Elfflame

This book (well, really, the end of the last book through most of this one) broke me to the point where I could barely sleep until they got back together.

I love Alexis Hall's stories, but this is definitely one of my favorites. She's definitely a master storyteller.

Oh, I didn't need that heart anyway.

I am a huge fan of this series, but I think this may be my most favorite of the series so far. Juro is a sweet man who doesn't deserve what has been done to him by his ex. He and his child are lovely, and when they meet meet Shig and his children, everything changes for the better for them.

Juro is the perfect representation of what it feels like to be Ace in a sexual world. His confusion and worry and anxieties, which were only fed into by his ex, are so real. Shig is so wonderful with him. Never pushing and always reassuring him in everything they do together.

Also, while it was mentioned in previous books, this highlights the way the people in this story age. Seeing children under seven as just children with no sexual characteristics is so very refreshing, and Sophie does a great job of showing just how simple this keeps children's lives, set apart from the ridiculous idea that they need to pick partners before they're done being children. If you are looking for a story about non binary characters, this is a highlight of this series, and especially this book.

I can't say enough how much I love this and this series. If you are on the spectrum at all, I highly recommend this wonderful romance series. I can't wait to read more.

This book destroyed me in all the best ways, and I need to now read everything Cole McCade has ever written. I can't even put into words why, but if you liked the first book, definitely check this one out, because Amani is now one of my all-time favorite characters ever.

Welp, this killed me. Even knowing how their story ends, I was hopeful, but this is just devastating.

Holy god, the twists and turns! This did NOT go where I expected, and it certainly didn't end where I hoped it would, and lots of people need to be shredded into tiny little pieces.

I can't wait for the next book.

Upon reading the premise of this one, I scoured the internet, but was unable to find it. I actually ended up getting a library card just so I could. I definitely wish I could buy it. I totally would. Peter in this is so in-character, you never don't see him as Peter. And ditto Captain Hook. I love this take on the story. It fits so much of Barrie's story world of Neverland. I highly recommend to anyone who loves Peter, but would love an LGBT take on the tale.

I'm a huge fan of fairy tales and fairy tale retellings. Especially the ones that are clever, and make you curious and make you think. This is both. I've read many versions of Beauty and the Beast over the years, but I think this may be my favorite. Rosamund Hodge takes this story and makes it her own. The characters are exactly what you would expect, and yet so very different as well. The mystery of how the curse came to be is fascinating, and makes me want so much more.

The ending was not at all what I was expecting to happen, but a perfect end to her version of this story. If you haven't read this, but enjoy fairy tale retellings, I highly recommend it. Especially if you are a fan of the Lunar Chronicles.

This one's been on my list for a very long time. Found a copy with Chris Lee reading this morning, so I had to listen. I definitely recommend.

Read this once before, listened again today on Lavar Burton Reads. Great story. Makes me think of some of my favorite Anne McCaffrey and also the Psi Corps in Babylon 5.

This book pulls you in. It is not a light book. It is not a happy book. But it is a true book. It is one everyone should read, if they can. Especially in the world of today, where people are believing it's truth less and less. This book is part of my attempt this year to understand better the people my paternal grandfather came from, and to understand what their people were put through during the Reich's reign in Germany.

As Elie says: “...Without this testimony, my life as a writer—or my life, period—would not have become what it is: that of a witness who believes he has a moral obligation to try to prevent the enemy from enjoying one last victory by allowing his crimes to be erased from human memory.” Through his words, I begin to understand my need to read these stories, despite the pain they bring. This needs to be remembered. To be understood. For people to stand witness, now that the survivors are fading. We need to take their places, to remind the world what happened, and why it was a horrific thing, the evils of humans who think themselves otherwise good. We need to know these things. And I am glad for the courage of people like Elie, who survived, who told their stories, despite the pain it must have caused them to remember.

If you can, read this book. It deserves to be read and understood and remembered, as does Elie and his suffering, and his courage. I only wish he were here today to speak out against what is currently happening in the US. I know he would have words to say. Thank you, Elie, for your words, and for your memories.

I miss Carrie Fisher. I miss her sarcasm, her willingness to stand up in a fight, her constant talk about her real problems, not a one of which she ever blamed on anyone else. This book isn't a love story about Carrie and Harrison. It is, however, in some ways, a love letter to the character who took over Carrie's life. To Leia's affect on her in all ways.

For a fan who was there from the beginning, this book is a reminder of life before, and life during the uproar that was Star Wars. It reminds me of who she and Mark and Harrison became, and how fresh and new they were in that first film. We all owe them so much.

