Bookworm corner 📚
Cemetery Boys (Cemetery Boys #1) by Aiden Thomas ⭐ 5/5 stars
Genre: YA fantasy
** spoiler alert ** As a trans masc non-binary person, this book hit me in ways and poked me in soft spots that I kinda knew I had but not really.
(I don't know how Yadriel ran around in that binder; I would've been ripping it off. 😂)
The story overall had lovely details, and it's a great example of how writing something specific brings out a brilliant story.
Julian's teenage enthusiasm and impulsivity pushed me to the limits of how much I (an adult) could handle.
Their romance was sweet, and Thomas balanced the fantasy and romance. Even if, as adults, we wanted Yadriel to continue figuring out what happened to Julian and Miguel.
The villain was incredibly obvious, and I guessed about Julian's situation long before it was revealed. (Also clear that Thomas wanted a HEA, so that was an option.)
I did want to know more about Julian's group of queer teens and wanted to take care of all of them.
The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde ⭐ 2/5 stars
Genre: children’s fantasy short stories
“The Happy Prince” is quite a good short, and it was probably the only one I'd recommend.
Others were direct Christian allegories, and some were filled with racism, islamophobia, and ableism. There was one about a little person that was atrocious. Sure, I'm looking at it from a 2022 lens, but these things would've been bad then too.
Wilde certainly knows how to describe a garden, and his stories value loyalty, friendship, and the sharing of riches and love, which are all good values.
Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White ⭐ 5/5 stars
Genre: YA horror fantasy
See my Top 10 Books!
The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish ⭐ 3/5 stars
Genre: contemporary m/m and f/f romance
** spoiler alert ** This is cute, but ultimately, the two romances compete for attention in The Holiday Trap. Especially since they take place in two different places: Owl Island, Maine, and New Orleans. A small-town woman Greta goes to the big city and falls in love with a manic pixie lady Carys, and a big-city man Truman goes to a small town and falls in love with a local florist guy Ash.
Parts of The Holiday Trap felt not quite baked.
While I liked all the themes Parrish played with, it felt like she wanted to write a f/f book, but her agent/publisher didn't think she could sell one.
While some of Greta's friends' advice on dealing with her family and setting boundaries range too true — like my friend Max literally said the same thing to me hours before I read the book passage — Carys ends up weaponizing therapy talk in her and Greta's big fight after the holiday party. She's upset that Greta has changed the traditions/rituals she's built as part of her life post-her narcissistic mother, and Greta's family is upset when Greta changes their family's traditions/rituals that don't serve her and feel uncomfortable. This is never compared!
Greta's sister Sadie's and her mother's homophobia is also never really addressed. I don't think Greta ever acknowledges the homophobia behind the date auction.
In my headcanon, Carys either breaks up with Greta in two weeks for someone new, or Carys graduates and then needs to follow her path somewhere new. This devastates Greta, but she ultimately stays in the house with the way cooler Veronica and Helen and finds love again.
There are so many trans and nonbinary characters in this book, and as a non-binary person, it's always a reading delight that characters always use the right pronouns, even before they know. But our MCs and LIs are all cis people. Not to mention, Veronica is the only (explicit) Black character in New Orleans, and our MCs and LIs are all white. Veronica would've been a better LI. *cough*
I love promoting intergenerational relationships, and I wanted Greta to spend more time with the gardening club. Though, this needed a plant beta reader. (I love books where characters share my special interests, but there are little nagging details....)
Ash's mom Julia and Agatha Tark were definitely fuck buddies.
The cave scene with Truman and Ash was so delightful that I did want to see them tracking down the mystery of Agatha Tark together.
Money felt really unevenly dealt with as Ash struggled and Truman had a steady job, but Gretchen apparently just took a month-long vacation, Carys worked random jobs, and the ladies always had enough money. Okay.
Love social housing promotion, but this lacked an understanding of what would happen as Julia's illness progressed. Having lost a relative to dementia, I was shocked that Ash didn't live with Julia.
Overall, The Holiday Trap tried to be many things, but they didn't all gel together.
📽️ Watch my review on TikTok.
Labyrinth Lost (Brooklyn Brujas #1) by Zoraida Córdova ⭐ 3/5 stars
Genre: YA fantasy
I wanted to like this book more than I did by the end. Overall, the story was fast-paced and kept you engaged. I will be reading the rest.
