#something Wild and wonderful
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
2023 Reading Wrap-Up
Is it February of 2024? Yes! Am I still going to post my favorite books that I read in 2023? Also yes!
Ginn Hale's Cadeleonian Series, the second half of which I read in 2023: Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, Book Two; Master of Restless Shadows, Book One; and Master of Restless Shadows, Book Two
This series begins with Lord of the White Hell and continues with Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, then concludes with Master of Restless Shadows. Each duology follows a different set of characters, but it's a true series so you need to read them in order. It's a toss-up for me whether I preferred Champion of the Scarlet Wolf or Master of Restless Shadows. Both are fantastic duologies. I particularly loved getting Atreau's story in Master because he's sort of an unlikable playboy-esque character in the preceding books...but wait! Turns out there's more to him after all.
After Francesco by Brian Malloy
Who would think a book about living through the AIDS epidemic in NYC in the 80s would be as funny as this book is? It will also tear your heart out and stomp on it. Also takes place partly in Minneapolis (and is by a Minnesotan author).
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
Folklorist meets the Green Man and they fall in love. This is the first half of a duology, the second being Drowned Country, which I just finished today so can't included it on my 2023 wrap-up. All the dark and violent whimsy of the mythic past and the most brutal versions of fairy tales, plus a lovely romance.
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
Imagine the love child of Lost, Person of Interest, and Battlestar Galactica, but queer and with multiverse shenanigans thrown in (the author has cited Ender's Game as a huge influence). I don't want to say anything more than that, because I feel strongly that you need to go into this book knowing nothing. The twists and turns are so good, the main trio are wonderful, complicated characters, and the world is super cool.
The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley
In some ways the most heartbreaking of Pulley's novels. Also probably her most dreamy and magical. It's my least favorite of her books, but my least favorite Natasha Pulley book still ended up on my best of 2023 reading list.
The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley
This book awakened in me a latent love of Soviet queers. You'll see this book filed under sci-fi by booksellers, but it isn't reallyāit's historical fiction about a very real nuclear disaster in the USSR that was covered up for decades. Like all of Pulley's books, the characters are deeply complicated and flawed. The pleasure is really in reading the way she tells a story and her beautiful use of language, so even if you're not interested in Soviet nuclear disasters, I absolutely recommend you read this. Also, you'll probably be interested in Soviet nuclear disasters when you're done.
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley
Haha, you thought The Watchmaker of Filigree Street punched you in the chest with feels? Get ready for the sequel, which will have you Curled Into A Sobbing Ball On The Floorā¢. Join Thaniel Steepleton, Keita Mori, and their adopted Waifish Victorian Orphan, Six, as they go to Japan, where things are weird, there are ghosts, and Thaniel and Mori still somehow don't understand what they mean to each other.
The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley
"What if France won the Napoleonic Wars because of time travelers" shouldn't have shattered me the way this book did, but of course it's a Natasha Pulley novel so it absolutely did. Missouri Kite is the most Gay Little Manā¢. And Joe, poor Joe. The PINING. The YEARNING. When the reveal happens, I had to go back and read prior sections of the book and good god do they hit different. Different and SADDER. This book is my favorite of Natasha Pulley's novels.
Tommy Cabot Was Here and Peter Cabot Gets Lost by Cat Sebastian
The first two books in Cat Sebastian's The Cabots series. The books are historical fiction that follow various queer men in the Cabot family. The Cabots are one of those old money, liberal New England familiesāthink Kennedys. Both books are about Sad Gay Menā¢ finding love in soft, tiptoeing Cat Sebastian fashion. Peter Cabot is a road trip romance and a bit longer, so the characters have some time to breathe.
Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly
This was probably a Stucky fic at one point, right? I mean. No shade though, truly! This was my favorite romcom that I read in 2023. It was also a comp for Strangers to Husbands, haha. I love the settingāhiking the Pacific Crest Trailāand I love the main characters, Alexei and Ben. Alexei came out to his family recently and got rejected, while Ben is from a big, accepting Portuguese family. Funny, touching, and an excellent love story.
Cattle Stop by Kit Oliver
Looks like a romcom but will stab you in the heart repeatedly. Kit Oliver has a gorgeous way with words and captures the dynamic between two people who have no idea how to talk to each other so well. I'm also a sucker for farm settings.
