#icebreaker (the gay hockey one)

[oleslu]

5, 15 and 22 for the asks:)

5. What is your favourite music?

I find myself enjoying new wave, post-punk music a lot! The cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Depeche mode, the smiths etc. Outside of that Conan Gray is def my #1 artist, and I listen a lot to Bowie, Hozier, Melanie Martinez and Ghost! Taylor and Lana too ofc

15. What are your top three favourite books and why?

Pride and prejudice, I don't really know how to explain why but I think Darcy is enough of a reason! The book was also very interesting and it completes that beautiful movie well!

Mo dao zu shi, I know it is now out in multiple books but mo dao is actually one big book that is very long. Mdzs has been a big part of my life even before the marauders, I've been in the fandom since 2017 and it just has a big place in my heart. The whole story is just so beautifully written and there are no flaws in the plot at all, I've read the book multiple times and watched the Donghua and the live action at least 10 times too!! Wangxian just has that effect, my OTP really

The third book would be the second book of acotar, acomaf. I know that series got mixed reviews but honestly Im easy to please and hot fictional characters get me, Rhysand got me blushing and kicking my feet, and Feyre too. I just love the second one because it's when things really get interesting!

22. If you could witness any event of the past, present or future, what would it be?

Big broad question I had to think a lot about, I would love to go see a Bowie show in the past, I'm really disappointed I will never see him so definitely that. I would also like to go to my childhood to see events that happened since I have almost no memory of it and seeing my grandpa again would be very dear to me.

[vyrsgore]

the hockey team

don’t embarrass me motherpucker! | the hockey team | scaramouche x reader smau/ ff taglist is still open

the hockey team

Scaramouche: Inazuma Icebreaker’s temperamental captain/ center and son of famed CEO of Shogun, the top sports technology company in Teyvat. His mother, Raiden constantly pressures him to become the best hockey player in Inazuma, which is a factor of his pissy personality. Despite his standoffish personality, he’s known as the heartthrob of the school, constantly hounded by his many admirers as he walks through the university hallways. Goes by his nickname Scaramouche, real name Kunizukushi. sexuality: bisexual/pansexual

Childe: Inazuma Icebreaker’s left winger, and Scaramouche’s “best friend” or so he declares. He’s been in school with Scaramouche every since elementary school, back when he was still Kunizukushi. He’s an aggressive player on the rink but honestly a sweetie off the rink. He’s kind and courteous (much unlike a certain SOMEONE), and is rather easy to make friends with. sexuality: gay

Kaeya: Inazuma Icebreaker’s flirty right winger and Childe’s current boyfriend. He’s the adopted son of the Ragnvindr family, and currently on bad terms with his brother, Diluc, who is the student council president. He’s a bit of a troublemaker and constantly gets told off by his older brother. sexuality: gay

Kazuha: Inazuma Icebreaker’s goaltender. He’s currently taking a medical course outside of school and hardly shows up to trainings, much to Heizou, his best friend’s, protest. In addition, he’s also still searching for his older brother, who went missing 7 years ago. He’s a key member of the team, almost like a mom taking care of her baby chicks. Many of these moments go viral. sexuality: ????

Itto: Inazuma Icebreaker’s key defenseman. No one gets past Itto’s iron grip, or hug, as the team calls it. Currently, he’s using a nokia due to accidentally smashing his samsung out of excitement (he thinks that apples are evil since he hates the taste of apples) He’s one of the strongest member of the team (physically) but he’s a huge softie at heart. He’s very millenial in the way he texts (he still uses laughing my ass off! and shit give him a break). He’s also got the highest penalty count considering his temper during games where he’ll toss his hockey stick at people (he actually was just saying hello, he swears) sexuality: notusingaappleiphonesexual

Heizou: Inazuma Icebreaker’s second defenseman. He’s not exactly as physically as strong, but he’s definetly smarter- like ten times. He knows y/n pretty well since they were in the same class in high school. He’s a silly little guy who likes to play pranks and thinks that he’s sherlock holmes, and also Kazuha’s best friend. sexuality: bisexual