Córdova was extremely smart to build the brujas' religion here, but draw on general mythology and keep the gods pretty simple. This means she doesn't require a ton of exposition about the religious system, and it helps that Alex is somewhat in the dark. Additionally, she doesn't have to represent a religious minority.
The Brooklyn Brujas series is an excellent example of how a specific story with diverse characters creates a better story than trying for "representation."
Maybe biased by my own sapphic experiences in high school, but falling in love with your BFF was relatable. Alex and Rishi were extremely cute. However, since Rishi isn't introduced and we don't see Alex and Rishi's meet-cute, it does set up Nova's relationship with Alex as the one we see evolve on-page. This on-page evolution means (outside heteronormativity) it's not surprising that many people ship Alex and Nova.
In my own reading, Alex's teenagerness kept her real but also put me off. I'd have given this 4 stars if I had read it when I was Alex's age, not her mother's.
Córdova is a talented writer, except when the pacing went astray, and some of the world-building fell apart in the final parts. There was simply too much going on in Los Lagos for full exploration in this story. The "final" battle was extremely muddy. That said, I do want to read more of Córdova's books because she is talented.
📽️ Watch my review on TikTok.
A Man's Skin by Hubert and Zanzim ⭐ 3/5 stars
Genre: medieval fantasy comic
It's very odd to read a very trans story that is not trans at all. Bianca inherits a "man's skin," which she can wear and become a man. Her husband-to-be Giovanni is gay, and he falls in love with her as Lorenzo. Bianca becomes more of a feminist and more at home in her own body and with her own agency, which is cool, but she never experiences gender dysphoria as Lorenzo, which is weird, nor does she want to be a man. She only wants Giovanni's affection. There are some rather well-done side plots about the Catholic Church in medieval Italy, and the art is fun and full of motion. Bianca and Giovanni come to the best resolution possible, but Lorenzo's skin or even Bianca’s crossdressing is a means to an end.
Muscles & Monsters (Leviathan Fitness #1) by Ashley Bennett ⭐ 3/5 stars
Genre: contemporary monster m/f romance
** spoiler alert ** This is probably 2.5 stars, but it was fun, so rounding up.
This book's most ridiculous things happen when a wedding cake baker and a gym bro wolven fall in love. This is cozy and sweet with sex that includes (not for me) knotting and breeding talk.
I did appreciate the body positivity and how Atlas' insecurities about his body were seen as something he needed to work on. He's only ever negative about himself, never other characters or any word or thought that isn't praise and attraction to Tegan's curvy and plus-sized body. She's working out to lift cakes, after all.
Yes, Atlas is a wolven, not a werewolf. He's full fur, snout, tail, etc., all the time.
This is an instant love, fated mates, immediate U-Haul situation. His tail wags because he loves her, and he purrs only for her. I found all this funny.
Quibbles:
- Her arm strength seems like a bigger ongoing problem at the start, and it's basically never mentioned again.
- Some of the writing could be better.
- They have one date before Tegan meets his evil ex, and Tegan stands up for Atlas and declares them partners.
- Tegan's gay bff is an 00s stereotype of a gay man. He only cares about her sex life and "understands" makeup better than Tegan and another woman.
- Wolven cum is only described as "sweet." Tegan is a baker; she'd have deeper thoughts. What would Dame Mary Berry say about that flavor profile?
- This wolven literally says, "Gonna fuck you with this monster cock now."
- They keep eating heavy food before fucking. Maybe it's just me...but I don't feel sexy, all bloated and farty.
📽️ Watch my review on TikTok.
Nona the Ninth (The Locked Tomb #3) by Tamsyn Muir ⭐ 3/5 stars
Genre: YA sci-fi
** spoiler alert ** Middle of the road, always ambitious, but Muir's writing only sometimes lives up to it. I believe she sees everything she writes, but I'm not always sure it all comes out on the page. (The editing also happened too quickly.)
Muir once again leans on the writing trope of a character who doesn't know something because they are damaged. Harrow had her lobotomy last time, and here, Nona was born yesterday. I kind of miss our MC just being a himbo. (Though Gideon Nav is super himbo here and an asshole, not in a fun or beloved way either.)
