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REVIEW: Heartsong by T.J. Klune
Green Creek: Heartsong – T.J. Klune
All Robbie Fontaine ever wanted was a place to belong. After the death of his mother, he bounces around from pack to pack, forming temporary bonds to keep from turning feral. It’s enough—until he receives a summons from the wolf stronghold in Caswell, Maine.
Life as the trusted second to Michelle Hughes—the Alpha of all—and the cherished friend of a gentle old witch teaches Robbie what it means to be pack, to have a home.
But when a mission from Michelle sends Robbie into the field, he finds himself questioning where he belongs and everything he’s been told. Whispers of traitorous wolves and wild magic abound—but who are the traitors and who the betrayed?
More than anything, Robbie hungers for answers, because one of those alleged traitors is Kelly Bennett—the wolf who may be his mate.
The truth has a way of coming out. And when it does, everything will shatter.
THIS BOOK
Grass.
Lake water.
Sunshine.Robbie. Kelly.
My soft, soft boys…
At first, I thought it was a flashback.
It’s not.
Then I thought Ezra and his liverspots was a nice old man.
He’s so much more than that.
Oh, no. No no no!
T.J. Klune took us once again to Green Creek and the wonderful Bennett pack. But not before he tore a piece of them out yet again. Even the wolf mother, Elizabeth, started to think they were cursed.
Heartsong was a fight to survive. To find the mate who was stolen. To take back the memories that were erased. To restore bonds that were shattered. To heal hearts that were broken. To have a place to belong to and peace and love and happiness even just for now.
I howl for you.
Heartsong is packed with FEELS. It was fluffy and awesome and bittersweet and funny, also painful and shitshitshit I can’t look and oh my fucking gad how can you do that to them, TJ!!!
I.FELT.EVERYTHING.
P.S.
Heartsong is the third book of the mind-blowing Green Creek series. The books are best read in order because you’ll howl for them too.
T.J. Klune books here.
Happy Asexual Awareness Week, everyone!
I’m very glad to celebrate it with the amazing ace, Kelly, middle Bennett brother, Green Creek deputy and Robbie’s mate. These two are adorbs! Kelbie is my favorite Green Creek ship.
Carter as mayor is gold tho.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: I See You
Artist: Missio
Album: The Darker The Weather // The Better The Man -
REVIEW: How To Be A Movie Star by T.J. Klune
Josiah Erickson wants to be a movie star. The problem with that is so does half of Los Angeles. But he’s on his way, what with memorable roles as a TV show background cadaver and a guy in a commercial for herpes medication. All he needs is his big break. And that break may come in the form of a novelist who goes by the enigmatic name of Q-Bert.
Q-Bert, who is ready to make his directorial debut in a film Josy would be perfect for. Q-Bert, who Josy may or may not have a friend-crush on, and potentially something more. Being demisexual can be confusing.
From the City of Angels to the small mountain town of Abby, Oregon, Josy will give his all to make sure his dreams come true—even the ones he never thought possible.
How To Be A Movie Star was as adorable as its adorkable predecessor, How To Be A Normal Person, albeit a bit too rambling.
Josy is an aspiring actor hoping to get that big break. He’s a walking ray of sunshine, an out and proud demisexual hipster and a radio trivia savant who one day won tickets to what he thought was a poetry reading event at the library. This turned out to be a reading of a book about a rhyming sasquatch and his lover authored by Q-bert a.k.a Quincy.
And he was wearing a tie. With rabbits on it. And that did things for Josy.
Josy and Quincy’s first meeting was an all sorts of awkward, friend-crush at first sight moment (squee~!). One of the rare instances that Josy was speechless. After that, he was very determined to make Quincy his friend.
Quincy is a writer of monster porn making his first foray into film-making. He and Josy got off at the wrong foot where he assumed Josy shot him down when he asked the hipster out for a date.
What followed was an embarrassing case of online stalking and waiting on tables until the brilliant hand of Dee conspired to pull things together for The Audition. This bought them to Abby, Oregon, the hometown of Gustavo Tiberius, socially awkward video store owner, encyclopedia reader and boyfriend of Casey Richards, writer of vampire/werewolf teen romance and asexual hipster. Stars of HTBANP and Josy’s bestfriends.
I love getting plenty of Gus and Casey, catching up with We Three Queens, Lottie, and Serge and Xander, Josy’s other bestfriends. The new characters were just as extra as the rest, the very campy Roger, Quincy’s grandfather, and the aforementioned Dee, his tattooed friend and personal assistant. Also, a LOT of monster porn cosplayers. T.J. Klune outdid himself with these characters.
