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Review of A Vampire in the Bathhouse by Niko Izuki

Just a really cute slice-of-life Manga, very lighthearted, and the characters were such a joy. I really enjoyed the banter between Sakura and Luka, but my favorite was probably the relationship between Umenosuke and Pequeño. They are just so heartwarming together, really capturing that essence of childlike wonder.

The art was also incredibly beautiful, especially the vampire/demon designs shined. Luka and Yomi especially really stood apart from Sakura, they just had that ethereal, otherworldly beauty to them.

I do think the ending was a little sudden. It feels like there should have been a few chapters, maybe even a volume or two more. I would actually enjoy having more volumes of this series! The characters are very charming, and it was such a refreshing read.

I really recommend checking this one out when it releases on April 29th, 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing a digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

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Books I've read in March 2025:

And what I thought about them:

Dark Matter - i'm just too gay to really get invested in a guy wanting to go back home to his wife real bad... also too aro

4 Stars

Harrow the Ninth - genuinly don't know how this managed to top the first one, very much looking forward to Nona

5 Stars

UNHOLY FAVORS - yeah, i guess horror erotica is just my thing?

5 Stars

Slewfoot - man what a disappointment. i love witches and she didn't even get with ole slewfoot

2 Stars

The Legacy of the Vermillion Blade - barely anything of importance happened in this book, i dnf'd it because i didn't want to wait half the book for the plot to arrive

DNF

We Hun the Flame - i've never before such an abhorrent care of incessant queer baiting

DNF

Heartless Hunter - literally just gross, the entire thing is literally just genocidal bigot romance.. like wtf

1 Star

A Taste of Gold and Iron - this was a reread for me and it's literally still one of my most favorite books of all time, everyone read it

5 Stars

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Vol. 8 - got literally steamrolled by this volume like what do you mean????? explain yourself

5 Stars

Heaven Official's Blessing - finally getting to the endboss of danmei lmao really enjoyed it, looking forward to kicking my feet and sobbing

5 Stars

Delilah Green Doesn't Care - i did like it? i was just missing some actual connection between them, every time we got close to any emotions they burried it beneath lust

4 Stars

Inkdeath - yes, so good, 760 pages and all of them were worth it!

5 Stars

Empire of Silence - i wanted another red rising and I got a pampered noble nonce, upset that he didn't get daddy's blood money

DNF

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Books I've read in February 2025:

And what I thought about them:

Inkspell - amps up the fantasy aspect of the series, really starts to shine even more with this book and that ending, man

5 Stars

The Empress of Salt and Fortune - super interesting, really loved the aspect with the item description, looking forward to the rest of the series

3.75 Stars

Six of Crows - I really wanted to love this but man do i hate everything around nina and matthias... i do love kaz though lmao

3.5 Stars

Tress of the Emerald Sea - did not like the narrative voice of this at the beginning but it grew on me, amazing world building though

4.75 Stars

EYETOOTH - ohhh this was a vibe!! really enjoyed basically all aspects of this

5 Stars

Little Mushroom: Judgement Day - i was very surprised by just how much I loved this one, i only read fantasy danmei before this so a dystopian one was new but i loved it, amazing, no notes

5 Stars

If We Were Villains - annoying as book lmao i was so annoyed the entire time reading this, never again

2.5 Stars

The Picture of Dorian Gray - such high hopes, loved the mystical horror aspect but everything around it was so much useless tangents

3.5 Stars

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth - ohhhh this was so good! uncomfortable af, so much dread but soooo good, time to read all his books

5 Stars

Innate Magic - made me want to skin myself, so much incessant catholic dick sucking, get out

1 Star

A (Non) Comprehensive Guide to Sea Serpents - damn just fell flat, read a bit like fanfic and not in a good way, characters felt super unnatural

3 Stars

The Mysterious Mrs Hood - yeah it was fine, a bit too long, a few too many unnecessary details

3.5 Stars

Vicious - you know this could have been just my thing if Eli wasn't a religious nut job with literally nothing redeeming going for him (also the glossed over assault, wtf?)

3.75 Stars

Weak Heart - surprisingly this worked pretty well for me! just felt there was a bit of an uneven balance in the character relationships

4.5 Stars

The Power - could have been so good if it didn't pull a 'gotcha' on the reader in the name of the patriarchy

3 Stars

The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System - is it even a surprise at this point that I'm down bad for literally every danmei i read???

5 Stars

Little Mushroom: Revelations - i miss them, i wish they would come back to me

5 Stars

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Books I've read in January 2025:

And what I thought about them:

One Piece Vol. 53 - i only stopped reading here because marine fort is coming up and I can't handle that thanks

4.75 Stars

He Who Drowned The World - this was a lot, so much going on, I wanted to rip all my hair out multiple times, loved it

5 Stars

The Homesman - lowkey kind of hated it, a story about women? it is not, at least not one that celebrates them lmao literally just a book about a shitty man getting praise for being minimally less shitty

2.5 Stars

Kit & Basie - such a cute small town romance with some supernatural elements, great exploration of grief as well

4 Stars

Catching Fire - look, everyone knows the series for a reason, it's just simply good!

