Hello everyone! We are wrapping up our second week of this year’s Reading Challenge Month with our Diverse Books Week challenge.
As with every week, you guys can play along with this event in two ways. First off, you can leave a comment on any of this week’s challenge week reviews and earn one entry point for each. And second, if you read along with your own challenge book, you can tell us all about it by leaving a mini review in the comments of this post and earn 10 contest entries. So if you comment on all the posts and do a mini-review, you can earn mega entries!
This week’s fabulous prize is sponsored by some amazing authors! Six lucky winners will get a prize back of diverse books by some great authors! (You can check out the prize packs here)
And remember, all entries throughout the month qualify you for the grand prize sponsored by Dreamspinner Press. They are giving away a Kindle Fire loaded with some great releases, plus a 3-month subscription to their Dreamspun line!
Ok, before we get too far, some things you may need to know:
- All the contest details and rules are in this post or at least linked from here
- This week’s deadline to leave comments on our reviews, or your mini review of your own book here on this post, is Saturday, September 15th at 11:59 pm ET. All entries will also carry over for the grand prize at the end of the month.
- In case you missed any, here are the books we reviewed this week for the New-to-Me Author Challenge. Comment on each for chances to win!
- How to Be a Normal Person by T.J. Klune
- Only See You by J.D. Chambers
- Feel by A.M. Arthur
- Curl Around My Heart by Londra Laine
- Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
- Zombies Coming by Z. Allora
- Locked in Silence by Sloane Kennedy
- Face Your Fears by Bill Mathis
- Ace of Hearts by Feral Sephrain
- The River City Chronicles by J. Scott Coatsworth
- Shaking the Sugar Tree by Nick Wilgus
- If you read along your own challenge book this week, leave your mini review here on this wrap up post.
Thank you so much to everyone who has been participating all week (and all month)! Don’t forget to leave your comments and your mini reviews for a chance to win!
For the diverse books challenge I picked up How To Be A Normal Person by TJ Klune. I was so excited to read this book; it had a super high rating on Goodreads, was a 5-star rating here, and also features an asexual MC, which I’m very interested in. Unfortunately I’m only about 60% of the way through this book and I’m considering DNF’ing. It’s not that the book isn’t good. It’s very quirky, off-beat, funny, earnest… all of which probably conspire to make the story really endearing to people who are into that. Personally, I’m not a fan of self-deprecating protagonists (Gus) or stereotypical and negative depictions of millenials (Casey).
The women in the story are also problematic, at least up to this point. All of the women Gus interacts with are super over-sharers when it comes to their sex lives, and while of course there really are some people who are like that it seems out of place in a book that is otherwise pretty clean. And it’s always just the women. No creepy old dudes are ever hitting on Gus, but for some reason every woman in their town is super crass and is constantly talking about gang-bangs, cheating on their husbands, reading Cosmo-esque magazines for sex tips, and gossiping.
Gus is frequently reminding himself that people with alliterative names are awful, so maybe it’s my own alliterative name that somehow made me unable to connect with this book. I’m really missing the magic here.
Thanks for the review Sara. As much as I love TJs writing, I can see how it wouldn’t be for everyone. I will admit at times I do find the way women are represented to be an issue. I really enjoyed this one, but I also listened via audio, which gives a different kind of experience!
And fist bump for alliterative names (both my blog pen name and real name)!
Like many fans of gay romance, I enjoyed Hanif Kureishi’s 1985 movie MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (co-starring the young Daniel Day-Lewis). I had no idea that Kureishi had ever written a novel until I read Zadie Smith’s new book of essays. In it, she talked about how revolutionary Kureishi’s 1990 book THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA felt at the time, not least in its biracial, bicultural, and unselfconsciously bisexual lead character. So, I chose THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA for Diverse Books Week.