Quincy wanted to give queers a happy movie and I’m giving that a big two-thumbs up because we all need more of those. Understandably, the shoot and the movie scenes took a big chunk of the story but I found my self kind of wishing it would just get to the point already. Some of the jokes weren’t as funny as they were meant to be and while I chuckled at the general randomness of things, a few punchlines took a long time coming (because Josy goes off one tangent after another). Also, nay on weed. Yes, I recognize the medicinal properties but in my corner of the world, things that get people inebriated or high tend to leave somebody stabbed or worse, hence the infamous “war on drugs”.
How To Be a Movie Star was a fun book that spoke to me on so many levels. I see different aspects of myself in Josy, Quincy, Gus and Casey. Heck, Josy even hates the same president.
There is an amazing amount of love in the book, highlighting the idea that it didn’t need to be romantic or sexual to be strong or moving. Platonic love for a friend or even passion for a craft could be as equally compelling. The story also made a very important point about mental health and self-care.
“I’m a Rubik’s Cube,“ Josy said honestly. “I’m made up of rainbow colors, but they’re all out of order, and you need to spin me around until I start making sense.”
Josy remained Josy no matter what. He blew Quincy’s mind (and everybody else’s) with his veritable Josy-ness. He went to great lengths to pursue his acting. He and his friends were never shy about showing affection to each other. Josy taught Quincy there are other ways of showing somebody you love them other than sex. Extra props again to the author for making his aces and demis shiny, happy people. It’s a very uplifting message because certainly, not everyone in this spectrum is introverted or angsty.
Quincy blogged about mental health. He suffers from anxiety and depression and used his social media to reach out and share his experiences with others. I loved how he bravely dealt with his anxieties. Even with all his self-doubts, he pushed himself and went beyond his comfort zone. He inspired other people with similar difficulties and gave them a safe space online. He never to tried to changed anything about Josy. And, out of the freakin’ blue, he made a very gutsy move that left me flabbergasted! Like, OMFG, I can’t believe he actually did it!!! I wanted to hug him!
T.J. Klune has written many wonderful stories, but the How To Be series will always stand out as one of his most memorable. They sparked joy in their quirky celebration of all sexuality, of being true to oneself, of following your dreams and of the bright lights we meet in darkness.
Recommended for those looking for that ray of sunshine.
P.S.
To get the most of the HTBAMS experience, it’s best to read How To Be A Normal Person first, review here
T.J. Klune books hereRating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Parenthesis
Artist: The Blow
Album: Paper Television -
REVIEW: Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia’s intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity–what it means and how to think about it–for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.
I learned the term asexual sometime in 2015 and more recently, gender queer. It wasn’t earth shattering or life-changing. It was more like something clicking into place with the knowledge that that disinterested state you have known all this time has a name. If this graphic novel was released much earlier, that light bulb moment would have come sooner too.
In my country, the term gender queer is relatively unknown. If you are not hetero, it’s either you are a gay or lesbian. People confuse gay with trans, even the gay guys themselves almost always have the idea that being gay means becoming or acting like a woman. Those who prefer to act masculine are referred to with derision as ‘pretending to be a man’ or ‘not a real man’. Lesbians were also expected to be butch and lipstick lesbians are not common. Much of my experience with gender queers are those born biologically male and would be automatically tagged as gay. Maia Kobabe would be tagged as lesbian and it would take a very lengthy explanation to make people understand. There are no guarantees they will.
This memoir will help open minds. It explores gender identity and self. It also talks about love and family and how having a sibling who just gets you could make all the difference in the world. It chronicles the difficulties and horrors a gender queer person goes through. It is raw and very honest, sometimes painfully so but always with a touch of humor and optimism. In itself, it is a highly enjoyable graphic novel with interesting illustrations and has an ending that leaves an opening for a sequel just in case.
I highly recommend this to everybody.
P.S.
I received a copy of Gender Queer: A Memoir from Lion Forge via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
Artist: David Bowie
Album: Pin Ups -
REVIEW: Exit PLans For Teenage Freaks by Nathan Burgoine
Exit PLans For Teenage Freaks – Nathan Burgoine
Being the kid abducted by old Ms. Easton when he was four permanently set Cole’s status to freak. At seventeen, his exit plan is simple: make it through the last few weeks of high school with his grades up and his head down.
