla, The Good Immigrant⠀
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2021 goals:⠀
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1. Read more diversely - more authors of colour, more characters with disabilities, more non-fiction from people with completely different backgrounds to me, I really want to focus on reading more diversely this year and celebrating #ownvoices authors⠀
2. Read more from my shelves/more review copies⠀
3. Review more books (the @papier notebook you can just about see at the bottom is specifically for review notes!)⠀
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I started Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas today, one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it happens to fit both of the top two goals. I’m sure I’ll have other goals and things to work on, but these three feel the most important and the most meaningful to me. I don’t generally get political on here but it shouldn’t offend anyone reading this to see me say Black Lives Matter - it was astounding (and not in a good way) having conversations with coworkers, family and friends last year to see just who didn’t get it, and it’s something myself and my husband feel really strongly about. It hasn’t stopped being true and institutional racism hasn’t gone away just because it isn’t all over social media as much, and I want to keep putting in the work to improve my own thoughts and words, trying to make my school a more welcoming place and making myself a better ally. I focused on reading more about anti-racism and white privilege last year and that’s a start, but by no means enough.⠀
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QOTD: what are your favourite or most-recommended books (fiction or non-fiction) by authors of colour or LGBTQ+ authors?⠀
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#ampersandJan21 2021 goals⠀
#grimdragon Opening lines⠀
#inspiredbookchallenge 2021 anticipated reads⠀
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#readmorebooks #bookstagram #blacklivesmatter #milesmorales #angiethomas #2021goals #nikeshshukla #thegoodimmigrant #malindalo #sandhyamenon #charactersofcolor #diversebooks #readmorediversebooks #readmorediverseauthors #readinggoals #readinggoals2021 #bookstagram #alwaysreading
“Relax, lad. Take life as it comes. Run when you “Relax, lad. Take life as it comes. Run when you have to, fight when you must, rest when you can.” - Robert Jordan, The Eye of the World⠀
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I know it’s just a day, and there isn’t actually anything magical about starting a new year, but I do love it, feeling motivated & refocused on what really matters to me. The temptation is to go a bit overboard trying to achieve All The Things but I’m consciously forcing myself to think about my goals more. Yes, of course I want to read all the books, but last year I was too focused on quantity and had a bit of a lacklustre reading year. This year I want to spend more time deciding what I’m in the mood for, and less time rushing into something just because it’s available right that second, or it’s a shorter read. Plus, this year we’re having a baby, and who knows how that’ll affect my reading time, as obviously she will be the priority 😂 as a result, I haven’t set my goodreads goal for the year yet, but I might set it to something relatively low by my usual standards like 52 I think. About the only goal I have set myself so far is to focus on bookstagram, as I love being involved in the community but am rubbish at being organised enough! I’ve drawn up this bookstagram follower goal page but I’ve no idea if it’s realistic or not - check back in December to see if I’m still on that top line 😂 ⠀
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I haven’t set my January TBR yet but these three are definite contenders! I have a review copy of Winterkeep and I’m trying to decide whether to reread the rest of the Graceling series first or just dive straight in. The Wicked and the Divine is a backlist review copy I’m considering for my first #raiderofthelostARCs roll, and The Eye of the World is just one of those books that’s been on my TBR for ever! Which would you start with?⠀
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QOTD: have you picked out your January TBR and your reading goal for the year yet or are you a bit behind like me? 😂 ⠀
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#ampersandJan21 TBR⠀
#grimdragon TBR⠀
#inspiredbookchallenge 2021 reading goal⠀
#newyearnewreads21 bookstagram goals⠀
#allthebooksJan21 January TBR⠀
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#readmorebooks #bookstagram #instareads #wheeloftime #graceling #robertjordan #kristincashore #bulletjournal #instagramtracker
“We often find ourselves wishing for more hours “We often find ourselves wishing for more hours in the day, but that wouldn't help anything. The problem, clearly, isn't that we have a shortage of time. It's more that we have an overload of everything else.”- Matt Haig, Notes On a Nervous Planet⠀
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There are SO many books I’m grateful for (and just reading in general!) but the ones in this picture especially make me feel seen, and validated, and reassured. I fell in love with Matt Haig’s writing in The Humans, which although theoretically about an alien, has so many relatable, heartwarming, insightful moments on how hard it can be to be a human sometimes. I loved Reasons to Stay Alive too, so obviously I had to have this gorgeous hardback of Notes on A Nervous Planet too - it’s hard to see in the picture but the naked hardback is a beautiful rainbow gradient.⠀
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Bryony Gordon is someone else who’s writing makes me feel comforted - reading Eat, Drink, Run is like meeting a friend for coffee. And not just any friend, but a lovely friend who will listen to all your ups and downs and reassure you when your brain is being mean to you. I think without reading this I never would have spoken to my GP about my anxiety/‘ocd tendencies’ and ended up finding a treatment that seems to work for me.⠀
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#allthebooksnov20 books I’m grateful for⠀
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QOTD: which books are you grateful for? Or which author would you like to meet for a coffee/drink?⠀
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#readmorebooks #bookstagram #reasonstostayalive #notesonanervousplanet #matthaig #bryonygordon #instareads #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #readingformentalhealth #readingforme #eatdrinkrun #thehumans #headlinebooks #canongate #canongatebooks #readingcommunity #reading #bookish #bibliophile
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