I am currently in the hospital and can not for the life of me figure out how to get an image on this thing. Hopefully i’ll remember to add the book cover when I get home. I’m doing good all things considered. On to the review!
I figured it out 🙂
This book is like a kind friend. It is so accessible. It explains gender stuff like you’re talking to a friend. I am a nonbinary transmasculine person and I am really glad to see it was kind towards allies as well. I know people who are trying and really care but will of course make mistakes in learning and getting used to it. It’s pretty obvious who actually cares and who doesn’t.
This definitely shouldn’t be the only book you read on gender, no book can do it all, but it is a great and kind starting place! It truly felt like I was chatting with a friend.
Gender can be complicated. Books like this can help. I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy and I will have to buy a copy when it comes out so I can give this to people in my life.
Like any genre I’ve liked some classics and haven’t liked others. Here are ones I have liked!
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
This is the only book I remember reading for school that I actually liked. It made me cry and I felt for the characters. They felt real and relatable. I reread it once so far as an adult and still loved it.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Talks about racism, sexism, love. Real. Beautiful. Heart-breaking. I’ve read it 3 times. And I didn’t realize it’s the first in a series so i’m going to have to reread it and continue the series at some point.
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Yes, I know, it’s about an appalling topic. You aren’t supposed to like Humbert. It’s beautifully written about an awful topic and it even says at the end you aren’t supposed to fall for Humbert. It’s an interesting book with how it’s written.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
When I first started reading this I was very confused and was like “this makes no sense!”. Once I realized that’s the point and turned my brain off, I had fun with it.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
An interesting and gothic tale. I still have to read The Haunting of Hill House, I know, I suck.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
The shoes are silver. Also, this is much darker than the movie!
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Tugged at my heart and made me cry (at 30 years old). Charlotte is best spider.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Sad. Made me cry. Do not think it’s a children’s book despite it saying it is, like holy fuck. There is some kindness in it too.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Gothic romantic suspense.
There is also a character who appears to have down syndrome. I say that because he is described but I googled it, the name down syndrome did not exist when this book was written. I want to bring this up only because the way he was described/talked about in some cases, if written today, would be offensive, but looking up what was known at the time this book was published, it seems like it was handled as best as it could be for the time (tis why knowing history can be important).
And there is stuff that happens later in the book (I won’t spoil anything) that made me go “Fuck yes!!” when it was brought up. Stuff I didn’t expect to get mentioned more, was, and it made me so happy. The characters (well except one asshole, but he’s an asshole) treated him, Ben, very nicely. And I loved that it showed his fear of being sent to the asylum (which makes even more sense when you read it), that the asylum isn’t a nice place, and that no one was going to send him anywhere.
Haunting, beautiful and sad at the same time.
The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
That was fun. I enjoyed it. Not completely sure why. Definitely didn’t age well in all respects (which is to be expected), a bit disjointed and overly moralistic (and not as nuanced as I usually prefer but it’s old and a children’s classic), with a few things that don’t make sense but I still found it a fun tale that got me thinking a little bit but mostly just fun. Pinocchio can be such a pain, but he learns and he has a heart. I want to tell him “you always were a real boy, just before you were a marionette boy and now, you’re a human boy”.
Much darker than expected too!
Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann
If you know me you know i’m usually a Grinch. Why do I enjoy this classic? Honestly, I don’t know. I had fun with it.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
A very important and heart-breaking book.
Frankenstein (1818 original text) by Mary Shelley
My favorite! Where to even begin? The creature is abandoned by his creator, his father, Victor, who runs away from him in horror. The creature has a heart, he just wants a friend. He tries to make friends but everyone is shallow and runs from him in horror based on his looks, so of course after awhile, it gets to him, as it would anyone. Nothing like the original movie portrayal! Victor is the real monster.
And no, i’m not saying what he ends up doing is ok, but you can understand his feelings and where he’s coming from. He’s sympathetic and I wanna be his friend before all hell breaks lose. Show him that there are some people that aren’t shallow assholes.
I said what I said.
Also, the creature is relatable to me, being disabled and having deformities. Obviously not as bad as the creature and I know it could be worse but I could still put myself in his shoes. There are deformed people in real life that get that treatment, sadly this book and that message is still relevant. He’s an outcast who just wants some companionship. That shouldn’t be too much to ask.
