Tag Archives: lgbtqbooks

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz Book Tour Post

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Book Info

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

Genre: Young Adult Graphic Novel

Publishing Date: May 9, 2023

Synopsis:

A funny, heartfelt YA romance about finding love—and lots of grilled cheese sandwiches—in the place you least expect it, from rising talent Deya Muniz.

Lady Camembert wants to live life on her own terms, without marriage. Well, without marrying a man, that is. But the law of the land is that women cannot inherit. So when her father passes away, she does the only thing she can: She disguises herself as a man and moves to the capital city of the Kingdom of Fromage to start over as Count Camembert.
 
But it’s hard to keep a low profile when the beautiful Princess Brie, with her fierce activism and great sense of fashion, catches her attention. Camembert can’t resist getting to know the princess, but as the two grow closer, will she able to keep her secret?
 
A romantic comedy about mistaken identity, true love, and lots of grilled cheese.

Content Warning: misogyny

Book Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60656848

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316538728/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-princess-and-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich-deya-muniz/1142157117

IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-princess-and-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich-a-graphic-novel-deya-muniz/18833443

Review

Thoughts and Themes: When reading the premise of this book I was very excited to get a chance to read the book and share it with you all. I loved the idea that Camembert has to have this fake identity because of the law of the land and how this gets even more complicated when she falls in love with Brie. I also liked seeing how Brie is struggling with her feelings towards Camembert once she finds out the secret that she has been keeping from everyone.

Characters: In this book, you are introduced to Camembert and her love interest Princess Brie, along with several of Brie’s close friends and Feta who is caring for Camembert. I love the relationship between Feta and Camembert and how Feta really is only trying to look out for her. I also really like how the relationship developed between Camembert and the Princess and how that ultimately wraps itself up.

Writing Style: I really enjoyed the way that this story was told through the perspective of the count and how miserable she is throughout the whole story. I also really enjoyed the art style and there were so many cute pictures that I was just aweing over. I loved how they didn’t completely change what Camembert looked like in order to disguise her throughout the story.

About the Author

1/2 Creator of Blades of Furry⛸✨|| Author of The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich 🧀✨

Author Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeyaMuniz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deyathemuniz/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16895484.Deya_Muniz

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deyathemuniz

Tour Schedule

https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2023/03/22/tour-schedule-the-princess-and-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich-by-deya-muniz/

The Rules of Us by Jennifer Nissley Book Tour Post

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Book Description

Book Info:

The Rules of Us by Jennifer Nissley

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publishing Date: May 9, 2023

Synopsis:

Come out. Break up. Stay friends? In this heartwarming queer love story about love of all kinds, exes navigate new crushes, new feelings, and a newly uncertain future after unexpectedly coming out to each other on prom night turns their lives–and their friendship–upside down. Can they figure out how to move on without losing each other?

Jillian and Henry are the kind of couple who do everything together. They take the same classes, have the same hobbies, and applied for the same super-competitive scholarship so they can go to the same dream college. They even come out as gay to each other on the same night, after junior prom, prompting a sudden breakup that threatens their intertwined identities and carefully designed future. Jillian knows the only way to keep everything on track is to approach their breakup with the same precision and planning as their scholarship application. They will still be “Jillian and Henry”–even if they’re broken up.

Except they hadn’t planned on Henry meeting the boy of his dreams or Jillian obsessing over a cool girl at school. Jillian is desperate to hold on to her best friend when so much else is changing. But as she and Henry explore what–and who–they really want, it becomes harder to hold on to the careful definitions she has always lived her life by. Stuck somewhere between who she was with Henry and who she might be on her own, Jillian has to face what she can’t control and let go of the rules holding her back.

Book Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62562913

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593484908/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rules-of-us-jennifer-nissley/1142194708

IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-rules-of-us/18850067?

Review

Thoughts and Themes: I was a little worried when I started reading this book and even more so as I got into it. I was worried this was going to be Jillian and Henry both being queer except they’d be each other’s exception. Now you don’t get that from the blurb but as things progressed through the story I was so worried that this was going to be as far as they got with their sexuality. I was pleasantly surprised though and found that I loved this book so much.

