Hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook, #5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme where we talk about 5 books on our TBR on Mondays. You can learn more about it in E.’s original announcement or #5OnMyTBR page.
This week’s prompt: Ensemble Cast.
I don’t think I read many books with ensemble casts. The only two series that come to mind right now are Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo and The Gilded Wolves Trilogy by Roshani Chokshi. But I am sure there are more sitting on my TBR shelf, so here we go.
Out on the Ice by Kelly Farmer
Caro Cassidy has competed in three Olympics before a hip surgery pushed her into retirement. Now she runs Girls & Goals for girls who play hockey and is very private about her personal life. When pro player and social media celebrity Amy Schwarzbach comes to coach Caro’s summer camp, the pair eventually acted on their mutual attraction and begins to date. But Amy plays in Boston while Caro lives in Chicago, and that means long-distance as hockey season begins. Can the two very different athletes fight for their relationship even when everything is on ice?
TW: homophobia, depression, brief discussions of suicide.
Here & Queerathon is hosted by Mel @ Cotton Candy Book Witch, and you can read about their announcement here. Throughout this year, we focus on reading books with LGBTQ+ reps or by LGBTQ+ authors.
Having only just stumbled upon Mel’s blog this month, I am excited to join this reading challenge even though it is already August. Since 2020 is the ultimate queer reading year for me, discovering Here & Queerathon now is perfect.
I am keeping this as a blog post, but it will be updated throughout the rest of 2020 and listed under “Reading Challenge” if you want to follow my journey.
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
I know what they say about men who allow other men to penetrate them. Ugly things; ugly words. Calling them women, as if that’s supposed to be ugly, too. I’d heard it since secondary school, and I knew what that night was supposed to make me. Less than a man—something disgusting, something weak and shameful. But if that pleasure was supposed to stop me from being a man, then fine. They could have it. I’d take the blinding light of his touch, the blessed peace of having him so close, and I would stop being a man. I was never one to begin with, anyway.
Content warnings: death, incest, rape, infidelity, abuse, misogyny
I don’t know how Emezi does it, but they managed to make Vivek’s story breathtaking.
Moon Fever (The S.P.E.A.R. Mission Files #2) by Ileandra Young
CW: speciesism from main character, ableist language from main character, blood, transphobia, sexism, loss of body parts, torture
I have very conflicted feelings about this sequel. Danika’s egotistic actions irk me constantly, but I am still very invested in her story. In Both Ways, her stubbornness and rashness often lead her into horrible situations. And now? Things are worse. With her team investigating in recent werewolf attacks, she is drastically overpowered by the edanes and yet somehow thinks it is a good idea for her to get involved in their conflicts.
