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Spotted the word "blorbo" in The New York Times book review. Listen NYT romance reviewer, I really do not think your paper's audience is going to recognize that one

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book review: thrown off the ice by taylor fitzpatrick

OHHHHH BOY OH HOLY SHIT THIS FUCKING BOOK 15/5 STARS YOU OWN MY HEART NOW

okay so I was not planning to do any actual book reviews on this blog but this one really merits it. more detail under the cut but as a preview: PCS/resulting health issues, hockey romance, my heart was absolutely torn to shreds

Thrown Off the Ice by Taylor Fitzpatrick follows Liam and Mike. They're on the same team, but Liam is a rookie and Mike is a 30 year old enforcer. Their romance starts reluctant and hot and everything you'd expect from a forbidden contemporary romance that you have to keep hidden. Liam is high-energy and likes to push buttons. Mike likes his routine the way it is. Liam is a rising star. Mike is a traditional enforcer and that includes the physical repercussions that come with that role.

I won't go further into dynamic and plot but happy to discuss any potential CW/TW over messages.

holllllyyyyy shit this book just tore my heart out of my body and crumpled it up. I went through a whole travel pack of tissues and a few more. I still loved it so much. It may be hard for me to watch hockey quite the same way after reading this. Tore into me even more after rereading the dedication. Made me think a bit more about people like NolPat and Sid's post winter classic concussion (and so many others tbh. and my own sister.)

This book is part of a larger universe with many different reading orders but this the order I've gone in so far:

You Could Make a Life (published as an ebook on web retailers or available directly from the author in the uncut version [the one i read] here)

Giving In to the Influence (published here on Ao3)

Follow the North Star (published here on Ao3) (this ties in quite heavily with Thrown Off the Ice)

Vinny Gets a Life (published here on Ao3)

Thrown off the Ice (published as an ebook on web retailers or available here directly with a bunch of shorts included)

there are still so many stories in this universe but this is as far as I've gotten so far. if you search "you could make a life reading order" you'll probably get some answers about other ways you can take it

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Guardians of Dawn: Zhara: 3/5 stars

This was overall very sweet! It has a cinderella-type story, with secret magic and societies. The two main characters Zhara and Han are initially drawn together by accident but they later realize they have some secrets in common. I initially was reading an ebook copy but was struggling to get drawn in so I switched to the audiobook. I personally found this experience better (I probably would have dnf’d it if not for this).

I enjoyed the world building and the magic system (and the history behind it). Ultimately I felt the book fell a little short. Zhara and Han both felt a little one-note and jokes about their personalities were used over and over again and each of them came off as younger than their stated ages to me. I think my favorite character ended up being the cat (in all fairness—the cat is definitely more than “just there”; it plays a role). I think this had a great set-up, but just wasn’t there in the execution. Unsure of whether or not I will continue the series.

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finally! a book series that acknowledges three very important truths:

all scientists are weird and a little bit fucked up

if the stressed out sensitive guy in your polycule suddenly develops magical abilities, that's bad probably

if you're gonna start a cult, you do need some eyeliner.

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suggested reading:

very different vibes but House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski and A Deadly Education by Namoi Novik

one thing about me is that i will lose my mind about the personification of the house

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Got my copy of Devout: An Anthology of Angels (edited and featuring @quintonli) last week! I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it so far, I’m not very far in just yet but it’s already been so fun seeing all the different writing styles and creative choices between each of the authors ^^ I especially can’t wait to get to the parts @nicosraf wrote! I’m a huge ABM fan tho so I suppose I’m a bit biased lol

Also, I got my bookmark from @meastudios at a con a year or so back, if anyone is curious ✨

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Great day in the morning, I published a book!

Kit & Basie is officially available out of my hands and into yours!

The book tells the story of an immortal man who falls in love with the tender-hearted fella that buys his house. It's a queer-normative love story in a cozy setting, a little hurt/comfort, and a happy ending!