Xiao: Inazuma Icebreaker’s second emo boy and left winger. The adopted son of professor Zhongli, he’s a lot more courteous and polite than the OTHER emo boy, although he’s a lot quieter. He’s not that close with anyone but Aether, thus sparking many dating rumors among the countless Ina Ice fans. Among one of the best on an already excellent team, he excels in stretching the defense of the other team. Also overly protective of Aether. sexuality: asexual

Aether: Inazuma Icebreaker’s right winger. He’s known for his ‘main character’ energy during games and interviews, and his sync with Xiao on ice and off too. He’s Lumine’s twin brother (he swears he’s a second or two older) and they’re practicallu inseperable. He’s good friends with y/n and usually hangs out with them and their friend group. sexuality: bisexual

Jean: Inazuma Icebreaker’s strict coach. She’s like the tiger mom/ Asian mom of the group, constantly trying to get them to get their shit together although secretly she’s very proud of them. She’s also Lisa, Y/N’s coach’s mortal enemy. Note to self- NEVER put them in the same room. Their form of aggression is passive but that somehow makes it even worse than them just flat-out punching each other.

Author note:

farted this one out my ass <33 y/n and friends coming up next! i envision y/n as a more feminine masc (like cherry from cherry crush but it's up to u!)

also i made a mistake for the ina ice official account! it's 9.8 M not 9.8 lmao Taglist

@scarasbaby@3lectraheart@realscarafan01@sunny-star-space@sleepdeprivedline@keirinrin@skyoverkill1@serossidechick@vxcmx@scaraenthusiast1@hotgirlshit5@moesthoughts@notasunshyne

[vibin-down-here]

1: Icebreaker

i was honestly so giddy for these boys, and the character of their banter slowly changing was honestly perfect. but the overwhelming feeling i’m left with is a sense that something is missing. them not getting to be official feels so empty bc their public perception and their reaction to it was such a huge point of joy, and his dad did not deserve redemption in 50 pages. made Bailey seem almost complicit in parental abuse / gaslighting. i felt more dread at the dwindling page count than i did catharsis, and that hurts.

also, fun fact: this book is not to be confused with the very straight romance Icebreaker my sister read last summer, that i had right next to it on the shelf.

Summer Reading Masterpost:

bc i bought 4 gay romances and the combined works of Jane Austen and i gotta let that out somewhere.

[starscelly]

What are your most important hockey movies? (Or media in general) I am trying to watch more stuff that is out of my known bubble. Thanks

i fear i'm Pretty Basic when it comes to general hockey media but 1000000% recommend watching and reading "the russian five"!!!! i held out on doing it for so long bc i knew it would drive me insane and i was Right. so goooood. the editing of it is also really engaging and fun off the bat if ur someone who normally doesn't get caught up in like. Doc Style Things (me)

i think "red army" is also a good companion watch for after that!!! for more of a view of What russian hockey was like at the time

(i have reading "larionov" and watching "cold war on ice" and "ice-breaker: the 72 summit series" on my List for other possible good companions if ur interested in the soviet hockey of it all but i havent gotten to those yet so can't Personally Vouch)

also ik ur a stars fan but if u have never seen it.... come weep at the dallas stars "we're not going home" (2020) bubble cup run youtube unlisted doc with me.... please... my most important hockey media

"untold: crimes and penalties" is a fun doc on netflix abt a minor league team that was a. very violent b. owned by someone who's first line in their wikipedia says he is a convicted felon and associate of a crime family. but ran by his son! who was clueless in every way! pretty interesting

and then a bit more of a time commitment than the others because its a whole Show but. junior league is a russian drama that follows a team with a new coach trying to make the junior league so they can keep playing as like a career and all their interpersonal Dramas and Romance but Also Hockey As Well. There's 6 seasons but not all of it is available in english (yet! hopefully) .... use the link if inch rested its the only english version beyond early 1st season but keep it Hush Hush as the last channel that was uploading them like a year ago got taken down dlkfjsdl

i'm also assuming you've seen/know of shoresy but if u have not. that's less of a time commitment bc its newer and also a jared keeso show so. Shorter Episodes By A Lot. funny! silly! underdogs!!!!