The Sugared Game and Subtle Blood by KJ Charles (The Will Darling Adventures)
I've read almost all of KJ Charles's books at this point, but the Will Darling Adventures are my favorites (I read the first book in the series in 2022). I love the combination of romance and action/adventure. I've never met a m/m book set in the interwar period that I haven't loved. Will and Kim are wonderful characters, and sometimes I think about what other adventures they had after book three ended.
Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray
An FBI agent and a GRU agent get assigned to work a case together in 1959 and they fall in looooove. There's a road trip, a family dinner, and FEELS. I'm not sure I've ever had a time skip hit me in the gut so hard. Remember how I said I love Soviet queers? Here's another example.
Wranglestone and Timberdark by Darren Charlton
What if the real dystopia isn't the zombie apocalypse, but "normal" life? I don't know if I've ever read a YA series that sucker-punched me as hard as this one. I know I've never read a zombie book that sucker-punched me as hard as this one. I don't think these books have even been published in the US (only in the UK), but if you can get your hands on them, they're worth it. Really beautifully written in a style that evokes the emptiness of the great national parks of the American west.
Honorable mentions:
The Charioteer by Mary Renault
The Scottish Boy by Alex de Campi
A Power Unbound by Freya Marske
#wranglestone#timberdark#darren charlton#honeytrap#aster glenn gray#kj charles#sugared game#subtle blood#cattle stop#kit oliver#something wild and wonderful#anita kelly#the cabots#cat sebastian#natasha pulley#the bedlam stacks#the half life of valery k#the lost future of pepperharrow#the kingdoms#some desperate glory#emily tesh#silver in the wood#after francesco#brian malloy#ginn hale#champion of the scarlet wolf#master of restless shadows#reading tag
36 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
Make a poll with five of your favorite books and let booklr pick its favorite out of those.
Thanks for the tag, @dabookgoblin šāØ
NOTE: I canāt possibly narrow it down to five so I went with a theme. Hereās five of my top mlm romances! š
Tagging @godzilla-reads , @idle-dreary-days , & whoever feels like it š
#my posts#thanks for the tag!#this was so much fun#books#booklr#queer lit#rw&rb#sw&w#something wild and wonderful#two boys kissing#the queer principles of kit webb#the faerie hounds of york
9 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
š BOOK SPINE SCAVENGER HUNT š
š» A spine with a flower on it: Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
š©· A spine with a heart on it: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
āļø A spine with foiling on it: Dark Heir by CS Pacat
šæ A spine with a plant on it: Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly
šāā¬ A spine with an animal on it: Starling House by Alix E Harrow
[instagram]
The wax melt pictured is from Book of the Wick and you can use SHELVES10 to save 10% at checkout!
#bookedit#books#book photography#book aesthetic#felix ever after#kacen callender#love on the brain#ali hazelwood#dark heir#ca pacat#something wild and wonderful#anita kelly#starling house#alix e harrow#misc#lgbtqia+#mine*
3 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
Something Wild and Wonderful
I turned 30 two weeks ago, and so, my friend Maria asked me what kind of book I would like as a gift. Because of course, we gift each other books. I had this one on my list after stumbling upon the German edition in town, but I wanted to read it in English. Shortly afterwards, this arrived in the mail, and it was one of the sweetest reads of my year so far.
Synopsis: Alexei and Ben meet on the Pacific Crest Trail, each of them with different motivations and different problems. Whereas Ben is finally settling on a career but struggles with getting his general life in order, Alexei is struggling after coming out to his Russian-orthodox family. Faced with a new world in which he has no longer strict parents nor an overbearing church, Alexei stumbles down the PCT not knowing where his life might be headed - and right into Ben's arms, saving him from a rattlesnake.
Personally, I am not a hiker. I am not interested per se in books that are about hiking or the outdoors, but for some reason, this book simply spoke to me. I was completely taken in after a few pages only, adoring Anita Kelly's simple yet incredibly beautiful and gentle style. It is not overly complicated but also not too simple - it is not quite how people speak, but also not too literary, making it accessible and endearing to both casual and more experienced readers. I often have the problem that the simple language of rom-coms bores me to death, but this was absolutely not the case here.
Alexei and Ben are absolutely fantastic characters that the reader cannot help but root for. Both have their issues, rooted in family affairs and the struggle of figuring out who they are and what they want from life. Whereas Ben's family is open-minded and has no issue with him being gay, Alexei struggles with the consequences of coming out to his conservative, Russian-American family and the loss of his religious life. Alexei is frequently mentioned praying before going to sleep, but it never feels forced, but as merely part of him. It is incredibly refreshing to read a queer character that, despite the trauma, is still religious and does not blame their god for what happened to them. Ben's struggles are of a different nature, with him being unsure about his career and what he actually wants to do with his life - and whether to stay near his family or not.
The book is perfectly paced. Nothing happens too early or too soon, neither in terms of plot development or personal growth of the characters. Everything gets its time to develop and does so at the right speed and with the appropriate consequences. All obstacles, including social anxiety, personal issues, and sudden reactions happen exactly when they should - and that is, in my opinion, a great task to achieve, and Anita Kelly has done so masterfully. Not once did I get the impression that Ben and Alexei moved too fast or too slow, or that their decisions were rushed. It felt all incredibly natural.
Something Wild and Wonderful is a story of self-discovery and, most importantly, self-forgiveness. Alexei and Ben learn to accept who they are and that they are, indeed, wild and wonderful at the same time. In fact, the novel is so full of warmth and acceptance that it left me with a very fuzzy, warm feeling on the inside when I finished it, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
5 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
Type Map for Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly
Trying something different with a landscape! I fell in love with Ben & Alexei and their chemistry, their cuteness, their differences and of course their romance. The Pacific Crest Trail is its own character in this story and provides a magnificent backdrop. I laughed. I cried. It filled me with sparkles. I absolutely loved it. Follow on Insta:Ā @bookomatica Print Shop:Ā bookomatica.com
#something wild and wonderful#anita kelly#queer romance#type maps#fan art#bookish fan art#book fan art#ben X alexei#pacific crest trail#romance books#five star books#booklr
10 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
I haven't read a book so quickly in a long time.. Nor cried and gotten so emotional a book in a while ā¤ļø
#something wild and wonderful#anita kelly#book review#bookblr#i loved it#snack time#crunchie#cadburys#southern comfort#peach#alcohol#own post
2 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
Daily Book - Something Wild & Wonderful
Something Wild & Wonderful Anita Kelly Adult Romance, 2023, 368 pg autistic Russian-American gay male MC x Portugese-American gay male MC Alexei Lebedevās journey on the Pacific Crest Trail begins with a single snake. And it is angling for the hot stranger who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Lex is prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and months of solitude. What he isnāt prepared for is Ben Caravalho. But somehowāon a 2,500-mile trailāAlexei keeps running into the outgoing and charismatic hiker with golden-brown eyes, again and again. It might be coincidence. Then again, maybe thereās a reason the trail keeps bringing them together . . .
View On WordPress
#Something Wild and Wonderful#Anita Kelly#2020s#300 pg#adult books#forced proximity#lgbtqia#male protagonist#opposites attract#queer books#romance#daily book
2 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
ARC Review: Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly
Order
Add to Goodreads
Publication Date: March 7, 2023
Synopsis:
From the author ofĀ Love & Other Disasters comes a sparkling grumpy-meets-sunshineĀ romance featuring two men's sweeping journey across the Western wilderness. Alexei Lebedevās journey on the Pacific Crest Trail begins with a single snake. And it is angling for the hot stranger who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Lex is prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and months of solitude. What he isnāt prepared for is Ben Caravalho. But somehowāon a 2,500-mile trailāAlexei keeps running into the outgoing and charismatic hiker with golden-brown eyes, again and again. It might be coincidence. Then again, maybe thereās a reason the trail keeps bringing them together . . . Ben has made his fair share of bad decisions, and almost all of them involved beautiful men. And yet thereās something about the gorgeous and quietly nerdy Alexei that Ben canāt just walk away from. Surely a bad decision canāt be this cute and smart. And there are worse things than falling in love during the biggest adventure of your life. But when their plans for the future are turned upside down, Ben and Alexei begin to wonder if itās possible to hold on to something this wild and wonderful.
My Rating: ā
ā
ā
ā
ā
My Review after the cut.
