#nate plus one

[slaughter-books]

Day 12: JOMPBPC: Books And Candles

[good-books-to-read]

Travel Destination: South Africa

Deadlands by Lily Herne

Welcome to the Deadlands, where life is a lottery. Since the apocalypse, Cape Town's suburbs have become zombie-infested, human survivors are protected from the living dead by sinister, shrouded figures - the Guardians. In return, five teenagers are 'chosen' and handed over to them for a mysterious purpose: this year, Lele de la Fontein's name is picked. But Lele will not stick around and face whatever shady fate the Guardians have in store for her. She escapes, willing to take her chances in the Deadlands. Alone, exiled and unable to return home, she runs into a misfit gang of renegade teens.

Crooks & Straights by Masha du Toit

Gia's brother Nico is different from other boys. And being different can be dangerous in Gia's world. Cape Town is no longer the haven for magical refugees that it once was. The Purists want to get rid of all magic and the newspapers are full of dreadful stories about the Belle Gente, the magical terrorists.

None of this concerns Gia, until the Special Branch Police who investigate the illegal use of magic come knocking at her door, looking for Nico. When Gia turns to her parents for help, she finds only more secrets. Then she realises that she was the one who put her brother in danger.

Nate plus One by Kevin van Whye

Boy plus boy. Two weeks in Johannesburg. A summer of music, adventure, self-discovery . . . and definitely not love. What could go wrong?

Nate needs a date to his cousin’s wedding. Jai is Nate’s best friend and secret crush. Could Jai be Nate’s plus-one—and only?

Moxyland by Lauren Beukes

following the lives of four narrators living in an alternative futuristic Cape Town, South Africa. Kendra, an art-school dropout, brands herself for a nanotech marketing program; Lerato, an ambitious AIDS baby, plots to defect from her corporate employers; Tendeka, a hot-headed activist, is becoming increasingly rabid; and Toby, a roguish blogger, discovers that the video games he plays for cash are much more than they seem. On a collision course that will rewire their lives completely.

When Morning Comes by Arushi Raina

Zanele is skipping school and secretly plotting against the apartheid government. The police can't know. Her mother and sister can't know. Her best friend Thabo, schoolboy turned gang member, can tell she's up to something. But he has troubles of his own—a deal gone wrong and some powerful enemies.

Across the bridge, in the wealthy white suburbs, Jack plans to spend his last days in Johannesburg burning miles on his beat-up Mustang—until he meets a girl with an unforgettable face from the simmering black township—Soweto. Working in her father's shop, Meena finds a packet of banned pamphlets. They lead to a mysterious black girl with a secret, a dangerous gangster with an expensive taste in clothes, and an engaging white boy who drives a battered red car.

A series of chance meetings changes everything, and sets of a chain of events that can’t be undone.

A series of chance meetings changes everything.

[isaacbookclub]

Nate Plus One by Kevin van Whye

The Beauty of Everyday Things by Soetsu Yanagi

Season 2 Episode 7

[qbdatabase]

Nate Plus One by Kevin van Whye Nate Hargraves - stage-shy singer-songwriter - is totally stoked for his cousin's wedding in South Africa, an all-expenses-paid trip of a lifetime. Until he finds out his sleazeball ex-boyfriend is also on the guest list. Jai Patel - hot-as-hell high school rock-god - has troubles too. His band's lead singer has quit, just weeks before the gig that was meant to be their big break. When Nate saves the day by agreeing to sing with Jai's band, Jai volunteers to be Nate's plus-one to the wedding, and the stage is set for a summer of music, self-discovery, and simmering romantic tension. What could possibly go wrong . . . ?

[haveyoureadthisqueerbook]

[wahlpaper]

Review of Nate Plus One

Nate Plus One by Kevin van Whye

CW: Underage Drinking, Discussion of Sex, Non-Graphic/Undescribed Underage Sex Scene, Discussion of Child Death, Discussion of Apartheid/Systematic Racism & Oppression, Death of a Parent, Car Accident, Cheating, Ghosting, Homophobia, Homophobic Slur, Racism, Malicious Neighbor, Overworking, Betrayal, Intellectual Theft, Homophobic Parent/Boss, Classism, Hero Complex

4.5/5

Recently I found that I wasn't ready to start reading the big series I have planned for the year, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman). I was also waiting on my holds and feeling inspired by the A-Z reading challenges. I don't want to commit to an actual a-z challenge right now either, so I decided to spell my first name! Nate Plus One by Kevin van Whye is the book I chose to fill the first "N" in HANNAH*. I'll admit that I only skimmed the blurb and thought I was getting a fake dating story, but this slow burn vacation book was still well worth the read. I'll be sure to read more of van Whye's books in the future!

Nate Hargraves is looking forward to starting his summer vacation with a trip to his rich cousin's wedding in South Africa, the place where his late father grew up. His mood is dampened when he finds out his mother won't be able to make it and that his ex will be in attendance. Thankfully, his best friend/secret crush, Jai Patel volunteers to go along. Jai also has a problem that Nate can help with. Jai is weeks away from a major Battle of the Bands when his lead singer leaves for another band, taking Jai's song with him. Nate may have stage fright, but he is a talented singer and is willing to step in. The first few weeks of summer won't be smooth, but they'll certainly be life changing.

