A Book A Week

Being a teenager is tough. For Charlie, it’s even tougher. He transitioned last year, delaying his start at Valentine Academy for Boys. Now, fully transitioned and learning to accept himself, he’s finally ready to begin this new chapter—on one condition: he gets a private room. Charlie isn’t prepared for anyone to know he’s trans, especially at a place like St. Valentine, a campus steeped in old-school tradition and not exactly known for being open-minded. But he mailed the check for the single-room fee well before term started, so things should be fine… right?

Wrong. When Charlie arrives on campus, he finds out the Academy never received his check, and all the private rooms are gone. He’s been assigned a roommate. Panic sets in. Maybe he wasn’t ready for this after all. How can he possibly keep his secret living with another boy?

And then he finds out his roommate is none other than Jasper Grimes, the boy who broke Charlie’s heart the year before he transitioned. Except Jasper doesn’t recognize him. Not yet. The clock is ticking. But there might be a way out. If Charlie agrees to help Jasper write anonymous love letters for the other boys on campus, he'll help him get his own room. Charlie figures he can survive a few late nights ghostwriting romance. What could possibly go wrong?

In And They Were Roommates, author Page Powars crafts a sweet coming-of-age romance that explores identity, acceptance, and the delicate balancing act between standing out and simply fitting in. At a time when trans kids are being demonized for political gain, this story is a powerful reminder that they’re just kids. Yes, some of the challenges they face are uniquely difficult, but so many of their struggles are universal. Growing up is hard, and adults shouldn’t be the ones making it harder. Powars writes with humor, grace, and deep empathy, making this charming romance all the more resonant and relatable. It’s a book that entertains while gently urging us to lead with compassion, and we could all use a little more of that.

I love it when a book genuinely surprises me, especially since reading so many each year makes those moments rare. That's why TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea was such a delightful discovery when I picked it up earlier this year. Although I don't usually gravitate toward fantasy and was wary of the hype surrounding Klune's 2020 novel, it proved to be one of the most heartwarming and life-affirming books I've ever read. The quirky tale of a home for magical children touched me in unexpected ways, leaving me eager for more. With Klune returning for a sequel, he's hoping to recapture that magic and surprise readers all over again.

How far would you go to protect your family? Arthur Parnassus understands the importance of a nurturing environment. As an orphan himself, he witnessed the lasting impact of neglect and abuse on a child's life. This drove him to dedicate his life to caring for orphaned magical children on his island, providing them with a home full of learning, acceptance, and, most importantly, love. Alongside his partner Linus, Arthur is determined to shield his kids from harm. But given their unique abilities, that protection is anything but simple. That's why Arthur has agreed to testify before a government committee, hoping to prove just how ordinary his life and their home truly are.

Arthur and Linus walk into the hearing, fully aware that Arthur's past might be challenging to relive but hopeful that it will help prove that he and his family are nothing to fear. However, as the questioning begins, it becomes clear that the government's agenda is far from sincere. Instead of a fair inquiry, the hearing is designed to provoke Arthur, incite a reaction, and demonstrate that magical beings are dangerous. The confrontation escalates, ending in chaos, with the authorities calling for a new investigation into the island and the children who live there, framing them as threats to society. This isn't new for Arthur. He's faced the same hateful rhetoric his whole life. But he also knows how powerful hate can be. Now, determined to protect his family, he prepares to lead a fight for the future that both his loved ones and all magical beings deserve.

If The House in the Cerulean Sea was about finding your tribe—the people and place where you can be your true self, whether you're a gay man, a garden gnome, or even the antichrist—then Somewhere Beyond the Sea deepens that theme. It delves into the fragile nature of that sense of belonging, particularly for those outside societal norms, and highlights the challenges marginalized groups face in safeguarding their place in the world. TJ Klune dedicates this novel to the trans community and, in his author's note, identifies himself as the "anti-JK Rowling." He crafts a story that not only celebrates those considered "other" but also reminds us that, despite our differences, we have more in common than we realize.

