In Deeper Waters--"Tal would've thought it was a fairy tale if not for the sand in his collar, the water in his boots, and the ache of his body"

Title: In Deeper Waters

Author: F.T. Lukens


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main characters are queer


Content Warning: Violence, near-drownings


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Prince Tal has spent his life isolated from the rest of the kingdom in order to hide his magic, something that is seen as extremely dangerous (especially after what his grandfather did). On his coming-of-age boat trip, Tal saves Athlen, who mysteriously survives a dive off his ship. Tal can't stop thinking about Athlen: could he be the one who accepts Tal for who he is, magic and all?


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I haven't blogged in months; I have read a lot of good books but just couldn't bring myself to write about any of them, until now. I enjoyed this story so much I thought it would be a great way to ease back into regular blogging. And I did it!

Why I reread old favorites, OR: Warm, cuddly, teddy bear books

Reading and writing has always been a source of comfort for me, but I have been struggling with writer's block for a while. ADHD and anxiety are to blame for my writer's block often when I'm taking classes, but I have been home and watching the news which keeps getting worse and worse. Black lives matter, and my heart breaks for everyone affected by police brutality. 

Comfort reads for me.

Like many prolific readers (especially librarians-turned-book-sellers-who-get-employee-discounts), I have a towering TBR pile. And like other bloggers (at least I hope like other bloggers!), I have a stack of books that I've read and haven't written about yet (over 10), but I open my laptop and stare at some posts in draft mode. I have highly recommended and re-shared a book about protesters; I wrote about a few relatively light-hearted books earlier in the quarantine; I reminisced about childhood reads; I updated some of my blog pages. Yet I still haven't gotten as much written as I planned.

Instead, I have been rereading books or scenes from books that I have read hundreds of times before.

I came across this Washington Post article about a month ago, "For a lot of book lovers, rereading old favorites is the only reading they can manage at the moment." I also broke down and subscribed to the Post, but if you did not, here are some passages that I relate to:

If you’re wondering why rereads are what you most want, the answer is simple: Your brain, much like the rest of you, is tired. As many experts, including coach and author Alexis Rockley, have recently explained, our cognitive energy is a finite resource, steadily being used up by every piece of “new abnormal” we have to manage. . . 

That loss of cognitive energy for someone like me, who loves reading above all things save carbohydrates, means that my mind doesn’t have its usual pep when confronted with a new book, a new world and new characters. This was initially upsetting, as there are piles of new books I want to read. My solution for now is to revisit some of my favorite past companions instead. . . .

 Aarya Marsden, an avid romance reader who also writes reviews for my site, Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, says that lately, she doesn’t have the energy to reread an entire book. To get around that problem, she is rereading her favorite scenes. “Ten minutes of comfort reading in the morning is enough to give me a happy buzz for the entire day,” she said. “It starts the day off on the right note and then I can read a new book at night.” . . .

There’s a sense of security that comes with a reread: You already know what’s going to happen, no spoiler alerts needed. That aspect appeals to Marsden. “There’s comfort in being able to predict and control your surroundings,” she said. “It’s a relief to sink into something that goes exactly to plan.” 

 The whole article, written by Sarah Wendell, of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books is amazing. Also, see "10 Reasons People Like To Reread Books, Because Nothing Beats That Old Familiar Feeling" "The Power of Rereading Your Favorite Books Right Now" and "Why We Reread in Times of Stress and Anxiety."

I could wax poetic about some of my favorite comfort reads, but probably you don't want to hear about all my cheesy romance novels packed tightly in my bookcase (if you haven't read Red, White, and Royal Blue, however, stop whatever you're doing and READ IT NOW).

My son's old teddy bear with two of my favorite books

Boyfriends with Girlfriends--"I need time to explore first if that’s really who I am." Guest Post!

Title: Boyfriends with Girlfriends

Author: Alex Sanchez  

**This GUEST POST was written by Alix Adrian**

About Alix, in their own words: As a busy, aging, dyslexic reader, I enjoy YA fiction because I can make solid progress through a book even on early-to-bed evenings. I grew up in New Jersey and have spent the past 30 years in North Carolina. This helps to draw attention to the significant cultural differences found in especially in queer fiction across both time and locations. I have two young adult children, who, sadly, are not voracious readers. I also have three cats who like nothing better than to snuggle with me and a book.