I enjoyed the balance between cute fun things and serious emotional elements in Nate Plus One. On the surface, it's a sweet teen romcom taking place on the vacation of a lifetime. Having that be queer will always draw me in and warm my heart. Still, the book doesn't ignore who its main characters are or where the wedding is. Racism, class differences, homophobia, being raised by a single parent, and Apartheid are all addressed. Apartheid was surprisingly a topic that I was taught about in detail in school, but as Nate points out, it's important to learn about what you aren't taught in school. Van Whye focused on the Soweto Uprising, a horrible injustice against black African children that I can't recall ever having learned about before. He made space for all of these things and a love story in just over 250 pages. Nothing felt trivial or overpowering, impressively done.

I can still enjoy a romantic tale even if it feels illogical, underdeveloped, or left with unresolved unhealthy elements, but it always stands out to me when a fictional romance is very healthy and well written. I found the romantic, familial, and friendly love to all be very healthy in Nate Plus One. My biggest concern in a book is getting to the BIG FIGHT. It can easily be out of the blue or overdone. Instead, when Nate messes up, it's in a redeemable way, he owns up to it, Jai is not too quick to forgive him, and Nate finds the perfect way to make it up to him. We also get to see Nate interacting with family he doesn't see very often, and each interaction felt realistic. The moments he spent with his grandmother were especially touching. She helped Nate get in touch with his roots and paved the way for Nate and his mom to talk more openly about his father. Even the negative interactions with his homophobic uncle provided clarity for Nate. While I wouldn't say this book felt like a puzzle, no interactions or plot elements were wasted.

Kevin van Whye's Nate Plus One is a sweet, cute book that is likely to leave you wanting more. And if you were taken aback by the open ended ending like me, you'll be happy to hear that Jai's band, Infinite Sorrow, will be making a cameo in van Whye's next book. Whether you're looking for queer content or to learn more about South Africa from a unique perspective, this book will be a good read for you.

*Be on the lookout for a post about my challenge once it's complete!

[meeghanreads]

Top 5 orange books

Hello friends!! Welcome to Top 5 Tuesday!! This week’s topic is top 5 orange books!! Now, we’ve actually done a bunch of orange book related posts across T5T before. We did top 5 black and orange books back in October 202o, and red, orange and yellow books in June 2018. So it’s fitting that colours are back in for 2024. You know, because we have about 4-6 years more books to talk about. And…

[dorian-they-ao3]

Leverage (2008-12) was really ahead of its time

[residentialsinyomakai]

Heres the stupid pot teastroyer turns into because I love him and haven't posted the billion things I've drawn of him yet

(Plus these that were also part of the little 'presentation' I gave my friends on call that was essentially a quicknotes version of his quest!! 'u')

[firebirdsdaughter]

Something that occurred to me this time…

… Is that Eliot deliberately brings Hardison w/ him to confront Moreau the first time. He tells Nate that he and Hardison will do it (don't worry, I also Love Hardison taking the moment to be like 'hey, are you okay?' bc those two usually express themselves through bickering so much that it clearly telegraphs just how off Eliot is being that Hardison is dropping the usual banter to be serious).

Which for one thing, says something about Eliot's confidence in Hardison in general, but also, like… Yes, Parker's probably not the choice for that introduction, it's not her style, but Nate or Sophie could also have played the part. He could have tried to go alone. But he pulls Hardison.

Obviously he's not trying to put Hardison in danger, he makes it quite clear in all other scenarios that he does not tolerate Hardison in danger (visual cues in The Gone Fishin' Job my beloveds), the others are well aware of the fact that he's Done Some Shit and are equally unaware of his connection to Moreau. And to be honest, I can't pinpoint an exact reason why I think he might have done it, chosen Hardison to be the one who finds out first. Maybe he suspected Moreau would underestimate Hardison, making him safer (relatively, if course), then someone like Nate or Sophie. Maybe he thought it would be best to have Hardison's tech skills as back up. Maybe he thought Hardison would roll w/ the punches the best. Maybe he just wanted Hardison there for morale.

I don't know, but it's a moment that didn't really occur to me the first time, but I think is actually quite meaningful in a more emotional way.

[bosesmikas]

Riverdale (TV 2017-2023)

That 90s Show (TV 2023-present)

[slaughter-books]

Day 27: JOMPBPC: Set In Spring

I decided to spell out the word Spring, using the titles of books! 💕

[janthecrow]

sneak peek :3

[that90sgifs]

Jay & Nate + wearing the same/similar shirts

[coconuttyglittersmurf]

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[wahlpaper]

First Name Challenge! - Hannah

Books Used:

H - Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

A - Always Only You by Chloe Liese

N - Nate Plus One by Kevin van Whye

N - Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman

A - Asunder (Dragon Age) by David Gaider

H - How To Ride a Dragon's Storm by Cressida Cowell