Book Review: "Seven Days in June" by Tia Williams

In Tia Williams' latest novel, Seven Days in June, a second chance at their love story gives them everything to gain—and everything to lose.

“I remember that I’m not lonely. I’m alone. When I’m comatose from writing and mothering, when I’m hurting too badly to cook, talk, or smile, I curl up with ‘alone’ like a security blanket…Alone never gets disappointed by me.”

Eva is the bestselling author of an erotica series featuring a vampire and a witch. She’s struggling to finish book 15, dealing with chronic pain, which is a disability she’s lived with her whole life, and she's trying to be the best single mom to her precocious preteen daughter. She doesn’t feel she’s succeeding anywhere.

When prizewinning author Shane Hall shows up at a literary panel where Eva is speaking and begins waxing poetic about her work, it sets the Black literary community afire. But what no one other than Shane and Eva know is that 15 years ago they fell madly in love over the period of a week, only to have everything fall apart. The fact is, each has been using the other as inspiration for their work since then.

Shane’s return throws Eva’s life into upheaval. Their chemistry is still undeniable and the thought of letting each other go again is something neither wants to consider. But Eva is not sure she wants to leave herself vulnerable again, not sure if she can take the risks he could bring to her life and her daughter’s.

Over the course of seven days, they try to decide whether to let themselves fall again and what that vulnerability will mean. At the same time, the story looks back on the first seven days they spent together all those years before, and how indelibly it changed them.

Boy, this was so fantastic. It was poetic and steamy and beautiful and sad, really just amazing. Shane and Eva are such complex characters and their story hooked me from start to finish. I didn't want this to end!

Book Review: "Jay's Gay Agenda" by Jason June

Jay's Gay Agenda, the debut novel from Jason June, is a cute, sex-positive story about finding your tribe.

Actually coming out to his friends and family wasn’t difficult—no one seemed too surprised that Jay was gay and no one made fun of him. But in his small Washington town it appears he’s the only gay person. How will he ever find a boyfriend and get to have the amazing memories and experiences he’s dreamed of if he’s the only LGBTQ person around?

When his mother gets transferred to Seattle, it seems to be the answer to his prayers. His new school even has a Queer-Straight Alliance! He can’t wait for the move, to meet a handsome boy and be able to cross things off his “agenda”—like holding hands, being part of a queer group of friends, and, of course, losing his virginity.

And while it’s not long before he makes a great friend and meets the boy of his dreams, he quickly finds out how difficult it is to choose between a relationship that moves slowly and romantically and one that goes right to the bedroom. He also is torn between embracing his new life and remembering those he left behind, those who stood behind him before he moved. Can he fulfill his agenda without letting people down in the process?

This was a sweet book, a story about how good it feels to finally be among those with whom you have things in common. I love reading stories where a person's sexuality isn’t an issue and where no one has a problem with it.

The characters in Jay's Gay Agenda are fun and genuine, and while they may have their struggles between right and wrong, this book definitely sends good messages to teenagers and others who need them.

Book Review: "Competitive Grieving" by Nora Zelevansky

This book was seriously amazing.

Wren is absolutely shocked when she learns that her best friend Stewart has died. They’d essentially known each other since birth (their mothers met during pregnancy) and even though their lives took very different paths (he became a TV star, she worked in grant writing), they were each other’s anchors.

Shaken to her core but unable to fully grieve, she is asked by Stewart’s mother to go through his apartment along with his friend and lawyer, George. She is quickly angered and horrified by the group of Stewart’s friends—each one needier than the next—who fight to prove who knew him best, whose grief is more palpable, who should have a bigger part of his legacy.

But as she remembers her friend, she starts to realize there was a lot she didn’t know about Stewart the man. Was he the person she thought he was? Was she the person he thought she was? Do we ever really know anyone, even our childhood friends?

Competitive Grieving is a poignant, funny, hopeful, and thought-provoking book, but it’s not too sad. I loved Wren’s character and felt she was very realistic, and even though many of the other characters’ behaviors were so shocking, you could see why they acted the way they did and why Stewart would keep them around.

I’m grateful to my friend Stacy for bringing this book to my attention on Bookstagram. She said it was her favorite book last month and it’s easily going to be one of my favorites of the year. Nora Zelevansky's storytelling was just fantastic here.

Book Review: "The Witch Demands a Retraction: Fairy Tale Reboots for Adults" by Melissa Balmain

Melissa Balmain's The Witch Demands a Retraction features funny reboots of fairy tales from an adult perspective.

Do you enjoy fairy tales? Ever thought about what happens after they lived happily ever after, after the foes have been vanquished? Or what the “real story” behind the fairy tales was?

