pickA nostalgic reread treasured for the much needed comfort it brings. Soto captures the deeply eloquent, vulnerable inner life of her characters perfectly, penning a novella built on the foundation of enduring affection & a no-frills storyline where my favourite couple take a vacation to NYC, face childhood ghosts, shady art dealers & eat a great deal of food. A novella that, for me, feels like that small contented sigh breathed right before sleep.
bailedI'm certainly in the vast minority of people who did not enjoy this book - I even opted to #hailthebail with little under a hundred pages to go as I found myself skimming whole paragraphs. I found the constant ping-pong of trump cards between the characters tiresome, all of whom I found obnoxious and unlikeable to the point of being exasperated by them. (1/?)
pickA spy novella without the usual espionage & histrionics, replacing melodrama with a chaste love story between a demisexual analyst & insoluble asexual secret agent who vanishes on a covert op, leaving an almost empty apartment & a library full of Arthurian-obsessed children in his wake. Short & wholesome, with characters that carve a forever place in your heart. With so little ace representation out there, this story will always be special to me.
pickThis American Life (my latest obsession) was my first introduction to Dan Savage, and I quickly purchased his book. Witty and intelligent, full of big feelings and hilarious surprises, comes Savage's debate and heartfelt ode to his family. I laughed out loud more than once and tucked away excerpts in my arsenal of retorts for the inevitable run-in with a disgruntled right-winger and/or religious troll ("powers of gay marriage activate!").
pickA follow-up that pulls out all the stops for one helluva wild ride! Hussey pens his second crime novel with a showman's flair, a natural storyteller spinning a macabre tale of murder & revenge. Jericho investigates a series of gruesome murders inflicted upon physics, puzzled by the killers inattentive MO. Edge-of-your-seat. Addictive. Deliciously dark. A complicated labyrinth of a plot. The addition of the aro-ace detective was much appreciated!
My current problem!
Jericho's Dead by William Hussey is AWESOME!
pickA new kind of detective to stir up crime fiction; former CID Traveller Detective, Scott Jericho, is brought back from the brink by a series of gruesome murders. A gothic cat-and-mouse chase between a brooding ex-convict with an edacious drive for justice and a faceless killer recreating an ancestral tragedy unfolds. Jericho's narrative is encapsulating until its tendrils have pulled you beneath the murky waters of this twisted mystery. Phenomenal.
bailedTruly puzzled of the adoration this novel receives. The purple prose diminishes any appreciation for a talented wordsmith. The philosophical spiel feels unbearably trifling. The springboard for colourful debate is undermined by the upper-class plight one can not muster sympathy for, until the whole novel feels nauseatingly indulgent, with a cast of interchangeable, shallow characters. Another writer churning out insipid, frivolous pieces of lit.
pickGlitterland is a romance with a twist. Rather than focusing on the fuzzy feelings associated with the genre, Hall explores the "ugly" parts of the human psyche; the miserly, the selfish, the egotism, the self-sabotage, penning painfully human, imperfect characters. A novel so accurate to the experiences of a person with mental health issues, that it's impossible not to see yourself, scattered & eloquent, across the pages. Heartbreaking & healing.
1: Strangers/All of Us Strangers - my all-time favourite film, which is one of the few I can say, without experiencing that niggling book-blasphemy feeling, is better than the book.
2: Stardust - I loved the book so much, but the film has a totally different vibe, which I preferred.
3: Good Omens - technically not a film in this case, but an incredible series that is far superior to the book, I think.
(Couldn't screenshot, so had to improvise).
I am stealing "optimistically challenged," for the next time I'm called some synonym for curmudgeon!
I felt this 😔.
#glitterland #alexishall #mentalhealth #depression #anxiety #bipolar #mlm #romance #fiction #mentalhealthawareness #mensmentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #quotes #representationmatters
#henrygeorgeedwardjamesfoxmountchristenwindsor #alexclaremontdiaz #caseymcquiston #redwhiteandroyalblue #rwrb #historyhuh #romance #lgbtq #mlm #firstson #princehenry #quotes #princeofwales #gay #bisexual #firstprince #carryon #books #booknerd #bookworm #reading #bookish #bibliophile #lgbtqbooks #alaxandhenry #princehenryofwales #book
bailedI slammed my head into the pages of this book so many times out of pure frustration, and that was the incentive I needed to #hailthebail. The first instalment had pacing issues - everything was happening too damn quickly - which irked me, so it's like a cruel twist of irony that the opposite is true for the sequel - the sloth-like pace was mind-numbing. And the main characters brother - I hate him, I hate him, I hate him! (1/3)
The bookish/history nerd NEED to gain the ability to time travel is strong!