Said hero is 17-year-old Karim Amir, who lives with his Indian immigrant father, white British mother, and family in the London suburb of Bromley in the ’70s. (The exact timing seems a bit hard to pin down; in the opening scenes Karim refers to a 1970 Pink Floyd album as new, but is witnessing the debut of a punk band, implied to be the Sex Pistols, midway through the story. I know Kureishi had firsthand knowledge of the era, so perhaps he was playing with time on purpose.) Like many coming-of-age stories, there is much more emphasis on the hero’s feelings and experiences than a linear plot. There are many characters to keep track of, and Kureishi does an admirable job of fleshing most of them out well. Of course, most of them, not least of all Karim, fall into the “interesting but not admirable” category, mainly looking out for their own interests while causing emotional carnage along the way. (It’s telling that the only two characters who seem completely innocent, Karim’s mom Margaret and little brother Allie, are the least developed.) Along the way, Kureishi brings up questions of colonialism, cultural appropriation, and what it feels like to be part of two cultures but not wholly either. For instance, the title refers to Karim’s dad Haroon’s reinvention as a self-styled guru, teaching yoga and imparting platitudes to the local suburban women. Karim soon discovers that his dad is having an affair with Eva, one of these students. She happens to be the mom of his crush (and occasional friend with benefits) Charlie. Later, when Haroon and Eva move to London together, Karim moves in with them and is discovered by a local theatre director. Unfortunately, his lead role in THE JUNGLE BOOK requires him to wear a loincloth and brown body makeup (while affecting an exaggerated Bombay accent), because the white British director feels that no one would believe Karim to be Indian enough on his own.
Karim’s sexuality is unrepentant and intriguing, though its portrayal may frustrate those looking for an m/m romance (or indeed a romance). Karim seems to reserve his tenderest feelings for his female partners, but seems to be most intensely sexually attracted to the men who fascinate him. Pretty much everybody Karim beds takes the “free love” ethic to heart, and Kureishi’s tendency to leave the many plot threads unresolved makes you wonder if he learns anything along the way. He seems to be developing a moral compass later in the book, but his detachment is kind of unsatisfying. Nevertheless, I liked him all along, and at the end I wished a sequel existed so I could find out what happened to him once he grew up! (A miniseries version apparently exists, starring a young Naveen Andrews of LOST; I truly don’t know how a linear adaptation of this book was made.) So, I’m glad I read this, but I completely understand those who’d rather rent MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE instead…
Thanks Trix for the great review! Sounds like an interesting story!
I found a library copy of the miniseries, and watched it over the weekend…I’d say I’d still pick the book (or MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE) instead. Kureishi co-wrote the adaptation, so I don’t know why it felt so flat to me…I guess the book’s humor, as weird and even gross as it could be sometimes, really helped. (The gay aspects seemed pretty toned down in comparison too, and I was REALLY annoyed that there was a ton of lingering and sometimes gratuitous full-frontal female nudity–on TV, yet!–but the men were relatively covered up.) At first I wished they’d cast someone with a more emotional acting style as Karim (I kept thinking that Jimi Mistry, of EAST IS EAST and very underrated gay comedy TOUCH OF PINK, would have been perfect), but Naveen Andrews seemed to grow into the role by the end. There is a more logical storyline in the movie (and a more obviously happy ending, which I liked), and Bowie fans will love the soundtrack (including the theme song he wrote for the movie).
Sounds great! I am glad you found it. And I like Naveen Andrews! Of course, I haven’t read the book so nothing to compare it to.
Yeah, I never saw LOST, so I’m curious to see him in something else now. I can’t tell if Steven Mackintosh was miscast as Charlie or if it was the script’s fault; in the book he’s a very charismatic guy and seemingly irresistible to everyone in spite of his faults, and I didn’t feel that in the movie at all. I’m not sure who I’d have picked instead (well, Ewan McGregor would have been in the age range…that would have been good). To be fair, even Brenda Blethyn seemed hampered at times. At least Nisha Nayar’s Jamila was as cool as she was in the book, and Harish Patel managed to improve the extremely quirky and thankless role of Changez. I suspect there may have been budget issues too from the look of it, Bowie song licensing aside…
For diversity week, I read books with physical and religious diversity.
