Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Glitterland (Spires, #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

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

Open Preview

Glitterland

(Spires Universe #1)

Alexis Hall (Goodreads Author)

4.17 · Rating details · 4,161 ratings · 959 reviews

Alternate cover version for isbn: 9781626490246

The universe is a glitterball I hold in the palm of my hand.

Once the golden boy of the English literary scene, now a clinically depressed writer of pulp crime fiction, Ash Winters has given up on love, hope, happiness, and—most of all—himself. He lives his life between the cycles of his illness, haunted by the ghosts of other ...more

Get A Copy

ebook, 248 pages

Published May 18th 2015 by Riptide Publishing (first published May 15th 2013)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Glitterland, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

m/m books you must read

1,990 books — 1,675 voters

Very British MM

613 books — 396 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.17 ·

Rating details

· 4,161 ratings · 959 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Glitterland (Spires, #1)

Jun 24, 2013 Julio Genao rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: he knows who he is. but also EVERYBODY ELSE, EVER.

Shelves: loved

just—just lemme finish seeping fluids for a minute.

description

ok.

so:

i have this one cat who's well crazy, right?

i mean—yyyes, i actually have three, and they're all crazy in fresh and exciting ways*, but one in particular...

it's pretty embarrassing.

i'm not—was not—a cat person by any stretch of anyone's imagination.

but... whatever.

they're here, now.

i didn't ask them to be; they just are.

description

the dude i moved into this place with? he had dogs. so i had dogs.

and one night he was walking the dogs, and he saw this ...more

flag 442 likes · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2013 Heather K (dentist in my spare time) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Heather K (dentist in my spare time) by: Susan

Shelves: romance, loved-it, m-m, full-of-angst, contemporary, favorites-2013, femme-swishy-guys, serious-tone

First thing that I noticed about this book: That cover. Bright lights and a snookie-esk poof? And that title? What the heck is this book about?

Second thing that I noticed about this book: It is getting crazy positive reviews. The hype for this book is off the charts!

Curiosity, engaged. So thanks to a gift from a friend (thanks again, Susan!!) I started reading.

First thing I did while reading this book: Look up an Essex accent on youtube. And proceed to talk with said accent to my husband all. ...more

flag 166 likes · Like · see review

Jun 17, 2013 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

SO, SOOOOOO GOOD...one of the BEST things I've read all year. Period.

*I don’t want to review this book because my words can’t do it justice.
*I don’t want to recommend this book to anyone because I couldn’t bear reading any critique against it.
*I don’t want to be done with Ash & Darian because they are so odd and flawed and off and weird and easy to judge, but I loved them both so much.
*I don’t want to search Alexis Hall’s GR author page to find this is his only book and there’s not another ...more

flag 131 likes · Like · see review

Apr 11, 2015 Lola rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Lola by: Heather K (dentist in my spare time)

Shelves: m-m-romance, contemporary, adult, humor, mental-illness

>>>>> OH, THE FEELS <<<<<

I still couldn’t break his gaze. I was dying in the sweetness of looking at him. His eyes. The laughing mouth that had kissed mine, and made me burn and shiver and feel. Chiselled wannabe-model features. The overly tended beard and lashings of fake tan that had somehow stopped being objectionable. It was official: I’d lost it.

Ash… Darian… You belong together. They’re opposites, unbelievably different personality-wise, yet, somehow, they ...more

flag 119 likes · Like · see review

Apr 02, 2016 Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ by: Navessa

Shelves: knots-in-my-stomach, lgbtqia, dark, 2016-reads, m-m-romance, adult-fiction

WARNING : This is a very personal review. Please don't bother if you can't stand those. Thank you.

I've been in Niall's place. It's not pretty. The kind of ugly that would make hate yourself if you weren't that goddamn pissed. I've read so many beautiful and heartbreaking reviews of Glitterland that I started writing something along the lines of, no matter how hard I've been trying to find the words, they escape me.