I liked how they both came out to each other at the same time but I also like how Henry later brings this up as something that wasn’t the best for him. I like that we get real feelings and emotions from Jillian and Henry and how messy their friendship is after they come out to each other. I loved that we see them go back to each other multiple times because it is all either of them knows and how they find comfort in each other. The whole book felt very real to me and it was relatable.

Characters: In this book, you get to meet our two main characters, Jillian and Henry, along with their love interests and families. I loved the relationships that we get to see throughout this whole book, between Jillian and Henry, both of them with their families, Henry with his boyfriend, and Jillian with Carla.

I like that we see Jillian and Henry’s relationship change over the course of the book as they figure out how they fit with each other. I like that Henry calls Jillian out on everything having to be on her terms and how much control she has to have. I really thought that the conversation they had was important to their character growth even though it hurts as you read through that scene.

Writing Style: This book is told in first person through the perspective of Jillian which is something that I actually really enjoyed. I like that we only got to see how Jillian was feeling about everything and we were missing the perspective of Henry. I think the book would’ve read differently to the reader if we knew how Henry felt about everything that was happening. I liked that all we knew was the things he actually told Jillian about but we didn’t know these things until he had enough.

Author Description

Jennifer Nissley (she/her/hers) is the author of THE MYTHIC KODA ROSE, which will be published by Simon & Schuster in Summer 2021. Although her first love is writing, she is powerfully attracted to video games, horses, and pretty much any piece of clothing or interior design with an animal on it.

She received her MFA in Fiction from Stony Brook Southampton and lives in Queens with her wife and doggo, but sadly no horses.

Currently, she’s at work on multiple writing projects.

Author Links

Website: https://jennifernissley.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenissley88

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.nissley/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20377665.Jennifer_Nissley

Tour Schedule

https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2023/03/25/tour-schedule-the-rules-of-us-by-jennifer-nissley/

If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude Book Tour Post

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Book Description

Title: If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come

Author: Jen St. Jude

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Publication Date: May 9, 2023

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

Synopsis:

We Are Okay meets They Both Die at the End in this YA debut about queer first love and mental health at the end of the world and the importance of saving yourself, no matter what tomorrow may hold.

Avery Byrne has secrets. She’s queer; she’s in love with her best friend, Cass; and she’s suffering from undiagnosed clinical depression. But on the morning Avery plans to jump into the river near her college campus, the world discovers there are only nine days left to an asteroid is headed for Earth, and no one can stop it.

Trying to spare her family and Cass additional pain, Avery does her best to make it through just nine more days. As time runs out and secrets slowly come to light, Avery would do anything to save the ones she loves. But most importantly, she learns to save herself. Speak her truth. Seek the support she needs. Find hope again in the tomorrows she has left.

If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come is a celebration of queer love, a gripping speculative narrative, and an urgent, conversation-starting book about depression, mental health, and shame.

Book links

Goodreads

Blackwells

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Bookshop US

Review

Thoughts and Themes: Apocalypic, end of the world stuff is my favorite, make it queer and it gets to a level of must-read. I loved this book before I ever opened it up and when I finished it I loved it even more. The whole time that I was reading this book I felt like it was saying here have some cute stuff that fills your heart with warmness only to be like now let me rip that heart away from you.

There were so many moments in which I fell in love with this book. I loved the way this book handles the topic of suicidal thoughts/attempts and the way we get to see all of Avery’s feelings surrounding this. I like how we get to see Aisha process this and being the only person who knows what Avery’s plans were before we know about the impact coming to Earth. I like the conversation that Dr. Talley has with Avery regarding this and how he doesn’t push her to tell anyone. I like how we get to see Cass’s response to this and how difficult that is for her to process. I also liked how we got to see Avery’s parents process things and how her mom processes the death of her sister by suicide.

Characters: In this book, you are introduced to several characters through their interactions with our main character, Avery. You get to meet the love interest, Cass, her roommate, Aisha, her mom and dad, her brother and his wife, her English professor, Dr. Talley, and more. I loved all of the relationships that you see throughout this book since they all stood out to me.

