Litsy

pick

The Shots You Take, by Rachel Reid (2025 🇨🇦)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Premise: After not speaking for twelve years, a retired hockey player returns to his former roommate (and occasion lover)‘s home town to try to make amends for the disastrous end of their relationship.

Review: This is a hockey romance, but it‘s not really a hockey romance. Cont

Mattsbookaday It‘s far more a story of two middle aged men coming to terms with their fraught past in the hopes of building a better future. It‘s the perfect second-chance romance, with every beat feeling earned and pitch perfect. Bonus points for a great dog sidekick and lovely Maritime setting.

Bookish Pair: For another great second-chance romance (MF), Kennedy Ryan‘s Before I Let Go (2022) 47m

1 comment

BookmarkTavern

Blood Debts | Terry J. Benton-Walker

so-so

Clem & Cris are twins dealing w/ untold troubles: the death of their father, their mother sick, their family reputation lost, & a widening gap between them. When they learn that something else may be behind that, they‘ll have to work together to figure it out.

W/ unnecessary POV chapters, uneven pacing, & too many characters, I wasn‘t completely sold. But I was fascinated by the sibling relationship & the magic system through the end.🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑

BookmarkTavern #LGBTQIA2025 @Kenyazero Free Space CW 👇🏻 (edited) 10h

BookmarkTavern General warning for racism, descriptions of lynchings, grief over death of a parent; Specific warnings for Part 1, Chapter 8, car accident; Part 2, Chapter 25, car accident; Part 2, Chapter 32, shooting 10h

39 likes2 comments

RaeLovesToRead

Detransition, Baby: A Novel | Torrey Peters

so-so

I'm conflicted.

The writing is great. Sharp and subversive. Lots of social commentary. Centres trans experiences. Some amusing moments.

But I struggled to root for the characters because they were all so very selfish, and showed such little regard for each others' feelings and needs.

Made me miserable in the same way that All Fours and The Pisces did.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kitta I felt the same way about this. Couldn‘t connect in some way. I also disliked All Fours so you aren‘t alone! 14h

TheBookHippie Yup. Sigh. Although I feel this you gain something a bit - All Fours-no just no. 14h

RaeLovesToRead @Kitta @TheBookHippie I felt All Fours and The Pisces had more to recommend them as literary works, but Detransition, Baby more to offer in terms of expanding horizons. All of them made me feel miserable. 14h

See All 16 Comments

willaful Oh dear. Think I'll take this off my list. 14h

TheBookHippie @RaeLovesToRead I recommend this with caveat but All Fours never. 🫣😬🤷🏻‍♀️ 14h

RaeLovesToRead @willaful Don't let me deinfluence you! Peters is a good writer 13h

RaeLovesToRead @TheBookHippie Not even for people who really like interior decorating and infidelity?? Haha 13h

TheBookHippie @RaeLovesToRead 🤦🏻‍♀️ I think it‘s hateful to women. Period. 🤣🤣😫😵‍💫🤦🏻‍♀️ (edited) 13h

RaeLovesToRead @TheBookHippie I think the main character has internalised a lot of societies misogynistic views - the attitude almost taken verbatim from an essay of Susan Sontag's - The Double Standard of Aging (which I read just before All Fours). I didn't find the book hateful per se because it reflects the way a huge swathe of society thinks. But it MASSIVELY bummed me out because it was a reminder that society treats women like that. 13h

RaeLovesToRead @TheBookHippie Also, imagine spending all that money on decorating a motel room 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ 13h

TheBookHippie @RaeLovesToRead it was advertised as how women are in midlife 😵‍💫 that was my biggest issue. Using it as truth … I did find it a hateful picture of women, and I think that in itself is problematic for me. I get the point, I just personally don‘t think it‘s productive. Also the privilege reeks out of the pages. Can you imagine!!!! On a motel room ?!?!?! Oy. 13h

RaeLovesToRead @TheBookHippie The idea that a woman's value is determined by her sexual desirability is absolutely a hateful concept, and so depressing. When I read it I felt sorry for the MC for buying into that so wholeheartedly, but also angry at her entitlement and the way she treated her family as secondary. And also annoyed that I'm not impervious to society's pressures myself. I saw it as a reflection on misogyny, but it's possible I give too much credit! 12h

TheBookHippie @RaeLovesToRead 😝 at my age I have zero Fucks to give for sure… but I never really did fall for the troupe, not that it wasn‘t used against me in my 20s 30s 40s … etc and now. It was her choice to be that way. That is a problem for me. 12h

RaeLovesToRead @TheBookHippie The MC is a problem, but as a book I both loved and hated it. I'm in the minority there though... everyone else on Litsy hated it 😄 I've been told the Kitamura for this year's Camp Litsy has similar vibes so I'm not sure what the debate will be like haha. 12h

RaeLovesToRead @TheBookHippie If you ever read The Pisces let me know 🤣🤣🤣 12h

TheBookHippie @RaeLovesToRead will do! 11h

39 likes16 comments

TieDyeDude

Straight | Chuck Tingle

pick

I borrowed this audio from Queer Liberation Library!
This is a pretty effective zombie novella with strong themes of queer acceptance and righteous anger. A void in the cosmos is causing straight people to become irrational and violent towards queer folk for one night a year. A group of friends attempt to escape to Joshua Tree to wait out the event. It doesn't go well. Heavy COVID allegories, as straights refuse the vaccine and ignore precautions

41 likes

OriginalCyn620

Emmett | L C Rosen

pick

A cute modern #lgbtq+ YA retelling of Jane Austen‘s Emma! Very enjoyable, and it‘s a quick read.

#readordonate
#bookspinbingo
#read2025

DieAReader, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 1d

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! 23h

33 likes1 stack add2 comments

shortsarahrose

Plain Bad Heroines | Emily M Danforth

Done with work! My long weekend begins now with Panera and a book before a haircut 💇‍♀️

40 likes

BookmarkTavern

Blood Debts | Terry J. Benton-Walker

It‘s time for yard work! #AudioGardening

Cortg My daughter has that airpod cover. I did a double take when I saw this 😆 2d

BookmarkTavern @Cortg It‘s a cute one! Your daughter has excellent taste! 1d

67 likes2 comments

NovelNancyM

Call Me by Your Name: A Novel | And? Aciman

pick

One's first love will always be special, rarely lasts, never completely leaves ,and all subsequent relationships are colored by this one. Beautifully written novel.

Suet624 💕💕💕 1d

Reggie Ughhhh I love this book. 1d

41 likes3 stack adds2 comments

Laughterhp

Initiation: Sex Wizards, Book 1 | Alethea Faust

pick

This was a low pick, but will continue the series. This is pure smut with a bit of plot. They are sex wizards, so they have to perform different types of sex acts to conjure magic. Dom comes to a magical school with a letter of introduction and you learn everything as he does.

Finished on 5/11.

39 likes

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