Hi, I'm Kelly

Lovely to meet you! I’m a UK blogger, with a focus on fantasy books across YA and adult. I sometimes dabble in other genres too! These days I live in Nottingham with my boyfriend, Alex, and our beautiful ragdoll kittens Ahri, Galio, and Zed. Oh, and Melvin the coffee machine, who works tirelessly every day of the year to fuel my incessant need for coffee!

Welcome to my little corner of the internet, Coffeestarsbooks. This blog was originally established in 2017 as a space where I could share thoughts on my ever-sprawling collection of books. Here, you’ll not only find reviews, but also book blog tours co-ordinated with authors and publishers, weekly charts, wishlist recommendations and more. If you’re looking to find your next favourite read, you’ve come to the right place!

In 2023 I successfully defended my PhD at my viva voce. This little blog played a big role in my research, which looked at trends and tropes in YA fantasy since the publication of Twilight in 2005. In it, I explored different themes that help define YA: from its centering of female heroes with agency, to the different ways it approaches discussions about diversity. And of course, how content creators such as booktubers and bloggers play a role in promoting certain themes and messages as tastemakers. One day I hope to turn my research into a book, but for now I’m aiming to weave tiny snippets of my work into my blog posts!

Feel free to add me on my socials. And as always, happy reading!