Even though I absolutely loved Kevin Wilson’s two most recent books (Nothing to See Here & Now Is Not the Time to Panic) I was hesitant to go back andEven though I absolutely loved Kevin Wilson’s two most recent books (Nothing to See Here & Now Is Not the Time to Panic) I was hesitant to go back and read his first novel. What if I didn’t connect to his earlier writing as much? It was published around 10 years before the ones I had read, so would it feel really dated? So I’m extremely happy to say that I ended up loving The Family Fang. It’s full of complicated, messy characters, unhealthy family dynamics, and the process of making art and how that impacts people.
I can understand why this book doesn’t work for everyone. It’s kinda odd and meandering, the characters don’t always do or say the right things, Caleb and Camille are not good parents, and it doesn’t have a super easy or “Hollywood” ending. But I think that’s why I liked it so much, it’s messy (which I mean as a compliment). I liked watching the different ways that Annie and Buster grappled with the ways their parents treated them and how that has impacted them into their adulthood. I liked the explorations of parents who so clearly think that their children are not as important as their art. I also liked the mystery plot surrounding Caleb and Camille.
Also, it was fun reading this after having read Nothing to See Here and Now is Not the Time to Panic because there were things in this book that Kevin Wilson expanded on later in those two books. So it was cool to see the kids spontaneously combusting story and the famous phrase from the Coalfield Panic being used in smaller ways in this book.
Man, I just love Kevin Wilson’s writing. I’m definitely going to be reading the rest of his backlist now....more
This book was such an excellent mix of Hollywood satire/commentary and a very creepy horror story. Misha is a screenwriter working for the “Harold BroThis book was such an excellent mix of Hollywood satire/commentary and a very creepy horror story. Misha is a screenwriter working for the “Harold Brothers” company. He’s all set for the two female leads of his show to finally acknowledge the chemistry they’ve been building for years and kiss each other. But to his horror the executive tells him that if the characters kiss, he’s going to have to kill one of them. After he refuses he starts being stalked by versions of his past characters. Now he has to figure out what’s going on, who is causing it, and how to stay alive while staying true to his vision for queer representation.
Man, this just worked for me on so many levels. I loved how the satire and commentary was not subtle in the slightest. Tingle is taking shots at bury your gays storylines, executives only supporting what they think will appease an algorithm, queerbaiting, the inability to present nuanced and messy queer storylines, AI generated performances, and so much more.
Misha was a really fascinating character to follow. He’s made a career of creating different queer horror shows and films, but he’s never come out publicly or to his family and friends back home. There’s a lot of time spent exploring flashbacks to his childhood that show his early experiences acknowledging his sexuality and how they’re still impacting him to this day. It was also so interesting seeing the different things from his past that he used to create the super creepy characters who end up targeting him in the narrative. They bring about some extremely stressful and uncomfortable scenes.
The book gets super bonkers, but I thought that when everything was revealed it made sense with the overall commentary. I definitely recommend this book for people who enjoy horror and are pretty tuned in to the different conversations surrounding queer representation in Hollywood....more
3.5 - Back in 2014 I was absolutely obsessed with Andrew Smith’s book Grasshopper Jungle. I just thought it was unlike any YA book I had read before. 3.5 - Back in 2014 I was absolutely obsessed with Andrew Smith’s book Grasshopper Jungle. I just thought it was unlike any YA book I had read before. It was a completely bonkers story about six foot tall hungry and horny praying mantises taking over the world. But even more, it was a coming of age story about a teenage boy named Austin trying to figure out where he fits into the history of the world. And how his feelings for his girlfriend Shann and his best friend Robby play into that.
So I’m flabbergasted that I managed to completely miss the fact that a sequel came out FIVE YEARS AGO. This book follow’s Austin’s son Arek 16 years after the events of Grasshopper Jungle. Through his eyes we get to see the ways that a small group of people have adjusted to living in a bunker, barely stepping outside into the world. It’s really interesting to see what things he understood about the world before it ended, and how he and other characters who were born after the apocalypse make sense of things.
