Jack Chandler (Author of The Higher Education of Matt Griffith)

Jack Chandler rated a book really liked it Hungerstone by Kat Dunn (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I picked Kat Dunn’s Hungerstone for its cover—at least, that’s what earned it a spot in the Final Three for my maiden voyage into sapphic literature. What truly launched the ship, though, was seeing it (the book, not the ship) described as “a compuls ...more
Jan 04, 2026 11:16AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Hungerstone by Kat Dunn. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Hungerstone by Kat Dunn <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jack Chandler rated a book it was amazing Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Imagine standing at your easel drawing stick figures while the guy beside you paints a masterpiece. That’s how I felt reading Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr!—simultaneously jealous of and awed by his genius and audacity. Cyrus Shams, the main character, embodie ...more
Dec 02, 2025 07:51PM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jack Chandler liked Lucy Prough's review of The Higher Education of Matt Griffith: "Once I started, I had a hard time putting this book down. It had me hooked from the first page, with the likeable but flawed main character Matt Griffith and the vastly entertaining cast of diverse characters. Everyone can, to some extent, relate to " Read more of this review »
Nov 14, 2025 12:19PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jack Chandler wants to read Deep House: The Gayest Love Story Ever Told by Jeremy Atherton Lin (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 30, 2025 07:41PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Deep House by Jeremy Atherton Lin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Deep House by Jeremy Atherton Lin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jack Chandler and 1 other person liked Grafton Carter's review of The Higher Education of Matt Griffith: "Raw, Resonant, and Unapologetically Queer The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler hit me in a way I wasn’t prepared for—and I’m so glad it did. This book is powerful, emotional, and often difficult, especially for readers like me who gr" Read more of this review »
Sep 28, 2025 07:28PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jack Chandler liked D.J. Ciccarello's review of The Higher Education of Matt Griffith: "A Raw and Powerful Debut – Highly Recommended Reading Jack Chandler’s debut took me straight back to the awkward, messy, unforgettable chaos of freshman year—the uncertainty, the small rebellions, the desire to belong. While I can’t personally relate " Read more of this review »
Sep 28, 2025 07:26PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jack Chandler rated a book really liked it North Woods by Daniel Mason (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Daniel Mason's "North Woods" is simultaneously brilliant, audacious, and so annoying it took me weeks to read! The book is brilliant in that the main "character" is a small plot of land in Western Massachusetts. We're given a sweeping, four century v ...more
Sep 27, 2025 08:19PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of North Woods by Daniel Mason. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — North Woods by Daniel Mason <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jack Chandler wants to read Until September by Harker Jones (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 27, 2025 08:17PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Until September by Harker Jones. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Until September by Harker Jones <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jack Chandler rated a book it was amazing Glitches and Kisses (The Havenwood Series Book 2) by Grafton Carter (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
With Glitches and Kisses, Grafton Carter proves his writing chops, that his first novel wasn’t a flash in the pan. Carter is here to stay, and not a moment too soon! He brings the authenticity of gay male experience to the MM Romance genre. He also b ...more
Sep 26, 2025 07:26AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Glitches and Kisses by Grafton Carter. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Glitches and Kisses by Grafton Carter <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jack Chandler rated a book liked it Until September by Chris Scully (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Remember that awkward "It's not you, it's me" bit you'd stammer (or hear) during a breakup? That cringe-inducing Hail Mary to the universe because, really, what else could you blame? Yeah, I'm feeling that right now because I'm clearly in the minorit ...more
Sep 23, 2025 09:11PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Until September by Chris Scully. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Until September by Chris Scully <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

