#steven rowley

[aurorawest]

The Scottish Boy by Alex de Campi - 5/5 stars

This book managed to rip my heart out at least 3 times. I loved it. Medieval enemies-to-lovers slow burn; very romantic. Kinda read like fanfiction at times but in a good way. 10/10 would read a follow-up love story about Arundel and Captain Wekena. If you like Captive Prince, give this one a try.

Reforged by Seth Haddon - 4/5 stars

Pretty good bodyguard romantasy. Ironically CS Pacat blurbed this one (another am-I-in-the-matrix moment). The world was interesting and I enjoyed the politics, though they're definitely not as complicated as other SFF politics I've gone feral over (see: Captive Prince, Winter's Orbit, A Memory Called Empire). I ordered the sequel after I finished this.

The Doctor's Date by Heidi Cullinan - 4/5 stars

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske - 5/5 stars

Where do I start? I love, love, LOVE A Marvellous Light. It's one of my favorite books ever. None of the rest of the books in the trilogy could live up to it, really, because it's so good. You'll notice I rated this one 5 stars though, because quite honestly I fell prey to a bit of The Academy Paying The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Its Due syndrome. I did love this book and thought it was better than A Restless Truth (which I still loved!) but part of that is, quite frankly, just due to the fact that I prefer m/m romance to f/f romance.

Anyway. This was such a good finale to the trilogy. I loved that the romance was a giant middle finger to purity cultists. I loved that one of the mains was Italian. I loved finally getting the story of what happened to the Alston twins. One thing I thought was really cool was how, viewed from the outside, you totally get why Edwin is such a loner. I really admire from a writing perspective how Marske pulled that off.

I feel like there's a lot to be said about what Marske was trying to SAY with this book, but I definitely need to reread it first before I can articulate any of it. The purity culture stuff is obvious, but the magic system too. I feel like Jack when he's almost able to connect everything in his mind into a bigger idea, but he can't quite get there.

I've got a special edition from Illumicrate coming, so I'll be rereading it when I have that.

Oh also, this book was the embodiment of all that one tumblr post -

The Guncle by Steven Rowley - 5/5 stars

I saw this in bookstores for years before I finally gave in and bought it. The blurb makes it sound insufferable and twee. Ignore the blurb. This was such a good book about grief and learning how to live again after terrible loss.

I Like Me Better by Robby Weber - 4/5 stars

At last I can stop getting the Lauv song stuck in my head whenever I set eyes on this book (it's stuck in my head as I type this). Pretty standard-issue YA, but it was cute and had a good message.

The Stagsblood King by Gideon E Wood - 4/5 stars

Another book about moving on from grief! This is the second book in a trilogy. When I was trying to determine if I wanted to read on beyond book 1, I scoured the internet for information about what happens in books 2 and 3. Eventually I decided, hell, I enjoyed book 1 well enough, even if what I want to happen in the rest of the trilogy doesn't happen, they're worth reading. SO, to that end, I will tell anyone looking for info that Tel gets romantically involved with a new man in this one, which, eh. I still want him to somehow end up with Vared. It was still quite good though.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune - DNF at pg 82

So funnily, we were at the bookstore the day I was about to start reading this, and my wife pointed out Ravensong (also by Klune) to me and said, "Do you have this one?" I made a face and said, "That's an older one of his books and I'm wary of his early work after that horrible Verania series. I don't think I've ever read an author as hit or miss as TJ Klune."

I wrote the above when I was 60 pages in and now I have officially DNFed this. Listen. You know how in Thor: Love and Thunder, Taika Waititi was clearly given free rein to do whatever he wanted, so all of his worst impulses made it to the final cut unchecked? Yeah. That's what this book is like.

Here's my Storygraph review: I see Klune is officially Too Big To Edit now. This book has exactly the same problem that his awful Verania series had—a joke that's funny at first but quickly grows tiresome when it's repeated five times per page. The emphasis on Victor's asexuality was also weird and read like Klune was just super proud of himself for writing an ace character.

Lion's Legacy by LC Rosen - 4.25/5 stars

Queer, YA Indiana Jones, but less #problematic. This book had some eerie similarities to my own archaeology adventure novel(s), which made me wonder half-seriously if I somehow know Lev Rosen? Anyway, I feared this would be very heavy-handed and not nuanced on archaeology's ethical dilemmas, since it's YA and also the current culture is to view said dilemmas as completely black and white with no nuance, but I was pleasantly surprised. It manages to examine that, queerness, and daddy issues, plus has time to be a genuinely fun and exciting adventure story. Highly recommend.

Too White to be Coloured, Too Coloured to be Black by Ismail Lagardien - 4/5 stars

I picked up this memoir in a bookstore at OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg as research for Six Places to Fall in Love, since Percy is coloured. A pretty brutal read, but good, and definitely good research. The author was a photographer and journalist through the most violent years of apartheid.

The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson - 5/5 stars

Two nonfiction books in a row?? This is the second book by Erik Larson I've read, the first being the excellent The Devil in the White City. I'm not, in general, all that interested in WWII when it comes to military history, but this book is about the day to day lives of Churchill and the people surrounding him (with brief stops to visit FDR and high-ranking Nazis sprinkled throughout). This is a very, very good book, and I recommend reading it if only as a reminder of the resilience and bravery of ordinary people under terrifying circumstances.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh - 5/5 stars

Holy shit. Holy shit is this book good. Imagine the love child of Lost, Person of Interest, and Battlestar Galactica, but queer and with multiverse shenanigans thrown in.