I had a good time reading this book, I definitely flew through it. But it also didn’t come close to what I remember loving so much about Grasshopper Jungle. But then again, it’s been so long since I read that book that maybe I would feel differently about it today. Either way, some of my favorite parts of this book were seeing the interactions between Arek, Austin, and Robby. I kept wanting to see more of them, though I understand why there weren’t that many because of the story this book was telling.
I’m really glad I read this, it does give closure to some plot threads from Grasshopper Jungle. But I don’t know if I’ll ever revisit this one....more
I think this had a lot of interesting parts, but I never felt like it fully came together as a whole. Learning about Curtis’ experience growing up as I think this had a lot of interesting parts, but I never felt like it fully came together as a whole. Learning about Curtis’ experience growing up as a gay Chinese American kid in 1980s Detroit was definitely interesting. There were so many compelling stories about working in their restaurant, experiences he had with other kids at school, figuring out his sexuality, and his family’s history.
I felt like the book was a little bit lopsided with so much of it covering when he was a kid but then not showing as much of him in college or as a young adult. I was interested in hearing more about how his political views shifted once he was in college, but he didn’t go as in depth as I wanted. A lot of the book felt like scratching the surface and then skipping along to another amusing anecdote....more
I had so much fun reading this book. Parker and Adam get off on the wrong foot when Parker gets a bad gradZombies and werewolves and gay love. Oh my!
I had so much fun reading this book. Parker and Adam get off on the wrong foot when Parker gets a bad grade on a paper in his film studies class. Adam is the TA and doesn’t think that Parker is taking the course seriously. But they’re almost instantly forced to set that aside when the world explodes into chaos as a virus turns people into mindless killing machines.
Watching how Parker and Adam start to trust and protect one another and then start to have feelings was a lot of fun. The bits of comfort and camaraderie they’re able to have in the middle of an apocalypse added a lot to the story. They had great chemistry in both the sweet moments and the steamy moments.
I’m normally not someone who gravitates towards romance series where you’re following the same main couple over multiple books. However in this case I’m definitely interested in seeing what Adam and Parker get up to next. I think you could totally read just this one book and feel satisfied where the romantic relationship leaves off, but I’m curious to see more of what their world looks like and how they’re going to continue surviving....more
I’ve really enjoyed the YA books I’ve read from Adib Khorram, so I was excited to learn that he was publishing an adult romance! I’ll Have What He’s HI’ve really enjoyed the YA books I’ve read from Adib Khorram, so I was excited to learn that he was publishing an adult romance! I’ll Have What He’s Having is a fun queer romance about characters in their late 30s finding love and figuring out what they want from the rest of their lives. The characters, Farzan and David, are both well fleshed out and brought different, unique points of view to the story.
The book starts out with a mistaken identity that leads to the characters hooking up. They very quickly realize what happened and are able to laugh it off. I was personally glad that happened right at the beginning, because I can sometimes get uncomfortable if so much of a romance involves the characters not being on the same page about their identities. After they figure out what happened they end up becoming friends with benefits. David needs someone to help him study for his master sommelier exam and Farzan needs David’s advice on how to run his family’s restaurant. So they decide to help each other out, in more ways than one. But what will happen when real feelings get involved? Especially since David’s plan has always been to move away after passing his exam.
Adib Khorram did such an amazing job at creating atmosphere in this story. There’s a lot of lush descriptions of food, wine, the different restaurants, and the chemistry between David and Farzan. Sometimes when YA writers transfer over into adult, their books and characters still end up feeling very YA. But I don’t think that happened here, I feel like the characters being in their late 30s and having more mature issues helped with that. All of the conflict between the characters felt earned by what had come before in the story, it never felt completely out of left field.
I listened to this on audio and I absolutely flew through it. The book is told in a dual POV and both narrators did an excellent job at bringing the story to life, conveying the chemistry between the leads, and fleshing out the side characters.