I read E.M. Lindsey’s Time and Tide. The story begins in 1890s Baltimore and features William, an American with an exceedingly domineering mother, and Theodore, an author and Frenchman who has almost no vision. I didn’t care for the book initially as William, a new lawyer, is bullied by his mother into marriage and into defending a wealthy criminal. Ultimately, I grew to enjoy the book though certain events strained credulity.
I then re-read Dev Bentham’s Learning from Isaac and went on to read the author’s Fields of Gold both of which feature one or two main characters who are Jewish. In the latter, Avi is a graduate student working on his doctoral dissertation who is a caretaker with benefits for a married politician; he meets Pete who is an organic farmer. This was an enjoyable story, and I learned a bit about some Jewish celebrations.
Thanks Kareni! I have read several of Dev Bentham’s books and enjoyed them. It is nice to have stories featuring Jewish holidays other than just Chanukah, as that is the one that seems to be by far the most prevalent.
I read Cari Z Changing World. MC1(Jason Kim) is a human of Korean descent and MC2(Ferran) is from another planet. They meet when Ferran is being a universe tourist before returning to his home planet for an arranged marriage. After they fall in love, Ferran convinces his family to let him marry Jason and bring him to the planet. So Jason has to adjust to a whole new, alien culture. And not everyone on the planet is accepting of Jason. I partially chose this story because the cover was so pretty.
I liked the story a lot. I think I would have liked it more if I had read it at a different time (I was on a hiking vacation and more in a headspace for a slow historical then for a future sci-fi)
Oh, I liked this one too! There are two books (though maybe it has now been combined?) so if you haven’t read the second story, it is worth grabbing.
I’m pretty sure I read the combined stories. I was trying to be extra careful that I didn’t read the second book without reading the first. But if there is more I would keep going
I read Only Love You by JD Chambers this week, which features a Hard of Hearing hero. I liked the overall story (fake relationship to protect one hero from his sister’s wedding to his secret ex—which is a lot to unroll right there) but felt there were some weird areas.
The HoH hero, Jonathan, was treated poorly by his love interest Ben, but he decides to help him out anyway. Ben makes some frankly offensive comments about things Jonathan can’t do because he’s HoH, implying at one point that he couldn’t date him for that reason. Thankfully Jonathan quickly puts him in his place.
Ben also learns sign language in an incredibly short period of time, which I call shenanigans on. He’s shown finger spelling words here and there where he doesn’t know the sign, but not often enough.
Ben’s sister who is getting married is a monster, and has treated Ben terribly for years because…he didn’t play with her when he had friends over? Or something? I felt like her turnaround was too abrupt and he was too forgiving as to her behavior.
I liked the relationship between the MCs once it got rolling, but I’d give this one 3.5 stars. I was really looking forward to this installment in the series but it didn’t meet my high expectations.
Thanks for the review! I have this one queued up after books 3&4. Sorry to hear it missed the mark somewhat for you.
I would say it was closer to a 4 or 4.5 when I finished it earlier this week but the issues at the beginning really bugged me. And the fact that Hard of Hearing and Deaf aren’t capitalized in the story (which Jonathan would most likely be using) leads me to believe the author didn’t do a ton of research, or maybe didn’t do a ton into Deaf culture.
HI! I was given an ARC by a new to me author, TL Travis. The book is called Greyson Fox and it releases later this month. The cover is a silver fox who looks to be in his 40’s, maybe even 50’s. The books description doesn’t say what the book is exactly about. I had no idea what to expect from the story. It started with the character in his teens and then followed him through his first love in his 20’s. I couldn’t picture him in my head as a young man because he looks so different on the cover. I thought the romance went a bit too fast and I lost interest and started skimming. He does get older but by that point I wasn’t interested. I really hate when I don’t enjoy a book, especially an ARC, because I know the author has worked hard for this story. Not every book will be for me and that doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy this.
thanks Suzanne for the review!
