Isaiah Roby's Blog: MI Book Reviews, page 68

Who I Was With Her

“There are two things that Corinne Parker knows to be true: that she is in love with Maggie Bailey, the captain of the rival high school’s cross-country team and her secret girlfriend of a year, and that she isn’t ready for anyone to know she’s bisexual.

But then Maggie dies, and Corinne quickly learns that the only thing worse than losing Maggie is being left heartbroken over a relationship no one knows existed. And to make things even more complicated, the only person she can turn to is Eli...

Rick

“From the award-winning author of George, the story of a boy named Rick who needs to explore his own identity apart from his jerk of a best friend.

Rick’s never questioned much. He’s gone along with his best friend Jeff even when Jeff’s acted like a bully and a jerk. He’s let his father joke with him about which hot girls he might want to date even though that kind of talk always makes him uncomfortable. And he hasn’t given his own identity much thought, because everyone else around him seeme...

The Summer of Everything

Thoughtful coming-of-age YA novel including long-time crush on best friend trope, a bookstore, and lots of thoughts about the future.

Comic book geek Wesley Hudson excels at two things: slacking off at his job and pining after his best friend, Nico. Advice from his friends, ‘90s alt-rock songs, and online dating articles aren’t helping much with his secret crush. And his dream job at Once Upon a Page, the local used bookstore, is threatened when a coffeeshop franchise wants to buy the propert...

Even If We Break

Absolutely terrifying horror thriller about five roleplaying friends going to a haunted cabin, that shines through its queer and disabled representation.

FIVE friends go to a cabin.
FOUR of them are hiding secrets.
THREE years of history bind them.
TWO are doomed from the start.
ONE person wants to end this.
NO ONE IS SAFE.

Are you ready to play?

“From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp comes a shocking new thriller about a group of friends tied together by a game and the deadl...

On the Wings of War

Another exciting installment of this series that takes the crew to London and Paris.
Not so many deities this time, but loads of action and the usual loveable characters.

Remembering the dead will always give them life.
The coveted Morrígan’s staff is up for sale on the black market to the highest bidder, and SOA Special Agent Patrick Collins will do whatever it takes to ensure the Dominion Sect doesn’t get their hands on it. Returning the weapon to its rightful owner is another step on the lon...

The Four Profound Weaves

“Wind: To match one’s body with one’s heart
Sand: To take the bearer where they wish
Song: In praise of the goddess Bird
Bone: To move unheard in the night

The Surun’ do not speak of the master weaver, Benesret, who creates the cloth of bone for assassins in the Great Burri Desert. But Uiziya now seeks her aunt Benesret in order to learn the final weave, although the price for knowledge may be far too dear to pay.

Among the Khana, women travel in caravans to trade, while men remain in the inn...

Cemetery Boys (Isaiah’s Review)

“Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s ...

Cemetery Boys (iam’s Review)

Great paranormal romance that’s a stunning #ownvoices debut with a Latinx trans brujo protagonist.

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.
However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian...

Reading Challenge Tip #11

Another day, another reading challenge tip.

I have been putting off this one, because it felt like it was one of the easier ones to handle. Not everyone is a fan of non-fiction or of memoirs, so it might not be as easy as it sounds.

5. A memoir of anyone who is part of the queer community

This does not need to be a long book, graphic memoirs are really gaining traction. Graphic memoirs totally count. If you live in a bigger city, these will be incredibly easy to find if you know where...

Reading Challenge Tip #10

Didn’t I just do one of these? I think it was last week. iam has kindly reminded me that time is in fact moving forward and I have been bad about giving out these tips. So just to prove iam wrong, here is a tip! (iam is 100% right and that I forgot just how excited I am about this reading challenge. I will do better!)

18. A speculative fiction featuring a queer character or by a queer author

Speculative fiction is a newer genre for me, but it is one that is super queer for me. Not all spec...