I’d definitely recommend this for people who love queer romances full of steam, heart, family, food, and personal growth.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
When Cas first enters the reality TV show Hot Summer she’s just there as part of a confidential plan to gain a promotion and secure a partnership betwWhen Cas first enters the reality TV show Hot Summer she’s just there as part of a confidential plan to gain a promotion and secure a partnership between the dating app she works for and the show. She doesn’t have any plans to fall for anyone… until she meets Ada. Could real feelings be growing between the two women? And what about the big secret that Cas is keeping from everyone?
I really enjoyed aspects of this book. Cas and Ada had great chemistry together, it was fun watching their friendship and relationship develop over the course of the story. I also thought that Cas’ hesitance about getting into a serious relationship was well explained and made sense given her history. There were also some entertaining side characters like Sienna, Femi, and Freddie who rounded out the cast nicely. I also loved getting to see bits of the fan reactions from social media in between some of the chapters.
However, I never found myself fully loving the book. I think that aspects of the reality TV show weren’t explained enough or just felt a bit glossed over. I kept feeling confused or not totally engaged with that part of the plot. Perhaps it’s because I’ve never watched Love Island, but I’ve also never watched The Bachelor and haven’t felt myself getting this confused in other reality dating show romance novels. Also, there were just so many side characters that it was overwhelming. A couple were defined, but for the most part they didn’t seem like they were relevant outside of being cannon fodder for elimination from the show. And I thought that the conflict was a bit too easily resolved in the end. Because the book is single POV, I felt like I didn’t get to see enough of Ada’s internal process towards forgiveness.
I know that sounds like a lot of complaints. But I did still like the book even though it didn’t become a new favorite. Perhaps it will work better for readers who are already fans of the Love Island format.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
This was such a great follow up to Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure. In this book we see Lewis’ journey as a trans man trying to figureThis was such a great follow up to Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure. In this book we see Lewis’ journey as a trans man trying to figure out his style and how he wants to present himself to the world. I really enjoy the narrative technique of modern day Lewis having conversations with his younger self. It’s an interesting way to show his evolution past where this particular story ends.
Going away to university, struggling with classes, opening up to a therapist, romance, friendship, struggles with family, fundraising for top surgery, and more are covered within the book. I feel like Lewis does a good job of mixing humor and serious topics throughout the story. I don’t know if he intends on releasing more graphic memoirs, but if he does I’ll definitely read them....more
3.5 - This was a really nice YA book about being an ambitious young woman, figuring out where your priorities lie, friends-to-lovers sapphic romance, 3.5 - This was a really nice YA book about being an ambitious young woman, figuring out where your priorities lie, friends-to-lovers sapphic romance, and learning how to fight back against harassment. Madison was an interesting character to follow. I enjoyed how she didn’t always do the “right” thing in little moments, but when it came down to major events she really stepped up for others and herself.
The journey of following Madison needing to find a new person to be campaign manager for in her school elections might not sound like the most interesting plot on the surface. But that story worked to show her ambition, what she wants to do in the workforce, and show how her new relationship with Victoria differs from her previous relationship with her ex-girlfriend Jade.
There’s also a storyline of Madison uncovering a pattern of sexual harassment at her school and trying to figure out what to do about it. I thought that it was handled really well and showed tricky gray areas where people might feel like what happened to them isn’t serious enough to speak up about. Or how people could try to tell them that they’re just misinterpreting something innocuous. However, I was a bit disappointed by how late that element was added to the story. It ended up feeling a bit rushed, being that it’s mentioned in the plot synopsis I was anticipating more time to be spent on it rather than it just being in the last quarter. It just feels like an important topic that bears having enough time to fully flesh everything out.
But overall I did enjoy the book. I think it brings up important conversations while also remaining a fun YA book with a sweet romance....more
This is a really fascinating read, showing different queer histories of folkloric and mythological entities. I enjoyed Sacha Coward’s writing style, hThis is a really fascinating read, showing different queer histories of folkloric and mythological entities. I enjoyed Sacha Coward’s writing style, he made it very easy to follow along and understand all the different figures and references for someone who wasn’t any type of history or folklore scholar.
