July Reviews

July certainly was. A month. I had some really high highs (turned 27, went to some incredible events) and some really low lows (got really sick, had an unfortune change at work that has resulted in some awful terrible horrible no good anxiety), and all of it equated to getting in only three books. BUT, they were all books that I enjoyed, so I won't let the rest of the month's events impact how good the reading was, even if it lessened the amount.

So, let's get started!

A Little Bit Country by Brian D Kennedy

A coworker asked what I was reading on my lunch break, and I blurted out "gay cowboys," which is really what you need to know about this book. I'm also battling a head cold right now, so if my incoherency levels seem higher than usual, that's why (and we all know I'm not going to go back and fix whatever wreckage I'm about to lay down on my keyboard).

Emmett wants nothing more than to be the biggest gay country music star, and he's got his shot at making his mark on country music with a summer performing at Wanda World, the theme park for beloved country musician Wanda Jean Stubbs. Closeted Luke hates country music and what it did to his family--the grandson of disgraced country singer Verna Rose, he's seen the damage music and stardom can do to a person. But when the two of them collide (at Wanda World of all places) they learn there's always a little magic left to find, even if it means uncovering a little more of a past neither of them can believe.

This was a cute read, and I liked both POV boys. They had distinct voices, even if they had some similar anxieties, and it was nice to walk a bit in both their cowboy boots. And Emmett and Luke's unfolding romance was darling and romantic, especially set against something like a Dollyworld-esque southern theme park.

But the real draw for me was the mystery. What started as an attempt to maybe help his family earn a bit of money became a look into a past that make Luke feel even closer to his grandma than he'd ever thought possible. And watching Luke and Emmett figure that out while also figuring themselves out made for a nice little dual plot story.

My head's starting to hurt so I'm going to wrap this up, but overall this was a fun book with a very charming setting.

Similar to: Parts of it reminded me the slightest bit of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but really only a bit in the end with Wanda Jean.

The Lost Coast by A.R. Capetta

I'd seen this book online somewhere months ago and then happened to find it very cheap at a nearby bookstore, so you could say it was meant to be. Also, re: the fact that I was sick writing the last review, I had covid and now understand why it was such a struggle. But I'm good now, so here's a still short but a bit more coherent (maybe?) review.

Danny has been looking for something for the past several years, but she doesn't know what it is. But a move to Tempest, California amidst the redwoods may give her some answers. There, she meets a group of friends call the Grays, who use witchy and queer terms with such ease that Danny feels as though she may have found a home. But the Grays need her help; one of their own has gone missing, and they think Danny may be the only who can find her before it's too late.

The book was absolute magic. It's queer in the best way, loose and poetic and home, and it treats magic the same way. The characters are all their own but very much part of a unit, and witnessing Danny's joining of the Grays, her slow growth into one of their own was just as magical as the things the Grays did. I loved learning about each of their backgrounds and the way those things influenced their magic, each as unique as the Gray who wielded it.

The story itself was brilliant, with sudden murder and unexpected twists. It sort of felt like drifting through the fog from the book, letting Danny and the Grays guide the way so I didn't get lost. And the writing-- THE WRITING-- is so, so incredible Capetta's descriptors are just phenomenal, and the way they write interactions and moments with such power and brevity was so, so wonderful to read.

The Lost Coast has a gorgeous setting, rich characters, and a magical mystery that I wanted to sink my teeth into, all wrapped up in a beautiful prose that made me want to find a very tall tree and sing. Ten out of ten, would absolutely recommend.

Heat Wave by TJ Klune

So this is the third book in a trilogy and I am historically bad at writing reviews for sequels, so let's just see how this goes.

Nicholas Bell is finally figuring out his long dormant powers, and in the midst of a city-wide heat wave is kicking ass and taking names with his best friends and boyfriend. But things are different, wrong, and Nick can't figure out why things feel off, until a revelation shatters everything he thought he knew. Picking up the pieces of a well worn grief, Nick and his friends have to face all their villains to save the city (and themselves) from the Burkes.

This book was a bit of a trip because it involves a twist introduced at the end of the second book that is absolutely heartbreaking. I thought it was uplifting and then I was just angry, because Klune writing this betrayal was so, so compelling and also really, really sad. But, that's also kind of his shtick, so I'm impressed with how he pulled it off.

The characters in this series are wonderful. They're older and more mature in this book, but still undeniably themselves, maintaining that sense of closeness and self even amidst the awful stuff happening. Nick was as obnoxious (affectionate) as ever, and it's always entertaining to read from his perspective. And the background characters got to step a bit more into the forefront. This was a really family centered book, since all the parents were in the know and helping out. It made everything feel less lonely, more doable, to know that there were so many characters who had each others' backs.

I will admit that I think I liked the previous two books better, but this was a strong finish to a really, really fun series. Sorry this review and still very short and semi-coherent.

And that's it! Short and sweet, and I'm hoping next month is better, both for real life stuff and in reading more books.

In the meantime, keep writing, friends!

Sam

Literary recommendation: I was just talking about how good One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston is

Media recommendation: new seasons of Only Murders in the Building and What We Do In The Shadows are both happening right now and got me through covid