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Super Fun Sexy Time
8.7
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Cartoonist Meredith McClaren (Hinges) tells five short, sexy stories featuring superheroes,...
Erotica Superheroes
Karla Dee (6 KP) rated Ophelia After All in Books
Feb 12, 2022
This was an amazing latina queer coming of age story that I think many people can relate to much like Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera. It's a very diverse coming of age story and I couldn't wait to recommend this one to my bewk club. There was a lot of representation in this book including characters who were bisexual, biromantic, aromantic, pansexual, and plus size. Ophelia coming out was messy and this topic came up in our last book club meeting because we have a latina lesbian in our book club so this book is a perf read for us.
I think that the way Ophelia's crisis was handled was messy but hs typically is when you are trying to find yourself and Racquel did a really good job of showing the complexities of hs. I also loved the characters Wesley, Agatha, Sammie, and Talia. This could be the next big HS tv show hit after Euphoria and I am all for it. Def would want to cast Maddie in a role. #teamophelia
I think that the way Ophelia's crisis was handled was messy but hs typically is when you are trying to find yourself and Racquel did a really good job of showing the complexities of hs. I also loved the characters Wesley, Agatha, Sammie, and Talia. This could be the next big HS tv show hit after Euphoria and I am all for it. Def would want to cast Maddie in a role. #teamophelia
That Dickinson Girl (Forgotten Women #1)
Book
She’s going to be the greatest orator of the Civil War! Eighteen-year-old Anna Dickinson is...
Historical Biographical Fiction
The Sunrisers
Book
After years of adventures, professional thief and amateur noodle critic Yael is invited to join The...
Lesbian Space Opera
Beautiful well-written story with lovely characters
In 2017, Abby Zimet is struggling. Things are tough at home--her parents can barely stand to be in the same room together. Plus, Abby and her girlfriend, Linh, broke up in June. Abby thought it would only be temporary, but now school has started, and here they are: still friends, still broken up. Abby can't seem to concentrate on school or her senior project. That is until she discovers 1950s lesbian pulp fiction. In particular, a book called "Women of the Twilight Realm." Abby becomes obsessed with the author, who wrote under the name Marian Love. If Abby can somehow track down Marian, maybe life won't be so bad after all. Cut to 1955, where eighteen-year-old Janet Jones is in love with her best friend, Marie. It's a huge secret: one that could destroy their lives and that of their families. Marie is trying to get her security clearance with the State Department, after all. But when Janet finds a book at the bus station by an author called Dolores Wood, which features women falling in love with women, she starts to realize she isn't alone. And Janet, an aspiring writer, begins to wonder if there's more out there than the life that's always been planned for her.
"Janet had never understood, not until she turned the thin brown pages of Dolores Wood's novel, that other girls might feel the way she did. That a world existed outside the one she'd always known."
I loved this book so incredibly much that I can't even really explain it. It was captivating and beautiful and tragic and just appealed to me on so many levels. I have always been interested in lesbian pulp fiction since doing a project on it for a Queer Studies class in college, so it was so fascinating to read about Abby's research within the pages of this novel.
Talley effortlessly weaves so many narratives within this one that it sort of leaves you breathless at times. We have Abby's narrative, Janet's narrative, and then excerpts from the book by Marian Love that Abby grows to love so much, "Women of the Twilight Realm." The parallels are really striking between Abby and Janet, as each are discovering lesbian pulp fiction in their own era and using it to grow and learn about themselves.
Even more, we see how much things have changed between the 1950s and 2017. It's horrifying to see what Janet (and the entire gay community) had to endure, and the book really serves to educate on how terrible things were then. While I knew bits and pieces about the Lavender Scare, its ties to our actual characters here really brings it home. I have to say, I just adored Janet. She seems so incredibly real, and I just fell for her and her incredible strength and bravery. I think she will remain one of my favorite characters in lesbian fiction (and all fiction) for all time.
As for Abby, I really liked her too, although in some of her sections, I was more captivated by her research than her story. Still, she presents a poignant tale of a young bisexual trying to find herself, and I appreciated the diverse set of characters with whom she surrounds herself. Abby and her friends stand in stark contrast to Janet in their sexual freedoms, but, in many ways, they aren't so different at heart.
"That was the best part of being in love. The way it set the rest of the world on mute."
I just really really loved this book. It has so much of what I love--lesbians, diverse characters, passionate and realistic storylines, well-done research, literary references and ties. Reading Janet and Abby's stories took me back to a time when I wasn't yet out and when I had first come out--when the world wasn't yet so forgiving (not that it always is, but things were pretty different even 15+ years ago). I remember how much comfort books provided me, how wonderful it was to realize I wasn't alone in the world. I love how well this book shows that fact, and how the books-within-the book are almost their own characters.