4.75 Stars

Yes, Daddy . so conflicted about this one. did I like it? no. was it well written? yes. would I recommend it to anyone??? yeah, fuck no.

- no rating -

Mexican Gothic - i did really enjoy this! good subtle creeping horror vibes, did enjoy guessing what was going on, reasonably grossed me out

4.5 Stars

Mockingjay - probably my favorite of the original trilogy, ripped me to shreds emotionally though, especially the ending?? if you know, you know

5 Stars

Light of the Jedi - i do like star wars (not the movies) so i did enjoy this one?? there were too many pov changes and characters though, it was a lot

3.75 Stars

Gideon the Ninth - oh my did I like this, genuinely one of my favorite depictions of necromancy in fiction ever, not as confusing as everyone always says it is

5 Stars

The Woods All Black - ohhhhh i liked this one!! such a fun read, love me some good monster fucking

5 Stars

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - this one was so annoying lmao made no fucking sense, groaning and eye rolling galore with this one

3.25 Stars

Sorcery and Small Magics - i thought this would be cute but it hit me like a freight train, literally obsessed, will foam at the mouth for the next one to come out

5 Stars

Stars of Chaos Vol. 5 - i did really enjoy how it wrapped up, this series really grew on me, i miss them

5 Stars

Drowning Sorrows in Raging Fire Vol. 1 - i watched the show for this one and was obsessed so i had to get the book and dear god did it not disappoint, can't wait for the rest

5 Stars

Inkheart - one of my favorite series as a child and probably my favorite author as a child and still holds up so well even today, really enjoyed reading it again after all this time

5 Stars

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Books I've read in December 2024:

And what I thought about them:

Hyacinthus - just really didn't vibe with this one, just too philosophical, too flowery for my tastes

2.5 Stars

A Ferry of Bones and Gold - really solid urban fantasy, like slightly supernatural vibes? if they were legal monster hunters... and not related

4.25 Stars

All Souls Near & Nigh - again, still solid, good continuation, if you liked the first one you will like this one as well

4.25 Stars

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - crying, sobbing, throwing up, genuinely no idea how I will deal until the next one, SO SAD GIVE ME A BREAK

5 Stars

A Crown of Iron & Silver - did like this minimally less because it had fae in it and god I simply can not stand those bastards so sorry

4 Stars

The Binding - such a surprising banger of a book??? tugged at all my heartstrings at the same time, hard recommend

5 Stars

She Who Became The Sun - reread before getting into book 2, still loved it

Re-read - 5 Stars

Also read:

One Piece Manga Volume 25 - 52

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Books I've read in November 2024:

And what I thought about them:

Stars of Chaos Vol 4 - i'm so invested in the plot in this series you don't even know lmao relationship? secondary. plot? WHAT IS HAPPENING NEXT TELL ME so you know... i need to know

4.75 Stars

Dracula - I read this via Dracula Daily... which was fine, lovely project but man... i didn't think it would be this boring xDD it was so boring. i am glad it is over because it's as dry as the dirt dracula sleeps in, glad it's buried and done with

2 Stars

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Vol 1 - you have seen this one before.... cause it's a re-read. i loved it and i fully intended to read the next one right away after that cliff hanger but then i kinda just... didn't you know?? xD i still loved it just as much the second time though so all good

5 Stars

The Brightness Between Us - i wanted to read this the second it came out but the e-book version costs more than a paperback, my library only had it with a 18 week wait so i pre ordered the at the time dirt cheap hardcover edition. how was i supposed to know it would get pushed back again and again before finally being delivered one and a half months later??? still a banger though, i loved it, i cried, i would eat a rubber boot for the pleasure of reading more (eliot i'm begging pls)

5 Stars

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Vol 2 - back to our regularly scheduled programming because you can belive i'm not letting this series sit around for months again, we gonna climb this mountain right here and now... and what a treat this mountain is, at this point already my favorite danmei series of all time (if no one comes to kick it back in the future)

5 Stars

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Vol 3 - i always say i don't like slow burns and i still belief that to be true but this series is really testing me lmao i would probably be more desperate if the plot wasn't also so interesting, i inhaled these books, nothing could stop me (except for real life, i went to two concerts lmao)

5 Stars

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Vol 4 - slowly going insane with this one, i'm just not built for these levels of slow cooking and my brain is slowly turning into mush but i'm also so desperate for them to finally get their shit together that nothing could stop me from going through this and if someone asked me I would do it all again just like this

5 Stars

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Vol 5 - oh sweet relief, finally, 5 books of suffering but the release makes it all worth it (kinda) also omg the plot??? hellooo???? so many theories, i was debating learning chinese so i don't have to wait for translations but my pea brain could never

5 Stars

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Vol 6 - i was reading this and lowkey dreading finishing it because this is the last one currently out and what am i supposed to do with my life after this series??? like i'm also on a 5 star streak and the pressure not to break it? immense. but yeah this is one, if not the, favorite book series of mine atm