LGBTQ+ Representation: One gay teen, one butch lesbian teen, one questioning female teen, two questioning male teens


Content Warning: Two male characters have mutual hand sex. One main character has had much more sexual experience and this is a concern for the less experienced partner.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Four high school students in neigboring schools explore love, sexuality, and friendships, with a lens to their families’ cultural and social views.

 
What I think (in 250 words or fewer):  This book may be showing its age a wee bit.

The Gravity of Us--"Astrokid Calls on Americans to Save NASA From Clickbait Demise"

Title: The Gravity of Us

Author: Phil Stamper


LGBTQ+ Representation: Two main characters are in an m/m relationship


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Cal's dad receives the chance of a lifetime: working on a NASA mission to Mars. Cal and his parents move from Brooklyn to Houston, where the pressure to be the perfect family is high, and Cal falls for Leon, whose mom is also an astronaut. But as Cal continues to live-stream on his popular social media channel, he exposes corruption, and his dreams of staying with Leon and becoming a legitimate journalist are in jeopardy.


What I think: So many things to love about this adorable story! Travel with me down several Internet rabbit holes by clicking on the links I added as I thought of what I like about this story:

🚀 The setting: The wives of the first astronauts and their families all lived in a "perfect family"-style Texas suburb and were the 1960s version of today's reality TV family. All I could think of was the neighborhood in "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street." The NASA program in The Gravity of Us requires the present-day families to also live in the perfect astronaut suburbs--even decorating the houses in a 60's retro style. 

Juliet Takes a Breath--"How could anything as huge as feminism be universal?"

Title: Juliet Takes a Breath

Author: Gabby Rivera


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character and many others are lesbian, and supporting characters are bi and queer.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Juliet is thrilled when she, a self-described "closeted Puerto Rican baby dyke from the Bronx," lands an internship with her favorite, feminist author Harlowe Brisbane. Coming out to her close-knit family right before leaving does not go well. In Portland, Oregan, Juliet enjoys researchin (and the cute girl-librarian), but the mostly white, lesbian feminist scene is not quite what Juliet expects. Will a trip to visit extended family help Juliet define feminism for herself?


What I think (In my ranting, I totally spoil 2/3 of the book. To avoid spoilers, click on read more, scroll down to the six rainbows, and read after that): Juliet's story takes place in 2003, in the summer after her first year of college; I thought "that's not that long ago!" but then realized it was almost twenty years ago. Wow.

I like that Juliet researched at the library to research all these women and topics on random bits of paper that Harlowe has written on and thrown into a box. I had never heard of Lolita Lebron, for example. I knew of Del Martin, but she's worth reading about again. Banana Republic is not just an overpriced, preppy clothing store. Kira the cute librarian who bakes and drives a motorcycle? Sign me up! (Okay, not really because I'm terrified of riding on motorcycles. But still, she sounds hot!)

Full Disclosure--"To find someone who gets it, who loves you, and to lose them because no one cares about what you're going through--there aren't any words for that

Title: Full Disclosure

Author: Camryn Garrett


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character lives with her two dads and has dated boys and girls; secondary characters are gay, bisexual, lesbian, and asexual.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Simone was born HIV-positive and keeps this a secret due to harassment she received at her previous school when everyone found out. She's having a successful year in school, with great friends, a job student-directing Rent, and a love interest, Miles, a lacrosse player who encourages her love of musicals. But then Simone receives threatening letters in her locker, stating that if she doesn't break up with Miles because of her HIV, she'll be sorry.


What I think: Last year, I reviewed several books about AIDS and interviewed family and friends for their memories of the AIDS crisis during the 1980s. I was an elementary school student at that time with only memories of Ryan White and no understanding of why people were so scared and so mean to those who were HIV-positive.