I have read To Love Again by Andria Large (it released today on Dreamspinner Press) and i picked it because it contains domestic violence, abuse and rape (not really on page) But if this is a trigger for you i suggest you not read it.
Short Blurb:
Jack:
Leaving was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. He would have killed me if I stayed, though. I couldn’t have done it without Warwick’s help.
Warwick:
England was supposed to help Jack get away from his ex and find himself again. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with him there. Especially when I knew he might stay… indefinitely.
Jack and Warwick meet when Jack is brought to the ER badly beaten and he claims it is because he fell but Warwick who is his doctor is no idiot and he can see that it is domestic violence that brought Jack to the ER. He gives Jack his card and tells him to call if he ever needs help. A couple of weeks later Jack calls for help and Warwick responds. Now they have to figure out how to keep Jack safe from his abusive ex Greg and how to keep their hearts safe because falling for each other at this time is not a good idea because Jack has to heal and he needs time to become himself again. I was truly invested in their bonding relationship. There were a few things that i feel were cut short like for example Greg had some information on Jack and Warwick but we never get to hear who or where he got that info from but other than that i really enjoyed this book and i give it a 4/5 rating.
Thanks for the review. Glad you liked it!
For Diverse Week, I managed to read a great book featuring asexual men and aromantic secondary characters that feel close to my heart.
THREE STUPID WEDDINGS
by Ann Gallagher (a.k.a. L.A. Witt)
5 stars
This book feels perfect for me in everyway. It plays on best friends, fake boyfriend trope really well. Plus it features two asexual men but the story never comes to the line of lecturing readers about the definition of asexuality. I love the quirks of each wedding, and the disasters that happen too. Both the characters are really endearing.
I also think that the author has written one perfect line that sums up my feeling as aromantic.
So as an asexual aromantic reader, I love this book, very, very much.
More of my thoughts
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2525135578
Oh, this sounds good! Glad you enjoyed it!
I read On The Ice by Amy Aislin which portrays a Demisexual character, so I think is fit the topic this week.
Two very different men, a common passion for playing hockey… Can they make it work?
Mitch Greyson has already planned his life, from his career as a professional hockey player to his follow-up as sports physician when he is obliged to retire from active playing. He’s even devised the personality to go along with it, until an encounter with his NHL crush makes him realise he may be doing something wrong…
Alex Dean has always thought he was not cut for relationships. But Mitch intrigues him enough to want to get to know him better, and maybe spark that sexual attraction that has always seemed so elusive to him….
What a charming story! Character based, On the Ice focus on the relationship between Mitch and Alex, from a bumpy beginning to a tentative friendship which blooms into romance. Both characters are likeable, Mitch is simply adorable, with his driven-nature and his obsession with achieving his goals. A bit of a nerd and an excellent hockey player, Mitch has his issues: he’s been hurt and is a master at hiding his feelings to avoid pain again. Alex challenges him, and little by little Mitch learns to trust the man he desires. Alex is somehow a reverse of Mitch. He defines himself as demi-sexual, so he needs to trust a man to desire him. For him, nearness is the key to romance. So these two have to work their way to each other, and that’s what they do in the story. It is sweet and funny, full of emotional but also hilarious moments. Both characters are great, and even the secondary ones are begging for their own story (I hope Cody gets the next book)
On the ice is a modern fairy tale where a fierce warrior (Mitch) finds his handsome prince charming (Alex) and manages to break the spell that make it for him impossible to love. There is even a wicked witch (Mitch’s mother) and some very special secondary characters that make accompanying them in their quest a really enjoyable experience
I really liked it
So glad you enjoyed this one! I just read Aislin’s upcoming The Heights and enjoyed her style.