and then if u enjoy Romance i did rlly like "the cutting edge" (even tho there's not. much hockey if we're being real) and the book "icebreaker" BY A.L. GRAZIADEI. THE GAY ONE. not the Other One.

and i think that's all i got in me??? i hope this helped!!! i feel like i'm definitely forgetting some but. if anyone else has any other recommendations or further Thoughts please feel free to add to this/reply with them!!!!! <3

[wehaveagathering]

oops!all grav snarky thoughts

i bring a “you are writing rpf with the names changed” to the m/m hockey fiction that m/m hockey fiction authors don’t really like

like the thing is a lot of it is obviously not rpf with the names changed, undoubtedly.. probably 92% of what i’ve read has just been straight up horny hockey yaoi, which is great, which will earn you god’s favor and send you on the path to heaven. and a few outstanding ones have been very beautifully crafted and written with a great deal of love and attention to the characters and sport (im looking at you, icebreaker by a. l. graziadei, the only good hockey romance called icebreaker out there, and it’s not even particularly horny). but if you ARE gonna write rpf… just write rpf!! ao3 is right there. you can even post it anonymously if you choose to do so. but don’t just change some names and hit the publish button. like anyone involved in gay hockey fandom is gonna spot you from a mile away. bread in the bakery and all that.

mostly i just don’t think you’ve earned the right to make a judgement call on in-universe quote unquote “puck bunny tumblrs” when you are most certainly writing tk/nolpat with the names changed

…

personal notes: i guess part of my annoyance is that i miss writing fic, and since this is my primary fandom and i don’t wanna get back into rpf and have precious few ideas for actual creative fiction, my outlet is this, which is not satisfactory. anyway might fuck around and start posting a series about my oc’s to ao3 this summer just to get it off my chest without having to dip my feet back into the kool aid of rpf

mixing my metaphors like a cocktail and im a bartender

[pagesofkenna]

Book asks! 3, 4, 22?

Book asks!! ty and if anyone wants to send me more...

3: What were your top five books of the year?

Difficult to narrow down - I read some read duds this year, but I also read some great books. In the order in which I read them:

The Rest of Us Just Live Here (Patrick Ness). Saw the cover at the library years ago, knew immediately I needed to read it, and I chanced upon this copy at a book giveaway, and I was not disappointed. It's a generic heroic YA fantasy... but it's about the normal kids living in this town where the generic heroic YA fantasy takes place. The fantasy novel is literally happening in the background and it's so well done.

Legends and Lattes (Travis Baldree). Read this mostly to get inspo for my own D&D-inspired novel, and it's really solid and a fun read! Ex-adventurer decides to settle down and open a coffee shop. Love me a cozy take on a fantasy adventure setting.

The Girl and the Ghost (Hanna Alkaf). My middle-grade pick for this year. Girl inherits a pet evil spirit from her witch grandmother; half the story is from the ghost's POV, and half from the girl's. Really good exploration of relationships and friendships and how we harm the people we love.

Icebreaker (A L Graziadei). One of those queer YA novels I read within 24 hours lmao. It's a gay college hockey story, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover it's also mainly a mental health journey.

Bear Town (Fredrick Backman). The other hockey book I read this year lol, what a book. Something awful happens in this small lake town at the edge of the forest in rural Sweden, and over the course of the novel the author unpacks with careful precision everything that leads up to and falls out from this awful thing. I borrowed this from the library and then bought it to own afterwards bc I loved it so much.

4: Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

Fredrick Backman was someone people have been telling me to read for years and I finally get why. I picked up Anxious People after reading Bear Town and loved it as much if not more.