In recent years, we've seen rising hostility toward the LGBTQ+ community, with harmful legislation and rhetoric gaining traction. Yet, as Klune's novel reminds us, the antidote to hate is something simple and powerful: love. Through his quiet, profound storytelling, Klune shows that humor, empathy, and love are universal languages that resonate with most people. Somewhere Beyond the Sea continues his mission to give voice to underrepresented communities, all without being preachy or alienating. It's a story I found myself completely immersed in, allowing the characters and message to wash over me in an authentic and understated way. Klune's work is a testament to love and acceptance, and it's heartening to see him continue to spread that message in a world that desperately needs it. I hope he keeps sharing stories like this for years to come.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2024, 69)

"Just because someone says they love you doesn't mean they'll never say it to someone else."

Love was in the air this past week as my family celebrated my brother's wedding. It was a great time with family and friends, and it made me want to read a romance novel. I decided to pick up Here's To Us, a sequel to Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera's hit novel What If It's Us. That YA gay romance charmed me back when I read it in 2020. While I wasn't sure that the characters needed a sequel, I was eager to find out what would happen next. 

Love is complicated. It isn't a simple happily ever after like you see in the movies. When we reconnect with Ben and Arthur, the former couple is learning this lesson for themselves. Ben is still in New York, slogging through classes for a creative writing major. He still lives with his parents and even works part-time with his dad. Life just isn't what he thought it would be. Even his best friend Dylan is being cagey, not his normal happy-go-lucky self. The only real bright spot right now is Ben's writing partner Mario, a cute guy who has captured Ben's heart and encouraged him to dream big with his aspirations of being a novelist. Despite his infatuation with Mario, Ben can't shake his thoughts of the last boy he gave his heart to. At a time when he's dreaming of his future, he can't run away from his past. 

Arthur has found new love too. Mikey is the sweet reliable boyfriend that any guy would be happy to have. The stability of their relationship is about to be put to the test when Arthur accepts an internship that takes him back to New York. Being the intern to the assistant of the director of an off-Broadway play isn't the glamourous job of his dreams, but it does get his foot in the door of the theater industry. Being back in the city has him reminiscing about his first love. In some kind of cosmic destiny, Arthur seems to be running into Ben all around the city. But Arthur is perfectly happy with Mikey, and Ben seems to be head over heels for his new beau too. Plus, it isn't like there is any chance of rekindling their old flame. Or is there?

Like its predecessor, Here's To Us is an irresistibly readable novel with a cast of affable characters who you can't help but root for. This is the kind of story that makes objective critique nearly impossible. As it is a sequel, you'll want to read the first book before diving into this one. Albertalli and Silvera continue their story in a way that thoughtfully explores the implications of maintaining a friendship post-romance. The main characters have grown from their teenage years into young adulthood, bringing new maturity and a host of new challenges. Life isn't as simple as it once was, and the authors relish in their characters grappling with more complex issues. There's a will they/won't they aspect to the relationship that helps to drive the plot forward. Toss in enough dry humor to add some levity to the more serious subject matter, and you've got a great continuation to an already wonderful story. Here's To Us is another hit and a must-read for any romance fans. 

For more information visit Albertalli's website, Silvera's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.

(2022, 58)

 "American history is truly the greatest fable ever written."

Representation matters. Hearing the voice of a person like you, seeing them live their life and truth, can truly inspire and encourage. For LGBTQ+ youth, this representation is paramount. When I was a young man coming to terms with my own sexuality, seeing other gay men represented in the media provided a beacon of hope that everything would be okay. Fortunately for me, I was growing up at a time where being a gay man was beginning to lose some of the stigmas that had plagued it before. But imagine for a moment that I'd never had this representation. For countless queer black men like author George M. Johnson, representation has been non-existent. In his book All Boys Aren't Blue, Johnson sets out to rectify that. 

