Tag Archives: LGBTQI

A Kingdom of Sugar Skulls and Marigolds by Eric J. Guignard

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover haunted nights ellen datlow

Title: A Kingdom of Sugar Skulls and Marigolds
Author: Eric J. Guignard
In: Haunted Nights (Lisa Morton & Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, LGBTQI, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 29th December 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Blumhouse
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Abuelita last shakes a single bony finger at me.

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Synopsis

All he wanted was to see Santi one last time. But a misspelt sugar skull and an accidental run in with the spirits get in the way. They also teach him a very valuable lesson.

Thoughts

In a collection of Halloween stories, I was so excited to find a Dia de los Muertos story. Like, ridiculously excited. I can still remember the grad paper that I wrote comparing Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. And I’ve been obsessed ever since. So the fact that there was a story entirely featuring this celebration… wow!

I did get a little bit confused when I realised that the lead narrator was a male. For some reason, the voice sounded incredibly feminine and I just made an assumption. When I realised that the person mourning the death of a loved one was male and he was mourning what happened because of his homosexuality. I was much, much happier. It worked out so much better that way.

The gangster wannabe homophobes in this story seriously pissed me off. Like ridiculously. But that’s okay, because there is an Abuelita who you just don’t mess with in this story. One that can still own people… even when she’s beyond the grave.

 <- All Through the Night ReviewThe Turn Review ->

Image source: Amazon

Beowulf for Cretins by Ann McMan

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover beowulf for cretins

Title: Beowulf for Cretins: A Love Story
Author: Ann McMan
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, LGBTQI, Romance
Dates read: 30th November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Bywater Books
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: I don’t doubt it.

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Synopsis

Is God in the machine – or out to lunch? It’s anybody’s guess.

English professor and aspiring novelist, Grace Warner spends her days teaching four sections of “Beowulf for Cretins” to uninterested students at one of New England’s “hidden ivy” colleges. Not long after she is dumped by her longtime girlfriend, Grace meets the engaging and mysterious Abbie on a cross-country flight. Sparks fly on and off the plane as the two strangers give in to one night of reckless passion with no strings attached, and no contact information exchanged.

Back home at St. Albans, the college rocks Grace’s world when it announces the appointment of a new president – the first woman in its fabled 165-year history. Cue Abbie – and cue Grace’s collision course with a neurotic dog named Grendel, a fractious rival for tenure, and a woman called Ochre in what very well be a final shot at happiness.

Thoughts

This story is sweet, fun and not one that I’m going to forget anytime soon. It’s a fairly easy read, but one that still completely sweeps you away. Makes you forget about reality. I spent a perfect afternoon reading about Grace, Abbie and their neurotic dog while my neurotic dogs were piled on top of me. There was just something completely innocent and sweet about this story… not what I would normally claim for a romance. Mostly they tend to be a lot more lustful.

Sadly, there aren’t many LGBTQI stories on my shelves. Yet, every time I’ve run across one, I’ve found that it is brilliant and unforgettable. Maybe because they’re not so common-place, and it is more difficult to have them published… whatever it may or may not be, it’s not a sub-genre that often finds its way to my shelves. And, in fact, I think this was the first LGBTQI romance that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. It was kind of life changing to be honest. I’m going to now find every single Ann McMan book I can.

An obsession with books is obvious in the amount that I read… but I also love to write, and reading a story about someone who has that same literary obsession was really relatable. Everything about Grace is relatable and makes her impossible to not to love. Then, there’s Grendel. A dog that is damaged, neurotic and completely loveable. Although, I do find every dog I meet ridiculously loveable… whether in person or on print.

Abbie was also a loveable character. However, I found that I related to Grace’s awkward mannerisms and kind of lost feeling way more. The more put together woman is someone that I aspire to be… but I think I’ll forever be more like Grace… kind of bumbling through life in a somewhat confused way. But always stumbling into a happily ever after. At least, that’s what I’m hoping for.

 <- Backcast ReviewDust Review ->

Image source: Goodreads

His Last Victim by K.G. Anderson

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of jack the ripper stories book cover

Title: His Last Victim
Author: K.G. Anderson
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Historical fiction, LGBTQI
Dates read: 31st July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: After all, his brother, a member of my dressing club, was the friend who’d told me about the opening with Scotland Yard five years ago.

