Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

lol, I've taken off my shoes at Mass.
Not me being anxious because this is LGBT set in the 1980s
I'm not crying
It's the everyone knowing that you like someone and that you're queer before you know you're queer for me.
390 Pages

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuinston

Figures out what the P.P.S means..
Ah so we're mentioning Emma...seems like a clue.
I literally called Smith. I fricking called it.
Also I knew it. Like..
"I want my love interest to be played by Saiorise Ronan" thinks about other period movies that aren't Little Women.
I loved how the book was like...self-aware of itself...when it mentioned being a John Green story...like..oof. 
I LOVE Rory. and Georgia. and Smith. like. sfjkldfjkldsa
368 Pages

Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman

fjdskafjskajfkslajfdk
We be's talking about real issues... The way they're handling all of this is just. chef's kiss for a graphic novel. 
oh and going to Paris. nbd.  Also how dare they talk about Notre Dame and remind me that it's burned atm....like yeah it's a building, but it's pretty and I love it....for reasons that cannot be explained in a book review blog post.....
The field trip dads...I can't. I love them. Like....you ding dongs.

<--I feel both of these emotions...simultaneously.... when Nick loves Charlie. I can't. Nick is such a good noodle. Beautiful little golden retriever pup pup.  (The pride flag in front of Captain Holt is also hecka appropriate).
384 Pages

"Us" by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

In this sequel to "Him," Ryan Wesley is in his rookie season with the Toronto Maple Leaves and lives with his boyfriend, Jamie Canning.  However, they have to keep their relationship secret to avoid any distractions to Wes and his team.  He's promised Jamie that they'll come out once his rookie season has ended, but the deception is taking a toll on them both especially after one of Wesley's teammates moves into their building and constantly bugs them.  This was a wonderful follow up to the first book, which I loved.  Wes and Jamie still have great chemistry together, and their texts to each other are hilarious.  The angst in the story is just right, and Blake, the nosy teammate, adds a lot of humor with his irrational fear of sheep.  Another winner from Bowen and Kennedy that I couldn't put down.  328 pages (Kindle edition).

"Healing Jacob" by Nicole Stewart

This angsty romance between a homeless musician and a bakery owner fell flat for me.  Neither main character was three dimensional, and I couldn't invest myself in their story.  The misuse of commas was distracting.  I think the writer has potential, and a good editor could have helped with the flow of the story and fleshing out the characters.  166 pages (Kindle edition).

"Lover on Top: A Firefighter Romance" by Kristine Cayne

Another "later in life" coming out story, this one features "Hollywood" Wright, a firefighter who seems to love the ladies.  When he accidentally sets his kitchen on fire, he moves in with his best friend's younger brother, Chad, an out and proud paramedic.  Confusion, denial, and misunderstandings ensue along with a dangerous situation.  It doesn't help that Hollywood's father is a rabid homophobe who holds a high ranking position in the fire department.  Even though the two main characters acted like brats sometimes, I still liked the story.  292 pages (Kindle edition).

"In the Middle of Somewhere" by Roan Parrish

Daniel Mulligan has just moved to Holiday, Michigan, to teach at a small college after finishing his PhD in English.  Originally from Philadelphia, Daniel is a tough and tattooed outcast who's never really fit in with his family or classmates.  His mother died when he was young, and his father and three older brothers (all mechanics) never much cared for him, especially after he told them he was gay.  So Daniel feels especially out of place in the small town until Rex Vale comes back into his life.  The two men met six months earlier when Daniel was in town for an interview with the college and was literally rescued by Rex when he wrecked his rental car in a snowstorm.  They soon begin a relationship, but Daniel has never really dated and Rex doesn't want to get too attached to Daniel due to others in his life leaving him.  But as they grow closer, they discover that being vulnerable and letting someone help you is not the same as being weak.

This was a great book with two memorable and very likable main characters who seem to have little in common but complement each other well.  Rex doesn't talk much but can fix or build just about anything, while Daniel loves his books and overthinks everything.  Secondary characters, especially Daniel's best friend, Ginger, help move the story forward to a satisfying conclusion.  I have already started reading the next in the series.  350 pages (Kindle edition).

"The Game Changer" by Kay Simone

This is the second Kay Simone book that I have read, and although it felt very different from the first ("The Company We Keep," which was great), I really enjoyed it.  Malcolm Rodgers is a professional quarterback who's having a very bad week.  First, he's injured in a game that will require him to undergo weeks of intensive physical therapy causing him to miss at least six games in the season.  Second, his fiancee calls off their wedding and breaks up with him for reasons he can't quite comprehend.  Malcolm ends up spending most of his time with Vance Coberly, his team's head physical therapist, just trying to get his leg back in shape as fast as he can. Although different in the way they approach life, the two men become friends.  However, when the seemingly straight Malcolm kisses the out-and-proud Vance, the two will never be the same.

