While I was listening to Last Night at the Telegraph Club, I would occasionally pause the book just to think about how much I loved it. When was the last time I read a book like this? A book that had me crying on my way to work and begging for just a little more time at the end. A book that seamlessly weaves a romance and coming of age story with political and social upheaval and the complicated identities and loyalties of a Chinese-American lesbian girl in the McCarthy era? The answer is "never".
Suzanne
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May is a pretty big month for book releases since pubs want to get all those "beach reads" into our hands. Watch out especially for next month's list because June 1st is apparently The Day for Book Releases. So let's get right to the very long list of books we might want to read and probably won't have time for!
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There are certain themes or tropes that only work for me in certain moods, such as the rock star protagonist or music scene setting. I got into that mood in April, however, and two music-themed books kept me company on my new commute. They don't have much in common beyond the music scene, but I did find it interesting that both use Daisy Jones & The Six as a reference point in their marketing. Does it fit? I think so, but more for one book than the other. I hope they both find just as big a readership.
It's not often that short stories are as deeply romantic and emotionally affecting as those in Love in Color. Telling a complete story with nuanced characterization and satisfying development of a romantic arc is incredibly difficult to pull off in just a few pages. Bolu Babalola does this masterfully. If you enjoy history and myths and perhaps want a happier ending for some of the stories, this book is for you.
Masculinity, Collectibles and a Surprisingly Real Town: An Interview with Philip William Stover
More mini-reviews! Reviews of The Stormbringer, A Dark and Hollow Star, Sweet & Bitter magic, Act Your Age, Eve Brown and Forget About Me. That's two f/f YA fantasy novels, two adult f/m contemporary romances and an adult f/m fantasy romance.
April in my life means:
Mud.
Lambs. Though not this year. Again. I miss my mom, this pandemic sucks. She did send me photos!
Pre-summer caretaking for the four trees in my little orchard.
It's been a long time since I lived in a city during April, so I'm not sure what April means to everyone else. Tell me!
Oh, and here are some books releasing this month.
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Though it's not romance, I thought a lot of you might be interested in Sarahland, a queer, kinda weird collection of stories about many different Sarahs.
Perfect on Paper is a perfect queer YA romance. Darcy Phillips is a bisexual teen who secretly receives relationship questions via an unused school locker and dispenses advice by email. Hopelessly in love with her lesbian best friend, she's great at giving advice and terrible at managing her own relationships. When she's caught in the act of opening the locker by Alexander Brougham (who goes by his last name), she agrees to help him get his ex-girlfriend back. (PS Brougham is Australian like the author.)