All Out--"Love is the only higher power I'll answer to"

Title: All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages

Editor: Saundra Mitchell


About the anthology: Seventeen different young adult authors from across the LGBTQ+ spectrum each wrote stories that are included in this anthology. The stories take place during different time periods, locations, and cultures, and across multiple genres.

I am going to review this collection similar to how I reviewed The Bane Chronicles, but not exactly the same since each story has its own author and those authors are all brilliant in their own rights.

Also, this will be a live review! No, I am not usually a zombie reviewing books from my kingdom of the undead, although that sounds intriguing. By live, I mean I am going to read each story, and then write down my thoughts about it right away.


Short story title #1: "Roja"

Author: Anna-Marie McLemore (author of When the Moon Was Ours)

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me--"I'm just willing what I'm feeling to be true. I'm willing myself to believe this is real."

Title: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me

Author: Mariko Tamaki; Illustrations by Rosemary Valero-O'Connell


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main and supporting characters are lesbians and background characters are queer


Content Waring: Abortion


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Freddy is madly in love with her girlfriend, Laura, but Laura (who is popular, funny, cute, thoughtless, and MEAN) keeps breaking up with her. Freddy's friends can't understand why she keeps going back to Laura Dean, and their on-again, off-again relationship nearly causes Freddy to lose her best friend.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Laura Dean is one of those books that I can see non-YA readers (or those who prefer their books to be moralistic in content) scoffing at. Teenage Freddy is besotted with Laura, who is just the WORST. I strongly identify with Rainbow Rowell's blurb on the back of the book:

Leah on the Offbeat--"It's like it doesn't even matter if I like my body, because there's always someone there to remind me that I shouldn't"

Title: Leah on the Offbeat

Author: Becky Albertalli


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character and supporting characters are bisexual; secondary characters are gay.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Leah Burke is getting ready to finish her senior year, and in some ways, she's totally OVER high school, but in other ways, she doesn't want anything to change. Prom is coming up, friends are hooking up and breaking up, and college is starting to seem very close. Also, Leah has not told her friends that she is bisexual and is crushing hard on her friend Abby, who is (probably?) completely straight.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I need to apologize to all of the fanfiction writers out there that I scoffed at when they began to ship Leah and Abby. I was totally NOT on board with that ship; Abby was with Nick and that's where I thought she would stay. However, this book did a good job of changing my mind and wanting Abby and Leah to be a couple.

Girl Made of Stars--"Now she lives in the sky, a memorial to the time sacrificed because of another's choice, another's obsession, another's selfishness"

Title: Girl Made of Stars

Author: Ashley Herring Blake


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character is bi.


Content Warnings: Sexual assault, PTSD, panic attacks, victim blaming.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Mara is very close to her twin brother, Owen, but everything becomes confusing and upsetting when Mara's friend, Hannah, accuses Owen of rape. Mara doesn't think Hannah would lie--but how can she believe Hannah over Owen? The whole situation forces Mara to deal with unresolved trauma from her recent past. Meanwhile, things are awkward between Mara and her ex-girlfriend, Charlie, and Mara channels her frustration into her Empower group and her (maybe more-than?) friend, Alex.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): The #MeToo movement rouses very strong emotions--both empowering and discouraging. (Read my review of Girl Mans Up to see how my emotions unfolded in real time.)

The Hidden Oracle--"When one is a god, the world hangs on your every word. When you're sixteen . . . not so much."

Title: The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo, Book #1)

Author: Rick Riordan


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character is bisexual, secondary characters are gay.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Apollo, the (rather arrogant) god of the sun, music, and poetry, has been cast down from Olympus to Earth by Zeus as punishment. Apollo is appalled (ha!) that he is now a gawky teenage boy named Lester Papadopoulos. He must restore five oracles to to regain his godly status, and since he no longer has powers, Apollo must seek the assistance of Percy Jackson and the other campers at Camp Half-Blood.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I adore Riordan's Percy Jackson and Magnus Chase series; the narrators written in first-person point-of-view have amazing voices. Apollo's voice is also amazing, and I think I was smiling and lol-ing throughout much of this book, even through the suspenseful parts.