This book could not have existed without the folks who supported my AWAE fics here on tumblr and over on ao3. It's been a while since I wrote about shirbert, but it was exploring Avonlea that really taught me to write. Thanks everyone 💛

You can find Kit & Basie here, wherever books are sold, or on Kindle Unlimited!

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for the biters.

We're solving mysteries in all of these, but if you want cozy I recommend How To Bite Your Neighbor and Win a Wager, and Lore and Lust. The rest are a shade darker, and they're all set in the modern world. And yes, they're all spicy.

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The Sun and the Void by  Gabriela Romero Lacruz: 3.5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for an e-ARC of this book!

My rating: 3.5 stars

The Sun and the Void has a rich and well developed magic system and world-structure. It took my time with this one, especially in the fist half. Even though with the help of the glossary I felt I was able to understand how the magic worked fairly early, it took me much longer to understand the extent of the social and political structures. 

The pace definitely picks up in the second half, and even more so in the last quarter, but there were unfortunately a few times in the beginning that I considered putting it down due to the “information” to “plot advancing” ratio (it felt much more weighted on just “information” in the beginning). 

The characters were complex and I liked that it took some effort to really like them—they are all far from perfect and moral people in a way that felt very real. I didn’t dislike her writing style, but I also wasn’t very drawn in by it either. The story was good, it just felt dense at times.

For the overall plot and story: I really liked it; I loved getting to learn more about Venezuelan folklore and history through a fantasy setting, I loved having a sapphic main character (& am excited to see where some romance develops), and the magic system was super cool. I loved the ending and am excited to see where the story goes from here. 

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I’m not even ashamed of it I am high key obsessed with my local library

I feel like public libraries don’t get enough hype. Like, you’re telling me all I have to do is give you my name and address and promise to bring the books back and I’m allowed to take as many as i want??? And I can check them out over and over again if I need to??? And I only pay if I damage or lose the book???? If this is where my tax money is going then please keep on taxing.

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my excitement for this book is literally unmeasurable !! ❣️❣️❣️

The cover reveal and official release day announcement for THE FOX AND THE DRYAD, my next mm contemporary fantasy-romance, is coming in DECEMBER! 🦊🩰❄️❄️❄️

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Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales: 5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so fun, fast-paced, and engaging that it was so hard for me to slow down and take the notes I usually do when reading a review copy. This is exactly the type of book I’m looking for when I want a YA rom com.

The set up: Maya and Skye are eighteen year-old rival contestants on the new dating show “Second Chance Romance” where they are competing to win back their ex, Jordy, but are they there for the right reasons?!! (*insert studio gasping sound here*) 

Skye may be there to actually rekindle the love between her and Jordy, but Maya is there for revenge, and hopes to expose him for the kind of person he is while on the show. With the forced proximity between our two main girls, hijinks ensue, past timelines are compared, and maybe some sparks fly along the way? (wink wink nudge nudge)

I absolutely adored this book and had an absolute blast while reading it. The reality TV bits were delightfully cringy, and the romance was one I could fully believe in and was rooting for by midway through the book.

As with all of her other books that I have read (Only Mostly Devastated, Perfect on Paper, and If This Gets Out), Sophie Gonzales wrote another absolutely wonderful YA queer romance. I look forward to rereading this at some point in the future. 

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Review of My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth: 3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Holiday House for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

My Mechanical Romance is a YA contemporary romance that follows high school seniors Bel and Teo after Bel transfers schools and joins the robotics team. Teo is an only child, star student and captain of the robotics team; Bel is the youngest of three, smart, has good building sense, and a little directionless at the start of the book. While told in dual POV (which I love seeing and wish was more common!), I felt that we were following Bel’s story more than their story. 

I do wish we had gotten to see more the bots in action and would have liked to know more about the technicals or mechanics of the actual building of the bots. This is one thing I personally look for when a romance or rom com has a more niche topic featured. Since the story had more of a focus on Bel we also saw how she handled being a young woman exploring a STEM field. I thought this was handled very well, especially because it could have been so easy to fall into a “not like other girls” rhetoric. I appreciated getting to see how Teo thought of Bel and how people treated her, as well as how Bel was experiencing things firsthand. 