I picked Christina Lee’s Reclaim (Under My Skin Book 3) for my review this week because it’s one of my favorites and it has an Asian main character, who’s also pictured on the cover. It’s a swoon-worthy friends to lovers story between Kam and Elijah. Kam is injured and Elijah nurses him back to health. During this process, they both realize that their feelings for each other are changing. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and she did it so well, but then I’ve loved all of her books that I’ve read so far. I would recommend reading the previous 2 books in the series first to get a deeper background to their issues and relationship.
Thanks Jennifer! It sounds great!
In the Absence of Light
Adrienne Wilder
Five Stars
This was such an excellent story and I feel I don’t have the adequate words to do justice to this book. The MCs are Grant and Morgan. Grant has left Chicago behind and turned his back on a business that was becoming too violent for him and hopes to bide his time and lay low in the small town of Durstram. Morgan has severe autism, he is unable to make eye contact, can’t tell left from right and has uncontrollable ticks. Morgan is self sufficient and woe to anyone that tells him he can’t do something. When grant and Morgan meet sparks fly and it’s a joy to be there for their happily ever after. The story has tension, sadness and so much humor, I haven’t laughed out while reading a story in such a long time.
Please refer to the Joyfully Jay link for In the Absence of Light as reviewed by Sue.
https://joyfullyjay.com/2015/04/review-in-the-absence-of-light-by-adrienne-wilder/
Thanks Sofia! Sounds like a winner!
I’ve had this on my wishlist for so long, but my paper book wishlist. You’re making me want to give in and just pick it up in ebook so I can get it read already.
This sounds really interesting. I might set aside the book I ear-marked for self published week and read this instead
For this week I choose a bisexual leading character. I choose it because, this particular week I was feeling annoyed by the representation of bi characters on T.V. I actually choose two because I’m still reading another book with another bi character, only the second being a F/F book, which is not my usual pairing but I was giving it a try. I haven’t finish that one yet.
This week for me was Equilibrium by Katey Hawthorne
It was an entertaining book. It took me a while to get myself into it but eventually I got to a point where I was hook to it. The final moments of it were really interesting.
I liked the whole paranormal thing going on about the guys but I think I couldn’t really understand the sense of it or what it meant. It that matter, I felt the plot was underdeveloped. It had a lot of potential but I don’t think it really get to be explored. What I did liked about it was the final moments, there were some events that were very exciting that I just couldn’t read fast enough. Sadly, I didn’t feel the same way for the rest of the book.
Hansen and Sam were a very nice couple. I liked their moments together, even though I did felt like there was too much sex. I would rather have more emotion between them than it actually was. Even with the issues I had I did enjoy the story and being part of a series and really interested on discovering what will come next. I do think the plot whole will be solve in the next instalments.
Thanks Ana! I am a huge fan of Katey’s writing and this series in particular, though this isn’t my favorite of the Superpowered Love books. The one that I ADORE the most is Riot Boy. If you like bad boys, you will love Brady. Like seriously, my total book boyfriend! Thanks for the review!
I love bad boys. I can’t wait to get to that one.
I’m intrigued! BTW, even though you’ll need to start from the beginning (which may test your patience, though it’s soon worth it), CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND is a show with really multifaceted depictions of its bi characters on TV…
I chose His Secret Agent by Ada Maria Soto. I had several people recommend this book over the past year or so because it features an asexual main character, so I thought it would be perfect for this week.
The story features two men that work for a secret agency, I guess sort of like the CIA or something, but it was never named. Arthur has worked there for several years but blends in so well that even his bosses don’t really know him, therefore he never gets promoted. When the story starts he is “promoted” to the same position on a higher floor…so really just a lateral move. He is told he needs to stand out a little more if he ever wants to get a better job so he decides to try to make friends.
