Family Family by Laurie Frankel

Family Family by Laurie Frankel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Tara Smith for this get well book about seeking your best life, families, adoption, romance and so much more. I loved how Frankel engineered each chapter (past, present denoted as days of the week) and the characters were rich as well. I loved India in all her decisiveness, wanting always to be an actress (who can't sing), her many loves, and her world of plays, TV and movie as an actress.

View all my reviews

The Good House by Ann Leary

The Good House by Ann Leary
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Tara Smith for recommending this audiobook, narrated by Mary Beth Hurt. Hildy Good is a life long resident of quaint Wendover. Hildy happens to be a pretty successful real estate broker, is divorced and an alcoholic who will not recognize she is one. It was interesting reading all the ways Hildy gave herself to drink and how often she had to drink but always hiding it because her daughters sent her to recovery. I loved Frank her life long friend and sometimes interest--but Hildy can be nasty & she was nasty to Frankie too often for me. I am not a fan of the unreliable narrator and Hildy was the perfect unreliable narrator for most of this story---and for the few times she was not drinking I did like her.

View all my reviews

Dear Mothman by Robin Gow

Dear Mothman by Robin Gow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A tough novel in verse about a 6th grade trans child Nora but his close family and friends call him Noah at this request. Noah was best friends with Lewis and they were both trans; after Lewis dies in a car accident, Noah tries to deal with his grief by writing in a journal and leaving it at a favorite tree for Mothman, a cryptid Lewis & Noah believe in. How will Noah survive without his best friend, this is a must read for everyone!

View all my reviews

American Squire (American Queen, #3.6) by Sierra Simone

American Squire by Sierra Simone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A new series in the American Queen series continues presidential aide Ryan Belvedere (his president has been murdered) in his pursuit of a book for Merlin.

View all my reviews

Answers in the Pages by David Levithan

Answers in the Pages by David Levithan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This middle grade book is a must read for children and parents- using a book being read by a class- Donovan leaves his book out, his mother reads it & objects to him reading it and proceeds to start in motion a book challenge that divides everyone. The book also contains the story of The Adventurers book starring Rick & Oliver which contains the content Donovan's mom objects to. But Donovan & his mom do not talk about it...I loved the many students voices, their teacher, and the author of The Adventurers book---a tense book but a good book!

View all my reviews

Last Violent Call by Chloe Gong

Last Violent Call by Chloe Gong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved these two novellas with the reappearance of Roma and Juliette and tying Foul Lady Fortune with the original Chloe Gong books, The Violent Delights & Our Violent Ends! I can't wait to read the next book, Foul Heart Huntsman because the suspense is killing me about this dangerous chemical weapon that Orion's mother created---and how it manipulates people to follow commands, even killing themselves! I love the romance, horror, and sinister evil these characters fight! You will too!

View all my reviews

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Rose

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just as I loved Kip Wilson's first book, White Rose, so also did I enjoy Hilde's journey from orphan to friend with Rosa and the family at the queer club where they waitress and sing to earn money as the Hitler regime closes in. This novel in verse was gripping and thoroughly researched (see Notes at the end) with Hilde becoming more and more strengthened by her circumstances and friendships with those at the club. Loved the cover, too. Highly recommended!

View all my reviews

Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer

Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just as I loved Eliot Schrefer's fiction The Ape Quartet series was so so good, I loved this nonfiction book about the animal world and the different kinds of sexual behavior in the animal world. Schrefer uses humor especially in the illustrations, exhaustive research, interviews with field scientists that are very informative and language that is authentic. There are so many animals and history that Schrefer delves into; I was riveted and learned so much. This is a book teens and adults will learn so much from about animals and humans. Highly recommended!

View all my reviews

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

The Guncle by Steven Rowley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesomely narrated by the author, Steven Rowley, Guncle is Patrick, a retired gay actor, who is asked by his brother after his wife's death to care for his 2 children while he is in rehab. What follows is his niece, Maisie and his nephew, Grant moving into his Palm Beach home as they all struggle with the death of his best friend (and also a partner who died in a car accident) & the kids beloved mother. I loved Patrick's theatrics and his growth. The plot, characters & setting were all stellar. Such a great read!!!

View all my reviews

Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories edited and compiled by Stephanie Perkins

Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories by Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED all 12 of these LOVE stories from YA authors; each short story was authentic, important and hopeful. If you like short stories, romance and good endings, you will certainly enjoy this book!

View all my reviews

A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow

A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very enjoyable novel in verse about trans teens, their friendship, their love and their journeys (re-enactments & exploring history). I liked the 2 main characters but also their families as they individually try to handle their lives with each other and their families, they begin to carve out MORE when they go to a re-enactment of the American Revolution. Teens will really enjoy this book and the way the author presents the story, the characters and queerness through the ages. Highly recommended.

View all my reviews

Nothing Burns As Bright As You by Ashley Woodfolk

Nothing Burns as Bright as You by Ashley Woodfolk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this latest novel in verse from Ashley Woodfolk and the author speaks about what happened to her in her teen years and how it took many many years for her to face this friend/romance. It was alternately happy/uncomfortable/angry as these two friends become something more but many times they were not on the same plane all the time. The verse was heartfelt. A must read!

