Books

Book 647: Red, White & Royal Blue – Casey McQuiston

Red, White & Royal Blue book coverThis is your warning—this post is a mess. I’m going to have to re-read this a few times before I can really wrap my head around why I enjoyed it so much.

I’m not even sure I’m going to be able to say why I loved it as much as I did. Just know that I read the entire book in three sittings (an hour at the gym, roughly seven hours at home [from 5 pm – to midnight] and then about an hour-and-a-half in the car on our most recent trip to Maine.

I was always going to love it because of the numerous Jane Austen [“‘Stop trying to Jane Austen my life!’ he yells back.” (180); “But you went after him!!! That’s SO Jane Austen!” (281)], Star Wars, and Harry Potter references, but other than that the chemistry of Alex and Henry was to-die-for. Like my heart hurt on so many occasions from joy and sadness and y’all, the cliffhanger between chapter nine and ten nearly broke me.

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Updates

July Recap 2019

beach chair on crane's beach, massachusettsI have no idea how August is here. I mean July was super busy and I actually got to read a lot, so I do, but summer feels almost as if it’s done even though I know we have another month (holiday wise) and almost two according to the seasons, but whoa time, slow down please. In July we went to Texas and the beach (why, it’s soooo hot??!?!) which allowed me to read a lot. Continue reading “July Recap 2019”

Books

Book 626: Brody & Nick (Something About Him #2) – A.D. Ellis

I’m not quite as mad at this one as I was at the first book Bryan & Jase. The cover still sucks and doesn’t really make me think of either Brody or Nick. I am still PISSED about the asinine cliche line about “favorite guy/gal/girl/man” (see OPENING LINE BELOW).

I liked the story better than the first because it was a friends-to-lovers versus a hook up turned “gay for you” romance—which I have a list of reasons why that didn’t work or even really happen in the first book. I liked the how the characters schemed to better themselves, but ultimately fell for each other.

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Books

Book 625: Bryan & Jase (Something About Him #1) – A.D. Ellis

SAY IT WITH ME NOW: “If I write a self-published novel I promise I will use a professional copy editor, use multiple beta-readers, and ctrl+f any asinine phrase that I may over use.”

Okay, now we can move on. I didn’t realize these were self-published when I purchased these (for $6) or I probably would not have purchased them. I was trying NOT to judge the books by their horrible covers and was drawn in by the blurbs.

As I was gearing up to read these I did a cursory Goodreads check and knew I was in for an experience and that’s part of what flagged for me these were self published.

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ARC, Books

Book 594: River Queens – Alexander Watson

Watson reached out to me about this way back in July of 2017, well ahead of publication. Unfortunately, due to an impossible work-life balance and other random crap I only just now got around to reading it.*

This memoir tells the tale of Watson and his partner, Dale, as they purchase, restore and then travel the rivers from Texas to Ohio by boat. It touches on family, friendship, urbanization, and a bit of politics.

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