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Synopsis

The police really want to catch the Ripper, and one man decides to embrace his secret side to do so. But, at what cost?

Thoughts

I really wasn’t expecting a tale of a cross-dresser in a collection of Jack the Ripper stories. Like, at all. Although, to be fair, I rarely expect to come across such a tale, so when you’re reading about historical fiction and retakes on a notorious serial killer… there isn’t much that could be farther from my mind.

I enjoyed the idea of a man dressing as a woman to try and catch one of the worlds’ most notorious serial killers. The fact that the man who stops it all is also one of this ilk and grouping just made it all the more fun. Actually, I thought that this could have been a much longer story with many more nuances. Or maybe it’s just my need to read stories which feature trans and cross dressing individuals in a positive light…

The happily ever after in this tale was kind of perfect. Not only was the Ripper stopped, but the narrator also found himself in a moment of happily ever after with an understanding wife. And, everyone who had been a part of the capture of the villain was mentioned in the final words, letting you know that they all lived long and prospered.

 <- Dear Boss ReviewThe Face of the Killer Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Duke of Riverside by Ellen Kushner

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
naked-city

Title: The Duke of Riverside
Author: Ellen Kushner
In: Naked City (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, LGBTQI, Medieval fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 12th July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Why would you want to go there with me?

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Synopsis

There’s a young man whose decided to come down to Riverside and find his death. What he doesn’t realise is that no one is going to end the life of an unarmed man. But what he finds instead is much, much better.

Thoughts

The wit and dry humour in this story had me chuckling a fair bit. There was something about a strange, lanky scholar who was desperate to be killed roaming the streets and just having absolutely no luck. It got even better when you found out that he was a duke and abhorrent to the rest of his family. The beauty, humour and irony in the story had me cackling more than I should probably admit if I still wanted people to consider me sane (which I don’t, so it’s fine).

Growing up, I never seemed to read many stories which featured LGBTQI characters. But as my reading tastes have grown, I’ve noticed that it’s a theme that shows up more and more frequently. Or it may just be that it’s a theme that is written about more frequently as our society changes. Regardless, it’s something that I always love in my stories. And the unexpected coupling of two men in this story took me completely by surprise. Partly because in the beginning I thought it would be a tale about Alec just being killed in some random, heinous way. And partly because it’s a medieval fantasy-esque story, and I tend to find that that’s not a relationship that is outwardly hinted at.

The final scene of this short story is one of those that is incredibly difficult to get out of your head. The entire time I’ve been writing this review, I have that great, final image struck into my brain. But, you really must read this story yourself to have that fine enjoyment.

 <- On the Slide ReviewOblivion by Calvin Klein Review ->
Image source: Patricia Briggs

La Reine d’Enfer by Kathe Koja

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for queen victoria's book of spells ellen datlow book cover

Title: La Reine d’Enfer
Author: Kathe Koja
In: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Gaslamp, LGBTQI
Dates read: 12th July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: I grabbed up whatever I could put my hand to, a silver spoon from the table, a bottle of gin; then threw it all down again, my head a-swim like being drunk.

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Synopsis

He’s been trapped in a life that isn’t one of his own making. Davey is hunting him, but all he wants to do is act on stage. Will he finally get what he wants?

Thoughts

When I sat down to write this review, I couldn’t quite remember what this short story was even about. There was a vague memory of enjoying the story and thinking it was very good, but I just couldn’t remember what happened in it. So I had to have a quick look at the pages again. And then it all came flooding back to me. And I’m really not sure why I didn’t remember this much clearer from the very beginning. There was a bit of an Oliver Twist feel to this story, with a great sense of darkness and brutality.

I like that there was a subtle feeling of magic to this story. It felt more about the magic of theatre than the casting of a spell. More about magics that we make others believe in (some might say manipulate) than that of the Fair Folk. It created a nice, dreary, mystical affect to the storyline that made you not want to put it down. Although, it’s this same shrouded mystery-effect which also made it quite difficult to remember exactly what it was that I had just read..

