Tag Archives: linkity

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Social distancing with linkity

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Bookity

Think, Do, Learn, Make

Cookity

Gluten Free

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Impostors (Impostors, #1)Imposters and Shatter City (Impostors #2)Shatter City (Imposters 1-2) by Scott Westerfeld. Intense first-person POV young adult scifi about an identical twin whose existence is kept secret so she can serve as her famous sister’s body double. Compulsively readable, but cliffie. ARGH. The sequel to Imposters is a little bit less of a cliffhanger, but still… Also, the next two books in the series haven’t been released yet, so it will be a while on that cliffie.

“Oh no, did I leave the oven on?!” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Server updating means whirlwind linkity

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Reading Update
The Night CircusThe Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Very good fantastical tale set in the late 19th and early 20th century – there are multiple, seemingly disconnected nonlinear story threads that slowly spiral together in quite unexpected (to me, at least!) ways.

“Ignoring you until you put that camera away, Mom!!!” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link

Loop de loop de linkity

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Bookity

Learn, Do, Make, Think

Cookity

Artsy Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Reading Update
Good Omens fanfic, falalalalalala!

Skeptical panther princess has a skeptical. Also, her eyelash game is on point.

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity from the land of snow and cold

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Bookity

Do, Think, Make, Learn

Cookity

Gluten Free

Artsy Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Reading Update
Ex Libris: Stories of Librarians, Libraries, and LoreEx Libris: Stories of Libraries, Librarians, and Lore edited by Paula Guran. Excellent collection of short stories that’s exactly what it says on the tin. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed an anthology this much. I did skip one story due to it having a serial killer sort of vibe, which is not my thing. And there’s one story with a librarian I suspect is based on or an homage to the angel Aziraphale from Good Omens, which pleased me greatly.

“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link

Another week, another linkity

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Bookity

Think, Learn, Make, Do

Cookity

Artsy Crafty

Cool

Wha…?

LOL

Reading Update
Good Omens fanfic! 🙂

“I’m keeping my eyes on you, Mom!” -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Speed linkity that really wasn’t so speedy in the end

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D’oh! Last minute server updating killed my linkity time, so let’s see what I can get done in 15 minutes or so…

Reading Update
The Quite Nice and Fairly Accurate Good Omens Script BookThe Quite Nice and Fairly Accurate Good Omens Script Book by Neil Gaiman. This brand new edition has all the deleted scenes included, which previous editions did not. It’s very confusing, trying to get the right edition!

“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Mayhem (very rumpled because previously she was sleeping upside down)

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Welcome to Linkity, now available on Fridays! (Warning: This post is guaranteed to exceed your daily allowable dose of exclamation points!)

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Congrats to Naomi, who won the copy of The One That Got Away (One  & One) by TC Blue!

Congrats to KC (Smokinhotbooks), who won the copy of In and Out (Men of Smithfield) by LB Gregg!

And congrats to orannia, who won the copy of Carnal Intentions (Lost Shifters, Book 4) by Stephani Hecht!

Whew…

Yes, you read correctly – Linkity is now going to be on Fridays instead of Thursdays. *waits for bereft sobbing to die down* Moving right along! 😉

Contests

Books & Reading

  • Have you checked out the Author Fan Letter Blog Crawl yet? I’m up on May 29th. No, I haven’t selected my author yet. It’ll be a surprise to all of us. 🙂

Ebooks

Learn, Make, Do

Think

Yum!

Eeep!

Huh

  • And I’m not sure that paper furniture would survive Chaos and Mayhem…

LOL

  • I don’t know about you, but I’m very pleased to not be a mother opossum.
  • Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Awww

  • Good luck at your forever home, Maura!

