The Whole Sick Crew

I feel like something within me has been unlocked cuz I've been picking up (and actually reading!) more books now than I did during the earlier part of the year. WHO AM I? XD

Re-reads. HUH

* All About All About Eve: The Complete Behind-the-Scenes Story of the Bitchiest Film Ever Made! by Sam Staggs (non-fiction) - This is a v. comprehensive (and at times exhaustive book on anything and everything you'd ever want to know abt All About Eve, a 1950s classic movie and one of my top faves of all time.

I got this book as a gift (from an ex) back in 2001, read it, loved it then. However, it got damaged cuz my previous home got termites. My library recommended it to me (I guess cuz I'd been adding classic film books to my library TBR?) and I said "sure, let me enjoy it once again!"

One thing I appreciated was Staggs' writing style: friendly, gossipy, and thorough. His book covers everything from the short story the movie is based on (he even interviewed the author) to the movie itself (from pre-production onwards) including details on EVERYONE down to secondary and background characters and then the movie's position within general Western pop culture. FWIW, I really liked the first two-thirds (as I'd forgotten some of the details and so, at times, it felt like I was almost reading it for the first time.) However, the book dips in yays during its last third with the exception of one specific chapter. I got the sense that Staggs wanted to cover EVERY aspect related to this movie. BUT it did dragged...except for the next-to-last chapter on camp and the LGTBQ+ community's connection to this film.

At this point, I doubt I'll give it another read, but I deffo rec this for fans of this movie and/or classic Hollywood movies. I gave this 4 out of 5.


I DNF'd

* The Wild Girls Club: Tales from Below the Belt by Anka Radakovich (non-fiction) - [NB: this was actually my second re-read of the month, but I think it fits better in this section.] OK, so I'm not going to assume that everyone knows who this woman is so, here's a quick note abt her. An older Gen x-er, she was (all thru the 1990s and into the v. early part of the 2000s) one of THE sex advice columnists in the US. IIRC, her column (in Details, a men's magazine) started around 1992-ish? This led to her appearing on a lot of TV shows from those airing on MTV to less youth-oriented networks. Her candidness and snark made her appear edgier than, say, Dear Abby.

I borrowed this book back in early 1995 from the library and enjoyed it a ton. This is a collection of essays on sex, dating, and romance. Oh, and there's a bonus section where she interviews dudes like Joe Pesci, Norman Mailer, Russ Meyer, and John Waters.

My library happened to still have a copy of the book, so I borrowed it again...and DNF'd pretty early on, hahah.

For starters, this was a verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry early '90s book in tone (and I'm saying that in a derrogatory way.) The humor was crass and sexist (on purpose), the references were incredibly dated, and Radakovich gave off a "I'm not like those other (ultra-femme, mainstream, Barbie-fied) girls" vibe that made me legit 😬. Oh, and she loooooved using the R-slur more than enough times for me to go "OK, I'M DONE WITH THIS!" around the second story in Chapter 1. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But not before I skipped ahead to the interviews section and ended up CRINGING ALL OVER AGAIN. This is why I'm NOT a nostalgic person at all, hahah. In any case, with this, I can end my impromptu journey into "books I read in the 1990s-early 2000s" that has happened this year. *Happily waves goodbye to that era*

I gave this book a 1.6 out of 5.


* Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao (F/F Contemporary Romance) - Mira is an Indian-American trans woman who ends up as a temporary roommate of Isabel, a Chinese-American electrician. Both of the women have some stuff to deal with (for Mira is realizing that she's also attracted to women while for Isabel is abt dealing with the loss of a sibling.)

I'd been wanting to read this novel since I first heard abt it back in May of this year (it was first published last fall, IIRC.) I did liked that the MCs were in their 30s (and behaved like actual!adults), they had work responsibilities, and had a neat simpatico going on.

The first of the two issues I had with this book was that it's a character-driven novel and I'm a plot girlie. This meant that the pacing was slower than I liked and reading abt their internal conflicts felt, at times, like watching a dog chase its tail.

Then there's the OTHER thing that ultimately killed my enthusiasm for the book.

Before I go into that, let me state for the record that I am fiercely PRO-UNION. I think they're cool and much needed (especially nowadays.) HOWEVAH, the B-plot was abt Mira (who is a PhD candidate) trying to establish a graduate student union at her university. Which, yays for everyone. Unfortch, this overtook the main plot to the point that if I had to read one more scene of Mira practicing for a speech she'd give at a rally, I would end up throwing my tablet across the room. The romance took a backseat and I was NOT happy abt that. (I did hear--through reading others' reviews--that the plot focuses back on Mira/Isabel (including some v. hot times), but even that wasn't enough to lure me back.)