Read this if you love Carrie Fisher. Read this if you love Star Wars. Read this if you're curious about the affair (but don't expect a grand, sweeping love story). But most of all read this if you are a fan who grew up during this time, who remembers that time before, who loves the characters, who loves Carrie.

I love Leia. I love Carrie. And I'm so grateful she got to share this with us before the end. I miss her every day.

I loved this book. Taro's harder to take than Sota with his indecision, but then, being an adult complicates things a lot more. And once you understand why Taro is as hard-edged as he is, you can't help but empathize with him, even if you do want to smack him in the face. Ryuu, on the other hand, is a total love, and Taro's very lucky to have found him. They make a couple you just want to curl up and read tons of stories about.

If you haven't read the first, it's just as great as a stand-alone. If you have, it's an excellent follow-up to Sota and Masa's story. And definitely check out the short story as well, which takes place along side this book, telling what happens after Sota and Masa's story ends.

I love this world, I love these characters, and I can't wait to read Miki's book. :D

I borrowed this book from my mom far too long ago, but I always intended to read it, and I was not disappointed in the least. Though it is a mystery, the murder mystery is actually in the background and another curious puzzle takes place in the foreground, the central part to everything else. The author keeps you guessing as she disproves one theory after another, until you begin to wonder if you will even find out at all. I won't spoil it except to say that you do finally find out the truth at the end, and when you do, all the pieces come together, and everything makes absolute sense, the way a perfectly wound mystery should do.

Now for the meat. Don't read beyond this point if you do not want to be spoiled.

The main mystery in this story isn't directly about Anna at all, though she is one of the three central characters. Rather, it is about her daughter, Swanny, who is her favorite child. Swanny receives a note that states she is not her parents' child, and is horrified. Anna refuses to say that she is adopted, and being the stubborn woman that she is, takes the note and rips it up, then burns it in the fire. After this moment, there is a growing tension between the two, though Swanny still seems to love her mother, despite everything. It is only after her mother's death, when she uncovers a stack of journals written by her mother since the year of her birth, that things are uncovered.The journals themselves are as important to the plot as Swanny, Anna, and Anne, who is Anna's granddaughter by her other daughter. Each plays an important role. Anna as the writer of the journals which, when carefully interpreted (they are written in her native Danish, though by the time she began to write them, she is living in England), begin to unravel not only Swanny's parentage, but also the truth behind a murder that happened right about the time Swanny was born. Swanny as the lost girl, searching in vain for her true parentage, which is revealed by her niece only years after Swanny's death. And Anne, the narrator of the story, who puts all the pieces together, and finds out Swanny's full true parentage only after she and her husband have long since given up looking for it.The mystery of who Swanny might truly be will keep you guessing. Each possibility quickly struck down with proof that it cannot be true, and soon a new possibility takes its place. Again, I won't say who we learn her parents to be. For that you will have to read the book, but I will say that despite the fact that her parents' stories are told throughout the book, I never once guessed until the truth was revealed.The characters both main and minor are fascinating. Not generally kind, though they can be, but each with whims and needs of their own that lead us to the inevitable conclusion of Anna's story, then Swanny's, and ultimately Anne's.

I was initially drawn to this book because of the fact that it is genealogy in novel form, and because the story was so unique. The fact that Anna and her husband are Danish only made it more interesting for me, as she is about the age my own Danish great-grandparents would have been at that time, or perhaps a little older. For me, this pushed me into a world that I only partially know, and each little detail only made it that much more interesting. It almost makes me wish I could read more of Anna's journals, as the people in the world of the story can. It makes me want to see the movie “Roper,” and the follow-up production that came about because of Anne and her friends' investigation into the Roper murder. This world just feels real.

All in all, I would give this four and a half stars if I could. I highly recommend it to people who enjoy mystery and this time period.

I wanted to like this, I really did. But between editing issues that were of a fairly basic nature, a thesaurus complex, and the feeling of someone trying to Twilightify Underworld by the end of the story, I won't be picking up the next.

And just a clue for writers? When you use your sole non-white character as a traitor? That's bad and even racist writing. Don't do it.

I haven't read something new that caught me like this since Dark Lover that wasn't a male/male romance. I'm such a huge fan of dragons, that the legend at the beginning of the book just pulled me right in, and I love the modern world she built around this new race. The characters are interesting, and distinctly real, and I can't wait to see where the rest of the series will go. Definitely a keeper, if you like fantasy romance.