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
Heart-wrenching and important.
1984 by George Orwell
Terrifying and realistic. Supposed to be a warning, not an instruction manual!
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
Just a fairy-tale fantasy that I enjoy.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Again. Supposed to be warning, not a friggin instruction manual!
Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle
Have I watched any of the movies or anything? Nope. I need to do that at some point. Brings up some interesting questions about ethics and is thought-provoking.
I started this last night. Not far in but i’m liking it so far. I feel awful for the main character!
What I finished in the past week
Monster Musume, Vol. 8 by Okayado – 4 stars
Not much to say. Still enjoying the series. Funny and like the characters.
Saga, Volume 5 & 6 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples – 5 and 4.5 stars
Can’t say much about volume 5 and 6. If you haven’t read Saga yet I highly recommend it! This is me continuing my reread in preparation for volume 10 in October! A wonderful science fiction comic series!
What do I think i’ll read next?
Gender Queer: A Memoir Deluxe Edition by Maia Kobabe – I read this years ago and it meant so much to me! More than words can say, but I did write a review Here. So of course I needed the deluxe edition that just came out!
NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman – like I said last week i’m autistic and this is very highly rated.
The Gender Friend: A 102 Guide to Gender Identity by Oakley Phoenix by Oakley Phoenix – I got this from Netgalley.
A Little Pinprick by Paige Dearth – I also got this from netgalley and have loved a couple books by Paige Dearth before! I’m preparing to be emotionally devastated. Paige’s books tend to do that.
Monster Musume, Vol. 9 by Okayado – Continuing the series.
Other Stuff
I’m having surgery July 18th and will be in the hospital about a week most likely. I am not sure what i’ll be able to do while in the hospital or while recovering, which could take a month or 2. I imagine i’ll be able to blog once I get home even though i’ll still be recovering. Either way, health comes first. I’ll get back to blogging when I can if I have to take a hiatus. I do have a post scheduled for the 19th and the 26th.
I’m writing this on July 2nd, the exact middle of the year! Though it won’t post until next week on the 9th.
Best Book I’ve Read So Far
Transmuted by Eve Harms
A transgender body horror story
As a deformed trans person myself this hit so many feels! The feelings of dysphoria, of being fetishized, of being looked at like a freak, of feeling like a freak. The way people treat you. I loved Isa. I want to gush about this book but i’m at a loss for words.
Best Sequel I’ve Read So Far
Citrus+ vol. 3 by Saburouta, Monster Musume, Vol. 5 by Okayado, Saga, Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan
Screw picking just one. Also i’ve only read manga/comic sequels, of these series in particular, so far this year.
New Release I Haven’t Read Yet But Want To
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
It’s gothic and sounds so good!
Most anticipated release for the second half of the year
Saga, Volume 10 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice by Shon Faye, Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw, Citrus Plus Vol. 4 by Saburouta, Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life by Alice Wong, The Future Is Disabled by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
Ok ok so I picked 6! I read all 9 volumes of Saga years ago and loved them, then they went on hiatus for awhile and volume 10 is coming later this year so i’m in the midst of rereading them. I’m transgender, hence the second one. The Nightmare Before Christmas fanfiction being published! Sounds so interesting! I love the Citrus series (and it’s sequel series Citrus+) and Citrus+ Vol 4 is the next one. Alice Wong edited Disability Visibility which I loved and highly recommend! I’ve read Care Work by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha and loved it so I look forward to The Future is Disabled!
Biggest Disappointment
Pachinko by Lee Min-jin
Well I liked the first 45 pages or something like that. I got tired of feeling preached to. Women are apparently only there for suffering. I’ve read Homegoing and loved that. This … not so much. And I kept looking at reviews in a way I only do when i’m not liking a book and it doesn’t seem worth it to me to continue. My guess is this might’ve been a 2 or possibly 3 star book. I have other books i’d rather be reading.
I was expecting to really enjoy this book, and I just didn’t.
I DNF’d at page 105
Biggest Surprise
I can’t say I had any surprises. Every book I loved I expected to. Shrugs.
Newest Fictional Crush
I don’t get fictional crushes.
Newest favorite character
The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz
Sal, an AI, in The Cybernetic Tea Shop. I wanted to hug her so badly.
