So the book this icon is from is not discussed here... but anyway, it's sill books
Before I talk about the books I've read, I should point out that I'm sort of easy. I appreciate and recognize great literature. I don't, however, require it of the m/m romance novels I read. I read them because they're fun. I read them like I used to read fanfic.
I've long had a theory that you can rate books or music in two separate ways: as art or as entertainment. When I read these books, I am looking for entertainment. Don't get me wrong, there is some beautiful writing out there and some real artistry happens in this genre. But I don't require that for me to LOVE these books. I just need to be engaged, entertained and a little bit in love with the characters and it's a full 5 starts from me.
So now, on to the books.
First book I read this month was The God Eaters by Jesse Hajicek:
Click on the picture to get to the free online copy of the book. Ooooh, free!
I really liked this book. I like fantasy novels in general. I grew up reading books with magic and grand battles of good against evil. I still get a little fluttery over them from time to time. Especially when there's a m/m romance thrown in :D
Fantasy books kind of hinge on good world creation. Here, Jesse rocked that out. The world is dirty and harsh and related to our own wild west closely enough that there was no stretch of imagination, no disconnect reading about it.
But really, like all good books, it's the characters that make this gorgeous. Not just that they were engaging and well written, but what really got me was how they changed, or how their more subtle natures were revealed and enhanced during the book and through their relationship. The way the characters developed over the course of this book was beautiful to read. This wasn't just a really fabulous fantasy book, it was a fabulous book regardless of genre.
My Caveat: I will say, that I had started this book before and couldn't get into it. The first chapter is background, sort of what has gone before. It is choppy and unengaging and just kind of bad. It sets up the world and the background, but it does it inelegantly. Once I made it through the first chapter, I was sold on this book heart and soul. So, don't be put off by a few pages of a rough start.
Next was Home by Dawn Kimberly Johnson
This was the book I chose for myself in the gang bang. It's a sequel to Broken. In that book, Eli and Alec, two guys with pasts so fucked up one of them needs a cane and the other needed a whole new continent. In that book, they fell in love and got over a whole lot of badness... and then, in Home, we get to see them working out the actual relationship.
I gave this one 4 stars. I really liked both characters. It showed a relationship that was stressed and took a lot of hard work. It showed two men who were in love and committed, but not perfect, not always even reasonable. Sometimes, they were just plane fucking crazy... like in every other relationship ever. There were some plot points that I could have done without, some that seemed a little heavy handed. But the characters, Alec, Eli and all their friends, were wonderful and honest and they more than made up for the small problems the book had.
I enjoyed it, but, especially after Broken, I had hoped for something better.
Hot Weather by Matthew Haldeman-Time
This is a short story, only about 17,000 words. John is a recent college grad, working his first adult job... and just kind of underwhelmed with the real world and lamenting his first summer without summer break. He meets a charming undergrad who works at a local diner. That's it. I've given you the whole plot. Now, let's talk about why it got a full 5 stars from me
Wow. This was so much more than I expected from it. I thought it would just be short and hot. Don't get me wrong, it was short and hot.. but it was also really sweet and endearing and just gorgeous. I really liked and connected with both characters, even in so few pages they felt real. I even loved Joe a little and he was just a few lines from a voice in a diner. But this story was well written and sweet and really sexy.
Best Man by L. A. Witt
I've liked other books form L. A., but I was a little reluctant to read this one. I thought the plot was a bit silly. It's a man, Jon, whose ex boyfriend has asked him to be the best man in his wedding. So, Jon does what anyone would in that situation... he goes to a bar and picks up a stranger. Romance ensues.
Yeah, I loved this books a lot. Now, I'm a little angry with myself for not reading this the day it came out.
This book was so well written and emotionally subtle it made my heart hurt. The first person perspective made Jon realistic, made what could have been a simple or even trite plot into something beautiful, something really worth every word. When first person works in a story, it's powerful and intimate and it really worked here. The plot that could have been cheesy was REALLY well handled and was a great book. Even once I realized that potentially trite set up wasn't going to be a problem, and that his relationship with Liam was quiet and hot and kind of beautiful, there was an issue with Liam's ex that normally would have sent me running from the book screaming "tooooooooooo muuuuuuuuuuuuch" but here, and entirely because it was told in the first person from Jon, it worked. It worked well, in fact.
Oh, and the smut was gorgeous. Like, GORGEOUS.
Match Maker by Alan Chin
Okay, remember when I started talking about what makes me happy with books and I said that you could rate books as either art or entertainment... this one, scores really well on both scales. It's a book about tennis. Yeah, tennis.
This is a book about a tennis coach, openly gay and in a committed relationship with a former rising tennis star. The two were black listed years earlier from the professional circuit because of their relationship. Now, Daniel is coaching a new, young prodigy and it gives him and Jared both a second chance. The book is a lot about the sport of tennis. And, where I'm not a tennis fan, I am a sports fan so that may have made it easier for me to relate to the story. But I don't think so, I think the emotions here are so powerful and the story so engaging that Ii can't imagine not being invested in every word of this book.
I'll put up a few more tomorrow. I find I sort of like talking about these on here... the reviews are almost the same as what I posted on Good Reads, but I can talk about them a little more bluntly and personally on here if I want. That's kind of cool. I can't wait to talk about some of them :D Maybe, I really will do this. Hm. Wonders never cease.