View all my reviews

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Chris Reilly, Mungo is a a young teen living in hell with a mother who leaves & disappears from the family. Mungo has a sister and brother (Hamish is dangerous, a gang leader who hates Catholics & gay people) and life is bleak until he meets James, who is a Catholic (not good) and gay (not good) and they forge a friendship where James raises his beloved pigeons, talk about a future that includes them and accepts them. It was very hard to listen to this book---neglectful parents, violence, rape, fighting, and so much dysfunction it made for a difficult read and because of my mind at this time, I really did not enjoy either of Douglas Stuart's books like I wanted to...

View all my reviews

A Sitting in St. James by Rita Garcia-Williams

A Sitting in St. James by Rita Williams-Garcia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many Thanks to Reading Rants for recommending this book as one of her favorites for 2021. I enjoyed reading about the white family with slaves, it's past and it's present, as Williams-Garcia writes with feeling, authenticity, and empathetic in the brutal way Madame Sylvie Guilbert treats and talks to her family, her servants, and those in her community, as she strives to marry off grandsons, ignore granddaughters who are mixed race, and still tell her own story of being married off to a brutal man. I loved many of the characters, Byron, Pearce, Thisbe, Eugenie, Jane, Lily and the painter and hated Lucien, Sylvie, and all those who ignored the hard work of the slaves on their plantations and took all the glory themselves. A mesmerizing read!

View all my reviews

Heartstopper: Volume Four (Heartstopper #4) by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper: Volume Four by Alice Oseman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this series so much and Nick and and Charlie so much too! This 4th graphic novel delved into Charlie's issues of anorexia, insecurity, body image, and depression. Nick is so supportive and reaching out to his mom about his concern for Charlie, she helps him be supportive of Charlie. I can't wait for Vol. 5! This series is a must read!

View all my reviews

Rainbow High (Rainbow Trilogy, #2) by Alex Sanchez

Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesomely narrated by: Alston Brown, I love the continued coming out and friendship and romance Kyle, Jason and Nelson navigate their senior year. The interplay of family, school, and coach dynamics really paints a varied but realistic picture of queer teen boys at home and in school (with a new GSA club) and in relationships (both the pain and wonder). I can't wait for the 3rd audiobook, but I will be sorry to leave these boys ---they have made an impact on me and I will miss them!

View all my reviews

Rainbow Boys (Rainbow Trilogy, #1) by Alex Sanchez

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesomely narrated by Alston Brown, three guys in high school are the main characters with best friends Nelson (openly gay) and Kyle semi-out) and Jason with a girlfriend of 2 years and thinking about guys. This was written in 2003 and I was a high school librarian then and am so sorry I never read this book. Teens will understand the trials and tribulations of these 3 boys who also have family and friend issues to contend with and college on the horizon. Each chapter is narrator is narrated by Kyle, Jason and Nelson because they are all so different. Also this is at a time when there is homophobia in the school and at home, many tense, difficult things happen to these boys as they struggle to open a Gay/Straight Alliance in their school. A must listen to!!!

View all my reviews

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book deserves all the awards: National Book Award for Young People's Literature (2021), Michael L. Printz Award Nominee (2022), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2021), Teen category, Walter Dean Myers Honor Award. Awesomely narrated by Emily Woo Zeller; this story takes place in 1954 Chinatown where high school student Lily Hu lives with her family, with an annoying, an overbearing best friend, and the Red Scare has taken her doctor father's Naturalization Papers because of a patient her saw. When Lily begins to realize she has feelings for Kath Miller as a result of sneaking out to the GAY bar to see a female impersonator, the reader follows Kath and Lily's friendship turn to relationship and how their world blows up. Thoroughly researched this a must read for YA readers on the history of the Red Scare, life in Chinatown, and the growth of lesbian movement.

View all my reviews

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Evelyn Hugo's story is mesmerizing and spans the 50s through the 90s, Hollywood movies, and the cut throat nature of the business. Through it all, Evelyn ruthlessly plans her dream to become a famous film actress using her sexuality (boobs and sex) and along the way, many marriages. She is flawed but a strong character and Monique grows as a result of her daily interviews with Evelyn. I read this awesome book in one day; it was compulsively complex.

View all my reviews

Frankie & Bug by Gayle Forman

Frankie & Bug by Gayle Forman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh how I loved Gayle Forman's middle grade book! Bug looks forward to her summers at the beach with her brother, Danny while her mom works for the mayor's office. But during this summer of 1987, there is a serial killer on the loose in California. Now Bug's summer has changed and she is so not happy about it. But with the arrival of Frankie, a few years older, Bug's summer expands. Dealing with cultural and social issues; the friendship of Bug and Frankie has many highs and lows. I loved Phillip, Bug's neighbor who is colorful, loves to cook, and calls his friends by their full names, no nicknames, thank you very much. Danny is a very supportive older brother, which Bug knows but she does not understand why they can't go to the beach everyday like they used to and why does he need to be called Daniel anyway? I loved seeing the Venice beach and characters through Bug's eyes and I cheered for Bug's demand to know what secrets her family is keeping from her. I could not stop turning the pages of this lush, lovely book that needs to be read by everyone.

View all my reviews