In which I endlessly talk about books

book reviews, other thoughts, and probably some memes goodreads.com/staysunny

[noahhawthorneauthor]

It is Disability Pride Month, behold the most epic of queer disabled book recs!

[mactiir]

obsessed with mass market paperbacks. their pleasing rectangular proportions. how they fit badly in a hoodie pocket so you can drag them around everywhere with you like a temporary little buddy. the way they fit in your hand because they're MADE for human hands and not as bookshelf decoration. the way the pages feel when you riffle them gently with your thumb. How pristine and crisp they look when you get them and how creased and folded they look when you're done, even if you try to be nice to them. how that wear is okay, how that's correct actually, because they're made with the philosophy that books aren't meant to be PRETTY, they're meant to be read. that little ripple new ones get on the left side from where you hold them when you're reading, the way the ripple only goes as far as you've read, because u change stories by reading as they are changing you. how you can find thousands of these creased and folded and loved little dudes in every thrift store and used book shop and neighborhood library and you can instantly see the ones that someone carried around in a backpack for weeks or read to pieces or gave up on halfway through because they wear being read like fresh snow wears footprints. I love these poorly made, subpar little rectangles so much. truly the people's books.

[astroportals]

I ❤️ MY PUBLIC LIBRARY

[read-with-el]

Metal From Heaven by August Clarke: 4/5 stars

note: I initially read this back in october 2024, and wrote the review in november and just... forgot to post it whoops. better late than never!

WOW what a unique book. I really, really enjoyed this. I’ve already seen some people compare it to Harrow the Ninth, which I do think is fair (messy lesbians, confusing prose and plot that keeps you on your toes), just don’t go in expecting the same type of humor and snark that’s in HtN. Metal from Heaven is more luscious prose, atmospheric, and ethereal (but not delicate… I don’t think I’d describe any of the characters as such either).

It’s a little slow at the beginning but I’m really glad I stuck with it. It’s one of those books where you never really know where it’s going. I loved the slow way how things worked in this world got revealed. I also love that it’s a standalone—it felt both resolved and open ended in a way that was really nice.

The characters are fantastic. It’s somewhere between first and second person POV so we see everyone through Marney’s eyes. Vikare was my personal favorite but there are so many strong and distinctive characters. The book as a whole felt very character driven; while there are objectives Marney is trying to accomplish and larger goals within their world, the relationships between characters is the driving factor in a lot of that.

This review has been really hard to write because it’s kind of a difficult book to describe. It’s about love and determination and has a slow build. I recommend if you want a book that is weird, immersive, and unique.

[99percentprocrastination]

loml, the libby app

[read-with-el]

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White: 4.5/5 stars

Loved it, as I come to expect from AJ White. This was the case even before this book, but he's absolutely an auto-buy author for me. Compared to his previous two books Compound Fracture is much more rooted in reality and it is a very timely read.  It didn't evoke quite the same "I can't put this down" energy from me that I had with Hell Followed with Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, but I still found myself thinking about this in the back of my mind between reading sessions.  I don't have much more to say other than please read this but mind the content warnings (easily found on the author's website). 

[clonerightsagenda]

Spotted the word "blorbo" in The New York Times book review. Listen NYT romance reviewer, I really do not think your paper's audience is going to recognize that one

[clonerightsagenda]

I am not making this up

[theaologies]

This is for The Last Binding trilogy by Freya Marske if you wanted to know. It’s a queer historical fantasy series published by @torbooks

[torpublishinggroup]

b l o r bo

[giant--squids]

book review: thrown off the ice by taylor fitzpatrick

OHHHHH BOY OH HOLY SHIT THIS FUCKING BOOK 15/5 STARS YOU OWN MY HEART NOW

okay so I was not planning to do any actual book reviews on this blog but this one really merits it. more detail under the cut but as a preview: PCS/resulting health issues, hockey romance, my heart was absolutely torn to shreds

Thrown Off the Ice by Taylor Fitzpatrick follows Liam and Mike. They're on the same team, but Liam is a rookie and Mike is a 30 year old enforcer. Their romance starts reluctant and hot and everything you'd expect from a forbidden contemporary romance that you have to keep hidden. Liam is high-energy and likes to push buttons. Mike likes his routine the way it is. Liam is a rising star. Mike is a traditional enforcer and that includes the physical repercussions that come with that role.

I won't go further into dynamic and plot but happy to discuss any potential CW/TW over messages.

holllllyyyyy shit this book just tore my heart out of my body and crumpled it up. I went through a whole travel pack of tissues and a few more. I still loved it so much. It may be hard for me to watch hockey quite the same way after reading this. Tore into me even more after rereading the dedication. Made me think a bit more about people like NolPat and Sid's post winter classic concussion (and so many others tbh. and my own sister.)