Jack Chandler rated a book really liked it

Hungerstone
by Kat Dunn (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

I picked Kat Dunn’s Hungerstone for its cover—at least, that’s what earned it a spot in the Final Three for my maiden voyage into sapphic literature. What truly launched the ship, though, was seeing it (the book, not the ship) described as “a compuls I picked Kat Dunn’s Hungerstone for its cover—at least, that’s what earned it a spot in the Final Three for my maiden voyage into sapphic literature. What truly launched the ship, though, was seeing it (the book, not the ship) described as “a compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the queer novella that inspired Dracula.”
Lesbian vampires? You won’t hear me declare I wanted to “sink my teeth” into it, but I will tell you I clutched my pearls in glee—and was hooked—but not for the reasons you might expect.
Here’s Lady Lenore Crowther, as we meet her on the opening page:
“It starts with blood.
“In the middle of the night, I wake, like a hound scenting the fox, and place a hand between my thighs. It comes away sticky and dark.
“I used to feel grief about it, once. Now, I am numb. A task my body gives me to dispense with.
“Leaving a bloody splatter against the porcelain, I push the lid on the chamber pot and leave it beneath the bed. This was no quiet loss; I have not lain with Henry in many months. There was no hope to lose.”
Thus begins this very Gothic tale, set in 1888—late Victorian England, when the world’s most powerful queen presided over an empire where women were treated as little more than breeding stock trussed up in fussy dresses and ridiculous hats.
It’s a visceral, intriguing opening — and it sets the tone for the novel Dunn is actually writing, not the vampire romp the marketing promises. Dunn will return to this theme often: a woman’s fraught relationship with her own body.
The story unfolds at Nethershaw, an ancient, crumbling estate on the Yorkshire moors. One rainy night, as Henry and Lenore travel toward their new home, they encounter a wrecked carriage with a single occupant—the mysterious Carmilla, who must (of course) recuperate under their roof. Cue Cora, Lenore’s vapid “best friend” from London, who decides to pay an extended visit of her own.
That’s the setup: four people in a giant house, one of them the tamest, most de-fanged vampire I’ve ever encountered—more feminist spirit guide than anything else. This being a Gothic novel, there have to be a few secrets to unravel. Is Cora really Lenore’s friend, or Henry’s? Who’s trying to poison Lenore? (Hint: not the butcher, baker, or candlestick maker.)
Just to make sure everyone’s up to speed here, we have:
1. A vampire story with no fangs.
2. A lesbian story with a single, tepid sex scene.
3. An arsenic and old lace mystery that requires no detective work to solve.
What captivated me was Dunn’s portrayal of Lenore — not as a Gothic ornament, but as a woman trapped in a world that treats her like one, just another piece of bric-a-brac wedged among the curios and clutter Victorians loved to cram into a room.
Since the entire novel is told from Lenore’s point of view, we see and feel only what she does. If her husband goes into his study and has a hushed conversation with another character, the absence of knowledge about that conversation looms large in Lenore’s mind. Many authors would find a way to insert some bit of that information back into the story. Not Dunn, and in doing so, she recreates the stifling world of a Victorian lady, where social norms wrapped her in those layered dresses and top-heavy hats and told her to mind her own business.
The sensual beauty of Hungerstone is watching Lenore’s intelligent mind blossom into confidence and agency. It is a slow, one-leaf-at-a-time unfurling and, while the final feminist flower is glorious to behold, I came away with the feeling that the book was a lot of foreplay with no fireworks at the end. ...more