When he pushes through the front door of the school and finds himself eighty kilometers away holding the door of a museum he was just thinking about, Cole faces facts: he’s either more deluded than old Ms. Easton, or he just teleported.
Now every door is an accident waiting to happen―especially when Cole thinks about Malik, who, it turns out, has a glass door on his shower. When he starts seeing the same creepy people over his shoulder, no matter how far he’s gone, crushes become the least of his worries. They want him to stop, and they’ll go to any length to make it happen.
Cole is running out of luck, excuses, and places to hide.
Time for a new exit plan.
Ever had a dream where you’re suddenly in a public place with no clothes on?
That could very well be Cole’s reality when he suddenly gained the ability to teleport and he needed to get it under control fast! Teleportation is one of my top five must-have superpowers and like Cole, I’d have my fun with it too but we could all do without the creepy guys watching our every move.
The way teleportation was used in this book was closer to magic realism than full blown fantasy because it was hardly focused on majority of the book. It was more like just another skill Cole needed to work on on top of academics and art. At some points, it felt inconsequential on the face of the everyday events Cole and his friends dealt with. It even occurred to me, this subplot was just there to give the book an extra something because without it, it would simply be a typical LGBT-themed YA.
It took me a while to totally get into the story. It started slow for me then picked up when I was a third in. What I really enjoyed the most were the people and their relationships. I really loved Cole’s parents and I am happy to see a teenager who has a happy and contented relationship with his parents since many teenagers in books and movies seemed to complain about their parents. The Rainbow Club is a joy and even Grayson, the one they complained about, did good. Cole and Alec’s friendship are goals, Malik is a sweetheart and I want Candace in my corner. The representations were awesome and genuine. I think the only thing missing was a dog.
The story zooms back to the teleportation part on the last 30% of the book. Cole finally meet the creepy people face to face, did some gutsy moves then poof! it ended just when him and Malik were heading somewhere fun. I don’t know if the book has a sequel, I hope it does. The way things ended between them, I think he might hear from other teleporters in the future. Also, I want to go places with Cole and Malik.
Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks deals with a lot of things, from sexuality, growing up, career plans, disabilities to discovering you have superpowers. Some of these were well-developed and I particularly liked the inclusion of ASL in the novel, something the author knows first hand. Other aspects were either rushed or tossed around then left open such as Grayson and Alec’s conflict, Alec and Ben or that year-end party that was mentioned here and there but not shown. These asides and casual mentions reflects real life conversations but in a book, they’re kind of frustrating.
Another plus for me is that while the book is about a gay teen, it is not about coming out and all the LGBT+ teens were happy being themselves. Overall, I enjoyed the book and I think most people would also like the positive relationships, the diversity, and realistic portrayal of teenagers.
P.S.
I received a copy of Exit Plans For Teenage Freaks from Bold Strokes Books via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Song About Teleportation
Artist: Wings of Love
Album: The Charming Ghost of Freedom -
The Agency: Merlin in the Library – Ada Maria Soto
An Agency Short Story
Agent Martin Grove is in pain every minute of the day while his wounds slowly heal. As soon as one injury starts to fade another that was hidden presents itself, but despite that Martin is, above all, a man who appreciates routine. For him that means ‘Merlin’ must return to the regularly scheduled Saturday Children’s’ Story Hour at the library. He’s been absent for too long and his body is still a technicolor canvas of physical damage, but as long as he has his Arthur by his side, he just might make it.
Last year, His Quiet Agent blew me away with the soft, sweet story of Martin and Arthur. That it is also a wonderfully done ace romance made it unforgettable for me.
Merlin in the Library is the epilogue that follows the aftermath of Martin’s reappearance and it is written in his POV (Thank you, Ada Maria!). Martin was recovering from his injuries and trying to pick up his routines. Arthur has now become an important person in his life and together they continue the Saturday story class.
This is such a lovely follow up.
Still as soft as the first story or perhaps more tender now that we get a glimpse inside Martin’s fragile mental state and his connection with Arthur. I love how the author was able to develop their relationship with a delicate hand in a slow but sure way. It warms my heart to see Arthur and Martin are doing well. I hope we get more stories about them.
P.S.