 <- The Memory Book ReviewFor the Briar Rose Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for book cover spellbook of the lost and found

Title: Spellbook of the Lost and Found
Author: Moira Fowley-Doyle
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Freaky, LGBTQI, Magical realism
Dates read: 16th – 21st April 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Corgi
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Big bones, big meat, I’m a meal of a girl.

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Synopsis

One stormy summer night, Olive and her best friend, Rose, begin to lose things. It starts with simple items like hair clips and jewellery, but soon it’s clear that Rose has lost something bigger, something she won’t talk about.

Then Olive meets three wild, mysterious strangers: Ivy, Hazel and Rowan. Like Rose, they’re mourning losses – and holding tight to secrets.

When they discover the ancient spellbook, full of hand-inked charms to conjure back lost things, they realize it might be their chance to set everything right. Unless it’s leading them towards secrets that were never meant to be found…

Thoughts

I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this novel. It is my first by Moira Fowley-Doyle, it is my first magical realism story and although the blurb sounded intriguing, it’s probably not one I would have picked up based on the cover. It was suggested as part of the Around the Year in 52 Books reading challenge. And boy am I glad. I absolutely loved this book.

The three different storylines set throughout this story seem to stretch an age, but, in reality they only take about a week. The different perspectives (some on the same moments, some on very random experiences) move you along at a kind of slow pace time wise. But in activities… it’s a whirlwind of intrigue, adventure and social context.

Fowley-Doyle isn’t afraid to talk about marginalised teenagers. Of the five main characters, two are severely abused, one is from a not so healthy background (but not abusive), one has what would be considered a disability, and they are all kind of messed up, but in different ways. This doesn’t include the fact that the sexual orientations in this story range from hetero to homosexual and through the gambit of bisexual. There’s honestly a character that everyone can recognise themselves in. And that’s not even beginning to touch on the discussions around women’s rights!

I had to create a “freaky” shelf in my collection for this book. Not because this was scary (that’s the horror shelf), but because after turning the last page, I lay in bed feeling stunned and incredibly uncomfortable. Most tales that deal with magic blur the lines, but still have that element of fantasy in it. This tale doesn’t do that. Even in the closing, there are moments when they seem to explain away all of the weird happenings, but just not quite… the darkness that seeps through the story kind of lingers. And it just feels… well, beautifully, tragically… freaky.

 <- All the Bad Apples ReviewThe Accident Season Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Faerie Cony-catcher by Delia Sherman

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for sirens and other daemon lovers book cover

Title: The Faerie Cony-catcher
Author: Delia Sherman
In: Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fae, LGBTQI
Dates read: 20th April 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: EOS
Year: 1998
5th sentence, 74th page: For answer then, he tightened his grip upon those fair and ruddy jewels that Peasecod brought to his marriage-portion, and so wrought with them that the eyes rolled back in his lover’s head, and he expired upon a sigh.

Synopsis

Nick thinks that he is wise and well aware of the dangers of being on his own. But when he runs across a fae woman, he finds out that maybe he’s not quite as wise as he thinks… Will this lead him to his happily ever after, or something a little more sinister?

Thoughts

I’ve read enough Delia Sherman short stories by this point to realise that they’re never going to go the way I expected. Ever. And yet, I still thought that I knew roughly how this was going to go at about the halfway point. I was partly right – there is a happy ending. But it really wasn’t the kind of happy ending that I thought it would be… or the kind of coupling that I was expecting.

Without giving away the ending of this story (and why it is in the LGBTQI shelf), I can tell you that one of the characters is really not what I thought they were. And the reaction to this was kind of beautiful. I thought that this was going to go haywire incredibly quickly. However, it led to a great happy ending. And an acceptance of people who are just a little bit different from ourselves.

This short story is in a collection of tales that are not going to fit the romance bill. But they do fit the scope of slightly twisted, kind of weird, and incredibly intense storylines. The off-kilter and unexpected storyline worked so well in this collection and now I can’t wait to pick up not only my next Delia Sherman story, but also read the next short story in the Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers collection.

<- My Lady of the HearthBroke Heart Blues ->

Image source: Goodreads

Five Sites, Five Stages by Lisa McInerney

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Five Stages, Five Sites
Author: Lisa McInerney
In: I Am Heathcliff (Kate Mosse)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading,  LGBTQI, Twisted romance
Dates read: 23rd March 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Borough Press
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: Like it would be good for, say, convalescents.

