Pages

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Review: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe


 

I picked this book up during the Trans Rights Readathon. I do have a Youtube video where I talk about it and my own experience with gender, so be sure to check that out if you're interested. 

This is a graphic memoir of Maia Kobabe's life as e learns about eir identity. E details realizing e didn't feel like a girl (which was eir assigned at birth gender). E felt like eir body wasn't right, e didn't understand what e was supposed to about eir body. It's really a journey of this doesn't work, this doesn't work, this doesn't work until e figured out what e wanted to identify with. Finding the right pronouns (e/em/eir). Coming out to people, especially at a time when there was a lack of knowledge about gender-nonconforming people. Coming out to people who viewed being transgender or nonbinary as misogyny. Trying out things sexually and relationship-wise and realizing it didn't work. Eventually realizing what made em most comfortable. 

I think for me, as I talk about in my Youtube video, it resonates a lot as a person who's always struggled with gender identity. I think reading this really helped me to realize that I need to stop trying to fit perfectly into every identity I think is right for me. I don't fit into woman perfectly, I don't fit into nonbinary perfectly, I don't fit into asexuality perfectly. I'm coming to realize that, that's okay and it's okay not to define myself. 

I think that this is a great book for people who want to know more about the experience of trans and nonbinary people (from one person's perspective, of course, this isn't the experience of every trans and nonbinary person). I also think it's a great read if you are someone who is questioning your own gender and maybe questioning asexuality. I think that reading this will help you to work through that a little bit as you think about what Kobabe writes. 

There are some heavy content warnings in this book. There is gender dysphoria, medical trauma (it's more about Maia's genital dysphoria and how that makes em unable to get a gynecological exam), sexual content, and more. There is also the mention of Harry Potter houses so if that is something that makes you uncomfortable (because JK Rowling is a bigot who hates trans people), then just be aware of that. For a better list of content warnings, check out StoryGraph for a list from both the author and other readers. 

If you're interested in purchasing the book, you can help me out as well as not supporting Amazon and instead, supporting local bookstores by buying the book on Bookshop.org

As always, happy reading, and I will see you soon. 

Friday, May 19, 2023

Review: Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick


 I received this book from Simon & Schuster as a part of their book club favorites program. 

Forget Me Not is the story of two young women who have made plans to leave their closed-minded hometown and move to California to be together. Just before they're about to move, Stevie (our point of view character) visits Nora on her farm and has an accident. Stevie wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the past two years. No memory of Nora or coming out. Stevie has to figure out life with no memories in an older body. She finds that things aren't as they were two years ago. She doesn't hang out with her friends, she doesn't hang out with her mom, and her dad is mostly uninterested in talking to her. To relieve some of the pressure of remembering, she hangs out with Nora, who she believes she doesn't have a past with. As the two spend more time together, Stevie starts to feel things she hadn't felt before. 

This was a great coming-of-age story that I really enjoyed reading. The love was very sweet, but it was really about Stevie finding herself again. The small town they live in is reminiscent of the small towns I've lived in, where people grow up to be closed-minded. I think many queer people and people of color have had experiences like Stevie's where their friends are much more open-minded when they're younger but grow up to be just as awful as their parents. I read this book in two days. I was absolutely in love with it from the first few pages. The author actually co-wrote another book with her wife recently. 

I highly recommend this book to everyone, but especially to queer people and people who are struggling with their own identity. Despite a lot of the harder stuff, it really is a feel-good read. I was sobbing by the end of it (in a good way). As far as content warnings are concerned, there is homophobia, xenophobia, Asian hate, mild sexual content, bodily injury, memory loss, and more. Please check out StoryGraph for a full list of content warnings as provided by other readers. 

As always, happy reading! 

Monday, May 15, 2023

Review: Angels Before Man by rafael nicolás


Let me tell y'all one thing from the start, the description of this book on Amazon was very misleading. I was not prepared for the way this book took me and broke me. Before I talk about this book, I'm going to give a content warning that this can bring up some religious trauma. Please be kind to yourself when choosing to read this review and this book. Also, if you're religious, this book may be offensive to you, so again, this may be a review you want to skip. Also, I can't talk about this book without SPOILERS so I apologize in advance. 

