was the term "fool in love" coined specifically based on mr john thornton?
i know for a fact that if i retw: xenophobia, death, suicide, animal cruelty
was the term "fool in love" coined specifically based on mr john thornton?
i know for a fact that if i read this at a tender age of early teenagehood, it would have been over me. my standards would never again be met, and i would simply stop reading all together.
yes, the romance is exquisite (and frankly unhinged in the best of ways), but this is obviously so much more than that. on the prose level this is absolutely gorgeous. the social commentary, the clash of the classes, the feminism? chef's kiss....more
rep: biracial Indian Scottish gay mc with depression and anxiety, bi mc, Black trans side character, nonbinary side character, Indian Scottish side chrep: biracial Indian Scottish gay mc with depression and anxiety, bi mc, Black trans side character, nonbinary side character, Indian Scottish side characters TW: alcoholism, past drug use, past suicide, suicidal ideation
fellas is it gay to just want to keep another boy safe, and maybe cuddle...more
rep: gay mc, Jewish gay mc, Indian side character tw: extreme gore, violence, blood, murder, suicide, body horror, period typical homophobia, internalirep: gay mc, Jewish gay mc, Indian side character tw: extreme gore, violence, blood, murder, suicide, body horror, period typical homophobia, internalised homophobia, PTSD, panic attacks
an honest book about war, and simultaneously the most tender one you will ever read. all thanks to the bottomless love those boys feel for one another.
near the very end a character quotes a philosopher arguing that gay love is the purest form of love, and somehow the book itself feels like a homage to that statement, while also showing all the ugliness of human emotions.
rep: achillean mc with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, achillean intersex li, achillean side character, Black side character tw: child abuse, cancer, past off rep: achillean mc with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, achillean intersex li, achillean side character, Black side character tw: child abuse, cancer, past off page death, drug addiction, violence
the whole book could be summed up by that one siken quote:
you're in a car with a beautiful boy, / and you're trying not to tell him that you love him, and you're trying to / choke down the feeling, and you're trembling, but he reaches over and / he touches you, like a prayer for which no words exist, and you feel your / heart taking root in your body, like you've discovered something you / don't even have a name for....more
There still exists a faint memory of the past when the faggots and their friends were free. The memory lives in the faggots’ bones. The memory appe
There still exists a faint memory of the past when the faggots and their friends were free. The memory lives in the faggots’ bones. The memory appears at night when the bones are quietest.
I don’t want to lose a single thread / from the intricate brocade of this happiness. / I want to remember everything. / Which is wgay love is just !!!
I don’t want to lose a single thread / from the intricate brocade of this happiness. / I want to remember everything. / Which is why I am lying awake, sleepy / but not sleepy enough to give it up. / Just now, a moment from years ago: / the early morning light, the deft, sweet / gesture of your hand / reaching for me....more
"you feel like you've lost your path. rep: poc sapphic mc, sapphic mc, poc achillean disabled character, achillean characters, poc nonbinary character
"you feel like you've lost your path. it's natural to be sad. it's alright to let those feelings wash over you, and give them time to soak the earth. that's when things start ot grow again." ...more
rep: bi mc with anxiety, Chinese American lesbian li, Black sapphic sc, Puerto Rican American trans sc, gay Jewish sc, Black gay sc, Black pan sc, Czerep: bi mc with anxiety, Chinese American lesbian li, Black sapphic sc, Puerto Rican American trans sc, gay Jewish sc, Black gay sc, Black pan sc, Czech sc tw: past homophobic violence, off page death
Review also on Reads Rainbow. ARC provided by the publisher.
I am once again crying about fictional lesbians. Actually Jane Su is the fictional lesbian, she's the book girlfriend, she's the blueprint. This is really all for her. I'm not in a group chat called “Dicks out for Jane Su” for nothing.
This of course is not to say that other parts of the book don’t work. In fact, they work perfectly well. If you’re not expecting exact science from this time-travel book, that is... It's not about science, it's about people coming together and loving each other with their whole hearts.
Yes, this is a romance. And it might actually be one of the best f/f romances to ever enter the mainstream. There are multiple reasons why I say that, but the most important one is the intensity of emotions and feelings between August and Jane. It's not usual for sapphic books to allow their characters to be, well frankly, more than a cute aesthetic. Unlike m/m romances, the ones starring sapphic characters tend to be more soft and delicate, and tend to focus on how sweet it is that those people love each other, and not so much on the fact that they’re horny.
One Last Stop doesn't have those hesitations, it explores all sides of the relationship between August and Jane. It uses the same kind of focus and detail to talk about August yearning after Jane, as it does to talk about August finding Jane hot and desirable. I mean, for the love of god, August literally keeps a journal of all the sex things she wants to try with Jane. Name one other mainstream sapphic book doing it like that.
But it's not just a romance. It's also a story about people loving each other in various different ways. It's a story about found family, which is frankly a quintessential kind of story for LGBT folks. This idea that we will always find each other, and we will always understand each other, and support each other. That is a very definition of the found family. And is portrayed in the most beautiful way in One Last Stop. It works so well because the characters are fleshed out to the extent that they truly do feel like real people.