Liar. I'm a freaking LIAR.

The words are there, they're cutting through me, such ...more

flag 100 likes · Like · see review

Jun 30, 2016 Maria✦❋Steamy Reads Blog❋✦ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This surprisingly hilarious M/M novel is told entirely from a POV of a bipolar and depressed writer by the name of Ash. He struggles through the ups and downs, has panic attacks from being in social situations and has tried to end his life in the past.

Ash meets an Essex model Darian, who he refers to as a "glitter pirate" throughout the book. These two guys are so different but somehow they end up building a relationship and Ash at times finds himself happy, something he hasn't felt in a very ...more

flag 89 likes · Like · see review

Jun 20, 2013 Macky rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt, audio

So I'm on GR right! And I see a well reem comment from my BFF Suze who's read this book by some geeza called Alex Hall and I fink " I'm 'avin some of that babes! " Cos she's well reem that Susan and she knows wot she talking abaht. janartamean?

Anyway there's this fing called a buddy read going on and I fought SHUH UP! I'm joining that . I was a bit miffed because it meant I had to stop reading this really fabulous book called " Fake Tan... The orange years " and I was like WTF!! Wot muppet goes So I'm on GR right! And I see a well reem comment from my BFF Suze who's read this book by some geeza called Alex Hall and I fink " I'm 'avin some of that babes! " Cos she's well reem that Susan and she knows wot she talking abaht. janartamean?

Anyway there's this fing called a buddy read going on and I fought SHUH UP! I'm joining that . I was a bit miffed because it meant I had to stop reading this really fabulous book called " Fake Tan... The orange years " and I was like WTF!! Wot muppet goes orange wif a tan??? Personally I fink she was just 'avin a bad day wif her Fake Bake......

I'm wafflin' now so back to this geezas book wot we was all reading. I had to read it cos it had Glitter in the title, I mean anyfing wif glitter has to be good. janartamean?

Well once I got started babes I was like " I fink this is going to be even better than ' Fake Tan ... The Orange years ', I woz well stuck in before I knew it. Its abaht this bloke called Ash and he's a proper donut for most of the book but I had to be honest even though he were real posh I really liked him, he made me larf cos he had this snarky sense of humour that woz really dry and his conversations wif Darian ( squeeee ) were proper giggle worthy. Even though he woz bi polar ( which I fought woz well sad ) and he did some really stupid fings, and I mean really stupid, the numpty... I fought him and Darian - Squeeeeeeeeeee! I love Darian, he woz WELL REEM!!! - woz real good together, until he woz a real arse and then I fought I wanted to slap him wif a copy of my fave celebr-iti magazine ' Hello' but that would have ruined my fave piccy of Victoria B wearing a blinding pair of Manolo's and a Vera Wang one off wif David ( * swoon * ) in their proper quality living room wif the kiddies so that wasn't happening woz it! Anyway he come right in the end so I woz real happy. Innit!

OMG!OMG!OMG!!! Darian... I woz like " I want you to be my BFF cos you are hunjed Pahcent and totes glittery and I fink me and you are like soul mates! " they kept saying he woz orange in the book but I fink they woz probably a bit colour blind. Innit!! And when him and Ash woz like doing it ... janartamean... It were proper hot and Sexaay! It woz totes romantic. * Phew! Fans self with fake nailed hands and flutters false lashes * I was Having a right larf to myself cos everyone finks Darian is fick but I swear he's got his head screwed on better than all these posh gits in the story. He might not have the smarts of them other geezas like Ash and Niall but he's proper clever innit when it comes to accepting life and wot it frows at you! I fink he taught Ash a few fings in the end...

And I'm so buying one of them Glardigans when they hit the shops... I fink everyone should have one of them cos its glamorous and a cardigan rolled into one and that's like more than well reem! That's wot I call proper clever finking. Innit!

