Trans Rights Readathon

 

I am so excited to say I read five books for the #TransRightsReadathon! It has given me much hope and energy to see the bookish community come together to read for a good cause. Trans rights are on the line right now. 

For those of you who don't know, I'm from Texas and today the Texas House Public Health Committee is hearing House Bill 1686. HB 1686 is a bill that will prevent transgender youth from accessing the gender-affirming healthcare they need. For those who don't understand what it means to be trans, this may not seem like a big deal, but it is deadly. The likelihood that this will lead to an increase in trans youth being susceptible to people who would harm them as well as trans youth suicide rates increasing in Texas is high. 

Because I am a Texan, a queer Texan, I decided that I would donate $5 per book I read for this readathon to the Transgender Education Network of Texas (click "Support our work" to donate). I would very much appreciate those who would consider making similar donations to TENT or other Texas organizations dedicated to fighting for trans people. If you are looking for other ways to help fight HB 1686, you can attend the rally at the Capital at 1pm today. You can call the Committee Chairperson: Representative Stephanie Klick at (512)-463-0599. You can use this link to email committee members. You can also drop a card (instructions for dropping a card). (Information thanks to Texas Freedom Network)

Together we can fight unjust laws from being passed in our communities, states, and country. It is our job to stand up when injustice persists. Please remember that although my focus, in this case, was on the trans rights of Texans being threatened, anti-trans bills exist across the country. Furthermore, a plethora of bills fueled by hate for marginalized communities are being debated and in some cases put into place across the country. We must be vigilant. We have seen that when laws are filled with hate and fear of marginalized people, atrocities take place. 

I highly recommend staying on top of threats to our civil liberties by keeping track of the issues the ACLU is fighting and reporting on. Remember that it is far easier and far less energy-consuming to love others than to hate them. 

Review: I'm in Love With Mothman by Paige Lavoie

 

I've been excited about this book since I first heard about it on Booktok. Mothman, a queer icon plus romance? Yes, please. As many people know, Mothman is a cryptid with its own statue in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. A statue that I have not seen personally, but I hear has a nice butt. Mothman has captured the hearts of many a queer and many a monster lover. People just really want to get with Mothman and obviously, I'm here for it. 

Heather is a social media influencer, but not just any influencer, she's a mommy blog baby grown up and turned influencer. She's spent the entirety of her life behind or in front of the camera, documenting every bad hair day, breakfast, and break up. Influencing seems like the dream job. You can work from home, you get to do fun things for a living, you get lots of free stuff, and love from fans. However, Heather is exhausted from sharing every detail of her life. She finally decides enough is enough and impulsively buys a cabin in the middle of the woods and moves to it. 

Heather is a city girl and doesn't really know herself outside influencing, but now she's determined to figure it out. She makes some small-town friends and begins to feel more confident about her decision. Of course, she then makes the ridiculous choice to climb a tree. And when I say climb a tree I don't mean one or two branches, this girl decides to climb to the top of a tree. In a skirt and stylish boots. (I wish I could say that this isn't something I would do, but as a once tree climber and a stubborn person, I know I'd probably at least try to do the same). Once she climbs the tree, there's no getting down, so she plummets. Lucky for her, a mysterious forest monster saves her from death. 

Later when the same forest monster winds up hurt on her property, she brings him in to nurse him back to health. As she grows closer to him, there's only one problem, one of her friends is a monster hunter and he's determined to get her monster. 

This book was a great balance of silly, emotional, romantic, and cottage core. I liked the characters, except for Chris, we hate Chris. It's a good representation of a mid-size or possibly plus-size character (it's not specified) and a person with a chronic illness (thyroid issues). Mothman is a lovable yet strange character and honestly, I want to be him. 

This book does contain adult content but it is pretty tame compared to a lot of the other books I read. It's descriptive of adult intimacy but in a more vague way. Content warnings for this book include but are not limited to adult sexual content, gun use, injury, discussion of self-images and body image issues, and more. As always I turn my readers towards Storygraph for a list of content warnings as provided by other readers. 

I would love it if you'd purchase this book on my Bookshop.org page. This allows me to get a percentage of the profit from your purchase of the book and it is a great alternative to Amazon. As always happy reading and I will see y'all soon. 

Review: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

I've been meaning to read this book for quite some time, but I finally got around to it with a mutual's Monster Mash March idea. 

When I started this book, I knew from the first sentence I was going to enjoy it. Being drunk, looking for cheese, and trying to stumble home, now that's my kind of heroine. Cinnamon wanted a simple life living on her family's spice farm and enjoying their company, but life had other plans for her. On her stumble home, she finds a man in need of help but when she helps him he jumps up and chases her. Realizing she's just helped a demon, she knows her life is in danger. Her only hope is to run through the cinnamon maze and hope she gets to her parent's house in time. Luckily, she does and she barricades herself inside the house. This of course gets her teased by her family but better teased than killed by a demon. 

