This was creepy! A blend of sci-fi and horror, In the Shadow of the Ship is a novella set in a world where ships have organic, sen4.5 stars rounded up
This was creepy! A blend of sci-fi and horror, In the Shadow of the Ship is a novella set in a world where ships have organic, sentient minds. Khuyen is returning to Nightjar, the ship she grew up on, for her grandmothers funeral.
It's the first time she has been back since fleeing as a teenager and she must reckon with the truth of her past and her complicated relationship with her family. As long as she can remember, children were required by the ship as Tribute and then thy would disappear. But what is the ship doing with them? And why are strange things happening? I really enjoyed this novella and would recommend it if you like de Bodard's writing. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
Two single dads find love in Learned Behaviors, a steamy m/m workplace romance. This feels like a good autumnal read and the cActual Rating: 3.5 stars
Two single dads find love in Learned Behaviors, a steamy m/m workplace romance. This feels like a good autumnal read and the characters have to overcome very real relationship challenges.
JaQuan is sending his daughter off to college and finally might feel free to date, though a big work project overseeing the design a line of home goods for a a prestigious brand is going to keep him busy. Matt is the pansexual, divorced father of adult children (with his youngest daughter in college with Jaq's daughter) and a definite workaholic. He's also the liason on the project JaQuan is involved with and there is definite chemistry.
But Matt's intense dedication to his job may be a challenge, not to mention the complication of something more than friendship brewing between their daughters. In general I enjoyed this, getting to see the characters work through challenges and come together. A few of the steamy scenes I was a bit more iffy on- particularly anything involving sex in the workplace I'm not a fan of, and some of the conversations around Jaq's mom and daughter were a little uncomfortable. That said, I think this has a lot going for it and it a nice option for this time of year. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Merged review:
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Two single dads find love in Learned Behaviors, a steamy m/m workplace romance. This feels like a good autumnal read and the characters have to overcome very real relationship challenges.
JaQuan is sending his daughter off to college and finally might feel free to date, though a big work project overseeing the design a line of home goods for a a prestigious brand is going to keep him busy. Matt is the pansexual, divorced father of adult children (with his youngest daughter in college with Jaq's daughter) and a definite workaholic. He's also the liason on the project JaQuan is involved with and there is definite chemistry.
But Matt's intense dedication to his job may be a challenge, not to mention the complication of something more than friendship brewing between their daughters. In general I enjoyed this, getting to see the characters work through challenges and come together. A few of the steamy scenes I was a bit more iffy on- particularly anything involving sex in the workplace I'm not a fan of, and some of the conversations around Jaq's mom and daughter were a little uncomfortable. That said, I think this has a lot going for it and it a nice option for this time of year. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own....more
Short story collections can be a bit of a crapshoot, but I liked if not loved nearly all of the stories in this collection. I also appreciated that thShort story collections can be a bit of a crapshoot, but I liked if not loved nearly all of the stories in this collection. I also appreciated that there was a bit of a frame narrative that the stories fit into. The White Guy Dies First collects 13 horror stories, some of which span other genres like science fiction and fantasy, by Black, Indigenous, and person of color authors including a number of queer ones. Overall I thought it was a very strong collection and I'll list my favorites...
The Golden Dragon by Kendare Blake follows a Korean girl deserving of revenge.
Best Served Cold by HE Edgemon puts a creepy twist on the Indigenous Skinwalker mythology in a way that is gory and cinematic.
Gray Grove by Alexis Henderson explores the dark side of true crime podcasts.
Wasps by Mark Oshiro has predatory gentrifiers and dark monsters
Definitely worth a read! The audiobook is excellent and has a full cast. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
I loved The Book of Gothel, but this historical fantasy one was more of a mixed bag for me. I found around the first 30% to be incredibly tedious and I loved The Book of Gothel, but this historical fantasy one was more of a mixed bag for me. I found around the first 30% to be incredibly tedious and I considered not continuing, but just then things really picked up. Theres a forbidden sapphic relationship, Will Shakespeare finally makes an appearance, and weird magic stuff starts going on. It kept me fairly interested through the rest of the book. That said, I will echo other reviewers in my thoughts on Rose- for a woman who pushes so many boundaries, she's kind of a boring character a lot of the time because things just sort of happen to her. And things just kind of work out for her in a way that doesn't always feel earned. I don't know, there were things I liked about this and other things that were more middle of the road. I do think the concept is cool- bringing to life the woman who inspired many of Shakespeare's sonnets. If it sounds like your thing, give it a try. Just expect the beginning to be slow going. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own....more
This is a great introduction to queer artists and musicians involved in the Harlem Renaissance, and serves as a jumping off point for learning more abThis is a great introduction to queer artists and musicians involved in the Harlem Renaissance, and serves as a jumping off point for learning more about them. Written for teens, it feels like a personal invitation into something the author is passionate about. Johnson inserts relevant asides, juicy details, and places where he disagrees with things some authors said at the time. And yet, there is this honor and appreciation for what all of them added to Black and queer culture. It's entertaining, informative, and makes you want to go read more. I was familiar with some of the people in the book such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, but there are others I had never heard of and this work feels like an important part of keeping their history alive. And the portrait illustrations at the start of each biography are gorgeous! This is definitely worth checking out. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own....more
This was really delightful and full of heart! A Bánh Mì for Two is a YA coming of age story and cute romance set in Saigon, Vietnam between two teen gThis was really delightful and full of heart! A Bánh Mì for Two is a YA coming of age story and cute romance set in Saigon, Vietnam between two teen girls.