I'd picked up this book with the hopes to read abt Mira and Isabel falling for each other + smooches. But, in order to get to that part of this romance novel, I'd have to read page after page abt organizing. FWIW, I'm sure other readers ate all of that (and probably wish there had been MORE pages written abt the union stuff), but that's not me. *Hands* I gave this book 2 out of 5.


* Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars (Cozy mystery) - Misty Divine becomes an amateur sleuth after Lady Lady, her drag mother, is murdered.

This had a kickass premise and the bonus that Misty is a nonbinary person in their mid-30s. FTR, I did catch glimpses/moments in the story that made me go "oooh".

Sadly, though, this book committed the ultimate sin: BAD WRITING!

For starters, between telling and showing, the author opted to go with the former. And, listen, I'm not a "telling" hater because I know that it has a purpose. In the case of this book, it was overused to the point that it really dulled what should've been an amazing mystery.

And then, there was the repetition.

[Context: this is a description of what Misty, the protagonist, is wearing at the club. Emphasis mine.]

"Tonight, she was all in red: a red off-the-shoulder minidress with a sweeping neckline and hems so high she was more leg than skirt, red crystal jewelry that dripped from each ear and across her chest, and sequined scarlet heels so tall they were known affectionately in the business as "ankle breakers". Thankfully, Misty's ankles were still intact, despite stiletto-related injuries in the drag business seemingly at an all-time high."

SMH.

I gave this 1 out of 5.


Had an awesome time at first (but it all went downhill from there)

So far, I either really like OR hate everything I've started. XD


Good vibes all around

* Hurt Me, Daddy (The Brat and The Beast book 1) by Misha Horne (M/M romance) - In danger of failing chemistry (and losing his football scholarship), high school senior Logan ends up getting tutored by the v. nerdy Caleb, a.k.a Beast (so nicknamed cuz of his height.) If, at some point, their relationship becomes kinky, well... (NB: pardon the bad summary!)

OK, so this is one of those authors whose catalogue I've almost read in its entirety. I approached this first book in a new duology with trepidation. The last book of hers I'd read (Snowed in with Benefits) was quite meh. That said, I'm always interested in whatever she publishes cuz she writes one specific premise and does it WELL: romances abt a bratty sub and the dom (sometimes a Daddy, sometimes not) who uses a combo of spanking and Domestic Discipline (with some mild humiliation for extra sprinkles, I guess) to help the subs better their lives.

It's kinda funny how much this book reminded me of this author's Old School Discipline (the first book by her I ever read and which I loved) because of the set-up and the MCs' ages. There's also the fact that the premise can potentially border on ridiculous, so readers have to make up their minds v. quickly as to whether or not they're game with what happens on the page.

FTR, I read this 272-page novel one in a day.

The entire book is told from Logan's POV (in first person). Though at times suffocating (Logan's life has been a really tough one and he's on the edge of self-sabotaging himself for good), his brashness and humor (sarcastic as it might be) make for a really engaging story. He's hurting and what looks like his only way out of a terrible situation is slipping thru his fingers.

Enter Caleb, a.k.a. Beast, who offers him an alternative that seems almost too good to be true. At first, thru unconventional teaching methods and then, thru becoming his Daddy. It's easy to understand Logan's wariness (since we're in his head all along) after Caleb offers to provide him with anything he'd need. OTOH, it also makes total sense that Caleb's steadiness and single-mindedness (perhaps to an OTT level) are exactly what Logan needs to keep on living.

I liked that the author didn't shy away from their fractured backstory. Also, the angst (though heavy at times) was never so overwhelming as to make me stop reading. OFC, the second half of the book brings in the comfort (especially the last 3-4 chapters.) IF said relief includes a serving of kink, well, there we are. XD

As expected, the intimate scenes are fun, filthy, and weirdly sweet. There are readers who might have an issue with Caleb being the kind of Daddy Dom who knows exactly what his bratty boy needs. Especially because, like Logan, he's only 19 y.o. I understand wanting to know WHERE AND WHEN exactly did Caleb learned abt the kink lifestyle, trained under, etc. NGL, that was NOT me cuz I truly didn't care as this is a fictional story. I was also cheering for these two and their FREAK4FREAK relationship (the latter is meant in how there's literally no one else in the entire world that would understand and accept each other the way Logan/Caleb do.)

