#american boyfriend: a suburban love story

[dragonladdie]

I literally can't explain it but. These two albums are for the exact same audience of people (emotionally repressed + grew up closeted in a small religious town) just with slightly different music tastes

[cuoredimuschio]

"the greys" - kevin abstract giving me pre-s4 steddie Ideas that i do not need rn....

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Hey, if you're in the mood to give out song/artist recommendations, I was wondering if you have some in the same vein of the TSwift post, but for queer/gay men? Because I know of Lil Nas X (haven't gotten around to listening yet tho) and that's... pretty much it. Any personal favourites?

!!!!!

look I can't tell anyone where to start with Lil Nas X, chase your bliss, but god god god as long as we're talking about him Industry Baby is SO GOOD

if you end up liking Lil Nas X definitely check out his fellow gay rapper Kevin Abstract. the two of them collabed on a song called Tennessee this year, but my personal fave Kevin Abstract is his 2016 album American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story.

Isaac Dunbar is so so talented (and so young???), he actually just released a new EP last month called Beep Beep Repeat but this is off Banish the Banshee from 2022 and one of my most listened to songs of the year

Serpentwithfeet does just the sexiest gay R&B. this is from his 2021 album DEACON but he also has a new album out this year, GRIP, that's so so good.

TO MY KNOWLEDGE Big Freedia still identifies as a gay man who's genderfunky and uses any pronouns; someone please call my ass on that if I'm wrong. she's a pioneer of New Orleans bounce music, a frequent collaborator with other artists, and has been hugely influential on Beyoncé's recent work in addition to her own music; you can hear her all over Renaissance.

also I cannot talk about queer men in music without a shout out to my cowboy king Orville Peck; he's ALSO just dropped a new album, Stampede: Vol. 1, that has a ton of fun collaborations on it; this is from his first album, Pony.

and actually while we're doing gay country I have to throw in iconic drag queen Trixie Mattel. here's a duet cover she did with Orville, they're very fun together.

[sunyatrash]

american boyfriend: a suburban love story by kevin abstract still one of my fav albums

[oysterie]

ohhh american boyfriend: a suburban love story (2016) by kevin abstract we're really in it now......

[inquisitiveheretic]

american boyfriend: a suburban love story by kevin abstract

[hollymbryan]

Blog Tour + #Review: THE SWORD AND THE SOPHOMORE by B.P. Sweany (w/ #giveaway)! #rockstarbooktours

Hello, hello! Welcome to Book-Keeping and my stop on the Rockstar Book Tours blog tour for The Sword and the Sophomore by B.P. Sweany! I've got all the details on this YA Arthurian retelling for you below, along with my review *and* a giveaway, so let's go!

About the Book

title: The Sword and the Sophomore (The American Martyr Trilogy, Book 1) author: B.P. Sweany publisher: Th3rd World Studios release date: 9 July 2024

"Terrifically entertaining! ...a whirlpool of teenage hormones, high-school life and Arthurian magic. Hilarious and engaging!" — Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Outlander series Arlynn Rosemary Banson is an atypical sixteen-year-old—the cool, popular outsider, effortlessly straddling the line between divas and dorks. Her forever young mother, Jennifer, is dedicated to making her life awkward by trying to be her friend. Her father, Alan, is a workaholic history professor who barely acknowledges his family’s existence. Her boyfriend, Benz, the quarterback and homecoming king, has just broken up with her, while her best friend, Joslin, bears reluctant witness to Rosemary’s romantic drama. But nothing prepares any of them for a Welsh foreign exchange student named Emrys Balin. Emrys looks like a teenager, but he seems to act much, much older. Rosemary discovers she is part of the Lust Borne Tide, children born to the royal line of King Uther Pendragon who are imbued with mystical powers after being conceived in lust. Rosemary’s parents are Guinevere and Lancelot, banished by King Arthur to twenty-first century suburban America prior to Rosemary’s birth as punishment for their affair. Rosemary is the third in the Lust Borne line, after King Arthur and his son Mordred, the latter of whom has traveled to the future to continue the line of the Lust Born Tide by retrieving Rosemary and returning her to the late fifth century to conceive a child with her. But Rosemary has other plans—plans that involve training under Emrys and kicking Mordred’s butt, as long as it doesn’t interfere with prom or getting back with her boyfriend Benz. Packed with action, emotion, and humor, The Sword and the Sophomore goes beyond the Camelot you know with an Arthurian tale fit for the modern world. Combining sword fights and epic quests with the real-life teenage issues of fitting in, sexual agency, and profound personal loss; this fresh take on the classic story of what it means to wield Excalibur and all the power it entails will make you rethink the power of legend.