And because literally the whole cast is LGBT, Casey provided for themself a great opportunity to talk about our community. It doesn’t come across as a history lesson, but at times that’s what it essentially is. And given how little we ourselves know about the LGBT people who came before us, it’s actually an excellent choice. It also helps that Jane is from the 70s’ and provides a whole other perspective on the community.
I initially said that One Last Stop is “a gay history lesson wrapped up in a found family wrapped up in a romcom wrapped up in, once again!, a love letter to the LGBT community” and I was right. It’s also a gift to sapphics everywhere....more
rep: bi mc, gay mixed-race Filipino li, lesbian side character, gay side characters
Review also on Reads Rainbow. ARC provided by the publisher.
You knorep: bi mc, gay mixed-race Filipino li, lesbian side character, gay side characters
Review also on Reads Rainbow. ARC provided by the publisher.
You know those books that just make you feel safe? As if someone you love gave you a long, warm hug? As if for a brief moment you knew with absolute certainty that everything is going to be okay?
That’s how I Knew Him made me feel.
This is very much a character driven story, even though I can tell you it lowkey hinges on a high school production of Hamlet. But first and foremost, this is a story of Jules. He’s a senior in a small Canadian town, has his group of friends, some of them being people he has known basically since he was a little kid, and all he’s waiting for is graduation. He’s waiting for the opportunity to move out, start his life over again in some big city and finally, finally be himself! A sentiment most of LGBT kids share, right? Because yeah, Jules is bi.
We get to see him struggle with accepting his identity, with the mere thought of coming out. And it’s handled beautifully. Really, it just shows why it’s so important to have ownvoices books with LGBT characters. They offer a unique kind of understanding that no cishet author will ever give their readers. I’m a little bit overwhelmed with how much I loved the representation in this book. We not only have the bi mc, but there are five gay characters as well - all of them different, all of them sharing with us another coming out & acceptance story. So many voices and all of them honest.
There was this one piece of dialogue that I know will stay with me for a long time and that I’m really happy LGBT kids everywhere will get to read:
"I don't know how I'll tell Will." "Then don't," he whispered. He gently tilted my head so I was facing him. His eyes were wide and insistent. "You don't owe him that." "Don't I? He told me he was gay." He shook his head. "No. You gave him safety. He doesn't do the same for you."
It’s not often that we see coming out framed like this. Time and time again it’s actually just shaming a character for not wanting to come out; like it’s easy, like it’s something we owe to the world, like we’re living a lie otherwise. I Knew Him also puts the emphasis on the fact that as long as you came out to yourself, as long as you’re honest with yourself, there is no lie in your life. You’re the person who matters the most here.
I Knew Him does a lot of little, but really major things like this. Like highlighting how important it is for your romantic partner to also be your best friend. Again, not a lot of media out there would make that connection, instead trying to convince you that an Epic Love Story is all that you need. I’m glad we’re finally over those unhealthy archetypes... The book also talks about other aspects of friendships and relationships, of how they change and dissolve, and how it’s normal and not necessarily a bad thing. And most importantly, even with how much light it shines on relationships between people, it never claims that love is what will "cure" you, that every single person needs romantic love to feel whole.
But then, is I Knew Him just a collection of warm, loving sentiments? Is that all there is to it? No, of course not! Like I said, it’s a character driven novel and so all the characters in it are brilliantly fleshed out. It’s a fabulous group of teenagers with very real problems and insecurities, but the adults in it? Amazing as well and will make you cry (at least if your heart is as weak & gay as mine is). Frankly, all of them very fast became my favourites, especially Jules himself.
Obviously, there is some homophobia in the book, because we (still) don't live in a perfect world. But it's not there to make you miserable, to break your spirit. Rather, it just shows the struggle we face in everyday life, while still giving some hope to the readers & the characters. It's not just a gay tragedy porn, like a lot of books by straight authors try to paint someone facing homophobia. I would even venture to say those are somehow turning points for Jules to try and figure out how he wants to live his life.
Ultimately, I Knew Him is an incredibly well written book that feels a little bit like a gift to the LGBT community & all the teens who might not even know they needed to read something like this. It forms this intimate connection with you very quickly, from the first pages basically and doesn't let you down even once. Not one thing was handled badly here! Just do yourself a favor, guys. Read it....more
rep: bi half-Mexican mc with undiagnosed ADHD, gay li with depression, female bi side characters (in polyam relationship), poc side characters, trans rep: bi half-Mexican mc with undiagnosed ADHD, gay li with depression, female bi side characters (in polyam relationship), poc side characters, trans lesbian side character
TRULY A LOVE LETTER TO THE LGBT COMMUNITY & TO ALL THE WAYS IN WHICH OUR LOVE IS INVINCIBLE
so much effortless rep (in terms of race, sexuality, economic backgrounds, mental health...), so many relevant issues tackled without sounding preachy about it, so many tears shed...more
If you’re gay yourself, then you know there’s only one thing better and more comforting than reading a book about gay people your age (or younger) overcoming all the obstacles & getting a happy ending. And that’s reading about older gays doing exactly that. Almost Like Being in Love is a gift for a simple reason: it gives us both.
