#Rules for Ghosting

[transbookoftheday]

Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore

To save his family's failing funeral home—and his own chance at a queer love story—a reluctant clairvoyant must embrace the gift he long ignored in this poignant and tender debut.

Ezra Friedman sees ghosts, which made growing up in a funeral home complicated. It might have been easier if his grandfather’s ghost didn’t give him scathing looks of disapproval as he went through a second, HRT-induced puberty, or if he didn’t have the pressure of all those relatives—living and dead—judging every choice he makes. It’s no wonder that Ezra runs as far away from the family business as humanly possible.

But when the floor of his dream job drops out from under him and his mother uses the family Passover seder to tell everyone she’s running off with the rabbi’s wife, Ezra finds himself back in the thick of it. With his parents’ marriage imploding and the Friedman Family Memorial Chapel on the brink of financial ruin, Ezra agrees to step into his mother’s shoes and help out . . . which means long days surrounded by ghosts that no one else can see.

And then there’s his unfortunate crush on Jonathan, the handsome funeral home volunteer . . . who just happens to live downstairs from Ezra’s new apartment . . . and the appearance of the ghost of Jonathan’s gone-too-soon husband, Ben, who is breaking every spectral rule that Ezra knows.

Because Ben can speak. He can move. And as Ezra tries to keep his family together and his heart from getting broken, he realizes that there’s more than one way to be haunted—and more than one way to become a ghost.

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: Adult Trans M/M Romance

Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore (Paranormal) The Key by Jo Morgan Sloan (Contemporary) Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander (Contemporary) What it Looks Like by Matthew J. Metzger (Contemporary) Coffee Boy (Contemporary) and Peter Darling (Fantasy) by Austin Chant Bonus: Coming in 2025, check out A Hex for Hunger by Alistair Reeves (Fantasy) and A Gentleman’s…

[jspinkmills]

RULES FOR GHOSTING by Shelly Jay Shore hits all the right notes. Sweet and soulful and sad - but in the best kind of way. This book has so much heart!

[alongwaytostar]

Jonathan and Ezra from the trans Jewish romance Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3.5/5

Book Blurb:

To save his family's failing funeral home—and his own chance at a queer love story—a reluctant clairvoyant must embrace the gift he long ignored in this poignant and tender debut. “Part romance, part ghost story, part Jewish family epic, Rules for Ghosting is a meditation on life, death, and healing that is at turns bitingly funny and deeply moving. Shelly Jay Shore is an immense talent.”—Anita Kelly, author of Love & Other Disasters Ezra Friedman sees ghosts, which made growing up in a funeral home complicated. It might have been easier if his grandfather’s ghost didn’t give him scathing looks of disapproval as he went through a second, HRT-induced puberty, or if he didn’t have the pressure of all those relatives—living and dead—judging every choice he makes. It’s no wonder that Ezra runs as far away from the family business as humanly possible.

But when the floor of his dream job drops out from under him and his mother uses the family Passover seder to tell everyone she’s running off with the rabbi’s wife, Ezra finds himself back in the thick of it. With his parents’ marriage imploding and the Friedman Family Memorial Chapel on the brink of financial ruin, Ezra agrees to step into his mother’s shoes and help out . . . which means long days surrounded by ghosts that no one else can see.

And then there’s his unfortunate crush on Jonathan, the handsome funeral home volunteer . . . who just happens to live downstairs from Ezra’s new apartment . . . and the appearance of the ghost of Jonathan’s gone-too-soon husband, Ben, who is breaking every spectral rule that Ezra knows.

Because Ben can speak. He can move. And as Ezra tries to keep his family together and his heart from getting broken, he realizes that there’s more than one way to be haunted—and more than one way to become a ghost.

Review:

Ezra can see ghosts... and when he starts seeing the ghost of the dead husband of the guy he's currently crushing on while dealing with the financial issues, his family's funeral home business, and family drama... it's definitely going to be a complicated time. This was a really soothing story about a family drama and a trans character who can see ghosts with a touch of romance, healing, and grief. There was so much happening in this book and I did appreciate that the story dealed with love, loss, and family all while discussing Jewish culture. It's a really warm read overall and deals with a lot of heavy topics. It's nice but not exactly what I was expecting and felt a bit slow. However it was an nice read overall and one that I would recommend to others. Ezra is an interesting character and I did enjoy his friend group so much. The romance was very light and the rep was fantastic.