REVIEWS:

"A tongue-in-cheek, self-aware Arthurian fantasy set in a 21st century American suburb that’s anchored by an empathetic, hilarious, whip-smart, fierce teen protagonist. The Sword and the Sophomore almost makes me want to write a young adult novel. Almost.”— Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Red Rising Saga

"Captivating worldbuilding and an irresistible main character. I couldn't put it down."— A.G. Riddle, internationally bestselling author of The Origin Mystery Trilogy and The Lost Colony Trilogy

"What wonderful storytelling, for any age! Loved this book and especially the incredible protagonist—I would have loved to have known her in school! An excellent read!"— Heather Graham, New York Times bestselling author of the Krewe of Hunters series

"Dark forces from an ancient world descend on a high school near you. The Sword and the Sophomore is funny, scary, astute, and up-to-the minute. The pages turn themselves and you'll be cheering the unforgettable heroine on every single one."— Peter Abrahams, New York Times bestselling author of the Edgar Award-winning young adult mystery Reality Check and the Agatha Award-winning Echo Falls series for younger readers

Add to Goodreads: The Sword and the Sophomore (The American Martyr Trilogy, Book 1) Purchase the Book: Books2Read.com | Or purchase via my special link to the Th3rd World Studios store and get 15% off everything in the store!

About the Author

A veteran of the publishing industry, B.P. Sweany has worked with many notable content creators, including Pierce Brown, Dean Koontz, Diana Gabaldon, Alice Walker, and Dolly Parton. The Sword and the Sophomore is the first in a projected trilogy.

Connect with B.P.: Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads

My 5-Star Review

Okay, so admittedly, I didn't know what to expect with this book. It's a debut author and a publisher with whom I wasn't familiar, but I saw the summary and thought it sounded like something I'd like and figured I'd try it out. And let me just say -- are you kidding me?? I was kind of knocked off my socks by just how good this was and how much I loved it! The writing was top-notch and seamless, the action was non-stop, and the characters were amazing. If I hadn't known from the jacket that the author was a man, I would've sworn that it was a woman based on how accurately the main character is drawn. How does this man so easily get into the mind of a 17-year-old girl? I'm not sure, but it's kind of awe-inspiring! I fell in love with every single character, I laughed out loud, I cheered at the sex positivity, and I even bawled, y'all. I was *not* expecting to bawl!

There is so much to love within these pages, and I'm already excited to see what's ahead in book two, while thrilled that book one gave me a complete story. I'm so impressed with this being the author's debut! Granted, he's worked in publishing for some years, but still, what an accomplishment. I love the imagination! If you're at all a fan of Arthurian retellings, you've got to pick this one up! Or if you like YA adventures, stories of high school life, or urban fantasy -- please, please snag this one! I really recommend it and hope that it reaches a lot of readers! I promise you that reluctant readers would love this one, too.

Clearly, I loved this one, and if you end up reading it please do DM me and let me know your thoughts! Thanks so much to the publisher and author for sending me a copy, and to them and Rockstar for having me on the tour. What a blast I had reading this!

Rating: 5 stars!