Let's set the scene. I'm scrolling through Instagram and see one of my mutuals posting this book with its lovely cover. I hear the description. It sounds like something I'd enjoy. I hop on over to the Kindle app and borrow it from Kindle Unlimited. At first, this book is making me sob because it's so sweet. I'm waiting for the bad stuff to happen, knowing it will come, but not expecting it to be as bad as it got in the book. Then very quickly, everything went downhill. It changed from sweet to very traumatic: gore, violence, etc. I'm shocked because I was not expecting this at all, but I'm so invested in the book that I can't just stop reading it. This book taught me that I can read with tears gushing out of my eyes. I just keep reading even though it hurts so bad. It's so beautifully written, though, and I'm like, yes, please hurt me more. I finish it, and I'm wrecked. I'm sobbing. I can't even think about it without crying. I keep trying to record a video or even simple stuff, but again, I'm crying. I read the highlighted quotes, crying. After I stopped crying, though, I felt so good. I loved this book. I really needed the emotional damage it provided me. Writing this, I want to go read it again. I need like 600 paperback copies. I'm ready to write English papers on this book. This is probably one of my favorite books ever. 

So what was this beautifully painful book I read about? It's a retelling of Lucifer's fall from grace. In this, he falls in love with Michael, and that causes his fall from grace. That's essentially the description on Amazon. That makes it seem like it's this heartbreaking story about falling in love being someone's downfall which it is. However, it leaves out the important details. 

The book starts with Lucifer's coming into consciousness. We, as the reader, get to watch him discover everything for the first time. We get to see as he sees that he is painfully beautiful. We see as he realizes his purpose. We see him build friendships. We see how shy he is. We see how entirely devoted to God he is. And we see when he and Michael first meet. Their relationship is so sweet and tender. And although God says that angels are made whole and don't need another angel to fulfill them, the angels all seem to have someone that compliments them. For Lucifer and Michael, it's each other. But in his love, Michael teaches Lucifer something that really changes him, pride. 

(Spoilers start here)

We see as Lucifer becomes more prideful and more devoted to Michael, he is punished by God. And slowly, Lucifer changes and does these horrible things. Michael loves Lucifer dearly and is blind to his behavior. Lucifer becomes emboldened by his punishments. He begins to create an act reserved solely for God. He changes from the sweet, devoted person he was into this cruel, vain being. He was resistant to it at first, but he gives in when God tells him he is the evil within himself. Lucifer decides he must replace God, and in order to do so, he must pull all the other angels down with him. He begins creating acts of great violence, he teaches the angels sex, and he teaches them to lie. And Michael, in his love for Lucifer, believes that he can be redeemed even when he has done unforgivable things. 

Lucifer begs Michael to rule with him, to be by his side. And throughout his downfall, he keeps thinking, "I waited for your touch to save me." But Michael denies him, and Lucifer wonders if he imagined all the things he saw in Michael if he was just looking at himself reflected onto Michael. Still, he doesn't give up hope that Michael will choose him above God if it comes down to it, and it does. God commands Michael to take Lucifer down, and Michael pleads with Lucifer again to stop, to take it all back, and to repent. Lucifer won't, and he asks Michael if he loved him. And Michael delivers to of the lines that hit me so deep within me. First, '"You've spoiled me dirty, ruined me."' And second, the one that really broke me, '"You're everything to me, the stars and the moons, the heat and the cold, the earth and the seeds, the waters and the flowers, but you are not God."' And I don't know why that hit me so hard. Perhaps because I, too, feel that there are things more important, bigger than an all-encompassing love. I believe that what is right matters more than who I love.  And I do not believe in the strict rules of sin, but I do believe that kindness is my god. Lucifer lost kindness, lost rightness, lost God in his fall from grace, and that was not a path that Michael could follow. 

(Spoilers done) 

I could write and speak forever in this book. It has impacted me in ways that there are no words to explain. This book broke me in ways that healed me. I loved this book. It is beautifully written, I hope to write something half as beautifully as this. And I don't reread books, but I think I'll reread this one, and I think it'll impact me as if I were reading it for the first time. 

I'm not sure I can say I recommend this book. I feel that Tiktok sound of you don't have to like it because it was made for me. I don't know that it would impact others in the way it impacted me. I don't know that others will find it as beautiful as I did. I don't know that the hurt won't be too much. I love this book with my whole heart. 

As far as content warnings are concerned, this book is very dark. It contains extreme gore, murder, torture, sexual content (not really consensual), religious trauma, and more. StoryGraph has an extremely long list of content warnings as provided by other readers. Please check out the content warnings, this book is intense. I didn't before I read it, and I was not prepared. Did I learn my lesson? Will I now be looking at content warnings? Probably not. Most of the time, I don't even know what the book I'm going to read is about. I'm very irresponsible with my mental health. Don't be like me. 

You can get this book as a part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription. 

Happy reading! 