They don't believe a demon has chased her, but as they're eating breakfast he pops his horned head in through the window. He explains that their Goddess is who she says she is and he needs Cinnamon's help to get rid of her. With the threat of her family being in danger, Cinnamon agrees to help this demon man, Fallon. The two set off on a quest, but when it's finished, Cinnamon explains it'll take more to get rid of the false Goddess and Fallon tells her she has to come with him for the entire journey. Close proximity to a hot demon does things to Cinnamon's head and as they journey together she is unable to pretend she's not attracted to him. The two meet more friends along the way and the story gets more fantastical. 

I absolutely loved the world in this book as well as the fantastical elements of different kinds of demons (shifters, centaurs, etc). Lemming writes in a way that is funny and relatable. Her characters are the realistic side of a hero's journey, specifically Cinnamon, the hero that just wants to get back to her life. I found myself laughing out loud, gasping, and getting those schoolgirl feelings. For me, this book was basically reading happiness. If I could read only it and do nothing else, I'm pretty sure all my problems would be cured. 

I'm excited to read the second book as well as the third one when it comes out later this year. Lemming is a fantastic writer and very quickly managed to get into my top three favorite authors list. (It's Katee Robert, Kimberly Lemming, and Elle Marr for those of you interested).  If you want something adventurous, fun, and sexy, I highly recommend checking this book out. 

This book contains adult content, so you should be aware of it before reading it. For content warnings, I would say violence, drinking, intimate adult relations, and more. As always I point my readers toward StoryGraph for a full list of possible content warnings. 

This book is available currently on Kindle Unlimited and can be bought on Bookshop.org where I have an affiliate code. 

Happy reading and I'll see y'all soon with more reviews. 

Trans Rights Readathon

 As many people know, the transgender community is currently under threat in most US states. There are hundreds of anti-trans bills that the community is trying to combat. The bookish community has decided to rally together and do what we can to make a difference for transgender, nonbinary, and other gender-nonconforming individuals. From March 20th to March 27th, participating readers will read books by trans authors. In addition to this, it is a readathon so we will be donating to transgender organizations. Each participant is able to choose their own organization but some big ones would be the National Center for Transgender Equality, the Transgender Law Center, the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Trans Youth Equality Foundation, and more. Many participants are choosing to donate to organizations in their home states or cities. 

I have decided to support the Transgender Education Network of Texas and will be donating $5 for each finished book between the 20th to the 27th. I have also made a few purchases of books by transgender authors to help the community in that way. I am asking that my family, friends, and followers participate in the reading challenge or if possible contribute a monetary donation to a transgender rights organization. Together we can make a change for people in our communities. 

For me, this issue hits home. I have many trans and nonbinary friends and family members and identify as a gender-nonconforming person myself. Many trans people are going to be able to move out of unsafe states but many more will not be able to. Furthermore, if the country continues down the path it is going I fear that transgender rights will be threatened across the nation. We can not be quiet when marginalized members of our community are attacked. Everyone deserves to be able to live and present in their body in a way that makes them most comfortable. 

In my home state of Texas, the situation is particularly dire. Transgender children are already being denied affirmative care and parents who attempt to provide them with it are being investigated by Child Protective Services. It is likely that adults will face a loss of access to affirmative care in the near future. Transgender people are already killed at high rates in the state of Texas and the "Gay Panic" law remains in place allowing people to get away with murdering or attacking LGBTQIA+ individuals if they believe they are threatened by them. Black trans women are killed at high rates in the state of Texas. We have a lively queer community in the state, but with more rights under attack, that community is likely to dwindle. 

I hope you will consider reading or donating to the cause. Even making a purchase of a book by one or two trans authors is a big help. 

You can head over to my Bookshop.org list to find a list of books by trans authors. I will be adding more to the list soon, but the current ones are ones I've read or that I'm planning to read for the readathon. 

Review: What We Never Say by Paulette Stout

 

I received this book for review from Reedsy Discovery which is a company I occasionally do book reviews for. The review itself follows the review guidelines of Reedsy. I will say I really enjoyed this book. It was very well written and dealt with a topic that is important to me. 

Rebecca and Kyle are seemingly doing great until a magazine publishes a picture from Kyle's modeling days and he finally has to reveal his traumatic past to Rebecca. Dealing with Kyle's assault and getting him the help he needs isn't the only thing on their plates though, Rebecca runs a blog that helps women learn to have pleasurable sex. That blog suddenly gets attention from the same magazine that published Kyle's photo, the same magazine where Kyle's abuser works. Rebecca is asked to write for the company and despite Kyle's warning, agrees to do so. Although Rebecca enjoys helping women, she's unknowingly opened herself and Kyle up to his abuser's influence once again. As things get increasingly worse, the couple has to decide what they will do. Will Kyle come out with his story? Will Rebecca be exposed and lose her job?