Overall, I can't recommend this one enough. It's just a beautiful, well-written story, and, to top it off, it's informative to boot. The characters are lovely, the story is amazing, and it really leaves you feeling a bit awed. Highly recommend.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
"Janet had never understood, not until she turned the thin brown pages of Dolores Wood's novel, that other girls might feel the way she did. That a world existed outside the one she'd always known."
I loved this book so incredibly much that I can't even really explain it. It was captivating and beautiful and tragic and just appealed to me on so many levels. I have always been interested in lesbian pulp fiction since doing a project on it for a Queer Studies class in college, so it was so fascinating to read about Abby's research within the pages of this novel.
Talley effortlessly weaves so many narratives within this one that it sort of leaves you breathless at times. We have Abby's narrative, Janet's narrative, and then excerpts from the book by Marian Love that Abby grows to love so much, "Women of the Twilight Realm." The parallels are really striking between Abby and Janet, as each are discovering lesbian pulp fiction in their own era and using it to grow and learn about themselves.
Even more, we see how much things have changed between the 1950s and 2017. It's horrifying to see what Janet (and the entire gay community) had to endure, and the book really serves to educate on how terrible things were then. While I knew bits and pieces about the Lavender Scare, its ties to our actual characters here really brings it home. I have to say, I just adored Janet. She seems so incredibly real, and I just fell for her and her incredible strength and bravery. I think she will remain one of my favorite characters in lesbian fiction (and all fiction) for all time.
As for Abby, I really liked her too, although in some of her sections, I was more captivated by her research than her story. Still, she presents a poignant tale of a young bisexual trying to find herself, and I appreciated the diverse set of characters with whom she surrounds herself. Abby and her friends stand in stark contrast to Janet in their sexual freedoms, but, in many ways, they aren't so different at heart.
"That was the best part of being in love. The way it set the rest of the world on mute."
I just really really loved this book. It has so much of what I love--lesbians, diverse characters, passionate and realistic storylines, well-done research, literary references and ties. Reading Janet and Abby's stories took me back to a time when I wasn't yet out and when I had first come out--when the world wasn't yet so forgiving (not that it always is, but things were pretty different even 15+ years ago). I remember how much comfort books provided me, how wonderful it was to realize I wasn't alone in the world. I love how well this book shows that fact, and how the books-within-the book are almost their own characters.
Overall, I can't recommend this one enough. It's just a beautiful, well-written story, and, to top it off, it's informative to boot. The characters are lovely, the story is amazing, and it really leaves you feeling a bit awed. Highly recommend.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
Mandi S (1 KP) rated The Upside of Unrequited in Books
Jan 23, 2018
After absolutely loving the audiobook version of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, I knew I wanted to listen to Becky Albertalli's next book, The Upside of Unrequited, rather than just read it. Not sure what she has done to get such a great cast of narrators for her books, but I loved this one as well! Sometimes audiobook narrators can be terrible and completely ruin what would have otherwise been a great story, but once again this audiobook knocked it out of the park.
The Upside of Unrequited follows Molly and her twin sister Cassie, two girls raised by lesbian moms, who also happen to be a mixed-race couple. Cassie is also a lesbian. Molly considers herself to be the more unattractive twin, being uncomfortable with her weight and never having kissed a boy, while Cassie is gorgeous and can have almost any girl she wants. Throughout the story, Molly struggles with Cassie getting her first serious girlfriend and losing that closeness with her sister, while trying to find herself and work on romantic relationships of her own. Oh, and plan a wedding for her moms.
I loved everything about this story. I really identified with Molly and her struggles with self image, and having family members beat her up over a "weight problem" since that has also happened to me. I loved the amount of diversity in this book, and that it was a big focus but not so much that it distracted from other elements of the story. There was a point however where I almost stopped reading because I felt SO BAD for Molly. I just couldn't bear to keep reading about the terrible way that others treated her and what I thought was going to happen next in the story, but I pushed myself through and I'm glad I did! I am so happy with the way this story ended!
I also kind of hate myself for taking so long to realize that Molly and Cassie's cousin Abby is the same Abby from Simon! I know they're making a movie from Simon, but I really hope they make a movie about this one too! I also can't wait to get my hands on Becky Albertalli's newest book, Leah on the Offbeat!
