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Most Recent Reviews

Renegades Book Review

Renegades Book Review

November 24, 2017
Editing Emma Book Review

Editing Emma Book Review

November 24, 2017
The Bone Season Book Review

The Bone Season Book Review

November 24, 2017
Queens of Geek Book Review

Queens of Geek Book Review

November 24, 2017
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Hi, and welcome in! I’m Kelly (she/her) a thirty-year old book blogger with a doctorate in YA Studies, and self-confessed caffeine fiend. When I’m not at work or reading, you can usually find me with the biggest coffee to hand, playing video or board games. I live with my boyfriend Alex and our beautiful ragdoll kittens, Ahri, Galio, and Zed, in Nottingham. From an early age, I’ve loved reading, especially fantasy novels, and Coffeestarsbooks is the space I grew to share my enthusiasm with others.

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  • Babel Book Review
    February 16, 2023
  • One For My Enemy Book Review
    March 24, 2023
  • The Prison Healer Book Review
    May 29, 2021

"Richard frames his story as a tragedy, 'the fatal "Richard frames his story as a tragedy, 'the fatal flaw', hamartia. He would like us, the reader, to believe in inevitability, in destiny, in the fatal flaw that carries him helplessly towards ruin. [...] But Richard's downfall is not dictated by fate. It is dictated by want." - Essays From a Verdant Study Hi friends, For a long time, I've been talking about posting essays on my blog, sort of academic-lite deep dives. When I finished my PhD, I realised academia was too competitive for me, and I was burned out, but I've always missed the chaos of research rabbit-holes. And more importantly, my work was always driven by the idea that academia should be accessible for everyone. Part of why this project seems so scary is because I can actually write what I'm interested in, in a way that is accessible, and I can post it in a place where there's no paywalls or conference tickets. Anyway, I worked really hard on this. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you want to check it out here you go: www.coffeestarsbooks.com/essyas-from-a-verdant-study-a-morbid-longing-for-the-picturesque-aestheticism-complicity-and-tragedy-in-the-secret-history/ (sorry for the long link!) Next essay, when I get to it will likely be on Arcane, the Netflix show!
A little Shelfie Sunday. I've been reorganising my A little Shelfie Sunday. I've been reorganising my shelves recently (I like to go by vibes and themes within genres) and embossing all the books I want to keep. My office/library is still an absolute mess, but I'm getting there! #shelfie #shelfiesunday #bookshelves
"She was of course underpaid and overworked, but t "She was of course underpaid and overworked, but this condition was common among graduate students and no one cared much about it". Katabasis nails the brutal reality of academia: imposter syndrome, toxic competitiveness, and the exploitation of students, all while still honouring the genuine joy of intellectual work. As a Dark Academia novel, it's surreal, sharp and relatable- a descent into Hell populated by academics who'd do anything to get ahead. Kuang beautifully balances critique with reverence, and for me it hits all the notes I love in this genre. 5 stars ⭐ Have you read Katabasis yet? What did you think? #katabasis #bookreview #darkacademia #RFKuang
My top 2 books of 2025 V.E. Schwab is my favourit My top 2 books of 2025 V.E. Schwab is my favourite author, so I fully expected that when Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil came out, I would love it. And really, what is not to love? The story is about vampires, three LGBTQ+ women trying to claim their own identity and agency in various centuries, and it has this gorgeous slow, poetic writing style I've come to associate with Schwab. I am not at all surprised it launched itself to the top of my list. I am surprised that it wasn't my book of the year. But Blood Over Bright Haven really truly sat with me, and I couldn't not give it the recognition for that. What a book. I didn't like it initially. Chapter 1 felt weird considering the synopsis, and it felt even more jarring with chapter 2. But it got better. Much better! I love how this book discusses intersectionality, critiques academia, and follows a deeply flawed main character. It's a testament to how great a writer M.L. Wang is that you can still like aspects of the protagonist even while you find her deeply ignorant and hypocritical. And the ending... wow. If you loved the themes of Babel, I definitely recommend BoBH. What were some of your favourite books of 2025? 📖 #topbooksof2025 #booksofinstagram #buryourbonesinthemidnightsoil #bloodoverbrighthaven
Girl Dinner mini review: 4.5 ⭐ I have a complicat Girl Dinner mini review: 4.5 ⭐ I have a complicated relationship with Olivie Blake's work. I'm always drawn to her premises, but the execution often falls short for me- The Atlas Six and One For My Enemy were missed for me. So I approached Girl Dinner with caution, despite it including many themes I love such as female rage, academia, and horror. To my surprise, I adored it. Girl Dinner offers sharp, insightful explorations of female rage, power, and agency. Set within a quietly oppressive academic environment, the novel interrogates what empowerment actually looks like for women, and whether that means "having a seat at the table" or choosing to reject the table entirely. The tension between the different positions feels nuanced and resonant. The horror elements are a bit slow, but the true unease lies in the slow, psychological build. I found Sloane's anger and sense of entrapment fascinating, and the exploration of motherhood from her perspective was compelling, especially as she is also an academic and therefore forced to deal with the more toxic aspects of academia. The pacing is slow and the end is a little opaque, which kept it from being a 5 star read for me, but Girl Dinner surprised me in the best way, and definitely makes me want to try Blake's novels again in the future. Has anyone else read this? What did you think?
What are you currently reading? I picked up Falle What are you currently reading? I picked up Fallen Stars after absolutely devouring Heavenly Bodies. There's a lot going on in the plot, and the romance was really angsty. I'm only about 100 pages into this one, but hoping to finish it soon. #currentlyreading #fallenstars #imanierriu

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