I'm sitting here with a smile on my face. Sota and Masa are simply adorable. I just want to wrap my arms around them and never let go. Sota's so clueless, but Masa's patience with him is perfect. I loved this book so much that I literally couldn't stop reading once I'd started. If not for work and sleep, I'd have been done last night. I can't wait to see what more Ms. Forester does in this universe, because I want to devour it all.

The second I was told about this story, I knew I had to read it. It's right up my alley. I love boys in love with each other, because they're always so unbearably goofy and snarky and completely endearing. I'm so glad I managed to get my hands on an advanced copy, because waiting until the 11th to read it would have been far too long.

Non-spoilery review: If you enjoy BL or Yaoi, this is definitely for you. Especially if you enjoy mating stories. You won't be able to forget these two.

Now for the spoilers. This is a universe where all children are born the same. At a certain age, they become a boy or a girl. When they hit eighteen, they grow horns or a tail. And with that second change comes the possibility of mating. Sota and Masa have been best friends forever, and Sota wants them to always be together. As tailed. Unfortunately, he doesn't get that wish. What he gets instead is a best friend who will do anything to save him from the bully who has been getting rougher and scarier as Sota gets close to his change. And he ends up getting what he wanted in a completely unexpected and new way.I'm a sucker for hurt/comfort stories, and this one delivers in spades. Ken's a typical bad guy for this sort of thing, but Forester makes him not only believable, but gives reason to his madness, even if he is in the wrong. I love how careful and gentle Masa is with Sota, knowing how much Ken's attacks have hurt him emotionally, and willing, despite everything, to let Sota set the pace.The background characters are lovely as well. All three of their parents are wonderful, each in their own ways. Masa's calm, understanding parents happily take Sota in as a second son even before the boys have changed. And Sota's loving mother, who does everything she can, despite having lost her husband. It's wonderful to see the five of them come together as a family, something that was already there before, though Sota doesn't quite recognize it for what it is until the boys have Mated.Mai and Shiro are interesting, too. They start out as annoyances, but they add a great balance to the boys' relationship that helps keep the story from being completely about them being alone together. And I am very much looking forward to learning more about Mr. Yoshida and his own personal life. I think we'll find he's been far more hurt that Sota has been.I highly recommend this book. I really can't say enough good things about it, and I eagerly await the next in the series.

As a long-time science fiction fan, it's hard for me to find something new that really draws me in or doesn't feel like the same old thing. This one does. I couldn't put it down every time I got a chance to read. The races that Ms. Forester has created are unique and fascinating, and I already can't wait to learn more about them, which I have every confidence we will. I'm also looking forward to learning more about Reagan's past, because I have a feeling the secrets she's hiding are going to cause all sorts of wonderful trouble. The bureaucracy of the city is fascinating; how all of it works, from the different levels for different classes from poor to rich, to the co-existing legal and not-so-legal groups in charge of it all. Reagan and Drake are such solid characterizations that even when they do something odd, it doesn't feel out of character in the least, and I love how she highlighted their different parts of the story by using two different point-of-view voices, hers in first, and his in third. I can't wait to see what they get up to in the next book, and I am very curious to find out who is behind the illegal Ash.

As an e-book reader who has read a lot of self-published works that way, I have to say I was impressed with how very polished this book is. Especially for a first book. So many feel as though they didn't bother getting edited at all, but this one reads as though it were professionally edited, and I very much appreciate that. I'm looking forward to reading more by her in the future.

I've been anticipating this for a while now, despite the nay-sayers. I was a little worried when I started reading, because I was so scared she was going to take away everything I loved to imagine about Harry's future, but she didn't. From page one, I was hooked. Albus and Scorpius were everything I'd imagined and more. And the new additions to canon were glorious.

So many bits just made me grin wide. I won't single any one thing out here to keep this spoiler free, but if you're in Harry Potter fandom and worried that this will ruin your enjoyment of the fandom, don't. It's glorious, wonderful fun.

It's a short, simple read because of the format, but you can still feel JK Rowling's handprint on the story. This one is very much canon, and you can see she's had as much fun with it as she has with the other books. Characters I never expected appear in this story, from all across the books. If you're fond of Harry Potter, all I can say is give it a chance, even if you're doubting. JKR will make you a believer yet again.

Story is incomplete, but lovely as far as it goes. I hope she someday finds her muse again and finishes this one.