Monday, May 1, 2023

Review: The Blessed and the Cursed by Jade Musto


 I reviewed this book for Reedsy Discovery.

A forbidden romance between two young men who've loved each other for years. One, the prince, is dependent on the other, the nature blessed. Blossom is a man with rare powers that allow him to harness the powers of all nature's deities. Asher is the prince, but he was born with a death mark that only Blossom can heal. The two have been in love for years, but something keeps Blossom from acting on it. As the two's feelings grow and Blossom's secrets emerge, they find that Blossom might not be the only one hiding things.


This book was very easy to like. The romance is lovely and tender and drew me in right away. Blossom's secrets are kept from the reader for a long time, making them more interesting as they begin to piece together. I found the character's to be well-developed and unique. What I liked most was the magic system established in this book. The sun, moon, earth, fire, or water deities bless can the characters. These blessings give the people that are able to receive them abilities related to the blessing. Only Blossom has the ability to be blessed by all deities. Despite some of the more intense content in the book, it was a cozy read for me. The world sounds beautiful, and the characters seem like good friends. Musto did a great job balancing character growth, world-building, magic system creation, and the story. I also really appreciated the LGBTQIA+ characters in the story. In this world, they seem commonplace with same-gender partners and people who use they/them pronouns.


I recommend this book for LGBTQIA+, fantasy, and romance lovers. I found the balance between romance and fantasy to be well-maintained. A nature lover will likely also enjoy the aspect of nature powers. I think this is a book to check out. I enjoyed reading it. There are some content warnings to be aware of, and I will list some here. There are descriptions of physical abuse, sexual assault, bodily injury, and sexual content (mild). Overall, this was a great read, and I can't wait to see what else Musto puts out.


You can use my Bookshop.org to order the book. This will help support indie bookstores, and I get a portion of the sale. 


As always, happy reading! 

Monday, April 24, 2023

Review: Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

 


I read this book as a part of the trans rights readathon but had wanted to read it for a very long time. 

Manhunt is a horror novel that takes place in a post-apocalyptic version of the US, specifically the Northeast. The world has fallen apart due to a disease that causes anyone with higher testosterone levels to turn into animalistic monsters. This means that most men, transwomen not on estrogen, and other people with conditions causing higher testosterone levels have become these monsters. The story follows Fran and Beth, two transwomen who have to hunt these men and remove their testicles and other organs to keep their testosterone levels low enough to remain themselves. 

As if ravaging monsters that rape and eat people wasn't enough, terfs (trans-exclusive radical feminists) have decided to make it their duty to eradicate transwomen. Fran, Beth, and any other transwomen have to live in fear and caution to avoid being left to turn into a beast by the terf army. There's also Robbie, a transman living alone in the woods, killing off the men he can. Until his path collides with Fran and Beth, and he gets swept up into their lives. And there's also Indi, a doctor, a friend to Beth and Fran, and a fat woman. Even in the apocalypse, Indi always has to prove her worth and ability as a fat person to everyone else. Even as a doctor who makes estrogen, she isn't respected outside her friend group. 

This book is a lot. It's gruesome and violent from the get-go. Sexual intimacy is twisted by the backdrop of a dangerous world. The friendships and loves are desperate. The anti-trans sentiment is difficult to deal with when the world has ended. This is a great exploration of the possible extent that transphobes could go. It's an exploration of what it means to win. It is an exploration of what it means to be good in a world where goodness doesn't exist. 

It was everything I had hoped for and so much more. I was disturbed, heartbroken, and frightened. This is not a story for the faint of heart. It's not a story for everyone, and that's okay. This book's content warnings list is extremely long, but I will list the most notable. Transphobia is heavy in this book as well as violence, graphic injury, sexual assault, body horror, fatphobia, self-harm, and more. Please, please check out StoryGraph for a full list of these possible content warnings. For a book like this, it is essential to be aware of what you're getting into and make sure you have the emotional space to consume the content. Please be safe and kind to yourself when reading. 

Despite the intense nature of this book, it is still one I highly recommend. If you are a horror fan or enjoy queer literature, you should consider checking this book out. 

If you'd like to purchase this book, head over to Bookshop.org, an alternative to Amazon and where I get a portion of the sales made from my recommendations. 

As always, happy reading! 

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Update!

For any lovers of my writing, I have a story up on Kindle Vella now. The first two episodes are available now, and another is scheduled to release on Friday. The first three episodes of Kindle Vella stories are completely free. The fourth episode will release Monday, 4/24/23. 

I would very much appreciate you trying it out and maybe even giving it a like. Writing is a big passion of mine, and I'm hoping to break into the field. 