I enjoyed this book despite the serious topic. I found that Stout was able to handle writing about the sexual violence men face in a respectful and impactful way. This is a story we don't often hear, but it's an important one to get out there. I appreciated the relationship dynamic between Kyle and Rebecca. They were extremely supportive of each other: Kyle supported Rebecca with her sexual struggles and Rebecca supported him with the abuse he faced as a young man. We often don't see stories about men who are victims of sexual violence and more often don't see them in our lives. As someone who knows multiple men who were victims of sexual violence perpetrated by women, I am very appreciative of this story. I think Kyle's journey to finally admitting what happened, seeing a therapist, and eventually coming out with the truth is one that can help survivors like him. Many survivors are unable to get justice and I believe this book will be cathartic for them. The depictions of healthy friendships and relationships were also an important balance in this book. It's good to see survivors who are able to continue to connect with other people and live successful lives as the ones in this book did.

I would recommend this book to readers who are interested in women's issues, sexual violence against men, and similar issues. This book does contain heavy content so that is something to be aware of before reading. Content warnings include but are not limited to descriptions of sexual violence, manipulation, blackmail, on-page unwanted sexual content, discussions of orgasms and other sexual content, and consensual sexual relations. Please ensure you are prepared to read this kind of content before consumption. I think this is an important book to read and highly recommend it.

As always, happy reading!

Interested in Becoming a Book Reviewer

Ever thought that book reviewing might be something you're interested in but you're not sure where to start? Or maybe you're already a reviewer but you want to get a little bit more serious? 

I review on Reedsy Discovery which is a company that allows authors to submit their books to be reviewed on their site. I have now read and reviewed four books for this company and I've really enjoyed it. I have another book review for them due in May. I really like that Reedsy lets me pick the books I want to read and that I can see both the page count, first page, and amount of time I have to read and review the book. Their reviewer guidelines are easy to follow and make the reviewer experience pretty simple. 

I have an affiliate link for those interested in trying it out. My Reedsy Link. I hope you give it a chance if it's something you're interested in. 

Review: The Kraken's Sacrifice by Katee Robert

 

Katee Robert never fails to satisfy with her breathtaking books. Yes, it's a monster romance, but it's so much more than that. This book deals with loss and trauma excellently. 

This is the second book in Katee Robert's A Deal With A Demon series. The first book, The Dragon's Bride, has also been reviewed on my blog so feel free to search for it if you are interested. In this series, women make deals with a demon agreeing to give up seven years to a being in another realm. In the first book, the heroine is paired with a dragon. In this one, our heroine, Catalina, is paired with Thane, king of the Kraken. The next book in the series comes out at the end of this month and is called The Gargoyle's Captive. There is also a bonus book from a Kickstarter Robert participated in called The Demon's Bargain. 

In this book, Catalina is desperate. She's at rock bottom, too embarrassed to ask her mother's help, and feeling completely alone and unloved in her world. The promise of riches that will buy her friends once she's fulfilled her seven years is an obvious solution for her. She signs the contract and is kept in a castle awaiting the monsters that will come for her and the other women there. In the castle, she is lonely and bored until she wanders around and finds Ramanu and befriends them. Eventually, the monsters get there, and she manages to stumble upon one before the auction takes place. He just so happens to be the one to select her. 

The only problem is Thane is uninterested in being near Catalina for extended periods of time. He is still mourning the loss of his husband. As much as he tries to avoid Catalina though, he can't help the irresistible desire he has for her. His attempts to leave her to her devices leave her suffering and him less in control each time he sees her. 

I absolutely loved this book. It was a super quick read and very fun. I love the world-building Robert does in her books as well as the character creation. She could easily create one-dimensional characters that are simply there for adult interactions, but instead, she gives them complex backstories and traumas. It's this that makes her books absolutely delicious to read. I also feel like there's something so comforting about reading characters with trauma and seeing them be loved and accepted by someone. She manages to make her characters relatable and her works are often a good way for me to heal and work through my own traumas. The tension, attraction, and affection in this book had me eagerly flipping the pages. I cannot recommend it enough. 

This book is of course a monster romance book and contains adult sexual content. If tentacles aren't your thing, this probably isn't the book for you (although I'd say don't knock it until you've read it). Other content warnings include abortion, mentions of abuse and neglect, death of a spouse, and more. Katee Robert does include her own content warnings and tropes within the book, but I also recommend heading to StoryGraph for a full list of potential content warnings as provided by other readers. 

As always, happy reading. I will be back soon with another review of a monster romance as well as a more contemporary book. 

If you are interested in seeing what I'm up to when I'm not posting here, please head over to my Linktree for a list of my social media accounts. I tend to post on Tiktok and Instagram daily and do weekly Youtube videos.