Book that made you cry
The Cybernetic Tea Shop made me cry.
Book that made me happy
Citrus+ Vol. 3 by Saburouta, Monster Musume vol. 5 by Okayado, Transmuted by Eve Harms, Golem Girl by Riva Lehrer, Trans Wizard Harriet Porber and the Bad Boy Parasaurolophus by Chuck Tingle
These all made me happy in their own ways. I love the romance between Yuzu and Mei in Citrus. Monster Musume, that shows volume 5 but any of the volumes i’ve read so far (the first 6) would do because the series is hilarious. Transmuted for being a wonderful transgender body horror story. Golem girl is a memoir by a queer disabled Jewish woman. The Chuck Tingle book is hilarious.
Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)
The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen
This edition of The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales.
What books do you need to read by the end of the year
Nothing at the moment. I’m guessing that won’t last long.
What I Finished in the Past Week
BBC Science Focus Magazine – April 2022 by Immediate Media Company London Ltd – 4 stars
Just a magazine
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt – 5 stars
OMG This book means so much to me now! It’s character-driven and it’s one of those books I want to shove in everyone’s face lol. I felt so much of what Tova was going through for my own reasons. And felt for Cameron. And Marcellus the Octopus is amazing, all three of these characters are amazing. I loved so many lines. It made me cry. I found so much depth in these pages personally. And I had to hug the book! I wanna give it more than 5 stars!
Monster Musume, Vol. 7 by Okayado – 5 stars
A manga. I enjoy these characters. Has some depth to it now and then. Often funny.
What do I think i’ll read next?
Saga, Volume 5 and 6 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples – Need to continue my reread for Volume 10 in October
Monster Musume, Vol. 8 by Okayado – Last I checked (Just yesterday, for awhile it kept getting pushed back) Volume 17 is due out in December. I have some catching up to do.
NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman – I’m autistic and this is very highly rated.
Of course I do not need to read these. They are just what i’m thinking of reading at the moment.
I found some of it off and the religion aspect kinda weird. Also not sure if i’m supposed to be offended at part of it, but I digress. Listening to it instead of reading it with my eyeballs might be to blame.
I had some laughs and some feels. I was both annoyed with and felt for the characters at different times. I’d say over-all I liked it, it just wasn’t exactly my cup of tea and that’s ok. I loved the diversity. Katy, one of the MC’s, is intersex and has a deaf brother and another character has 2 mom’s.
Trans Wizard Harriet Porber and the Bad Boy Parasaurolophus: An Adult Romance Novel by Chuck Tingle – 4 stars
Despite all the typos and the fact I think this coulda been even better if it had been a bit more polished I still really enjoyed this. It’s hilarious, I enjoyed the characters and the story and especially the calling out of she who shall not be named and the whole romance parody thing. There’s also the complete smashing of the 4th wall.
Now, which of Chuck’s 5,000 other books do I read next?
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca – 2.75 stars
My initial thoughts right after finishing it were …
What in the bloody fuck was that? I don’t mean that as an insult in any way. It’s just bizarre and I have no idea how to rate it. I didn’t dislike it at all. I just … wtf man. … wtf
Then after looking at my spreadsheet that had different aspects of the book I came up with 2.75 and that feels right somehow. It’s just my opinion and i’m not sure how to express it. I think it needed … more. The characters, the atmosphere, the plot. I just needed, more. But again, that’s just me.
Her Stepsister’s Secret by Callista Bree – 5 stars
Archaeology – March/April 2022 by Archaeological Institute Of America – 4 stars
Philosophy Now – issue 149 by Anja Publications – 4 stars
BBC Wildlife Magazine – Spring 2022 by Immediate Media Company London Ltd – 5 stars
Magazines
Cirque Berserk by Jessica Guess – 5 stars
This was so much fun. I loved getting to know the characters and feel for them. This book made me cry. It also made me question things because things aren’t black and white. It even has a trope I hate and I still loved this book and am giving it 5 stars! That says something.
It’s an interesting slasher, that’s for sure!
The Cannibals of Candyland by Carlton Mellick III – 4 stars
I’ve really gotta read more bizarro. This is my second book by Carlton Mellick III. My first was The Haunted Vagina. I really enjoyed both of these books. Not only is it weird, it can also be thought-provoking. My only complaint, for both of them, is the ending feels rushed. But I still look forward to reading more by this author!