So I'm really glad I joined that buddy read and read this book by that Alex geeza cos it woz awesome and had loads of stuff in it that made me larf, people wot made me mad like Ash did and that Niall geeza who I fink should have his own book cos I liked him better near the end when he ... Oops! I fink I nearly did one of them spoiler fingy's then so you'd better just read the book to find out wot I nearly let slip! Wot a donut! Stuff wot had me on the edge of my seat, loads of brilliant fashion tips from Essex Fashion Week, that part woz well reem and one of them endings what reminded me of that bloke what does those totes romantic English films like ' Four Weddings... " and that one wif Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in that bookshop, but this woz wif gorgeous gay geezas instead and I loved it! I fink it would make a totes brilliant film. I'd watch it, hunjed Pahcent! Innit! And I'm like definitely buying his next book when it comes out cos this woz right up my street.

Its funny though cos loads of peeps said they couldn't understand wot them Essex geezas woz sayin' .. I understood everyfing! Hmmm wonder why......I'll have to fink abaht that! And then there woz that fing about the glottal stop... Dih.nt geh.it either? Whah.eva!!!

Fanks to all them brilliant ghels I woz buddy reading this book wif , it woz totes amazing! I give this book 5 proper glittery stars because it woz hunjed Pahcent, well reem and totes fabulous all rolled togevva! janartamean ... LOL!
...more

flag 83 likes · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2013 Santino Hassell rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book for several reasons. I'll focus on three primarily because I've forgotten everything I was going to write, but also because I'm lazy.

The first reason I enjoyed this book so much is because I understood Ash to a scary degree. He is far from Prince Charming and might come off cold or selfish in a few instances, but with the exception of the wedding, I always kind of understood why he was that way and related to it just a little. He's an interesting character because it seems I enjoyed this book for several reasons. I'll focus on three primarily because I've forgotten everything I was going to write, but also because I'm lazy.

The first reason I enjoyed this book so much is because I understood Ash to a scary degree. He is far from Prince Charming and might come off cold or selfish in a few instances, but with the exception of the wedding, I always kind of understood why he was that way and related to it just a little. He's an interesting character because it seems like he's built up all of these asshole-ish, sarcastic defense mechanisms to prevent himself from getting involved in situations where his control will be taken away to the point where those defense mechanisms became part of who he is. I saw that as a reason why he has all of these great people surrounding him despite his sarcastic, avoidant personality.

The second reason I enjoyed this book is because I found the characters to be cleverly written. Ash and his friends are these posh, educated professionals while Darian and his people are silly, whacky fashionistas from Essex, but somehow it was actually Darian and his friends who were the most level headed and realistic in terms of expectations of a relationship. While Niall was ranting and raving about how Ash would never be able to have a relationship and would always have to be saved, and Ash was busy trying to sabotage everything because he expected the worse, Darian was the only one who simplified it to "well I'm not an idiot. If you treat me bad, I'll just leave." Truer words have never been spoken.

I loved Darian because of that. I loved it most of all because even though he and Chloe were clearly not educated like Ash and his friends were, they were not stupid people. They were successful and were not ruled by their emotions and pasts.

The third reason I enjoyed this book, and probably one of the biggest reasons, was the dialogue. Every line flowed seamlessly as if I was listening in on real conversations. The characters were witty without being over the top and I found most of them extremely charming.
...more

flag 72 likes · Like · see review

Apr 28, 2013 Emma Sea rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: odd-couple, writer, model

I liked it, although I think the book unfortunately suffers from the fact that 90% of m/m is written poorly. This means that when Riptide found an author who could actually write well the editors encouraged Alexis Hall to throw every evocative sentence into the pot, instead of saying, "This is a great second draft: now go rewrite it."

There's a patch just after half way which is marvellous; where the writing gets the hell out of the way and lets the story speak.

