#Goodreads!verse

[teleportingtypewriter]

A Call Off

We’ll tell them what they want to hear with our cheeks against the frosted glass of the back door, looking out at all the blurry cars. The phone call will be over in an instant, and any doubts left on the wire will be eaten by the waves and waves of crows that like to perch there while they talk shit in their laid-back kind of language. With the whole day free, we can walk around the older parts…

[maishaaa]

Book Review: The Predator - By RuNyx (Dark Verse Series) (Bookstagram made me read my first dark romance)

Check out my new review on 'The Predator'

❝Don’t you know not to run away from predators, sweetheart? We like the hunt.❞ Synopsis: What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object in the field of death? In the dark underbelly of the mob, Tristan Caine has been an anomaly. As the only non-blooded member in the high circle of the Tenebrae Outfit, he is an enigma to all – his skills unparalleled, his morality…

[libertyreads]

Book Review #50 of 2023--

Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo and Dani Pendergast. Rating: 3 stars.

Read on May 1st.

I’m going to keep this one short since it’s a graphic novel that gives a backstory to a pretty well known character in the Grishaverse. In this one, we get the origin story for the Darkling. It’s one of those things where the author tries to make you sympathetic to the bad guy but you don’t care about it enough to want to defend any of the bad things they’ve done. As they say on Brooklyn 99, ‘Cool motive. Still murder.’ I did like the art style and I enjoyed the characters. Mostly Annika who I enjoy due to her being such a morally grey character. Tell me how that makes any sense when I dislike the Darkling for being such a bad guy. I don’t know either. The turn in the story that leads to Aleksander becoming the Darkling was the most interesting part of the story and the only thing keeping this from being rated lower. I don’t know. I guess if you make me hate a villain enough then his origin story won’t ever do much for me.

[duckprintspress]

Queer Horror Stories to Celebrate Mary Shelley’s Birthday!

Today, August 30th, is Frankenstein Day and Mary Shelley’s Birthday! To celebrate the first horror novel, we decided to ask our contributors about their favorite queer horror novels and ended up with 28 titles for a very spooky end of summer. Contributors to this list are: Shadaras, D.V. Morse, Nova Mason, Terra P. Waters, Rhosyn Goodfellow, Nina Waters, Meera S., Shea Sullivan, Owl Outerbridge, Sanne, Tris Lawrence, boneturtle and an anonymous contributor.

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

The Devourers by Indra Das

Into the Drowning Deep & Rolling in the Deep (Rolling in the Deep series) by Mira Grant

What Moves the Dead (Sworn Soldier series) by T. Kingfisher

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea

Sixteen Souls by Rosie Talbot

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

Kaleidoscope of Death by Xi Zi Xu

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould

Alice Isn’t Dead by Joseph Fink

Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

The Hills of Estrella Roja by Ashley Robin Franklin

The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles series) by Anne Rice

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren

Pet Shop of Horrors by Matsuri Akino

Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine

The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei

Make the Exorcist Fall in Love by Aruma Arima & Masuku Fukayama

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

Fate/Stay Night by Type-Moon

Umineko When They Cry by Ryukishi07

Case 00: The Cannibal Boy from Sounding Stone

Welcome to Night Vale

The Silt Verses

What are your favorite queer horror novels? Tell us in the comments!

Want to chat your favorite reads with us? Join our Book Lover’s Discord server!

Update your Goodreads TBR with any of these books by visiting our queer horror shelf on Goodreads!! Or, jump onto Bookshop.org and browse these books on our queer horror list!

[newwavesylviaplath]

get to know me !

hiii <3 recently i've been gaining more attention on here so i thought i'd reintroduce myself <3

!!! also if u know me irl it's probably best for the both of us that u don't keep scrolling !!!

⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡⋆˚

abt me (camryn):

𝜗𝜚 being a girl blogger is in fact my only personality trait (tysm for 3.7k ily all so much)

𝜗𝜚 canadian (ont)!!