It was good to finally see regular people dealing with Jod and the Lyctors, dying planets, resurrection beasts, and intergalactic rebellions. The citizens are having none of it. Nor should they. I did expect more citizen commentary outside of the children.
I cannot figure out if every character is just genderqueer or trans or if Muir just read reviews from trans people and ran with it. Nona wanted to melt her body into her own that nobody else would dare want was highly relatable.
I did enjoy Muir building some sympathy and humanizing Jod. At least when he was more human. Alecto's identity was guessable almost immediately after the first John scene.
These books are not as clever as they want to be unless you don't get the reference (Christian, solar systems, memes), get bored and miss details, or Muir purposely removes details.
Palamedes and Camilla are the best. 😩 No questions. But Paul! Paul! That's the best name for them?!?!
There are moments where the writing is transcendent, but then there is a ton of unquestioned eating disorder stuff and ass jokes a moment later.
"Life is too short, and love is too long." 😿
📽️ Watch my review on TikTok.
Revolution (Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (2022) Vol 1) by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Tochi Onyebuchi, Mattia de Iulis, Carmen Carnero, and Joe Caramagna ⭐ 2/5 stars
Genre: superhero comic
This started with some promise for an interesting story, but perhaps that was my bias in that some of my favorite Captain America comics begin with him interrogating what it means to be a symbol.
However, "another shady organization that actually controls the world" is boring. Same with any type of pitting Steve and Bucky against each other.
Can we, for the love of kittens, come up with another name besides The Circle? It has been used to death.
1 star for Bucky's cat.
Ultimately, this was fine. But it's nothing we haven't seen from a zillion other mediocre Captain America comics.
📽️ Watch my review on TikTok.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid ⭐ 2/5 stars
Genre: historical fiction (1950s-1980s Hollywood)
Technically, I DNF'd at page ~200 and then skimmed to the important parts. This book is wildly biphobic and painfully written by a straight woman. TJR is also an extremely talented author at making something popular, and perhaps I wouldn't have paid such close attention if she'd stayed in her straight white woman lane.
📽️ The biphobia in this book TikTok video.
Sins of the Black Flamingo Vol 1 by Andrew Wheeler, Travis Moore, Tamra Bonvillain, and Aditya Bidikar ⭐ 5/5 stars
Genre: fantasy heist comic
Everything I didn't know I needed. Incredible art, a tight plot with social commentary fitting our time and any time, and unabashed queerness. Maybe I will cosplay as the Black Flamingo.
📽️ Watch my review on TikTok.
Sleigh Bells Ring by Jodie Griffin ⭐ 2/5 stars
Genre: fantasy BDSM erotica
BDSM short story about Santa and his shifter reindeer who turn human when not actively sledding. Polyam set up, but the central relationship focus is m/f: Santa/Vixen. Reindeer shifters get off only when mixing pain and pleasure, and their cum tastes like sugar cookies. Entertaining and silly due to magical mythos.
You can download this for free from Griffin’s website.
Smut Peddler Presents: Silver, edited by Andrea Purcell ⭐ 5/5 stars
Genre: erotica romance comics (variety of genders and sexual orientations)
Smut Peddler remains undefeated for go-to great erotic comics of quality storytelling and beautiful diversity of perspectives. This anthology, in particular, featured older (over 40) characters, which, reading it on my 39th birthday, seemed a little pointed.
My favorite stories:
- "Romancing the Reverand" by Kinomatike and Saint Circus
- "The Chore" by T. Zysk
- "A Pinch of Rosemary" by Lyndsay McSeveney
- "Mandatory Overtime" by Nero O'Reilly
- "Behold Her" by Harriet Moulton
- "William Wilson and the Man on a Mission" by E.K. Weaver
- "Wet Dog" by Hien Pham
I do wish that these stories featured more explicitly disabled characters. But otherwise, I found myself so happy with the mix of body types, sexualities, and genders and incredibly delighted in the many trans characters. Iron Circus remains one of the best and most interesting comic book publishers.
Something Fabulous (Something Fabulous #1) by Alexis Hall ⭐ 2/5 stars
Genre: Regency historical m/m romance
** spoiler alert ** Every scene with Arabella made me wonder why none of the characters shot her. She was the worst combination of a popular high school girl, a compulsive liar, and a drama kid. Arabella was manipulative and toxic.
Bonny demanded that Valentine essentially marry him, but Bonny couldn't even stand up to his sister once for Valentine.