Hall created some great characters, ...more

flag 71 likes · Like · see review

Aug 25, 2013 LenaRibka rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, hot-hot-hot, make-me-cry, crying-a-river, writers-professors-teachers, make-me-laugh, lambda-literary-award-finalists, favourite-read-2013, mm-romance, all-time-favourite

My very rare 5 amazing I-WILL-LOVE-YOU-FOREVER-STARS!!!!

****** Update on the 2013-12-12 *********

Re-read on the 2013-12-12
It is not a review, just some thoughts after the re-read:

I don't NORMALLY do re-read.
(I have a re-read-shelf, but it is more symbolically.)

It was November 2013 as I've read it the first time.
It is December 2013 and I have read it the second time.
And I know that I'll read it again. Someday.

I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH WORDS TO EXPLAIN YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS BOOK.
...more

flag 66 likes · Like · see review

Aug 23, 2013 Duchess Nicole rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites-of-all-time, genre-contemp-romance, arc-for-review, read-in-2013, stand-alone, mm-romance, arc-net-galley, sigh-worthy, mm-sexy-romance, 5-star-read

”It was an absurd situation to find myself in, as usual, but I shouldn't have been surprised to find myself in it. Pirates only belonged in fairly tales anyways.”

Is there something in the water over in M/M territory? How is it that every M/M book I read is golden? Or are my book loving friends just THAT awesome? Whatever the case, I have to say that this is probably my favorite of the subgenre that I've read to date. Which is crazy, because it's not about the bulky alpha boys I love to lust ...more

flag 62 likes · Like · see review

Nov 20, 2016 Tanu Gill rated it it was amazing

*There may be some spoilers, so read at your own risk.*

Wow!
.
Oh, boy!
.
.
Umm...
.
.
Er...I'll need to take a few moments to decide whether I'm crying or grinning, and then I'll move on with my review.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Okay, I've settled with grinning, and so I'll proceed now...

This book is utterly amazing. (Yes, I was a bit confused at first with those strange titles, such as 'Yesterday', 'Later', 'Today', etc., but once the narrative started to flow) I got on the awesome train that went to ...more

flag 82 likes · Like · see review

Feb 14, 2017 Shile rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mm, mm-hot, favorites, favourite-couple, book-boyfriend, best-of-the-best, audiobook-narrator-amazing, mm-broke-my-little-heart, mm-romance, mm-made-me-smile-laugh

“Ooh, that’s aht of order.”

This book is so quotable, so this review is full of quotes.

Babes you are so clever. .”

description

I Loved this Book. The writing was amazing, descriptive, lyrical, just the kind i love, kudos to Alexis Hall. I'm glad i bought the Audio version and it worth every penny.

“He . . . he . . . he’s a kind, ridiculous, beautiful glitter pirate. I don’t know what else I can tell you. He makes me laugh. He makes me hopeful.”

The narrator was superb., exceptional….Alexis Hall plus ...more

flag 61 likes · Like · see review

Apr 07, 2014 Navessa rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Navessa by: MY ENTIRE BLOODY FRIENDS LIST

Shelves: favorites, contemporary-romance

I thought this book was going to make me cry the ugly, unrestrained tears of the blubberkin. I blame Julio's review. For some reason, I associated the salty mushpuddle he turned me into with the book itself. This book didn’t make me cry. It made me laugh. Hard. It made with laugh with the kind of unrestrained mirth of the belligerently intoxicated.

Cackles. They came out of me. In public.

*hangs head in shame*

There are already a lot of beautiful, glowing reviews for this, so instead of adding my ...more

flag 57 likes · Like · see review

Aug 01, 2016 Dia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: the-best, m-m-favorite, hot-hot-hot, made-me-laugh, reread-needed, loved-it, painful-story, m-m, best-2016, 2016-read

I am so in love with the word BABES!!! LIE-KIT!!!
Oh, and also "glitter pirate"!

This was my first book by Alexis Hall. I must admit I was really anxious because I had very high expectations. And I am so happy it turned out to be a wonderful book. I fell in love with Alexis's writing style!

