Isaiah Roby's Blog: MI Book Reviews, page 8

An Appreciation of Cats

“How do we know if it’s too late?

Dr. Ian Devonshire, the beloved veterinarian of Holly Grove, is sixty-eight with no plans to retire—until a skin exam ends with an unexpected biopsy. Ian tells no one, privately worrying about what a worst-case scenario would mean for his practice and, more importantly, his assistant, Dr. Alec Tarley.

Ian isn’t sure if Alec’s friendliness means what he hopes it does, though it wouldn’t matter if it did; Ian is old enough to be Alec’s father, and as his bos...

“How do we know if it’s too late?Dr. Ian Devonshire, the ...

“How do we know if it’s too late?

Dr. Ian Devonshire, the beloved veterinarian of Holly Grove, is sixty-eight with no plans to retire—until a skin exam ends with an unexpected biopsy. Ian tells no one, privately worrying about what a worst-case scenario would mean for his practice and, more importantly, his assistant, Dr. Alec Tarley.

Ian isn’t sure if Alec’s friendliness means what he hopes it does, though it wouldn’t matter if it did; Ian is old enough to be Alec’s father, and as his bos...

The Eyes are the Best Part

This was a a great, atmospheric and truly creepy read that passed by in a flash, and while I greatly enjoyed it for the majority of the time, I had some mixed feelings at the end.

Crying in H-Mart meets My Sister, the Serial Killer in this feminist psychological horror about the making of a female serial killer from a Korean-American perspective.

Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her mother, distraught. Her younger sist...

Unapologetic Love Unapologetic Love: A Charity Anthology of Radical ResilienceUnapologetic Love

“Twenty-one tales of self-love, sensuality, and community come from all across the globe to stand together as a timeless reflection of the human condition.

Unapologetic Love: A Charity Anthology of Radical Resilience is a beacon of hope, proving that the boldest form of radicalism is unapologetically living your truth.

Contributing Authors include Caleb L. Ambrose, Océane Anagonye, Cheyenne Browning, Kay Claire, J.S. Crawford, Des DeVivo, Cassandra Diviak, Gabriel Hargrave, Alex La Bruyère, Adrien...

Their Blood Queen

“They’re coming.
Monsters Three.
It’s Monsters Night and they’re after me.
One has claws.
One has fangs.
The third is terror incarnate, and it’s me he’ll claim.

I said the curse.
Three names of Blood.

A dedication. A desecration.

Nemmus. Nefarus. And Nood.

I wanted my enemies dead.

I wanted revenge.

It was Monsters Night and it sounded like a fun game.

Except no one is left laughing—no one except the monsters in my head.

The question is, did I imagine them?

Or perhaps… I’m t...

A Sharp Endless Need

“Star point guard Mack Morris’s senior year of high school begins with twin cataclysms: the death of Mack’s father and the arrival of transfer student Liv Cooper. Playing side by side for their high school basketball team, Mack and Liv discover an electrifying, game-winning chemistry on the court. Off the court, they fall into an equally intoxicating more-than-friendship—one that feels out-of-bounds in their small Pennsylvania town. Mack teeters on the precipice of adulthood as desire and grief ...

I Want to Hold Your Hand

“Is one afternoon enough to find love?

Gemma Pierce, a heartbroken, adventurous septuagenarian, visits the cozy town of Juniper Creek to recover from a messy breakup, and the last thing she anticipates is holding hands with a stranger for the afternoon. But maybe connecting with a stranger is exactly what Gem needs to find her way back to herself. As long as she can figure out what she truly wants before the afternoon is over . . .

“I Want to Hold Your Hand” is a heartwarming short story s...

I’ll Be Boned for Christmas

“Nothing like getting caught streaking to bring people together for the holidays…

Jordan
I’ve got a rep in town for causing trouble, and it’s well-earned. But when Nick and I get caught streaking after the tree lighting ceremony, we’re in for a messload of community service to get the town ready for the Collier’s Creek Christmas Bash. Except I’ve been craving to be taken more seriously, and Nick seems to be the only person in town who does.

Nick
After Jordan and I get in trouble, one joke le...

Alternating Current

“One broken air-conditioner. One record-breaking heat wave. One repair job gone right.

Kyle’s not looking for anything but an escape from his broken air-conditioning during the worst heat wave of the summer. And when his repairman ends up being a total fox? It sure as hell couldn’t hurt to give the guy his number.

Garrett wasn’t expecting the adorable twink in 3B to proposition him, but he can’t help inviting him over. Yet when their scorching night together grows hotter than the temps out...

When the Harvest Comes

“A young Black gay man reckoning with the death of his father must confront his painful past—and his deepest desires around gender, love, and sex.

The venerated Reverend Doctor John Freeman did not raise his son, Davis, to be touched by any man, let alone a white man. He did not raise his son to whisper that man’s name with tenderness.

But on the eve of his wedding, all Davis can think about is how beautiful he wants to look when he meets his beloved Everett at the altar. Never mind that h...