For as long as he could remember, George felt different. He grew up surrounded by his large extended family. There was no shortage of cousins to play with and learn from. Still, George didn't quite see himself in any of his family members. It began at recess where each of the kids separated out into their prescribed groups. The boys all would play ball, but George had little interest. Instead, he would climb to the hill with a group of girls to jump rope. These were his friends, and this is what he liked to do. This was also the first time George began to question himself. The other couldn't understand why he wouldn't want to play with them. George was beginning to wonder too. 

All Boys Aren't Blue is a manifesto of sorts. George M. Johnson sets out to provide a history of his own story and guide others into accepting themselves. From his early days of recognizing himself as "other" to growing into a man much more confident in his sexuality, Johnson writes each anecdote with an honesty that serves to inspire and educate. His perspective from the intersection of both the queer and black communities helps to give a different insight into each of them. The book is geared toward a teenage audience, and I think it is really successful in answering some of the common questions about relationships, sex, and being a queer/black person. I could also see this being a helpful tool for parents who are trying to navigate their children's identity. All Boys Aren't Blue serves as a moving portrait of one man's life and a brilliant example of more diverse representation in books. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2021, 23)

I'm very late to the game with this book. At this point, it almost feels redundant to review it. Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give is a novel that has captured readers from the moment it was published by shining a light on the people affected by gun violence and police brutality. I've been hesitant to read this book. With so much unnecessary violence, racism, and injustice present in the real world, reading about those same topics in fiction just wasn't something I was emotionally prepared for. But then the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial came in. While his conviction isn't the end of systemic racism in policing, it was a hopeful sign of progress in the long battle ahead. Inspired by the moment and determined to continue reading stories of those with different perspectives from my own, I decided to finally read The Hate U Give. 

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter is a girl who lives two lives. The first is that of her life at school, a prominent prep school filled with affluent, mostly white students. She's had no trouble making friends, but she has learned to adapt and compartmentalize her school life with the other side of her. This place and these people just aren't ready to see the "real" Starr. When she leaves school, she heads home to a place that her school friends would probably consider another world. Starr doesn't live in the wealthy neighborhoods of her friends. She lives on the poor side of town. To her, this is home. It is the place her father owns a business, the place her childhood friends have grown up, and a place where she feels the greatest sense of community. 

Starr's worlds begin to collide when she and a friend are pulled over while leaving a party. The officer panics and fatally shoots her friend. In almost an instant, the victim-blaming begins. Claims of the victim being a drug dealer, gangbanger, and thug begin to circulate in the media. It is as if they are saying that he deserved to be killed. Besides the officer, Starr is the only witness to the shooting, the only one who has the voice that can speak the truth to this murder. But putting herself out there to the world will come with a cost. Everyone in her life at the prep school will know she was involved in the shooting. Everyone at home will know too. Determined to not let her friend become another statistic in the long history of police brutality, Starr risks everything to make sure the world knows what really happened. 

It is hard to describe the impact a book like The Hate U Give has on the reader. Angie Thomas begins her story like any other young adult novel. Her main character is someone who is coming to terms with who she is and who she wants to be. All the pressures of being a normal teenager are present. With an opening that seems so familiar, I was a bit disarmed by the sudden onslaught of police brutality. At one moment, life was normal. In the next, everything changed. This is the harsh reality that far too many people of color have to face. Thomas does an excellent job of building her characters and the community they inhabit. These people are familiar, the kinds of people whom we encounter on a daily basis. Her ability to get the reader to invest so heavily in her characters only adds to the outrage we feel as they face injustice. The Hate U Give is a story for our times, the kind of novel that demands to be read. It forces us to face the harsh reality of our world while encouraging us to learn more about the lives of our neighbors. I can't recommend it highly enough. 

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2021, 17)

"I just think you're meant to meet some people. I think the universe nudges them into your path. 