When I dived in, at first I was overwhelmed by his writing - poetic and unexpectedly charming! Even if I read almost only in English now, I still had to search some words because this is not my native ...more

flag 55 likes · Like · see review

Jun 24, 2013 Lenore rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, great-britain-my-love, money-matters, funny, less-than-perfect-hh, rec-by-gr-friend, give-me-a-gun-please, call-cover-police, reviewed-by-yours-truly, where-is-the-kleenex

You guys. I'm in love.

This book is a real gem, with all the natural inclusions that make it special. I could talk about its flaws, the technical aspects, but they don't matter, because this book had what I call the "book oxytocin effect" on me. That is, I fell in love with it. And when you fall in love, you just bask in the euphoria and sod everything and everyone else.

That first chapter? It hit all my pleasure centres. And then? Oh, the delicious anticipation of something you suddenly know ...more

flag 53 likes · Like · see review

Aug 12, 2013 Ingie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Ingie by: M'rella

Shelves: romance-m-m-novels, c-amazing-5-stars-2015, books-i-read-2015

Review written August 25, 2015

5 Stars - Janarwhatamean, simply pure MAGIC

I finished the papeback edition earlier today and I'm stunned. ~ Yep, it proved to be an two years dust collectors on my bedside table. ~ Why I didn't read it then, the summer 2013 when Glitterland was newly published and all those happy applauding fans told me it was a absolute "must" read, that's a huge huge mystery. (..Why Ingela? Why??)

I'm slow, too dumb-slow, but at last...
OMG this was a fantastic ...more

flag 52 likes · Like · see review

Apr 06, 2013 Ami rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mm-romance-or-erotica, mm-contemporary

This book was a hype because an enthusiastic reader named Susan (who happened to be on my friend list) got an ARC and wrote a darn good intriguing review about it. It was enough to create a massive buddy read (why in the heck she didn't work in marketing was beyond me!). Now that I finished, I had issues on how to rate it.

I liked it ... sometimes. But did I love it? Nope, I didn't. Was this the best read this year, most definitely not. Gah! So where to put this review on the stars category? ...more

flag 53 likes · Like · see review

Oct 04, 2016 Kelly (and the Book Boar) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: liburrrrrry-book, hide-the-salami, like-this-or-we-cant-be-friends, pretty-on-the-outside, crunken-love, im-a-lemming, read-in-2016, lgbtq

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

We’ll call this that one time when I bit the bullet and took my inspiration from Martha Raddatz - opting to stop resisting Glitterland and just “get this nightmare started” . . . .

Many of my friends (and more than a handful of my enemies) have been causing this book to appear on my feed for the past few years. However, since the average rating amongst people I actually want to associate with on GR sat at an astonishing 4.60 I stayed ...more

flag 51 likes · Like · see review

Nov 18, 2013 Mo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 sparkly stars.

This was such a fun read. Ash and Darian - chalk and cheese.

There are reality TV shows in the UK, set in Essex... Towie, I think is one and The Only Way is Essex. You know something, for all I know they could be one and the same show. I have never watched them but have seen some of the "actors" being interviewed on TV chat shows. The accents ... LOL. So this author has Darian, a guy from Essex and he writes his accent in the book, if you get my drift.

“I gotta say, babes," he

...more

flag 50 likes · Like · see review

Apr 05, 2014 Lisa Henry rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, made-me-laugh, something-in-my-eye

Hello, and welcome to my review of Glitterland.

Also known as The Way Lisa's Brain Works.

So, this book has been in my TBR for ages, but I didn't want to read it because:

Exhibit A. It has so many good reviews from people I trust that it is clearly setting itself up to disappoint me. Bitterly.