Vivi is Vietnamese-American and has always been curious about her heritage but her mother refuses to speak about their homeland. She becomes a fan of a blog about Vietnamese street food and decides to study abroad in Saigon, while telling her parents she's in Singapore.
Lan is the author of the blog, but she's struggled to write since her father passed away. She feels the need to shoulder the burden of helping her mom with the family food stall because her mom has chronic illness. But her mom wants her to enjoy her youth and spend time with friends.
The two girls meet unexpectedly and form a friendship that sparks into something more. It's a great blend of food, culture, finding your place in the world, dealing with difficult family situations and history, and first love. It's a quick read and definitely worth your time! The audio narration is great too. I recieved an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
I really liked this! Given some of the reviews I was worried their relationship was going to be all sex and no substance. But whil4.5 stars rounded up
I really liked this! Given some of the reviews I was worried their relationship was going to be all sex and no substance. But while it is certainly a sex-forward novel, I did not find that to be the case.
I'll Have What He's Having is a gay romance written by a gay author, which I love to see more of in the genre. After a mistaken identity leads to a one night stand, an unexpected connection develops between these characters. Farzan is the screw-up of the family. His Iranian parents run a restaurant and his sister is married with a successful career while he's a substitute teacher who likes to cook. David is a wine expert studying for his master sommelier exam, and of course they meet at the restaurant he works at.
I really loved the mix of personal growth for the characters and the development of the romance between them. They have this amazing friendship, and get very spicy in the bedroom too. It's a really solid romance featuring characters in their late 30's, still trying to figure out life. I'm a fan! The audio narration is really well done. I feel like each of the performers nailed the voice and personality of the character they portrayed. I received an audio review copy via Netgalley, all opinions are my own....more
There were some interesting ideas here, but for me the execution was a bit of a mixed bag. I wanted to like it more than I actuall2.5 stars rounded up
There were some interesting ideas here, but for me the execution was a bit of a mixed bag. I wanted to like it more than I actually did. Unexploded Remnants is a sci-fi novella following a trans woman who is the last surviving human in a wider world of alien planets and transportation gates. She discovers an ancient sentient weapon in a marketplace and has to go on the run from a family trying to take it from her. The world is cool and the ideas about sentience, choice, personhood, and violence are interesting. But for a novella, it spent so much time stopping and telling us things about the world and the characters backstory, it drags down the pace and very little actually happens. I think less information and more plot would have been better, either that or turn this into a longer work. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
Luminous Beings is a sort of screwball dystopian comedy, following a group of teens living in a future with zombie squirrels and l3.5 stars rounded up
Luminous Beings is a sort of screwball dystopian comedy, following a group of teens living in a future with zombie squirrels and looking for a missing person. The humor didn't always hit for me, but it's conceptually interesting and I like the casualness of how the teens just accept this is what the world is- squishing squirrels that try to attack you. No big deal. They're still going to be very normal teens, complete with love life drama, not so great jobs, and potential parties. It's something different and fairly entertaining. I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own....more
This was cute but kind of chaotic? I love the art style, but I do wish the two main characters had a little more nuance to their personalities. JalissThis was cute but kind of chaotic? I love the art style, but I do wish the two main characters had a little more nuance to their personalities. Jalissa and Kim Vasquez are cousins and could not be more opposite. Kim is scatter-brained but bubbly and vivacious with stars in her eyes. She wants to be a famous designer. Jalissa is grumpy and has an anger problem, but grudgingly looks out for her cousin. They are roomies living in a new city when they develop strange powers and face down translucent fish that swim through storms.