In that same vein, Patrick Ness is someone I knew was a good author, but 'The Rest of Us' was not what I expected from him, and I realized he was a much better author than I realized. I also read A Monster Calls later this year, which is what he's most famous for, and that was also not what I expected it to be, so I'll have to check more of his out.

22 What’s the longest book you read?

Single volume pagecount, The Starless Crown by James Rollins. The worldbuilding here was really cool, and I think I liked the writing (I read it back in June), but my main memory is... there are twothree big elements in this fantasy/scifi story that match up with a scifi/fantasy story I was writing for NaNoWriMo one year?? It's truly so surreal to see someone else's take on a convoluted premise you also thought up.

Also honorable mention to Scum Villain's Self-Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. I tend not to count series in my book counts (I only mark the first book on Goodreads when I read it), instead 'tracking' them as one title. Given that this was four volumes of at least 300 pages each, I think this is the longest (multivolume) title I read this year.

[justanothergreb]

Icebreaker Review (or how Jackz wonders if some authors actually do research anymore)

Content warning - maybe some potential spoilers, but also talk of sex, namely the ridiculous sex in this book. Also this is all just my opinion, you can differ but no need to get nasty because I didn’t like the book.

Oh my god a book review! Well a review of a book so bad it needed a post. I’m really starting to believe that Booktok, while doing great things for getting people into reading, is a bloody menace for making terrible books popular. Spoiler - Icebreaker by Hannah Grace is one of the worst books I’ve ever read. 

It’s long so it’s going behind a cut...

Romance is not normally a genre I venture in to (unless it’s the Jane Austen-kind or Kate Cann-type books) but this book seemed like it would appeal to me. Ice skating - yes please. Ice hockey - yes please. People raving about the x-rated content - yes please indeed. My god was I reminded why I avoid this genre.

Let’s start off with the characters. Anastasia is so irritating. She’s whiny, she’s judgemental and just not likeable at all. Nathan is a wet blanket with a big dick. I’m sure some would be very excited by how much of a prince charming character he comes across but he’s so bland. Aaron was an attempt at the only child trope (a trope I as an only child despise) but was just a thoroughly vile character. Henry was blatantly written by a British person as he came across so thoroughly British in his nature I forgot he was American. I also lost track of when we discover JJ is gay and how many times Robbie is spoken about like he is able-bodied when he’s in a wheelchair. Far too many side characters for me which just burred into one mess of a cast. 

Now the setting and some of the plot points. I’m all for suspension of disbelief but do we really think a college in Los Angeles would be seemingly specialising in winter sports? Also the way most US sports work you are drafted into a team AFTER you graduate so how was Nathan already signed to a team? What was the purpose Nathan’s dad? Was he there just to be a pointless dick? Why all the side characters? Can you just swap from being a pairs skater to a solo skater? All the skaters I know went solo to pairs but never the other way round. 

Now the writing. It bothered me from the out because I could pick up this was written by someone not American. Too many phrases and ways of saying things which were so obviously British it drove me nuts. Was I shocked that the author made a joke about it in her little “About Me” bit? Nope, more shocked that her editors hadn’t pointed out just how blatant it was in places. If you’re going to write a book, at least also do some proper research on how things work in other countries. I’ve never heard an American student call it “a lecture” but that’s what college classes were referred to in this. The not understanding the basics of how the drafting systems work in sport. It might seem trivial but for me, it really bothers me when writers don’t make the effort for things to at least reflect the setting of their book. 

On the subject of things not being reflective of real life...that Uber scene. Sorry how was any of that plausible? A car with seven people including a wheelchair user (who from my imagination/understanding of the car layout would surely be in the position Nate/Stas are in??) and no one notices what you’re up to? Are they asleep? Ignorant? 