𝜗𝜚 march pisces

𝜗𝜚 super graphic ultra modern girl

𝜗𝜚 could talk abt lana del rey and lady gaga for hours on end

𝜗𝜚 i also love st vincent, stevie nicks, & beyoncé

𝜗𝜚 100% actually married to evan peters (#1 austin sommers stan)

𝜗𝜚 lover of all things vintage

𝜗𝜚 slavic/balkan

𝜗𝜚 doll collector! (hoarder)

⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡⋆˚

socials/other media:

spotify

** my playlist recs based on ur vibes

**part two

airbuds

discogs

goodreads

pinterest

vsco

twitter

⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡⋆˚

just some basic info/ground rules:

𝜗𝜚 i don't have a dni; i probably won't block u if u act like a decent human being

𝜗𝜚 safe space for ppl with EDs as well as ppl in recovery

𝜗𝜚 if u want me to make u a moodboard send me an ask!! (open as of rn)

𝜗𝜚 mutuals feel free to tag me in posts that you think id like cuz ur all so talented and i wanna hype u all up 💗💗

𝜗𝜚 i also tend to shitpost every thought i have throughout the day so sorry in advance

⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡ ｡⋆˚⋆✧⋆˚⋆｡⋆˚

search terms:

𝜗𝜚 'lyric posting' - moodboards based off my favourite song lyrics

𝜗𝜚 'omg camryn' - photos of me!

𝜗𝜚 'poetry in lyricism' - my all time favourite verses in lana del rey songs

𝜗𝜚 'vinyl posting' - pics from my personal vinyl collection

𝜗𝜚 'moodboard' - moodboards made specifically for mutuals/based on requests

𝜗𝜚 'sweater posting' - my long journey to find evan peters' grey cardigan

**can't guarantee all posts will show

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blog started jan 4, 2024

[non-conventionnel]

What became of Jesus after his crucifixion? Did he really die on the cross?

What vital mission was Mary Magdalene intended to fulfill for mankind's spiritual growth if she had not been hindered and history changed forever?

Discover the answers to these queries and more in this highly contentious and controversial book...

[phoebe-woods]

A dazzling estate haunted by an old ghost. Arthurian stained glass and a zodiac floor stained with blood. The shadowy specter of assault. And a Flyers season about to become the stuff of legend...

Becca Bamburg, local ghost blogger, is determined to get inside the haunted Slaughterbridge estate and uncover more about the spirit that has walked its halls for one hundred years. When she learns that the rundown property is being restored by the newest owners of the Philadelphia Flyers, it feels like kismet. She has a connection to the Flyers through her childhood friend, Nate Bellamy, the young generational talent that might lead the team to glory.

What she doesn’t know is that Nate sees this as his chance to finally win Becca’s affection—and that he’s enlisted the help of charming and newly-traded Dillon Fowler, a former number-one draft pick who’s learned to let go of his own dreams. Dillon, acquired to be Nate’s right-hand man, is ready to help him both on and off the ice, even while he tracks a mystery of his own.

And the deeper Becca digs into Slaughterbridge, the closer she gets to the rotten secret that haunts Slaughterbridge just like its ghost…

Lancelot in November is the latest book in Phoebe Woods’s hockey-verse, following King of Cups.

Cover by @redbelles

Available in ebook now via all major retailers - paperback coming soon. | Amazon | Apple | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Kobo | Fable | Vivlio

I’m also on Goodreads! And see here for the Spotify playlist for the book.

[the-bi-library]

HAPPY BI VISIBILITY MONTH!!! 🩷💜💙

I wish all bi folks a very pleasant bi month!

Here are bi books of September!

Books listed:

💕 This Spells Disaster by Tori Anne Martin 💕 In the Ring by Sierra Isley 💕 Those Pink Mountain Nights by Jen Ferguson 💕 The Darkest Stars (The Broken Stars #2) by Kristy Gardner 💕Daughter of Winter and Twilight (Queen of Coin and Whispers #2) by Helen Corcoran 💕 Time to Shine by Rachel Reid 💕 Herc by Phoenicia Rogerson 💕 Fly with Me by Andie Burke 💕 Everyone's Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni 💕 A Crown So Cursed (Nightmare-Verse, #3) by L.L. McKinney 💕 This Dark Descent (This Dark Descent, #1) by Kalyn Josephson 💕 Providence Girls by Morgan Dante 💕 Wolf, Willow, Witch (The Gideon Testaments #2) by Freydís Moon 💕 What Stalks Among Us by Sarah Hollowell 💕 Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz 💕 Cities of Women by Kathleen B. Jones 💕You, Again by Kate Goldbeck 💕 Double Exposure: A F/NBi Enemies to Lovers Romantic Suspense by Rien Gray 💕 The Fractured Dark (The Devoured Worlds, #2) by Megan E. O'Keefe 💕 Cover Story by Valerie Gomez 💕 The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White 💕 The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu 💕 Better Left Unsaid by Tufayel Ahmed 💕 Dearborn by Ghassan Zeineddine 💕 A Green Equinox by Elizabeth Mavor 💕 Salt Kiss (Lyonesse, #1) by Sierra Simone 💕 The Amazing Alpha Tau Boyfriend Project (Alpha Tau, #1) by Lisa Henry

Make sure to check the TWs for all books if necessary 💕

Here is the goodreads list of these books

[esta-elavaris]

I won't list all of my stuff here - just the things that I think are worth shouting about. Organising it all via fandom, with some little sub-categories within those because some of them *cough*James/Theodora*cough* have decided to become ungovernable.

Where to find me: AO3 -- IG -- Goodreads

Catch the Wind-verse:

Catch the Wind - James Norrington/Modern!OC Status: Complete. [400k+ words] AO3 The behemoth that started the absolute sickness in me, and probably where you should start if you want any of the rest of my Norrington stuff to make total sense to you.

When it was completed, I also did a read-through on here talking about some behind-the-scenes type stuff. The tag is here, but it's obviously reverse-chronological order so spoilers abound! I plan on doing this for other fics when they're complete!

Sainted by the Storm - James Norrington/Modern!OC Status: In progress, updated sporadically. AO3 The home for any random snippets of this pairing that I write - there are a few AU chapters here and there, mostly it's flufftober fills, or pieces not long enough to warrant their own story. Wicked Game - James Norrington/Modern!OC Status: In progress. AO3 Semi-sequel to CTW, just a very small smutty series set after the events of the main story. Red Thread of Fate - Theodore Groves/Pirate!OC Status: In progress. AO3 Vague companion piece to CTW, taking place in the background of that story, and then branching into the timespan that follows it - with appearances made by Norrington and the OC I write for him.

Catch the Wind AUs

Fallen Through Time - James Norrington/Modern!OC Status: In progress, on a break. AO3 -- Tumblr An AU of Catch the Wind, exploring what might've happened had Elizabeth Swann been the one to find Theodora when she fell into the world of POTC.

As It Was - Modern!James Norrington/Historical!OC Status: Planning - a teaser can be found on tumblr for now. AO3 Another AU of Catch the Wind, where James Norrington is the modern character, and Theodora Byrne is the "canon" character from POTC who is fated to die.

Here, Where Fire Grows - Boromir/Modern!Amnesiac!OC Status: In progress AO3 Writing Catch the Wind didn't get the "modern girl falls for fictional dead man" trope out of my brain, so I had to inflict another on Boromir - but this time with an amnesiac twist, just for some added fun. Other mini-stories for these two written during flufftober can be found here.

Flufftober '23 The non-Theorrington flufftober fills can be found in this series on AO3, but all of the fills also be found on Tumblr where they have pretty banners to go along with the chapters.

About a Girl Captain Hook [Peter Pan 2003]/OC AO3 Hook sets out to manipulate a former member of The Lost Boys in order to gain the upper hand against Peter Pan…and learns the hard way that it's best not to underestimate one's opponent. Manipulations, trust issues, lots of "falling for you would be the worst possible idea so I won't do that haha...unless 👀" on both sides.

Obscure, Plain, and Little Aemond Targaryen/OC AO3 A Jane Eyre-inspired fic -- probably won't follow the events of the show/book.

Absolution Dracula [Van Helsing 2004]/OC AO3 Set in the modern day, lots of cliché favourites with (hopefully) some added twists to spice things up a bit! Free Cullen Rutherford/F!Inquisitor AO3 Modern!Royalty!AU which will eventually follow the events of the game.

