I read this book in anticipation and preparation for a talk with the author at my library where I will be interviewing Jeff Bishop on his book. 

That being said, my 5 star rating has nothing to do with that fact. I could never see or meet Jeff Bishop and I’d still award it 5 stars. 

The voice of Cam as the narrator is, by far, my favorite written voice I’ve ever read. Cam’s inner (and outer) dialog is witty, funny, and raw. I couldn’t help but laughing and annoy my husband by reciting passages and phrases from the book because I found them hysterical. 

I’ve been through a bad breakup (a relationship of 7 years), and I related to Cam at every single turn. The author did an amazing job at capturing the complex emotions one feels at the end of a breakup, especially a bad one. 

I’ll admit that I didn’t really know what the book was about and didn’t read the synopsis before starting it (oops), but I’m honestly glad I didn’t. It made the whole “Ally coming to see Cam” thing more surprising in the moment. The plot of the novel is so special and feels really unique. 

I laughed, I cried, I totally have a major book-hangover after reading it. 

And I’ll be fangirl-ing majorly over Jeff Bishop and asking ALL THE QUESTIONS! 

SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO 2022: COMING-OUT STORY

First book I’ve given a 5 star rating to in a while! But it was without a doubt 5 stars. 

This middle grade novel was absolutely perfect. The characters were so well written and fleshed out. I loved Ivy and seeing the world from her perspective. The pacing was also well done, and I didn’t want to put the book down. The author handled Ivy’s confusion and feelings about liking another girl with such care and attention that it deserved. 

It was such a lovely story full of some heavy themes such as loneliness, love, family, forgiveness, and belonging. Everything was tied together in the end with a beautiful rainbow bow. 

Easiest 5 star I’ve awarded in a long time. 

This took me a while to get into. Perhaps I just have trouble relating to 50 year old white men? 

But I really enjoyed the premise of the book as well as the voice of the narrator. I definitely laughed out loud a number of times. 

However, I found myself losing interest and having to reread pages. The constant back and forth with time got a little confusing for me in that I had to put extra effort into reminding myself what/when I was reading. 

Overall, a fun queer book discussing love and all its complications. 

Solid 4 stars. I really enjoyed reading this novel in that it was fun and predictable. There were lots of tropes represented - fake dating, only one bed, etc - and while I saw everything coming a mile away, I didn’t mind because it was still a fun ride. 

Also the spicy scenes were written really well. 

Editing and updating review after sitting with it for a while. On a second glance, Fallon and Ben's relationship is not completely healthy and can be seen as toxic. As well as the author being problematic. Changing my review from 5 stars to 2 stars since I still like the idea of the plot. 

Wow did this book mess me up in a good way! Oh gosh - I did not expect to cry so much and feel so much. 

I loved the concept of the plot, and the character depth was so good. I will say I wished it had more diverse characters, but MAN! What a story. I’ll be having such a bad book-hangover after this book. 

The character development was so great, and I’ll be sad to not read about Fallon and Ben again. This is one of those that I’d like to reread for the first time again. 

So happy I finally got to read this book. I absolutely love Cal and his character so much. I love the relationships and witty moments. The whole plot arc was well written and constructed. 

I don’t find space exploration particularly interesting, but this book made me care about it’s involvement with the plot, and I didn’t find it as much of a snooze-fest as I thought it was going to be. 

It’s gay and it slaps. 

Another great read by Alex Gino! 

As soon as I saw both main characters were non-binary, I added to my TBR. 

You can always count on Alex Gino to write a wide array of LGBTQIAP+ rep, and it’s so important. 

I will say that I understand these books are for middle grade, and they come across slightly in a “here’s a chance to educate you,” but I didn’t mind too much since it’s literally educating children about the LGBTQIAP+ community. 

I loved the characters, I loved the storyline, I loved the moments of wit, I loved the complicated depiction of friends vs chosen family, I love the pacing, and I love all of the representation! 

Front Desk has been on my TBR for years, and I’m so upset it took me this long to read it! 

Wow. Everything about this was great. You can’t help but love Mia, her childish curiosity and hope, and the relationships she has with all the other characters. The characters were diverse and a main plot point. 

The writing was written for middle grade, but I found myself enjoying it even at 29. There were times when you can tell Mia talks to the reader as if they are also in middle grade with the exclamations, but that’s honestly how children talk, and I didn’t mind. 

I found the pacing was well done. It was perfect timing in how you got to know the characters and appreciate their character arc. 

Really I loved everything. It’s been a while since I’ve given a book 5 stars, and this deserved it. 

Another great entertainment read by Karen M. McManus. So far I’ve read all her YA thriller novels, and while this isn’t my favorite, it still held my attention. Her writing keeps me guessing at who the killer is/what’s happening. I don’t think there was anything particularly of note, and I’ll probably forget the plot of this in a month, but I still enjoyed reading it and being along for the story. 

SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO 2022: NON-HUMAN CHARACTER
Read for Kid Book Club: Book with Water on the Cover

I love to see queer graphic novels like this get published! The characters were great, and I loved the dynamic between Morgan and Keltie. I think the complications of who you are when surrounded by different people was well-written and realistic. When Morgan is with her friends, the pressure she felt (whether inflicted by her friends or herself) was evident. 

I will say I found it very fast-paced (almost a little too fast?). I wanted some more time to see Morgan and Keltie's relationship bloom. It was done so in a "montage" of panels, but I would have liked a bit more than the couple times we see them have honest conversations with one another. Perhaps I just want more of the story? That could be it, too, because I love it so much. 

I really didn't see the ending coming. It wasn't an outright surprise, but it was a bit sad. Still hopeful and Morgan's character arc is done well, though. I'll definitely be recommending it to others!