International Women's Day

Hello lovelies!

Not only is today International Women’s Day, but its Women’s History Month — it’s a time dedicated to highlighting the contributions and achievements women have made in history and around the world, and to remember that there is so much further to go when it comes to women’s safety and gender equality. I am lucky to be surrounded by women who are driven, motivated and work hard to achieve their goals and every day I am proud and honoured to be a part of their lives.

This year’s International Women’s Day Theme is #breakthebias —

Imagine a gender equal world.

A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

A world where difference is valued and celebrated.

Together we can forge women's equality.

Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.

Thank you to all of the women before me that broke down barriers and thankyou to those women around me who inspire me and challenge me. May we keep rising, supporting one another and challenging each other to reach greater heights.

In honour of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, here are some books recommendations that feature strong female characters and that I personally loved ✨

The Covenant Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout is a young adult fantasy-esq series that follows the incredibly badass Alex, a half blood (half descended from the Greek Gods) in a world full of daimons, politics, and hunky guys. A must read!

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper is a book I can’t stop raving about and you should all definitely read! The Wolf Den follows Amara, a girl brown to a middle class Greek family who finds herself as a prostitute in the brothel of Pompeii. This book is full of female friendships and women supporting women, as well as a look into the lives of women in Ancient Rome.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a story loosely based off the life of Elizabeth Taylor, and recounts the life of Evelyn Hugo and her seven marriages. Hugo is such a strong, determined protagonist, this book really took me by surprise with how much I enjoyed it.

Swallow’s Dance by Wendy Orr is a middle grace novel set during the volcanic eruption of Thera in the Bronze Age Aegean. The story follows Leira who was beginning her Learnings to become a woman before her life was thrown into chaos. This is truly a coming of age story, and an incredibly heartwarming one set during my favourite time period!

The Darker Shade of Magic series by V.E. Schawb is one of my favourite series, and a lot of that is to do with Delilah Bard, one of the main protagonists of the series — an aspiring pirate and professional pick pocket. Her growth throughout the series is a pleasure to read, and hearing that this series is getting more books makes me so happy!

As you all should know by now, the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan is one of my all time favourite series and is genuinely an important part of my personality. Much of my love for the series has something to do with Annabeth Chase, one of my favourite female literary characters of all time — working hard to inspire young girls to be incredible badasses every. damn. day.

The last female character I want to highlight in this post is Alex Jennings from Lynette Noni’s Akarnae series. Alex is thrust into a brand new world and faces all sorts of challenges both physical and emotional, and honestly, she growth throughout this series makes me so proud. Such an enjoyable young adult series that I cannot recommend enough!

So, that’s probably enough from me! Let me know your favourite female literary characters in the comments below, or on my International Women’s Day post over on Instagram ✨✨

Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book was an easy ★★★★★ and I am feeling very spoilt with the quality of books I have been reading lately. I love it when a hyped book actually lives up to the hype.


What’s the book about?

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This book is so multifaceted, it actually blew my mind. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is all about Evelyn Hugo who was an acclaimed actress in the Hollywood scene of the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Everyone she loves has died, and so she has reached out to Monique, a writer for the magazine Vivant. Evelyn was one of those actresses who had the face and the body to achieve all of her dreams in the acting industry, but she is ready to show the world who she is underneath the dyed hair, the one sided articles and the decades she has spent doing everything she can to keep her secrets safe. Throughout this story, Evelyn divulges her entire life story from her first marriage to the death of her final love still alive, and it is a truly breathtaking and heartbreaking tale.

My scattered thoughts

This book exceeded every single one of my expectations. It was written in a way which provided both the action as if it was happening to Evelyn, and also her thoughts and feelings towards her life at the same time. It was such a fascinating way to write this story, and having her narrate her life as well as comment on it after the fact added another level to the story, and to her character which I thought was brilliantly done.

Sometimes reality comes crashing down on you. Other times reality simply waits, patiently, for you to run out of the energy it takes to deny it.

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Evelyn Hugo has to be one of the most complicated and multifaceted character I have ever read. Just you began to like her, she would do something that made you want to yell. Every decision she made was thought through in detail, and even then, she made so many decisions which, in hindsight, she now recognises were not the correct ones. She has seven husbands, and from each of them she got something different out of it. This book was a journey, for Evelyn, for Monique and for the reader. This story really resonated with me, because underneath the title of ‘Seven Husbands,’ the story is fundamentally about the way in which women live their lives vs. the way way men do. Every time Evelyn went through a divorce, it was a scandal for her and she was the talk of the gossip columns, but the men got through it unscathed. This book portrays the hardships women went through 50 + years ago, and highlights the ways the world has changed, and all the ways it has not, both for women and lgbtqi+.

You do not know how fast you have been running, how hard you have been working, how truly exhausted you are, until somewhat stands behind you and says, “It’s OK, you can fall down now. I’ll catch you.

Overall, this book stunned me. The style and format of the book was different, and absolutely perfect for telling this story. The inclusions of gossip columns and bulletins added yet another layer into the world and identity of Evelyn Hugo. The way in which Evelyn’s stor progressed, and simultaneously affected Monique in ways she didn't even realise until after the fact was incredibly subtle, yet entirely believable. This book is wonderful, and I would definitely recommend it. If you have read this, please leave your thoughts down below, or come find me on Instagram @kell_read (and I have just started a TikTok @kell_read4 so be sure to check that out!) ✨