This is the hub that contains all of my post documenting my progress with the challenge I'm setting myself for 2025, in which I'll be aiming to have twelve consecutive 50k word months.

List of ideas for tentative future pairings and fandoms I want to go into can be found here. I'm also always open to suggestions, so don't feel too shy if you want to send me an ask or a message 💜

[docholligay]

This is why I will never use Goodreads for recommendations. I wanted it to be old Netflix, but with books, but Netflix isn't even Netflix anymore and Goodreads is recommending me this:

Based on WHAT fucking reading preferences? You tell me, chapter and verse, what about the books I have read in the last year made you think I would want to read this.

My recent top rated books are Watership Down, The Goldfinch, The Night Watch, Drood, and Piranesi. PLEASE tell me how those are related to Love Requires Chocolate, I am desperate to know.

I really am struggling to remember when in Watership Down Fiver foresees some guy going HON HON HON BAGUETTE at a college girl. It must have been when he was foreseeing the destruction of the warren and it was just a new, exciting horror that got stuffed to the side.

I would not read this if it were gay, Goodreads. This could read, Whitney Curry is tutored by a grumpy soccer star who is THE HOTTEST BUTCH WOMAN YOU HAVE EVER SEEN IN YOUR LIFE, an I would still go, 'I do not think this book is for me" On the worst day, I cannot see anyone who knows me even TANGENTIALLY recommending this book.

I am borderline insulted (okay we are pushing my love over the borderline) by the idea that this was-- actually let's go look at other recommendations

I????? Yo???? Who asks continually why every third book published in the US has to be YA fantasy?

The only good recommendation I got was Master and Commander, which I have in fact thought about reading before. Not even any shitty pulp horror? Of which I read PLENTY? I know this is less 'recommendations" and more "ads" but jesus fucking christ PRETEND BETTER.

[sweetfirebird]

hmm Goodreads gave the Suitable 'Verse stories a series title of For the King and His Husband, which sort of implies Mil and Arden are banging all of them--and look, I'm not saying they wouldn't. Although Arden and Lan being distantly related makes that weird. But definitely all of the others including the new three. Anyway I am not correcting it. Goodreads used to be easy to deal with and now basically you have to go to Facebook and find the librarians' group and ask them to help you.

[teleportingtypewriter]

Dying Alone

Bent q-tips on the rim of a plastictrash can gather dust becausethey’ve been there for so long.T-shirt stains on t-shirt stains so oldthe original color is long forgotten.Piles of blankets and bowls and platesaround a ragged couch with posters ofwomen, from the neck down, diagonallytaped to all the eggshell colored walls. I’ve forgotten where I amI’ve forgotten where I am Hand around his own…

[carriagelamp]

Early Spring (March - April) Books

My main takeaway from the books I read over the past couple months that by god if you're going to do something, at least commit to the bit. I would say the books I liked the most this month were the "cheesy" ones or the oddballs, and my least favourite were just... profoundly average. So basic and uninterested in its own premise as to be offensive. At least if you're over-the-top you're making me feel something! Which is more than I can say for some of the books on my list...

Dumplin’

I’ve seen this book frequently in bookstores, and I know it was fairly popular at the time so after my mom watched the film and recommended it to me I decided it was about time to read it properly. 

The plot follows Willowdean, a fat girl who is generally fairly comfortable in her skin — or who has always seen herself as such. But with her former pageant queen mom getting into the latest pageant season, her best friend getting more and more involved in romance, and Will finding herself enamoured with a coworker she is struggling more and more with complicated feelings about how she views herself and how others view her. In an effort to fight back against it, she decides to sign up for the most recent pageant.

It was decent! I can’t really complain. I got the audiobook and it was fairly chill, low-stakes listening. High school drama is never my first choice, but there were enough good things about this book. My biggest complaint is that the ending was very anticlimactic. This is the sort of book where I want the big, cliche, over-the-top satisfying finale! It's about misfits taking over a small town beauty pageant!! I want it in the style of Hairspray or Legally Blonde or something!!! But the book was so painfully self-aware that it really tripped itself up in “therapy talk” and "realistic" endings that just took the wind out of its sails, rather than asking what the satisfying ending is. Still, worth the read if you enjoy a YA coming of age story.