5 Stars

Dark Rise - AND WE ARE SAVED because this book??? banger. also... i'm not saying this series and The Husky and His White Cat Shizun are kinda similar but they kinda are so this fed me so well, i'm obsessed but it leads me back to the same problem because this series is also a banger and also unfinished lol

5 Stars

Dark Heir - back to struggling which book to read next while i get emotionally destroyed by an amazing book and it's evil cliff hanger ending. i just hope it's soon, pls let it be soon, i need it to be soon

5 Stars

Bonds of Brass - man i really wanted to like this one but we just didn't work out, most of the plot was reliant on the one Reveal TM but I literally knew it was gonna happen from like chapter 8 so it just fell flat on it's face for me. not badly written though

3.5 Stars

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Books I've read in October 2024:

And what I thought about them:

(no this isn't almost a month late, you are)

The Games Gods Play - i don't even know what to say, i started this with some friends as a buddy read but my god did i hate this book. i'm kind of anal about greek mythology and for most of the time this book shits all over greek mythology. like i found some passages that were straight up copy and pasted from internet sites! that's not cool?? if i have to read hades being called the god of death one more time I will commit a crime DNF

The Hanged Man - I did like the first one in the series but it didn't become like a hard favorite but with this one I felt that maybe becoming an option, we were warming up to each other!

4.75 Stars

The Hourglass Throne - i'm fucking locked in baby, i'm here for the ride and i don't want to get out. very excited for the rest of the series once it releases (fingers crossed that's soon) but all around i would recommend this if you are looking for a series to get into

5 Stars

Before the Coffee Gets Cold - this was sweet and sad and i sobbed all over my e-book, thank god for no ruined pages. if you're going through any kind of grief or loss I think this book will really hit you, because it hit me and usually i'm not the biggest crier. it's not going to be one of my ride and die books though

4.5 Stars

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - man fuck i loved this book lmao and it also made me cry! i was not doing well after this and the last one back to back... now... i didn't necessarly like any of the characters, which i think is kind of the point, so if you need likeable characters this book is probably not for you but man did i love it. i read this in one night

5 Stars

A Conjuring of Light - i still love this world and barely like any of the characters xD i suppose this one was the best of the trilogy but i mostly read it because i just wanted to be done with the series lmao it's a solid book though, don't let my lukewarm feelings about it deter you

4.25 Stars

Thousand Autumns Vol 1 - this had been on my tbr forever and i always wanted to read it and never did?? what a mistake on my part lmao no surprise though considering i am a danmei fiend, i will consume them all. i didn't 100% love it though

4.5 Stars

A Psalm for the Wild-Built - this is a cozy exestential crisis just waiting to hit you over the head, if you don't think about it too hard you will be fine but if you engage with the text in any kind of meaningful way... be warned, you might start contemplating all your life choices

4.75 Stars

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy - if the first one didn't get you this one is here to finish the job, it didn't resonate as hard with me as the first one but that's just because of my circumstances and not because it's worse in any way, you just have to get it and i got this one a little less

4.5 Stars

The Haunting of Hill House - ... am I just not a horror guy because this one was just.... boring. like i vibed with the first half but the second one?? just lost me. i got what was going on, i saw the vision, i just didn't like it. the ending was so... weak kind of. oh well

2.5 Stars

Thousand Autumns Vol 2 - back to the things I know and love, i'm also trying to actually finish series and not let them rot on my shelves for months. i still really like this series and this one just sucked me more and more in. i kind of hibernated a bit and chomped down on these in a few days

4.75 Stars

The Hunger Games - i read this as a child ages ago but had to reread it because i found out one of my friends never read the series or watched the movies. and i can't be friends with you if you didn't. so we are reading the entire series together and man this just hits. it's just good, i don't have to tell you, everyone knows... but i'm also like 10 years older than the first time and have certainly read some better books since then

4.5 Stars

Thousand Autumns Vol 3 - i got got, this one did it to me, hooked it's teeth into me and dragged me down into hell, see you again never. just lovely (to read, not like content wise)

5 Stars

Thousand Autumns Vol 4 - i love this series, i love the covers, i love these two idiots and i will never recover, thanks for coming to my ted talk

5 Stars

Thousand Autumns Vol 5 - ugh like it's perfect where it ended but i also just want more?? i so hope we can get some more stories in this universe with other characters pls pls pls pls also this would have been a really good end for the month but sadly it wasn't :)

5 Stars

Mortal Skin - i really thought I would like this... and it was fine. until the end. where my most hated trope reared it's head. i could already smell it but i was in denial and then it came anyway and i don't even want to read the rest of the series which hurts because I loved Lily's other series but I just can't do it again. also what is it with all the fae books i've read so far having almost the same major plot hits??? like what? be original i beg maybe then I wouldn't hate all of you

2 Stars

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Books I've read in September 2024:

And what I thought about them:

Stars of Chaos Vol 1 - the plot is really interesting but the translation is a bit rough in my opinion so it was a little hard to get into. once i was in though i was very intrigued

4.25 Stars

Stars of Chaos Vol 2 - plot is plotting, relationships are relationshipping and the the translation is better in this one! this is also the one that got me properly hooked with the series though it's definitely more plot than relationship focused (i didn't really mind)

4.5 Stars

Stars of Chaos Vol 3 - mmmm yes good fucking food. i was so upset when i read this and saw that the 4th volume won't be out until the end of september, i was not ready to let go but alas reality did not give me a choice. basically if you liked the earlier two you are gonna like this one as well

4.5 Stars

The Battle of the Labyrinth - oh look i'm at it again, another nostalgia fueled joy ride... but ngl even outside of nostalgia these books are just good, easy to read and i did read this one and the last olympian literally in a single day

5 Stars

The Last Olympian - oh no who would have guessed?? it's not like i literally mentioned it lol such a good end to the original series ngl and i was so down to get started on the other 30-ish books in the extended universe lmao

5 Stars

The Lost Hero - so close to being as good as the original but jason isn't as compelling as percy, leo is a bit hard to get used to and piper is lowkey annoying because all she can think about is her relationship with jason. i get it, your memories being fake sucks but please talk about literally anything else. also slight pacing issues because this was 150 pages longer than any of the percy jackson books and i thought the shorter length worked much better

4.75 Stars

The Outsiders - this was fine, i didn't really care about any of the characters? had slight 2015 fanfic vibes. there is also the issue of me just not liking contemporary apparently

3 Stars

Morning Star - dear god was this so good. the plot twist at the end??? omg. gobsmacked. basically loved the entire ending except for mustangs little surprise lol i thought that was not needed but that is also a very biased opinion. everyone read this btw

5 Stars

The Son of Neptune - percy is back so i liked this a lot more lol hazel and frank are also much more sympathetic to me so i liked them more too xD still has the pacing issue of just being too long

4.75 Stars

The Darkness Outside Us - reread but still one of my favorite books ever, i mostly reread this to get my friends to read it and as a refresher before the second book comes out, i also won't say much about the plot because pretty much everything is spoilers. gays in space, that's all you need to know

5 Stars

The Mark of Athena - book 1 and two collide and so do all the things i liked and disliked lol so glad to have nico back? more of him pls and thanks (still too long)

4.75 Stars

Lor - finally finishing off the series to wait for further releases but this was pretty good, one of my new favorite couples and a super interesting take compared to the other ones. literally my only problem is that it's just too much smut but it's erotica so i'm barking at my own reflection but that's also just my opinion, what can you do

4.5 Stars

Young Mungo - reading this felt genuinly offensive as someone who is neurodivergent. it also felt like all it wanted to do was get in everything horrible it could possibly fit. it's just here to make you feel b a d and not even done well! so i dnf'd it lmao DNF

A Collection of Monstrous Short Stories - ... you will be so surprised but reading this one was a chore for me because it's a solid 60-70% of smut and as just established i just can't take that xD i got so annoyed at this book it's not even funny and it's all my fault

3.5 Stars

IT - soo... i might get stoned for this but I dnf'd this one like halfway through. it's not a bad book but i just couldn't take all the slurs anymore??? like there was literally no reason to use slurs that heavily for 'historical accuracy' at some point it's just offensive and this one reached that line and kept on going.

DNF

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lmao not me falling into momentary panic because I thought I forgot to post my august reads

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Books I've read in August 2024:

And what I thought about them:

The Water Outlaws - I genuinely feel bad for how bored I was reading this book. I was so excited by the premise but it felt like literally nothing was happening. It took me days to get through this and it really shouldn't have on page count alone.

3.25 Stars

Siege and Storm - This was just so mid, there is only one character I liked in this and even him I didn't really like at the end anymore lol mostly I was busy being annoyed by our main characters and their stupid, stupid choices.

3.25 Stars

Ruin and Rising - I was so glad to be done with the series xD I only read it so I could have the context for reading Six of Crows with a friend. I don't regret it but I certainly could have spent my time reading better books lol

3 Stars

Golden Son - my beloved. I genuinely cannot explain what the Red Rising Series makes me feel but I'm just here for the ride and enjoying literally every second. So down bad for this series.

5 Stars

StreamLine - I read this as an ARC and man I really enjoyed this. That SAO nostalgia but actually good even now and some really good representation. I have a longer review here:

4.5 Stars

The Titan's Curse - Obligatory Rick Riordan book of the month because he hasn't disappointed me yet (and I don't think he will in the future lol) Just had a really good time with this one

5 Stars

A Gathering of Shadows - it was fiiiiine. I wished so much more from the tournament arc just to be really disappointed xD but this series is growing on my like a mind controlling fungus and I think I'm slowly loosing the battle (help) still just

3.5 Stars

The Last Sun - Oh I really liked this one, really good urban fantasy (with men kissing, my favorite) but it just missed that one tiny thing I can never describe that makes a book 5 stars for me. I loved this book but it just didn't give me that spark. Hopefully further down the series!