Me raving about His Quiet Agent here.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfect
Soundtrack: Lost in the Library
Artist: Saint Etienne
Album: The Misadventures of Saint Etienne(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41147433-merlin-in-the-library)
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Eidolon – E.S. Yu
When Cyrex Corp, one of the foremost bioaugmentation companies in the world, sends Vax to assassinate Zai Lumero, Vax thinks it’ll be a simple, straightforward job. Zai is only a journalist, after all, and with his bioaugments, Vax has never botched a job before. But then the hit unexpectedly goes south, and before Vax can correct his mistake and finish Zai off for good, he discovers that Cyrex has turned on him, putting him in their crosshairs as well.
With no one else to turn to, he strikes a grudging partnership with Zai to help him expose Cyrex’s connection to a missing persons case and take the company down. Getting along with a justice crusader who hates Vax’s profession with a burning passion isn’t easy—though Vax finds himself drawn to Zai in a way he never expected.
As they race against time to unearth Cyrex’s secrets, Vax can’t shake the feeling that Zai is hiding something from him. And the closer he gets to uncovering the answers—of how he’s related to Zai’s investigation, and how Zai is connected to a past that Vax can’t remember—the more he suspects that finding out the truth might destroy him.
The book caught my attention with two magic words: assassin and asexual.
Eidolon is a sci-fi book about an assassin who was hired to kill a journalist investigating the company the assassin is working for. When he tried do his job, he was in for nasty surprise.
Vax, the assassin doesn’t seem to be hard-core and deadly. He seemed more like a harassed salaryman trying to get the job done and get the boss off his back. His boss being Atali Norman, CEO of Cyrex and one hell of a manipulative bastard. When Vax was confronting Atali, I was like, just shoot him already! Don’t talk to him, he will mindfuck you! Vax then proceeded to prove himself human.
Zai, the crusading journalist, is out to uncover the nasty secrets of bioaugmentation companies.I liked that he is very dedicated to his job. Meeting Vax was like meeting a ghost but that doesn’t stop him from involving Vax in doing what he set out to do. There were a LOT of complications, personal and otherwise but Zai was, if anything, determined to do good so he made it work.
I think this should really be two stories. First is the sci-fi dystopian thread where humans were augmented with electronic parts for medical purposes or more insidiously to create super soldiers and spies.
This is a fast read and the writing was easy to go through.
I liked the world building here. It was not bogged down by info-dump but relevant bits and pieces were mentioned here and there that mesh naturally to create a good picture of the futuristic city of Orphis. There was a big mystery and some action scenes. This part by itself makes for an interesting read.
The second part was a hurt-comfort story about a man trying to deal with PTSD, depression and amnesia. This had a more contemporary feel, the futuristic elements were insignificant and barely mentioned. I liked how the mental issue and the asexuality were handled. I felt the friendship more than the romantic spark between Vax and Zai. I think Vax is in dire need of friends right now although their relationship had a good potential to be so much more exciting had the story been solely about second chances and dealing with mental illness.
Overall, I wasn’t blown away but I liked the story. The sci-fi elements were done nicely, the mystery was intriguing enough to hold my attention, the premise was interesting and the prose is uncomplicated. However, the first part and the second part seemed disconnected and I would have preferred two different stories if not a better transition/connection between the sci-fi mystery and the drama part.
P.S.
I received a copy of Eidolon from Ninestar Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it
Soundtrack: Someone Great
Artist: LCD Soundsystem
Album: Sound of Silver(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41059670-eidolon)
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REVIEW: Antisocial by Heidi Cullinan
Antisocial – Heidi Cullinan
A single stroke can change your world.
Xander Fairchild can’t stand people in general and frat boys in particular, so when he’s forced to spend his summer working on his senior project with Skylar Stone, a silver-tongued Delta Sig with a trust fund who wants to make Xander over into a shiny new image, Xander is determined to resist. He came to idyllic, Japanese culture-soaked Benten College to hide and make manga, not to be transformed into a corporate clone in the eleventh hour.
Skylar’s life has been laid out for him since before he was born, but all it takes is one look at Xander’s artwork, and the veneer around him begins to crack. Xander himself does plenty of damage too. There’s something about the antisocial artist’s refusal to yield that forces Skylar to acknowledge how much his own orchestrated future is killing him slowly…as is the truth about his gray-spectrum sexuality, which he hasn’t dared to speak aloud, even to himself.
Through a summer of art and friendship, Xander and Skylar learn more about each other, themselves, and their feelings for one another. But as their senior year begins, they must decide if they will part ways and return to the dull futures they had planned, or if they will take a risk and leap into a brightly colored future—together.
Wow! Just wow!
