Goodbye, January!

So many of the past months have just flown by. I vaguely remember the beginning of January. Then there was a shit ton of snow and it got too damn cold. And now, it's February.

2022 Resolutions:
     (1) Write [almost] every day...or at least think about it
     (2) Don't stop reading
     (3) Make something (e.g. a manuscript)
     (4) Share love of books/writing
     (5) Be kinder to myself

(1) Starting 2022 off strong with...nothing. Well, almost nothing. I got a really great story idea at the beginning of the month. Ran really, really hard with it for...almost a whole week. Then life got in the way.

(2) Books read this month: 18 (though, they were a bunch of re-reads (#Heartstopper) and re-re-reads (#HarryPotter), hence the disproportionate number of books per month to posts per month).

(3) See item number one.

(4) Posts this month (including this one): 7.

(5) I ate a salad today. And I cleaned off my exercise bike a few weeks ago... January and February are about making it through for me, to be honest. Seasonal depression hits really hard for me during these two months, which makes my regular depression just all the more *fun.*

Anyone still holding onto their resolutions (now that its time to make brand-new ones)?

Any exciting February reads?
Anything I should check out?

#newyearsresolutions #goodbyejanuary #hellofebruary #hello2022 #keeplearning #writeeveryday #dontstopreading #makesomething #shareloveofbooks #bekindertoself #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse

My best friend recommended that I read Charlie Mackesy's book "The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse" after she received it from a coworker (Christmas present) and loved it.

It's a journey, physically and emotionally, of a boy as he gets un-lost. He meets up with a mole first (then a fox and finally, a horse--hence the title). They each help him through his journey with their own pieces of advice and love. 

It's very deep and a little dark. But it's full of amazingly beautiful pictures that really make the slightly expensive price totally and completely worth it. It's also filled with fantastic quotes for any stage in life, from lost to in love.

It deserved the recommendation from my bff, and it deserves the recommendation from me. ;)

#theboythemolethefoxandthehorse #charliemackesy #books #picturebooks #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Super Hot Wingman (The Best Men #0.5)

Who needs to stick to the books I've started (I'm having a really hard time lately straying from my favorite genre--I have so many half-started non-romance books right now) when I can just read Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely's "Super Hot Wingman". It's a short story and a prequel (aka, a really amazing and really mean--cliffhanger's, man--teaser).

["Promises I make to myself…

1. I won't stare at my sister's fiance's super hot best friend, even when he takes his shirt off at a dinner party.

2. I won't look him up online and check out photos from his professional soccer career.

3. And I definitely won't fantasize about him late at night.

Oops. Broke all three. But in my defense, his abs and that arrogant smile are my catnip. Plus it's been a while.

But no matter how sexy Asher St James is, I will never let on that he's at the top of a long list of things I want to do.

And I keep that last promise.

Well, mostly…"]

Mark (promises guy) is one of those characters where you know his intentions are pure...but his approach needs work. He wants to protect his sister, desperately; she has a history of fast falling and bad break-ups, and with everything that happens in this short story, Mark is feeling as though all of her current choices are mirroring his past mistakes. He loves her and thinks he's doing the right thing. After he consumes a little too much alcohol. And accidently flirts with Asher (after ignoring him).

Asher, poor guy, thinks Mark is straight just because he has a kid. Bisexuality people (as well as all of the other sexualities besides the original dichotomy).

Everyone on Goodreads agrees that we need those drunk texts...now. Instead, I guess we have to wait for the book "The Best Men" to come out next week (Jan 18th). Sign me the fuck up.

#superhotwingman #thebestmen #thebestmenseries #sarinabowen #laurenblakely #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Alice Oseman

I know I've raved about Alice Oseman..on several occasions. But honestly!? Their books are so damn good. So fucking good. They write and draw. They talk about sexuality and mental health, about the struggle and acceptance of those two topics.

Their books have helped sooooo many people learn about themselves. These books are brilliant and heartbreaking and beautiful and hard. Just like life and love. 

If you haven't already, please, please, please read Alice's books. You won't regret it. Seriously. You won't. Well, you might cry a lot and need a mental health break from a few scenes/topics, but you won't regret it.

Last summer, I saw a girl with a rainbow tattoo, and I loooooooved it. I instantly wanted one for myself. Back in November, I did just that. And I had my tattoo artist style it off of one of Alice's rainbow doodles (from her novella "Nick and Charlie").

#heartstopper #solitaire #radiosilence #nickandcharlie #thiswinter #iwasbornforthis #loveless #aliceoseman #rainbow #webtoon #graphicnovel #queergraphicnovel #YAgraphicnovel #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Heartstopper: Volume Four

Alice Oseman's fourth volume of the critically acclaimed graphic novel series "Heartstopper" debuted in the US today. 

["Charlie didn't think Nick could ever like him back, but now they're officially boyfriends. Charlie's beginning to feel ready to say those three little words: I love you.

Nick's been feeling the same, but he's got a lot on his mind - not least coming out to his dad, and the fact that Charlie might have an eating disorder.

As summer turns to autumn and a new school year begins, Charlie and Nick are about to learn a lot about what love means."]

I might have already read this volume... Opps. ;) That's the perks of downloading the Webtoon app (free reads and re-reads of the entire Heartstopper series, as Alice publishes each chapter segment and side stories and special announcement). The actual print edition does have some never-before-scene teacher-romance pictures though (so totally fucking cute, by the way).