This novel was about a lot of things: self-discovery, family obligations, friendship, homophobia, professional football, and love.  The author takes time to flesh out the two main characters, why they are the way they are, their fears, and their faults, which doesn't always happen in character driven novels.  This was another winner from Simone that had me hooked from beginning to end.  403 pages (Kindle edition).

"Alex" by S.M. Shade

There was a lot going on in this book.  Alex is an MMA fighter dealing the sudden death of his lover, the impending execution of his father for killing his mother, homophobic fight opponents, hovering older brothers and their wives, a Hawaiian vacation, unwanted attraction to his straight roommate, roommate's major health scare, and more.  The story was told in the alternating POV of Alex and his roommate, Ian.  The author gave readers lots of angst and partial side stories that could have been pared down a bit.  151 pages (Kindle edition).

"Outing the Quarterback" by Tara Lain

Quarterback Will Ashford seems to have it all - a blue Lamborghini, rich parents, starting position on a well-known college football team, and captain of the cheerleader squad for a girlfriend.  The problem is that he hates it all and is afraid to be who he really is - a gay man who only wants to paint.  When he meets starving artist Noah Zajack, he realizes that he can no longer hide his true self if he ever wants to be happy.  (This is just a bare bones description since I don't want to give away any spoilers.)

I really liked this story, and the primary characters were fleshed out well.  There was plenty of angst, especially since not only is Will hiding his sexuality from most everyone but he also hides his desire to be an artist instead of following his father into business.  However, the angst wasn't overwhelming since Noah was fairly patient with Will and his fears.  This is the first book in the Long Pass Chronicles, and I hope to read more.  216 pages (Kindle edition).

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky

I had not read a YA novel in quite a long time, so I chose this one because I enjoyed the movie and had heard good things about the book.  Written in epistolary form by high school freshman Charlie to an unknown friend, it chronicles his first year in high school as well as interactions with his family.  Although he is introverted and a bit shy, Charlie becomes good friends with seniors Sam and Patrick, who happen to be step-siblings.  Charlie develops a crush on Sam even though she sees him only as a friend, while Patrick is secretly dating the football team's closeted quarterback.

Charlie has some psychological issues that appear to have been brought on by the suicide of his only friend the previous year and the death of his aunt Helen years earlier, with whom he'd been especially close.  A huge revelation in the epilogue puts Charlie's troubles in perspective for the reader and makes this unusual story even more unforgettable.  This book has been challenged innumerable times since its first publication in 1999 due to the usual reasons, but I would highly recommend it to any teenager.  213 pages.

"Shotgun" by Marie Sexton

This is book #7 in the Coda Series, and I really liked it for several reasons.  The story itself is an unrequited love story between two men who first meet when they are seventeen and are only together for a few hours.  Fifteen years later, they meet again in the same town, Coda, CO, where Dominic Jacobsen has lived his whole life, and where Lamar Franklin has just moved.  When Lamar's car is vandalized, the garage that Dominic's family owns ends up fixing it.  Lamar is out, and he's just moved to Coda to take a teaching job and to get away from the married man with whom he was having an affair.  He's also depressed.  Dominic lives with his 13-year-old daughter, Naomi, and is still in the closet.  He believes that having a gay father will hurt Naomi, so he sacrifices is love life to protect her.  It has worked fine until he sees Lamar again, and all of the emotions he's kept hidden for 15 years come flooding back.

There was a lot of angst and drama in this story.  Lamar is being stalked by someone who vandalizes his car numerous times and breaks into his house.  Dominic has a big family, some of whom are homophobic, especially his father.  Staying in the closet hasn't been a problem until Lamar arrives, and Dom goes back and forth with coming out, which hurts Lamar.  However, it was worth the read to catch up with the couples from previous books in the series.  Matt and Jared as well as Angelo and Zach all play important roles in helping Lamar and Dominic, especially Matt since he is the police officer working on Lamar's stalking case.  And there was a cute kitty with the silly name of Missy Prissy Pom-Pom Paw!  Another great story from Marie Sexton.  260 pages (Kindle edition).

"Winter Ball" by Amy Lane

This is another good story about two close friends who become lovers much to their surprise.  Skipper Keith coaches a rec league soccer team when he's not working the help desk at a tech company.  Richie Scoggins is his best friend, star player on the team, and works in his father's junkyard.   Both men are unhappy at their jobs; Richie stays at his due to guilt from his father.  Skipper stays at his because he doesn't know what else to do.  There are lots of secondary characters who change the men's lives for better and for worse.  I really liked this book and how it described each man's acceptance of being gay.  200 pages (Kindle edition).