In fact this was one of my biggest problems with the book - the sex scenes. They were ridiculous. It was like reading instructions for porn scenes. I often wonder if authors who decide to make their male characters well endowed actually have experienced this themselves because if they had, they’d know that a lot of the stuff they write is nonsense. Painful, not comfortable, nonsense. I’m all for a bit of some of things going on in this but it was borderline ridiculous how much these two were at it and in the positions they were supposedly in. Athletes or not, I just wasn’t buying it. I often find first person sex scenes a bit cringe and these had me cringing. A lot. 

But my biggest problem - how was this over 400 pages? Nothing happened. It dragged on and on and on and it felt like absolutely nothing happened. 

This took me nearly a month to read. Eurgh. 

[ya-boi-river]

GET TO KNOW ME !!!

seeing as this is a new account I've decided to do some "icebreakers" because, if I'm being honest, i have nothing better to do

1. if you could have an endless supply of any food, what would you get?

hash browns as there the most versatile food and can be bought almost anywhere

2. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

I feel like I'm supposed to say an animal such as a wolf but i would 100 percent be a red panda because they can not be threatening to save there life

3. What is one goal you’d like to accomplish during your lifetime?

ideally I would like to work in Australia zoo so I can help with the conservation of native species

what is you favourite part of your university course

at the moment I'm about to start semester two of my foundation course. during the first semester I enjoyed biology even though it was tough at first as I had not done biology since my first year of animal management (which was two years ago)

in semester two I'm looking forward to doing "environmental science" as it sounds like we would be learning similar content to when I was in collage. that and the other option is chemistry and I don't actually think i passed chemistry at a GCSE level never mind at a degree level

Who is your hero? (a parent, a celebrity, an influential person in one’s life)

my cousin due to her resilience in her role of being a carer for 4 members of my family, all of which live in the same house as her and her boyfriend

If I could be anybody besides myself, I would be…

because who wouldn't want to be both doctor who and Crowley

What’s your favourite thing to do in the summer?

go to Blackpool with the ENTIRE half of my family on my dads side despite the trip done being loud, stressful and at least one argument starting

What’s your favourite cartoon character, and why?

Spiderman. because its Spiderman

 If you could visit any place in the world, where would you choose to go and why

Canada because I want to go and watch the Toronto maple leaves play hockey

What’s the ideal dream job for you?

head keeper at Australia zoo

Are you a morning or night person?

night. I get most of my work done in the late hours of the night because I struggle to fall asleep

What are your favourite hobbies?

playing D&D with my group ("the gay fire club" which should tell you a lot about me and my mates) and that's it because the rest of my time is spent doing work for uni

If you had to describe yourself using three words, it would be…

passionate

determined

emotional

If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romantic-comedy, action film, or science fiction?

science fiction as I spend a lot of my time in a lab

If I could be anybody besides myself, I would be…

[ourravenboys]

a mostly queer list of 2022 book releases that im excited for

kiss & tell by adib khorram

about the openly gay member of a hit boy band navigating fame, breakups, and being a queer role model

icebreaker by a.l. graziadei

about two rival hockey players battling to be the top draft pick & maybe falling in love

(im currently reading the ARC of this book and really enjoying it!)

love somebody by rachel roasek

a rom-com about a popular high-school girl, her ex-boyfriend-turned-best-friend, and the girl they both fall for

portrait of a thief by grace d. li

a heist novel that follows chinese-americans stealing back looted art. about diaspora, unlikely friendships, the colonization of art, and the complexity of identity

 we deserve monuments by jas hammonds 

a biracial teen moves to small-town Georgia to live with her estranged grandmother and becomes entangled in a web of family secrets, the town's racist history, and her growing feelings for the girl next door

she gets the girl by rachael lippincott & alyson derrick  two college freshmen set out to help each other get the girl of their dreams. but as they work together, they begin to fall for each other. also the authors are a married couple 💖💗💘💗💖💖💗 dauntless by elisa a. bonnin

in this sapphic, philipines-inspired fantasy, a teenage girl must bring together two broken worlds to save her nation

only a monster by vanessa len

in this urban fantasy, there are monstrous families that have powers gained by stealing life from humans. joan is half-monster, and when the boy she loves turns out to be a monster slayer, she is forced to go on the run with the heir to a monster family that hates her own

flip the script by lyla lee

about a bi girl starring in a kdrama and falling for her on-screen rival!! 