Happy reading!

Monday, April 17, 2023

Review: Blood of the Orc Prince by Lionel Hart


 

This is the book that follows Claimed by the Orc Prince. There will be spoilers for the first book so if you don't want those, go ahead and skip this post. 

In this book, we are still following Zorvut and Taegan. However, now war has broken out between the Elves and Orcs. Zorvut wants to find his human father to see if he can train him to properly use his magic. The couple ventures out of the Elven kingdom and embark on a long journey to a port town where Zorvut's father lives. As Zorvut is learning magic, Taegan feels a strain on their relationship forming. He's worried and homesick which leads him to do something very stupid. 

I didn't like this book as much as I liked the first one. I still really like the relationship between Zorvut and Taegan, but this book dragged on. There wasn't as much plot/action until the very end of the book. It was a lot of Taegan talking about how lonely he was and Zorvut doing magic. With that being said, I still like this book and am planning on reading the last book in the series. 

I suspect that the last book will pick up on the plot and adventure given where this one left off. I'm excited to see what happens to this couple and finish their journey with them. I think I will also try some of Lionel Hart's other works because I did enjoy these books. 

For content warnings, this book does contain adult sexual content (there's not a ton of it in it, but it is pretty spicy), there is bodily harm, and more. StoryGraph doesn't have very many content warnings, but I do always recommend checking there before reading. 

If you would like to purchase this book and contribute to my reviews, you can purchase it from Bookshop.org where I get a percentage of your purchase. 

As always, happy reading and I will see you soon with more reviews. 

Friday, April 14, 2023

Review: Claimed by the Orc Prince by Lionel Hart

 


As a part of the Trans Rights Readathon I participated in at the end of March, I read this book and the second one. The author of this book is a transman. I believe he has three series all of which are men together. This book does not contain a transgender character, but I believe one of his other books does have a trans main character. 

This story follows an elven prince, Taegan, who is arranged to marry an orc prince, Zorvut. Taegan is apprehensive about this because he's been raised to believe he'd fight orcs one day, but now he's marrying one in order to establish peace between their species. Another issue is that Taegan has a lover who is very upset about this arrangement and unwilling to listen to Taegan and step back. 

Taegan and Zorvut get married and begin their life together. There's a lot of awkwardness at first and miscommunication. However, the two begin to grow closer to one another. They begin to engage in intimate relations (spice level I would say is moderate to high). They bond increasingly and realize that they are different from what they expected. 

Of course, as they are falling for each other, issues come up that threaten to pull them apart. 

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the fantasy elements in it. I really loved the sweetness of the relationship between the two as they grow closer (that's not a spoiler, this is a romance, that's what happens in romances). I feel like it's a very sweet, cozy romance. Although the ending does get a bit more intense. 

For content warnings, I would say sexual content, violence, discrimination based on fantasy species, and more. Be sure to check out StoryGraph for a full list of possible content warnings as provided by other readers. This book is available as of writing this on Kindle Unlimited as well as the other books in the series. 

If you'd like to purchase this book, you can do so and support me as well as a company that is not Amazon by buying it from Bookshop.org

As always, happy reading, and I will see y'all soon as I catch up on my backlog of book reviews. 


Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Review: Woman of the Year by Darcey Bell


 

Due to FTC regulations, I do have to disclose that I received this book from Simon & Schuster for free as a part of their Book Club Favorites program. I appreciate their sending me this book so I could read and review it for y'all. 

Some of y'all may already be familiar with Darcey Bell's work. Her book A Simple Favor was turned into a movie in 2018 starring Blake Lively and Ann Kendrick. I had not read this book or watched the movie prior to reading Woman of the Year. 

What intrigued me about this book was the description of a "crazy" cat lady bent on revenge going after a former college friend who received the Woman of the Year award. I was not expecting the wild ride this book took me on. 

This book follows Lorelei, a former psychology student, and current unemployed cat parent. We start with Lorelei after the events of her story have already occurred and follow along with her journey. The entire time I was reading this book, I couldn't figure out if I liked it. To be completely honest, I'm still not sure. I read it very quickly so it wasn't horrible. It was just strange and parts of it were way more interesting than others. In this book, Lorelei talks about the death of her former friend Holly who won the Woman of the Year award, but she didn't kill her (she says). She then jumps back and forth between the present and her college days as she explains why she had this hatred for her former friend. 