Release Date: August 20,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[libraryleopard]

based on my expert bookseller perusal of upcoming titles i believe a theme in young adult fiction this fall will be "gay guys with magic powers falling for the undead"

[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

[instagram]

I really enjoyed the cosy vibes of this book. The ghosts were benevolent and kind of just there, just chilling. I kind of wish we got more about them, though. More about how Ezra deals with them, what he does for them, why they’re there. It’s kind of this unexplained phenomenon which might work for some but is usually my main problem with magical realism.

Ezra and Jonathan’s romance was really sweet. I loved the slow burn, the way they carefully eased into things rather than tumbling head first. I really adored Jonathan as a character and lowkey think I would have enjoyed this book more from his POV?

I adored so much of the supporting cast and I wish we’d got more with Ezra’s housemates and friends. They all seemed really cool and there was a great opportunity for that found family vibe and I’m sad we didn’t get that. I did love Ezra’s actual family though, and I loved the way the siblings worked together on everything.

The main reason this isn’t rated higher for me is because I just didn’t understand where the main character was coming from, and I think a lot of that has to do with the author telling instead of showing. We’re told he’s feeling all these things but we’re never really shown exactly why (or if we were, I’m lacking empathy and did not notice any of it was that big a deal). The result is a breakdown that felt a bit over the top? He’d had a big, rough day and that would be reason enough for a minor breakdown, to need to be looked after, but it went beyond that and left me feeling a bit confused in all honesty. I also just got tired of how little self-worth the main character had - it went beyond sympathetic and into frustrating for me.

All in all a decent read but some things that could have been done better.

[whatcha-reading-today]

Rules for Ghosting | Shelly Jay Shore

I read this as an ARC provided by NetGalley.

This story focuses on Ezra, a Jewish transman, yoga teacher, dog dad, doula, son helping at the family funeral home, and somehow happens to see the dead. This book is so ridiculously well written and I feel it almost passes into the literary fiction category. Ezra, Aaron, Becca, Jonathan, Ben, and even Sappho the dog (the best dog!), are so well-written, described, to the point where they feel like folx you know.

I do think there's a lot going on in this book and the romance is really on the backburner so I wouldn't read this if you're expecting a relatively straightforward MM romance. A central theme is on grief. How we process grief, respond to it, and death practices...all of it's at the forefront here. And I love this line from the end of the book: Not all grieving has to hurt.

There's a lot of beauty and hope in here and I can't believe this is a debut.

Read in: May 2024

Format: e-book ARC

Favorites 2024

[pridepages]

have you considered Rules for Ghosting???

I just looked this up and it looks awesome! Added to the TBR, thank you for the rec!

[rheadionne]

Check out my review of Rules For Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore 

[buttdumplin]

yeah simon is the one to scare people away when they get too close you, using his size and movement to intimidate, simultaneously shielding you behind him

yeah soap is the one barking loud, creating a spectacle and calling people out, and warning them away

yeah kyle is the one humiliating people, mocking offenders until either their own actions dawn on them or they finally recognize the venom in his eyes

but price is the one that launches into swinging. there is no warning, no hesitation. taking a step, even a single word against you, warrants immediate action in his mind. it's no laughing fucking matter. you are a top fucking prize, his prize, the best the world has to offer. john is rabid in his protection, bearing tooth and boot and claw and fist. there’s no point in talking to him or trying to negotiate, an offense is an offense and he won’t meet it halfway. someone looks at you the wrong way? they won't be able to see out of swollen eyes after headbutts them, crushing their nose. someone whispers something nasty about you? good luck even eating with that jaw wired shut. god forbid someone touches you, the other three boys can barely hold him back. john will break countless bones in every way he knows and beat his knuckles bloody if your smile starts to drop. 

[lgbtqreads]

Happy Jewish American Heritage Month 2024!

Happy Jewish American Heritage Month! As always, we’re celebrating with books! For even more recs, check out previous years’ posts! Middle Grade Just Shy of Ordinary by A.J. Sass Thirteen-year-old Shai is an expert problem-solver. There’s never been something they couldn’t research and figure out on their own. But there’s one thing Shai hasn’t been able to logic their way through: picking at the…

[bet-on-me-13]

Danny is a Fae at Starbucks

So! Danny works by Fae Rules, Names and all, but he has no idea about that because he was forced to run away from Home (and the Ghost portal) before his Ghostly Education could be completed.

He runs to Gotham and eventually gets a job at Starbucks, or some other Cafe.