Instead, Hall presents Valentine's rage at being threatened with guns, tied to a chair, imprisoned, forced to duel, hurt after the curricle is purposely damaged, and shot all by or at the behest of Arabella as Valentine's problem.
Did women at this time have a shit lot? Indeed, so did queer people. But we can find a fanciful way to have a queer HEA without shooting anyone.
Overall, this was extra disappointing because I enjoyed Hall’s Boyfriend Material and LOVED A Lady for a Duke. Justice for Valentine.
Also, for all the cishet reviewers out there, the modern language around queerness hadn't been invented, but there have always been this many queer people of all flavors. If you think otherwise, go to the timeout corner with Arabella.
📽️ Watch my review on TikTok.
Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 3 by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'Edera, and Miquel Muerto ⭐ 3/5 stars
Genre: contemporary horror comic
This might have been more horrifying if I hadn't taken such a big break. The first three volumes are a self-contained kickoff story and work together.
The resolution worked, but I don't know if Erica was right, James was right, or the Dragon was right. I didn't find this volume as scary as the previous ones.
📽️ Watch my review on TikTok.
Sugar Town by Hazel Newlevant ⭐ 5/5 stars
Genre: contemporary f/f romance graphic novel
OMG, I loved this. It was so sweet and pure and bisexual and polyamorous and PDX. The art matched so well; my only complaint is that I want more.
📽️ Watch my review on TikTok.
Sunstone: Mercy Vol. 6 by Stjepan Šejić ⭐ 3/5 stars
Genre: contemporary m/f and f/f bdsm romance
** spoiler alert ** The best thing about the Sunstone books is how realistic they are. The characters act in believable, human ways, and the BDSM/kink is true to life. (Well, perhaps there's some fantasy fashion and unlimited budgets for gear.) I appreciate this.
But... the overall story is a little boring. Here we get flashbacks to Ally and Alan's relationship and how they learned BDSM together. For the emotional beats, we already got them in previous books. Even if some of the kink scenes were too good.
I'm not sure I care enough about Anne. I'm glad she called out Laura's biphobia.
There also continues to be more redheads here than in all of Ireland. Sejic has a type. His characters are all thin; the women have the same boob size; and they're all white (except for random background characters).
As much as I love the BDSM portrayal and the resulting emotions, the rest is wanting, and I'm not planning on reading the rest of the series.
📽️ Watch my review on TikTok.
Unraveled (Elemental Assassin #15) by Jennifer Estep ⭐ 3/5 stars
Genre: urban fantasy
** spoiler alert ** Getting Gun out of town and on a cheesy wild west theme park was great for livening up this series. It also narrowed down the characters involved, though Finn, Bria, and Owen are kidnapped and off-page for over half the book.
I appreciated that Roxy being evil was upfront, even if Gin noticing her gymnastics moves was ridiculous.
I still want an explanation of the timeline. Fletcher's clue needed to be hinted at more, whereas I immediately figured out where the gems were.
Estep needs to stop relying on magical dreams to solve Gin's problems, as flashbacks don't have to happen while one's sleeping.
Likewise, the named villains survive until the unnamed villains are killed, and then the named villains are killed in order from the weakest to the strongest boss is a silly video game-level pattern. For example, Gin could've killed Brody before all his henchmen.
Am I the only one who threw up a little in their mouth when Gin mentioned (and supported) Phillip's attraction to Eva and how he's "waiting" until she's done with college? Sure, they're both adults, and on the one hand, Eva shouldn't be treated like a child, but on the other, we haven't seen their connection, except over trauma, and it's a little creepy.
I don't need to hear about Gin taking her "little white pills" anymore during the one sex scene between her and Owen in each book. (Also, they'd have more sex, thanks for coming to my TED talk.)
Finn now owning a cowboy theme park is hilarious. Even if it's heavily implied Ira just takes over completely, and we'll never revisit.
Fletcher and Mosley were totally boyfriends. Y/N?
Wildstorm 30th Anniversary Special (2022) #1 by various creators ⭐ 1/5 stars
Genre: superhero comic
Uniquely awful in how much it looks to the past instead of pulling the best threads of Wildstorm into the future.
Plus, they dragged Warren Ellis out of the sewage to pen a truly uninspired Authority story with Hitch on art.
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