This book is part of a larger universe with many different reading orders but this the order I've gone in so far:

You Could Make a Life (published as an ebook on web retailers or available directly from the author in the uncut version [the one i read] here)

Giving In to the Influence (published here on Ao3)

Follow the North Star (published here on Ao3) (this ties in quite heavily with Thrown Off the Ice)

Vinny Gets a Life (published here on Ao3)

Thrown off the Ice (published as an ebook on web retailers or available here directly with a bunch of shorts included)

there are still so many stories in this universe but this is as far as I've gotten so far. if you search "you could make a life reading order" you'll probably get some answers about other ways you can take it

[read-with-el]

Guardians of Dawn: Zhara: 3/5 stars

This was overall very sweet! It has a cinderella-type story, with secret magic and societies. The two main characters Zhara and Han are initially drawn together by accident but they later realize they have some secrets in common. I initially was reading an ebook copy but was struggling to get drawn in so I switched to the audiobook. I personally found this experience better (I probably would have dnf’d it if not for this).

I enjoyed the world building and the magic system (and the history behind it). Ultimately I felt the book fell a little short. Zhara and Han both felt a little one-note and jokes about their personalities were used over and over again and each of them came off as younger than their stated ages to me. I think my favorite character ended up being the cat (in all fairness—the cat is definitely more than “just there”; it plays a role). I think this had a great set-up, but just wasn’t there in the execution. Unsure of whether or not I will continue the series.

[radioactive-yuri]

finally! a book series that acknowledges three very important truths:

all scientists are weird and a little bit fucked up

if the stressed out sensitive guy in your polycule suddenly develops magical abilities, that's bad probably

if you're gonna start a cult, you do need some eyeliner.

[orpheuslament]

one thing about me is that i will lose my mind about the personification of the house

[orpheuslament]

this house hates you. this house loves you. this house wont ever let you leave. this house has eyes & a mouth. you could make this house speak. you could make this house cry. this house has seen the worst parts of you & wants to keep you inside it forever. this house will die with you. etc.

[read-with-el]

suggested reading:

very different vibes but House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski and A Deadly Education by Namoi Novik

[givemebishies]

Got my copy of Devout: An Anthology of Angels (edited and featuring @quintonli) last week! I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it so far, I’m not very far in just yet but it’s already been so fun seeing all the different writing styles and creative choices between each of the authors ^^ I especially can’t wait to get to the parts @nicosraf wrote! I’m a huge ABM fan tho so I suppose I’m a bit biased lol

Also, I got my bookmark from @meastudios at a con a year or so back, if anyone is curious ✨

[royalcordelia]

Great day in the morning, I published a book!

Kit & Basie is officially available out of my hands and into yours!

The book tells the story of an immortal man who falls in love with the tender-hearted fella that buys his house. It's a queer-normative love story in a cozy setting, a little hurt/comfort, and a happy ending!

This book could not have existed without the folks who supported my AWAE fics here on tumblr and over on ao3. It's been a while since I wrote about shirbert, but it was exploring Avonlea that really taught me to write. Thanks everyone 💛

You can find Kit & Basie here, wherever books are sold, or on Kindle Unlimited!

[noahhawthorneauthor]

for the biters.

We're solving mysteries in all of these, but if you want cozy I recommend How To Bite Your Neighbor and Win a Wager, and Lore and Lust. The rest are a shade darker, and they're all set in the modern world. And yes, they're all spicy.

[read-with-el]

The Sun and the Void by  Gabriela Romero Lacruz: 3.5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for an e-ARC of this book!

My rating: 3.5 stars

The Sun and the Void has a rich and well developed magic system and world-structure. It took my time with this one, especially in the fist half. Even though with the help of the glossary I felt I was able to understand how the magic worked fairly early, it took me much longer to understand the extent of the social and political structures. 

The pace definitely picks up in the second half, and even more so in the last quarter, but there were unfortunately a few times in the beginning that I considered putting it down due to the “information” to “plot advancing” ratio (it felt much more weighted on just “information” in the beginning). 

The characters were complex and I liked that it took some effort to really like them—they are all far from perfect and moral people in a way that felt very real. I didn’t dislike her writing style, but I also wasn’t very drawn in by it either. The story was good, it just felt dense at times.

For the overall plot and story: I really liked it; I loved getting to learn more about Venezuelan folklore and history through a fantasy setting, I loved having a sapphic main character (& am excited to see where some romance develops), and the magic system was super cool. I loved the ending and am excited to see where the story goes from here. 

[pagesinmylife]

I feel like public libraries don’t get enough hype. Like, you’re telling me all I have to do is give you my name and address and promise to bring the books back and I’m allowed to take as many as i want??? And I can check them out over and over again if I need to??? And I only pay if I damage or lose the book???? If this is where my tax money is going then please keep on taxing.

[read-with-el]

I’m not even ashamed of it I am high key obsessed with my local library

[skellygraves]

The cover reveal and official release day announcement for THE FOX AND THE DRYAD, my next mm contemporary fantasy-romance, is coming in DECEMBER! 🦊🩰❄️❄️❄️

[read-with-el]

my excitement for this book is literally unmeasurable !! ❣️❣️❣️