Take a photo of a barcode or cover
219 reviews by:
philsbookcorner
4.5 Stars
This was amazing, a gay coming-of-age story set in the Australian Outback that was both beautiful & devastating - I don't think I've ever read anything quite like this!
The Nowhere reads somewhat like a cross between contemporary fiction & young adult, Chris Gill is truly a talented writer who pulls you in right from the first page. The multiple timelines worked well here - this had an air of mystery to it, the mantra repeated throughout continuously had me on edge trying to figure out what exactly had happened in the past. There are a ton of heavy topics covered here, but they were done so with grace - main CWs being physical & emotional abuse and homophobia, particularly internalized homophobia. As a line in the book states, things aren't often black & white & I feel like Chris did a great job of conveying the complexities of the characters & their situations, especially with the relationship between Seb & his father. The ending really hit me like a ton of bricks & I think this strikes up a ton of important conversations.
I highly, highly recommend this - a huge thank you to Brett (@bretts.book.stack) for putting this on my radar as Queer Your Shelves' March 2021 pick! I'm really looking forward to reading more of Chris' work, can't wait to see what comes next!
This was amazing, a gay coming-of-age story set in the Australian Outback that was both beautiful & devastating - I don't think I've ever read anything quite like this!
The Nowhere reads somewhat like a cross between contemporary fiction & young adult, Chris Gill is truly a talented writer who pulls you in right from the first page. The multiple timelines worked well here - this had an air of mystery to it, the mantra repeated throughout continuously had me on edge trying to figure out what exactly had happened in the past. There are a ton of heavy topics covered here, but they were done so with grace - main CWs being physical & emotional abuse and homophobia, particularly internalized homophobia. As a line in the book states, things aren't often black & white & I feel like Chris did a great job of conveying the complexities of the characters & their situations, especially with the relationship between Seb & his father. The ending really hit me like a ton of bricks & I think this strikes up a ton of important conversations.
I highly, highly recommend this - a huge thank you to Brett (@bretts.book.stack) for putting this on my radar as Queer Your Shelves' March 2021 pick! I'm really looking forward to reading more of Chris' work, can't wait to see what comes next!
(Mini-Review) This was a sharp, wickedly funny novel that tackles a ton of culturally relevant issues! The story flows extremely well, Kiley Reid writes in a way that's modern & relatable yet really gives you pause to think about the issues being raised within. There are so many issues this novel explored, from race & interracial dating to motherhood & female friendships, & each was examined in a hilarious yet thoughtful way. Reid perfectly captured performative activism in its many different forms here, particularly with the characters of Alix & Kelley, but also interestingly with the character of Tamra. I found the juxtaposition between Emira & Tamra quite fascinating & almost wish we would've gotten to see just a little bit more of that dynamic. All in all, I had a great time reading Such a Fun Age! This was a fun read that touched on a ton of important, relevant issues that are still actively discussed today - definitely recommend!
(Mini-Review) This completely surpassed my expectations, gave me everything I could have ever wanted from a gay domestic thriller & more - buckle up everyone, this one is wild! Bath Haus is fast-paced, gripping, sexy, & utterly thrilling. I'd highly suggest going into this one semi-blind (I'll keep the review vague) - just know an assault at a bathhouse leads to some crazy shenanigans. Part of the thrill was I truly had no idea where this would go, this is full of OMG! moments the entire way through. The characters, pacing, writing, all of it was just fantastic. I loved seeing both a gay couple and gay culture, in general, at the forefront of a domestic thriller - I really hope this opens a door for more books like this to be published in the future. This felt fresh in every way & I can't wait to see what P.J. does next! This was a huge win for me, another early contender for my favorite read of the year - everyone, you need to have this on your TBR lists! Thank you so much to P.J. Vernon, NetGalley, & Doubleday for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Well this novella certainly packs a punch!
Nothing But Blackened Teeth was fun, fresh, & spooky, this will be the perfect read for anyone looking for a quick thrill! I loved the setup so much - take a group of friends with some deep rooted issues between them & toss them into a haunted house with a Japanese ghost bride, what could possibly go wrong? I really enjoyed all of the Japanese folklore elements present here - I made sure to look everything up & that helped enhance the way I was picturing the events in the novella. The ohaguro bettari was truly a frightening presence & I just loved how creepy the atmosphere was the entire way through - some of the imagery in here was truly disturbing. Also, huge shoutout for the queer rep here - a bisexual Chinese female lead, we need more of this in horror! My one critique is that this got a little bit wordy at times - there's a ton of metaphors & some of them didn't really work well for me, but the story & pacing were so strong it didn't really take me out of it.
