The Reading Nook - Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda Review

 I recently finished Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Adgenda by Becky Altertalli and here are some of my thoughts on the book.

 

This book took me completely by surprise, being a visual person the cover was ashamedly what drew me in to begin with, but that soon faded as I started reading.

This is contemporary YA book which was witty and funny in all the right places. Centered around Simon our 16 year old protagonist who is exploring his sexuality as he faces the highs and lows of highschool life.
This book follows a cute and adorable love story between our beloved Simon and a boy who we first only know as 'Blue' an anonymous  and rather charming email buddy. At first our not-so-openly gay Simon and Blue exchange harmless daily emails that soon turn into a blossoming e romance before our very eyes.

I enjoyed the fast pace nature of this book, the quirky ins and outs of friendships and the beautifully written family dynamic when it came to Simon's family. There are some very lovely moments written into this book,Some I loved and some I didn't really care for.  It showed the many facets to how people react when finding out someone in their life is gay. Which I really appreciated, it wasn't all just Oreo's and rainbows which is appealing to me as a reader.
Following Simon on his journey to revealing to the world that he is in fact gay, we  are taken on his journey as he deals with this development and how he comes to terms with this in a high school setting.
We watch as Simon lusts after a boy through email conversations while trying to keep a normal persona in school, which in time becomes hard to do as news gets out about his sexual preference.
 

I think a lot of people will connect well with this book, as memories of my teenage years flashed before my eyes during certain scenes in the book, the way love was portrayed within the pages was bang on how I remember it as a 15 year old girl, and I love that about this book, its a heart strings puller.

Most characters in this book aren't fleshed out, which is a shame because I feel the writer has created such a colour cast of characters that I wanted to get to know a little better, but never got the chance to. That really is my only criticism to this book. I just wanted some more meaty characters as Simon is such a well fleshed out character, I expected his friends to be on the same level within the book.

Overall I thought this book was a lovely light read, a little too perfect when it came to the ending, but certainly not a book that disappoints. Even though this book is like nothing I've ever read, I am quiet surprised how quickly and easily I read this. Simon's character makes this book worth picking up alone. And of course who doesn't love a good romance.  

I gave this book a 4/5 stars on goodreads. 

I got an E Arc Copy of this book from http://www.penguin.com.au/ and this in no way shapes my review. 

Seeya Soon! with some art! 

x Courtney

The Reading Nook - My Bookish History.

It was purely by accident I found the youtube world of books... also known affectionately as Booktube. Much like my stumble into the filofax world I was intrigued.

As a self labelled book nerd and all around book lover all through my schooling, I had a huge passion for books since I was a small girl. My family always revered books and reading, and one of my fondest memories was of my mum reading to my sister and I, a Roald Dahl classic,  Fantastic Mr Fox We sat still (which was rare) for hours as mum read to us, it was magical and one of my very favourite memories still to this day.

I read book after book in my early teens, spending summer holidays in Sydney with my Nan, pouring over her bookshelves as she picked age appropriate books for me,  which I devoured one after another, I loved books but that love became a somewhat dormant love for many years, I would read a book here and there, but that was it.

I stopped making time for books.

You wouldn't think that I was a dormant book lover,  between John and I, we had enough books to house two and a half utterly huge bookcases, like I said I loved books, and couldn't bare to part with the collection I had built up during my high school days. So I packed them up into boxes each and every move, and believe me,  I have moved a lot during those years.

 Our shelves before the rearrangement

Fast forwarding to present day, well a little before present day...to the day I found booktube, it was like a breath of fresh air had been breathed into the shelves of my books, like they sprung to life like the movie Ink heart. I sat up watching video after video, devouring like I once did the books which now grace my shelves.

These videos were of passionate readers with book backdrops that would make some libraries ache. Giving opinions and emotions, book rants and book loves. It was like almost coming home to hug the 15 year old version of myself as I lay on my bed, propped on my elbows,  feet up in the air turning the pages of a well worn John Marsden Book, Tomorrow when the war began. Even now I smile as I type this recalling the memories.

I spoke to my husband at high speed, explaining that we need to start incorporating reading back into our every day life, we needed it, our kids needed it almost more than we did, living in today's world where kids are bombarded with electronics and hours of TV I felt our kids were losing their ability to use their imagination, and books were the starting spark for that creative fire, action needed to happen

My teacup humans after a trip to a bookstore in the city.

We began by rearranging our bookshelves,  sorting them into genres and authors, we both came to the marriage with many many books so it was interesting to spend a Friday night with the man I love discussing our favourites, and creating homes on shelves for them. We bought in a slim shelf to put next to the bigger ones, to create TBR shelves, books that we intend to read, a his and hers if you will.

We began planning trips to op shops (thrift stores) as books in Australia are on the rather expensive side, so what better way to start collections than by trying to find second hand books that need new homes, the kids had ideas of what they wanted to find and most trips each of them came home with 1-2 books each, Elijah scouring the shelves to find weather and disaster books and Lily looking for books on animals. It has become a bi monthly adventure for the family, where we go visit different bookstores and each come out with a small haul.

The first books from an op shop trip - the Sibella Court book was my glory find that day.

I have honestly loved every second of our new journey as a family, it gives John and I a new avenue to explore together, as we talked very little about books even though we clearly are big readers once before, and now again.

It has been amazing to take some time each day with lunch, and at night to just curl up on the couch with a book and forget life for 30 mins, I had forgotten how truly magical it is to just immerse yourself in a book, I've found myself laughing out loud, sobbing my heart out and just plain giddy with the array of books I've devoured this month (which has been quite a large chunk!)

I even created a whole book in my Journal devoted to books! Writing down the books I read, and taking notes during them, has been a rather enjoyable task, also helpful if John and I decide to start our own Booktube Channel, which has been thrown around a lot lately.

I've even enjoyed the little bookcase image, where I've been pasting down little images of books I've been reading, I need to add a few more! as I've read much more than whats on the shelves currently.

I know reading isn't for everyone, but I think one should try it before they decide they aren't a reader! It helps open up your mind to so many ideas and thoughts! Its a mini vacation from the mundane routine of life. Its done wonders for the kids, with our daily allotted reading time, even to the point where Elijah has asked for longer books to read.

I will continue the Reading Nook on the blog each month with an assortment post of what I'm reading, and what have been my faves from the month, with mini back stories.

Even though this is a rather lengthy blog post, I feel it had to be written about, this post has been bubbling away in my brain for sometime now, and I felt it was time to get it all out. I hope I helped spark something in you the way Booktube did for me.

Drawing videos and blogs will be coming soon now that my husband is home! and I feel I can create again.

All my bookish love 

Courtney

My Good Reads Link - https://www.goodreads.com/LittleRavenInk