And when it did, I'd have to have some sort of crisis of faith, where suddenly I couldn't trust any of my GR friends anymore, and seriously, who wants all that trouble? And then I'd be all:

Exhibit B. ...more

flag 50 likes · Like · see review

Aug 25, 2013 ~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, british-boys

3.5 stars

This hovered near 3 stars for me, but it soared to the 4 star mark in the last chapter, because clearly I'm a sap who can be bought with a happy ending. 3.5 stars thus seems a fair assessment for my overall impression of (and reaction to) this book.

I know a lot of reviewers have criticized the abundant use of the Essex dialect (spelled out phonetically) in the dialogue, but that just added to the story for me. Granted, I have a master's in theoretical linguistics, which qualifies me as 3.5 stars

This hovered near 3 stars for me, but it soared to the 4 star mark in the last chapter, because clearly I'm a sap who can be bought with a happy ending. 3.5 stars thus seems a fair assessment for my overall impression of (and reaction to) this book.

I know a lot of reviewers have criticized the abundant use of the Essex dialect (spelled out phonetically) in the dialogue, but that just added to the story for me. Granted, I have a master's in theoretical linguistics, which qualifies me as a Super Nerd, but I could completely hear Darian talking in my head, and this made the story all the more real (and charming). I had no problems understanding all the dialogue (I've spent a lot of time in England too), but I could see this posing an issue for an ESL reader.

My biggest gripe is that I found Ash to be an incredibly unlikable character. Even at the end, I wasn't entirely convinced that he deserved Darian (90 percent convinced, but not entirely). As Darian's bestie Chloe tells Ash (that's A.A. Winters to you): "I just don't fink you're a very nice person. And that ain't got nuffin to do wif being bipolar depressed." Maybe that's ok, though. Assholes have a place in fiction too, and Ash's mental illness made it nearly impossible for him to understand that someone might actually like him and want to be with him. Fortunately, Ash was funny, if judgmental and selfish, and this made reading about his life bearable. The mental illness part wasn't glossed over, which I appreciated as well.

But what the hell was up with Max marrying Amy even as he was sleeping with Niall? Did anyone else think that this issue (and a biggie it is) was sort of ignored? I mean, he was screwing Niall, like what, a couple weeks before the wedding?

And, finally, I've read better sex scenes. Hall's felt a little...nondescript, maybe, a bit clinical, slightly rushed. I can't put my finger on it, but my temperature didn't go up even one notch reading them.

In any case, this is an impressive debut. Kudos to Alexis Hall for writing a sweet, original M/M romance! ...more

flag 48 likes · Like · see review

Aug 23, 2013 Bev rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone who appreciates a really good piece of writing!!

Shelves: lgbtq-mm, lots-of-giggles, alexis-hall, brilliant-writing, creme-de-la-creme, awesome-audio-narration, audio-book

***AUDIO REVIEW. 10 Glitter Pirate stars from me. If there is a better UK narrator than Nicholas Boulton, I have no idea who that can be. He blew me away, just so, so good***

A GLITTERING DEBUT NOVEL. I was going to do a shortie review, but there are so many quotes I want to get into this review it would be nigh on impossible to do less than about 5 pages...but I'll try my very best. I ADORED this novel.5 WONDERFUL FAKE TAN ORANGE STARS,

AND bring on the dancing girls

First of all I want to say ...more

flag 44 likes · Like · see review

Nov 17, 2013 Gigi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Gigi by: LenaRibka

Shelves: absolute-favorites, mm-healing-comfort, mm-contemporary

First off, I gotta give a big 'ol shout out and thank you to my GR friend Lena for bringing this book to my attention. To be perfectly honest, the cover had me running for the hills. I had heard and seen a few positive reviews, but I am such a cover snob, and wasn't paying too much attention. This is what my Darian looks like, not that skeevy guy on the cover.