Fence v1

Christ all mighty folks. I feel like I’m being gaslit here. This comic had some rave reviews on goodreads so I grabbed the first couple books from the library and it’s? actually just awful? I figured, hey, this will probably be done in the style of a sports manga, right? I enjoy a sports manga from time to time, especially a queer one. And you can tell that that’s what it’s inspired by. But holy SHIT is it boring. Like the art is AGONIZING. It’s stiff and uninspired and emotionless. I’ve read manga that’s managed to make the fucking board game go look like a high-stakes action adventure, and this book managed to make TEENAGERS WITH SWORDS boring as hell. I don't know enough about the author to tell if this is indicative of her usual work, or if the fault lays in just the blandest art imaginable but seriously, what the fuck. Don’t read this. I’m gonna go reread Haikyuu instead and remind myself that some people know how to draw sports scenes that are capable of making me feel things. Jesus.

Fullmetal Alchemist

A reread ♥ I stumbled across an FMA fanfiction by pure chance at the beginning of March and it made me dig out my books and reread the first few volumes. Always a cozy story to return to. If you've never taken the time to read Fullmetal Alchemist... honestly I'm not sure what rock you've been living under but you should do it. An unshakeable classic for a REASON

Home of the Brave

I picked this one up because I really enjoyed Applegate’s free verse novel Odder and I heard this one was written in a similar style. I knocked it out in a single day, it was a very quick read but a very heartfelt story. I can't say that I think everything about it was done perfectly, but for the style and intended audience, it was pretty solid. Made you look at things from a different perspective, had some really heart-wrenching realities to consider, and a lot of feel-good heart.

It followed Kek, a young immigrant from Sudan who has come to live with his aunt since his father and brother were killed and his mother is missing. It explores Kek’s adjustment to living in the United States, how the trauma continues to affect him, and how he begins to make friends — with a neighbour living with a foster family, an old woman, and her cow.

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid v1

I’ve seen gifs of this around, and found a copy of it in the used bookstore so I figured… why not. Is it a good book? No. Not sure I'd bother reading the second, but it was weird enough to have made it worth reading. If nothing else, the premise was strange, art took me by surprised at time, and managed to make me chuckle along from time to time.

Kobayashi helps out a dragon who is now determined to live with her and help her out in an effort to seduce her repay her kindness. The story starts with the dragon being completely heartbroken that Kobayashi would honest rather just take the train on her commute rather than ride a dragon to work because scales are frankly uncomfortable.

Murder Most Puzzling

A fun little book of brainteasers! Each mystery includes a short story description (based around a private detective and her harried assistant) along with hand-drawn art. Between these two things, you’re supposed to deduce who the culprit of each crime is, with all the answers in the back of the book. It was pretty to look at and fun to work through, especially with a friend.

My Happy Marriage v1

Quite enjoyed this one! Is it a really well-written book? No. It’s very simple. But the plot is exactly the sort of sweet, cheesy story that I enjoy.

A very Cinderella-esque story, Miyo is from a noble-born family but suffers under her abusive family: an indifferent father, a cruel step-mother, and a selfish, haughty step-sister. She is treated even worse than a servant, and has resigned herself to existing like a meek, cringing shadow in her own home — her lack of magic that people in her class are expected to have makes her feel like this is entirely earned and inescapable. The story kicks off when she is callously married off to a young nobleman who is notorious for scaring away brides within days; he is said to be cold and cruel. Miyo is perfectly prepared for this new home to be no different than her last home...

Old-Fashioned Cupcake with Cappuccino 

A sequel to Old-Fashioned Cupcake, in which Nozue and Togawa begin to navigate the more complicated aspects of a relationship that has progressed beyond outings as friends and casual dates, to spending nights and a growing interest in living together. A homophobic society and their own hang-ups make this a complicated topic to navigate and there’s a lot of ups and downs, but it’s ultimately just as sweet as the first part.