Jack Chandler rated a book it was amazing

Martyr!
by Kaveh Akbar

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Imagine standing at your easel drawing stick figures while the guy beside you paints a masterpiece. That’s how I felt reading Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr!—simultaneously jealous of and awed by his genius and audacity.
Cyrus Shams, the main character, embodie Imagine standing at your easel drawing stick figures while the guy beside you paints a masterpiece. That’s how I felt reading Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr!—simultaneously jealous of and awed by his genius and audacity.
Cyrus Shams, the main character, embodies contradiction. He’s Iranian-American, which, in itself, is almost matter-anti-matter combustible. He’s queer. He’s a non-practicing Muslim. A recovering addict who hates AA. He describes Old Crow bourbon as lovingly as I describe my husband’s—starts with an a.
Shams grinds through life in second gear, stuck in grief over the mother he never met—the mother who died tragically, the mother who, we learn, had secrets of her own. In short, Shams is a barely functioning adult: thirty years old, part-time job, sharing a flat with his best friend and sometimes lover, Zee.
Pause for disclosure: my husband read this book first and insisted I follow. He’s a lot of things, including hot, but his track record with books is…uneven. (Overstory, really?) Plus, the cover looked boring. Yes, I judge books by their covers. Doesn’t everyone?
I stalled for three months, hoping hubs would forget. Finally, worn down by nagging, I cracked the spine—determined to hate it.
I haven’t put it down since. I’m re-reading it now, loving both story and style.
And what a style! This isn’t a Da Vinci or Rubens kind of masterpiece; it’s more Picasso, more Jackson Pollock. Less Flowers for Algernon, more Everything Is Illuminated. In one dream sequence, Lisa Simpson (yes, that Lisa Simpson—yellow skin, spiky hair, big cartoon eyes) chats with Shams’s dead mother about the afterlife while grass sprouts and twines around them like a magic beanstalk. It’s a trip. Dreams and reality fight to coexist, much like “American” and “Iranian,” “recovering” and “alcoholic.”
I’m neither Iranian, Muslim, nor alcoholic, yet the book resonated. Its themes are universal: identity and belonging; the craving for one’s life—or even death—to mean something; and grief.
Grief is baked into the human condition. Of it, Akbar writes:
“It seems very American to expect grief to change something. Like a token you cash in. A formula. Grieve x amount, receive y amount of comfort. Work a day in the grief mines and get paid in tickets to the company store.”
See what I mean?
There are books we buy for prestige, to display on coffee tables but never read. There are books we devour secretly, re-reading because they take us on magical journeys of self-discovery. And then, rarely, there’s a gem that’s all those things—literary, worthy of coffee table display, and addictive. Addictive like sex on a rainy day. Like staring at a Picasso.
Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! is that book, despite its boring cover.
And for me, there’s the sting of envy: Damn, why didn’t I write this? ...more

Jack Chandler liked Lucy Prough's review of The Higher Education of Matt Griffith:

The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler

"Once I started, I had a hard time putting this book down. It had me hooked from the first page, with the likeable but flawed main character Matt Griffith and the vastly entertaining cast of diverse characters. Everyone can, to some extent, relate to " Read more of this review »

Jack Chandler wants to read

Deep House: The Gayest Love Story Ever Told
by Jeremy Atherton Lin (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jack Chandler and 1 other person liked Grafton Carter's review of The Higher Education of Matt Griffith:

"Raw, Resonant, and Unapologetically Queer

The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler hit me in a way I wasn’t prepared for—and I’m so glad it did. This book is powerful, emotional, and often difficult, especially for readers like me who gr" Read more of this review »

Jack Chandler liked D.J. Ciccarello's review of The Higher Education of Matt Griffith:

"A Raw and Powerful Debut – Highly Recommended

Reading Jack Chandler’s debut took me straight back to the awkward, messy, unforgettable chaos of freshman year—the uncertainty, the small rebellions, the desire to belong. While I can’t personally relate " Read more of this review »

Jack Chandler rated a book really liked it

North Woods
by Daniel Mason (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Daniel Mason's "North Woods" is simultaneously brilliant, audacious, and so annoying it took me weeks to read!
The book is brilliant in that the main "character" is a small plot of land in Western Massachusetts. We're given a sweeping, four century v ...more

Jack Chandler wants to read

Until September
by Harker Jones (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jack Chandler rated a book it was amazing

Glitches and Kisses (The Havenwood Series Book 2)
by Grafton Carter (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