My Review:
This was a warm, cozy hug of a book. Alexei and Ben were such warm characters. Well, Alexei took a bit of warming up to people, but he was earnest and friendly. Ben befriended everyone he met and just exuded friendliness and warmth. They had such an easy, peaceful companionship that they fell into as they walked the Pacific Crest Trail. It was so nice to read. The descriptions of the trail and the hiking were so beautiful and so appealing. It made me feel like I was there with them and made me want to attempt the hike myself. There's no way I could actually do it, but imagining it feels nice. The difficult parts were not so much conflict between the two (aside from a few misunderstandings) but rather things each was struggling with internally. For Ben it was the loss of a close relative to Alzheimers and his past abusive relationships. For Alexei it was being cut off by his parents after coming out as gay. These were things each had to wrestle with on their own, and I really like that they weren't swept under the rug when they got together. They took the time and space they needed and came to terms with them, allowing them to build a stronger future together. It was wonderful to see Alexei being welcomed into Ben's family and friend group, and it was wonderful to see Alexei and Ben's close relationships with their little sisters. There is a section toward the end where it becomes an epistolary novel for a bit, the sort where most of the letters are unsent. Those are always heartbreaking, and this was no exception. I really, really, like the way it was written. Having the letters be unsent halves of conversations made them so much more impactful. Most of all, this is a book emphasizing the wonders of queer companionship. As a queer person myself, who values that sort of companionship very highly indeed, this book hit all the right notes for me. The audiobook performance was beautiful and the narrator imbued the characters with so much personality. I loved listening to it and definitely recommend it. *Thanks to NetGalley, Forever, and Hachette Audio for providing an early copy of the ebook and audiobook for review.
#something wild and wonderful#grumpy x sunshine#anita kelly#queer romance#romance#netgalley#shilo reads#arc review#audio arc review
2 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
thinking about a Damian who was raised his entire life hearing how much he looks like his Father, how he's the blood son, how he's better than any other child Bruce Wayne has taken in, starting to buy into it like a kid does, only to hit puberty and turn out looking like 80% Talia.
#you know how some kids look like one parent until adulthood?#that's what i hc for damian#he looks like bruce until puberty#as an adult he looks like talia#bruce wayne#batman#damian wayne#talia al ghul#dc#batfamily#thoughts#something something social currency but only within the batfamily#it's a sore subject#and they roll their eyes when damian says dumb shit like this#because they know ra's and talia fed it to him since infancy#but then he grows up and slowly stops saying it#and they have to wonder if damian is disappointed#or if he's grown past caring#maybe this is a wild hc idk#i'm just rambling in between meetings#i KNOW he looks like bruce in canon as an adult#but like#i want him to be 5'8 and look like talia#I find it such a satisfying book end to the emphasis placed on him as the blood son#and I think he deserves to be more than just a bruce clone you know#even if the transition stings
3K notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
starting to read Villette by Charlotte Bronte and you know what that means? Rom-Com summer break is over, time to get back to my academic readings. Yet I want to share some of my thoughts with you on the books I have read in the last 3ish weeks
started with A Witch's Guide to Fake Date a Demon by Sarah Hawley AND I HAVE EATEN THIS SHIT UP. The main reason why I have got it is simply because it was for 99 cents and I thought the idea of a romance between a witch and a demon being something unique. This book made me laught out loud, can't remember the last time a book made me do that. It's helerious, I really enjoyed the other plot going, found the characters so loveable (the ones who derserve it lol, iykyk). My only issue with this book is the fake dating aspect. I see the reasening, but once I hit a point in the story where I was wondering "Why are we still calling it fake dating?" it wasn't doing it for me anymore. Maybe it's a me thing, but still a strong 4 star read for me !
next I read was Practice makes Perfect by Sarah Adams and this was a huge side eye, criminal offensive side eye. Maybe my bar was too high after AWGtFDaD, but what was that? I couldn't feel the chemistry. Everytime one of them drifted off in their thoughts and thought something sexuell - how did I get here? The only reason I kept on was that I updated my bf after like each chapter how and why these characters (and even the whole small town) pissed me on. Two stars for me.
I have dnfed Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly. I liked the new setting, found one of the characters a little cringe but both still loveable. At 13% I got the feeling that this will be more of sad story and I wasn't in the mood for that. Hope to pick it up again one day (:
With Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon I have hit book #400 of my alltimes reads. I wasn't the target audience, so I was cringing at some moments and at the writing style. Again, would have loved it more if I was younger, because the message is so good for young people and their first heart break, but for me, an adult who been there was there, it was a nice quick (two days !!) read. The adult in me gives it 3 stars and the (pre) teen 4 !