So many of the relationships stood out to me because of how they impacted Avery. I really enjoyed getting the chance to see her change as she accepts her feelings for Cass and learns about those feelings. I also liked seeing her change as she starts to let people love and care about her. There were a lot of relatable factors in this book as I read on and that was why I hugged this book tightly when I finished it. Not only was it a book I couldn’t put down because I fell in love with the characters but because I saw so much of a younger me reflected in the story.

Writing Style: This book is written in first person through the point of view of our main character, Avery, and it goes back and forth from days until the impact and years/months before the impact. I really enjoyed that we got to see the past and the present playing side by side to see how one is impacted by the other. I also really liked that you only get to see Avery’s perspective throughout this whole book because we only get to see what she shows us.

Author Information

Lambda Literary Fellow Jen St. Jude (she/they) grew up in New Hampshire apple orchards and now lives in Chicago with her wife and dog. She has served as an editor for Chicago Review of Books, Just Femme & Dandy, and Arcturus Magazine. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her cheering on the Chicago Sky and Red Stars. If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come is her first novel.

Author Links 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22050100.Jen_St_Jude

Website: https://www.jenstjude.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenstjude/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenstjude

Ay, Mija! By Christine Suggs Book Tour Post

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Book Info

¡Ay, Mija! (A Graphic Novel): My Bilingual Summer in Mexico by Christine Suggs

Genre: Young Adult Graphic Novel

Publishing Date: January 1, 2023

Synopsis:

“An absolutely heartwarming and vibrant story of belonging, family, and the meaning of home. This book is a treasure.” – Julie Murphy, New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’

In this bilingual, inventive, and heartfelt debut, graphic novel talent Christine Suggs explores a trip they took to Mexico to visit family, embracing and rebelling against their heritage and finding a sense of belonging.

Sixteen-year-old Christine takes their first solo trip to Mexico to spend a few weeks with their grandparents and tía. At first, Christine struggles to connect with family they don’t yet share a language with. Seeing the places their mom grew up—the school she went to, the café where she had her first date with their father—Christine becomes more and more aware of the generational differences in their family.

Soon Christine settles into life in Mexico, eating pan dulce, drawing what they see, and growing more comfortable with Spanish. But when Mom joins their trip, Christine’s two worlds collide. They feel homesick for Texas, struggle against traditions, and miss being able to speak to their mom without translating. Eventually, through exploring the impacts of colonialism in both Mexico and themselves, they find their place in their family and start to feel comfortable with their mixed identity.

Content Warning: body issues, colonialism, family trauma, diaspora

Book Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58132759-ay-mija-a-graphic-novel

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/%C2%A1Ay-Mija-Graphic-Novel-Bilingual/dp/0316591920

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ay-mija-christine-suggs/1141978625

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Ay-Mija-Graphic-Novel-Christine-Suggs/9780316591966

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/ay-mija-a-graphic-novel/9780316591966-item.html?

IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/ay-mija-a-graphic-novel-my-bilingual-summer-in-mexico-christine-suggs/18727732

Review

Thoughts and Themes: The minute that I read the description of this book I knew that it was something that I had to read. I am so glad that I got the chance to read this book and also to share it with you all. This book spoke to so many pieces of me especially a younger me and it felt so healing. I hadn’t even realized that this book was Christine’s memoir because of how relatable so many of the moments were.

I really liked how there were portions of the story told in Spanish and those moments were not translated. This allowed me to feel the way that Christine feels in this story as they are trying to keep up with conversations going on around them. I like how Christine explains what it means for them to not be fluent in Spanish but also want to feel like a part of that family.

I rarely get to read books in which the main character is Latinx and queer so that was really refreshing and something else that stood out to me in this book was the integration of the religion. I really liked the way you can see aspect of their religion peeking through in different moments throughout the book and how Christine is grappling with that.

Something else that stood out to me about the book was how the main character looks like me, I think this piece was the most important part of this story. This was why I kept forgetting it was a memoir because I was like this could be a younger me and relating so much. I remember throwing this book across the room because of how frustrated I was in moments because of that relatability but then also hugging the book because of what it meant to me.

