I was utterly speechless when this book ended. I just had to sit with it for a few minutes to take it all in. It was a powerful, piercing and bittersweet tale of life, friendship and race.
I can't recommend this book enough to anyone at any age. A few pages in and i knew this would be one of those books that would stick in my mind for a good few years if not forever. The characters were absolutely lovely and vivid, beaming with joy of living while suffering deeply at what the society chose to offer them. The pace was perfect, and also i did not notice any unevenness or a stray paragraph that was unrelated to the whole body of the story, just like a puzzle everything fell into place and made this book unforgettable.
And as good books are meant to be, The Invincible Summer Of Juniper Jones, left me with a giant question mark: 
Has our world truly changed into a better place to live (through these many decades of injustice) for people who stand out from the rest?
      

        DNF
I had this book sitting on my Netgalley TBR shelf for the longest time; so when I came back to take a look at it, I surprisingly found out that it was a wish granted by the publisher! So you can guess from that alone that I was disposed to like this book. But unfortunately, that was not the case. The first chapter if I may call it, in which a young man is beaten to death by a group of other men, was so compelling that it had me excited to get to the rest of the book. However, that was not the case. I am by no means offended by peeking into the intimate life of characters if need be in any book, but in this book it's not a peek and it's about nearly every character! I couldn't make it past 12% or so of the book, and I'm sure it wouldn't be the case if the author had not decided to elaborate even the most trivial parts of characters' sexual lives. I leave it at this and I know that it might have improved as the book proceeded, but I was not glued to the story to wait for that long. Happy reading to anyone who enjoys this kind of stuff.
      

        This book left me wowed. It was a wonderful and strange book, exploring what ifs and reminding the reader it's always nice to dream on and enjoy the worlds only existing in dreams. This is not only for children but for anyone at any age, who enjoys a bit of adventure. Highly recommend this book.
      

        This book was adorable and so fun. The illustration was awesome, it was explicit enough that probably only the illustration would tell the story, but the story telling was also beautiful and sweet. I loved it. I often read children's fiction and wish i could read it with a child beside me to see their reaction and understanding of the book, specially the books about animals are always interesting for children. I recommend this book.
      

        It was an informative and beautifully illustrated book. Kids would love this book, as it is informative yet simple. I loved the little game in the book, it helps the reader get more engaged with the illustrations and spot the details. Also i learnt new things from this book as an adult, it sure will teach even more to a child reading it. I recommend this book to all children who are fascinated by nature and ecosystem.
      

        I loved the design and simplicity of the book, specially the cactus designs were awesome. The instructions were clear and easy to follow for beginners like me. The only thing i didn't like was some of the designs that seemed distorted and a bit off, like the car in the English Garden. But overall it's a cute and lovely book for nature lovers.
      

        Oh! I must be Ivy right about now, after a long winter waiting for Spring! It was a beautifully illustrated book. It's a great book to make children familiar with poems and great poets of the past.
      

        We are all interested in serial killers, right? There's some kind of a paradoxical attraction to them while hoping to never meet one! I love true crime, in any form, be it books, articles, movies or docs. But I had never heard of the infamous Golden State Killer before, it's strange. But the title of the book, the cover and also the subtitle made me want to read this one.
It is an easy and quick read, you could binge it in one sitting really.
I liked the book, even tho it was a merely loose recollection of memories it still had some detailed memories of the killer and also the not so subtle red flags which did not add up to anything while the author was friends with the killer but as he recalls them now, he can connect the dots together and see how wicked and cruel Joe had really been in the past at some points. The book has a unique POV. I'd always wonder what happens to the family and friends of the person who is suddenly no longer the person they knew, who becomes a monster overnight; and considering this I believe the author did a really good job to go through all the memories of his life with a man who he considered a brother and a friend only to find out that he had been ignorant of all the red flags along the way; which honestly it could happen to anyone, the killer hiding in plain sight is scary inside but innocent looking and a generally good guy outside!
I liked the record of other killers active at the same time as Joe, and also all the forensic information he provided.
I was kinda jumpy throughout the book so you better read it in daylight ; )
      

        This book was an enjoyable read for me as i have not much understanding of Yoga and meditation. I learnt quite a bit from the book, especially the glossary was concise and useful. The illustration was wonderful, warm and detailed. Tho i loved the book, it can be a difficult concept for some children to fully grasp and they may lose interest. The fact that it was a pretty lengthy read can add up to the trouble. But if the child has prior understanding of the subject, it can be a fun read.
      