twice as perfect by louisa onomé

a nigerian-canadian girl deals with her estranged brother and the planning for her cousin's Crazy Rich Asians-style Nigerian wedding

one for all by lillie lainoff

a gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love

hell followed with us by andrew joseph white

post-apocalyptic horror about a trans boy escaping from the cult that unleashed Armageddon and teams up with a queer youth centre fighting for survival

gloria buenrostro is not my girlfriend by brandon hoàng

about a Vietnamese American boy who befriends the most beautiful girl in school to gain acceptance from his peers. when she finds out, he’s forced to confront how he's allowed his friends' toxic masculinity sabotage the best friendship he's ever had

boys i know by anna gracia

a high school senior navigates messy boys and messier relationships in this look into the overlap of asian american identity and teen sexuality

the loophole by naz kutub

follows a queer Indian-Muslim boy travelling the world for a second chance at love after a magical heiress grants him three wishes

home field advantage by dahlia adler

sapphic romance between the school’s newest quarterback and the aspiring captain of the cheerleading squad

ophelia after all by racquel marie

follows a biracial, self described “boy crazy” teenage girl who starts to question her sexuality during prom season

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I’ve read so far in 2022!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

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187. Perfect World Vol. 11 by Rie Aruga--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh, my heart. I want nothing but the best for these two after having endured so much hardship and prejudice. One of the things I love about this manga is that it didn't just end where most mangas end. It continues after that marriage scene to give us an idea of the reality of what it might be like to want to create a family when one member is in a wheelchair. I have the next volume but I'm sad to see this wonderful story come to an end! This volume, however, had some incredibly adorable little guest stars.

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188. Living-Room Matsunaga-san Vol.10 by Keiko Iwashita--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm giving this book five stars because it made me feel so many emotions. I found this volume a little bittersweet because of that cliffhanger and because I know that the next volume is the final one. I wonder how things will be tied up and if the important stuff gets resolved. I do wish there was a different conclusion than the one I know is coming, but the main couple is on the cover so there isn't much that can be done. I think, also, this volume really showed the female MC's age and how their age gap can be a downfall for them. She wants her love interest to succeed, but with the naive notion that her needs can be put aside for his work. And he is understandably busy, but I wanted to shake him every time something new came up. I'm both excited and wary of the next volume, but here's hoping! *crosses fingers*

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189. Never Coming Home by Kate Williams--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I came across this book while at work and I was immediately intrigued both by the cover and the synopsis. While it wasn't the best thing I've ever read, it was quick and very enjoyable. I now have another thriller to recommend to the readers who come into the YA section of our store! Know that this is definitely a darker YA thriller because of how descriptive/gruesome some of the deaths are. As I am typing this, I am thinking of one of the deaths and how vivid it is in my mind. One could also say, however, that some of these deaths might be justified because of why the characters are on this island. It definitely was one of those, "Hm, who will die next?" books. One of my main complaints was the amount of characters there were. My friend said it helped him to have the follower count at the beginning of the book (which, yes, there was a list of the characters and their professions/follower counts!), but I was listening to the audiobook so it took me a bit to remember who was who. Another complaint is how the first death was treated in such a blasé manner. It was jarring how the rest of the characters were like, "oh they're dead". LOL. it was a little funny how cold they were about it, but also somewhat unbelievable. Unless that was the point: showcasing how cold these teens are because of their lack of a reaction with the first death. I will say, however, that this book read VERY quick. The curiosity of who will go next and who is behind all of this definitely helped the story go by incredibly quickly. I'd recommend this for the YA or adult thriller reader who needs a quick summer read. If you want a book that will keep you on your toes, this might be the one for you!