Lastly I have read It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey. This one was a little rollercoaster for me. The beginning was so good, usually I have a problem with spoiled characters, but Piper was still true to herself that reading about her was so fun! The dynamic she has with Brendan LOVE! But once it's clear that they have a crush on each other it has put me into a slump. Everytime I had to force myself to pick the book up and keep on and once I did so I liked it, tho I got the feeling that the plot stretched itself. At like 80% I was so fucking close to dnf it. Not that I disliked the conflict, I just got so triggered by it. Can you tell that I have some personal stuff going on lately? Anyway, I finished it yesterday and gave it four stars, but now I'm thinking to go a little down with my rating, because of the reading slump it has put me in
#bookblr#books#book review#a witch's guide to fake dating a demon#practice makes perfect#something wild and wonderful#sarah adams#sarah hawley#Anita Kelly#romance book#romance books#romcom#summer reads#it happened one summer#instructions for dancing#nicola yoon#Tessa Bailey
0 notes
Text
Reading update!
So as you'll see below I've read a lot of books since the last time I did one of these. I'm not going to write a little blurb for all of them, only the ones I feel strongly about. But I'm going to start including my ratings.
Arctic Sun by Annabeth Albert. 4.25/5 stars
Where We Left Off by Roan Parrish. 5/5 stars
Peter Cabot Gets Lost by Cat Sebastian. 5/5 stars
This book was just. So lovely. Short and fast-paced, but I loved Peter and Caleb so much. I love the time period too. I know this is me being toxic and problematic and showing my internalized homophobia or whatever but I actually really like books set in places and time periods where homophobia is a real and present danger. I think it's because I'm totally a Love Conquers All romantic, so the fact that people dgaf and make a go of being together anyway scratches that itch.
Anyway, good book. I picked up the other two in the series but haven't read them yet.
Let's Get Back to the Party by Zak Salih. 4/5 stars
Literature. Good but pretty sad.
No Gods For Drowning by Hailey Piper. 3/5 stars
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas. DNF
I got 50 pages in before I gave into my hate and DNFed this.
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley. 5/5 stars
I find it genuinely upsetting that Natasha Pulley isn't a household name, because she writes the most beautiful, gutting books that I have maybe ever read. I don't understand how she's able to write what is, on the surface, a completely mundane sentence, and yet there's this roiling sea of heartbreak underneath it.
This is the sequel to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, easily one of the best books I've ever read, and this one is at least as good.
Natural Enemies by Roan Parrish. 4/5 stars
Us by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. 3.75/5 stars
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh. 5/5 stars
Lovely little novella that read like a fairy tale.
The Prince's Poisoned Vow by Hailey Turner. 4.25/5 stars
At first I despaired of ever learning who all the characters were in this book because the first like, 10 chapters were all from a different POV, but I got a handle on all of them and liked it a lot.
Spectred Isle by KJ Charles. 4.75/5 stars
Un Lun Dun by China MiƩville. DNF
This is the book that made me realize I hate whimsical books.
Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins. 4/5 stars
The Lightning-Struck Heart by TJ Klune. 3/5 stars
I ranted about this one already but Jesus, Klune. This straight up reads like the kind of stuff I wrote when I was like, 14, and I don't mean that as a compliment to my 14 year old self.
Love, Hate & Clickbait by Liz Bowery. 5/5 stars
!!!!! This book was so good!!!! I picked it up way back when it came out but it only surfaced in the TBR pile in March, and it did not let me down. Thom and Clay are SO unlikable, but you start to like them in a way that's practically insidious because you don't see it coming. By the end, I was totally rooting for them and loved them both. And this is a romcom with a truly great villain, too, which definitely isn't standard in romances.
Red Skies Falling by Alex London. 5/5 stars
Second book in a series that revolves around a culture where falconry is hugely important. If you want fantasy that doesn't take place in fantasy England, check this series out. It has an A+ sibling relationship, a lovely romance, and high stakes. But this one was saaaaad ugh so sad.
Less by Andrew Sean Greer. 3.75/5 stars
I hated this book until about 80% through, and then it subverted all my expectations and I ended up liking it okay. I thought it was just about a pathetic middle aged gay white man (I know I know, that's my type, what's the problem?) feeling sorry for himself, but it was deeper than that. And it had a nice ending.
Invitation to the Blues by Roan Parrish. 4/5 stars
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. 5/5 stars (reread)
Bought this edition for the bonus chapter from Henry's POV and for @vkelleyart's end pages. Totally worth it. I love this book just as much as I did the first time.