I admit to buying far too many books long before I ever read them, and so I often forget exactly what a book is by the time I do. That said, I knew this was an Arthurian story (I mean, Lancelot is the title character), so that made me decide to finally read it. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember for certain what type of story it was beyond that. I had some idea it might be a gay Arthurian romance (right up my alley), so I read it with that in mind. Let's just say I was very confused for the first half of the book. Even the book didn't make it clear if it was a heterosexual or homosexual story, but made enough reference for me to think it was–right up until he “fell in love” with a girl. Presumably.

Now I will say this: the story feels like it does a good job of taking the traditions of an Arthurian romance, including the dangers and unpredictability of the fae into account. But I was still puzzled until they finally reached Camelot, and the true romance came into play. I won't give away more here except to say yes, this is a gay Arthurian romance. If that's what you're looking for, this is definitely worth picking up.

There are some SPAG issues. Too when the author means to, apostrophes where they shouldn't be, and far too many commas. But despite these issues, it was well worth the read. The author seems to have a (mostly) good sense of flow, and the characters all were quite enjoyable/interesting.

I immediately picked up the second book, because watching these two makes me definitely want more of them. Three stars for the SPAG issues, otherwise it would have been four.

I did enjoy this story, but it felt rushed at the ending, and top-heavy, like once Beauty got to the castle, the author no longer knew what to do with the story. And the ending felt unfinished. Yes, happy fairytale ending, but just not complete somehow.

I did love the mention of the library with every book that will ever be written. I'd love to have one of those. And I thought the characters were all quite well drawn. Each of them felt real.

McKinley can paint a picture with words when she wants to. But somehow, I get the impression that she hadn't quite figured out the entire flow of her story. Not a bad read, but not particularly a keeper. Definitely not what I was hoping for.

I enjoyed this so much I immediately had to go and buy the sequel. I love Natasha's style. Always have. But I have to say that this one is truly unique. I've always adored her Vampire stories, and her non-human stories in all formats, but this one feels like so much more.

John and Michael are both intriguing characters in their own right, and make you want to know more about them and what made them the way they are at the beginning of this story. Michael's obviously been searching for something more, even if he doesn't know it, but John's not been given enough time to even think about searching for more. He's so on automatic that the climax scene takes him fully by surprise. I look forward to seeing what happens next in their story.

Absolutely gorgeous story, I highly recommend it to anyone who like m/m pairings and vampires.

I don't remember a time before Star Trek. I was born the year it was cancelled. I grew up in a time of syndicated episodes, and always hurried to watch in my grandfather's den every time I visited them. It was just something I loved. I watched every episode faithfully. And when the movies were released, I watched them, too.

And I loved Spock. I don't recall the exact moment, but I know I had several times where I identified with Spock. Quiet, introverted, fascinated by information. If I had been part of that crew, his was the role I most wanted to take. His people the people I wanted to be a part of. I remember running upstairs after we got home from Wrath of Khan and being horrified that I couldn't watch a new episode, proving to me that Spock wasn't dead at all. That he would never really be gone, so long as we had the show. Unfortunately, Sports won out that day over Star Trek, and the usual syndicated slot was taken by an extended baseball game.

So by extension, I loved Leonard Nimoy. How could I not love the man who created a character I loved so much? And the more I knew about him, the more I adored him. He put his passion into everything he did. Spoke out about things that truly mattered to him. So much so that many things were released that might never have seen the light of day, like Never Forget, which spoke about the Jewish experience in a way that had not been done before.

When I got a twitter account, his was one of the first celebrities I added. His posts about life always made me smile. His memories of his Star Trek companions even more so. And too, he spoke out about his illness, the one that took him from us. I will always admire him for his courage and generosity. I only hope he and DeForrest Kelly and James Doohan are up there smiling down on us.

It has always been in the back of my mind that I should read his books, but I'd never gotten around to it. Not until someone gifted this one to me for my birthday. I loved it from the first page. Nimoy shines out of the page, his voice so clear in my ear it is as though I am hearing it on tape. But too, it only makes me wish for more. I will be tracking down his first book, because I want to read more. I do hope, though, that someone who knew him well finds a way to write a final book about his life, covering all that this book stops before. Because I would read it. In a heartbeat.

I highly recommend this to any Star Trek fan. There is simply so much that goes on behind the scenes that you can't tell from the finished product. Nimoy's narration never drags down, but pushes you along, curious as to what will happen next, even when you know.

And one final word; to quote Nimoy: LLAP.

I was worried this was going to be a hard book to read, given how the last one ended. It was, but it was very much worth the read. I highly recommend the entire series to anyone who likes YA distopias.