4.75 Stars

Scythe - another one I really wanted to like and just didn't. The world building was so interesting (if very fragile in my opinion) but the characters were just.... flat. I didn't feel for any of them and that was kinda the important part lol they just felt a little two dimensional to me.

3.25 Stars

Punk 57 - oh I really disliked this one. I hate bullies, i hate bully romances and that was basically all this was. Add some cringe pop culture and song lyric sections, topped with some really uncomfortable smut and you have basically everything I dislike lol

1 Star

Trial of the Sun Queen - The world building of this book is as solid as the foam in the bathtub of an overenthuisiastic toddler. It doesn't do anything new, or particularly well, it was very predictable and I was just really uncomforatble most of the time while reading this.

2.5 Stars

The Resurrectionist - Another ARC this month and dear lord, this was everything I wanted. I loved the premise, the plot, the characters and I will buy this book so hard when it comes out. Say anything bad about this and you can come catch these hands.

5 Stars

The Fox and the Dryad - I did like this book... mostly. The relationship was cute but would have been cuter if it had less... you know... lying. It's another one of those were characters just need to open their mouths and talk to each other. Also the mentions of designer brands were genuinely driving me insane. I wanted to cry each time they are mentioned (which is too often)

4.5 Stars

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Review of The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap

I received access to an ARC in exchange for a review

5 Stars

First of I really love the premise of this book. Like 19th century dark academia, body snatching and the corruption of a good boy through love and the thirst for knowledge? So up my alley. And I was not disappointed! Right from the beginning the mood is dark and a little detached in an almost medical kind of way. It frames how posh and proper James is in juxtaposition to the other people he meets right of the bat. And I really like the slightly surreal undertones that follow right after when James meets his first fellow Students and they are poking a severed ear with a fork at their table in a pub.

And once James meets Aneurin his inhibitions get slowly picked at by his unwavering hunger for knowledge. He wants to understand, to take apart, first of all bodies to understand anatomy, then Aneurin to look under his mask, to understand why he fascinates him so and why he makes him feel this way he does not want to recognize. Which is wonderfully mirrored by Aneurin being sure in himself and his morals, knowing exactly what he wants and not being afraid to go for it.

I'm also very happy about how delightfully fun the author manages to bring across the process of body snatching. The switching between tense and fun felt effortless and if they weren't... you know. Stealing corpses. I would be awfully tempted to join the fun.

And the relationship between James and Aneurin might be my favorite part. They tease, they bicker but it's all build on a solid foundation of affection, respect and trust. I think my favorite Scene is when Aneurin shows James his rooms for the first time. The easy affectionate intimacy of them makes my heart ache in the best way.

The plot really picks up steam towards the end and some parts left me genuinly astonished and emotionally destroyed. I did not expect some of the twist and the way they rip you out of the lighter tones we had in the middle of the book is so well done. Emotional whiplash in the best and worst way at the same time.

Overall I really loved this book, the characters are charming, the setting is super interesting and plot kept me in it's grip the whole way through. If you like questions about morality, a good mystery or a well done romance, you should read this book! I highly recommend.

Favorite Quote: "I crave no absolution but yours."

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The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller

Rating: No Good Genre: Fantasy Representation: Gay men, Greek/Mediterranean cast Trigger Warnings: rape, rape culture, explicit sex scenes, child sexualization, exotified ethnicity, character death

I stopped reading The Song of Achilles a third of the way through.  I started the novel with high hopes, as The Song of Achilles promised to be an exploration of the romantic relationship between Achilles and Patroclus—taking what The Iliad only implied and putting it to paper.

Here’s what I was hoping for: an honest exploration of the ancient Greek conception of sexuality, taking into account that homoeroticism that we today would call “homosexual” was not considered part of one’s sexual identity, simply what one did (in addition to taking a wife, of course).  What would a boy growing up in (mythical) ancient Greece, a land where even Zeus took male lovers, think about his own romantic and sexual desires?  Does he desire only men (in The Song of Achilles this is true of both Achilles and Patroclus), and what does that mean for him personally, as compared to what it would mean for us today?

Here’s what I got: The Song of Achilles reads very much like the erotic fantasy of a straight woman about gay men.  I was made personally uncomfortable, especially considering how young the characters are in the first 3rd of the book (9-16). The Song of Achilles revisits tired tropes that seem very out of place in the ancient Greek setting–a culture notorious for its fluid sexuality. Thetis (Achilles’ mother) behaves more like a small town republican than a goddess. She’s upset that Achilles and Patroclus kiss and makes it her mission to separate them. This makes absolutely no sense considering that, as a goddess, she should be above the petty who’s-kissing-who of mortals, and makes even less sense when you consider that Zeus himself took male lovers. The bigotry is only included in the text because Miller has no idea how to deal with queer characters outside of the angst of the present day.  I was expecting this story to at least acknowledge that ancient Greece is not the same as Victorian England just because both periods happened out of living memory.