I am probably going to just ad the others I've already read to this post... just to not flood my friends list with things that only I care about. But maybe not. Depends on how long it takes me to actually type these up for here.
I've long had a theory that you can rate books or music in two separate ways: as art or as entertainment. When I read these books, I am looking for entertainment. Don't get me wrong, there is some beautiful writing out there and some real artistry happens in this genre. But I don't require that for me to LOVE these books. I just need to be engaged, entertained and a little bit in love with the characters and it's a full 5 starts from me.
So now, on to the books.
First book I read this month was The God Eaters by Jesse Hajicek:
Click on the picture to get to the free online copy of the book. Ooooh, free!
I really liked this book. I like fantasy novels in general. I grew up reading books with magic and grand battles of good against evil. I still get a little fluttery over them from time to time. Especially when there's a m/m romance thrown in :D
Fantasy books kind of hinge on good world creation. Here, Jesse rocked that out. The world is dirty and harsh and related to our own wild west closely enough that there was no stretch of imagination, no disconnect reading about it.
But really, like all good books, it's the characters that make this gorgeous. Not just that they were engaging and well written, but what really got me was how they changed, or how their more subtle natures were revealed and enhanced during the book and through their relationship. The way the characters developed over the course of this book was beautiful to read. This wasn't just a really fabulous fantasy book, it was a fabulous book regardless of genre.
My Caveat: I will say, that I had started this book before and couldn't get into it. The first chapter is background, sort of what has gone before. It is choppy and unengaging and just kind of bad. It sets up the world and the background, but it does it inelegantly. Once I made it through the first chapter, I was sold on this book heart and soul. So, don't be put off by a few pages of a rough start.
Next was Home by Dawn Kimberly Johnson
This was the book I chose for myself in the gang bang. It's a sequel to Broken. In that book, Eli and Alec, two guys with pasts so fucked up one of them needs a cane and the other needed a whole new continent. In that book, they fell in love and got over a whole lot of badness... and then, in Home, we get to see them working out the actual relationship.
I gave this one 4 stars. I really liked both characters. It showed a relationship that was stressed and took a lot of hard work. It showed two men who were in love and committed, but not perfect, not always even reasonable. Sometimes, they were just plane fucking crazy... like in every other relationship ever. There were some plot points that I could have done without, some that seemed a little heavy handed. But the characters, Alec, Eli and all their friends, were wonderful and honest and they more than made up for the small problems the book had.
I enjoyed it, but, especially after Broken, I had hoped for something better.
Hot Weather by Matthew Haldeman-Time
This is a short story, only about 17,000 words. John is a recent college grad, working his first adult job... and just kind of underwhelmed with the real world and lamenting his first summer without summer break. He meets a charming undergrad who works at a local diner. That's it. I've given you the whole plot. Now, let's talk about why it got a full 5 stars from me
Wow. This was so much more than I expected from it. I thought it would just be short and hot. Don't get me wrong, it was short and hot.. but it was also really sweet and endearing and just gorgeous. I really liked and connected with both characters, even in so few pages they felt real. I even loved Joe a little and he was just a few lines from a voice in a diner. But this story was well written and sweet and really sexy.
Best Man by L. A. Witt
I've liked other books form L. A., but I was a little reluctant to read this one. I thought the plot was a bit silly. It's a man, Jon, whose ex boyfriend has asked him to be the best man in his wedding. So, Jon does what anyone would in that situation... he goes to a bar and picks up a stranger. Romance ensues.
Yeah, I loved this books a lot. Now, I'm a little angry with myself for not reading this the day it came out.
This book was so well written and emotionally subtle it made my heart hurt. The first person perspective made Jon realistic, made what could have been a simple or even trite plot into something beautiful, something really worth every word. When first person works in a story, it's powerful and intimate and it really worked here. The plot that could have been cheesy was REALLY well handled and was a great book. Even once I realized that potentially trite set up wasn't going to be a problem, and that his relationship with Liam was quiet and hot and kind of beautiful, there was an issue with Liam's ex that normally would have sent me running from the book screaming "tooooooooooo muuuuuuuuuuuuch" but here, and entirely because it was told in the first person from Jon, it worked. It worked well, in fact.
Oh, and the smut was gorgeous. Like, GORGEOUS.
Match Maker by Alan Chin
Okay, remember when I started talking about what makes me happy with books and I said that you could rate books as either art or entertainment... this one, scores really well on both scales. It's a book about tennis. Yeah, tennis.
This is a book about a tennis coach, openly gay and in a committed relationship with a former rising tennis star. The two were black listed years earlier from the professional circuit because of their relationship. Now, Daniel is coaching a new, young prodigy and it gives him and Jared both a second chance. The book is a lot about the sport of tennis. And, where I'm not a tennis fan, I am a sports fan so that may have made it easier for me to relate to the story. But I don't think so, I think the emotions here are so powerful and the story so engaging that Ii can't imagine not being invested in every word of this book.
I'll put up a few more tomorrow. I find I sort of like talking about these on here... the reviews are almost the same as what I posted on Good Reads, but I can talk about them a little more bluntly and personally on here if I want. That's kind of cool. I can't wait to talk about some of them :D Maybe, I really will do this. Hm. Wonders never cease.
I am probably going to just ad the others I've already read to this post... just to not flood my friends list with things that only I care about. But maybe not. Depends on how long it takes me to actually type these up for here.