About the Author

Christine’s pronouns are they/them/theirs

Christine Suggs is a comic artist and designer living in Dallas, TX with their wonderful partner, 1 dog, and 2 cats. They’re currently working on a YA graphic novel about spending their summers in Mexico as a teen, set to release in 2023 from Little Brown Young Readers. Christine’s work explores the intersection of their identities, namely being a queer, fat, Latinx leftist who loves all things cute. Bonus facts: their day job is in app design, they are an avid Dungeons & Dragons player, and they’re quite obsessed with their cats.

Author Links

Website: http://christinesuggs.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/csuggsillustration/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20379067.Christine_Suggs

Tour Schedule

https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2023/02/21/tour-schedule-ay-mija-a-graphic-novel-my-bilingual-summer-in-mexico-by-christine-suggs/

To Drive the Hundred Miles by Alec J Marsh Book Review

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Book Description

When Will comes home to small-town Washington for his family’s solstice celebration, he expects to feel out of place. A trans man in a coven of witches, he’s never felt the magic his family feels. Things change, however, when he runs into an old classmate from high school. Bea sees Will in a way very few people from his hometown do, and more than that, she believes in his magic. These two grow closer over the holidays, and learn to lean on each other in the face of family prejudices and expectations, but when the holiday is over, what will happen to their budding relationship? A funny, intriguing, and sometimes bittersweet story about finding people who see the real you in a world that isn’t made for you.

Review

Thoughts and Themes: I always forget how much I really do enjoy short stories/novellas and am very pleased when I get the chance to read one. This one was great and is definitely one that I am adding to the list of things to re-read. It’s one that was rough at the start but as it goes on and when it ends left me with a lot of hope.

I really liked the premise of this story and how the coven has no boys in the past eighty years and how our main character is the first boy and even then it wasn’t until later in life that he recognized that he is Trans. I like how this plays out for Will’s family members and how they respond to him as well as how other town people respond to him. I also like how Will points out the way his family accepts woman loving woman but not him being Trans.

Characters: In this book you are introduced to the main character, Will and the love interest, Bea. Along the way you do get a chance to meet some of their family members but very briefly. While they were a lot during the brief moments they were introduced, I did enjoy that we got to meet ‘s family because it shows a lot of why he responds the way he does.

I really enjoyed the romance that happens in this story and how Bea helps Will learn to love himself despite his family. I also like how this develops and how Will is quick to dismiss Bea at first because of them being in two different places geographically. I like that we get to see him struggle with her not being ready to leave behind all she has known.

Writing Style: This story is told in first person through the perspective of Will which is something that I really enjoy especially when the conflict arises. I liked that we only get to see things from Will’s point of view and we don’t know how others are feeling. I thought this was especially important regarding his family and their feelings about him being Trans and leaving them. I thought it was great that we don’t get to see this because their feelings in the long run didn’t matter.

Author Information

Alec lives in the Pacific Northwest, where they write romantic adult fantasy and self-indulgent fanfiction. They make candles inspired by their favorite characters.

Links: Etsy | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter

Titles by Alec J. Marsh:

Anthologies including Alec J. Marsh:

  • She Wears the Midnight Crown (contributor) (Coming to our website March 15th, 2023!)

Friday, I’m in Love by Camryn Garett Book Review

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Book Description

Mahalia Harris wants.

She wants a big Sweet Sixteen like her best friend Naomi.
She wants the super cute new girl Siobhan to like her back.
She wants a break from worrying–about money, snide remarks from white classmates, pitying looks from church ladies . . . all of it.

Then inspiration strikes: It’s too late for a Sweet Sixteen, but what if she had a Coming Out Party? A singing, dancing, rainbow-cake-eating celebration of queerness on her own terms.

The idea lights a fire in her, and soon Mahalia is scrimping and saving, taking on extra hours at her afterschool job, trying on dresses, and awkwardly flirting with Siobhan, all in preparation for the Coming Out of her dreams. But it’s not long before she’s buried in a mountain of bills, unfinished schoolwork, and enough drama to make her English Lit teacher blush. With all the responsibility on her shoulders, will Mahalia’s party be over before it’s even begun?