He has to ask the question "Could I get your name please?" A LOT while working there. And unintentionally steals hundreds of Names by the end of his first day, much less a week or a month into his job.

One day, Constantine visits Gotham for a Meeting with Batman, but by the time he gets to the Meeting Point he has bigger issues to discuss.

"Why the hell does half of your City belong to a Fae Lord?!"

[faiyx]

Obsessed with drawing him in bratty-anime-girl-esque poses and whats so wrong with that 😔😔😔

[faeriekit]

War of Succession: dp x dc

"It's simple, really," the Ghost King smirked, the purple bands around his eyes widening as he narrowed his gaze. "You release me from this circle. I give you a promise to never return, and you get an influential hostage from my side. Easy breezy. Can't get any simpler than that."

Diana, Clark, and Bruce shared a look.

On the one hand, a hostage would be a good way to ensure that the threat to stay away from their dimension would actually stick. This particular Ghost King had been known for sweeping through the whole length and breadth of at least one dimension, and leaving only charred wreckage behind. A fight against him would waste precious time and resources that they should be using to solve the problems of the dimension they were already in—

—And based on Constantine's projections, a fight with this monarch would be a fight they might not even win.

Wonder Woman grimaced. Batman and Superman carefully did not do the same.

Wonder Woman was the only combatant who willingly and purposefully executed the occasional opponent; she was the only one the Ghost King seemed to respect in some manner, even if he occasionally pointed wary red eyes at the Bat behind her. Still, Diana faced him head on, eye to eye.

"No harm will come to your hostage, assuming that they do not challenge us. Leaving our custody would become a declaration of hostilities between us. Do you agree to this contract?"

The Ghost King's fanged smile was bloodthirsty. His smugness was palpable.

"Deal. I swear it on my crown."

There was absolutely something up his sleeve. It was too bad that there was no time for Bruce to decipher his motives.

Diana held her bare hand out, expression grim, back straight. The Ghost King leaned down— his green-tinged face was blank as stone, his black-gloved hand broad and wide.

Wonder Woman was unafraid. She took the hand.

One of the presiding JL Dark members hissed; Diana was fairly sure it was Captain Marvel, given his age—

Green swept through Diana like high tide, like a riptide, like waves buffeting her left and right until water was forced into her lungs and tried to sweep her off her feet.

She held fast. Diana was the child of gods and a Leader of her people. Of course she held fast.

...The waters slowly ebbed. Diana blinked green out of her eyes and saw the Ghost King did the same, wincing and cracking his shoulders the way Batman might after a hard battle.

Zatanna, Captain Marvel, and Constantine eased back on the circle beneath the monarch.

—And then the Ghost King was gone.

No light. No smoke. No sound. Just gone.

"...Uh," said Clark. Bruce swiftly shushed him.

A lime green tear ripped its way open where the circle had been drawn only seconds ago. Diana thought she heard some sort of voice shouting, and then a deeper, thicker voice growl back—

—And a teenager was punted straight into the arms of a baffled Captain Marvel. Billy quickly swerved to catch him safely, just as shocked as the teen in his arms was.

The teenager had the same white hair as the Ghost King, a similar Black jumpsuit that bore the same emblem, the same sharp fangs in his gritted teeth...and a smaller, but identically designed, floating black-iron crown. Was he smaller in frame? Absolutely. Was he also clearly terrified at the realization that he was surrounded by foreign combatants?

His eyes were so wide. So green. So scared.

His form flickered as he tried to disappear from sight. Zatanna's preventative spellwork stopped the invisibility from taking hold— and his panic clearly increased as he tried to scrabble up and over Billy's shoulders.

The Ghost King had thrown them his heir. Diana swallowed. Worse, she feared, there was reason to suspect that doing so was more to his benefit than their own.

A battle for succession was rarely bloodless.

Diana did not look forward to this...aftermath.

[shadow4-1]

I'm just imagining being a double agent sent to infiltrate the 141 and kill Ghost, except you're smarter than all the men who've tried. You know brute force won't get you where you need to be, so instead you pretend to be a sweet little medic who's got a crush on him.

And when he finally takes you to bed, and you've got him underneath you, you pull out a pocket knife and press it to his jugular.

And he just cums. Hard.

He's not phased in the slightest, even when his orgasm finally ends and theres a little blood trickling down his neck. He just chuckles up at you, seemingly taking your confusion for awe.

"Could've just told me yer into that kinky shit, Love."