Category: amreading

#AmReading

#AmReading, Ally is reading.

This week, two gay mystery romances (one in audio) and an absorbing fictionalisation of the story of the first Black women officers in the US army in WW2.

Prodigal by T. A. Moore

Cover, Prodigal by T. A. Moore.

A satisfying story about a boy who disappeared fifteen years ago. Morgan can’t remember anything before he was eight and his memories of being passed from pillar to post in foster care are really messed up. Is he Sammy Calloway? Boyd was Sammy’s best friend and he doesn’t know either.

There’s angst, vulnerability and pushing people you’re falling in love with away before they can hurt you. There’s a rich backstory and cast of secondary characters and I like how some of the sub plots are left to spin themselves out in your head…you’ve got enough clues to work out what’s going on, but it’s not spoon fed to you. I recommend.

Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson

Cover, Sisters in Arms, Kaia Alterson

The  story of the first Black women officers in the US army in WW2 through a fictionalised lens. An utterly absorbing story from the creation of the first Black unit in the WAAC, through recruitment, training and deployment to serving in France.

The women faced racism and sexism at every stage and came out triumphant. This book left me smiling– the two main characters are skilfully woven in among the historical figures of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and are sympathetic, flawed and very real. Just up my historical street and a joy to read–the writing is beautiful. Plus there’s a list of source material at the back which delighted my inner historical nerd.

P. S.  I Spook You by S. E. Harmon (audio)

Cover, P.S. I Spook You by S. E. Harmon

This is already a comfort re-read for me and the audio lived up to my expectations.  If you like your detectives with a side-order of sass and talking to dead people, this is definitely worthwhile, however you read it.

The narrator, Noah Michael Levine, hit the same note for the characters that I had given them in my head and I was able to go along for the ride. I often find I pick up details in the audio that I miss reading on the page and this was the case here…description of surroundings and what people are wearing that add depth and colour to the plot that I sometimes don’t absorb, as I read fast. I’m looking forward to listening to the other two in the trilogy.

That’s the lot for this time!

Release Party Roundup!

No party is complete without a dissection of who was there, what they were wearing, who did what, and with whom. All these lovely authors dropped in to Lester Towers at the weekend and they are all very cool, nice people who write fantastic books. Here’s a round-up of their latest releases so you can check them out easily.

Thank you so much to everyone, readers and authors, who came along. It was my first facebook party and I had terrible nerves…you all made it good fun and I actually enjoyed myself, so I can see myself doing it again at some point!

The Fog of War Release Party
The Best Corpse for the Job, Charlie Cochrane
The Best Corpse for the Job, Charlie Cochrane
Comes a Horseman by Ann Barwell
Comes a Horseman,
Ann Barwell
Soul Eater, Ofelia Grand
Soul Eater,
Ofelia Grand
There Will be Aliens, Holly Day
There Will be Aliens,
Holly Day
The Meet Cute Chronicles Box Set, Nell Iris
The Meet-Cute Chronicles, Nell Iris
When Are You? by Addison Albright
When Are You?
Addison Albright
More Than This, Alexa Milne
More Than This,
Alexa Milne
Stage Struck, Ellie Thomas
Stage Struck,
Ellie Thomas
Trench Warfare, Fiona Glass
Trench Warfare,
Fiona Glass
Magician, K. L. Noone
Magician,
K. L. Noone
A Poison Apple, C. L. Cleppit
A Poison Apple,
C. H. Cleppit
The Vampire Guard, Elizabeth Noble
Codename Jackrabbit,
Elizabeth Noble
Trapped by Greed, Kaje Harper
Trapped by Greed,
Kaje Harper
Club 669, Amy Spector
Club 669,
Amy Spector
Dances Long Forgotten, Ruby Moone
Dances Long Forgotten, Ruby Moone

Fog of War banner

#AmReading

This week, sapphic time-travel with One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston and two well-know gay romances that I’ve been listening to in audio, For Real by Alexis Hall and the Adrien English series by Josh Lanyon.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. Sometimes love stops you in your tracks.

This is by the author of Red, White and Royal Blue, which I haven’t read and am now going to! It’s a sapphic time-travel found-family story set in New York in the present. The main character is August, who is twenty-three and searching for a place to fit. She has had enough of her mother, who is obsessed with finding her older brother who disappeared in the 1970s and has moved to start a new life. The other main character is Jane, who August keeps meetings on the subway. To begin with, Jane can’t remember being anywhere else. It’s clever and funny and heart-warming and I loved it.

It’s got a really good range of secondary characters which includes great trans rep.

For Real by Alexis Hall (audio)
For Real by Alexis Hall, A Spires Story

This is one of my favourite books on the page and I recently bought the audio. I seem to be on a roll with books about belonging this week. Although it’s about a BDSM relationship, it’s not about sex. Sure, there’s loads of sex in it, but it’s the feelings and the dynamic between the characters and their need to find somewhere to fit that keeps me coming back. Laurie is forty-ish an ER doctor, jaded, sad. Toby is nineteen, lost, not quite sure what he’s looking for in life but knowing he wants someone to submit to him. They’re both clever overthinkers. They fit together and the story is about how they both come to see that.