He ends of making friends in the lunchroom with an outspoken lesbian and also begins to occasionally try to interact with a sort of OCD kind of man,Martin, that follows a very strict routine while at work and always reads during his lunch hour. He eventually gets Martin to acknowledge him and even speak a few words.
Over time he is able to get Martin to agree to cooking lessons and he also starts helping him with a children’s book club at the local library. The library part of the story is so sweet and brings out another side of Martin.
During the course of the book you can see the love grow between Arthur and Martin, though there is never so much as a kiss. At one point Arthur tries to determine what he is because he doesn’t really feel gay…he never really figures it out but thinks he may be demisexual. Martin is the asexual character who ends up telling Arthur he can give him his heart but nothing else.
This was a fairly short book, and there was one sequence of events that was never really explained and I would have liked to know more about it, but it didn’t really make me like the book any less. I absolutely didn’t mind that there was no sex because the feelings were so strong without it.
In my opinion, this would be a 4.5 or 5 star book. I would really encourage everyone to give it a try.
Thanks so much for the great review! I am glad you enjoyed the book!
I loved this book. She just released a short story follow-up last month called Merlin In The Library.
I read this recently and enjoyed it also though I, like you, still had some questions. I look forward to reading more of the author’s works.
This week I read Shipped by Karrie Roman. Based on the cover, I expected one of the MC’s to be a POC. Based on the descriptions, I am still a little confused about that. They are both described as tall, dark, and handsome with dark skin and one of them has green eyes. I had trouble picturing them. The book itself was enjoyable, but felt segmented. The first part was all about them acting on a TV show with loads of UST. Then, it turned serious about how celebrities experience stalkers. Finally, they were being protected by bodyguards with some action and a tragic plot twist. It was easy to read and I was entertained.
Thanks for the review Lennis!
I chose to read The Dragon’s Thief by Riza Curtis. It features a Magpie shifter who is hired by a dragon shifter to retrieve something stolen from him. It’s not a combo I think we usually see in paranormal romances and it stood out to me.
I did enjoy the story and seeing the two shifters, who had a rocky first meeting, discover qualities in each other that appealed to one another. Cross species relationship worries did surface but was minor and momentary in the story.
Thanks HB!
I read Felice Stevens’ The Arrangement. I hadn’t planned yet which book I’d be reading for this week’s challenge, and then I ended up buying this one because of a bookbub notification. I actually think this is my first book by Stevens, so it combines last week and this week’s challenges. ANYWAY, the arrangement the title speaks of is a meetup between two men once a month for sex, as both men aren’t in a place for or desirous of a relationship. Carter is the caretaker to his little brother Jackson who was left with him three years ago by their terrible mother, and his brother started out non-verbal and has many issues from the time before. Reed Kincaide bartends while going to school as he pursues his hotel management goals and not only does he have issues from being left by his mother (though he has a great, loving dad) as a child and the pain of his last relationship with a mean boyfriend, he has anxiety and ADHD which he has a therapist and regular medication for. When the two men meet at a bar, it’s supposed to be a one-time thing, and Carter’s dismissive treatment of Reed post-coital almost made that a reality, but Carter’s charms worked their way on Reed and they began their monthly “just sex” arrangement.
I really enjoyed this book. Carter was a bit too pushy and arrogant for my tastes sometimes, but he was absolutely devoted to his brother and would agonize over even spending the one weekend a month (even before meeting Reed) to hook-up and de-stress from his life as caretaker and owner of his own ad company. Reed is a total sweetheart who has a loving relationship with his dad but has been hurt many times and struggles with the reality of the challenges he faces with his mental health. We see him have panic attacks and his attempts to lower his medical dosage without the help of a medical professional as well as forgetting his medication. Felice Stevens definitely goes into to the reality of his anxiety and ADHD, and I appreciated that it wasn’t just a surface treatment. With the way these two begin their relationship, (for those who do or don’t like this aspect), there’s a lot of sex. That’s the way they first connect and it’s definitely a solid bond as they continue throughout. I enjoyed watching the transition from just sex to more, and seeing them both learn how to have their first healthy romantic relationship. Great side characters here from Carter’s brother Jackson (he’s 11 and it feels authentic with his age and the challenges he’s faced from his mother as well as his own anxiety) and their neighbor Helen a retired teacher who helps their family to Reed’s dad, boss, and therapist who are always looking out for him and offering support. I always enjoy a romance where there’s a full world around the main characters, and this one definitely satisfies on that account, too.
