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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Becky Albertalli | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry, Gender Studies
9
9.0 (29 Ratings)
Book Rating
I got this because I saw the film was out on DVD and I like to read the books before I see the film.

So, this centres around 16 year old Simon who's in the closet, scared to come out to his friends and family. He's instead having an email conversation with someone else from his school - someone whose identity he doesn't know - sharing tales of his life while starting to fall for this someone.

I actually really enjoyed this from the first page. I was drawn into the drama as Simon is pretty much blackmailed by a fellow pupil into helping him get a date with one of Simon's friends. Things escalate and don't go great in the end and I really felt for Simon. Kids can be so cruel to each other and over stupid things that shouldn't matter.

I just fell in love with this group of friends. I loved how protective they could all be of each other and then when Simon and his crush/Blue finally got around to meeting each other...I was smiling like a lunatic. It was so cute. I fell in love with them even more. There was just something so believable about this group. Crushes, friendships, parents.

I cannot write a truly fitting review of this book but if you like young adult books with gay characters or just a sweet romance, then you really should give this book a read.

I definitely feel like I need to read more books by Becky Albertalli now, if they're anything like this one
  
Ted 2 (2015)
Ted 2 (2015)
2015 | Comedy
The foul-mouthed but lovable Ted is back in a brand new adventure bigger and more outrageous than the first film. The new film opens with Ted (Seth MacFarlane), marrying Tami-Lynn and in the first five minutes floors the audience with drug, Gay, and sex jokes, with a Flash Gordon sighting and a musical number to boot.

When Ted attempts to adopt a baby, he triggers a chain of events into motion that cause him to be classified as property. As such he has no legal rights and cannot hold a job, have a bank account, adopt, and marry which causes everything Ted has worked for to vanish.

Thankfully for Ted his best friend John (Mark Wahlberg), is by his side no matter what and helps him find a new lawyer named Samantha (Amanda Seyfried), who decides to take on the case and resolves to get Ted recognized as a person.

Naturally things do not go as planned as Ted and John keep getting into trouble despite their best intentions and combined with a threat from Ted’s past emerging once again, things are looking bleak indeed.

Along the way there are more than a few celebrity cameos and tons of rude, crude, and often very funny jokes to go along with the constant drug humor. Ted is not for everyone but there is a softer side to the character, and Mac Farlane keeps things moving at a fast clip, which never lets the film drag on without unleashing a new barrage of comedic situations on the audience.

If you liked the first film, you will likely enjoy “Ted 2” as I found it a very pleasant and often funny film that actually improved on the first film.

http://sknr.net/2015/06/26/ted-2/
  
Rescued (Rescued Hearts #1)
Rescued (Rescued Hearts #1)
Felice Stevens | 2016 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
loved this book!
I got this free, from The Gay Romance Reader Club.

Jason broke up with his girlfriend cos he didn't want to marry her. Ryder broke up with his boyfriend cos the boyfriend didn't want to give up his drugs. Over the rescue of some pit bulls, they became friends. Ryder wants more and Jason? Well, he is digging deep into a long buried memory and realising that maybe it wasn't the fact he didn't want to marry his girlfriend, but maybe, just maybe, it was because she was a GIRL.

Oh I LOVED this book! It's one of those books that surprises you for some reason, but you've on idea why! I can't tell what surprised me, really I can't but I can tell you that I loved it!

Ryder is a lawyer, works for a pit bull rescue, has a pit called Pearl. While he loves his dog, she isn't much of a substitute for the warm male body he misses. Jason is a builder, developing his business with his brother. Finding the pit bulls chained up at a site brings Ryder into contact with Jason and both men, BOTH of them, have a reaction to the other. Ryder's is not surprising but Jason's is. As they spend more time together, Jason begins to question just what he's been doing all this time.

And I LOVED that we got to hear from both men! Cos you know I love that, but especially in books like this, when one is going against all he ever thought was right, and having that light bulb moment with someone and the world is a better place for it. And it really is a *light bulb above the head* moment for Jason, once he allows himself to just run with what he's feeling.

I did NOT like Ryder's mum. She's a Class A bitch and deserves to be alone for the rest of her days, for what she did to Ryder and his brother! So glad that his dad got his act together though!

Loved Jason's mum, especially after what his brother Liam says!

And while I'm not usually one for early professions of love, the way Jason came out with it? It was right that he said those words early, even if he didn't actually realise what he'd said! Both guys fell hard and they fell fast but it was right, for them, that they did.

There is a second book for these guys, and I'd love to read it at some point. There is a tiny snippet at the back of this one, and I have a feeling it might not be so warm and fuzzies!

First full length book by Ms Stevens I've read, the wish list is a few longer now!

5 full and shiny stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
The Prom (2020)
The Prom (2020)
2020 | Comedy, Drama, Musical
9
7.5 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
From the get go this movie made me so angry. Basically the PTA of a high school decide to cancel prom rather than allow her to take her girlfriend. Then when we are thrown into a musical number by meryl Streep and James corden, I knew this was going to be fab right after I finished laughing at James corden fake accent of course! Anyway this duo are the star of a Broadway show called 'Eleanor' which closes on opening night due to bad reviews, and not for the first time either. During a long bar scene they decide they want to become activists to regain their fame, their project? Get prom reinstated and ensure Emma can bring her girlfriend.
Considering I thought the whole movie was about giving prom the go ahead, I thought prom was reinstated very quickly, as many dance numbers and 40 minutes later they are successful. As the movie is over 2 hours long though, that obviously meant there is more to the movie, but I'll leave that to you to see what happens. A word of warning though, it is so cruel! In true Hollywood style though it all works out.
I really enjoyed the movie, it has so many catchy and humorous songs. It's funny, emotional and full of pazazz all the way through. Arianna De bose and Jo Ellen pellman as Alyssa and Emma have great chemistry, and who'd have thought James cordon would be so good at playing a camp gay guy! If you love musicals, you will definitely love this.
  
Full Disclosure
Full Disclosure
Camryn Garrett | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I whizzed through this book in only 5 hours of actual reading time. It completely captivated me! Simone is a teenager, with all the problems and changes that come with it. To top it, she's adopted - with two gay dad's - and she was born with HIV. I don't know about everyone else, but I didn't cope with being a teenager very well so I'm already proud of this fictional yet utterly believable character. The narrative is done through Simone's eyes. And is so honest. It encompasses all the things that a teenager would be thinking; school stresses, friendship groups, sexuality and let's not forget high-school crushes. This is a brilliant coming of age YA novel. One that I think I will rave about for a while. Not only was it a brilliant read, it also taught me loads about HIV (U=U) and living with HIV. And the theme of this text is completely right, people don't know as much as they should and they react based on incomplete facts. I am so glad that I read this book and implore you to read it too.