A novel about finding yourself, falling in love, and celebrating what makes you you.

Review

Thoughts and Themes: I will give any LGBTQ+ a try so when I saw this one I was happy to read it. I also have been trying to diversify the LGBTQ+ books that I read which means including more Sapphic books in that mix.

There is so much that happens in this book and I just really enjoy the way the author touches on each of these things. This book talks about socio economic class, queerness, religion, friendship, family, the concept of coming out, and so much more. I really liked the way each of these topics come about but also how much this book shows that it takes a village.

This book is one that I hugged, threw across the room, only to go grad it and hug it some more, this book made me laugh and then cry. This is one that just stuck with me for so many reasons and there was so much relatable material in this book that I just had to sit with it sometimes. This is one that I just wanted to immediately re-read once I finished it because of how much I related to what was going on in this book.

Characters: In this book you are introduced to several characters through their interactions with our main character, Mahalia. You get to meet her mother, her best friend, Naomi, the love interest, Siobhan, her dad, his new family, and several more characters. I really enjoyed each of the characters that are introduced throughout this book and the relationships that they have with Mahalia and with each other.

I loved the relationship between Mahalia and Siobhan, even if you suspect this is coming there are definitely moments in which you think Mahalia is in love with a straight girl. I loved that this wasn’t the case and how this all unravels and how their relationship comes to be.

I also loved the complexity behind the relationship of Mahalia and her mother. I love that the mom wants to support her and doesn’t always know how to. I love that they don’t always know how to communicate with each other and that this is called out. I also liked how their relationship contrasts with the relationship that Mahalia has with her father. I thought it was great to see that contrast and then also see how Mahalia’s father’s new wife can show up for Mahalia even when he can’t.

Writing Style: This book is written in first person through the perspective of Mahalia. I loved that everything was being told through Mahalia’s perspective because you got to know her feelings instantly. I think that being in her feelings really makes the book hit a lot harder and allows you to feel her pain. I also liked that everything was told in her perspective because there were so many moments that were beautiful because you didn’t see them coming.

Author Information

Camryn Garrett was born and raised in New York. In 2019, she was named one of Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 and a Glamour College Woman of the Year. Her first novel, Full Disclosure, received rave reviews from outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, the Today Show, and The Guardian, which called a “warm, funny and thoughtfully sex-positive, an impressive debut from a writer still in her teens.” Her second novel, Off the Record, will be released May 18, 2021. Camryn is also interested in film and is a student at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. You can find her on Twitter @dancingofpens, tweeting from a laptop named Stevie.

The Rainbow Race By Cate Summers Book Review

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Book Description

When seventeen-year-old Eleanor Willis arrives at Camp Sunshine, a camp secretly for LGBTQ+ girls, her mom’s beat-up old car can barely make it up the hill. She decides to walk the rest of the way and admires a black Rolls Royce, before noticing the pretty girl with the blue eyes in the back seat. She wonders if this could be the start of a summer romance until the girl scowls at her and promptly rolls up the window.

It’s just Eleanor’s luck that she’s fallen for Yvette Fleur, a half-French, rich, anti-social girl who wants one thing only: to leave camp as soon as possible. With Yvette’s dad constantly traveling for work and her mom passing away when she was little, she’s learned not to get attached to anyone. Eleanor wants to show her otherwise.

But Eleanor has her hands full as leader of Team Indigo in the lake crossing competition and must organize her team to build the fastest floating vessel for the big race. Unfortunately, she’s stuck with two competitive over-achievers, an aspiring fashion designer who is more focused on their uniforms than the watercraft, and Yvette, who disappears every chance she gets.

To win the race and to win Yvette’s heart, Eleanor must bring the girls together to work as a team. Maybe then Yvette will learn that not everyone leaves, if she’ll only let them into her heart.

Review

Thoughts and Themes: I don’t remember why I originally got the e-book for this one but it was probably something I saw posted online and was interested in. I had someone pick out my next read and this was their choice which I’m glad that they picked it because this was a quick read and it was great.