It's very dramatic and over the top, and I do like how different the cousins are BUT I wish it was a little less all or nothing if that makes sense. But her art style is gorgeous and the story is a fun romp. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
This was a great conclusion to this fantasy novella duology! I love how it played with format and included in-world folktales from4.5 stars rounded up
This was a great conclusion to this fantasy novella duology! I love how it played with format and included in-world folktales from different perspectives. It explores how history looks quite different depending on who gets to frame it. But we're following our two heroines from the last book, this time into the underworld along with a smart and snarky dragon companion. It's fun, queer, and adventurous. What more could you want? I thoroughly enjoyed it. I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own....more
This was not my favorite romance from Talia Hibbert, but she admits it's a lot angstier than what she typically writes. I'm also a harder sell on thisThis was not my favorite romance from Talia Hibbert, but she admits it's a lot angstier than what she typically writes. I'm also a harder sell on this premise- long-time friends successfully transitioning to a relationship after a one night stand when they first met. By the end of the book I was a bit more on board, but I'm a little iffy on someone having feelings for years and hiding them. I get that she has trauma she needs to deal with, but it's not my favorite. This is on the steamier side, and I might have liked that more if I was sold on the two of them earlier on. That said, I think your mileage on this as a reader will really vary. It's still a pretty good book, and there is the forced proximity of being temporary roommates. There's a new audiobook and I liked the narration. I received an audio review copy from NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
Weird and eerie horror novel about grieving the loss of an emotionally abusive parent, the intersection of the beauty industry and4.5 stars rounded up
Weird and eerie horror novel about grieving the loss of an emotionally abusive parent, the intersection of the beauty industry and fear of aging, and racist standards of beauty that elevate whiteness over everything else.
The main character is the biracial daughter of a white, French mother obsessed with beauty, skincare, and looking young. She passed that obsession on to her daughter and has died under somewhat strange circumstances. The daughter is drawn into a dark world promising otherworldly beauty and must relive episodes from her past relationship with her mom.
This is strange and creepy in the way this author is so good at delivering. It's an excellent novel threading a lot of thematic depth throughout. Our cultural obsession with looking young, and the mixed feelings that come with loosing a loved one you had a complicated relationship with. Definitely worth a read and the audio narration is great too. I received a audio review copy from Libro.FM, all opinions are my own.
Merged review:
4.5 stars rounded up
Weird and eerie horror novel about grieving the loss of an emotionally abusive parent, the intersection of the beauty industry and fear of aging, and racist standards of beauty that elevate whiteness over everything else.
The main character is the biracial daughter of a white, French mother obsessed with beauty, skincare, and looking young. She passed that obsession on to her daughter and has died under somewhat strange circumstances. The daughter is drawn into a dark world promising otherworldly beauty and must relive episodes from her past relationship with her mom.
This is strange and creepy in the way this author is so good at delivering. It's an excellent novel threading a lot of thematic depth throughout. Our cultural obsession with looking young, and the mixed feelings that come with loosing a loved one you had a complicated relationship with. Definitely worth a read and the audio narration is great too. I received a audio review copy from Libro.FM, all opinions are my own....more
If you haven't tried this series yet and you are a fan of the fae, queer romance, and Shakespeare then you definitely should. Saint-Seducing Gold (stiIf you haven't tried this series yet and you are a fan of the fae, queer romance, and Shakespeare then you definitely should. Saint-Seducing Gold (still not sure why this is the title tbh?) continues to follow Joan, a bisexual young Black woman living in a magical version of Shakespearean London where the fae from Midsummer Nights Dream really exist and are trying to take over the human government. She is the daughter of a blacksmith and makes stage weapons for Shakespeare's productions, but is now getting caught up in far larger plots. Not to mention the fact that she is falling for a boy and a girl at the same time, while yet another boy is blackmailing her into a relationship. We got hints in book 1 that this might end up being polyamorous, and based on what happens here I think that is extremely likely. It's a fun, quick read and I will definitely pick up the concluding volume when it releases! The audio narration is great as well. I received an audio review copy of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own....more
This was great! I love a fantasy novella and The Fireborne Blade effectively encapsulates a complete story with interesting charac4.5 stars rounded up
This was great! I love a fantasy novella and The Fireborne Blade effectively encapsulates a complete story with interesting characters, while introducing us to a new world. I also didn't see the twist at the end coming. It follows a queer woman who is a knight, on a quest to get a blade back from a dragon and reclaim her honor. It's told in a split timeline, and in the past we also meet a woman who is secretly being trained by a mage, even though women aren't really supposed to be. It's an adventure story about ambitious, talented women trying to make space for themselves in a man's world. Definitely worth a read! It's fast paced and fun, and the audio narration is good too. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own....more
Historical fiction meets queer feminist horror in this quietly disturbing novel about gender constraints, bodily autonomy, and fem4.5 stars rounded up
Historical fiction meets queer feminist horror in this quietly disturbing novel about gender constraints, bodily autonomy, and female rage. Set in 1901, Grey Dog follows a teacher & amateur naturalist taking up a new position in a small town. Ada befriends a local widow who is a bit of an outsider and begins seeing strange things in the forest.