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
The Upside of Unrequited follows Molly and her twin sister Cassie, two girls raised by lesbian moms, who also happen to be a mixed-race couple. Cassie is also a lesbian. Molly considers herself to be the more unattractive twin, being uncomfortable with her weight and never having kissed a boy, while Cassie is gorgeous and can have almost any girl she wants. Throughout the story, Molly struggles with Cassie getting her first serious girlfriend and losing that closeness with her sister, while trying to find herself and work on romantic relationships of her own. Oh, and plan a wedding for her moms.
I loved everything about this story. I really identified with Molly and her struggles with self image, and having family members beat her up over a "weight problem" since that has also happened to me. I loved the amount of diversity in this book, and that it was a big focus but not so much that it distracted from other elements of the story. There was a point however where I almost stopped reading because I felt SO BAD for Molly. I just couldn't bear to keep reading about the terrible way that others treated her and what I thought was going to happen next in the story, but I pushed myself through and I'm glad I did! I am so happy with the way this story ended!
I also kind of hate myself for taking so long to realize that Molly and Cassie's cousin Abby is the same Abby from Simon! I know they're making a movie from Simon, but I really hope they make a movie about this one too! I also can't wait to get my hands on Becky Albertalli's newest book, Leah on the Offbeat!
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Bunny Finds a Friend in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Cara Jong is working as a process server when she delivers a summons to a Santa. Except this Santa is a gorgeous woman, who immediately strikes a chord with Cara. The two share a "moment," which stays with Cara for some time. She eventually tracks down said Santa, who turns out to be Jude Donovan, a well-known children's book author. The two "meet cute," so to speak, at a reading of Jude's and sparks fly. They begin dating, but it seems like things just aren't meant to be. Will Cara's flighty nature and lack of commitment (all well-documented by her older sisters) doom the relationship? What about Jude's ex and her young daughter Zoe, who doesn't seem happy to have her Mom dating again? Can Cara and Jude overcome these obstacles and find happiness?
This was a cute book, with fairly realistic characters leading a fairly realistic life--something that's harder to find than one would think in lesbian literature. Cara's a regular gal, with a typical lack of commitment found in a myriad characters in literature, gay and straight. Perhaps the biggest issue with this book is that it sort of seems like a sketch of what could have been an even more fully-developed and even more enjoyable novel. We don't get to see a lot of Cara and Jude's actual relationship development, for instance. Their courtship and issues are quickly glossed over. I would have liked to have seen more of what led them to fall for each other--and fall apart. After all, those sorts of things (falling in love, struggling to maintain a relationship while juggling exes and children and jobs) are what we all have in common.
Cara's sisters are also supposed to add a bit of comic relief, perhaps, to the novel, but they sometimes come across as harpy and annoying. While several of them are dealing with complex issues, they don't get the full attention they truly deserve.
Still, this was a fun, quick read. It's always refreshing to read lesbian fiction with normal characters navigating life. I liked Cara, sympathized with her on a multitude of levels, and did enjoy reading about her journey. Overall, 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley - thank you!
This was a cute book, with fairly realistic characters leading a fairly realistic life--something that's harder to find than one would think in lesbian literature. Cara's a regular gal, with a typical lack of commitment found in a myriad characters in literature, gay and straight. Perhaps the biggest issue with this book is that it sort of seems like a sketch of what could have been an even more fully-developed and even more enjoyable novel. We don't get to see a lot of Cara and Jude's actual relationship development, for instance. Their courtship and issues are quickly glossed over. I would have liked to have seen more of what led them to fall for each other--and fall apart. After all, those sorts of things (falling in love, struggling to maintain a relationship while juggling exes and children and jobs) are what we all have in common.
Cara's sisters are also supposed to add a bit of comic relief, perhaps, to the novel, but they sometimes come across as harpy and annoying. While several of them are dealing with complex issues, they don't get the full attention they truly deserve.
Still, this was a fun, quick read. It's always refreshing to read lesbian fiction with normal characters navigating life. I liked Cara, sympathized with her on a multitude of levels, and did enjoy reading about her journey. Overall, 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley - thank you!
She Loves You, She Loves You Not...
8.5
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Seventeen-year-old Alyssa thought she knew who she was. She had her family and her best friends and,...
Julie Anne Peters She Loves You She Loves You Not Young Adult Young Adult Fiction LGBTQ+ Lesbian
Villians Don't Date Heroes!
7.0
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Night Terror. The greatest villain Starlight City has ever known. The greatest supervillain the...
Superhero F/F
The Love Book: Classic and Contemporary Poems, Letters and Prose on the Wonderful (but Troublesome) Theme of Love
Book
This is an exquisite collection of the very best writing on love. The Love Book presents a new...