Railsea

My favourite read from spring so far — absolutely deranged, I’m going to have to read more by this author. I saw a tumblr post that described this as a dystopian Moby Dick novel crossed with Treasure Island… with giant mutant moles rather than whales and trains instead of ships. Frankly, if that doesn’t also grab you by the throat and make you want to read it, I don’t know what to tell you. The author’s writing style is very distinct, and mimics what you expect from something like Moby Dick or Treasure Island, and he doesn’t bother holding your hand as he introduces this strange world to you. The world-building is really top tier, it’s completely bizarre and yet it feels very natural once you see how it works. The underlying themes are also just breath-taking. It was a masterfully written book and just a pure delight, especially once the second half kicks off.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night

Speaking of books that got rave reviews and that I feel are gaslighting me…

This came to me highly recommended and the goodread reviews seemed to agree… and guys, just wholly shit. Pure opposite of Railsea. Boring trite language, world-building that made absolutely no fucking sense, and characterization that felt like negative space. A pure void of characterization that sucked my entire will to live into it like a black hole. Like, this book so clearly did not actually give a shit about its own premise and didn't make a single effort to create a cohesive world or narrative... it leaned on tired tropes so heavily that it creaked. I had a couple mutuals that got to listen to me liveblog this and I couldn’t get through more than a couple paragraphs without losing my shit. Complete garbage, clearly riding on the coattails of A Court of Thorns and Roses without understanding what actually made that series compelling. I absolutely did not finish this book. The little bit I did read nearly killed me.

Heaven Official's Blessing (TGCF) v6

I continue to be completely enamoured with Heaven Official’s Blessing. The only reason I’m not tearing through these books faster is because a) I don’t want it to end and b) it keeps making me want to stop and write fanfiction about it instead. Getting to learn more about Xie Lian's past, the fall of Xianle, and the complete collapse of his life was just... ouch. My heart. Had to stop and cry about Xie Lian and Hua Cheng a LOT during this one folks.

The Wild Robot Protects

The third installment of Roz’s life on her island with her son, Brightwing, and her various animal friends. This time a deadly tide is sweeping through the ocean, killing any living thing that comes in contact with it, putting enormous strain on the resources of the island as animals try to move inland to escape it. Roz takes it upon herself to venture north and find the cause of this tide.

It was… meh. A middling book. Not bad, good for kids who are enjoying this series, a good lesson about how pollution, the inter-connectivity of nature, and marine conservation. But given how good the first two books in the series were, I was a bit disappointed with this one. It felt long winded and boring, with nothing of note actually happening until literally the last couple chapters.

[thedisabilitybookarchive]

Hi, do you know of any books with housebound characters?

I had to do a fair bit of research for this, but I think I've found some books that might fit!

These two books can be found on the archive:

'Highly Illogical Behavior'- By John Corey Whaley: Queer YA contemporary fiction about a 16 year old boy with agoraphobia who, at the beginning of the novel, has not left his home in three years. He develops a friendship with an aspiring psychology student, as well as a close relationship with her boyfriend. As the novel progresses, the trio faces challenges that threaten to implode their friendship.

'Forever is Now'- By Mariama J. Lockington: Queer YA contemporary novel-in-verse about a young black teen who lives with agoraphobia and anxiety, and who, after witnessing an incident of police brutality and feeling vulnerable, relies upon her phone and the support of her friends to stay up to date on the world outside of her home. The novel focuses on her desire to participate in and help the activists and protests in her city, while also being diagnosed with agoraphobia and the healing process afterwards, as well as a burgeoning crush on her neighbour.

I found this Goodreads list and this Reddit post that also lists other books with housebound characters. I haven't vetted some of them yet, however if you want more information I would be happy to track it down for you!

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Every week I will post various reviews I've written so far in 2024. You can check out my Goodreads for more up-to-date reviews HERE. You can friend me on Goodreads here.

Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts?

___

281. Next to You by Hannah Bonam-Young--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wanted to love this, BUT I'm sure I'll really enjoy book 1 and 3! I did like the love interest, he was a darn sweetheart.

I think what I didn't really care for in this book (and why my rating wasn't as high as I would have liked) was that I couldn't really connect with the MC and her decisions. But a three star isn't a bad rating, it is a "I enjoyed this but it could have gone better for me".

I really liked the mental health rep and how detrimental it can be when it has you in its grip. I think that was one of the things I loved most about this book. I liked that Bonam-Young didn't shy away from this aspect of the MC's life.