"Crossroads" by Riley Hart

Here's the gist of the story:  two straight men in their 30s fall in love with each other and have to deal with the fallout from family and friends.  As with this author's other books, it was an interesting tale with two likable lead characters but could have used tighter editing, especially with the placement of commas.  335 pages

"Him" by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

Jamie and Wes first met when they went to an elite hockey camp one summer for six weeks when they were 13.  They become best friends and see each other only at camp for the next five years, but they have a falling out after that final camp before heading off to different colleges to spend the next four years becoming top notch hockey players.  When their teams make the hockey final four their senior year, they renew their friendship and eventually return to their summer camp as instructors.  What happens there changes the future of both of these pro hockey prospects.

This was a great story with two strong and likable lead characters.  Jamie has worked at the hockey camp every summer in college and has come to enjoy teaching kids the ins and outs of hockey.  Wes is one of the top picks for the NHL, but his sexuality may cost him his future as a player.   Secondary characters were helpful in pushing along the action, too.  Good stuff, and there's a sequel!  360 pages.

"Clang" by E. Davies

Book two in the Riley Brothers series focuses on oldest brother Jackson, a blacksmith, and Chase, a tattoo artist.  They met in book one and start dating in this story.  They are opposites in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to their families.  Jackson lives next to both of his brothers and is still close to his parents.  Chase is in hiding from his family, who is extremely religious and punishes him for being gay.  When his abusive uncle locates him, Chase knows that he has to protect himself and his budding relationship with Jackson.

I liked both characters but could not get a real feel for what they looked like other than "muscular" (Jackson) and "willowy" (Chase).  The story was also quite anticlimactic.  I expected more from the conflict between Chase and his uncle.  As with the first book, the writing could have used tighter editing as the same adjectives were used multiple times in the same paragraph and sometimes the same sentence (like I just did!).  I wouldn't mind reading book three, which is the youngest brother's story, but only if it is free to purchase like books one and two were.  264 pages (Kindle edition).

"When It's Right" by Aria Grace

This soap opera-esque story centers on Alex and Shane, who meet when Alex takes his injured dog to his vet.  Shane is the technician and he and Alex are drawn to each other, but Shane is deeply closeted because of his bigoted parents.  Luckily, he lives with his aunt (Alex's vet) and uncle in a different state.  Alex is out and befriends Shane, showing him what his life could be like if he came out.  Just as things are going well between them, Shane has to return to his hometown for someone named "Jacob."  He refuses to tell Alex what has happened and who Jacob is, and when Shane doesn't return when he says he will, Alex becomes frantic.  What will he do and who is Jacob?

As with the other stories that I have read by this author, it was enjoyable and well-paced.  I really liked the ending and especially Alex's dog.  152 pages (Kindle edition).

"Shot Through the Heart" by CJ Bishop

Although this is the first book in the Cowboy Gangster series, it is built off of a different series, which I have not read.  I figured as much while I was reading it since so many other characters who were not in the story were mentioned and played integral parts.  This book focused on Axel Anders a 22-year-old man who's suffering from PTSD after being gang raped by his brother and three other evil men.  Clint Maddox, the "cowboy gangster," feels very protective of Axel after meeting him through Axel's (good) stepbrother, Angel.  Clint is a cold-hearted enforcer for the Sanitini family and is surprised by these feelings.  The book basically deals with both men tentatively growing closer with lots of flashbacks to awful events in their lives.  It was quite a roller coaster ride.  And there was a cute puppy.  295 pages (Kindle edition).

"Off Campus" by Amy Jo Cousins

This first book in the Bend or Break series centers on Tom Worthington, who is returning to college after taking time off to deal with the revelation that his father has been running a ponzi scheme.  He's been gypsy-cabbing for cash in Boston and sleeping in his car.  Now that he has enough money to live in the older student dorm, he's surprised to find that he has a roommate, and the roommate hates him at first sight.  Reese Anders is technically too young for this dorm, but he was brutally bullied by jocks during his freshman year, and he's been separated for his safety.  Unfortunately, Tom was once a college jock, and Reese will do just about anything to get him to leave.

Poor Reese and Tom have both been through very tough times, although in vastly different circumstances.  Their interactions are tense, funny, and uncomfortable but evolve into a grudging friendship.  However, Tom's ongoing money problems and Reese's continued harassment by his tormentors threaten to push them both over the edge.  Will they bend or break?  314 pages (Kindle edition).

"Dumped in Oz" by Andrew Grey

Book one in the Tales from Kansas series finds Lyle Powers transferring from Pittsburg, PA, to rural Kansas for one year for his job.  On his first day there, he eats at a local restaurant where he meets the baker, Roger Kypers, a single father with a crazy ex-wife and protective 13-year-old daughter.  The two men hit it off, but the ex-wife causes problems that could push Roger off of the wagon.  I didn't much care for the writing style of the author; exposition was used more than the "show, don't tell" technique, and did not allow me to invest emotionally in either character.  I did feel sorry for Roger and his circumstances, but Lyle's character wasn't really explored in-depth.  I almost forgot to explain that "Oz" refers to "The Wizard of Oz," about which there is a museum in this small town.  127 pages (Kindle edition).