What's very effective about this is that the reader can't tell if Ada is a reliable narrator, or if she is losing her mind as the story progresses. It leans into expectations of feminine respectability, and of the constraints placed on women's sexuality and interests, especially during this time period. It's a quieter novel, but the horror elements slowly grow and become more disturbing towards the end. And I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. It is both unsatisfying and entirely appropriate. And even the part that's unsatisfying seems intentionally so. The audio narration is excellent and creates a sense of foreboding atmosphere as well as place and time. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
This is a really solid collection of short stories. Of course some are better than others, but overall it's a YA horror collection3.5 stars rounded up
This is a really solid collection of short stories. Of course some are better than others, but overall it's a YA horror collection where authors play with classic tropes in new ways, centering young Black women who do in fact survive. (as the title should clue you in) Some stories are funny, some are creepy, some are both but I had a good time reading these and none of them were really bad.
I'll share a couple of my favorites. Queeniums for Greenium by Brittney Morris had me cackling at the sendup of MLM culture, but make it horror. My other favorite is the final story in the collection- Foxhunt by Charlotte Nicole Davis features a queer Black girl and offers a take on the creepy game, but in high school. Those two really stood out and made excellent use of the short story framework. And it tracks, because I've loved other books from both authors. The audio narration is great and delivers the creepy vibes when needed fairly well. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
I picked this up because I LOVED Never Ever Getting Back Together, but unfortunately I just don't think this one is for me. It's weird but inDNF @ 30%
I picked this up because I LOVED Never Ever Getting Back Together, but unfortunately I just don't think this one is for me. It's weird but in a way I'm finding off-putting rather than intriguing, but of course your mileage may vary. The premise sounded entertaining, but in practice it's just not working for me. The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist is told in two timelines. In the past, Ivy has come out as bi and is crushing on a friend. In the present, they're enemies and she only has one real friend. When her parents go out of town for a week, the hero from her favorite TV show appears in her bed, apparently brought to life by her fanfic and causing problems.
Again, the premise is fun but the interactions with this magical guy are giving me second-hand embarrassment rather than making me laugh at the cringe-worthiness. And while I think the past timeline is supposed to give us a sense of the characters history and friendship, it's coming across to me as more toxic than anything else. This is clearly intended to be a satirical comedy and humor is very subjective so you might give it a try. It's just unfortunately not working out for me. The audio narration is fine, I don't have specific praise or criticism for the narrator. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
This was cute, it just reads very young. Which is fine as a YA book, just be aware. I was interested to read a sapphic, YA romance translated from PorThis was cute, it just reads very young. Which is fine as a YA book, just be aware. I was interested to read a sapphic, YA romance translated from Portuguese, and I do thing the cultural and linguistic elements are really interesting.
London on My Mind follows Brazilian Dayana moving to live with her dad, stepmom, and stepsister in London after the death of her mother. She is struggling with grief and guilt, and is very angry with her dad for abandoning them when she was young so she lashes out. She unexpectedly meets a cute girl escaping from Buckingham palace and they have immediate chemistry...
I really liked the positive plus-size representation with the main character, and how this deals with chronic illness through a side character. The romance is a little surface level to me, but it's fun and offers good representation of bisexuality and pansexuality. I think the fact that the girls names are Dayana and Diana is a little absurd but I think it's supposed to be cute. Dayana is extremely whiny and impulsive, and isn't great at considering other people. I know she's young and traumatized, but it's a lot at times. Some readers might struggle with that.
Overall, I liked but didn't love this. It was a cool experience though and I'm not mad I read it. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
I absolutely loved this book! I read it with my kids and we were all huge fans. The Insiders is a middle grade story about friendship, not fitting in,I absolutely loved this book! I read it with my kids and we were all huge fans. The Insiders is a middle grade story about friendship, not fitting in, bullying, and finding safe spaces. All with a lovely speculative element! Hector is a middle-schooler who recently moved from San Francisco to the small town of Orangevale. He is Mexican and gay, and quickly attracts a relentless bully in Mike. One day, trying to run away from Mike and his goons, he discovers a janitors closet that turns out to be much more than it seems...
Because Hector is not the only kid to find refuge in the Room. Three kids from three different schools in different states all meet, become friends, and find ways to help each other. What Hector experiences is really hard, including grown ups who don't believe him when he tries to tell. But the way the story progresses is really heartwarming, and satisfying. It's also one of very few books for this age group I've found with a non-binary kid and that's amazing to have. I truly cannot say enough good things about this and my kids were both super engaged and invested in what was going to happen. ...more
Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany)
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