This is a really short and quick read which means you don’t really have time to build much up. The romance aspect of this book comes on rather quickly but I keep reminding myself that these are teenagers and everything is so quick at that age. I actually like the pacing of this book when it comes to them building friendships with each other and crushing on one another.

Something else that I like about this book is just how normalized it is that this is the place for queer girls to meet each other. Like from the very start this is why Eleanor wants to go to this camp and they have a way to wear their wristbands that indicates to the others if they like girls. I thought it was great that even the adults that are at the camp are aware of this and don’t bat an eye to any of it.

Characters: In this story you are introduced to several characters through their interactions with our main character. You get to meet Eleanor’s teammates, Regan, Bridget, Sylvia, and Yvette, and a few of the other people who are at camp as well.

Something else that I do enjoy about this book is that we get to see each of the girls grappling with their futures. I like that Eleanor talks about her struggles financially and how scared she is about college and her future. I like that we get to see Yvette struggle with allowing others to see her emotions. What I really liked though about getting to see all of this was reading how the girls helped each other through their doubts and fears. I liked the relationships that come from all of their struggling.

At first I wasn’t too big of a fan of the relationship that was going to inevitably happen between Eleanor and Yvette. I didn’t see how she could just instantly like her without knowing anything about her and then continue to pine after her after she was blowing her off. I slowly grew to like these two together though as we learn more about each of the girls and why they respond to each other in the manner that they do.

Writing Style: This book is written in first person through the perspective of Eleanor which I thought was great. I really liked that you don’t know how the other girls are feeling about what Eleanor is doing as a team captain or even regarding her feelings for Yvette. I like that we are following Eleanor and all we know is what is inside of her head and the conversations that take place out loud.

Author Information

CATE SUMMERS is a bestselling author, who knows that anything is possible with friendships, adventure and love. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter at catesummers.com

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas Book Review

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Book Description

As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the evil Obsidian gods at bay. Ten semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are selected by Sol himself as the most worthy to compete in The Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all―they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body used to fuel the Sun Stones that will protect the people of Reino del Sol for the next ten years.

Teo, a 17-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of Quetzal, goddess of birds, has never worried about the Trials…or rather, he’s only worried for others. His best friend Niya―daughter of Tierra, the god of earth―is one of the strongest heroes of their generation and is much too likely to be chosen this year. He also can’t help but worry (reluctantly, and under protest) for Aurelio, a powerful Gold semidiós and Teo’s friend-turned-rival who is a shoo-in for the Trials. Teo wouldn’t mind taking Aurelio down a notch or two, but a one-in-ten chance of death is a bit too close for Teo’s taste.

But then, for the first time in over a century, Sol chooses a semidiós who isn’t a Gold. In fact, he chooses two: Xio, the 13-year-old child of Mala Suerte, god of bad luck, and…Teo. Now they must compete in five mysterious trials, against opponents who are both more powerful and better trained, for fame, glory, and their own survival.

Review

Thoughts and Themes: This is a book that I knew I wanted to read before it even was on the shelves. Aiden Thomas is one of my must-buy authors since I read Cemetery Boys and each of his books have been amazing. I don’t typically listen to fantasy on audio because I can’t always follow along but I decided to listen to this one and follow along on e-book and that was a great experience.

There were so many aspects about this book that I enjoyed, from the world building, to the characters, and the plot. This book grabs your attention from page one and then it never lets you go even after you finish the book and close it. I can’t wait to know what happens next for all of our characters, and this world that I have grown to love.

I liked that this book takes some time in the beginning to build up the world for us and explain how things came to be and what they are now. I also like the brief conversations that occur about gender identity and being Trans between Teo and Xio and think that this not only makes sense throughout the book but makes certain parts hit harder as you read.

Characters: In this book you are introduced to several characters and don’t worry they all have distinct qualities so that you can tell them apart. You are introduced to our main character, Teo as well as the people that he is competing against in the Sun Bearer Trials, which are Xio, Aurelio, Auristela, Niya, Dezi, Xochi, Marino, and Ocelo.

Throughout the book you get to know some characters a lot more than others but each of them play an important role in moving the story along. I really enjoyed getting to learn about each of the characters but especially love how the website has the character cards so I can keep them separated in my head. It was minor details that I would forget about each character so I did love that each of them had distinct voices and you could tell who was who just by their actions and words.

I love the tension that we get between the characters because of who they are and the rankings that exist in the world. I also like the tension that we see just based on who their parents are and the impressions that they have made because of this. I really enjoy the role that the parents play in this book and how tensions seem to arise more when they are around.

Writing Style: This story is told in third person with a narrator that follows each of the characters with a particular focus on Teo. I liked that the narrator wasn’t first person because there were points that I wanted to know what others were thinking and/or doing and we were allowed those moments. I also did like the focus on Teo as our main character because of the relationships that each character has with him.

Author Information

Aiden Thomas is a New York Times Bestselling author with an MFA in Creative Writing. Originally from Oakland, California, they now make their home in Portland, Oregon. As a queer, trans, Latinx, Aiden advocates strongly for diverse representation in all media. Aiden’s special talents include: quoting The Office, finishing sentences with “is my FAVORITE”, and killing spiders. Aiden is notorious for not being able to guess the endings of books and movies, and organizes their bookshelves by color.

Their debut novel, CEMETERY BOYS, was published on September 1st, 2020.

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales Book Review

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Book Description

It’s been two years since Maya’s ex-boyfriend cheated on her, and she still can’t escape him: his sister married the crown prince of a minor European country and he captured hearts as her charming younger brother. If the world only knew the real Jordy, the manipulative liar who broke Maya’s heart.

Skye Kaplan was always cautious with her heart until Jordy said all the right things and earned her trust. Now his face is all over the media and Skye is still wondering why he stopped calling.

When Maya and Skye are invited to star on the reality dating show Second-Chance Romance, they’re whisked away to a beautiful mansion—along with four more of Jordy’s exes— to compete for his affections while the whole world watches. Skye wonders if she and Jordy can recapture the spark she knows they had, but Maya has other plans: exposing Jordy and getting revenge. As they navigate the competition, Skye and Maya discover that their real happily ever after is nothing they could have scripted.

Review

Thoughts and Themes: So I was prolonging reading this one because here I was thinking it was some straight romance. Don’t let that part fool you and just keep reading through the book, trust me this isn’t straight at all. I kept thinking oh no this is going to be a second chance romance and I just am not a big fan of those especially when the guy didn’t even redeem himself. I was quite surprised how wrong I was in thinking this and loved the way things ended up for all of our characters.

Something that I really enjoyed about this book was how their is almost no character growth for Jordy and for a while you are led to believe it will be the same case for Maya. You hope that she gets her act together and just lets this feud with Jordy go because as Skye points out, he really is living rent-free in her mind so technically he is winning. I love the character growth that we get to see with Maya from the start of the book to the end so don’t worry if you don’t like her too much immediately.

Characters: In this book you get introduced to the the two main characters, Maya and Skye along with several others that they interact with. You get to meet Jordy who is the star of the reality TV show that all the girls are starring in, you get to meet some of Maya and Skye’s friends from back home, and their family members.

I love so many of the relationships in this book even the ones that Jordy is involved with but that isn’t because of him but because of the girls. I really liked the relationship that develops between all of the girls who are staying together for the sake of the filming of the reality TV show. I like how their dynamics shift throughout the book and how we see competition changing their attitudes towards each other but then how they join together when truth is revealed.

The other great thing about this book is watching as the relationship between Maya and Skye develops. I really love an enemies to friends to lovers trope when its done well. I also liked that the miscommunication piece in this was all due to lies that were pushed by Jordy and the messaging that it sent across when this was revealed.

Writing Style: This book is told through dual point of views going back and forth between Maya and Skye’s perspectives. I really liked that we get to be inside both of their heads as this story unravels and this becomes a huge part of the story as time goes on. Something that I did keep forgetting while reading this book was the age of the characters but I do not think this matters much beyond knowing that they are young adults.

