Biblio Reviews

I was drawn by its contrasting but complimentary colors, simplicity, and directness. Evoking ancient history and a type of brusque masculinity that I could immediately visualize, the cover of Madeline Miller's  The Song of Achilles  (2012) beckoned me each day it remained a Kindle deal. Lured by its siren call, I read the sample pages, and before the first chapter ended, I was enchanted by Patroclus and the longing that I discerned in his voice. I was an emotional wreck when I finished the book. Days after reading, I struggled to find the words to capture the magic of Patroclus and Achilles's love story. In short,  The Song of Achilles  is a work of beauty. The story is related by Patroclus, a prince sent to live in exile after he accidentally kills the son of a wealthy merchant. He is taken in by Peleus, Achilles's father, and eventually by Achilles himself. Over time, Achilles and Petroclus's relationship becomes romantic and inspires the wrath of Achilles's sea...

What's the best way to get over the ex who dumped you for being overweight? Hook up with a hot physical trainer, of course! Except, N.R. Walker's  The Weight of It All  (2016) isn't a romance about revenge but about self-love and acceptance. Henry Beckett is 35 and has just been dumped by his live-in boyfriend of eight years for being "old" and overweight. Apparently, he lived a life that did not include going to clubs, running in the park, or hiking in the weekends but rather one of strolling through the park, reading books, drinking wine, and cooking. The shock from being dumped propels Henry to take action, however, so after some drinking and a lot of crying, he joins a gym two days later. There, he meets Reed Henske, his Thor-like personal trainer. What follows is a delightful romance populated by a core of wonderfully lovable characters. What I  loved about this story is that it wasn't filled with angst or bitterness. While it opens up with Henry wa...

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library (2013) by Chris Grabenstein is one of the very few children's books I've read this year. For me, it is a mix of Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)   and Raskin's The Westing Game (1978). Mr. Lemoncello is a modern day Willy Wonka who loves puzzles and books, and the story Grabenstein spins is a captivating one. The book is a page turner, an overall good update to Willy Wonka, with a very likable narrator in Kyle Keeley. The English teacher in me appreciates the author's goal to encourage kids to read by understanding and experiencing libraries as magical places. (Rating: 3.5/5). Waiting for Clark  (2015) by Annabeth Albert was another read based on a CBR review. It's also another of those m/m romances that I absolutely loved. At ninety-five pages, the story was wholly satisfying and just about the right length. Five years ago, as college roomies, Bryce Weyland and Clark Kenmore shared a kiss, one that...

Sarina Bowen's   The Understatement of the Year  (2014) was the first m/m romance I ever read. It wasn't a genre of romance that I ever really thought about, especially because I'm more into historical romances. Nonetheless, I read it after reading a CBR review of it. Reading this story of Michael Graham and John Rikker made me think of some of my former male students who came out after high school. I remember thinking how wonderful it would have been for them to have had stories like this to read because the featured characters were close to their own age and had relatable fears and experiences. Well-written with likable characters and a reasonable plot, I loved  The Understatement of the Year  and highly recommend it as a romance and not just as porn on the page, which I've found to be the case with many m/m "romances."  (Rating: 4/5) Looking at my orders history on Amazon, I followed up my purchase of  The Understatement of the Year  with...

With Crossroads  (2015), Riley Hart presents a new world fantasy, one in which previously heterosexual males fall in love and have the full support of the majority of their family. In this story, we meet Nick Fuller, a newly divorced chef and restaurant owner who also just bought himself a duplex next to Bryce Tanner, mechanic and previous playboy who took years to find his passion in motorcycle repair. Nick is looking to start over, and after weeks of spending time with Bryce, their friendship develops into attraction--which confuses both as neither has ever had any gay inclinations. Though they question for one hot second what their attraction means, the fear of being labeled "gay" doesn't prevent them from moving forward. What follows is a lovely fantasy: Nick and Bryce suffer no angst and move full steam into a sexual and romantic relationship that sizzles and scorches off the pages! New to reading m/m romances, I was taken aback by the raw, coarse, and descriptiv...