Antisocial by Heidi Cullinan reminds me of my weaboo phrase once upon a time ago when i profess undying love of Japan, colored my hair and dress up like a third rate shounen anime character. Nowadays,i still love Japan but i have significantly tone down the clothes and hair to generic. I enjoyed all the manga and anime references found in book the as well as the various trivia on Japanese culture but when Xander started using broken Japanese as come-ons, I thought it was time to reel all that Japanese kink in.
This book also reminds me of Amy Tasukada’s works. Both authors are fangirls of Japanese culture and were quite heavy handed in using it in their books but while Tasukada did manga-in-novel form style and had the sense to use Japanese characters, Cullinan did more of the blatant objectification and fetishizing of the culture, mostly white boys fapping to anything Japanese they encounter. There wasn’t any single Japanese character in the entire story. The dead Japanese professor does not count, he was off page and smacks of tokenism.
The novel started out strong and I enjoyed the first half of the book. Mostly the part where Skylar was pursuing Xander. That was squee-tastic! I liked Xander more when he was grumpy and Skyler when he was Silverstoning his way into Xander’s life. Then they were a couple and the book turned out to be one of those ace books where the ace agonizes about being an ace then undergoes some sort of sexual awakening with the help of the allosexual partner. I know each ace have different experiences but I don’t like that trope because it seemed to cater more to the allosexuals rather than accepting the asexuals for what they are. I also don’t like having an ace character hating himself and thinking there’s something wrong with him. If that was not bad enough, the author ripped a page out of Bakuman wherein Skylar worked as a writer and Xander as an artist in a manga because one can write but can’t draw and the other can draw but can’t write just like in
Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s famous manga. Ok, I’m out! I can’t take any of this shit anymore!
DNF
P.S.
I really wanted to like this but I’m sorry, it was a disaster.
For better books on the ace spectrum, I recommend the hilarious How To Be a Normal Person by TJ Klune and the utterly adorable, beyond brilliant His Quiet Agent by Ada Maria Soto.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
Soundtrack: To Be Alone
Artist: Hozier
Album:(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35652776-antisocial)
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Demonica – Megan Derr
Life as a mercenary isn’t kind or easy, and Shale has lost much: one family, then another, one leg, one arm, one eye, and the love of his life when pain and medication left him disinterested in sex. The last thing he wants is to accept a job from his ex-lover’s mother, but the pay is too good to refuse, especially as it should be a relatively simple job.
But crucial information was withheld, and the man they’ve been sent to escort home is like no one Shale has ever met—despite the dangerous reason he’s spent so much of his life sequestered, and the fact he’s part of the family that hurt Shale once before.
author’s note This story was originally published in Magic And Mayhem: Fiction and Essays Celebrating LGBTQ Romance)
Wow! This is such a nicely written ace short story that has so much potential. I’m usually wary of reading ace stories because I have this pre-conceive notion that there would be a part where they would try to seduce the ace to have sex. I’m glad there’s no such thing here. The magic system seemed intriguing and the world as a whole has this awesome matriarchy vibe going. I would love more stories from the Demonica world!
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Color
Artist: Finish Ticket
Album: When Night Becomes Day(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35116712-demonica)
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REVIEW: His Quiet Agent by Ada Maria Soto
His Quiet Agent – Ada Maria Soto
Arthur Drams works for a secret government security agency, but all he really does is spend his days in a cubicle writing reports no one reads. After getting another “lateral promotion” by a supervisor who barely remembers his name, it’s suggested that Arthur try to ‘make friends’ and ‘get noticed’ in order to move up the ladder. It’s like high school all over again: his attempts to be friendly come across as awkward and creepy, and no one wants to sit at the same table with him at lunch. In a last-ditch attempt to be seen as friendly and outgoing, he decides to make friends with The Alien, aka Agent Martin Grove, known for his strange eating habits, unusual reading choices, and the fact that no one has spoken to him in three years.
Starting with a short, surprisingly interesting conversation on sociology books, Arthur slowly begins to chip away at The Alien’s walls using home-cooked meals to lure the secretive agent out of his abrasive shell. Except Martin just might be something closer to an actual secret agent than paper-pusher Arthur is, and it might be more than hearts at risk when something more than friendship begins to develop.
Please note this book has a Heat Rating of zero.
First of all, the other book model doesn’t match the character of Martin Grove. They were suppose to be both young. Sorry, I tend to be very particular about book covers.