Half the fun with this book is its format. The story of Travis and Craig (Craig and Travis) is told through emails, lists, post-it notes, journal entries, court transcripts… It creates this cool atmosphere of only getting to know everyone through snapshots, like you’re spying on them through a window every now and then. But at the same time somehow makes everything more realistic and more intimate; you can feel the desperation in a character when it bleeds even into exam questions for a class he teaches.
And what a story it is!! Travis and Craig properly met - and fell in love - their senior year of high school, a few months before graduation. The boarding school they went to wasn’t far from New York City and that’s where they spent a summer together before going off to colleges. At literally opposite ends of the country. And subsequently losing touch.
Now fast forward twenty years and let Travis hear their song. Moonlight did a similar thing, with Kevin hearing a song at the diner & calling Black. So clearly wanting to reconnect with the love of your life because of a melody is gay culture.
Only Travis is a touch more dramatic than Black and his odyssey through America is truly Something™. You just can’t imagine the things he will get himself into… It’s that dramatism that makes the story hilarious but also? Incredibly relatable? I mean, lesbians move in together before dessert on the first date… Who of us has ever heard of chill.
So yes, the characters are very believable, which comes from Almost Like Being in Love being an ownvoices book. But they are all also just genuinely well written, with little quirks and prominent character traits, and life goals that are everything but clear. Kluger created amazing characters that you cannot help but want to become friends with.
Don’t let the title confuse you. It is, first and foremost, a love story. A love story that spans decades and almost brings a new meaning to romance. A love story that allows the characters to grow us people, make mistakes and make amends, that lets them fight for what they want. It takes the characters home the longest possible way & leaves the reader with such an incredible feeling of hope, of being invincible. To be honest, no review can do it justice.
Do you know Two Men in Love by The Irrepressibles? And that moment in particular where the lyrics are just “It’s who I am: I’m in love” on what seems like an endless loop? This book feels exactly like that....more
There are three main points one has to make about A Light Amongst Shadows, when rep: gay mc, bi li with depression
ARC provided by the author.
3.5 ☆
There are three main points one has to make about A Light Amongst Shadows, when describing it: 1) it's historical fiction, 2) it's a ghost story & 3) it's gay. Now, for me personally, that was already enough to make me wanna read the book. So I'm easy to entertain, so what.
The whole things takes place at a boarding school for boys and it's a very creepy one right from the start. Which is great because this is ultimately a ghost story & building up the atmosphere is a key component of that, isn't it. So we hear murmurs about stories but no one in the whole school is willing to tell the actual stories, we get weird sightings & even weirder disappearances… Overall what we get is an ever-present feeling of something being very, very Wrong™, a slowly unraveling mystery of ghosts & death. And James & the boy he's starting to like are thrown in the middle of that.
Because yes, the romance is a very big & important arc in this story. James is basically a walking, talking Gay Disaster. His idea of subtle flirting is reciting love poetry to a boy he fancies & has NEVER spoken to before… The relationship isn't just some added footnote that makes no sense, either. No, being gay is an integral part of James as a person and it's always there, in every single thing he says and does. It never feels like the romance is somehow apart from the general plot, like it runs its own course despite everything else that's happening. Instead, the romance & the paranormal puzzle are woven perfectly together and the balance between them is honestly superb. And the relationship evolves in such a slow, beautiful and - most importantly - natural way. Give me more of that!!
I would recommend A Light Amongst Shadows to anyone who likes soft boys falling in love and also ghosts. Please don’t forget this is a ghost story and a creepy & sometimes honestly gruesome one at that. So maybe don’t read it in the middle of the night like I have…
(tw some homophobia, drugs, torture, blood, death, mentions of past rape)...more
rep: nb mc with anxiety & depression, Black bi li, Korean-American side character with ADHD, Bahraini pbuddy read with charlotte for reads rainbow
rep: nb mc with anxiety & depression, Black bi li, Korean-American side character with ADHD, Bahraini pan nb Muslim side chacater
Things I loved:
# Nathan.
# romance isn’t actually the main focus here. Sure, it’s there, it’s hard to miss (unless you’re as oblivious as Ben), it’s beautiful & soft. But it’s not what the book is about. It doesn’t try to play it off as Nathan saving Ben, because they don’t need that, they can save themself through hard work & standing up for what’s important to them.
# not the relationship Ben had with their parents, but the way it was handled by the narrative. I don’t want to spoil anything, but this was the only way of going about this that I could accept & I’m so happy about that!
# the fact that almost no one but the mc was white. I thought this was a really good way of writing poc rep from a position of a white author – not talking over people whose struggles we know nothing about, but simply showing that they are in the world.
# the writing itself is actually really good, the pacing is excellent, the whole thing is just… a Blessing.
My decision to start the review with “things I loved” makes it seem like there is a number of things I hated. But there aren’t. I actually can’t think of anything I would want to be handled differently… Honestly, it’s just such a tender book! A great way to (almost) close Pride for me this year....more
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