I loved this series. It's definitely a hard read. The first volume was difficult because of the bullying and homophobia, but this volume really delves into Charlie's eating disorder (please see the trigger warnings below) and overall mental health. As well as Nick coming out to his father (who's not really in the relationship). But they have each other as support systems (as well as badass Tori with her blunt honesty and forever advocate--fucking love her).

And this volume also calls back to the original book where Nick and Charlie are writing in their journals about each other and their feelings. A good portion of it is actually journaled, which was a really fascinating way to show the transition of time as well as summarize multiple events without it feeling like an info-dump.

READ THIS BOOK. Actually, read all of her books. They're all fucking fabulous.

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, biphobia, bigoted language, eating disorders, anorexia, mental disorders, depression, OCD, self-harming, stigmas surrounding mental health, bullying, etc

#heartstopper #heartstoppervolumeone #heartstoppervolumetwo #heartstoppervolumethree #heartstoppervolumefour #aliceoseman #webtoon #graphicnovel #queergraphicnovel #YAgraphicnovel #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

12 Days of Gay (#Love Wins book five)

When this book game out, I wanted to read it as soon as possible. This book being Ana Byrde's "12 Gays Of Christmas". But I needed (at least for my own sanity and compulsive reader/writer need to follow book rules) to finally read the fourth book (which I finally did).

["He's arrogant, aloof, and his smirk makes me want to punch him. I shouldn't let him get to me, but he's always known how to push my buttons.

12 days of gay. That's the name of the video contest my boss wants to host this Christmas. Three couples, four short videos, each inspired by a line of the famous song. I signed up to be part of one of the couples competing, only then my friend dropped out.

Now my boss wants me to form a couple with her nephew—who happens to be the hottest man alive. Too bad he's also a jerk.

Thing is, he might be my best shot at winning this contest and getting myself he money I need to start college. I can suffer through a few filming sessions with him for that, can't I? Put him in some really ridiculous outfits so I can forget how firm his abs are.

It almost works too. Almost. Until I have to touch him. Kiss him.

Lord help me.

I don't know how I'm going to get through this holiday season with my sanity intact."]

Unlike the rest of the series, this book is only narrated by Chase. Which, actually ups the angst by...a lot. A lot a lot. 

And a lot like the last novel's blurb, this one fails to mention that the Chase and Ashton were neighbors growing up, which ups the tropes by...a lot. A lot a lot.

All of that, plus some serious Aunt Rosy help? Yeah, you got yourself a seriously hot and sweet novel right here.

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, biphobia, bigoted families, ultimatums, toxic families, hospital scare, etc

#12daysofgay #fakethedate #hooklineandsinker #straightasacucumber #gamesexmatch #lovewins #lovewinsseries #anabyrde #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Game, S*x, Match (#Love Wins book four)

This book (this book being Ana Byrde's "Game, S*x, Match) has been on my TBR pile for...well, since it debuted a few months ago. Since the very day it came out, I wanted to read it. And at the same time, I was super hesitant. 

["Size doesn't matter. Or does it?

I thought I found the guy. You know, that guy? The one that makes your knees go weak with one look? I found him. And then he dropped his pants and I climbed out the window. Oh, not because the size of his anaconda scared me, not at all. But because I didn't want to show him mine.

Life isn't easy when your trouser snake is more of a trouser tadpole.

I've got a plan to fix that, though. Aunt Rosy is hosting a couple's competition. All I have to do is win it, grab the prize money and get surgery to make myself bigger. The only problem? The guy Aunt Rosy's match-making app chooses as my partner for this competition.
It's the anaconda guy.

And I don't think I'm over him."]

I just wasn't sure about the whole size issue. I mean, they always say that size doesn't matter, it's what you do with it that does. And it just seemed...like a petty issue to me. Than again, I'm a cis female and therefore cannot and will not have a fully-experienced opinion on the matter.

Two chapters into this, I gotta say, the blurb could have been written better. It's not a big spoiler (since it's literally in the first paragraph of the second chapter), but these two are online best friends. And (one knows, the other doesn't) they dated before (well, the one guy knows they dated; the other guy doesn't know that his online-best-friend is his ex-almost-boyfriend). All of which, in my opinion, is more intriguing than the size thing.

ANYway, review time...

The couples competition was a little kinkier than I thought Aunt Rosy would go, but there's always healthy boundaries and room to say no (which is very Aunt Rosy). It was also somehow totally fluffy at the same time. Who thought you could have Lube-Tag Fights all the while doing such sweet things that can be seen as love confessions? Aunt Rosy. That sly little match-maker (and entrepreneur and total badass--kind of a role-model if we're being honest). 

Tiger and Daniel were super fucking cute. They were pretty much falling in love before the competition even started (the whole online best friends thing), but add some tropes in there (all courtesy of Aunt Rosy--forced proximity, there's-only-one-bed, etc) and it didn't take very long at all for the falling to turn into fallen. 

Trigger Warnings: size shaming, body shaming, self-hatred, bullying, lying by omission, etc

#gamesexmatch #fakethedate #hooklineandsinker #straightasacucumber #12daysofgay #lovewins #lovewinsseries #anabyrde #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks