Books I read for the first time:

Kings Rising by CS Pacat
DAMEN AND LAURENT. I thought that there was no possible way this book could be even a fraction of what I wanted from it, and it was every single thing and then SO MUCH MORE THAN I EVER COULD POSSIBLY HAVE IMAGINED.

The Dark Farewell by Josh Lanyon
This novella length book was... interesting. I am not really sure what I thought about the characters or the story or the conclusion, but I can't say I didn't like it? I do have a soft spot for rooming house stories (I think this goes back to my Little House on the Prairie days), and this satisfied that.

In the Middle of Somewhere by Roan Parrish
I read this book in one sitting and then read it again the next day, even though it's 350 pages. There are a couple of places where editing could be tighter, but I just LOVED it. One of those books where I wanted to spend time with the characters, and want to spend time with them some more. It's part one of a series--another of those series where each book is about a different set of related people--and the second one just came out at the end of February. As you will see below. bonus? the sex is really hot.

Follow Me Into Darkness by Santino Hassell, JR Gray, JC Lillis, Roan Parrish, and Kris Ripper
This collection of Mardi Gras/Festival-set stories was something I thought I'd try because I love Santino and Roan's work, and it was definitely worth it. One of the stories was... basically a hot mess, without so much hot, but the other four were great, and all a little different from anything I'm used to reading. Very much recommended.

Lone Star by Josh Lanyon
This is another one of Josh's Novellas, about two dudes who didn't do the thing because reasons, but should have done the thing, and now they do the thing. (the thing is live HEA) they give the same kind of satisfaction as a good 5-8k fanfic, only you don't know the characters first. None of them are the kind of thing that I'm going to be like OMG read this!!, but they're a couple bucks, and even if I accidentally start one before bed, it's not gonna kill me the next day at work.

SPECTR complete volume 1 by Jordan L Hawk
I didn't read these for a while because I'm not really into vampires, but then something something idk, I ended up buying the set of the first series? and it was SUPER GREAT. totally completely different take on the whole vampire mythos, and it explores poly relationships even though there are only two bodies. The way the vampire and human share the human's body really works for me, and the vampire is HILARIOUS. as with a lot of immortality supernatural stories, there are some parts that might upset those with body horror or injury squick.

Mocker of Ravens (SPECTR 2.1) by Jordan L Hawk
First one of the second series, and there are some new, great characters, and challenges for our couple/triad.

Strong Signal by Santino Hassell and Megan Erickson
I really enjoyed this, much more than I thought I would based on the basic premise. every time I thought something would happen, because that's what always happens in books when a, b leads to c, instead, a, b would lead to m, or s, or z, and that was great. I don't know a ton about either the military or the video game industry, so idk how right they got those bits, but I know something about anxiety keeping you housebound, and that rang very true for me. hot, and lots of feelings.

The Persistence of Memory by Jordan Castillo Price
The premise of this series is kind of inception meets total recall meets end of days, and tbh, across three books, I never actually understood WHY anyone would want to make use of this technology. But whatever whatever, that's just the background that enables the character interactions and relationships to happen, and that part is good. touching, interesting father and son relationship, and the central romance has a weird start (because of the tech at the center of the plot), but i enjoyed it. my one major quibble is that it's stated that you're supposed to pronounce mnem (the shorthand version of the tech) as "neem" and my brain would NOT FOR ALL THE WORLD agree with this, so I stumbled every damn time I saw it. which was a LOT.

Forget Me Not (Mnevermind 2) by Jordan Castillo Price
This was, to me, the most interesting of the three books, because it was told from the point of view of a character on the autism spectrum with some pretty significant impacts on his ability to deal with
day-to-day work etc. I thought it did a good job of showing the different ways of seeing people and interactions and of trying to read clues from the world. And so often people with disabilities or who are neuro atypical are shown as not having any kind of sexuality, it was nice to read about a character like this having an explicit sexual and romantic life.

Life is Awesome (Mnevermind 3 by Jordan Castillo Price
satisfying ending to the series. i was super glad I didn't have to wait between these books.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
I really loved this. It felt like a celebration of fandom, and it was just the right kind of meta for me, and I even managed not to freak out too much at the whole wings on a human situation. so so many hearteyes for everything and everyone.

Tied to Trouble by Megan Erickson
This is technically the third book in a series, but the first two are m/f, and I'm not about that life right now, and reviews said it could stand alone, which indeed it could. Not life-changing, but hot and cute, and these are two things I enjoy.

Line and Orbit by Sunny Moraine and Lisa Soem
I was more into the Sci-Fi/Fantasy elements of this than the romance. It was an interesting universe, and had some good characters. Also, thumbs up for a diverse cast.

Snowball in Hell by Josh Lanyon
I was GUTTED that there seems to not be any more of these. It claimed to be book one of a series with these characters, but I've been able to find no sign at all that this is true, and we're looking at five years now since it was published. Noir fiction with old LA, secret gay, and a good mystery. So into it.

Bait by Lissa Ford
This was a good example of its type: ~bad guy/~good guy fic, and the romance story was well done. warnings for human trafficking and child harm, though.

Seasons Pass by Joanna Chambers
this is a short that slips between books one and two of JC's Enlightenment series. Which is amazing, and I recommend it highly. While this is book 1.5, I am glad I read it after reading the other three (a few times, but who's counting)

Out of Nowhere by Roan Parrish
the second in the Middle of Somewhere series. You might think you don't want to read it, because the central character comes across as pretty unlikable (to say the least) in the first book. But, wow, did I come to sympathize with him, and the two books together are such a great look at the unreliable narrator. for those of you who can't get enough of characters who find someone to love them despite their seemingly impenetrable self-loathing, this book is going to hit the spot. But it also really worked for me, and I tend to like my characters a little less broken. Loved this, though.

Books I read for a second (third/fourth/fifth) time:

Provoked, Beguiled, and Enlightened by Joanna Chambers
The Enlightenment series is one of my favorites. The love story arcs across the three books (and the short listed above), so I have never read just one at a time the way I sometimes do with the Magpie series; I always read all three as though they are one book. Almost any of the opposite attracts tropes you could like--class difference, size difference, comfort-with-being-queer difference--you've got them, and David and Murdo are one of those couples that makes me roll around with feels. The secondary plot is also marvelously gripping, and also arcs across the three books, bringing in the history of the day, and making you feel very connected to all the characters. I recommend these books to just about everyone.

A Queer Trade by KJ Charles
Another short, this one coming before her recently published Rag and Bone which I will be discussing in March's post, this is one I've re-read several times already. It's set in the Magpie universe, with magic and Victorian London, and I just adore Ned, who has to deal with being black and queer in a city where neither makes life easy. I also enjoy Crispin, who is a different sort of magician than we've seen before. And together, they are both unf and adorable.

I also re-read The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh and the first two captive prince books again again.

You all have maybe noticed that I have long been a fan of blue_soaring's writing. (and the rest, but that is not the point so much ;P) SHE HAS PUBLISHED A BOOK. I AM VERY EXCITED. I had the honour of getting to read this along the way to it getting here, and IT'S REALLY GREAT. I know many of you are a fan of the regency fic especially, but it's great even if you just like dudes having sex, and awesome women being awesome, and friendships, and capers and adventure.

You can buy it here:


I'm insanely proud of her :D

I ordered a bunch of text books and some DVDs last week, and some of them have come. Including The Patriot, a book of short stories and poems by Maggie Dubris, called Weep not, my wanton, and a book for my professional editing class called, The Deluxe Transitive Vampire.

I must let you read the beginning of the jacket copy:

Here now is an enlarged version of the only handbook of grammar you will ever want to read. With this special edition, Karen Gordon gives the reader more illustrations and even more examples of confusing appositives, the many uses of gerunds, the complicated matter of agreements.

The Deluxe Transitive Vampire spins a lively gothic narrative with such characters as the Debutante, famous courtesan, wolf, bat, vampire, mastodon, pizza chef, lummox, lamia, and trilingual solitary. ...

so yes. A vampire themed grammar book. *g*

some examples from the section on Subject-Verb agreement:
The lingua franca in these parts is Rumanian mixed with blood and cash.

The bat suspended from Loona's hairdo was repulsed by her Nuit Blanche perfume.

Though, the book takes care to point out that things get more confusing when you have a group that may act as one or as individuals. To wit:
The menage a trois is rousing itself or trundling off to sleep.

or

The menage a trois are going back on their vows and are going their separate ways.

Blood, bats and threesomes. I like it. *flips pages* oooh! and solitary robots. *heee*

Sorry, but it is one of those days.

I've just been reading one of my assignments, 'Giovanni's Apartment' by Sam D'Allesandro, from his book The Wild Creatures. It was amazing to the point that I went onto Amazon Marketplace and bought not only that book but two others. Including one which is letters between him and one of the Professors at SFSU, which she compiled after his death. He was evidently one of those men about whom you think, he was the most beautiful man I ever knew, and that kind of charisma shines through his writing. It was the kind of story I wanted to drape over me, roll around in, drink down, and have with me always.

The kind that simultaneously makes you long to be a writer and never want to write again.

I've been reading a book today. A year ago this would be like me saying, 'I've been breathing today.' I'm not at work, therefore it is a given. But then this whole internet/fanfic/writing thing happened and I went from reading 5 books a week to 5 books a year. So anyway. I'm reading a book.

( Not really spoilery, but possibly a bit boring if you're not into analysis )