Reading Update
Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 8 ) by J.R. Ward. *gasp* Not an ebook (bless the library). Not (precisely) m/m! This paranormal romance isn’t one you should pick up unless you’ve read the previous seven books. Fortunately, Lover Mine, being the story of John Matthew and Xhex, was very good. (Oh, come on, aren’t you a little paranoid with each new book now, after the debacle that was Lover Enshrined? And don’t even get me started on “Doc Jane”…) I even got a bit teary once or twice. And if Qhuinn had appeared in my living room, I would’ve smacked him silly.
In and Out (Men of Smithfield) by L.B. Gregg. ebook ARC. Very good m/m romance about a disgraced and now agoraphobic writer whose sanctuary is breached by a gardener, a corpse, his ex, and more! I was late to work yesterday morning because I had to finish reading it. 🙂 LB does such a nice job balancing the tender with the madcap, while managing to infuse both with plenty of humor. (I also liked the tie-in to Gobsmacked.)
Curious? A Woman’s Introduction to Gay Romance, edited by Elizabeth North. ebook collection. Very good m/m romance collection featuring stories by Amy Lane, Sean Kennedy, S. Blaise, M. Jules Aedin, Anna J. Linden, Chrissy Munder, Ashlyn Kane, Jaymz Connelly, Catt Ford, Isabelle Rowan, Bethany Brown, G.S. Wiley, and Janey Chapel. I really can’t remember if I’ve read a collection that I liked better. I think it would indeed serve as a good introduction to the genre.
Pain Management by Cassidy Ryan & Zoe Nichols. ebook. Very good m/m romance about two guys who are business partners and best friends, until a drunken night together threatens all of it. Um, I might’ve cried a bit – this one really got to me!
Between Want and Need To by Kris Dylan. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a fashion photographer who’s lived behind sturdy emotional walls for a long time – will he be able to face his demons and get beyond those walls?
Deadly Nightshade, Deadly Wrong, Deadly Dreams, and Deadly Slumber (Deadly Mysteries, Books 1-4) by Victor J. Banis. ebooks. rereads. These excellent m/m mysteries are set in San Francisco. (I’m rereading so I’m ready for the release of the fifth book. I actually reread the first two last month, but don’t seem to have mentioned them here…) Anyway! In the first book, gay police rookie Stanley must be the perfect guy to work on solving murders committed by a drag queen, right? While the SFPD thinks so, straight cop Tom, who gets stuck with Stanley as a partner, is not at all convinced. The first book, Deadly Nightshade, is available free at the GLBT Bookshelf (go! go now!), but be warned that if you start to read it and like it, you should immediately purchase the second book. You will be most unhappy if you finish the first book without the second book on hand. Trust me on this one.
Broken Bones, Mended Hearts by William Cooper. ebook short. Good non-angsty m/m romance short about a college student whose best friend helps him out after he’s been severely beaten.
Gay Pride (G-A-Y, Book 7) by Kim Dare. ebook short. Enjoyable m/m romance about a dom, not very active in the scene lately due to his activism, who opens his door to discover a drunk young man wearing nothing but a Pride flag.
Your Forever (Eight of Wands) by Jenna Jones. ebook short. Sweet m/m romance about a guy who over thinks everything, including getting involved with his best friend’s younger half-brother.
Taste Test: Shot Through the Heart by D.C. Juris, J.L. Merrow, and Lenore Black. ebook collection. This collection contained three short’n’sweet m/m romances loosely organized around the theme of Cupid.
Il Cavaliere delle Tazze (The Knight of Cups) by Kiernan Kelly. ebook short. Ok m/m time travel romance about a starving actor who receives a mysterious Tarot card in the mail – and the card takes him on a very unexpected journey.
Crossroads by Keta Diablo. ebook. So-so paranormal m/m about a cop turned private investigator who communicates with the dead when he meditates. Be warned that this book contains dub con – I’m not a fan, although it’s totally an old school romance and yaoi trope. (Hi, Torso Guy!)
Blood Prince (Wolf Creek Pack, Book 4) by Stormy Glenn. ebook. Pretty much what you expect from a Stormy Glenn m/m paranormal, although I’d be surprised if anyone actually edited this one.
Walking the Straight Line by D.J. Manly. ebook short. Ok m/m romance short about a dentist who has a crush on his straight best friend from college… and then his friend visits with a guy in tow…
Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Vic Winter. ebook short. Good m/m romance short about a guy who’s dragged to a gay B&B for the weekend, in the hope that it will help him get over his ex.

** “Bwa-ha-ha! All your souls are mine mine mine! Bwa-ha-ha!” -Chaos

Have a lovely weekend, everyone! I’m definitely looking forward to a little sunshine after a cold’n’cloudy week here.

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

It’s far too late to come up with a remotely clever linkity title

38 Comments

Congrats to Jase, who won the copy of Gay Pride (G-A-Y, Book 7) by Kim Dare!

Contests

Books & Reading

  • Both Kris and Katiebabs have posts about the difference between comfort reads and rereads.

Learn, Do, Make

  • If you’re not exactly sure how a cell phone call works, check out this infographic.