I absolutely adored Glitterland and found it to be an incredibly emotional read. (TO BE ON THE SAFEST SIDE (view spoiler) ...more

flag 44 likes · Like · see review

Aug 21, 2014 * Meli Mel * rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, lol-funny, man-on-man-lovin, meli-s-top-favourites, jackass-heroes, yummy-tattoos-and-piercings, broken-hero, male-pov, uber-sweet, heart-breaking

5 'Aww...babes, I Lie-kit' Stars

'I would have told a thousand lies to have him, and a thousand more to keep him'

I had heard such great things about this book, but for some reason I kept putting it off. I finally decided to give it a go, and was kicking myself for not reading it sooner. This was fabulous!!

When I first started the book, I thought that this would not be for me. That was because I thought I would be bored by the rude bipolar writer that was Ash. And then there was the glitter ...more

flag 42 likes · Like · see review

Mar 03, 2014 Kat rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourite-series, made-me-laugh, glitter-pirate, cover-love, glorious, favourite-characters, best-of-2014, comfort-read, made-me-cry, london-calling

re-read #1,524

Still my absolute favourite. Hunjed pahcent.

flag 42 likes · Like · see review

Jul 07, 2014 Mel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites, genre-contemporary, bbs

My Review on Prism Book Alliance

So… coughs
Um, it’s kinda incredibly hard for me to write a review for GLITTERLAND because it’s my favourite romance, by my favourite author, and I basically feel that no matter what I’m gonna write it will just never be able to give this book justice, nor be able to mirror my love for it. Because thinking of GLITTERLAND fills me with so much love and thoughts all at once, I don’t know how to get them out.

The writing… sigh… so, so beautiful. I could have quoted the ...more

flag 41 likes · Like · see review

Aug 26, 2013 Natasha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, cray-zay-ending, loveable-characters, trying-not-to-cry, tormented-main-character, realistic-characters, hilarious, cutesy, boys-who-like-boys, 100-stars

Lesson of the Day: Glitter Pirates are hot as hell.

I think this book was written specifically for me. No, really. Alexis Hall, did you write this for me? I think you did. Thanks, pal.
Few things are hotter than big, quiffed out pirates wearing silver nail polish (fingers and toes, thank you very much). Maybe if said pirates talk silly, have orange skin, and are obvious hopeless romantics who throw around the word ‘donut’ like ‘idiot’.

He was a ridiculous creature. A vulgar, glittering pirate of

...more

flag 40 likes · Like · see review

Jun 13, 2015 Alexis Hall added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: kinda-sorta-wrote-it

Since I write all over the map I recommend checking out the extensive tags on the Riptide Publishing page. But this one is a novel, Spires series, contemporary setting, m/m (both cis), HFN, moderately explicit sex, mostly non-kinky. Trigger warnings for depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation..

Yep.

Wrote this one too, long time ago now.

It was actually the third book I wrote. The first was Prosperity, which was (at the time) written even more cantishly that it is in its published form.

I'd never ...more

flag 40 likes · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2013 Kaje Harper rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The concept of this book is simple - Ash, an educated, well-off writer with severe depression, meets Darian, a happy-go-lucky poor Essex lad and aspiring fashion model with a sunny disposition. Will the attraction of opposites withstand the fact that they are, well, so opposite? But the execution - ah, that's where this book shines, very brightly indeed.

If English is not your first language, this may be a bit of a slog, since Darian's Essex accent is phonetically rendered. For me, it was The concept of this book is simple - Ash, an educated, well-off writer with severe depression, meets Darian, a happy-go-lucky poor Essex lad and aspiring fashion model with a sunny disposition. Will the attraction of opposites withstand the fact that they are, well, so opposite? But the execution - ah, that's where this book shines, very brightly indeed.

If English is not your first language, this may be a bit of a slog, since Darian's Essex accent is phonetically rendered. For me, it was beautifully calculated - an ongoing reminder of how Darian was at odds with everything Ash thought he valued, but not too thick to be read straight through or to force me to slow down and interpret. Darian's gentle optimism, his self-confidence that accepted limitations without being intimidated, and his wise focus on what really mattered, came through that accent. His simple joy in sparkly clothes and good times with friends, his basic shyness under the glitter, and his love of his Nan and his mates and life itself shone from the pages.