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Synopsis

Heidi loves Cass with all of her heart. But there’s a number of obstacles in their way, and she’s just not sure that they can be overcome.

Thoughts

From the outset it is obvious that this was a story about a not so healthy love. I mean, the whole I Am Heathcliff collection is kind of about unhealthy love. But this seemed a little more obviously unhealthy than some of the other tales. And a little bit more relatable to be honest, it was far more contemporary and written in a way that you can almost, almost relate to Heidi.

This story kind of worked through the five stages of grief (which, when you find out the ending, you understand the grief), and worked it’s way across the city. It intertwined brilliantly with the idea of a love that had gone horribly wrong. And it reflected the ideas of grief and loss that are highlighted in Wuthering Heights.

I was far more comfortable with this short story than many of the preceding ones. It wasn’t as intensely twisted, and it made a little more sense to me. I just wouldn’t necessarily want to read it again anytime soon.

 <- The Howling Girl ReviewKit Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers

Princess Princess Ever After by Kay O’Neill

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for princess princess ever after book cover

Title: Princess Princess Ever After
Author: Kay O’Neill
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Feminism, Graphic novels, LGBTQI, Strong women
Dates read: 27th March 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: Oni Press
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘We must disillusion her.

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Synopsis

“I am no prince!”

When the heroic princess Amira resuces the kind-hearted princess Sadie from her tower prison, neither expects to find a true friend in the bargain. Yet as they adventure across the kingdom, they discover that they bring out the very best in the other person. They’ll need to join forces and use all the know-how, kindness, and bravery they have in order to defeat their greatest foe yet: a jealous sorceress with a dire grudge against Sadie.

Join Sadie and Amira, two very different princesses with very different strengths, on their journey to figure out what “happily ever after” really means – and how they can find it with each other.

Thoughts

This is such a great fairy tale! It’s filled with beautiful pictures, different outlooks (like an ogre dancing) and a great couple at the very centre. The fact that this great couple happens to be a lesbian one just makes this story all the sweeter and greater. It becomes this beautiful, encompassing storyline that makes you swoon again and again and again.

This is my second graphic novel by Katie O’Neill and I have definitely developed an obsession. There are strong messages of equality and independence throughout. And there is this idea that women can be whatever they want to be. Sadie is the perfect example of this – she is a curvy cry-baby, and she completely owns this quality as the story unfolds. Finally finding her own happiness in exactly who she is. There isn’t a need to change who Amira and Sadie are in this story, but an ability to finally accept and embrace who and what they want to be.

 <- Aquicorn Cove ReviewThe Tea Dragon Society Review ->
Image source: Oni Press

The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
The Tea Dragon Society : Katie O'Neill : 9781620107379

Title: The Tea Dragon Society
Author: Kay O’Neill
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dragons, Fantasy, Graphic novels, LGBTQI
Dates read: 4th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: Oni Publishing
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: The horn is similar in texture and density to a root, and a tiny shaving will give the tea its ginger taste.

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Synopsis

From the author of the award-winning Princess Princess Ever After comes The Tea Dragon Society, a charming fairy tale about Greta, an adventurous blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of Tea Dragons.

After discovering a lost Tea Dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of Tea Dragon caretaking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives – and eventually her own.

Thoughts

I got this cute little graphic novel in a book subscription box. I had no idea what it was about and no idea what to expect. But, I fell COMPLETELY in love with this story from the very beginning. Actually, I now just really, really want my own little Tea Dragon. And a Tea Society with all of my friends and loved ones. Actually, I just want this world to be a reality…

I would have loved this graphic novel regardless. It is beautifully illustrated, stunningly written and has a great message that helps to keep you light and loving. But, there is also a very subtle LGBTQI theme running through the story, and I just found that these couples were all the sweeter for it.

After closing the final page of this book, I ranted and raved about how beautiful this graphic novel was. How glorious and how much I just wanted to sink into the pages. But, when it comes to writing the review for something that touched me so much… it’s hard to find coherent words to describe it.

<- More Katie O’NeillThe Tea Dragon Festival ->

Image source: Observer