One of the main reasons why I enjoyed this novel was that the writing was solid from beginning to end: no typos, no weird turn of phrases/slang, no Pop Culture commentary, and pacing issues.

THAT SAID, there were two things that lowered the ranking for me:

1. The novel ends v. abruptly and in a kind of soft cliffhanger. Things get resolved in chapter 1 of the second novel. My best guess is that the author wrote a massive novel that then she split into two. [NB: this is somewhat confirmed as I'm reading Book 2 right now. It deffo feels like one long book split in half.] I didn't mind this as much as others did cuz I already had gotten the second book and the novella, hahah. I WAS IN IT TO WIN IT!

2. There are only 2 female characters and they're HORRIBLE PPL. What's even stranger abt them is that they're both addicts and behave inappropriately with young male adults. In the case of Logan's mom, she's an abusive and neglectful parent. As for Walker's mom, she's an alcoholic who clings to her cougar status to an embarrassing level. It's interesting that they're both at opposite ends of the socioeconomic strata (Logan's mom is an exotic dancer (and potential escort?) who is poor while Walker's mom has a much more affluent life.)

In any case, like most of this author's books, women tend to be either evil bitches (in this novel's case also terrible mothers) or nonexistent. I wish she's publish a novel with at least one solid female character. Alas.

I gave this book 4 out of 5/


Current fic tally

Have picked up 155 and DNF'd 76.


Up next...

Last time: "I've got a non-fiction, a biography, and a couple more of queer romances on my immediate TBR."

Ended up returning the non-fiction cuz my brain was NOT in the mood. Also returned the biography since there are other things I want to get to first. I'm now halfway thru the second book of the "The Brat and The Beast" duology, a mystery/thriller, a queer femdom (?) M/F set in space, and a historical paranormal that is NOT cozy. So a little bit of everything, heheh. Fingers crossed that the Reading Yays continue.

5th Gen Group ILLIT might look like they're all abt fluffy and sweet concepts--which they are! BUT there's also a specific type of quirkiness and darkness thrown in that will catch ppl's attention.

For their latest Korean release, they dropped this amazing song and MV for "Little Monsters". Dreamy melodies and an encouraging message, what's not to <3___<3?

I ALSO LURVEd the blend of the delicate-yet-mildly-disturbing as well as their take on Magical Girls in the MV. As someone who imprinted on Sailor Moon, I was quite @ _____________________________ @ from the first second of this video.

Watch on YouTube

And, OFC, there's so much that I gotta rec this explainer from Bookish Theories

Watch on YouTube

Later on, ILLIT dropped the title track. Which was a 180 from the previous song. And an even OTT-ier MV.

Watch on YouTube

Bookish Theories is back to help everyone make sense of what they've just watched:

Watch on YouTube

Lolarious because of how game Jin is throughout this video. I also liked the snarkier tone the interviewer had (mainly cuz the 🤔 was nicely contrasted by Jin's 😇 vibes.

Watch on YouTube

Re-reads. HUH

None for this post.


I DNF'd

* A Little Turn by Alexandra Caluen (M/M Romance) - Bob is a 36-y.o. sports agent in Los Angeles who just happens to have the worst luck with dating women. After his latest girlfriend not only tells him she's in love with someone else BUT also turns down his marriage proposal, he goes to a bar to figure out what's going on. While there, He strikes up a conversation with Jade, a fabulously dressed, 35-y.o. LA stylist. And it is through this conversation that Bob realizes he's gay!

I imagine the rest of the story is abt Bob navigating life as a gay dude, falling for Jade, etc. NO idea what actually happens cuz I dropped this at the end of the first chapter. It was overwritten and repetitive. My library has a few more books by this author. I'll give them a try later. Maybe. I gave this 1 star out of 5.


* Saddle Studs by Max Walker (M/M Romance) - Book 3 of a series called "Rainbow Ranch" which follows the romances of 4 siblings who own and run a ranch in Oklahoma. This book is abt Sam, a 29-y.o. guy whose life has gone sideways. He finds out that his girlfriend has been cheating on him with his best friend AND there's some dramarama with his job at a PR firm. In need of a break, he decides to go to Rainbow Ranch in order to fulfill the requirement for an inheritance he's named as the sole heir. He'll get a parcel of land (of a substantial size) and a miniature pony IF he spends 3 months working at the ranch. Sam is DESPERATE to leave NYC behind. Only problem is that he'll be living and working with Benny, his first love (that he ran away from many year ago.)