I need everyone to read this book. Now. Yesterday. Get to it.

[johnhwatsonblog]

Hello Dr. Watson, sir! As a linguist in the making, I am very curious as to whether you do reading for fun, and if so, what your preferred genres are? I'd be happy to hear some book recommendations for when I visit England again (because it's completely different to go on a shopping spree while on a trip instead of buying them where I live)

Oh yes, going on a book shopping spree is my favourite part of a holiday, perusing and buying books at the local bookshop. You always have the classics to look out for, but I like to be surprised by “new” authors or authors I’m not yet familiar with. I usually prefer reading (true) crime and/or historical fiction. But I’m currently reading the book below, and I highly recommend it. It reminds me of “Lily and the octopus” by Steven Rowley, which is also a favourite of mine within this genre.

I also suggest you subscribe to Bloomsbury Publishing so that you’re informed about new releases.

Enjoy!

[usefulquotes7]

“If you spend your entire life trying to cheat death, there's no time left over to embrace life.” Lily and the Octopus, Steven Rowley

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Character, book, and author names under the cut

Patrick O’Hara- The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Alex Claremont-Diaz- Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Maud Blyth- The Last Binding Trilogy by Freya Marske 

Katherine- The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner

[lgbtqreads]

New Releases: May 21, 2024

Picture Books The Rainbow Parade by Shane Jordan & Rick Hendrix (text) and Jieting Chen (illustration) Join the celebration at the Rainbow Parade and witness a heartwarming story of acceptance and friendship. In this joyful picture book, LGBTQ+ advocates Shane Jordan and Rick Hendrix take young readers on a colorful journey of self-expression and acceptance. Set at a stormy pride parade, the…

[escapeintothepages]

“If you spend your entire life trying to cheat death, there's no time left over to embrace life.”

Lily and the Octopus, Steven Rowley

[tiffanyclarissa]

lily and the octopus.

[theenarrator]

I rated every book I read in February, thought I might share 🪻

January

The 9:09 Project by Mark H. Parsons - 4

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett - 7

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - 6

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman - 5

The Celebrant by Steven Rowley - 9

[queer-books-bracket]

[bookaddict24-7]

RECO OF THE WEEK!

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Synopsis:

"Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is honestly a bit out of his league.

So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick’s brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian. Despite having a set of “Guncle Rules” ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parenting—even if temporary—isn’t solved with treats and jokes, Patrick’s eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you’re unfailingly human."

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Check out my review on Goodreads here.

Add this book to your TBR on Goodreads here.

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Have you read this book? Would you recommend it?

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Happy reading!

[booklovindogmom]

Celebrating "The Celebrants" & Steven Rowley

I MET STEVEN ROWLEY! Normally, people get awestruck when they meet movie stars a’la Ryan Gosling or singer/artists like Lady Gaga; but I get that same out of body, floating in some ethereal space feeling when I meet authors. I think it’s because words, and books have such a deep roots in my soul. Stemming from days of wanting to be a writer, to becoming a librarian and now being a total…

[wellesleybooks]

Congratulations to this year’s winner Steven Rowley for his comedic novel Guncle! 

From the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus and The Editor comes a warm and deeply funny novel about a once-famous sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him with his niece and nephew. Patrick O’Hara has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant — from a safe distance. His Palm Springs home and reclusive lifestyle aren’t exactly welcoming to children. But when tragedy strikes, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian.‍ He regrets his decision to take them in, until he starts to recognize that his outsize lifestyle and unusual life wisdom could bring about a season of healing that redefines their understanding of family, and finally lead Patrick back to himself.

[wahlpaper]

The Guncle Review

The Guncle by Steven Rowley - 5/5 - Gay Contemporary Humor

If you follow my blog, you may have been wondering how the two-person book club with my mom is going. Well, I'm here to talk about our second book! The Guncle by Steven Rowley was my mother's pick. We're intentionally slow going to give ourselves time for the other books we wish to read. It also took her a while to decide what book she wanted for us. I know she kept being drawn back to The Guncle and I'm glad she finally went with it! It was emotional, hopeful, sweet, and a dash of silly!

The Guncle takes place in the summer following Sara's death. It focuses on the grief of Patrick (her best friend and brother-in-law), Maisie (her daughter and older child), and Grant (her son and younger child). Their father has been struggling with addiction and checks himself into rehab, leaving the children in Patrick's reluctant care for the summer. Patrick was a popular actor, but has been hiding in Palm Springs for many years now. Stubborn Maisie and questioning Grant aren't exactly excited about it either, but they'll need each other to get through the summer and mourning period. The experience might just change them in the best of ways.

...

Read More:

[hollyida]

My Favorite Month

“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.” –L.M. Montgomery I LOVE June. I personally think June is one of the best months you can spend in Maine. Summer is just beginning but the temps are in the 70s, low to no humidity. Everything is green, the lupines have bloomed and it’s just fucking gorgeous. It’s the end of the school year and high school graduation for…

[kaysbookpassport]

"Books should be an experience, he thought, not a trophy for having read them."

~The Guncle - Steven Rowley~

[lambentstar]

The memories of our longest talks couple with those of our longest silences, either when we were mad or when we weren’t, when maybe we just presumed the other was mad and we never bothered to ask if that was true.

Steven Rowley, Lily and the Octopus