Wow

Huh

LOL

  • Oh oh… If you’ve been following Brigitte’s quest to not alert Atticus that he’s going to the vet… there’s been a dark turn of events.

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Icing on the Cake by Shayla Kersten. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who’s the man of honor for his best friend’s wedding. She puts him in charge of getting the cake… and oh, that baker is hot. (I wish Shayla Kersten wrote more m/m, because I’ve really enjoyed what she does have out… *hint hint*)
Gaps in Your Soul by Shayla Kersten. ebook reread. Um, yeah, so after reading the previous book, I felt the need to read some more Shayla Kersten. This is a pretty good m/m romance about… Hmm. Having trouble with a summary. At its most basic? I’d say it’s about how the US military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy messes with people’s minds and ultimately messes them up.
The One That Broke Free (One, Book 4) by T.C. Blue. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a soldier who was discharged ten years ago after his leg was permanently damaged. Since then, he’s been living alone in the small, closed-minded Southern town where he grew up, but after being in Boston for his brother and brother-in-law’s wedding, he’s rethinking his life. (I was lucky enough to win this from the author! Thanks, TC! And hey, TC will be giving away an ebook here at SOC tomorrow…)
Out of Balance by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about a banker who’s been going through a rough time when a hunky customer asks him out.
Two Man Team (Team, Book 2) by Jet Mykles. ebook. Do I hear bodies hitting the floor out there?! 🙂 Sarah reviewed this book and I was intrigued. (No, it wasn’t because of the Candy Cane Guy cover!) It’s an m/m romance that starts as an m/f/m romance and I’m not a fan of menagey books. But this one managed to avoid the big issue I have with menagey books, so it actually worked pretty well.
Vindaloo and the T-Bird by Sarah Black. ebook short. Good m/m romance about an eye surgeon who buys an old T-Bird so he has an excuse to spend time with the mechanic he used to date. There’s one thing that bothered me about this, but it’s a spoiler – we can talk about it in email if you’ve read the book!
Object of His Desire by Ava March. ebook. Good m/m Regency romance (I’ll give you a minute to recover) about a young man who’s been at a debauched house party for a week. He hasn’t participated because he’s been pining for the lord who’s hosting the party. Alas, he knows his affections won’t be returned, as the lord is ostensibly using the week to audition for his next mistress… (And yes, that’s Underwear Guy on the cover!)
Convincing Arthur by Ava March. ebook. Another good m/m Regency romance! It turns out that I don’t mind (and actually enjoy) historicals if they aren’t overburdened with historical details. I know that some love reading elaborate details of the clothes, the furnishings, the food… but that’s what turned me off of historicals in the past. Anyway! Leopold’s been waiting for Arthur to be free from his long-term and unfaithful lover. Now that Arthur’s free, will Leopold’s own debauched reputation keep Arthur away?
Fantasies: Christmas by Cassandra Gold. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who’s had a really bad week (he gets laid off, his beloved old cat dies, and his boyfriend dumps him by email) until he wins a Hawaiian vacation at the liquor store and invites the helpful guy next in line to go with him.
Cutting Cords by Mickie B. Ashling. ebook. Good m/m romance about two young men who end up as roommates in NYC because their dads were pro baseball teammates once upon a time. One guy is going blind but in denial (about more than just going blind *ahem*). The other is dealing (not so well) with crippling self-esteem issues. This story is told in alternating first- and third-person point-of-view, but I think it would’ve worked better if it had been entirely in third-person.
Poker Night 5: Full House by Carol Lynne. ebook. Well, I had to know how it all ended, since the story of Kent and Marco has been building through the previous four books! I enjoyed it, but I’d recommend reading the rest of the series first.
Theron’s Return (Campus Cravings, Book 11) by Carol Lynne. ebook. Um, I sort of pick these m/m romances up randomly as the descriptions strike my fancy, so for me, this is a completely nonlinear series. This one’s about a guy living in BK House who’s had a really, really bad year and simply can’t deal with it any more. It was ok – exactly the sort of read I needed at the time.
Calendar Boys April: Out of the Storm by Jamie Craig. ebook. Good m/m romance about a meteorologist who’s just been dumped by his boyfriend on a weekend getaway when a hunky ranger shows up at his cabin door, stranded by a surprise storm. (Wait, just how many dumped boyfriend books did I read this week?!)
Calendar Boys August: Scorched by Jamie Craig. ebook. Another good m/m romance – this one’s about a NYC firefighter who returns to Utah to help fight an out-of-control wildfire and runs into his former best friend’s kid brother.
Apotrope by Chris Owen. ebook short. Huh. This paranormal m/m romance about a vampire trying to impress a guy just never came together for me. (It’s part of Torquere’s Spice It Up series and the spice in question was garlic.)
Murder by Design by Jade Falconer. ebook. Um. Well, this m/m romance about a cop investigating the murder of a slutty model’s sugar daddy might’ve been better if half of it was cut out – I’d recommend the extremely repetitive scenes in which our two heroes gushed lovingly at each other over and over and over, ad nauseum.