Archaeology – May/June 2022 by Archaeological Institute Of America – 4 stars
BBC Science Focus Magazine – April 2022 by Immediate Media Company London Ltd – 4 stars
Magazines
What I Watched
I watched Stranger Things volume 1 and now it’s July and I need to watch volume 2!!
Other Stuff
I finally started to play Sims again. Sims 2 specifically. I also have a surgery coming up on July 18th (which i’ve mentioned but in case you missed it). A colostomy hernia repair surgery.
BBC Science Focus Magazine – April 2022 by Immediate Media Company London Ltd
Still behind on my magazines of course. Maybe i’ll catch up within a few months.
What I finished in the past week
BBC Wildlife Magazine – Spring 2022 by Immediate Media Company London Ltd, Cirque Berserk by Jessica Guess, The Cannibals of Candyland by Carlton Mellick III, Archaeology – May/June 2022 by Archaeological Institute Of America
BBC Wildlife Magazine – Spring 2022 – 5 stars
Aminals (spelling on purpose) and nature
Cirque Berserk – 5 stars
This was so much fun. I loved getting to know the characters and feel for them. This book made me cry. It also made me question things because things aren’t black and white. It even has a trope I hate and I still loved this book and am giving it 5 stars! That says something.
It’s an interesting slasher, that’s for sure!
The Cannibals of Candyland – 4 stars
I’ve really gotta read more bizarro. This is my second book by Carlton Mellick III. My first was The Haunted Vagina. I really enjoyed both of these books. Not only is it weird, it can also be thought-provoking. My only complaint, for both of them, is the ending feels rushed. But I still look forward to reading more by this author!
Archaeology – May/June 2022 – 4 stars
Magazine
What do I think I’ll read next?
Since i’m relaxing on reading so much and going to focus on mood reading some weeks i’ll have nothing to say about this however right now I do know what the next book i’ll pick up should be.
I have been staying off social media like I said to a point. I did search some things on twitter but stayed off my feed and I still post once in awhile to Instagram. I’m still hearing the news of course, I don’t need to be drowning in it and giving myself more panic attacks, especially with my anxiety already on high from an upcoming surgery and the fact that all this awful news impacts me to. Yes, we need to fight. We also need to care for ourselves so we CAN fight.
I’ve played some good ol’ Sims 2, oh how i’ve missed thee. My Simblr (Sims Tumblr) is Here if you’re interested in my Sims game.
A wonderful horror novel! Tackles grief and sexism. Loved the characters and depth and creepy atmosphere.
The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite
A F/F historical fiction romance. My initial review …
I freaking loved this! I adored the characters, especially Lucy. A very strong woman who knows what she wants and doesn’t take crap. Don’t get me wrong, she has her insecurities for sure, but she still has a strength within her than shines. Catherine has been hurt in the past and is very insecure in the beginning despite having the countess act down in public. She hides it well but she’s hurting. I loved her character arc and seeing her grow stronger. Both women have their own interests and personalities that I really enjoyed getting to see. Both are interesting characters that I loved in their own rights. I also felt for Catherine with what she had been through and some stuff rang quite true for me too.
A beautiful sapphic historical romance.
Bodymap by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
Poetry about being a queer disabled femme of color. Raw, emotional, heart-breaking, thought-provoking, beautiful. I related to some of it, being queer, afab, and disabled myself.
Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft & Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon
Wonderful biography on Mary Shelley and her mother Mary Wollstonecraft! Told in alternating chapters it came together really well and I learned so much about them. Amazing women! Amazing, and humanized.
To Touch the Light by E.M. Lindsey
A latino gay trans man (also a chef) and a undocumented immigrant from Russia (forced out of Russia) who is half-blind, Jewish and gay. Age gap. M/M Chanukah HEA romance.
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
Hard-hitting, fantasy, packs a powerful punch, educational to boot. It has themes of being oneself, of being a part of a group and having a group history, of kinship, trauma, climate change. I’m sure there is even stuff I missed. It has powerful messages wrapped in a fantasy story with merfolk
Ghost Story by Peter Straub
A ghost story that’s not quite a ghost story. Very creepy, the writing flows, strong atmosphere, loved the characters. Easy to read while being complex.
