January Wrap Up

Hey folks!


So, right before (or right after?) the clock struck midnight and another GLBT challenge was upon us, I asked Amanda if it'd be cool if I aggregated reviews in a similar fashion that Weekly Geeks has done.  I always thought it was rather spiffy being able to glance at a post which highlighted what participants had to say.


Suffice it to say, I've been overwhelmed this month (and it doesn't help that February is so short), which is why we're nearly OFFICIALLY halfway through February and the post STILL hasn't been written! 


I'm kinda learning as a go with the set up of these posts, so feedback is totally welcomed and appreciated.


OK.  First.  It looks like we have had 32 reviews posted this month.  How many of you are like me and forgot to link your reviews?

Megan began our list with What They Always Tell Us. She found reviews of this book on Goodreads and says: "I read this in an evening after putting the kids to bed. I LOVED this book. It was easy to read- even with the viewpoint changing back and forth"  I think it's always impressive when a book can captivate like that.  


Trisha read a fave of mine, will grayson, will grayson.  She felt "The set up of the story is clever without feeling contrived" and "Another point in favor of the story is the hilarity. I laughed. On a lounge chair, by the pool, with family and a whole bunch of strangers around. What can I say? It was a funny book."  Pink Sheep Cafe also read will grayson, will grayson in January.  It was chosen for making the short list for GLBT books. Although not too fond of the ending, " In the end, I found I wasn’t a really big fan of the conclusion, which seemed a little too corny for my tastes, but the emotions this work elicited helped me to see beyond some of the flaws in the storyline.", the story had an overall impact.


Amanda read Mrs. Craddock by one of her favorite authors, William Somerset Maugham.  The book is filled with important themes: "This is a book about an unequal marraige, about the contrast between expectations and reality, and about disillusionment. It’s an adult coming-of-age story of sorts."  Amanda's last review for January is If You Follow Me. Set in Japan, author "Watrous did a fantastic job of making me feel like [she] too, was an outsider visiting Japan and bumbling about while trying to figure out the rules and regulations that made up this new-to-me world." and ultimately, "The fact that these two women are in a relationship is not the central focus of the book, which is what really interested me."


Denise went on a search for lesbian fiction and picked up Wildthorn.  Overall not adoring the book, she did say there were "some nice twists". 


Ryan G read and reviewed The Metropolis Case and was "giddy" with the opportunity.  And although he "couldn't buy the story" he did find the story to be "beautifully written" and the author "truly does have a lyrical quality". 


Orange Sorbet picked up Unbearable Lightness by Portia De Rossi.  She felt the writing was honest, but "still felt there were a fair number of loose ends that needed to be tied up." Next on her list was The Price of Salt.  Even though it was controversial in the 1950's Orange Sorbet "liked the book, but wasn't enamored by it". 


Bibrary BookSlut read a comic collection of  Batwoman: Elgy.  The final verdict? "Gay or straight, male of female, if you don’t come away from this story without respecting and admiring the Batwoman, then clearly you’re on the wrong side . . . and will likely be getting a blood-red boot to the chest in a future issue"  Bibrary Bookslut also read Almost Perfect. 
"I could write an essay about this book, what it meant to me, and how I feel about it. I loved it and I hated it. I was afraid to read another chapter, and I never wanted it to end. and had a very powerful reaction to it."


Pink Sheep Cafe reviewed Troll: A Love Story. In a nutshell, "I have never been much for fairy tales, and surely what this story amounts to is a Finnish fairy tale, but I have to admit, as odd as this story was, I enjoyed it immensely..."  Amanda also read Troll and felt "it was one of the most bizarre stories" she's read in a long time.   


Trisha's up next with Annabel and found it to be more of a miss than a hit: "I was just bored. I know I should have enjoyed this one: the subject is fascinating and important, covering intersexuality and gender construction. And yet, I was just bored."  Jumpstart the World was entirely different, "I loved the delicate nature of this book."  Finally, she also enjoyed the Immortal Instruments series.  


Cass read The Bad and the Beautiful: Hollywood in the 50's. Overall she "loved the topic and the writing"  but found "the lack of detail frustrating." 


Memory reviewed the popular The Girl Who Played with Fire and found the story to be "compulsively readable."  Memory also posted about a series tie-in, called Glimpses.  Overall, she "enjoyed all the stories, though I’d caution you to expect a fill-in-the-gaps approach rather than your standard short story structure."


The Literature Shrew showcases a new author, Jordan Castillo Price and finds the novels "highly entertaining and addictive".  


Natazz picked up The Mermaids Singing and feels that it is a "good crime novel, not a great or outstanding one."


Lifetime Reader is kickin' it old school reviewing Gilgamesh which emotionally affected her "when [she] hit the final lines." 


Jackie grabbed Am I Blue? Coming Out From the Silence.  This was an important piece in young adult literature.  In 1994 "it was the first anthology of YA fiction devoted to lesbian and gay themes."  


This Fleeting Dream reviewed the fantasy book, Swordspoint, and mentions that it "is quite a long book, and it took me a couple of weeks to finish it." but "the novel was really enjoyable, and beautifully written, with just the right amount of descriptive detail, in my opinion"


Flamingo House Happenings picked up a humorous book, Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer and "was completely amused".


Paper Adventures read a romance book, Landing.  It appears that it has integrity, "Emma Donoghue's characters always feel very real and believable and this story depicts lesbians and their lives in a normal, intelligent and very accessible way."


Bibliojunkie read the book Quicksand and found it "hard to write this review without revealing the plot".  Ultimately she found the book to be "one of the most bold and graphic book[s] I have ever read to-date." 


Book Gazing picked up for the Indie Lit Awards, Scars.  *But* she didn't want to make it obvious which of the "books shortlisted she was keen or not keen on" Instead she shared what she liked and didn't like followed with a couple of questions.


Lastly, Book Obsessed shared thoughts on paranormal romance,  Just a Taste of Me.  Love at first sight?  Turns into an "enjoyable read". 




Allrighty that about rounds up January for us.  I hope (a) I didn't have too many typos and (b) my February round up will occur earlier than March 15th. 


Happy Valentine's to everyone.  <3


Cheers.