Balmain has given this some thought. This fun book, accompanied by great illustrations from Ron Barrett, looks at some of our favorite fairy tales and provides short, less-starry-eyed updates.

From “Sleeping Beauty Talks to Her Therapist a Few Months after the Wedding” to “Mama Bear Sets the Record Straight,” these are no more than one page and they’re definitely good for a laugh! This was a quick read but one I definitely will share with others.

This was a fun tour to participate in. Suzy Approved Book Tours, Melissa Balmain, and Humorist Books provided a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!

Book Review: "Cool for the Summer" by Dahlia Adler

When you get everything you wanted, why doesn’t it make you happy? That's a question at the core of Dahlia Adler's YA romance, Cool for the Summer. (Yes, it's named after the Demi Lovato song.)

Larissa has spent most of high school in the shadow of her best friend Shannon and wishing that Chase, the handsome star athlete, would notice her.

But having to spend the summer in the Outer Banks at her mother’s boss’ house changed her perspective, mainly because she got to spend time with Jasmine, the boss’ daughter. The two quickly struck up a friendship, which transformed into something more, something unexpected, but then they went their separate ways after the summer.

Larissa returns to school for her senior year with a different kind of confidence, one which makes Chase really notice her for the first time. She has finally gotten what she’s wanted for years, which is great—and then Jasmine shows up at her high school, having transferred from North Carolina.

Why does Jasmine’s presence throw her completely? They just had a summer thing, and now they’re pretending it never happened. But why, when she’s with Chase, is Jasmine all she thinks about? Larissa is left with a choice—does she follow the path she always wanted to, or does she follow her heart?

I really enjoyed Cool for the Summer. I remember feeling like Larissa did when I was in high school, although it was fighting a crush on one of my male friends while “dating” a girl. (Things were both more and less complicated in the 80s!) Adler really captured that mess of emotions so well.

I liked that many of the characters were far more complex and diverse than you’d expect. Even Chase, who could’ve been written simply as the handsome, dumb jock, had far more complexity, and it really added to the book’s appeal.

Definitely a fun, thought-provoking, romantic summer read!

Book Review: "How Y'All Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived" by Leslie Jordan

Comic actor Leslie Howard shares fun recollections and reflections in How Y'All Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived.

Do you read books written by celebrities? I read a few memoirs here and there, but that’s about it. However, when I saw Leslie Jordan’s smiling face on the cover of this book, I couldn’t resist. It's not really a memoir, but more a collection of memories and anecdotes.

Jordan is best known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Beverley Leslie on Will & Grace as well as for roles on multiple seasons of American Horror Story. He’s also an outspoken activist for equal rights.

In How Y'All Doing?, Jordan shares humorous stories from different times in his life and career, from the time Debbie Reynolds called his mother after he appeared in the National Enquirer while wearing drag, to his fascination with dolls, or his run-in with a group of homophobic thugs. The stories feel like Jordan is there talking to you, saying, “Did I ever tell you about the time Lady Gaga and I…”

This was a quick, fun, sometimes poignant read, and I’d imagine that the audio would be hysterically funny since he narrates it. At times I wondered whether one person could have that many wacky adventures, but I realized that if anyone could, it’s Leslie Jordan!

Book Review: "After Francesco" by Brian Malloy

Wow, Brian Malloy's After Francesco is just an absolutely beautiful, moving, hopeful book.

It’s 1988. The gay community in the U.S. has been rocked by AIDS. For 28-year-old Kevin and many others, life is an endless journey of watching friends waste away and die, and attending far too many funerals.

Kevin hasn't stopped mourning his partner, Francesco, in the two years since he died. He still lives in their NYC apartment. Everyone tells him he should try and move on, but he can’t seem to find the motivation to do so, preferring to numb the pain with alcohol.

When he hits rock bottom, at the urging of friends and family, he returns home to Minneapolis to live with his aunt Nora. He tries to move forward in fits and starts, and with the help of a support group for people whose partners have died, he feels like he’s making some progress. But he is further tested by news that his best friend is nearing the end of his struggle with AIDS, so he heads back to NYC.

This is a gorgeously written, emotional book about grief, fear, feeling like no one understands how you feel and what you’re going through, and the guilt of surviving that many felt (and still do). How can you get on with your life when your partner and your friends didn’t have that chance?

There is certainly sadness in After Francesco but I never found it overwhelming. Malloy captured the feel and vibe of the late 1980s so well. I began coming to terms with my sexuality then, and I remember the fears and uncertainty surrounding dating and sex because no one was 100 percent sure how you could get AIDS.

For me, this book stands with The Great Believers and Christodora, two other terrific books which chronicled that time period. (You should totally read those if you haven't.)