With Glitches and Kisses, Grafton Carter proves his writing chops, that his first novel wasn’t a flash in the pan. Carter is here to stay, and not a moment too soon! He brings the authenticity of gay male experience to the MM Romance genre. He also b With Glitches and Kisses, Grafton Carter proves his writing chops, that his first novel wasn’t a flash in the pan. Carter is here to stay, and not a moment too soon! He brings the authenticity of gay male experience to the MM Romance genre. He also brings a keen understanding of human nature.
Glitches and Kisses introduces us to Evan and Noah, both of whom are lovingly relatable in their flaws. Evan knows what he wants: Noah, relationship, picket fence, etc. And, like so many of us in that situation have done, Evan has a script in his head for how that relationship should look, how the parties should act towards each other, and whether the gate on that future picket fence should swing in or out.
Even when Evan tries to self-correct and reign in his expectations, to allow things to develop more organically, he just retreats to familiar ground, still scripting. Here he is complaining to Noah: “I just want to know what is ours. What is ours that’s different from Sam? From Liam? From Elliott? You can sleep in their beds, and nothing happens but sleep. You can take them to dinner. You can watch action films and argue with them.” His voice dropped to almost a whisper. “What is different about us?”
What Noah wants is not to be hurt again, which causes him to push people away in a subconscious effort to slow things down. Here’s Noah reflecting on things: “I’d spent so long convincing myself that if I didn’t define what we were, I wouldn’t have to lose him. That as long as I kept everything contained, controlled, unnamed, it wouldn’t become something that could hurt me when it inevitably fell apart.”
Who hasn’t been an Evan? Who hasn’t been Noah? I’ve been both, which is maybe part of the reason I found this story so enjoyable. These were real characters with relatable issues.
Beyond the relatability, though, is the writing, which shines in the two examples cited above and throughout the book. Whether Carter is describing the fictional city of Havenwood, with its nearby rafting excursions; detailing a sumptuous restaurant meal; or giving us a dance scene at a gay bar, one feels the river spray, smells the garlic in the Italian food, and hears the loud music and laughter in the bar.
Carter also delivers the heat. I liked this beginning to one scene: “Clothes became a problem fast. His shirt, gone. Mine, somewhere. I didn’t care. I needed more of him, needed to feel him, needed to get rid of whatever space was left between us.” I say “beginning to one scene,” because it is just that, a full-on experience. Slow burn only works when there’s enough scorch to justify the slow parts.
Glitches and Kisses scorches. You’ll need oven mitts for this one!
Thanks to Grafton Carter for a free copy of this book. This is my honest review. ...more

Jack Chandler rated a book liked it

Until September
by Chris Scully (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Remember that awkward "It's not you, it's me" bit you'd stammer (or hear) during a breakup? That cringe-inducing Hail Mary to the universe because, really, what else could you blame? Yeah, I'm feeling that right now because I'm clearly in the minorit ...more

Jack’s Year In Books

Jack Chandler’s Followers (3)

Add New
Videos

Jack’s Bookshelves

Jack’s Friends (8)

Jack Chandler

Goodreads Author

Combine Editions
Jack Chandler’s books

Jack is Currently Reading

rss
Jack’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Hungerstone by Kat Dunn

See a Problem?

Preview — Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

See a Problem?

Preview — The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler

See a Problem?

Preview — Deep House by Jeremy Atherton Lin

See a Problem?

Preview — The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler

See a Problem?

Preview — The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler

See a Problem?

Preview — North Woods by Daniel Mason

See a Problem?

Preview — Until September by Harker Jones

See a Problem?

Preview — Glitches and Kisses by Grafton Carter

See a Problem?

Preview — Until September by Chris Scully

recent posts
Jack’s Groups

Jack’s Friend Comments

Jack Chandler’s Followers (3)

Jack Chandler

Goodreads Author

rssJack’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Hungerstone by Kat Dunn

See a Problem?

Preview — Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

See a Problem?

Preview — The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler

See a Problem?

Preview — Deep House by Jeremy Atherton Lin

See a Problem?

Preview — The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler

See a Problem?

Preview — The Higher Education of Matt Griffith by Jack Chandler

See a Problem?

Preview — North Woods by Daniel Mason

See a Problem?

Preview — Until September by Harker Jones

See a Problem?

Preview — Glitches and Kisses by Grafton Carter

See a Problem?

Preview — Until September by Chris Scully

rss
Jack’s Recent Updates