Each chapter covers a different “creature,” from mermaids, unicorns, witches, fairies, to things that people might think of as being more modern or not typical beings from folklore like aliens, robots, and superheroes. I liked getting to see the evolution of these different characters and how they have had queer roots going back centuries. These different chapters really go to show how many queer people were involved in the creation of these folkloric creatures and why the stories continue to appeal to so many queer people. I also appreciated how Coward didn’t shy away from referencing messy situations and how these figures weren’t always positive representations.
Definitely check this book out if it sounds interesting to you. It’s not a dry history textbook, Coward’s writing makes the subject really come to life. And it’s compelling to see how these old stories have evolved and how they tie in to the current queer community.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Superhero movie star falls for local drag queen, it’s a tale as old as time. I’m a sucker for a celebrity romance that provides commentary on HollywooSuperhero movie star falls for local drag queen, it’s a tale as old as time. I’m a sucker for a celebrity romance that provides commentary on Hollywood and the sacrifices that people make living in the public eye, so I had a great time with this book. Patrick is in England filming the second Captain Kismet movie when he meets Will, a local drag queen and bookseller. The two become fast friends, which leads to them secretly dating. But how can this work out when Patrick is in the closet publicly and will return back to the US once filming is done?
I felt like this did a really good job at having fun, silly, and steamy moments while also acknowledging the hardships that Patrick and Will are facing. There’s conversations about what coming out could do to Patrick’s career and there are anti-drag protests within the story. But even though these more serious things are touched upon, the overwhelming feeling that I got while reading the book was joy.
There’s an interesting extra element to this book that is going back to the 1940s and including some of the story of the people who originally created the Captain Kismet character. I can be a bit hesitant when romance novels spend too much time away from the main romance, but I think that these little bits added a lot to the overall story and the themes that Philip Ellis was touching upon with queer history and community.
Definitely check this one out if you’re in the market for a fun, queer celebrity romance. It has great side characters, found family, silly drag queen names, as well as big conversations about identity and coming out.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Sleepaway Camp, an 80s slasher with a complicated legacy. I was really excited when I learned that BJ and Harmony Colangelo were writing a book all abSleepaway Camp, an 80s slasher with a complicated legacy. I was really excited when I learned that BJ and Harmony Colangelo were writing a book all about the movie and Angela Baker as a character. I love their podcast This Ends at Prom and articles that I’ve read from them, so I was looking forward to getting a whole book of their insights. I think this book does a great job at explaining the movie itself, the history of how it got made, the cultural context of the time it came out, and the different trans and queer reads people have of the movie.
This isn’t a book that is going to try and tell you the one correct take to have about Angela and whether the movie is homophobic/transphobic or not. I appreciated how they made ties between Aunt Martha’s treatment of Angela and incorrect beliefs that modern conservatives have about trans children. The book doesn’t shy away from bringing up real world transphobia and how media depictions have real influences.
While the entire book is credited to both BJ and Harmony, there are a couple chapters that are by Harmony alone. Her perspective is really fascinating, showing how her experience watching the movie has changed over the years. There’s also some content about her feelings being in the horror community and feeling like her voice only matters to others when people need a trans perspective on a trans movie, but she isn’t called on for collaboration outside of that realm.
Definitely check this one out if you’re interested in a nuanced look at Sleepaway Camp. Coming in under 150 pages, the book is a quick read. But even though it doesn’t have a super long page count, it still manages to touch on so many different topics....more
Patrick Ness is such an interesting author. I love how he writes books in wildly different genres yet still seamlessly incorporates stories about idenPatrick Ness is such an interesting author. I love how he writes books in wildly different genres yet still seamlessly incorporates stories about identity and prejudice. Different For Boys incorporates some illustrations and black bars censoring certain words which gives the book a unique feel. The story is about Ant’s experiences being closeted at school, having a secret relationship, and wondering when exactly does a boy who likes boys stop being a virgin.
The book is funny at times and serious at other moments. The conversations that it’s having about sex and sexuality are interesting, especially when paired with the theme of censorship and how that impacts queer youth.