Neither Achilles nor Patroclus consider themselves as part of a greater social context.  If Patroclus really had exclusive feelings towards men, there would be some internal narrative exploring how he feels about his feelings–how does he see himself fitting into his culture? Instead, the entire narrative focuses on the external–how attractive Achilles is, and the external consequences for their relationship (such as the disapproval of Achilles’ mother). This is what really convinced me that this book was written for straight readers. A coming of age story about queer children, yet they spare no thought for their own identities? No thoughts of the future, or considerations of whether there are others like them? I would have been incredibly interested in a well-researched novel which explores the unique challenges (and enjoyment!) of queerness in an ancient context. That would have been a truly unique novel. The Song of Achilles, however, reads like Miller read one Alex Sanchez novel and thought she was somehow qualified to write this book.

Further, Miller struggles with separating her own voice from the voice of her first person narrator, which makes for some very uncomfortable narration surrounding the bodies of 9-13 year old children. Patroclus, 9 at the time, describes Achilles as “still plump with childhood” and with “hair lit like honey in the sun.” Later, at 13, Achilles is “supple.” This is the language not of a child, but of an adult observing childhood. A child would never say another child their age was “still plump with childhood.” Patroclus’ voice gets lost in Miller’s desire to write in a sophisticated style, which has the horrible repercussion of making her novel voyeuristic.

Related to this is the fact that Miller exotifies the nationalities of her characters. Everyone has “skin the color of freshly pressed olive oil” which is so silly coming from the point of view of Patroclus, who has grown up seeing Mediterranean people all his life–and looking just like them. Frankly, it’s racist. It’s a white woman looking in and impressing her own observations, not the observations of a young Greek boy, on the narrative. Some further racism: Achilles, hyperattractive demi-god that he is, is portrayed as “whiter” than everyone else–and his beauty is almost always described by the color of his “golden” skin. His hair is honey and his eyes are green, in contrast to the dark eyes and the “nut-brown” bodies of the rest of the Greeks.

So, not only is The Song of Achilles a disappointment for queer readers looking for good representation, it’s not that well written, constantly breaking point of view to give us an uncomfortable dose of child sexualization and racism. The premise of this novel had a lot of potential, but Miller couldn’t follow through with an inoffensive execution.

For more info on Madeline Miller, here’s her website

[gothark]

Review of StreamLine by Lauren Melissa Ellzey

I was granted access to an ARC in exchange for a review

4.5 Stars rounded up

From the get go we are starting out really well. As someone on the autism spectrum Diana's actions and thoughts were very relatable. From having a set routine that she doesn't want to deviate from to avoiding her mother because she just... does not understand.

I especially liked the scene in the post office because it's something everyone has done before and it shows how different it can be for someone neurodivergent to accomplish simple tasks that seem so easy to most people.

The gaming and streaming aspects aren't super realistic but that works much better for the written medium. And it still feels relatable to someone who is an avid gamer and involved in streaming spaces. Especially the dehumanizing way streamers are treated is brought across really well.

The way the plot and the characters play together in the later half of the book is very well done. Nocht and Lune are very believable and sympathetic characters. Their struggles are written so well and I was sitting on the edge of my seat hoping the best for them.

All of that was neatly packaged by a satisfying and sweet ending. While there are up and downs over the course of the book the best way to describe it would be like drinking some hot chocolate on a cold winter day. Just pure comfort and you can't help but root for a happy ending for everyone.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a shorter, sweet romance that explores queer identities and neurodivergent perspectives in a respectful, empathetic and charming way.

[gothark]

Books I've read in July 2024

And what I thought about them:

The Husky And His White Cat Shizun Vol 1 - I looked at a problematic person and said 'yes, you. i will keep you' no joke though I breezed through this one, so invested like wdym????

5 Stars

The Borrow a Boyfriend Club - literally based on 'what if everyone was a stereotype' and I really wanted the characters to be more than that? and they were, but all that got added was that they were all fucking mean

DNF

The Sky Blues - really didn't like it at the beginning but I didn't want to DNF another book right away so I continued and I think I liked it more at the end? Might just have taken me hostage instead though. Cheesy.

3.75 Stars

Tadek and the Princess - Follow up Novella to 'A Taste of Gold and Iron' and it made me bawl my eyes out. i was ugly sobbing, such a good exploration of grief and not allowing yourself to feel that grief. chefs kiss.

5 Stars

The Lightning-Struck Heart - I just couldn't get into this one. Maybe me and T.J. Klune just don't mix but this kind of humor goes from kinda funny to really fucking annoying in like 4 chapters.

DNF

Reforged - I just got over A Taste of Gold and Iron and this punted me right back into it, very similar feel but also different? I dunno how to explain it but if you liked one of these you will probably like the other one too. This just missed that slight spark to make it amazing.

4.75 Stars

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories - Jesus fucking Christ. Like. WHAT. I hated this, this is legit the worst book I've ever read. If you like stories that sexualise the abuse of women at the hands of men in literally every single story this is the book for you. Maybe I'm just stupid but none of these stories gave women any agency, everything was just done TO them. Hard no. Gross.