It’s a dual-narration audio and the characterisation is perfect, particularly Toby, who is just…enchanting.

Adrien English series by Josh Lanyon (audio)
Fatal Shadows by Josh Lanyon

Another old favourite here. Snarky bookseller/writer/amateur detective falls for closeted cop in Pasadena, California. Five books of well-narrated mystery-cum-love story ensue. It’s such a well done series and there’s nothing I can say about it that hasn’t already been said. Fatal Shadows was first published in 2001 by Gay Men’s Press, and it’s now a bit of a  blast from the past—pre smart-phone, which is the main thing that stood out to me when listening last week! It’s not dated at all, I emphasise; but it was interesting to listen and remember how things were such a short time ago.

The audio is new to me and is definitely worth a listen.

That’s the lot!

#AmReading

This week, three gay romances with lots of suspense. Hard Line by Sidney Bell, Box 1663 by Alex Sorel and Hell and Gone by Tal Bauer.

Hard Line by Sidney Bell

Hard Line by Sidney Bell, cover

Can I say first that I love all three books in this trilogy? This was the first one I read and it did stand alone; but obviously you’ll have more backstory if you start with Loose Cannon. This one is my favourite out of the three though. It’s about two misfits who are struggling to come to terms with themselves. Tobias is weighed down with his family obligations and has no head-space to work out what he really wants from life. Sullivan has shut down the part of his life that is open to relationships because he got burned really badly by someone who was frankly an arse to him about his kink. Combine the two likeable, well drawn characters with the realistic dom/sub relationship and a rollicking suspense plot and I couldn’t put the book down. The kink was really well done—on a par with Alexis Hall’s For Real. It’s a comfort re-read for me.

Box 1663 by Alex Sorel

Box 1663 by Alex Sorel, cover

This was rec’d me by a friend and I’m so pleased they did. It’s a WW2 gay romance set at Las Alamos, among the team building the nuclear bomb. A spy plot provides all the tension you could want. The romance is between an army photographer and a British scientist. The photographer, Nick, pursues Ian, the scientist. He’s lovely. He’s clearly head over heels in love with the man and Ian is carrying a whole load of angst and back-story that make it extremely hard for him to respond, even though he returns Nick’s feelings. I felt that the historical background was extremely well researched and I even went looking for photos of Oppenheimer and co so I could fill in the gaps in my internal narrative! I read the whole book in one sitting and I’ll definitely re-read.

Hell and Gone by Tal Bauer

Hell and Gone by Tal Bauer, cover

Another reliably re-readable (is that too alliterative?) contemporary who-dunnit-with-romance from Tal Bauer. This time our hero is a stock detective—a career I didn’t know existed!—who is sent into the Crazy Mountains of Montana to track down the person rustling cattle and now, killing people. Everett is drawn to Lawrence, the ranch manager who has been pushing for an investigation. But there’s a thundercloud of questions hanging over Lawrence’s head—his past, his relationship with the dead man he found hanging on his property, and where he’s getting his extra money from. The tension is beautifully spun out both with the investigation and the development of the relationship. Definitely a re-read.

That’s the lot for this time!

#AmReading

#AmReading, Ally is reading.

This week, alien/human, d/s, m/m (with tail-sex); m/m guardian spirit cop pines after falling apart young man; and a tentative sapphic slow-burn with menopausal werewolves.

Claimings Series by Lyn Gala
Claimings, Tails and Other Alien Artifacts by Lyn Gala

This is a five books series top and tailed (geddit?!) by  a free prequel and a collection of short stories. I was a bit nervy about dipping my toe into the universe to start with…the relationship between Ondry and Liam is a sub/dom one, which would usually put me off picking up a book because they are rarely, in my opinion, done well. However…it’s Lyn Gala, so big plus. And it turns out to be an unusual and satisfying take on the dynamic. I found myself sucked right into the universe, the love story between the human and alien MCs and the alien psychology. The world-building is brilliant. It’s a lovely, absorbing series and I really recommend having a look.

His Mossy Boy by R. Cooper
His Mossy Boy by R. Cooper

I guess I should just start a weekly homage to R. Cooper spot on the blog. This is part of the Beings in Love series and it’s the first one I’ve read. It’s a sweet story about misfit Martin, who controls his misery with booze and drugs. Somehow though, Ian, the town’s quiet, unassuming deputy is always there to collect him up and put him on his feet again, sometimes literally. You’ll have to read the story to find out who or what Ian is. I think I’d have benefited from reading Treasure for Treasure first, but I’m looking forward to reading that next!

Silver Moon by Catherine Lundoff
Silver Moon by Catherine Lundoff

I’m having a re-read of this before I plunge into the recently released sequel. For some of the women of Wolf’s Point, menopause not only comes with hot flashes, it comes with lycanthropy. And to cap it all, Becca’s husband dumps her and she starts to have feelings for another woman. Becca is just so normal–bemused, annoyed and frightened. She struck a chord with me because I feel like that about the change even without the werewolf thing. No arguments about whether or not you can have the window open if you can transform into a tall, clawed, furry monster. It’s got elements of thriller as well as a tentative romance and none of the stuff about fated mates or anything like that. The women are chosen by the land as guardians. Hard recommend.

That’s the lot!