Deposing Nathan--"Up until he jammed a shard of ceramic in my gut, he was the best friend I ever had"

Title: Deposing Nathan

Author: Zack Smedley


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main characters are bisexual.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Cam and Nate are best friends--that is, until Cam is arrested for stabbing Nate. Cam claims he didn't do it but will not give details. Nate is asked to give a statement, under oath, that will either put his friend in prison and/or expose secrets that he does not want anyone to know.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Holy freakin' cow, y'all. This book would have trapped me in the bathtub if I had started reading it there because I could NOT put it down.

Death Prefers Blondes--"Drag wasn't a disguise or an illusion; it was armor"

Title: Death Prefers Blondes

Author: Caleb Roehrig


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character is bisexual and supporting characters are gay.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Teenage socialite Margo Manning and her four friends have nighttime secret identities: jewel-heisting drag queens.  Margo donates her proceeds to various charities, while her friends pay off their own tuition help their families. But then Margo catches the attention of a more powerful villain, putting her own family and friends at risk. Do they have the skills to survive their most dangerous job yet?


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I'm not a fan of the "spy action" genre: James Bond, Mission Impossible, etc. (except the original Ocean's 11).

I am a fan of drag queens, camp, and Julie Newmar's catsuit, and was excited about this book, but when it started with a heist, I didn't get hooked as fast as I did with Roehrig's other books, and Death Prefers Blondes landed in the TBR pile.


However, I should have read it sooner--it was FABULOUS!

I Wish You All the Best--"Labels can help people find common ground, can help them connect, with themselves and other people."

Title: I Wish You All the Best

Author: Mason Deaver


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character is nonbinary. Another is bisexual.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): When Ben comes out as nonbinary to their parents, they (Ben) are kicked out of the house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband. Ben keeps their gender identity (and anxiety disorder) a secret from the kids at their new school and finds solace in art class. Then, Ben becomes close friends with Nathan. Could their friendship turn into something more? Will Nathan accept Ben as nonbinary?


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Ben's parents' reaction to their child's coming-out is sad, but not uncommon: nonbinary people are often misunderstood even within the LGBTQ+ community.

Ship It--"Maybe I'm not straight or bi or anything. Maybe I'm just me."

Title: Ship It

Author: Britta Lundin


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character is queer. A supporting character is queer and a homoromantic pansexual.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Claire is a sixteen-year-old obsessed with Demon Heart. Her fanfiction shipping the show's two male leads is super popular online. But when Claire questions  lead actor, Forest, about his character being gay, he laughs her off, revealing his homophobia. When the Q&A goes viral, Claire is invited to tour with the show cast to Comic-Cons to help repair the show's now homophobic image. She then meets another fangirl, Tess, and Claire questions her own sexuality.


What I think: First of all, Claire is me in high school. Honestly, Claire is me now--I get obsessed with books, movies, and TV shows. I love cosplay and conventions, and if the Internet had been around when I was a middle-schooler, I would have written countless fanfics, and to quote myself from an earlier review:

I am a geek. Full stop. I can quote from a bunch of fandoms and also have a mind full of useless trivia, about such topics as Sweet Valley High, The Baby-sitters Club, Star Wars original trilogy, The Twilight Zone, Outlander, Muppets, and about a billion middle grades and YA novels and plays.

The Red Scrolls of Magic--"A warrior chosen by angels and a well-dressed demon's child, in love and intent on adventure through Europe. What could go wrong?"

Title: The Red Scrolls of Magic

Authors: Wesley Chu and Cassandra Clare


LGBTQ+ Representation: One main character is gay and the other bisexual. Secondary characters are lesbians and another secondary character is asexual and aromantic.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Now that Valentine is defeated, Magnus is excited to take his boyfriend, Alec, on a trip around the world. However, their plans are interrupted when Magnus discovers that a demon-worshipping cult (which he supposedly founded?) is intent on wreaking havoc throughout the world. With the help of another warlock, Shinyun Jung, Magnus and Alec work together to stop the cult.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I have been waiting for years for this book and was so excited to read it! It did not disappoint.