0.25 Stars

She Who Became The Sun - Holy Shit. My beloved. Actually just my favorite fucking book ever. Like Shelley??? Hello??? How did you write this masterwork? Still can't decide if Zhu or Ouyang is my beloved (it's Ouyang) Pls, everyone read this. i'm keeping the second book in the series for dark times.

5 Stars

The Past Is Red - It was fine? I didn't like the guy, whatever his name was, i didn't like the rift between the silly names for things and the at times really horrific things going on?? the reveal at the end felt kind of cheap and unbelievable.

2.25 Stars

MADK Vol 1 - Insane? like... wtf did I just read? homoerotic cannibalism the manga. i was intrigued though and the art is really pretty??? (help)

4 Stars

MADK Vol 2 - i have no clue what's going on anymore, i'm just here for the ride. things are happening and my last brainvell has left the chat

4 Stars

The Fragile Threads of Power - CONFLICTED. I liked it? the world is really interesting? the problem was the 50 different pov's and that i really like some of those characters and really disliked others. i was also a little confused at the beginning because this was the first book i read in this universe (which you totally can do, everything you might be missing gets explained)

4.25 Stars

Herald of the Witch's Mark - i thought this was the last book in the series but it wasn't and i was lowkey so glad to be finished with the series because we have a serious love/hate relationship going on. i'm also just not the biggest fae person I've realised. oopsies.

3 Stars

Red Rising - my god, this is so good. completely changes it's vibe like halfway into the book and i'm all for it??? darrow is fucking insane, batshit crazy. this man will lead me to an early grave and I will THANK HIM FOR IT. he is my favorite frat bro who does murder in space. right after she who became the sun in my fave book rankings.

5 Stars

The Lightning Thief - I read the first five books once as a child and man this just hit such a good nostalgia spot, it also has none of the bad taste that harry potter does and this was just such a nice and easy read. like a nice rainy day in a warm blanket. would recommend.

5 Stars

The Extraordinaries - I actually started reading this at the end of 2023 and that should basically say everything. So technically this is my first TJ Klune, not Lightning-Struck Heart but I gave up on it after. Microwaving a cricket to make it radioactive to gain super powers was just too much. also the main character? felt kind of offensive if he was supposed to be a character with autism because no way in hell would any real person actually be like this

DNF

A Darker Shade of Magic - We have the problem here, I like the world but the pov characters are the ones I did not like in Threads of Power (lila) i'm sorry, i just don't vibe with her personally overall a good book though?

4 Stars

Shadow and Bone - man it just took too long to get to the reveal, once again i didn't really vibe with any of the characters (except for mal) and i want to punt the Darkling to the dark side of the moon

3.75 Stars

The Sea of Monsters - what can I say? i'm a sucker for greek mythology so this is just really my thing and it's just such a nice break to take between other books, also the twist at the end? i love that shit lol

5 Stars

Firefly Lane - so this book was basically taking the blueprint for the life of the typical midwest, american white women (maybe a little extra shitty life) and it's this book. it feels like going down a check list. young girls getting sexually assaulted? check. young girls getting with older men? getting pregnant when it wasn't planned? having a miscarriage? getting married to the guy who liked your best friend before he liked you? surprise twins? (being a bad mom lol) but that works for some people, just not really some gay guy who thinks marriage and children are kind of icky (personally, for me) also the parts where it was heavily implied that the one women was only unhappy because she had her dream job but no husband or children??? so ew. the ending got me though because cancer runs in the family. oh also just way too fucking long. needs to be like 40% shorter, so boring for so much of the time

3.5 Stars

[gothark]

Book's I've read in June

And what I thought about them:

Teach the Torches to Burn - A Gay Romeo and Juliet Remix, very charming, genuinely enjoyed myself but did not think about it much since

4 Stars

Jay's Gay Agenda - So many things to say, none of them any good, which is the reason why I wrote a longer review for it in the first place.

You can find that one here:

0.5 Stars

The Magpie Lord - amazing, lives in my head rent-free, would sell my firstborn child to read more about them

More thoughts here:

5 Stars

A Case of Possession - more tension, more moments, much more rats. What's not to like???

5 Stars

Flight of Magpies - last one in the series with this couple so it left me sobbing, crying, throwing up but also kind of happy. It was a perfect ending for them, but I want MORE

5 Stars

We are totally Normal - least normal people I've ever met, would be a good book if it was sold as a group of aliens desperately trying to pretend they are human to each other

2 Stars

A Taste of Gold and Iron - the characters and the world in this book are so alive and beautiful, I have no words. If you like fantasy, romance, political intrigue and a creative magic system this is a must-read

5 Stars

Jackdaw - clearly I couldn't not read the further books in the universe and man, I like these two just as much, why is KJ Charles on my case and writing books that hit all my wants and needs???

