Being the fifth wheel in a group of couples is never easy. Ever. And it's certainly not easy for Margot. Her best friend is the mogul behind a Happily Ever After Dating app, and he wants nothing more than for Margot to find her soul mate. Only Margot isn't sure she believes in soul mates.... Continue Reading →
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune is the magical, cozy book that you never knew you needed. And you do. You need it. When meek and mild-mannered Linus Baker is sent on a secret assignment to the house on the sea, he plans to be his meticulous self: he'll record his observations... Continue Reading →
Reading The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer is like taking a crash-course in Hanukkah, in the best possible way. Yes, there are menorahs. Yes, there are latkes. Yes, there are dreidels. But what Meltzer does effortlessly is make all of the expected aspects of the eight-day festival of lights feel magical. Rachel is the Rabbi's... Continue Reading →
Have I mentioned how much I love an adult queer romance? Especially one that isn't singularly about coming out? Don't get me wrong, coming out is a HUGE part of queer folx lives, but it's not the only story that queer folx experience when it comes to love. With Payback's a Witch, the first in... Continue Reading →
I came out of a romance reading dry spell when I landed on Helen Hoang's The Heart Principle. And thank goodness; with the days getting shorter and the nights getting longer, I needed this novel to bring a little loving light into my life. Hoang doesn't disappoint: her characters deliver, and her storyline compels even... Continue Reading →
If you're looking for a novel that is intelligently written, comes replete with fully-formed characters, features memorable locations, and passes the Bechdel Test, then look no further than Sarah Penner's debut novel, The Lost Apothecary. I think it's well documented that I favor a novel with parallel narratives (see The Ex Talk and anything by... Continue Reading →
Coming out of a deep freeze with temps as low as -17F (without the wind-chill factor), the warm fuzzies I felt from reading The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomn fueled my days - even though I was remiss to leave the cozy cocoon her pages and my sheets had wrapped around me. Solomon captures... Continue Reading →
March 26 would've been Opening Day 2020 but for The Virus. And while I've found a routine that is somewhat satisfying considering the circumstances of quarantine, the incongruity of beautiful, crisp spring days without the solid *thwack* of a baseball bat is harrowing to my baseball-loving soul. Thank the heavens for The Resisters by Gish... Continue Reading →
Pam Grossman's Waking the Witch is an all-in examination of pop culture, history, and literature in their connections to women of ill-repute: witches. And it's glorious. Since 2017 Grossman has hosted The Witch Wave, a podcast "where Art is Magick, Magick is Real, and Reality is Stranger than Dreams." Her guests include tattoo artists, dominatrices,... Continue Reading →
As the end of Black History Month approached, I wanted to celebrate the genius of a woman of color. I found this desire's fulfillment in Luster by Raven Leilani, a debut novelist. The back cover touts an ingenue, an artist, a self-loather searching for meaning and love in the hustle and bustle and (roach-infested) frenzy... Continue Reading →
shelly. walston. writes. 