Rare and Resilient – ONE in 5000 Anthology by Greg Ryan
Here is my entire review because I can’t figure out how to shorten it.
I was born with imperforate anus (IA) AKA no butt hole. Like one in 5000 people around the world. Yes, it’s real. There is no cure as it causes other life long issues, even after surgery. I have always been and always will be incontinent. I used to do enemas/malone, currently have a colostomy (again, had one as a baby). I also have other issues related to VACteRL Association (used to be called VAteR Syndrome) as many of us born with IA/ARM do (but not all. And ARM stands for anorectal malformation). It’s not laziness. It’s an invisible disability that causes pain, trauma, medical procedures, doctor visits, surgeries etc. Each person with IA can have a different story. Some have more issues, some have less. What works for one person, might not work for the next.
It also causes a lot of shame. And growing up when I did, the internet barely existed and as a teen I had internet but it was dial up and certainly not like it is now. Now we have facebook groups and ways to talk to others in the same boat, which is amazing, but I and many others didn’t have that growing up (and some still don’t depending on where they live/their situation) so we literally felt completely alone, like no one understood, because it’s so rare. I’m in my 30s and to my knowledge , i’ve never met anyone else with vacterl or IA/ARM. Though it is an invisible disability, so who knows, I might have.
The shame and stigma need to end, but it’s going to be hard getting there as these issues are so taboo. There needs to be more awareness and understanding. Something Greg Ryan and the one in 5000 foundation are working towards.
It is so wonderful, on one hand, to read these stories, to see myself in so much of them, to know there are others out there who understand, going through the same things. Feeling all alone is the absolute worst. But on the other, it’s a double edged sword, as I would NEVER wish these issues on anyone. No, not even my worst enemy. After that though I must mention there is also plenty of hope in these pages. Also plenty of emotion and it is heart-wrenching.
I’m beginning to see just how strong I am. But … can I please get a break?
Btw, it’s also on KU.
The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love with Me by Keah Brown
This book is a memoir/essays by a black disabled woman with so much honesty, truth and power in the pages! Honestly I wish I knew how to describe it, but all I can say is the affect it had on me, an afab (nonbinary) disabled person. I don’t know what it’s like to be black, i’m white. I learned a lot from this book, from where I didn’t relate personally but also from where I did, with being disabled (though with different medical issues) as well as the talk about depression and suicidal ideation.
It showed me that though i’ve already been working on having disability pride and unlearning internalized ableism, as someone who has also been disabled my entire life and always will be, I still have a lot more to learn/unlearn. Some of it felt like a much needed punch to the gut! It wasn’t easy to hear some of it, but I know I needed it.
This was incredibly emotional for me, and some of it i’m just like “how do I get there?”. I’m still working on a lot of things, but life is a journey and as long as i’m working on it, that’s what matters.
Transmuted by Eve Harms
As a deformed trans person myself this hit so many feels! The feelings of dysphoria, of being fetishized, of being looked at like a freak, of feeling like a freak. The way people treat you. I loved Isa. I want to gush about this book but i’m at a loss for words. I read it on KU and had to buy myself a physical copy.
Yup. I came up with 50 books for this so instead of narrowing it down to 10, you get 5 posts. This is part 4.
Saga, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
A Sci-Fi graphic novel series. I’m in the middle of rereading them so I can read volume 10 when it comes out later this year. Emotional and thought-provoking. I’m going to cry all over again rereading this series. If you know you know.
My Little Pony: Pony Tales Volume 1 by Thomas F. Zahler
My Little Pony. I love these characters and the lessons they learn along the way. Fun and full of heart.
Silent Night by R.L. Stine
There are 3 Silent Night novels and I enjoyed them all. I usually enjoy a good Fear Street novel by R.L. Stine. Fun YA thrillers. Nostalgic to.
Dance In The Vampire Bund, Vol. 1 by Nozomu Tamaki
I’ve read the first 8 volumes and loved them but there is way more and it’s been awhile so I need to reread them at some point and binge it all. Vampires. Manga. Loved the complex characters and plot.
How to Understand Your Gender: A Practical Guide for Exploring Who You Are by Alex Iantaffi and Meg-John Barker
Reflect on gender and sexuality, your own and in society.