But the story itself, while having some very fun and cute moments, felt like it lacked something that would have fully grabbed me. I don't know if the pacing was off, or if the relationship felt a little too surface level--something about it held me back from fully loving it. I don't know if it was that the bus was fixed a little too much behind the scenes or too quickly, or that there was a third act break up.

The love interest was really sweet and I really liked him. I kind of wish we'd had a dual POV story, just to both make things feel more rounded and to get more bus-fixing scenes.

I am definitely going to pick up the other two books because I'm excited by their descriptions. I will say that I'm happy that I read this one first because it's only up from here!

___

282. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm not a novel-in-verse girly, but I loved the hell out of this audiobook. This book was beautiful. Such a wonderful exploration of a young person learning who he is and who he wants to be.

I highly recommend listening to this as an audiobook because it flowed so well and was just a great experience!

Dean Atta has created a great character with a strong personality and relatability for readers of all ages, especially teens trying to figure out who they are. I connected with the MC over his mixed-raced upbringing and how society might view that part of him. We get to see him experiencing these moments of racism and identity-confusion.

I loved that Atta touched on the confusing feelings teenagers might experience when they are discovering who they are and how even though you're certain of one thing, your mind will always ask you to consider other ideas (like him knowing he is gay, but still contemplating potential romantic feelings for his female best friend.)

Another surprising aspect of this book that I was really enjoying was how the book spans over several years of the MC's life. We get to see him be completely confused about who he is until the last page where he is fully sure and finding that confidence he had always wanted when he was younger.

Overall, I highly recommend this. And if you're not a novel in verse person like me, listen to the audiobook! It's worth it!

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283. The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I didn't even know this existed until last month. LOVED. Such a great sequel/finale!

When I saw that THE GIRL IN QUESTION was a sequel to a book I loved last year (or the year before?), I KNEW I wanted to read it. And from the very beginning, I was hooked--even if it took me a second to remember who each character was.

One of the things I immediately liked about this one was the setting. I don't know how many times I've mentioned it in past reviews, but I LOVE survival stories and Sharpe's newest novel is set in the woods! Immediately got me. And then from there, it was twist after twist. The characters were badasses in their attempts to survive and it was constant action. There were no slow moments.

I also liked that the story jumped from perspective to perspective because it made the novel feel more cinematic and rounded. It felt like I could see the whole thing taking form in my head. It especially helped when we started to get more background information about the one MC's past.

The ending was great and was a nice way of ending the story. I will be surprised if there is another one in this series, but I won't be angry with it.

If you love a good YA queer suspense novel, then I really think you should add the first book, THE GIRLS I'VE BEEN, to your TBR!

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284. Swift & Saddled by Lyla Sage--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lyla Sage's series is just such a sweet and pure fun time. I like that the series feels like a low-drama, low-stakes type of romance series and I'm 100% here for it.

SWIFT AND SADDLED was no exception to the cute romance factor that I'm really enjoying from this author. We get some fun chemistry between the two MCs and the build up of sexual tension. Loved the idea that she was the perfect fit for him, even though she just stopped by the town for her new job.

The MMC was a sweetheart who is used to putting everyone first, so it was nice seeing him get some character growth throughout the story.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this one too was that the characters had to work for their relationship. It might have been an insta-attraction story, but it took a bit before they both official fell for each other. We got to know them and the way they are together before anything truly sexual happened. Yes, the tension was there but I liked the boundaries set.

If you're looking for a romance that is just an easy and quick read, you might love this one. It's the kind of romance that will make you feel giddy and will keep you hoping that these two characters give in to their mutual attraction.

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285. The Titan's Bride Vol. 4 by ITKZ--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh, loving the reveal of the major storyline that has been hinted since volume 1! I feel like the next volume is going to be more action filled!

There was some mystery in this and of course, some spicy times. But I like that we're getting more insight into the MC and his love interests' relationship and connection. I'm excited to see what comes next as the mystery unfolds because this volume left me on a cliffhanger.

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286. Earthlings by Sayaka Murata--⭐️⭐️⭐️

What the hell did I just read?