Thanks for your review! I read this one (well actually listened to it), but didn’t love it quite as much as it sounds like you did. Carter bothered me with his high handedness and the way he treated Reed. But overall I thought it was good. Glad you enjoyed it!
I read it at the beginning of the week and was bothered too, but maybe by the time I got to reviewing it I was just happy for them and forgot what bothered me more than what I liked! 😉 I think in audiobook it would have been a different experience. You have more time to be in the moment that’s annoying you since it takes longer to get past it. Plus, the interpretation of the narrator could add more to the moment than what you do in your mind.
Yep, totally agree about the audio experience (and the passage of time) affecting your feelings on a book
Since I missed the dead-line last week, I want to add my very short reviews from week 1.
I have many, many books from new-to-me authors already waiting on my kindle. This is what I picked:
Sebastian Nothwell – Mr. Warren’s Profession which I bought because of your great review. This was such a wonderful and fun historical. With lovely main characters and also very strong, interesting female characters. This was such an entertaining book. I would love to read a sequel, 4.75*
Another one with a good review on JJ was J.T. Hall – Forest of Thorns and Claws, a tiger shifter story taking place in the Indonesian rainforest. I was really curious about this one since my family is from Indonesia. Sadly, I was really disappointed. I thought it was lackluster written and the characters didn’t feel real to me. Plus it never felt like a book taking place in Indonesia. And why is there no asian man on the cover? 2.5*
Cordelia Kingsbridge – Can’t Hide From Me. I really liked this book and I don’t know why exactly. It was a classic suspense story, not very new but still intriguing and so nice written. Great main characters. I will definitely read more books from her. 4*
And here are the short reviews for week 2:
Jane Davitt – Closing the Loop, a romance between 2 guys, taking place on a tropical gay cruise. I didn’t find it very interesting, so I have not much to say. I could not connect with either of the characters, although the writing style was ok. It happened to be an interracial couple but this was not at all an issue of the plot which I liked. 3*
Kunal Mukherjee – My Magical Palace. This book is not a romance but fiction / gay fiction. In this story Rahul, an 30 year old Indian guy living in San Francisco is still interviewing girls sent by his parents for an arranged marriage which is the cause for a conflict with Rahuls boyfriend. To make his American partner understand his cultural background, Rahul tells the story of his upbringing. So this book is basically a very detailed and colourful tale of Rahuls childhood in India. I think the author did this in a very interesting and educational way. The Indian friends and family are the most fleshed out and lively described characters. The weakest part of the book is the relationship between Rahul and his boyfriend. Their interactions didn’t feel authentic to me. I rate this book with 3.5*
Nick Wilgus – Shaking The Sugar Tree. I decided to read along with one of this sites challenge books and choose this one. I’m really stunned that this is a DNF book because I loved it so much. I think it is so beautiful written, with a lot of atmosphere. You could feel the south, the beautiful and the ugly parts. It was hearbreaking but it had also so much humour in it. I loved the main characters especially because they are not flawless. Wiley had a lot of good reasons to be very angry. And beeing responsible for creating a meth baby is one of them. But he stayed with the child and tried his best. I think the author showed us what it means to raise a child with disabilities. This part was very convincing, You could also tell he knew a lot about deaf people. I will read the sequels for sure. Another great author I haven’t read before. 4.75*
And that’s it.
Until next week ?
Boy you have been busy! Glad it seems like a good couple weeks of reading for you!