Ash was equally well portrayed, and his problems felt so, so articulately familiar. Depression is an all-encompassing problem that smothers light and joy and energy in its dark, muffling fog. The effort to interact with people, to remember the simple rules of social engagement enough to even deal with a store clerk, can feel far out of reach. Getting out of bed can be like rolling a boulder up a hill.

All those loving, helpful people who try to tell you it's not that bad, and there are medications, and just talk to this therapist, and "you can always call me", become another load to carry. You should try to feel better for their sake, but if it were that easy, you would feel better for your own sake. Their caring moves from comfort to just one more demand, until you snap and snarl and drive them off. And then are more alone. Or you cling to them, until their caring is worn thin in the unreasonableness of your demands, and you become more burden than friend. And either way, you lose them.

Ash has gone through all of that, right down to the suicide attempts when he wanted the world to just go away and let him rest. He has managed to keep a couple of friends, but his closest friend, Niall, is getting to the end of his rope, and their relationship was once as lovers and remains complex. Still, his friends pull him out of his isolation just enough to keep him in the land of the living, able to keep going with someone at the end of the lifeline to call.

Ash has struggled out of the deepest pit of depression in the last year or two, and is fragile, but functional, when he meets Darian. For the first time in a long time, he finds someone for whom he is a pleasure and a joy, not a burden or an object of pity. Someone whose light brightens his own darkness. Not just in the heat of the first real more-than-just-reflex sexual attraction he has felt in years, but in the moments between.

Darian, in his glitter and grating accent, moves through the jagged shards of Ash's life without getting wounded, with appreciation and humor. He makes Ash feel almost human, makes him want to try for more. But Ash is hiding most of his problems, and when Darian sees the real Ash, how can he be expected to stay around?

Darian is wonderful, but not unbelievable. Ash is sharp and sarcastic and secretive, but understandably so. The secondary characters, from Niall to their friend Amy to Chloe the fashion designer, are so well created, with their own complexities. This is a book I dove straight through, staying up late for it, my heart in my throat at one point. And yet also a book worth reading every word, with the literary and cultural references, the lines that felt like poetry, and the crystal-sharp depictions of Ash's world. Highly recommended. ...more

flag 38 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Librari...: Add new cover for Glitterland	6	22	May 31, 2015 11:02AM
The Backlot Gay B...: Glitterland, by Alexis Hall	3	30	Sep 07, 2014 06:02PM
Glitterland - Buddy Read! 15.08.14	118	41	Aug 18, 2014 05:00AM
Riptide Publishing: Alexis Hall	40	160	Jun 18, 2014 07:41PM
BIG ARSE BUDDY READ: Aug 24 - Aug 31	181	121	Aug 29, 2013 06:07PM
MOVED to: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1462398-big-arse-buddy-read-aug-22---aug-31	39	82	Aug 22, 2013 05:42AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Romance > M M Romance

469 users

Romance

283 users

Contemporary

186 users

LGBT

72 users

See top shelves…

About Alexis Hall

Alexis Hall

1,835 followers

Genrequeer writer of kissing books.

Other books in the series

Spires Universe (4 books)

Books by Alexis Hall

How to Bang a Billionaire (Arden St. Ives, #1)

Iron & Velvet (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator, #1)

More…

Trivia About Glitterland (Spir...

2 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Glitterland

“What's your name?"
"A.A.Winters."
"What, that's your name?"
"Yes," I said impatiently, "that's my name."
"That's what people call you?"
"Like in bed, or whatever? They call you A.A.Winters?"
I met his eyes. "No, in bed they call me God."
He laughed again, the same uninhibited cackle. "Like it” — 63 likes

“So, lemme get this right. We're gonna make a go of it. You and me? Togevver? Even though I'm orange and you're mental?” — 56 likes

More quotes…