It also talks a lot about intersections and how they interact with each other. Class, Race, Ethnicity, Disability, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Religion. For example I’m White, Middle-Class, Physically Disabled, Neurodivergent, an afab Non-binary person, bisexual, and Wiccan. All of these things interact with each other and matter.
It talks about how gender is complex in that it’s a mix of biological, psychological and social. Even though it’s a complex topic, it was never confusing. Always accessible.
The Haunted Vagina by Carlton Mellick III
That was bizarre….and I loved it! Kinda made me think too. I’ve barely stepped into bizarro book land but i’ve noticed the best bizarre stories also can make you think, while they also have you going “what the fuck?” I need to read more by Carlton Mellick III.
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Latinx trans boy brujo mc, m/m romance with said trans boy and a ghost. So many feels!! Had me tabbing it to hell and back and so many tissues were used.
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
A heart-wrenching and important read. I need to read more by Octavia E. Butler as well.
Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
Nonfiction essays about disability justice, by disabled queer femme’s of color. So much packed into this book! As a queer disabled afab person there was so much I related to, I swear it helped heal something inside of me, and as a white person there is so much that I learned from. I initially read this on Hoopla then bought my own physical copy, that says a lot.
My Rainbow by Trinity Neal and Deshanna Neal
This is a beautiful children’s book about an autistic black trans girl who needs long hair, but her mama can’t find what she needs in a store, after all she’s a beautiful black girl with curly hair and the wigs in store are so straight, so she makes Trinity her own rainbow wig and she loves it!
This brought tears to my eyes. It’s so wholesome and loving.
If you’re going “these books are all over the place” … Good! ^_^ Variety is the spice of life.
If i’m doing this taboo thursday thing like I said I am I need to put my money where my mouth is.
Synopsis: Carol and John are about to be married and their two daughters are meeting for the first time. John’s daughter Dina had taken the summer off to visit Europe and she is a bit surprised with all the wedding news. She hadn’t kept in touch much with her father and there were many things that they just kept to themselves. Dina isn’t too worried about the third wife moving in and doesn’t want to be there.
All that changes though, when she meets her buxom brunette stepsister Candace and realizes that the woman has a need in her eyes that she wants to satisfy. Candace is not into girls though and even when she tried to persuade her, Dina has a hard time convincing her. Candace has to see firsthand what she is missing for her to really start to entertain the idea. The two sisters are stuck in a small room together and as the trip goes on, Candace’s needs hit a breaking point and she just needs some relief.
My review: Yes, I enjoyed this. One, incest erotica is more popular than people want to believe and two, I hardly count stepsiblings that don’t even meet each other until they are adults incest. Also, i’m not repeating what i’ve said about fiction isn’t reality. I don’t want to constantly repeat myself, which I struggle not to do.
It’s obvious how much Dina wants Candace from the beginning and it doesn’t take long before it’s obvious Candance is intrigued and wants Dina too even though she pushes back against it initially. I enjoyed the story, what little there is of it, the characters, the tension, the bit of romance and the horniness.
I’d actually be interested in a story of how their relationship works out though I know that isn’t the point of this story.
It’s actually well written, which you can’t always say with these types of stories.
What I didn’t care for is the bonus story. There is an extra story and … it’s a weird tone change. It’s like a Christian erotica. A woman from Scotland ends up going somewhere (the US? The UK? I can’t remember, it was boring to me) to meet her husband to be for some reason (can you tell I wasn’t interested?). There isn’t enough women for the men in the area so he ordered a bride or whatever. Because reasons. He works on a farm I think. There be cows at least.
Anyway they have a week together and all the tension comes from the fact he refuses to do anything until they are married but man is he horny for her. They both want it, she even tries to tease him to make him lose control (he doesn’t), so I just don’t understand the whole “waiting for marriage” thing. I mean you do you, I just don’t get it. And the gender stereotypes. I’m not sure if it was sexist or just not my thing. I’m going with the latter. I couldn’t help thinking the book was saying “Oh, you liked that taboo stuff? Here’s some Christian erotica to cleanse your brain!”. I mean, they do get it on after they get married. I don’t know.
Yea I have more to say about that one because I should’ve written down my thoughts on the stepsister story right after I read it.
I decided to rate it solely on the title story, so I gave it 5 stars.
Literary Stoner 