**I received a copy from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.

About the Giveaway

One (1) lucky winner will receive a finished copy of The Sword and the Sophomore by B.P. Sweany! These are gorgeous books, my friends! This one is US only and ends 23 July, so get your entries in!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

[pinketine]

!!!!! I'm not as well versed in this as I should be, really, but my reccomendations are pretty solid:

IGOR - Tyler, the Creator: OK so this isn't a rap album, as said by Tyler, but it does have a heavy amount of rap within it so. IGOR is a narrative album following a love triangle between Tyler's character, Igor, his best friend and said best friend's ex girlfriend. It's so good and gets better with every relisten. His style for the era is incredibly iconic with the block coloured suits and blond wig, and it has one of my favourite music videos ever.

Flower Boy - Tyler, the Creator: This one came as a shock to many fans of his, lol. Flower Boy is a pretty introspective and personal album where one of the most reflected on topics is his sexuality in songs like Garden Shed. It's honest and melancholy, but also has some sweet, uplifting tracks. Less narrative than the typical Tyler album, but the songs are still linked together which I think is neat. I think it's a perfect album to chill to in the summer.

Extra Tyler songs: BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND (sooo good for a song that was a scrapped demo)

channel ORANGE - Frank Ocean: How could I not. I've already reblogged his culture changing coming out post earlier today, so I gotta give a shoutout to this album as well. While not as explicitly queer as his third album, Bad Religion hits that angst just right. The songs are sooo chill.

Blonde/Blond - Frank Ocean: HOW COULD I NOT. This is my favourite album of all time, and it's always a perfect hour for me. I just. I think I've talked about this album enough times for people to get how fucking deeply I feel for it. So good.

Extra Frank Ocean songs: Chanel (I love love love the opening line)

American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story - Kevin Abstract: This is a very explicitly queer album, which tackles homophobia in a really blatant manner. The narrative does end happily tho, I think the final song is very cathartic to listen to. My favourite is American Boyfriend, though.

(Side note: Kevin was also part of the boy band BROCKHAMPTON, where he also talked about being gay a lot. However, my favourite queer song from the group, SUMMER, wasn't written by him)

Ego Death - The Internet: This is an alt rnb band! They're a splinter off the rap group Odd Future, which had Tyler and Frank, but also Syd tha Kid, who becomes one of the lead singers for the band along with Steve Lacy. Since Syd is a lesbian, a few of the songs talk about her relationships with women. Her voice is sooo gorgeous and I should listen to her more. I assume this is the same for the rest of their discography.

Gemini Rights - Steve Lacy: I feel a bit mean for reccomending this one since it's a break up album he made after breaking up with his boyfriend, but it is queer. The songs are catchy and his voice is as good as always. My favourite on this one I think is Mercury.

Extra Steve Lacy songs: Like Me (long but it is good)

Honourable mentions: Lil Nas X (how could I not mention him.), Lil Uzi Vert (GNC and uses they/them pronouns, which threw so many rap fans for a loop. Also produced one of my favourite tweets of all time), Megan thee Stallion (has talked about attraction to women. Also I owe her my life.), Janelle Monáe (am planning on listening to them, I've heard sooo many good things), 070 Shake (improved every Kanye song she was in)

There are so many more but shoutout these guys fr.

Is it too much to ask that tumblr gives queer hip hop a chance this pride month.

[emryedits]

so aware of the fact that i will never in this lifetime get the chance to be with you

[thewhitemanzwh0re]

Kevin Abstract, American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story: American Boyfriend (feat. bearface)

you’re my american boyfriend

[thesingalongsong]

“I hate my yearbook photo

I hate my passport

I hate my last name

I hate everything it stands for

I should probably fucking transfer

Blue and brown JanSport

Tired of public transport

I never went to prom

Now I'm stuck on the dance floor

Just holdin' your hand,”

[moikapy]

Now playing on NodeGG's Vibe List: "Empty" by Kevin Abstract

[nicealbumcovers]

American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story by Kevin Abstract

[the-endless-mixtape]

Kevin Abstract//Empty

And I'll be Right outside your front door on my 12 speed I got your emotions tattooed on my sleeve I think about you all the time I've waited for you all my life I need you right here by my side

[alonelystarxo]

today imma be whoever i wanna be

[jeep-armitage]

american boyfriend // kevin abstract