This is a super quick read, I’d definitely recommend it for fans of queer contemporary YA stories....more
Eric LaRocca is so skilled when it comes to creating complex, queer, and shocking horror short stories. I know I’m in for something interesting and grEric LaRocca is so skilled when it comes to creating complex, queer, and shocking horror short stories. I know I’m in for something interesting and grotesque whenever I pick up one of his collections. I appreciate their focus on showing all sorts of complicated relationships and how darkness and different types of violence can seep in. I’m not the most squeamish reader, normally it doesn’t phase me to consume horror or other dark types of stories. But there were some points that I had to pause the audiobook because it was getting a bit too visceral to listen to while cooking or eating.
I’d definitely recommend this for fans of queer horror and inventive, gruesome stories.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Man, Thirsty was an excellent and, at times, uncomfortable read. The story follows Blake Brenner during the summer between her senior year of high schMan, Thirsty was an excellent and, at times, uncomfortable read. The story follows Blake Brenner during the summer between her senior year of high school and first year of college. Her, her girlfriend Ella, and best friend Annetta are all spending the summer trying to get chosen to be part of the Serena Society, an exclusive society for women of color at their college. But all the parties are starting to show just how out of control Blake’s drinking has gotten.
Blake felt like such a fully formed character. It’s so easy to understand why she feels a bit out of step with her friends and their social circle. She isn’t wealthy like Ella, Annetta, and most of the society girls. She’s biracial and her white mom has never tried to understand Blake’s experiences with race. She’s a lesbian, but her parents didn’t seem super happy or supportive when she came out. So she drinks… a lot. To make herself feel like she fits in more, to make herself Big Bad Bee, the life of the party. But she can’t seem to ever drink in moderation, she blacks out, spirals into negative thinking about herself, and most people don’t notice or don’t care.
This book really tugged at my heartstrings. It’s so hard to watch Blake continue to make bad decisions around alcohol. But I could always see and understand her thought process. It’s frustrating, but also still understandable why some of the people in her circle don’t think she has a problem since “everyone drinks” or “everyone gets wild at parties” and thoughts like that. I think that’s why it can be so difficult for some people to realize they have a problem when binge drinking is so normalized for high school and college students.
It’s really gratifying to see where Blake ends up at the close of the book with the different conversations she starts having with her friends, girlfriend, and family members. This book isn’t always an easy read, but I definitely encourage people to check it out for a unique coming of age story. It never felt like an “issue book” that was only concerned with tackling Blake’s problem with alcohol, it was an extremely well rounded story that touched on all different aspects of her life.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I’ve yet to be disappointed by a Talia Hibbert book. She’s so great at crafting romances that have excellent chemistry between unique characters. FakeI’ve yet to be disappointed by a Talia Hibbert book. She’s so great at crafting romances that have excellent chemistry between unique characters. Fake dating is always one of my favorite romance tropes, and I think it worked here to create an interesting story and conflict between the characters. Nik is a former professional footballer and is instantly smitten when he meets Aria. In order to get more time around her he decides to offer her a job as his fake girlfriend during a vacation with his friends. He tells her he wants someone around to keep overeager fans from hitting on him.
This was just a super fun read. I loved getting to see Nik and Aria get to know more about one another. Especially Aria’s background, she’s had an interesting relationship with romances in the past in contrast with Nik who has never been one for relationships. Outside of their general chemistry in learning more about each other, Aria and Nik have excellent sexual chemistry. The steamy scenes were varied and well-written, they didn’t feel like carbon copies where it ultimately starts to feel a bit boring. I also loved how there was queer rep within the book, Nik is bisexual and is very open with Aria about who he has hooked up with in the past. I enjoy it when books that might simply look hetero on the surface have queerness within the main couple.
I’m glad I finally picked this up due to the new audiobook that’s coming out. It has inspired me to explore even more of Talia Hibbert’s backlist!
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I’m such a sucker for a summer camp horror story. It’s the perfect location for a spooky plot to take place. Isolated away from the rest of civilizatiI’m such a sucker for a summer camp horror story. It’s the perfect location for a spooky plot to take place. Isolated away from the rest of civilization, no cellphone reception, a small group of characters. It’s just a winning formula.