I feel like this book was an interesting and deeply disturbing take on trauma and how it can cause some serious damage. While EARTHLINGS took things to an explosive conclusion, I think it's important to keep note on the traumatic experiences that acted as the base for the destruction of the MC's mental health.

This book is very much not for everyone. Hell, I kind of wish I hadn't read it. Massive trigger warning for readers who can't do books with SA, especially when the survivor is a child and the assault is descriptive. I remember having to pause the audiobook because it was so disturbing and horrific--more than the final acts of the book.

But it wasn't just the traumatic SA of the MC as a child, but it was the verbal and physical abuse from the family, the gaslighting from the sister, the trauma bonding with the cousin that led to an inappropriate relationship, and then the control that was put over the MC even as she gets older.

There is a moment in this book where the MC loses the taste of food in her mouth due to her abuse and the way she gains that sense of taste back was, admittedly, chef's kiss. It was in moments like that where I saw the author's genius. But the rest of the book was a study in "How much can be written to showcase how horrible this MC's childhood was?"

I want to read more by Murata and I probably will, but man, what a hell of a book to start with. EARTHLINGS is a study in trauma and holy hell is it traumatic. Please be incredibly wary before you start reading! Don't go in blind like I did, especially if you have triggers you try to avoid.

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287. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This felt like PRINCESS DIARIES if there was an abundance of swearing and sex positivity.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but it wasn't a sassy teen girl who spoke her mind in such a refreshingly honest way. I wish I had read this as a teenager because I think I would have related a lot to this MC.

McCafferty touched on a lot of the things that teen girls might experience--like friends who might not really be friends, feeling left out even though you're still in the crowd, crushes, feeling the pressure from expectations from those around you (especially parental), having people assume they know who you are, and finally starting to accept yourself and who you are.

I was so surprised by the swearing and laughed my butt off at various points. I was so entertained by this book and how it didn't sugarcoat any of the realities of teenhood. This was a lot of fun and while I don't know if I'll be reading the rest of the series, I recommend SLOPPY FIRSTS (especially if you're a fan of the teenhood-ness of PRINCESS DIARIES)!

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288. Business Casual by B.K. Borison--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

A story without miscommunication and the dreaded third act break up? YES. I was so happy by the time I finished this one! Best one in the series, 100%!

One of my issues that I've had with this series in the past was how the couples ALWAYS had a third act break up, usually led by the miscommunication trope. Every time I picked up one of the earlier books in this series, I did so warily because I knew there would be that break up trope waiting for me. So, of course, I went into BUSINESS CASUAL with that wariness but I was so surprised and I'm so happy that I actually gave this book a shot.

BUSINESS CASUAL was the kind of romance I've been wanting from this series. The couple have great communication, great character growth, a romance that builds up over time, and hilarious moments that had me giggling.

I liked that beyond the romance, there were also complex relationships that the FMC and the MMC had to navigate throughout the book. They each had their own internal battles and I liked that they tackled them alongside their growing romance. The expectations of being a younger sibling and the stresses of being the son of a man who is constantly belittling who you are as a person.

This was just such a breath of fresh air and I enjoyed the heck out of it. I wish I could live in a small town like this one!

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Happy reading!

[doryythebutterfly]

what i did today

(19 November 2024)

physical health

🤍 how to get slim legs on bed routine by gloria song

mental health

🤍 went with my parents to pick up my little brother

catholicism

🤍 studied the Fruit of the Spirit (Galations 5:22-23)

🤍 studied how to love like Jesus (Matthew 5:43, 5:46-48, 9:9)

🤍 prayed the Rosary

reading

🤍 wrote 3 book rapports for school.

🤍 finished 'sleet kitten' by s.j. tilly

➥ i would 100% recommend this book!

🤍 rated 'sleet kitten' on goodreads

🤍 continued to read 'fairydale' by victoria lancet

writing

🤍 edited the prologue of one of my wips, daisy.

self care

🤍 AM skincare and teeth care

🤍 lit my new candle that i bought yesterday for most of the day (it smells so good!)

🤍 took a quick shower

🤍PM skincare and teeth care

🎧 song of the day: queen of the party ~ wendy

📖 verse of the day: Love one another as I have loved you ~ John 15:12 NIV

🏆rating for the day: 7/10