So my friend CJ went to RT and all I got was… dang. A lot of goodies! Thank you, CJ! And thanks to all the authors who signed stuff for me. 🙂

“Mom, I’m truly alarmed by the large number of naughty boys and utter lack of black kitties.” -Mayhem

Contests, Gluten Free, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

An Epic Episode of Linkity

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Contests

  • Jackie of Literary Escapism is holding a baby pool – two lucky winners will receive $15 gift certificates to the online bookstore of their choice.
  • Ms Moonlight is giving away five print m/m romance books (Tri-Omega Mates by Stormy Glenn; Switch by Claire Thompson; Frost Fair by Erastes; Male of the Species by Kate Steele; Polar Reaction by Claire Thompson) to a follower of her blog. Contest closes noon EDT, May 7. You must live in the US or Canada to win.

Free Reads

  • Check out the Free Gay Ebooks page at the GLBT Bookshelf, which has free stories from Josh Lanyon, Mary Calmes, Victor J. Banis (the first Stanley and Tom Deadly mystery! I love that series.), Eden Winters, P.D. Singer, P.A. Brown, Claire Thompson, and more. (Thanks to Mary Calmes for the link!)
  • My Reading Update (below) has links to some of the books above, plus links to additional free m/m romance ebooks. Apparently it was freebie week!

Reading & Book Miscellania

  • Beware this nasty and elaborate scam in which victims are pressured to accept a “‘pre-trial settlement’ for copyright violations.”
  • Hmm. This bookcase seems like it’d be a bit hard on books – but what great exercise!

Ebook News & Views

  • Some articles on how public libraries are dealing with ebooks.

Covers

  • Thanks to SciFiGuy for the link to the amusing Good Show, Sir blog, which features the very worst of scifi and fantasy covers, complete with snarky commentary.

Reviewing

Learn, Make, Do, Think

  • Lay’s has restructured salt to help it dissolve faster and reduce the amount of salt needed for taste.
  • If you’re into genealogy, check out the new FamilySearch.

Huh

  • A sculpture made from cords and cables – love the quote from Gizmodo: “I do, though, wish I could stop myself from thinking how annoying it’d be to untangle all of those cords.”