        Porcupette Finds A Family was a sad and also informative book about adoption. I adored the illustration and the writing style. The powerful message behind this book can be useful for adopted children who possibly don't perceive themselves worthy of love and also the families adopting these children who are not familiar with the thoughts and reactions of a little child who has been abandoned, it may give them a new perspective on why sometimes adopted children are afraid and how that fear reflects on their behavior. I loved the book and recommend it to all families adopting a child.
      

        Although i was not completely unaware of the whole Edward/Wallis story, reading this book gave me a broader point of view on the whole scandalous relationship between the two. I didn't like the book that much, because as i did a bit of research on the couple, i realized there were important highlights of their lives that were totally ignored throughout the book. I don't believe the narration was of a neutral nature, rather biased; leaving out the darkest spots of Wallis Simpson's character and other important and unpleasant moments of her life out. But it could be a nice read for Meghan and Harry fans out there.
      

        This is a memoir of a girl who decides to become a dancer. She enters Juilliard and tries her best to become a ballerina. But her life goes into a different route and she finds herself in a restaurant working long stressing hours ... She knows something has to change in her life!
⏬
This was quite a fun and super quick read. The whole experience was a bit surprising for me; i was expecting a book about becoming a chef or something like that (i was not totally mistaken tho). But there was much more to this book than just cooking and appetite.
⏬
Also the structure was absolutely modern, poetic and kinda hasty. I mean it was as if i was working as a sous-chef in a hectic restaurant kitchen
      

        این داستان کوتاه را شنیدم، با صدای فریبا متخصص و علی عمرانی. خانم متخصص بسیار جاندار و  با حس اجرا کردند، دوست داشتم.
آبجی خانم اسم ندارد. آبجی خانم موهای سیاه و لب‌های درشت دارد و بلند است؛ زشت است. آبجی خانم که تنها بیست‌ و دو ساله است، ترشیده و در قامت یک انسان ارزشی ندارد. از پنج سالگی این را به او شیرفهم کرده‌اند مبادا یادش برود. عجیب است که هم زشت است و هم تندخو! شاید هم زیاد عجیب نباشد وقتی از کودکی، حتی مادرش نیز از او نفرت دارد.

ماهرخ، خانم سوگلی است.خواهر آبجی خانم. خواستنی و مردم‌دار، سفید و کوتاه با موهای خرمایی. 
آبجی خانم آشکارا به ماهرخ حسادت می‌ورزد و همین شعله حسادت است که اندک اندک زبانه می‌کشد و اطرافیان به خصوص مادر، و اتفاقات دیگر در طول داستان این آتش را بزرگ و بزرگ‌تر می‌کنند تا بالاخره تراژدی پایان داستان رقم می‌خورد.

صادق هدایت این داستانک را در سال ۱۳۰۹ نگاشته، محتوایی انتقادی دارد در قالب داستان. به وضعیت جامعه‌ی مردسالار آن روز و‌ حتی  امروز، جامعه‌ای که دختر به اصطلاح ترشیده را له می‌کند، زیبایی و زشتی تقریبا تنها معیار ارزش یک زن‌اند و  شوهر کردن بزرگ‌ترین دستاورد او. 
در جایی دیگر نویسنده به وضوح جماعتی مانند آبجی خانم را نقد می‌کند که تنها دلیل به نماز ایستادن‌شان آن است که می‌دانند از این دنیا بهره‌ای نخواهند داشت و به امید بهره‌ی آخرت ساعت‌ها به نماز واجب و اختیاری می‌ایستند. اما باید به این نکته نیز توجه داشت که برای زنی در جامعه‌ی آن روز که جز شوهر کردن و سپس شوهرداری و بچه‌داری کردن، هدف و برنامه‌ی زندگی دیگری تعریف نشده بود، خواه ناخواه نماز و نیایش افراطی و گاهی پای وعظ نشستن بیرون از خانه، تنها کار دیگری بود که می‌توانست انجام دهد.

داستانی حدودا یازده صفحه‌ای ولی با شخصیت‌هایی بسیار واقعی و زنده. هدایت توانسته بود در این چند صفحه داستان تلخ سرنوشت‌هایی که در طول تاریخ بسیار تکرار شده‌اند اما هرگز مایه‌ی عبرت نبوده‌اند، بازگو کند. از نکات جالب داستان اشاراتی هر چند کوتاه به اصطلاحات محاوره‌ای قدیمی و سنت‌های عروسی و اقلام جهاز عروس و تفاوت‌های فرهنگی نسل‌های گذشته و امروز بود، حیف که نتوانستم یادداشت کنم. پایان داستان برایم غافلگیرکننده نبود. تنها پایان منطقی چنین داستانی باید یک تراژدی می‌بود. 


      

        Ugh! Absolutely horrible. I see nothing in this book that deserves all the praise. Might add a more detailed review later.