TW: Gore, gaslighting, controlling relationships, codependency and depression, vomiting. Also SO MANY SPIDERS. Cackle is a feminist and creepy yet cosy read that asks us to explore the boundaries between an empowering friendship and a toxic one. Annie (our protagonist) finds some of both in her relationship with Sophie, a glamorous, elegant, mysterious woman, who lives in the small town of Rowan. This book is narrated by Annie. She has lived in New York City … Continue reading Cackle by Rachel Harrison →
I’ve always loved The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, the 1947 film about a widow who falls in love with the ghost of a sea captain, but I greatly dislike a certain plot complication that occurs near the end of the movie. The Ghost and Mr. Moore is a gender-swapped version of the story that avoids the complication and is entirely optimistic, with love conquering all. It’s a warm, sweet, comforting story with solid storytelling and … Continue reading The Ghost and Mr. Moore by Wendy Dalrymple →
After I finished reading The Seat Filler I had two important questions: 1. WTF did I just read and 2. Is Adam Driver ok? The Seat Filler turned out to be a self-insert RPF (real people fiction) about actor Adam Driver and it had the most ridiculous conflict ever. It had moments where it was genuinely cute, but I couldn’t get over the squickiness of the RPF angle or the fact that the conflict could easily … Continue reading The Seat Filler by Sariah Wilson →
When I read A Spindle Splintered, I had completely forgotten what it was about. I tore through the whole novella in one night and was blown away. And while I know you’re here to hear all about it, this is one of those few times when I want you to trust me and read this book without knowing anything else because that was a big part of the magic for me. In case I’ve persuaded … Continue reading A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow →
Payback’s a Witch was a fun, spooky, sexy way to kick off my autumnal reading. With enjoyable characters with clear development, a sultry queer romance, a delightfully magical setting, and beautiful prose, there’s lots and lots to like here. At the outset of the story, Emmy Harlow is returning to her magical hometown of Thistle Grove after a whopping nine-year absence, during which time she has not seen any of her family or childhood friends … Continue reading Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper →
Well, colour me pink and call me tickled. This was a read that was worth waiting for. I had squirreled it away in my TBR knowing that the publication date was only in September (HOW are we past September already?!) and past me did present me a real solid in that respect. This is a slightly creaky but charming romantic comedy that had me smiling at the pages. Olive is a graduate student in the … Continue reading The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood →
I love Rachel Reid’s work, particularly this series. I’ve reviewed Common Goal and read a couple others in the Gamechangers series. I’m delighted to report that this book was lovely while I read it. I devoured it in a single sitting and I smiled goofily while reading it, but as soon as the book was complete, I all but forgot about it. And sometimes that’s exactly what I want from a book: a few glorious hours … Continue reading Role Model by Rachel Reid →
Whistle is the latest YA Graphic novel from DC, and like other books in this run it emphasizes social justice and inclusion. In this book, a Jewish high school student takes care of her mom (who has cancer), works at an animal shelter, attends school, flirts with a cute boy, and participates in protests to try to keep gentrification from erasing her neighborhood of Down River in Gotham City. Her life changes when she meets … Continue reading Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero by E. Lockhart →
After I reviewed Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang, M.D., one of our commenters requested that I review Lydia Kang’s nonfiction book, Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything (co-written by Nate Pedersen). Well, gosh, it’s a sacrifice, but if I MUST read a book full of weird historical semi-medical remedies for things like Bubonic Plague, well, then I guess I must. I do it for you, Bitches. Quackery is what … Continue reading Quackery by Lydia Kang, M.D. and Nate Pedersen →
When You Wish Upon a Duke is a historical romance with Peter Pan references. Given that the heroine is named Isobel Tinker, I feared a whimsy overload. However, I ended up having a wonderful time with this ridiculous yet utterly enjoyable novel, in which a female travel agent and a duke who is doing one last job for the Foreign Office are forced to confront pirates in Iceland. I told you it was ridiculous! This … Continue reading When You Wish Upon a Duke by Charis Michaels →
Catch is a romance set in Bodega Bay, one of my favorite places. In fact I read some of this in Bodega Bay by complete coincidence. So I was primed to like this contemporary romance and I was not disappointed. I also found that this romance, which deals with pain and rejection, family of both blood and choice, and growing up with an alcoholic parent, touched me in personal ways that I only understood when … Continue reading Catch: A Love Story by Tracy Ewens →
