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Men, Women, and Chainsaws by Stephen Graham Jones
Despite its short length Men, Women, and Chainsaws packs a punch. This novella is characterized by Stephen Graham Jones’ signature style, which is as propelling as it is chaotic. The central character’s knowledge of slashers and her intense personality brought to mind Jade from the author’s The Lake Witch trilogy, so I found myself rooting…
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Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
“A part of me wanted to run away from all the complications of being in love with Dante. Maybe Ari plus Dante equated love, but it also equated complicated. It also equated playing hide-and-seek with the world. But there was a difference between the art of running and the art of running away.” This one…
1980s, 1st pov, 3.5 STARS, America, American, arc, aristotle and dante, Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World, Aristotle Mendoza, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, coming of age, dialogue heavy, drama, el paso, fathers & sons, favourite authors, friendships, gay, HIGH SCHOOL, HISTORICAL FICTION, latinx author, lgbtq+, LGBTQ+ Author, loneliness, m/m, male authors, MEXICAN AMERICAN AUTHOR, mothers & sons, My reviews, netgalley, published in 2021, queer, read in 2021, reading, ROMANCE, social issues, texas, YOUNG ADULT -
Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun by Jonny Garza Villa
“And I think about how Dad gave me everything I could need. Except for the one thing that shouldn’t have terms or conditions. That should be a given. That should be so easy. Acceptance.” Written in a simple conversational style Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun is a tender love story, equal parts funny and…
1st pov, 3.5 STARS, abuse, America, American, bi side characters, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, California, coming of age, Contemporary, fathers & sons, found family, friendships, gay, HIGH SCHOOL, latin american, latinx author, LDR, lgbtq+, LGBTQ+ Author, los angeles, m/m, My reviews, published in 2021, queer, read in 2021, reading, SEXUALITY, social issues, Summer, summer reads, texas, uplifting reads, YOUNG ADULT -
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
With its strong sense of place and dynamic dialogues Bluebird, Bluebird makes for a solid Southern Noir, one that will definitely appeal to fans of crime authors such as Walter Mosley, Dennis Lehane, and S.A. Cosby. Bluebird, Bluebird follows Darren Mathews, a Black Texas Ranger. After helping out a friend in need Darren’s job as…
3.25 stars, 3rd pov, Adult, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, Attica Locke, Black & Black heritage authors, Bluebird Bluebird, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, Contemporary, CRIME, female authors, HARD-BOILED, Highway 59 #1, MURDER, My reviews, MYSTERY, Noir, PUBLISHED IN 2017, RACE, read in 2021, reading, rural setting, SMALL TOWN, small town crime, Southern America, texas, THRILLER -
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi
She wondered if the rest of early adulthood would be like this—avoiding roommates, getting ripped off for bad fusion food, and the peculiar loneliness of being smothered by people she didn’t want to spend time with. Having recently fallen in love with Choi’s most recent novel, Yolk, I was eager to read more by her.…
3.75 stars, 3rd pov, academia, addiction, America, American, anxiety, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, books about writers, BOOKS ON WRITING, campus, coming of age, Contemporary, drama, emergency contact, favourite authors, female authors, FRIENDS TO LOVERS, friendships, identity, korean american author, Mary H.K. Choi, mary hk choi, My reviews, NEW ADULT, published in 2018, rape, read in 2021, reading, ROMANCE, sexual assault/abuse/rape, social media, texas, toxic relationships, trauma, UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE, uplifting reads, YOUNG ADULT -
Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi
“I thought a polished appearance and stellar behavior would be the passport to belonging. And when I inevitably failed at perfection, I could at least wilfully do everything in my power to be kicked out before anyone left me.” tw: eating disorders Bursting with sharp humor and insight Yolk is a bighearted and profoundly honest…
1st pov, 5 STARS, ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE, America, American, body dysmorphia, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, cancer, Contemporary, contemporary malaise, cultural dissonance, eating disorders, family, favourite authors, female authors, food & cooking, identity, illness, intergenerational, introspective, Korea, Korean, korean american author, Mary H.K. Choi, mental health, migration/immigration, My reviews, NEW ADULT, NEW YORK, published in 2021, re-reads, read in 2021, read in 2022, ROMANCE, sardonic humor, SISTERS, social media, texas, the female malaise, UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE, Yolk, YOUNG ADULT -
Revival Season by Monica West
“Papa had carefully cultivated our belief in him. He never said it outright—Believe in me as you believe in God—that would have been obvious blasphemy and idolatry. But he was the all-consuming presence that had filled my entire life, taking up all the space in the house and in revival tents. In its absence was…
1st pov, 3.25 stars, abuse, ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS, Adult, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, arizona, Black & Black heritage authors, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, Christianity, Contemporary, Faith, family, fathers & daughters, female authors, Louisiana, Mississippi, Monica West, mothers & daughters, My reviews, netgalley, Oklahoma, published in 2021, read in 2021, reading, Religion, Revival Season, road trip, siblings, Southern America, Summer, texas -
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
“To be careful with people and with words was a rare and beautiful thing.” The first time I read this novel was back in 2013 and in the years since I have come to regard Benjamin Alire Sáenz as one of my favourite authors. His deceptively simple style captures with clarity the thoughts and feelings…
1980s, 1st pov, 20th century, ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE, America, American, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Aristotle Mendoza, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, coming of age, Dante Quintana, el paso, family, fathers & sons, first love, FRIENDS TO LOVERS, friendships, gay, HIGH SCHOOL, HISTORICAL FICTION, identity, latinx author, lgbtq+, LGBTQ+ Author, loneliness, m/m, male authors, male friendships, MEXICAN AMERICAN AUTHOR, published in 2012, queer, re-reads, read in 2013, read in 2021, Summer, summer reads, texas, YOUNG ADULT -
Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins
Her Royal Highness is the book equivalent of cotton candy: fluffy and sweet. This was an exceedingly cute, occasionally silly, and thoroughly enjoyable f/f romance. Her Royal Highness is escapist fiction at its finest. Her Royal Highness is an easy read that delivers a sweet romance between two very different girls: we have Millie, an…
1st pov, 3.5 STARS, academia, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, BISEXUAL/PANSEXUAL, boarding/private school, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, Contemporary, ENEMIES TO LOVERS, f/f, female authors, FLUFFY READ, Her Royal Highness, HUMOR, lesbian side characters, lgbtq+, light reads, published in 2019, queer, Rachel Hawkins, re-reads, READ IN 2019, read in 2021, ROMANCE, royals, sapphic, scotland, texas, uplifting reads, YOUNG ADULT -
Memorial by Bryan Washington
“It’s like we’re in some fucked-up rom-com, I said. It’s like we’re both fucked-up rom-com villains.” Maybe it’s my fault for ‘hyping’ myself too much but I found Memorial to be a wee bit disappointing. First of all, the lack of quotations marks. So many authors are using this technique that it now seems passé.…
addiction, Adult, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, Black & Black heritage authors, BOOK REVIEWS, Bryan Washington, cheating, Contemporary, cultural dissonance, fathers & sons, food & cooking, forgiveness, gay, intergenerational, japan, lgbtq+, LGBTQ+ Author, m/m, Memorial, millennial, netgalley, no quotations marks, published in 2020, queer, RACE, read in 2020, ROMANCE, sex, stylised prose, texas, toxic relationships, work culture
luce [is reading] 