Threshold by Jordan L Hawk. 4.25/5 stars
So this is a series with like, 11 books? I read the first one and was kind of eh on it. Good enough to buy the second, not enough to buy all 11 or whatever. But the second one was substantially better, so now I've acquired like 5 more of them. I continue to be a sucker for late 19th century/early 20th century settings.
Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen. 4.5/5 stars
Is gay noir a thing? Because that's what I'm calling this book. Gay noir. I loved the main character and I'm really excited this is going to be a series (I've already preordered the second one). The only reason I knocked off half a star is because some of the side characters were irritating. And as a mystery, it wasn't great, so I wouldn't read this one if you're looking for a really good mystery. It's definitely more about the character development and the relationships.
Though possibly one reason I didn't think the mystery was that good is because it got spoiled for me on tumblr by someone who imo had a pretty shallow read on the book. Honestly not sure if they actually read it or they just skimmed it.
Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly. 5/5 stars
AHHH. THIS BOOK!! This book was so good. So I've been making fun of it for a while because if you look at the cover, it looks like a Stucky AU. And you know what, maybe it was, but at least it didn't read that way, lol. It was really lovely and I'll be using it as a comp for the manuscript I finished last week.
The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley. 5/5 stars
I don't even have anything else to say except that you need to read Natasha Pulley's books. Please. If you're reading this post, go get her books. Buy them, take them out of the library, whatever. Do it.
Work for It by Talia Hibbert. 4.25/5 stars
A Tree of Bones by Gemma Files. 4.5/5 stars
Any Old Diamonds by KJ Charles. 5/5 stars
Something happened in this book that made me close it and stare into the middle distance, then put it aside until I could process.
Anyway you should definitely read it.
Farview by Kim Fielding. 4/5 stars
Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen. 4.25/5 stars
Currently reading The Restless Dark by Erica Waters
Which I'm enjoying more than I thought I would!
#natasha pulley#the bedlam stacks#the lost future of pepperharrow#arctic sun#annabeth albert#where we left off#roan parrish#peter cabot gets lost#cat sebastian#something wild and wonderful#kj charles#let's get back to the party#zak salih#no gods for drowning#hailey piper#the sunbearer trials#aiden thomas#natural enemies#us#sarina bowen#elle kennedy#silver in the wood#emily tesh#the prince's poisoned vow#hailey turner#spectred isle#reading tag#un lun dun#china mieville#here the whole time
28 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
sigh Iām thinking about ben & alexei again š³ļøāš I hope they have a good pride month
2 notes
Ā·
View notes
Photo
Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly I read Anita Kelly's Love and Other Disasters when it came out and really loved it, and was really excited for this next release when I saw the cover reveal. And Iām so happy to say I LOVED this book! The story is about two men who separately decide to do the Pacific Coast Trail as ways to restart their lives - Ben spent most of his 20s un-moored, but he recently finished nursing school and is ready to start a new life of responsibility and better dating choices after the trail. Alexei has just come out to his parents and been disowned, and then lost his job - so. He's ready to start fresh somewhere new, and become a whole new person. And then Ben and Alexei meet on the trail, and suddenly all their plans veer off course. This was such a lovely book. I don't think I've ever heard of the PCT before and the idea of a months long hike was so fascinating to me, especially as a setting for a book. It scratched the same itch that road trip romances do. I also really adored both main characters and the side characters, and the ending had me breaking down into a good long sob fest. Definitely recommend!
#my posts#booklr#anita kelly#something wild and wonderful#mm romance#lgbtqia books#book review#queer books
1 note
Ā·
View note
Photo
āāYouTube | Tumblr | Instagram | Storygraph āā
book review || ARC Reading Vlog -- Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly & The Plus One by Mazey Eddings
~Thanks to Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Something Wild & Wonderful in exchange for an honest review. ~
GUYS, this was so damn cute! Both of these love interests are absolutely adorable!
Weāve got Alexei (or Lex, as only Ben calls him(be still my heart)) whoās dealing with the trauma of being disowned due to coming out as gay and has been struggling with his sexuality. Heās still trying to be comfortable as himself and is attempting to figure out on this hiking trip who the new Alexei will be. Heās full of fun nature facts and is tooth-achingly sweet. On the opposite side, we have Ben, whoās finally figured out a career path for himself, but is worried that heāll self-sabotage. Heās laid back and funny, wears his heart on his sleeve, and charms every person they meet. While Ben is trying to keep from opening his heart to Alexei, Alexei is trying to do the same, because he doesnāt realize that Ben is also gay.