Gluten-Free

LOL

The Cute

Reading Update
All or Nothing (Taking the Odds, Book 3) by James Buchanan. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense, being the continuing adventures of Nicky and Brandon. With a beloved series, I always worry that a new release won’t live up to the previous books, but I should’ve known better. So go. Go get the first book, Cheating Chance, and read it. I’ll wait. 🙂
Only for Him (Only, Book 2) by Shawn Lane. ebook. Sweet m/m romance about a slightly outrageous administrative assistant at a law firm who’s really attracted to a cutely nerdy guy (one of the firm’s partners).
Cow Pie Bingo by Addison Albright. ebook short. reread. A guy who’s recently realized that he’s gay but has no idea what to do next discovers a very cute guy in line at his kissing booth…
The Wish by Eden Winters. ebook. Very good m/m paranormal romance about two guys who have never met, but dislike each other based on reputation and circumstance. (Hmm. Possibly my most vague summary ever!) I don’t want to tell you too much about the story, because part of what I enjoyed about it was reading and putting the pieces together. How about I just say I highly recommend it? 🙂
The Boy Under the Bridge by Eden Winters. ebook short. This is about a character who makes a brief appearance in The Wish and isn’t treated particularly well or shown in the best light – it’s surprisingly satisfying to find out what happens to him. You should definitely read The Wish first!
The Telling by Eden Winters. free ebook. Good m/m romance about a soldier who returns from Iraq suffering from PTSD and crippling guilt.
The French Have a Word for It by Josh Lanyon. free ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a young man painting in France who runs into the bodyguard who rescued him from kidnappers when he was a teen.
Pinky Swear by Lynn Lorenz. ebook. Good m/m romance about two guys who grew up next door to each other in New Orleans and were best friends until a misunderstanding drove them apart and they lost touch… and then Hurricane Katrina arrives.
Upwardly Mobile by Clare London. ebook short. Steamy m/m romance about a couple talking to each other on the phone, one from his parked car, the other from the train…
Home Sweet Home by Clare London. ebook short. Ok m/m romance about a couple who have been taking a break from each other, not sure that their differences are surmountable.
Swap Meet by Lolita Lopez. ebook. This m/m romance is terribly misnamed. It should be The Straight French Billionaire and the Gay Firefighter, especially since it reads like a smokin’ hot category romance, complete with the slightly awkward writing. The straight French billionaire is accompanying a female coworker to a partner swapping event – he’s just there because she needs to appear to be part of a couple to get in. A mysterious, magnetically handsome man gives the billionaire a card with just a name and a room number and the billionaire cannot resist going to the room… (Issue: If this is a couple’s event, who the heck did said magnetically handsome man arrive with? That’s never mentioned.)
Last One Standing (The Five of Swords) by Andy Slayde & Ali Wilde. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a prostitute who tries to blackmail a customer and instead ends up off the streets, working as a dishwasher. I liked this a lot more before the ending – it felt like the story simply stopped. If this kicks off one of those Torquere serials, I’ll be mightily annoyed. (Also, if they managed to tie the Tarot into this Arcana, I completely missed it.)
Angelfish by M. King. ebook. Very good m/m story about a guy, back in New Zealand after attending college in England, who isn’t settling comfortably into parental expectations as he’s haunted by the mocking image of a tattoo.
The Ice Shack by M. King. ebook short. Good m/m short about a couple getting away from their families over the holidays.
First Day of Forever by Mary Calmes. free ebook short. Sweet m/m romance about two guys who were best friends growing up. Did one wait too long to figure out what he wanted? (Needs a few more commas…)
If by Rowena Sudbury. free ebook short. Meh m/m story about two martial artists who train and live together, until one realizes the other has been lying to him. I didn’t really care about either of them by the end of the story, so… *sigh*
Waiting by P.D. Singer. free ebook short. Good m/m romance about a spring break that gets off to a really rocky start when Daniel’s boyfriend shows up at the airport with a girl clinging to him.
More Than Just a Good Book by Sloan Parker. free ebook short. Very good m/m short story about two guys who meet in the college library. *fans self*
Gregori’s Ghost by Sarah Black. free ebook. Very good m/m romance about a neurologist whose dying grandfather charges him with looking after the son of a man befriended by his grandfather during WWII. I’m definitely going to be reading more Sarah Black.
Some Place Only We Know by Christiane France. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a rather innocent bookstore owner who volunteers at a hospice, where he meets a writer who’s visiting his brother. Beware! Instalove alert!
The Five of Wands by Sara Bell. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a resident suspended after being accused of a careless medication error who finds help from an unexpected source.
Only Human by Glyn Soitino. ebook short. Good paranormal m/m romance about a man, created by a wizard with all the knowledge he needs to survive, who falls for a closeted cop. I didn’t realize until I was well into this story that it was the sequel to Out of the Blue. Oh well.
Hoosier Werewolf: Howl and Prowl by Kate Steele. ebook collection. Very good paranormal m/m romance collection of three stories about werewolves finding their mates. The cover’s the usual Changeling Press horror and the title’s kind of weird, but this was one well-done and scorching read.
BDSFerret by Celia Kyle. holiday ebook short. While this m/m paranormal romance about a ferret shifter going to a prairie dog shifter bar is billed as being a satire, it only managed that once or twice.
Passion’s Victory by K.C. Kendricks. ebook. So-so m/m romance about a guy who owns part of an architectural firm and can’t resist the newly contracted, older architect. Does Kendricks always write in first person point-of-view? Seems like it, from what I’ve read. Not my favorite, especially when the characters don’t seem particularly guy-like.
A Hard Habit To Break by K.C. Kendricks. ebook. Another so-so romance about two guys who’ve been in love with each other since high school, but allowed massive miscommunication and misunderstandings to come between them. Another story told in first person… Also, I think the blurb for this one is a bit misleading, so beware.

*happy sleepy stretchy clawy purry* -Chaos