Author Information

Sophie Gonzales writes young adult queer contemporary fiction with memorable characters, biting wit and endless heart.

She is the author of THE LAW OF INERTIA, ONLY MOSTLY DEVASTATED and PERFECT ON PAPER. IF THIS GETS (co-written with Cale Dietrich) is forthcoming in Fall 2021 from Wednesday Books / Macmillan.

When she isn’t writing, Sophie can be found ice skating, performing in musical theatre, and practicing the piano. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia where she works as a psychologist.

She is represented by Molly Ker Hawn of The Bent Agency.

99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers by Adam Sass Book Review

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Book Description

Will Boy 100 be the One?

Micah is rich, dreamy, and charming. As the “Prince of Chicago,”—the son of local celebrity sports radio host known as the King of Chicago—he has everything going for him. Unfortunately, he’s also the prince of imaginary meet-cutes, since he’s too nervous to actually ask boys out.

Instead, Micah draws each crush to share on Instagram with a post about their imaginary dates. Ninety-nine “boyfriends” later, his account is hugely popular, and everyone is eagerly awaiting Boy 100. So is Micah. He’s determined that Boy 100 will be different. This time, Micah will sweep the boy off his feet, for real!

So when Micah flirts with a hot boy on the L who’s wearing a vegan leather jacket and lugging a ton of library books, he is sure this is Boy 100. But right before he can make his move and ask for the boy’s number, the guy rushes off the train, leaving behind his pumpkin-embroidered jacket. The jacket holds clues to the boy’s identity, so Micah and his friends set off on a quest to return it. Along the way, Micah will discover that the best relationships aren’t fairy tales. In fact, the perfect fit—and true love—might be closer than he thinks.

Review

Thoughts and Themes: This is another one that I am so glad to have waited to listen to the audiobook but also be able to follow along using the e-book/physical book. The images really add to the story so if you listen to the audiobook make sure you have a way to access the images included.

There are so many moments throughout this book that I highlighted because I resonated with the things being said by the characters. The whole time as I was listening to this book I found myself yelling at Micah because as the reader you know something that he isn’t picking up on.

There are so many moments that broke my heart but I can’t tell you about them all without running the story. Just have some tissues near you and be careful to not throw whatever device you are reading on across the room.

Characters: In this book you are introduced to several characters through their interactions with our main character, Michah Summers. You get to meet his friends, Elliot and Hannah, his parents, his sister, his boyfriend, Grant, and a few side characters.

I really enjoyed all of the relationships that you get to see throughout this book because each of them adds something different to Micah’s life. When I first started reading this one I really didn’t understand the point of Grant being introduced and was quite frustrated with him. It really isn’t until the ending that you understand why he needed to be included into this story. I really enjoyed the relationship that Micah and Grant have especially closer to the end of this book. I think he needed to be included in the story for there to have been any character growth for Micah.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Micah and Elliot, this was actually my favorite throughout the whole book. The friendship between these two is wholesome and this is what I really enjoy about their relationship. I really like how the two of them bring out the best in each other and how they just know what the other needs.

Something else that I really enjoyed about this book was the relationship that each of the characters have with their family members. I love how supportive their families are of them and how we get to see how those dynamics play out. I especially like how involved Micah’s parents are in his life and even how his sister gets involved.

Writing Style: This book is told in first person through the perspective of Micah. I really enjoyed having the story be told in his perspective because it doesn’t let us know how others are feeling. I liked that people had to directly tell Micah anything for him to understand what was going on.

Author Information

ADAM SASS

writes pop-as-hell stories with queer characters in the driver’s seat. In his books, he strives to capture the three “H’s” of the queer experience:

HUMOR.

HEART.

HORROR.

He is the award-winning author of the conversion camp escape thriller SURRENDER YOUR SONS and THE 99 BOYFRIENDS OF MICAH SUMMERS, a romantic comedy about imaginary boyfriends and missed connections. His forthcoming novel, YOUR LONELY NIGHTS ARE OVER, is about two popular gay best friends who must stop the slasher who’s been stalking their school’s LGBTQ Club. It will release in Fall 2023 from Viking.