I love that this is balancing between a slow romance and two coming-of-age stories. Both characters are fleshed out and have solid personalities, their perspectives arenāt too similar to get confused, and their dynamic is adorable. Theyāre both just so sweet and have found solace in each other, first as friends and now as something more. Once they're officially a couple, Iāve just been squealing over the cute moments and sweet lines they say to each other. Iām so completely wrapped up in their romance, itās ridiculous. The spice is also fantastic, 4 chilis worth.
Though, of course, thereās the looming concern about what will happen when they reach the end of the trail since Ben is from Nashville and Alexei is from Seattle. However, this did take me by surprise when there was a change in plans halfway through, which I appreciated, so it wasnāt too predictable. Although I was a bit frustrated with the third-act conflict that occurred due to a lack of communication, I also think it made sense for the characters and what weāve seen of their personalities. Each of their actions did make sense for what had been created. It then led to some tear-worthy letters that made me pause and take a breath more than once. We really get to see more of Alexeiās struggles with his identity and his faith and his loss of his family because of those two things. There was one line that really made me stop because I nearly lost it crying.
The reunion was so damn sweet in different ways. The emotional healing both characters had done in their time apart made me have even more faith in their relationship. I had also been curious if Alexei was coded as autistic and his diagnosis allowing him to further understand his own identity made me love him all the more. Iām going to have to get my hands on a copy of this book so I can go back through and annotate all these heartwarming and adorable moments!
The atmosphere is also fantastic, really taking you on the trail with these two and describing the scenery spectacularly.
5 / 5 stars
#book review#something wild and wonderful#something wild and wonderful by anita kelly#anita kelly#romance books#romance book recs#queer romance book recs#romance book recommendations#queer romance book recommendations#gay romance books#bookblr#booklr#book tumblr#booktube#booktuber#book youtube#studyblr#reading vlog
0 notes
Note
What do you think of Rook's savanaclaw card? <333
I didn't get him (and I need to save my keys for Silver's birthday, sob) so I looked up his groovy, and I'm not over how incredibly dramatic and epic and cool it looks in direct contrast to the absolutely ridiculous context. just look at that dynamic action and his majestic sparkling tears and keep in mind that this is pretty much right after a bunch of characters have been dance battling for his soul.
and then even the actual moment of the groovy is just like
this is NOT a negative in the slightest, I love it all, this truly was an incredible update in so many ways
#art#twisted wonderland#twisted wonderland spoilers#twisted wonderland episode 7 spoilers#twisted wonderland book 7 spoilers#twisted wonderland episode 7 part 8 spoilers#twisted wonderland book 7 part 8 spoilers#to be fair it's not COMPLETELY wacky there is actual drama going on#but that's inbetween rook's dream-vil and neige being totally hilarious at each other#'i shan't let you hurt this beautiful child!' 'vil no! if they were to harm your beauty i would be crushed by sorrow!' <- actual dialogue#also neige seeing vil as a mother figure. it's WONDERFUL and i hope real-vil never finds out because this would kill him#just like he killed neige multiple times in his own dream! :)#there was so much wild stuff in this update and not in the least was that the second time vil realized he was in a dream#his reaction was to KILL EVERYONE and cackle maniacally about it#god forbid a queen do anything i guess#anyway i also love the contrast between what i assumed savanarook would be like and what he was actually like#'he looks so wild...what kind of dangerous dream will this mighty hunter have...'#oh no he's actually just an adorable movie geek who is SO EXCITED to share his hyperfixation with us#somehow less intimidating than regular rook#and yet still a delightful little freak. his BEDROOM#the background artist went SO ham on it. truly the magnum opus of twst backgrounds#there are a bunch of little details it is SO worth zooming in on#(including a tiny little picture of che'nya! which...actually i think that implies rook may have stolen an rsa yearbook or something)#(that's our rook! /sitcom laugh track)
3K notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
#arc reviewer#arc reader#arc review#book review#book reviewer#book blog#book blogger#netgalley#forever#grand central publishing#something wild and wonderful#something wild & wonderful#anita kelly#gay romance#lgbtq romance#mm romance#romantic comedy#rom com#contemporary romance#ownvoices#lgbtq fiction#lgtbq friendly read#new book#new book alert#new book release#new release tuesday#new release#new release alert#new release book
0 notes