[new insomnia obsession unlocked: Jacobean history, King James VI reign, letters between King James & the Earl of Buckingham]
#kingjamesVI #georgevilliers #history #16thcentury #earlofbuckingham #jacobean #historynerd #historyobsessed #booknerd #theophiledeviau #historical #lahistoria #old #historylovers #bookish #timetravel #scotland #england #royality
so-soPerfect for fans of TJ Klune's, The Extraordinaries, and X-Men (with more LBGTQ+ rep), Infinity Son is an urban fantasy with lots of moral peril and magical creatures! It's a little predictable, and unfortunately reads more like a Wattpad story, though my biggest complaint is that the pacing issues had a tendency to pull you out of the action as everything was happening too damn quickly. I just wanted to scream, WAIT, WHAT? so many times. (1/3)
I found the poem Henry was reciting to Alex in the V&A, and I'm obsessed with it!
"It rhymes in French." - Henry ?
#rwrb #henrygeorgeedwardjamesfoxmountchristenwindsor #poetryera #georgevilliers #17thcentury #apollo #dukeofbuckingham #queerhistory #historyhuh #theophiledeviau #aumarquisduboukinquan #hyacinthus #amyntas #jamesVI #poem #french #poet
pickBoy Erased is a heart-wrenching memoir about nineteen year old Garrard Conley's experience after he is outed by his rapist in college to his Baptist parents and subsequently enrolled in a Southern Arkansas conversion therapy program called Love in Action where he is introduced to damaging methods and idealogy to "cure" him of his sexual orientation. How a parent could inflict this on their child is beyond me. (1/?)
1: Anything by TJ Klune, Casey McQuiston, Andrew Joseph White, Aiden Thomas, William Hussey, Alice Oseman, and Adam Silvera!
2: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston! ❤️🤍👑💙
3: Between TJ Klune, The Greencreek Series, and William Hussey, the Scott Jericho detective series! Gay werewolves vs. haunted detective - what a combination!
Thanks for the tag, @peanutnine, and great game, @Eggs (I couldn't screenshot, so had the improvise!) 🌻🩷
I have officially entered my poetry era! Focusing on LGBTQ+ feminist and/or political poetry; a bleary-eyed insomnia-fuelled Internet search inspired a vast love for Zoe Leonard, who penned I Want a President in 1992 for an LGBTQ+ magazine when - queer activist & poet - Eileen Myles announced that she was running for the presidency of the US as an independent candidate against Bush & Clinton.
[image description: blurred words in case of triggers]
My favourite, and I love the ambiguity over the interpretation (I rarely agree with historians when it comes to most topics on literature and poetry, and this time is no different) 🤍🤎.
#waltwhitman #poetry #charlesbukowski #leavesofgrass #marktwain #bukowski #jackkerouac #literature #pabloneruda #books #quotes #whitman #shakespeare #poesia #poetrycommunity #love #ernesthemingway #poem #albertcamus #aldoushuxley #booklover #nature #book #art
pickA dream-bending, riotously queer fantasy that is glorious in every way. I'm here for all of it; evil sorceress drag queen, tropes glore, YA nostalgia deftly wielded into something both familiar and innovative, LGBTQ romance, villainous monologues, dream-logic! I mean, what's not to love? I just want to throw confetti at it and recommend it to everyone within shouting distance! Exploring the subconscious with a super relatable protag! Love it! 🌈🎉
*my daily excuse* 🦄
*almost always thinking sad and poetic thoughts*
#dreams #ya #fantasy #debut #ryanlasala #reverie #unreality #quotes #lgbtq #books #dragqueen #rainbows #magic #fiction #dreamworld #wacky #bizarre #witty #bookish #playful #currentread #queer #sparkles #jazzhands #monsters #nightmares #dreamlike
bailed*trigger warning* There is no doubt that Márquez is a gifted wordsmith, penning an eloquent, albeit dense & tedious prose, but my troubles with this novel are the deplorable themes of romantized sexual assault, statutory rape & the contemptible message that unwilling women "just need a bit of convincing." Florentino made my skin crawl throughout, perpetuating toxicity that was apparently in the name of unrequited love; stalking Fermina (1/?)
Now my most highly anticipated release of the year!
*squeal*
SO EXCITED! 🛩🍹
#thesongofachilles #greekmythology #madelinemiller #achilles #patroclus #patrochilles #books #theiliad #tsoa #literature #darkacademia #booklover #achillesxpatroclus #greekmyths #iliad #bookworm #classics #bookrecommendations #reading #achillesandpatroclus #bookish #lightacademia #mythology #ya #greekgods #demigods #romance #lgbtq #mlmromance
pickPlato expressed belief through the mouth of Phaedrus in his Symposium that Achilles & Patroclus were "undeniable lovers," though historians & scholars alike have discouraged such ancient musings with prejudice & bias. As a Classicist, Miller grew frustrated with a subject that has been up for debate for a millennia, & so tsoa was born, a vivid reimagining of The Iliad penned in immersive prose, breathing fresh life into Homer's famous characters.
#thesongofachilles #greekmythology #madelinemiller #achilles #patroclus #patrochilles #books #theiliad #tsoa #literature #darkacademia #booklover #achillesxpatroclus #greekmyths #iliad #bookworm #classics #bookrecommendations #reading #achillesandpatroclus #bookish #lightacademia #mythology #ya #greekgods #demigods #romance #lgbtq #mlmromance
If I could be granted three frivolous wishes, I'd make sure every book had a ribbon to mark the pages.
#thesongofachilles #greekmythology #madelinemiller #achilles #patroclus #patrochilles #books #theiliad #tsoa #literature #darkacademia #booklover #achillesxpatroclus #greekmyths #iliad #bookworm #classics #bookrecommendations #reading #achillesandpatroclus #bookish #lightacademia #mythology #ya #greekgods #demigods #romance #lgbtq #mlmromance
#thesongofachilles #greekmythology #madelinemiller #achilles #patroclus #patrochilles #books #theiliad #tsoa #literature #darkacademia #booklover #achillesxpatroclus #greekmyths #iliad #bookworm #classics #bookrecommendations #reading #achillesandpatroclus #bookish #lightacademia #mythology #ya #greekgods #demigods #romance #lgbtq #mlmromance
#thesongofachilles #greekmythology #madelinemiller #achilles #patroclus #patrochilles #books #theiliad #tsoa #literature #darkacademia #booklover #achillesxpatroclus #greekmyths #iliad #bookworm #classics #bookrecommendations #reading #achillesandpatroclus #bookish #lightacademia #mythology #ya #greekgods #demigods #romance #lgbtq #mlmromance
Prose is rarely as beautiful as Miller's 🫒.
#thesongofachilles #greekmythology #madelinemiller #achilles #patroclus #patrochilles #books #theiliad #tsoa #literature #darkacademia #booklover #achillesxpatroclus #greekmyths #iliad #bookworm #classics #bookrecommendations #reading #achillesandpatroclus #bookish #lightacademia #mythology #ya #greekgods #demigods #romance #lgbtq #mlmromance
When a line resonates deeply with something you've had to come to terms with in your own life...
#redwhiteandroyalblue #caseymcquiston #books #rwrb #booklover #alexclaremontdiaz #booknerd #bookworm #historyhuh #reading #bookish #bibliophile #yabooks #juneclaremontdiaz #lgbtbooks #lgbt #booksbooksbooks #queerbooks #redwhiteandblue #bookaddict #lgbtqbooks #alexandhenry #lgbtq #henryfoxmountchristenwindsor #ellenclaremont #princehenryofwales #mlm
pickFelt all the feels when I finally got my hands on the Collector's Edition of RWRB, and currently happy & unfettered amongst all the warm & fuzzy feels of finishing the extra chapter told from Henry's dreamy POV. Peering into the domestic life of my all-time favourite book couple was joyous, and the ending delightful, yet again. I absolutely loved experiencing the story, however short, through Henry's lyrical, sometimes melancholic prose 🩷👑.
Love this! ❤️🤍👑💙
#rwrb #caseymcquiston #firstson #henryfox #alexclaremontdiaz #quotes #historyhuh #gayroyalfiction #romance #fiction #bisexualchaos #enemiestolovers #redwhiteandroyalblue #booklover #booknerd #bookworm #reading #bookish #bibliophile #yabooks #lgbtbooks #lgbt #booksbooksbooks #queerbooks #redwhiteandblue #bookaddict #lgbtqbooks #alexandhenry #lgbtq #henryfoxmountchristenwindsor #princehenryofwales #mlm
Sort of obsessed that RWRB was my first introduction to the notorious George Villiers, and now Nicholas Galitzine (AKA Henry George Edward James Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor) is playing him in Mary and George! What an incredible series! I delved into the Jacobean era after reading RWRB for the first time, and love this series even more because of it. Thank you Casey McQuiston! #RWRB #CaseyMcquiston #queerhistory #HistoryHuh #nonfiction #LGBTQ
Gawd! I just saw this shared by fans and am more certain than EVER that these two were born to play Achilles and Patroclus! 🫒 Couldn't resist resharing my fancast with photographic evidence!
There's nothing more excruciating than waiting for *that* book to be released! I'm usually a patient person, but d@mn, May is still so far away!
Couldn't keep my hands off this book for a 3rd reread!! ❤️🤍👑💙
pickI totally jumped the gun and reread ATLITW over two months early when I had originally planned to time it just right for the sequel to be released, but I needed my post-apocalyptic comfort read! Brimming with pop culture references and queer dystopian representation, this novel ticks so many boxes. I wish there was more differentiation between the boys' POVs, and the pacing was a little quicker in parts, but overall, it's a fantastic read!
I would literally sell a kidney for this fancasting to be made a reality! Cannot stop thinking about these two playing Achilles and Patroclus in Madeline Miller's adaptation of the book after seeing them cast by fans recently 🥰. As a huge RWRB fan... I'm manifesting to the universe to make this happen! 🫒 Not to mention, Nicholas Galitzine has expressed an interest in playing a character set in Ancient Greece!
This scene hits me in the feels! Every. Single. Time! It translated so beautifully from page to screen ❤️🤍👑💙.
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