This particular story follows Willow, a young actress who is going to this summer camp for adults to have a digital detox. She’s just been canceled online for something she tweeted and has been cast out by people in her real life as well. Are the death threats she’s been getting online following her to the camp as well? Or is the mysterious figure in the woods an entirely different type of killer?
I really enjoyed this, I thought that Josh Winning did a great job at creating the atmosphere of the summer camp and setting up a lot of unique characters. On top of having a suspenseful slasher storyline there’s also some good conversations about queer identity, coming out, and cancel culture. There were a lot of good twists and turns in the story, it had me guessing for the majority of the book.
Definitely check this one out if it sounds interesting to you! It’s a quick read with some good horror and something to say. ...more
3.5 - Akwaeke Emezi’s writing is beautiful. I feel like they did a great job at displaying the grief of all the different characters and showing what 3.5 - Akwaeke Emezi’s writing is beautiful. I feel like they did a great job at displaying the grief of all the different characters and showing what it’s like to learn more about a person’s life after their death. The Nigerian setting, the different characters, and the complex relationships all truly came to life through Emezi’s writing.
However I did find myself really struggling with the nonlinear storytelling. At times I did find it easy enough to follow. But then there would be sections where I was completely lost as to when certain things in the story were happening in relation to one another. So there were times throughout the book when I was getting really confused about the character development and who knew what at any given moment....more
I really enjoy Jake Maia Arlow’s writing, this is the 3rd book that I’ve picked up from them. I appreciated how this was a Middle Grade story that is I really enjoy Jake Maia Arlow’s writing, this is the 3rd book that I’ve picked up from them. I appreciated how this was a Middle Grade story that is dealing with queerness and chronic illnesses. 12 year old Al is having to navigate being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, figuring out her feelings for other girls, dealing with the weirdness between her and her best friend, and having an overprotective mom.
Al ends up going to a support group for other kids who have IBD. It was great seeing her connect with other people who have a similar situation. A lot of the book is dealing with how Al feels embarrassed that her disease is related to pooping. She’s hesitant to talk about when she’s feeling bad or has to go to the bathroom, since it’s so ingrained in people to not talk about those topics. So that’s why it’s so great seeing her interacting with the other kids from the support group who know exactly what she’s going through.
Overall I really liked how all the different storylines with the friendships, romantic relationships, and familial relationships turned out. I’d definitely recommend this for people looking for queer Middle Grade or Middle Grade with characters who have chronic illnesses....more
It’s so fascinating reading really old gay books. The Leather Boys was first published in 1961 and follows the relationship between two working class It’s so fascinating reading really old gay books. The Leather Boys was first published in 1961 and follows the relationship between two working class teenage guys in England in the early 60s. I became really interested in reading this after seeing the 1964 film adaptation of the story. Because of the film censor board at the time the queer content had to exist more in subtext rather than being the main driving force of the plot like it is within the book.
Reggie and Dick are both complex characters. Reggie has an unfaithful wife who he doesn’t really want to be married to, but felt the societal pressure to get into the relationship. Dick has taken over caring for his grandma so he can stay in her house away from his parents. It makes it easier for him to go out at night away from their prying eyes. When Reggie and Dick first meet they’re instantly connected to one another, spending all night hanging out and riding around on Reggie’s motorcycle. Reggie soon starts spending every night at Dick’s house instead of going home to his wife.
They’re surrounded by a larger group of guys who engage in crimes like vandalism and robberies. Reggie and Dick have complicated feelings about going along with the rest of the gang. But it also seems like an easy way for them to make some money to hopefully be able to run off together. This is a harsh story dealing with poverty and violence, not just a fluffy story about a romance. Knowing the time period and community the story exists in makes it apparent that this isn’t going to be an easy story full of sunshine. It’s definitely a compelling read, especially for people who have already seen the movie since the stories go in completely different ways. It’s an interesting look into queer stories from the early 60s....more
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