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The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue – Mackenzi Lee
Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.
But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.
Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.
With a title and cover like that, how can I resist? Right off that bat, I know it was going to be a fun, lighthearted read with adventure and laughter and kissing at the end. And indeed it is.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is about Monty, his sister Felicity and his best friend Percy and their Grand Tour gone awry (to be expected because Monty). Feckless is a word I learned recently and it is something that can be used to describe Monty, along with fun-loving and not the brightest spark in the room. Monty’s sister Felicity can throw a better punch than him. Probably the only things we can commend him on are his indecent supply of good looks and that he really does love Percy with all the love his silly little heart can give. Felicity is the nose-buried-in-a-book/can-do-anything type aka the smarter one and Percy is a music loving, well-mannered guy whose darker looks makes him a bit more circumspect with his behavior compared to his more reckless best friend.
If this was a movie, the visual style, storytelling and soundtrack might be something like what Sofia Coppola did with Marie Antoinette. Not entirely accurate but still gives a good sense of time, place and mood. This would also have been a solid 5-star book had it been a little more concise but I felt it was stretched out a tad too long like the author felt the trio had to have as many misadventures and go to as many places as possible before resolving everything.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: City of Culture
Artist: Slow Riot
Album:(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29283884-the-gentleman-s-guide-to-vice-and-virtue)
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The Raven Cycle: The Dream Thieves – Maggie Stiefvater
Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after…
Not gay per se but I love Ronan and he swings that way so this is highly recommended. Actually, I didn’t notice that he was gay until I read the reviews but he was always been my favorite of the four boys so it’s a nice bonus. I liked this second book better (possibly my fave in the series) as I now have a clearer grasp of what Gansey was all about (I struggled with that on book one) and we get to know Ronan’s family and why he’s so damn angry all the time. Ok, it’s not just all Ronan and his family. Adam has his issues. Blue is still great and Noah is Noah. The adults have more active roles. The Grey man is worth getting to know as well. I could say something about Gansey too but really, I just adore Ronan.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17347389-the-dream-thieves)
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REVIEW: Luna by Julie Anne Peters
Luna – Julie Anne Peters
Regan’s brother, Liam, can’t stand the person he is during the day. Like the moon from whom Liam has chosen his female namesake, his true self, Luna, reveals herself only at night. For years, Liam has transformed himself into the beautiful girl he longs to be with the help from his siter’s clothes and makeup in the secrecy of their basement bedrooms. Now, everything is about to change – Luna is preparing to emerge from her cocoon. But are Liam’s family and friends ready to welcome Luna into their lives?
Boring really.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17225278-luna_)
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Openly Straight: Openly Straight – Bill Konigsberg
The award-winning novel about being out, being proud, and being ready for something else … now in paperback.
Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He’s won skiing prizes. He likes to write.
And, oh yeah, he’s gay. He’s been out since 8th grade, and he isn’t teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that’s important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.
So when he transfers to an all-boys’ boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret – not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate break down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben … who doesn’t even know that love is possible.
This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate feeling different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.
Did not really enjoy it as much as I expected. I thought it was pretty stupid how people ask inane questions about which sport or ice cream flavor a gay guy would like. The best characters in the books were Toby and Albie. I want to hang out with them and they seriously need a book of their own. Claire Olivia was also great, she was the best friend any gay guy could ever ask for.
I found the main character and his love interest dull. I totally get what Rafe said about being label-free and Ben was suppose to be this nice, sensitive guy but I prefer the scanner pong and apple gang adventures.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16100972-openly-straight)
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REVIEW: The Center of the World by Andreas Steinhofel
The Center of the World – Andreas Steinhofel
Seventeen-year-old Phil has felt like an outsider as long as he can remember. All Phil has ever known about his father is that he was Number Three on his mother’s long list—third in a series of affairs that have set Phil’s family even further apart from the critical townspeople across the river. As for his own sexuality, Phil doesn’t care what the neighbors will think; he’s just waiting for the right guy to come along.
But Phil can’t remain a bystander forever. Not when he’s surrounded by his mother, Glass, who lives by her own rules and urges Phil to be equally strong; his sister, Dianne, who is abrupt and willful, with secrets to share; his uncle Gable, a restless mariner, defined by his scars; his best friend, Kat, who is generous but possessive. And finally, there is distant Nicholas, with whom Phil falls overwhelmingly in love—until he faces the ultimate betrayal and must finally find his worth … and place in the world.
Wanted to like it but it was boring as fuck.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18410469-the-center-of-the-world)
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REVIEW: Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
Boy Meets Boy – David Levithan
This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance.
When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.
This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.
This is definitely a classic. This book is so damn adorable even though if you really think about it, it’s just a typical teenage love story with the requisite prom night HEA except most of the characters are LGBT. A must-read for everyone.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfect(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23228.Boy_Meets_Boy)
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REVIEW: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Cycle: The Raven Boys – Maggie Stiefvater
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Gansey is different. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been told by her psychic family that she will kill her true love. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.
I actually avoided reading this book because of what’s written above. It is seriously a very misleading blurb that makes the book sound like it is a romance-driven, reverse harem story about an annoying, oh so special girl whose main concern is whether to kiss a boy or not. So I stayed away despite some very positive reviews.
I finally decided to give this one a try after seeing pictures of people shipping Ronan and Adam and finally noticing that it has a GLBT tag in Goodreads. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it enough to buy the rest of the books although I felt a nagging feeling that something was a little off. I like all the characters. I don’t know why Ronan is so angry but I see him as a punk and I love punks. Gansey’s tendency to unwittingly offend people through unfortunate phrasing is something I also suffer from. Noah is precious and Adam is nice. Blue is a level headed, sensible type who can make her own clothes. And I am so glad nobody’s forcing the romance angle, nobody got on my nerves, they can speak Latin, they got their own HQ and the ending is bam!
Now to what’s nagging me about it all. The book reads like a story with British characters but speaking in American English. All that tea, all those eccentricities (especially the women), all those posh private school boys in their uniforms, the woods, the atmosphere, that dead Welsh king, it gave me a British book feel. It’s not necessarily something that detracts from my enjoyment of the book but sometimes I get disoriented and realize that this is all in Virginia.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and love(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17675462-the-raven-boys)
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