Lorelei had a relationship with a professor which she says led to her falling out with Holly and her eventual departure from college right before her last semester. I found the story of her college experience to be far more interesting than the rest of the book and in fact, would've much preferred that had been the focus of the story. It reminded me somewhat of My Dark Vanessa (another book I read and reviewed on the blog) which is a book that jumps between past and present detailing the inappropriate relationship a high school girl had with her teacher. The vibes were somewhat similar although Lorelei was an adult at the time of her relationship with her teacher. 

I won't give spoilers, but I will say that Lorelei believes her professor and Holly conspired against her and did something awful. However, it is very unclear if Holly actually participated in the act Lorelei believes she participated in. It's also unclear if Lorelei is actually a reliable narrator or if her mind has been too twisted by delusions to tell the real story. 

When I read the description, I thought the part about her cat would be something cute, but it seemed to take up way more of the book than I would have liked. Her only personality traits were her cat and wanting revenge which made her a very boring character. 

I will say this, the book was entertaining. The twist was unexpected which is what we want in a thriller. There were things that were said that made me a little uncomfortable and had me researching if the author had gotten in trouble for problematic behavior prior (as far as I can tell she hasn't). I think if you want a quick read that doesn't require too much thinking and you're okay with most of your questions being unanswered, this is a fun read. 

There are content warnings present in this book such as adult sexual content, mentions of sexual assault, mentions of animal abuse, mentions of immoral psychological experimentation, and more. As always, check out StoryGraph for a better list of content warnings as provided by other readers. 

Again if you use my Bookshop.org link to purchase this book, I do get a percentage of the sale. 

As always, happy reading, and I will see y'all soon. 

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Review: That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming


 

This is yet another Kimberly Lemming book. Check out my review of That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon if you haven't already. 

In this book, Cinnamon's friend Brie finds herself getting unwanted advances from her neighbor and when he attempts to get her with a love potion, she accidentally throws it at Felix, the werewolf. Felix instantly falls in love with Brie thanks to the potion and declares she's his fated mate. The main problem is that the love potion is likely why he feels this way and they tend to do serious damage to the person who takes it. 

Felix is all over Brie, entering her home (kind of uninvited), and obsessing over her. Brie on the other hand finds herself starting to fall for Felix, but needing to break this love potion, she consults with her friends on how to break the curse. In their efforts to remove the spell, things get a little hot and heavy and a tentacle monster is accidentally summoned. As things get more complicated between the two of them, women are going missing in the village as well and it's up to them and their friends to figure out what is going on. 

Lemming is a hilariously funny writer. Her characters are relatable, her fantasy is interesting, and her sexy scenes are spicy. I found myself highlighting way more quotes in this book than I did in the last one as I laughed uncontrollably throughout the read. 

This book does contain adult content, bodily harm, kidnapping, and more. Please check StoryGraph for a full list of possible content warnings as provided by other readers. 

As always, happy reading. 


Thursday, April 6, 2023

Review: The Death God's Sacrifice by Jenny Nordbak

 


I recieved this book with a Kickstarted I bought back in October. It's the Peculiar Tastes Kickstarter that Bonkers Romance did. If you'd like to see a video of the books and art I received, an unboxing video is available on my Youtube channel. 

This is the first Jenny Nordbak book I've read and I absolutely loved it. We follow Stheno, older sister of Medusa, and monster slayer. She has been tasked with killing a druid in order to save her younger sister from Medusa's killer Perseus. Stheno agrees to be a sacrifice to the druid, but is drugged with and aphrodesiac powder. She and the druid engage in adult relations before she is able to kill him. She fails her task because of this, but manages to turn him to stone and run off to try to save her sister. On her way back, she finds Perseus who of course fights her. But then the druid isn't as dead as she thought. He fights Perseus and returns Stheno to his home. He makes a deal with Perseus to get Stheno's sister back but it means she and the druid will be staying with each other for the next two days. 

As the two spend more time together, Stheno has to decide if she's going to let this man in. She's attracted to him, he's kind, but can she really let herself weaken for a man? 

I really enjoyed this book. I liked Stheno's badass character traits and feirce love for her sisters. The druid's Scottish accent was delicious as well and his protective characteristics very sweet. I enjoyed the story building and mythology present in this book as well. It was a very quick read for me, I finished over 50% of it in a day and the rest I finished the day after. If you're looking for something, quick, spicy, and interesting, I'd recommend this book to you. 

As always I would recommend checking content warnings before reading. Content warnings include but are not limited to murder, violence, blood, adult intimate relations, and more. I recommend checking out StoryGraph for a full list of content warnings as provided by other readers. 

Happy reading and I will see you soon. 

Review: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

  I picked this book up during the Trans Rights Readathon. I do have a  Youtube video  where I talk about it and my own experience with gend...