My best guess is that this is a kinda second chance romance story. Unfortch, I HATED Sam's opinions, thoughts, and behaviors in the v. first chapter. So I ended up DNF'ing this 10% in. I gave this 1 star out of 5.


Had an awesome time at first (but it all went downhill from there)

None!


Good vibes all around

* Stirring Spurs by M.A. Wardell (M/M Romance) - Boone is Rainbow Ranch's main cook. He loves his job, loves working alongside his family, and has always enjoyed being the younger twin (his brother Beau is oldest by a few minutes.) Boone's dedication to making sure everyone's taken care of and well fed has resulted in him putting himself last.

Things change when Wylie, a temporary ranch hand, shows up. Will Boone open up his heart? Will Wylie stay put for once instead of moving on to the next gig????

A breezy and fun novella that has a lot of queer characters, some cute moments, and two horses with a lot of personality.

My main gripe had to do with the dialogue. Half of it which was v. much like out of a Western movie. The other half was OTT with how sassy it was (think of S1 Gilmore Girls). Like, to the point where I felt like I was reading a sitcom script at times. Cuz ppl can most deffo be funny, but it was as if the author wanted EVERY LINE to be quippy AF. I ended up lowering the rating cuz that became a little tiresome for me. I gave this novella 2.6 out of 5


* Lasso Lovebirds by Clio Evans (M/F/Nonbinary Romance) - The 2nd book in the Rainbow Ranch series AND the main reason why I started reading this series in the first place, LOL.

This one is abt Beau (Boone's older twin) who has loved Priscilla (the ranch's gardener) for years but thinks pursing a relationship with her is impossible; Priscilla who has had the hots for Beau for years as well but also has her own baggage; Sky, a storm chaser nonbinary person who is attracted to both Beau and Priscilla.

Yet another sweet (and steamy!) entry in the series that features a quick lust-to-love throuple, some v. kinky times, and low-angst considering all the goings on.

I was more forgiving with a couple of things cuz the novella format meant that there wouldn't be any space to develop things at a more leisurely pace. FWIW, this "forgiveness" extended to the fact that this throuple was not only v. much into each other BUT also polyamorous AND ridic compatible in terms of kinkiness, hehehe. I gave this novella 3 out of 5


* Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews (Urban Fantasy) - The 12th (!) entry in the Kate Daniels series finds Kate and Curran going abt their lives until someone shows up asking for their help...

This one is a classic KD story: the Big Bad is scary and weird AF, Kate is snarky, Kate and Curran's relationship remains a true partnership of the heart (and the nether regions, heheh), and there's the usual level of violence and action any fan of this series can expect.

What makes this novel shine, however, is having all of those familiar elements and then throwing in all the ways that Kate, Curran, and their world has changed: they're a decade older and have a whole new set of responsibilities that neither could've dreamed of back in the main series. There's also some moments of introspection for both characters (but especially Kate) that show their maturity and how they have evolved as characters. Finally, space is made into the plot to add some callbacks, Easter eggs, AND (most importantly) updates on some of the other characters' lives.

As for the negatives, I was uncomfortable with how Conlan became part of the story. Yes, he's a v. special kid, but he's also 8. IDK.

Also, I'm of two minds abt the ending (thought I ultimately liked where the story ends...for now?) SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING, AHOY!

No, seriously, I'll be talking abt the ending

It IS hella weird that Kate and Curran are tremendously rich as the story comes to a close. Also they now have new members of their pack which include pre-historic ppl (some of which are half-elf HYBRIDS) as well as a stable of pre-historic animals to take care of and feed?!?!?!?

BUT, at the same time, they have enough coin and space to work into establishing a new (and better!) Keep. Fate (and Curran's own ambitions and inclinations) is determined that he will be The Beast Lord and so here's a golden opportunity for doing just that!

Meanwhile, I got the reasoning behind Kate embracing her own legacy as the Sharratum, etc.

It truly is all fascinating stuff. THIS IS NOT A STANDALONE NOVEL, btw. Which means, that readers will get the most out of picking up the other 11 novels in the series. IJS. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I gave this book 4.5 out of 5


Current fic tally

Have picked up 152 fics and DNF'd 75.


Up next...

I've got a non-fiction, a biography, and a couple more of queer romances on my immediate TBR. Gonna keep on reading! :D