During the part of Mortal Instruments in which this story is set, I was not a fan of Alec and knew that soon, he and Magnus would [spoiler deleted]. I knew that in order for the story to be true to the series, Alec has to be a bit annoying and immature. However, away from the pressures of the New York Institute, Alec is a bit relaxed and therefore NOT as uptight as he was at this point in the books, and it works beautifully.

So I got to meet Bill Konigsberg!

So I got to meet Bill Konigsberg at the Greensboro Bound 2019 Literary Festival a couple of days ago. I was so excited to hear him talk about The Music of What Happens and answer some audience questions. 

He was taller in person, but everyone seems taller in person for me:

Why thank you, I also think we're adorable.

If you are scratching your head and saying "Who's that?" then for shame. Read the following reviews and then come back to this post:

• The Music of What Happens
• The Porcupine of Truth, Part 1 and Part 2
• Out of the Pocket
• Honestly, Ben
• Openly Straight

I Got Issues: Noteworthy--“It's too simple to hate the people who have doorways where you have walls”

I don't know how to introduce this except that . . . I don't hate these books; parts of them I like very much. So I don't think they belong in a Did Not Finish or Did Not Bring Me Joy post.

However, there are just overall issues that I have with the storylines that . . . well, I'll just talk about each book and you can make up your own minds.

I was going to write about three books in one post, similar to how I wrote the Marie Kondo-inspired one, but I ended up writing so much about this first book, I am now going to make this post the first of a three-part (at least for now) series called I Got Issues.

Title: Noteworthy

Author: Riley Redgate

LGBTQ+ Representation: Bisexual main character, supporting character gay (with off-page m/m relationship), girl/girl kiss.

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Chinese-American Jordan Sun is attending an elite boarding school (on a scholarship) for the performing arts but is tired of never getting cast in any musicals (her low alto voice makes her a tough fit). The Sharpshooters, an all-boys a cappella group, is holding auditions for a tenor, Jordan dresses up as a boy and lands the part. But can she continue to hide her identity in such an elite and competitive group?

Our Own Private Universe--"It's our duty to love everyone, the way God loves everyone. There's no reason why any one group is less deserving of love than any other"

Title: Our Own Private Universe

Author: Robin Talley


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character identifies as bisexual, another main character as bisexual/pansexual/questioning, and minor character identifies as gay. F/F relationship.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Aki is on a Church mission trip in Mexico, when she meets Christa, a girl from a nearby high school, and they fall hard for each other. Aki is thrilled that she can finally do what she is sure other teenagers her age are doing--but what if Christa finds out she doesn't have any experience? Meanwhile, Aki participates in a church debate that enables her to clarify her beliefs and find a new passion.


What I think: In the Acknowledgments, Talley explains that this book is the one she had always wanted to write and wished she'd had as a young-adult reader. I agree 100%--in fact, Our Own Private Universe reminds me of Judy Blume's Forever but with a girl/girl relationship.

Queen of Air and Darkness--"That’s what it means to be human. We lose, we suffer, but we have to keep breathing."

Title: Queen of Air and Darkness

Author: Cassandra Clare


LGBTQ+ Representation: At least 4 (and a couple more implied) bisexual (or sexually fluid or pan) characters; 1 gay male character; 1 lesbian character; trans feminine character; m/m romance; f/f romance; m/m/f romance.


This story is so complicated, has so many characters, and so many plot twists that I found it very difficult to summarize in 75 words, but here ya go:

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): The Clave is a mess, fighting more among each other rather than for the safety of the Shadow World. Emma and Julian are trying to break the Parabatai Curse. The Lightwoods are grieving the death of their father while trying to figure out what is making the warlocks so sick. Ty is obsessed with bringing Livia back (with help from an apprehensive Kit), and the Seelie Queen is hiding someone who could become very powerful.


What I think: I finished Queen of Air and Darkness two days after it came out, so I've been thinking (and processing) everything that happened for over two months now.

I very much enjoyed this book and am a big fan of the series--that being said, I am going to be extremely nit-picky because that is what I do when I really like a book. I'm also going to spoil most all of the big stuff that happens (but not all, probably).