There is something magical about this time of year. I spent the last couple of days eating way too much food, shopping for gifts, and decorating the house for the holidays. And though this year required us to do things differently than we have in years past, those holiday traditions still bring the same amount of magic that they always have. One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to curl up next to the fire with a good book. The Texas weather finally brought us winter this weekend, so I decided to take full advantage and finish reading What If It's Us. This cute love story was the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. 

Arthur is soaking up every moment of his summer internship in New York. The soon-to-be high school senior is wholly committed to taking in all of the sights and sounds of the city life, even if that means neglecting the duties of his job. Today though, his internship has sent him on a mission that allows him to fulfill both of his desires. Today, he's been tasked with dropping off work documents at the post office. Yes, this is just a simple errand, but the city is ripe with adventure and opportunity. 

Ben is at the post office for an entirely different reason. He's got a box full of stuff that belongs to his ex-boyfriend. The breakup is still so fresh and difficult that Ben can't bear to even see his ex. Having all of this stuff that reminds him of the relationship isn't helping either. It makes sense to just mail it all back to him and rid himself of that part of his life for good. As you can imagine, fate has other plans. Ben and Arthur meet in line at the post office and have a really cute conversation. The spark between the two is undeniable, but then they are separated. Was this just a chance encounter meant to fill that small moment of time, or is this something more? You'll have to read to find out. 

I was so drawn into the story and characters that it is almost impossible for me to objectively comment on this book. In What If It's Us co-authors Becky Albertalli (of Simon vs the  Homo Sapiens Agenda fame) and Adam Silvera deliver the kind of meet-cute YA romance that you'll have a hard time putting down. I don't normally read this genre, so I was a bit apprehensive at first. As I started reading, I couldn't help but find little pieces of myself in each of the characters. There's something about navigating the final years as a teenager that is universally relatable. Take away the fact that the main characters are gay (this story could have been equally effective with a heterosexual couple), and you are still left with a story that is just too compelling to not read. Is this a great work of literature that will be touted for its prose and structure? Of course not. But there's so much about What If It's Us to like about that you won't mind the little things that would normally detract from a novel. A sequel has recently been announced, and I really can't wait to read more about these characters. 

For more information visit Albertalli's website, Silvera's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2020, 48)

Simon is a normal teenage boy. He's beginning his senior year in high-school and is starting to seriously consider his future. He's caught in that in-between moment of wanting to enjoy the last bits of his final school year and also looking toward the unknowns that his future may hold. Beyond the normal challenges of those teenage years, Simon faces an even more isolating obstacle. Simon has begun to accept the fact that he is gay.

In Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda author, Becky Albertalli presents an honest depiction of a young gay man coming to terms with his sexuality. She deftly handles the subject matter by placing the central story amidst a clever mystery. Simon has discovered another gay boy through the school's news page. The two have started an email correspondence that has allowed both boys to discover their sexual orientation in a safe space. It is nice to know they are not alone in their struggles. After weeks of back and forth, Simon is beginning to fall for the other boy. There's only one problem. The two are still communicating anonymously.

Simon's secret is threatened when he accidentally leaves his email logged in on one of the school computers. Another student reads Simon's anonymous exchanges and threatens to reveal his secret. The two reach a compromise. In exchange for the other boy's silence, Simon will do everything in his power to help him score a date with his best friend.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda breathes fresh life into the YA genre in a couple of unique ways. First, even in 2018, it is rare to have a novel featuring a protagonist who is part of the LGBTQ community. Albertalli crafts a character who not only serves as a vital piece of representation but also a character who comes off as an honest and genuine senior in high school. As someone who has faced a similar journey as Simon, it was nice to have this representation presented in such an honest way. Albertalli further separates her story from the tropes of the genre by cleverly presenting it through a mystery. Discovering the identity of Simon's anonymous pen pal is as much a part of the novel as his own inner self-discovery. In the end, the novel serves as a lovely reminder that we all are facing our own little internal battles. Despite our differences, we are all in this world together, facing similar struggles and triumphs. It's pretty great to have a book remind us of these things.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.