5 Stars

Winter's Orbit - this book should be next to miscommunication in the dictionary, which I normally hate, but it worked here? Probably because they were decent reasons behind it this time around. I also just love sci-fi

4.5 Stars

Rag and Bone - another one... (last one this time I swear), my least favorite from the three couples, but I still loved it so does it really matter???

5 Stars

Beneath the Citadel - good heist, decent fantasy elements, genuinely liked all the characters in this clusterfuck of a found family friend group and the ending really surprised me! Did not expect that.

4.75 Stars

The Perks of being a Wallflower - despite inviting an angry mob to my front door, I have to say I absolutely hated it. It felt like butchering sensitive topics as sensation bait. Chbosky took a carton of eggs and then smashed it 232 times against a wall and sold it as a book

1 Star

Ocean's Echo - ocean's echo, my beloved. Says romance on the tin, hides an exploration of power differences and the abuse of said power inside. Like a cookie tin that now houses sewing supplies.

5 Stars

The Death I Gave Him - locked room murder mystery with an AI that has a pathetic man crush on his human??? Sign me the fuck up bestie

4.75 Stars

Out of the Blue - first book that ever made me DNF, after jay's agenda I just couldn't take another Jason June. I gave it a try, but the first two chapters already had all the stuff I disliked that I just gave up

DNF

Spellbound - very cotton candy hurts my teeth kinds of sweet, kind wanted something different from the ending, but it was still good so?

4.5 Stars

So This Is Ever After - did like the book, did not care much for the couple at all??? Which is weird. I don't really get it either, but what can you do?

[gothark]

My review of the A Charm of Magpies Trilogy...

... and why it's one of my favorite book series I've read this year.

The Series strongest point are without doubt the characters and their relationships. The unbreakable trust between Lucien and Merrick, the familiar warmth between Stephen and Esther and obviously the steadfast romance between Lucien and Stephen. But even outside of their relationship all of the characters can stand on their own. They each have their strengths and weaknesses.

Lucien Crane is an arrogant bastard and won't take shit from anyone, but he would also do and pay anything to protect the people he cares about. Stephen Day believes he has to do all the difficult things on his own because he cares too much and would rather break himself than demand sacrifice from anyone else. Merrick has deal with Lucien for over 20 years, he's loyal to a fault and not afraid to tell you when you are being stupid, which has worked in his favour and against him in equal measure. One of my favorite things in the series was the banter between the characters, especially between Stephen and Lucien. It never missed a mark and always played perfectly into the emotions at hand. Even with all their faults Stephen and Lucien have a relationship full of communication and trust, which works as a fantastic base for their BDSM practices in the bedroom. Never once did the sex scene feel out of place, forced, or unequal between the two. This is a very good example of how it should be done.

Even with such strong characters the plot of the books never felt overshadowed. Each volume has it's own contained mystery to be solved, with some recurring characters causing trouble down the line. Often times the mysteries can be quite dark and descriptions graphic. Characters moralities and how their actions influence others are often focus points. Mixing that with life or death situations makes for great tense, and impactful plot climaxes.

In the end I can just say if you like gay romance with dark themes and a mystery to be solved this series is for you. I will certainly be thinking about it for a good while.

[gothark]

My Review of Jay's Gay Agenda...

...and why it only went downhill from here.

My first problem with this book were the characters. Basically every character (with a few exceptions - Albert) were gross Stereotypes and just... bad people. The Author tries to play it off, that just because you behave in some stereotypical ways does not make you a Stereotype, which would have worked if the characters had any character outside of being a Stereotype. Instead all the main character (Jay) thinks about is what he could do with other boys, statistics and... Ru Paul's Drag Race. Sometimes he thinks about his friends too I guess but 90% of the time he is selfish and ignorant to the people around him.

Next point - the writing. If you told me this was written by a 12 year old on wattpad I would believe you. It's cheesy, cringey and makes the characters come across as young and immature, which does not mix well with the sex positivity going on in many parts of this book. Reading a sex scene between Jay, who reads no older at 14 at the best of times, and Tony, who is your typical college frat bro who is 'not relationship material', was very uncomfortable.

And my last point, how Jay is a cheater and the book celebrates that fact. Jay meet Albert on his first day at a new school and has an instant crush. Great. Good for him. A few days later Jay gets taken to a Drag Show by his new friend, and gay guide, Max, who introduces him to Tony. Instantly Jay also has the hots for Tony. Jay proceeds to go on dates with Albert and Tony literally one day after the other, being encouraged by Max because 'you aren't in a relationship'. It's gross. Jay is double teaming both guys without either of them knowing about the other, meanwhile playing down his relationship with Tony because 'it's just physical' fully Intending to date Albert and not drop Tony until Albert explicitly asks him out. So while going on cute dates with Albert and getting asked to homecoming by him and having serious and vulnerable conversations Jay is getting railed by a college aged frat bro (who is also a serial cheater) and getting encouraged that this is the right behavior by Max. Even at the big climax where it comes out what he did Albert is really only mad that Jay lied about it.

In conclusion: I would not recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a good time. If you want to feel like peeling your own skin off though, go right ahead.