All in all, I highly recommend this, it's a perfect quick read to pick up for spooky season & has one of the best & creepiest covers I've seen all year! Thank you so much to Cassandra Khaw, NetGalley, & Tor Nightfire for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Nothing But Blackened Teeth was fun, fresh, & spooky, this will be the perfect read for anyone looking for a quick thrill! I loved the setup so much - take a group of friends with some deep rooted issues between them & toss them into a haunted house with a Japanese ghost bride, what could possibly go wrong? I really enjoyed all of the Japanese folklore elements present here - I made sure to look everything up & that helped enhance the way I was picturing the events in the novella. The ohaguro bettari was truly a frightening presence & I just loved how creepy the atmosphere was the entire way through - some of the imagery in here was truly disturbing. Also, huge shoutout for the queer rep here - a bisexual Chinese female lead, we need more of this in horror! My one critique is that this got a little bit wordy at times - there's a ton of metaphors & some of them didn't really work well for me, but the story & pacing were so strong it didn't really take me out of it.
All in all, I highly recommend this, it's a perfect quick read to pick up for spooky season & has one of the best & creepiest covers I've seen all year! Thank you so much to Cassandra Khaw, NetGalley, & Tor Nightfire for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If you've been looking for a wholly honest, original, & raw LGBTQIA+ story, look no further than Joshua Whitehead's Jonny Appleseed. I decided to listen to the audiobook for this & am so glad I did - it was narrated by Joshua, himself, & I loved hearing this story from his own voice.
While the overarching story is Jonny returning home for his stepfather's funeral, it's mostly filled with memories of Jonny's past growing up NDN & queer on the reservation. I really enjoyed the honesty here - something that really stood out to me was Jonny's comments on how there are certain things within gay culture that are inherently in conflict with aspects of the NDN community, an example being the use of the word "bear" & how it applies within both groups. I also enjoyed the look into what it was like growing up gay on the reservation - we saw a lot of layers, particularly through Tias, Jonny's best friend & first love, & Tias' father, the literal definition of toxic masculinity. Something that really resonated with me was when Jonny says home is a feeling, & while not always comfortable, it's still home. The novel was very stream of consciousness & I'll admit, I did wander a bit here & there - but overall, I learned a lot & was grateful to be reading from a POV that's not represented nearly enough, particularly within the queer community.
All in all, I think this is a really important perspective & I'd highly encourage everyone to go pick up a copy! I'm really looking forward to seeing what Joshua does next!
While the overarching story is Jonny returning home for his stepfather's funeral, it's mostly filled with memories of Jonny's past growing up NDN & queer on the reservation. I really enjoyed the honesty here - something that really stood out to me was Jonny's comments on how there are certain things within gay culture that are inherently in conflict with aspects of the NDN community, an example being the use of the word "bear" & how it applies within both groups. I also enjoyed the look into what it was like growing up gay on the reservation - we saw a lot of layers, particularly through Tias, Jonny's best friend & first love, & Tias' father, the literal definition of toxic masculinity. Something that really resonated with me was when Jonny says home is a feeling, & while not always comfortable, it's still home. The novel was very stream of consciousness & I'll admit, I did wander a bit here & there - but overall, I learned a lot & was grateful to be reading from a POV that's not represented nearly enough, particularly within the queer community.
All in all, I think this is a really important perspective & I'd highly encourage everyone to go pick up a copy! I'm really looking forward to seeing what Joshua does next!
This was so much fun - think Clue from a Filipino POV with lots of great food, fantastic diversity, & a really great cast of characters. I'm all in for Tita Rosie's kitchen mysteries!
This was my first real experience with a cozy so I didn't quite know what to expect, but I really enjoyed it! It's very clean & family friendly, but that didn't take away from the mystery at all, in my opinion - in fact, I thought the way everything played out was really smart! I had no idea who the killer was & the motivation made sense, it wasn't far fetched in any way - she did a great job of placing suspicion on tons of people, throwing you off throughout. I just loved the diverse cast of characters, this was full to the brim with people we don't often see represented within the mystery genre - I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Filipino food & traditions, you'll be so hungry throughout this! (& shoutout to the Calendar Crew, they were hilarious!)
All in all, this is a great way to start this series - there's tons of great setup for where things can go (love triangle w/ Amir & Dr. Jae?! & more Adeena, please!), & I'm really looking forward to the next book!