(2018, 38)

I recently backpacked across Europe with a group of sorority girls. One night, our conversations turned to reading. "You have to read The Selection," they proclaimed. They promised that it was an addictive tale of love in a dystopian future. I usually stay far away from this kind of young adult fare, but I trusted these girls' opinions.

A few weeks later I was back in the US and ready to read something new. As I begrudgingly began listening to the audiobook of The Selection (I borrowed the book from my library because I wasn't about to spend money on it) I easily became entranced by the story. America Singer lives in a world that is divided by castes. She is a caste five who is secretly in love with Aspen who is a caste below her.

The prince of their world, Maxon, has reached the age where he is prepared to find a wife. This is achieved by a process called The Selection. In true Hunger Games fashion, girls from the various castes are allowed to submit their names to be drawn at random for the possibility to become the princess. America's heart belongs to Aspen, but she knows that her participation in the selection could lead to financial stability for her family and even see her move into a higher caste. Reluctantly, America submits her name into the drawing, and as luck would have it, she is chosen to be one of the thirty-five young ladies to take part in the contest.

Despite all of my hesitation about reading The Selection, I couldn't help but be sucked into the story. I hung onto every word of this book. The Selection never aims for the kind of world building or complexity of similar books in the genre, but I don't really think that is the goal of it.  Author Kiera Cass has written a novel that mimics the best aspects of reality television to maximum effect. The book is at times almost laughably silly (I mean this girl's name is America Singer!), but it easily captures the soap opera drama of all the best "must watch" television shows. Against my better judgement, I fell in love with this rags to riches story. My only complaint is that the book ends rather abruptly with the promise of the drama to continue in book two. You can bet that I'll be listening to that one soon!

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.

(2017, 18)

I was a bit skeptical as I began reading The Hunger Games, earlier this year. The hype of The Hunger Games had reached a high, and I couldn't help but see what all the fuss was about. I quickly read the first novel and was pleasantly surprised. Upon completion, I decided that the novel was an entertaining way to comment on social and cultural topics. I did feel that there was room for improvement, but was invested enough to continue with the sequel, Catching Fire.

The novel finds Katniss adjusting to life as a victor of The Hunger Games. For those unfamiliar with the games, it is an annual event in which each of the twelve districts of Panem, a distopian version of the US, send a boy and a girl to fight to the death in commemoration of the historic revolution. The people of Katniss's home district 12 are used to working hard to barely stay afloat. As the victor of the games, however, Katniss has a new home and more money that she is accustom to. Despite this, she longs for her life before the games.

Her victory was unconventional, to say the least. For the first time in the history of the games, Katniss was not the sole victor. After a strange turn of events that saw her acting like she fell in love with Peeta, the boy competing from district 12, the pair both were named victors and given all of the perks that come with the title. But with this unconventional victory came many unforeseen consequences. While Katniss only acted like she loved Peeta, for the sake of the games, Peeta truly fell in love with Katniss. Still, Katniss's heart belongs to her best friend and hunting partner, Gale. On a larger level, Katniss's victory was perceived as an act of defiance against the Capitol, and threatens to spark a whole new revolution. Now Katniss must try to mend her personal life while convincing the president and citizens of Panem that she never intended to cause problems.

This novel was quite an improvement over the first novel. With all of the backstory and history fully established, Collins was able to devote more time to discovering the emotional layers of each character, even those that initially seemed to be only supporting roles. There is a political thriller permeating the young adult/fantasy exterior of this novel, that allows for quick pacing and darker undertones. Without giving away the story, there were several strong twists that I genuinely didn't see coming. Towards the end, the novel teetered on the edge of predictability, but managed to provide a satisfying ending that promises for an exciting conclusion to the trilogy.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

(2013: week 22, book 22)