Storytelling-wise, I found the narrative a bit repetitive and slow at times, and I had a few issues with how close Bel and her friends seemed to become in such a short period of time. In contrast, the way the teenage characters spoke with each other felt very natural, which is not always a given in YA contemporary stories. 

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Review of Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White: 5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Pub date: June 7, 2022

Rating: 5/5 stars

I had so much fun reading this book and ultimately that is what I ask for from YA books. This passed with flying colors. It's dark, gritty, fast-paced, has vengeance and tons of queer rage, and does not hold back. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy (shout out to the cover illustrator Evangeline Gallagher for an absolutely stunning cover that fits so well with the story).

Hell Followed with Us starts fast and gets you right into the action. We are ultimately following 16 year-old Benji's story, with the support from a few chapters sprinkled in from other characters' points of view. This story takes place in the US after a post-apocalyptic level event. Benji is on the run and is found by a group of queer teens who are holding out against the fundamentalist religious cult that has pretty much taken over (with this group, there are some allusions to community organizing that really warmed my heart).

I loved how immersive this book was—there are epigraphs at the start of each chapter that both support that chapter thematically, but also act as a world building tool. I feel like you really learn a lot about the "past" from them. There are also sections of prose that feel lyrical in the way that bible verses are (there are also bible verses sprinkled throughout the book). At first, I just enjoyed this for the rhythm and cadence of it, but then I realized how brilliant it is in terms of world building. After learning more about the characters and their world, it would make less sense if Benji *didn’t* talk or think using this cadence and wording some of the time.

I saw that the author posted on twitter describing the book as a "gory, disgusting mess of a book about trans monsters, fundamentalist extremism, and hyperviolent queer rage." I found this description to be very fitting in the best way.

This is not for the faint of heart, and I highly recommend reading the more thorough list of content warnings on the author's website. I would recommend this for mid to upper YA readers and older.

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Tiny griddlehark

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Review of Omen’s Bite by PC Cast and Kristin Cast: 1.5/5 stars

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: April 5, 2022

Rating: 1.5/5 stars (rounded up to 2 on Goodreads)

Omen’s Bite follows teen twin witches Hunter and Mercy Goode as they continue their task of healing the trees that protect their hometown of Goodeville, IL while navigating their strained relationship following the events of Spells Trouble. Years ago, I read the House of Night series by PC Cast and Kristin Cast and enjoyed it, so I went into the Sisters of Salem series hopeful, but I was ultimately underwhelmed. I am, admittedly, not the target audience, but I also had a difficult time figuring out what age group this series was written for. Based on the dialogue and prose alone, I would have guessed that this series was for the younger side of YA, maybe as a branch between middle grade and YA, but given the detailed sex scene in the first book, this doesn’t track (thankfully there was no such scene in book 2, a great improvement). Another improvement from Spells Trouble is that Hunter and Mercy felt more flushed out and distinct from each other as characters. I found the dialogue to be stiff and lacking; it doesn’t feel like how real people talk. I also do not care for Xena, the familiar who became the twins’ de facto guardian in Spells Trouble. The fact that she is a cat is overplayed while she is in human form and any instance of her (no spoilers as these happened in book one as well) asking for cream or tuna, complaining about having to wear clothes, or lamenting about having to act human to feel like filler and don't add much to the story. I think this is indicative of the book's overall issue with pacing: everything felt drawn out and relayed so matter-of-factly that it came off as underwhelming and not engaging. I found I had to push myself to continue reading it. If it weren’t reading a review copy, I probably would have DNF’d around 30% in, but I wanted to make sure I gave it a fair chance for a review by completing it. The book picks up around the 70% mark, but this was a bit late into the story to hold my attention. The overall story arc is interesting, but ultimately felt repetitive and predictable.