Big Swiss is less like a novel and more like an endurance test of second-hand embarrassment. Greta/Rebekah's genuine curiosity and awe of her boss's mysterious new patient, nicknamed Big Swiss, spirals into a relationship based on lies, amorous feelings towards armpits, and jealousy in the fraudulent form of Javier Bardem. My shoulders were in a permanent state of cringing while reading this, but that didn't stop me from racing through this book.
Our favorite unhinged medeians are back and better than ever. I can't say too much without spoiling it, so I'll leave you with an excerpt;
"Put a pin in this weird moment you're having, would you?" she said, addressing him disinterestedly over her shoulder. "And don't drink anymore, you're bound to get all morbid. And don't kill anyone," she added as an afterthought. "Or do. It's really none of my business."
"Have you ever been in love?" Callum asked her.
"Jesus Christ, never mind. Here," she said, shoving her glass of champagne into his hands. You're embarrassing all of us."
I've seen some criticism of this book that the characters are unlikeable, and I would argue that that is what makes this book so fun. Six hot-headed, arrogant, morally gray (and sometimes morally corrupt) candidates are invited to join a secret society of magical academicians, a place where the mega-wealthy and powerful congregate to acquire knowledge hidden to the rest of the world. It's sexy, funny, thought-provoking, and contains a number of gasp-out-loud moments that left me a super fan. Book 2 is out on October 25th, 2022!
I'm not much of a YA reader, I couldn't say they last time I read one. That said, I very much so enjoyed this! A tender, sweet and often times hilarious story of young queer love. I recommend this to anyone looking for a light, heartwarming read to sit in the sun with.
Oh, Lysande, my love! If you are interested in getting to know a bisexual bookworm who is struggling with a drug addiction and can't stop thinking about choking a man who wears a living snake as jewelry, this might be the book for you. This story is full of political intrigue, scheming, examinations of class and privilege, beautiful prose, and just a touch of spiciness. Keep an eye out for Book 2 in 2023!
As "LA's Renowned Lesbian Dominatrix", Chris Belcher could pay off her student loans while working towards her doctorate, and keep from slipping into the cycle of poverty she had escaped from once she left West Virginia. She was also able to examine gender dynamics behind the dungeon door, and the way masculinity presents itself when she has her boot pushing into someone's back. Complicated questions of sexuality, queerness, identity, and power arise with every essay in this memoir, as well as the way society harms those that deviate from the norm.
Thank you, P. Djeli Clark, for writing this Victorian Egyptian steampunk novel just for me! "A Master of Djinn" melds the mysterious adventures of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody archaeological mysteries with the snarky steampunk vibe of Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series. Along with a dash of the inclusive romance that I've been devouring lately and a cast of multicultural characters, the result is the most entertaining book I've read this year from the most original voice I could hope to find.
This has it all: an eating disorder, mommy issues, frozen yogurt, sex, the spirit of Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, and lots more. The detail Broder brings to this story of appetite (that of spirituality, sensuality, and food) is magnificent. You feel like you're under the neon lights of the kosher Chinese Polynesian American restaurant in the middle of LA, rooting for Rachel as she starts feeding herself in more ways than one. Let me assure you that it's not for everyone, with a big trigger warning and explicit sex scenes, but it could be for you.
There's a reason why he won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2020! These poems are lovely and devastating. Beautiful and heartbreaking, of course, with titles like "Bullet Points" as a black man in America and lines like "I love a man I know I could die" as an openly gay, HIV-positive man. Read this if you want something solid and good.
This novel is both the stories of twelve women and a sweeping history of the Black British experience. With poetic prose, dazzling characters, and intricate details, it is impossible not to get lost in Evaristo's work.
