Isaiah Roby's Blog: MI Book Reviews, page 86
February 22, 2020
Review: Pyre at the Eyreholme Trust by Lin Darrow
Super cool queer magical heist noir novella that isfree to read!
In Temperance City, the streets are ruled by spelled-up gangsters, whose magic turf wars serve as a constant backdrop to civilian life. With magic strictly regulated, Eli Coello—whip-smart jewelry salesman by day, sultry torch singer by night—has always found it advantageous to hide his magical affinity for ink.
All that goes up in smoke the day Eli is forced to use his magic to foil a jewelry heist, and in doing so unwittingly...
February 21, 2020
Say hello to iam!
Good whatever time of day it is for you right now!
I want to tell you the story of how I met the wonderful iam and why you should care. Last year, like every year, I participated in a Secret Santa group on Goodreads. The group is super queer friendly and it is something I look forward to every year. I read every single introduction post and I do a ton of research to make sure I am sending the very best gifts I can. I spend more than the money limit and send gifts to people that aren’t my...
February 20, 2020
The Hidden Girl and Other Stories
“From award-winning author Ken Liu comes his much anticipated second volume of short stories.
Ken Liu is one of the most lauded short story writers of our time. This collection includes a selection of his science fiction and fantasy stories from the last five years — sixteen of his best — plus a new novelette.
In addition to these seventeen selections,The Hidden Girl and Other Storiesalso features an excerpt from book three in the Dandelion Dynasty series,The Veiled Throne.”
I got an ARC of...
War and Peas: Funny Comics for Dirty Lovers
“From the creators of the hugely popular Instagram comicWar and Peas, this offbeat four-panel comic features a dark, fairy-tale aesthetic and a twist ending each time.War and Peas: Comics To Die Forcombines twisted humor with a beloved cast of characters including the grim reaper (seen here as an unintentionally lethal man of leisure), a robot in hopelessly in love with his scientist creator, and a promiscuous yet self-assured witch. Unlike most webcomic collections, this one tells a story...
February 19, 2020
Reading Challenge Tip #4
So I am not a fan of some genres. Part of that is I didn’t like what the few books I had access to growing up were like. Some genres have changed and evolved in ways that finally make them feel like home to me. Fantasy and sci-fi have come a long way from feeling like they were just written for straight white cis men. My favorite librarian is partially to blame for me trying the genres again. I ignored her for the longest time, but then I caved and have been in love since. So welcome to your...
February 18, 2020
Tough Call
“In need of money to pay her basketball fees, fourteen-year old Malia King registers for a refereeing course at her middle school. Refereeing gives her a whole new perspective on the game, and helps to improve her own play. But things get complicated when Malia is assigned to referee her younger sister Flo’s games, especially when she makes a call that leads to a big loss for her school. As people around Malia start pressuring her to favor the team from her own school she has to choose...
February 17, 2020
The Every Body Book: The Lgbtq+ Inclusive Guide for Kids about Sex, Gender, Bodies, and Families
“An illustrated LGBTQ+ inclusive kid’s guide to sex, gender and relationships education that includes children and families of all genders and sexual orientations, covering puberty, hormones, consent, sex, pregnancy and safety.”
I got an ARC of this book.
I read every book about sexuality and gender aimed at kids and teens that I can possibly get my hands on. I teach sex ed and I try to stay informed at what information is targeted at my teens. I have no doubts my teens will never read this...
February 14, 2020
Hard Ride
“Five Weddings and a Fake Boyfriend
City slicker Derrick Massey has always had a thing for cowboys. So a roll in the hay with Kendall “Slater” Stamos during a rustic weekend wedding is more than A-OK. But when Slater’s forced to hang up his saddle for the season, Derrick surprises even himself with his proposition:be my fake boyfriend and get my family off my back about finding a permanent partner.
Though unexpected, the arrangement is a win-win. Derrick gets a plus-one for a slew of summer...
February 10, 2020
Upright Women Wanted
“InUpright Women Wanted, award-winning author Sarah Gailey reinvents the pulp Western with an explicitly antifascist, near-future story of queer identity.
“That girl’s got more wrong notions than a barn owl’s got mean looks.”
Esther is a stowaway. She’s hidden herself away in the Librarian’s book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her–a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best...
Break in Case of Emergency
“Dads can be such a drag
Life has been a struggle for Toby Goodman. Her mother died by suicide five years ago, and her father left their small town before Toby was born. Now a teenager living on her grandparents’ dairy farm, Toby has trouble letting people in. She keeps even her closest friend, the brash butendearing Trisha, at arms’ length, and recently ended her first relationship, with Trisha’s burnout brother, Mike. Convinced that she is destined to follow her mother’s path, Toby creates...