I love this! I really love this!! Given that most MM books have lust-based attractions, this book is refreshingly lust-free. Nobody was waxing poetic about the color of the eyes, nobody was getting hard-ons about sexy this, sexy that. It was simply all about connecting heart and mind with another person without thinking you want to fuck them. It was beautiful and totally my thing.
There’s something vaguely Japanese or should I say anime-esque in the way Martin is quiet. I usually encounter a lot of characters in manga and anime who are expressionless, rarely say a word or two, don’t make grand declarations and express themselves in the most subtle expressions. Martin is a complete enigma. We are given teeny tiny glimpses of his life but he is a tough nut to crack. Even that clue at the ending gives you more questions than answers so book two please?
And then in these kinds of stories, there is usually somebody, a persistent, do-gooding type, in this case Arthur, who slowly but surely chips away the wall and win their trust. I love how Arthur kept Martin’s trust and Martin showed his trust by slowly letting him in his solitary life. Also Arthur can cook a mean Pho and kept feeding Martin Vietnamese food. Courtship by food is always a win.
I sniggered at how nosy and gossipy the secret agents are. Carol, the not so hardcore lesbian, is a delight. In her own words:
And every pretty gay boy needs a tough, hardcore lesbian in their corner and every tough lesbian needs a pretty gay boy for balance. It’s in the rule book.
This is not a book where feelings were explicitly said yet it was one of the most emotional and emotionally satisfying book I’ve read so far. I usually hate how people just casually throw words of affection around. I feel it cheapens the sentiment. Here is how it’s done by Martin:
Finally, he raised his hand and touched his fingers to his forehead. “I can give you this.” He lowered his hand and pressed the tips of his fingers to the center of his chest. “And I can give you this. But not the rest. It’s not who I am. Or what I am.”
This speaks volumes:
Arthur turned his hand around and laced their fingers together. He could feel his own heart rushing in his chest as Martin’s fingers entwined with his. Better than a fumbled kiss or faked affection. It was strong and true. And it was theirs.
Oh, happy goosebumps!
Soundtrack: Reluctant Readers Make Reluctant Lovers
Artist: Library Voices
Album: Summer of LustRating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfect(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35238838-his-quiet-agent)
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How To Be A Normal Person – TJ Klune
Gustavo Tiberius is not normal. He knows this. Everyone in his small town of Abby, Oregon, knows this. He reads encyclopedias every night before bed. He has a pet ferret called Harry S. Truman. He owns a video rental store that no one goes to. His closest friends are a lady named Lottie with drag queen hair and a trio of elderly Vespa riders known as the We Three Queens.
Gus is not normal. And he’s fine with that. All he wants is to be left alone.
Until Casey, an asexual stoner hipster and the newest employee at Lottie’s Lattes, enters his life. For some reason, Casey thinks Gus is the greatest thing ever. And maybe Gus is starting to think the same thing about Casey, even if Casey is obsessive about Instagramming his food.
But Gus isn’t normal and Casey deserves someone who can be. Suddenly wanting to be that someone, Gus steps out of his comfort zone and plans to become the most normal person ever.
After all, what could possibly go wrong?
Gus or Grumpy Gus is a lovable but very socially awkward video store owner who struggles with very unsettling feelings towards a certain asexual hipster named Casey. Gus happens to like things the way they are and hates sudden changes or uncertain things. To help him deal with his feelings he consulted his trusty encyclopedias (he reads them alphabetically). When his trusty encyclopedias failed him, he asked the internet. There he goes through through steps on how to be a normal person and follows them verbatim with hilarious results.
Casey is Don Atari from Zoolander. I swear. I hear his voice every time Casey speaks. That doesn’t mean he’s not adorable. I mean, he and Gus are just so perfect for each other. One of the things that got me reading this is that Casey is asexual. Rarely do we get MCs who are asexual and in a love story no less
The rest of the characters are also fascinating and quirky like the We Three Queens who could be sisters or lovers no one knows and Lottie who likes alliterations. Casey’s friends are as hipster as they could get but they mean well.
The moment I started reading this, I knew it was just 5 stars all the way. This is one of the funniest books I have ever read. Read the chapter where Gus was asking Casey for a date and tell me if that didn’t make you laugh out loud. And yes there is an actual wiki guide on how to be normal (I checked). The only quibbles here are the pot smoking and that I don’t find stoner and stoner talk attractive so overall a 4 for me.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25548442-how-to-be-a-normal-person)