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190. Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved LOVED this book. It featured a few things I love: 1. It was a hockey romance that is more of a NA read. It is set in the first year of college and alludes to spicy times without being too descriptive (if you don't like seeing overly descriptive sexual situations, this might be more your scene.) All of the characters are adults--just on the younger spectrum of adulthood. 2. Gay romance between two hockey rivals (brings to mind the college hockey romances I love so much) 3. Fantastic character development. 4. Diverse characters and the topics of diversity in hockey. 5. The discussion of LGBTQ+ representation in sports like hockey. 6. Depression and how it may present differently in others. The importance of seeking help, knowing that mental health does not discriminate, and the idea of how some people are silently crying out for help and hoping that someone will notice. 7. Parental pressures we sometimes feel and how damaging it can be to parent/child relationships. I loved this book and I think if you like seeing any of the above points in your books, then you definitely need to pick this one up!

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191. Blood On the Tracks Vol. 9 by Shuzo Oshimi--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This series continues to be twisted and weird. This was an interesting volume because the young mc is finally given the go-ahead to acknowledge his own autonomy--especially because we get even more insight into how dangerous his relationship with his mother is. What I'm a little wary of is how long this series is shaping up to be. I'm wondering how much wilder the series will get now that certain events have happened! Also, this volume and one a few volumes back touched on the sexuality of younger boys and that was pretty uncomfortable to see, so remember that this book can be A lot™️.

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192. The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I won't lie--I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this audiobook. Another plus on the side of "not reading a synopsis before starting the book" because I enjoyed realizing where the story was going. One of my favourite things about this book was how relatable it was when it comes to the Spanish phrases used (I used to hear those phrases growing up). Another favourite thing was the open-ended ending because it leaves everything up to the imagination (although I wouldn't be too upset if a sequel came out!) Books like this one, in my opinion, can be important for younger readers to read because it deals with grief, the environment, culture, and growing up in general. The MC goes through an incredibly traumatizing experience even after already losing someone so important to her and watching her rise above it all despite her grief will hopefully be inspiring. Also, that reveal near the end. Oof. I'd recommend this to any reader who wants a sci-fi read with some creepy adversaries and the dangers we might face when humans are essentially pushed in a survivors' corner.

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Have you read any of these? Would you recommend them?

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Happy reading!

[souliloquyyy]

So I finally read Icebreaker (the gay hockey book) and I have mixed feelings about the ending.

On one hand, I like that it ended that way.

On the other hand, I am,, f u r i o u s.

[caswlw]

ur icebreaker post said u had some ya book recs 👉👈 pls share I’m begging

ah yes !!! so i’m unsure of what ur preferred genres/tropes are so here’s some recs that are assuming u liked icebreaker lol i hope they fit !

omg check, please! by ngozi ukazu: it’s a (graphic novel) rec Easily given considering it’s also gay college hockey and id assume a lot of ppl who read icebreaker have already read check please- but if Miraculously u haven’t- it’s so good! it can be read as a comic online but the physical volumes have some extras worth seeing too imo. i also think that mickey and jaysen so closely resemble a certain 2 characters (not the MCS tho) from it that if u want similar content to icebreaker there’s them! and they share many other topics, like coming out, having a secret relationship for [blank] reasons, familial issues, going to the nhl, and mental health, so if u want a book that is closest to icebreaker then this one is ur best bet

darius the great duology by adib khorram: despite being about a teenage boy visiting family in iran (at least in the first one) and not at all about college hockey, these books are also good in that they have similar content ! i think it does a great job of diving into the MC’s mental health (and similarly how that affects the ppl around him) and the familial content and general disconnect (for a different reason here than in icebreaker) from them are also great! i wouldn’t rec this as romance even tho the MC is also gay just bc that aspect of his character is much more heavily explored in the second book! it’s sadder than icebreaker and again isn’t about hockey (tho soccer is pretty important) but omgcp is the happiest of these so far so it balances out