This was my first real experience with a cozy so I didn't quite know what to expect, but I really enjoyed it! It's very clean & family friendly, but that didn't take away from the mystery at all, in my opinion - in fact, I thought the way everything played out was really smart! I had no idea who the killer was & the motivation made sense, it wasn't far fetched in any way - she did a great job of placing suspicion on tons of people, throwing you off throughout. I just loved the diverse cast of characters, this was full to the brim with people we don't often see represented within the mystery genre - I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Filipino food & traditions, you'll be so hungry throughout this! (& shoutout to the Calendar Crew, they were hilarious!)
All in all, this is a great way to start this series - there's tons of great setup for where things can go (love triangle w/ Amir & Dr. Jae?! & more Adeena, please!), & I'm really looking forward to the next book!
Goldy Moldavsky, what magic is this?! My horror movie loving heart is so, so full right now - this was amazing, put this on your radar! A guaranteed top favorite of the year for me!
I think the marketing of Scream meets Karen McManus is spot-on, & I'd toss a little Cabin in the Woods in there as well. I loved everything about this - strong opening, great buildup, fantastic ending, this really had all the elements present in a great horror movie. The Mary Shelley club itself & the fear tests were fascinating, I loved how the way Mary Shelley created Frankenstine was interwoven with the club's legacy & tasks, itself. & for a book that's almost 500 pages in length, this flew by, there wasn't a dull moment at all! What I loved most, however, was how this came off as such a love letter to the genre - you can tell Goldy has a ton of respect for horror & I assure you, she did so right by the genre. None of the references felt forced & they worked perfectly - the first thing I wanted to do after finishing was put on a scary movie!
This is top-tier when it comes to YA mystery/thrillers, I highly recommend going out & grabbing a copy! Trust me, you won't want to miss this - Goldy, consider me a new fan!
I think the marketing of Scream meets Karen McManus is spot-on, & I'd toss a little Cabin in the Woods in there as well. I loved everything about this - strong opening, great buildup, fantastic ending, this really had all the elements present in a great horror movie. The Mary Shelley club itself & the fear tests were fascinating, I loved how the way Mary Shelley created Frankenstine was interwoven with the club's legacy & tasks, itself. & for a book that's almost 500 pages in length, this flew by, there wasn't a dull moment at all! What I loved most, however, was how this came off as such a love letter to the genre - you can tell Goldy has a ton of respect for horror & I assure you, she did so right by the genre. None of the references felt forced & they worked perfectly - the first thing I wanted to do after finishing was put on a scary movie!
This is top-tier when it comes to YA mystery/thrillers, I highly recommend going out & grabbing a copy! Trust me, you won't want to miss this - Goldy, consider me a new fan!
Buckle up everyone, if you've been on the hunt for a non-stop, adrenaline fueled story, one equivalent to the best of summer blockbuster/popcorn thrillers, look no further than T.J. Newman's Falling!
This is action packed right from the start, the opening scene alone had me on edge! Fun fact, I'm terrified of flying, so there were multiple scenes that really did it for me - a plane just naturally gives off such a claustrophobic vibe & Newman really used that to her advantage here, the suspense was top tier. The writing was really strong & I loved the diverse cast of characters (special shoutout to Jo & Big Daddy, loved them!), I'm honestly surprised knowing Newman's struggles to get this published - this read better than a solid handful of thrillers I've picked up recently, seriously what a strong debut! There were one or two pacing issues for me, but for the most part I couldn't stop turning the pages - I blew through this in two sittings. & there was a surprising amount of emotional depth here, as well. This ranks amongst the most visual thrillers I've ever read, everything playing out like a big budget action/thriller movie - I'd love to see this on screen!
Overall, this was just a ton of fun, pure escapism at its best with an original plot that moves at breakneck speed - highly recommend, & a big congratulations T.J. Newman on your debut! I'm really looking forward to seeing what comes next!
This is action packed right from the start, the opening scene alone had me on edge! Fun fact, I'm terrified of flying, so there were multiple scenes that really did it for me - a plane just naturally gives off such a claustrophobic vibe & Newman really used that to her advantage here, the suspense was top tier. The writing was really strong & I loved the diverse cast of characters (special shoutout to Jo & Big Daddy, loved them!), I'm honestly surprised knowing Newman's struggles to get this published - this read better than a solid handful of thrillers I've picked up recently, seriously what a strong debut! There were one or two pacing issues for me, but for the most part I couldn't stop turning the pages - I blew through this in two sittings. & there was a surprising amount of emotional depth here, as well. This ranks amongst the most visual thrillers I've ever read, everything playing out like a big budget action/thriller movie - I'd love to see this on screen!
Overall, this was just a ton of fun, pure escapism at its best with an original plot that moves at breakneck speed - highly recommend, & a big congratulations T.J. Newman on your debut! I'm really looking forward to seeing what comes next!