the field guide to the north american teenager by ben philippe: this is just a normal coming of age story for a teenage boy who moves to texas from canada. honestly had i not fallen for the cover on a random target run i probably wouldn’t have bought and read this but MAN was it worth it !! i love the narration and the MC is a Little annoying but it’s a story about Growth ! and since i was moving to TX soon myself when i read it i felt less alone in my situation too <3 but yeah i have a list of books i file under dude lit (i would probably help define this better in a post on it’s own) which i feel like if u liked how mickey was written this might also be your jam! not a book w a whole lot of romance to follow through tho jsyk

the henna wars by adiba jaigirdar: a book w a non male MC !! just bc most of my “similar to icebreaker” books are about men and i can’t handle sending out recs like that. anyway tho this standalone is about a girl in high school who has a business project and ends up being a rival to a different classmate who essentially chose the same concept for her project. if the rivalry (if u want to call it that) from icebreaker is what pulled you in, then this is your book! it’s wlw and the girls also have a similar plot involving coming out to school + family and keeping up w each other academically/in this project. plus! the MCs have a similar “we come from different worlds” aspect like mickey and jaysen !! if u want more wlw recs too i have a few they just aren’t similar enough to icebreaker for me to have them here lol (also def recommend hani and ishu’s guide to fake dating- which is also a wlw ya novel by jaigirdar)

the darkness outside us by eliot schrefer: now this. this book is Insane. legitimately i bought it off amazon bc i thought the synopsis was good and i was looking for a happy ending in a standalone sci-fi book and this ended up being So Much more. i don’t want to explain too much of the plot as it’s best experienced read w no major info going in, but essentially these two guys are on a spaceship and they have a mission to rescue someone! its marketed as a love story- which it most certainly has (and the relationship btw the MCs reminds me of icebreaker’s like. we are and aren’t rivals bc we’re on the same mission/team- but also in another way we Are bc xyz)- BUT the thing about this book is that it’s So Much More than just gay ppl in space and it genuinely took me on so many rushes of that feeling omg what will happen next that i cannot help but recommend it on this list of ya contemporary books lmao

general recs i always have tho include dread nation by justina ireland, the warcross duology by marie lu, the scythe trilogy by neal shusterman, and ace of spades by faridah àbíké-íyímídé (def my favorite book published in 2021 that i read- tho if ur interested be sure to look up the list of TWs beforehand bc it’s Heavy.) honorable mention to the vicious duology by v.e. schwab bc i wouldn’t say it’s YA. i have to read more of my book list to give more recs that aren’t just a very similar list lol but if u want a better full description/review of any of these just lmk 🤩

[emberphantom]

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Tag 9 people you want to get to know better!

favorite color: Purple. like that’s my color. I own it. but also I fw with Green a lot-specifically the Stars’ Victory Green and Skyline Green. 

currently reading: Song of Achilles is sitting on my nightstand with a bookmark a quarter of the way through it mocking me. I haven’t picked it up in months though. Last book I actively read i finished at the end of January--Icebreaker. It’s a gay hockey YA novel and it was *chef’s kiss* 

last song: Had Encanto on in the background when I was working on stuff yesterday. 

last series: I’ve been binging old and new US Whose Line is it Anyway? ever since I found out the older one was on HBOmax. It’s free serotonin.  

sweet, savory or spicy: Savory and Spicy all the way. I’m diabetic so I really don’t fw sweet stuff moreso bc a lot of stuff is too sweet for me just like taste wise, not bc I can’t eat it. I’ve never been a fan of sweets though--all my favorite candy is sour candy. 

currently working on: Trying to finish my Noob Saibot cosplay for a con in two weeks and we’re all fine here, how are you? 

Tagging lol definitely not 9 people but literally whoever wants to do this pls.  @seventhstrife @lilaviolet @officialbillhader + other beloved mutuals you know who you are.