Cody's bookshelf: all en-US Thu, 10 Apr 2025 15:00:08 -0700 60 Cody's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Becoming (Dancing with the Lion #1)]]> 53070445 Two boys, one heroic bond, and the molding of Greece’s greatest son.

Before he became known as Alexander the Great, he was Alexandros, the teenage son of the king of Makedon. Rather than living a life of luxury, as prince he has to be better and learn faster than his peers, tackling problems without any help. One such problem involves his increasingly complicated feelings for his new companion, Hephaistion.

When Alexandros and Hephaistion go to study under the philosopher Aristoteles, their evolving relationship becomes even harder to navigate. Strength, competition, and status define one’s fate in their world—a world that seems to have little room for the tenderness growing between them.

Alexandros is expected to command, not to crave the warmth of friendship with an equal. In a kingdom where his shrewd mother and sister are deemed inferior for their sex, and his love for Hephaistion could be seen as submission to an older boy, Alexandros longs to be a human being when everyone but Hephaistion just wants him to be a king.

First half of a duology; continue their story with Dancing with the Rise.]]> 282 Jeanne Reames 1626498962 Cody 0 currently-reading 4.09 2019 Becoming (Dancing with the Lion #1)
author: Jeanne Reames
name: Cody
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Rebecca 27823798
Working as a paid companion to a bitter elderly lady, the timid heroine of Rebecca learns her place. Life is bleak until, on a trip to the South of France, she falls in love with Maxim de Winter, a handsome widower whose proposal takes her by surprise. Whisked from Monte Carlo to Manderley, Maxim's isolated Cornish estate, the friendless young bride begins to realise she barely knows her husband at all. And in every corner of every room is the phantom of his beautiful first wife, Rebecca.

Rebecca is the haunting story of a woman consumed by love and the struggle to find her identity.

Alternate cover for ISBN 9781844080380]]> 441 Daphne du Maurier Cody 0 currently-reading 4.38 1938 Rebecca
author: Daphne du Maurier
name: Cody
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1938
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Prisoners of War: A Play in Three Acts]]> 2579166 109 J.R. Ackerley Cody 5 early-queer-novels
Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson (also referred to as Goldie) said that this play and Forester's Maurice were 'the only things I know in literature in which the theme [of homosexuality] is handled so as not to be merely sentimental and trivia, if not worse'.

After doing a bit of reading up on the play's historyfrom Ackerley's biography by Peter Parker, the subject matter seems to have gone over just enough peoples' heads to avoid censorship at the time of its production. It was originally put on at the 'Three Hundred Club', which hosted plays with no commercial backing. It was well-liked, but when concerns were raised referring to it as 'the new homosexual play', it was reread and fully understood by Mrs, Whitworth, the woman in charge of the Three Hundred Club. She asked for censorship (she feared jailtime but was also unhappy to promote such subject matter when she had a seventeen-year-old Etonian son). Ackerley pointed out that if she had not understood the themes at first glance, her friends were unlikely to either. And the play went ahead without censorship over its homosexual themes. (Though when Siegfried Sassoon read the play, he immediately recognised it as a story about 'a tormented homosexual officer'. So it wasn't /that/ subtle in its messaging.)

Despite this being really good and known for being good, I'm not surprised that there are only 10 ratings and this will be the first review on ŷ. The play isn't very accessible - it's hard to find and not very cheap. It is available in a 1988 anthology of plays edited by by Michael Wilcox, however, called Gay Plays: Vol 3. It's not too common to find online compared to the other volumes, but it is a cheaper alternative.]]> 4.20 1925 The Prisoners of War: A Play in Three Acts
author: J.R. Ackerley
name: Cody
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1925
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: early-queer-novels
review:
The Prisoners of War is an intensely character-focused play and based off of Ackerley's life experiences. It follows a group of 5 British prisoners of war during WWI who are recovering in a mountain resort in Switzerland in the summer of 1918. We follow their dynamics as they're stuck, day-after-day, with nothing to do but wait for their respective conditions to deteriorate or for the war to end while tensions between them emerge. I originally picked up the play because I thought the character dynamics might mirror something reminiscent of an early-twentieth-century school novel and I was not disappointed. (The standard tropes of a campus novel are more or less subverted.)

Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson (also referred to as Goldie) said that this play and Forester's Maurice were 'the only things I know in literature in which the theme [of homosexuality] is handled so as not to be merely sentimental and trivia, if not worse'.

After doing a bit of reading up on the play's historyfrom Ackerley's biography by Peter Parker, the subject matter seems to have gone over just enough peoples' heads to avoid censorship at the time of its production. It was originally put on at the 'Three Hundred Club', which hosted plays with no commercial backing. It was well-liked, but when concerns were raised referring to it as 'the new homosexual play', it was reread and fully understood by Mrs, Whitworth, the woman in charge of the Three Hundred Club. She asked for censorship (she feared jailtime but was also unhappy to promote such subject matter when she had a seventeen-year-old Etonian son). Ackerley pointed out that if she had not understood the themes at first glance, her friends were unlikely to either. And the play went ahead without censorship over its homosexual themes. (Though when Siegfried Sassoon read the play, he immediately recognised it as a story about 'a tormented homosexual officer'. So it wasn't /that/ subtle in its messaging.)

Despite this being really good and known for being good, I'm not surprised that there are only 10 ratings and this will be the first review on ŷ. The play isn't very accessible - it's hard to find and not very cheap. It is available in a 1988 anthology of plays edited by by Michael Wilcox, however, called Gay Plays: Vol 3. It's not too common to find online compared to the other volumes, but it is a cheaper alternative.
]]> Goodbye to Berlin 760702
In linked short stories, he says goodbye to Sally Bowles, to Fraulein Schroeder, to pranksters, perverts, political manipulators; to the very, very guilty and to the dwindling band of innocents. It is goodbye to a Berlin wild, wicked, breathtaking, decadent beyond belief and already -- in the years between the wars -- welcoming death in through the door, though more with a wink than a whimper.

~from the back cover]]> 208 Christopher Isherwood 0586047956 Cody 0 to-read 3.95 1939 Goodbye to Berlin
author: Christopher Isherwood
name: Cody
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1939
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Temple 97459 The Temple and dated 1929. Stephen Spender immediately obtained a copy of his old draft manuscript � admired in the early thirties by his London publisher, but remaining unpublished because of the sensitivity of the contents and fear of libel actions � and read it with astonished pleasure. He then rewrote it in part, taking care not to diminish its ardent youthfulness, its innocence and cynicism, in the immediacy of its view of the last days of Weimar Germany, on the eve of Hitler's rise to power.

It is, as one might expect, and autobiographical novel. Vividly present along with the protagonist, and not much disguised, are the two other members of the famous triumvirate Auden-Spender-Isherwood. Here are the experiences of a twenty-year-old Oxford poet on vacation in Hamburg, who then travels down the Rhine with two companions. We see his response to the bronzed young Germans � the children of the sun � their friendships, parties, sexuality, naturism (especially their cult of the naked body), and all the gauche hedonism that was soon to vanish under the Nazis.

Clearly The Temple is a novel of historical and literary importance,. But it is, as well, an entertaining and moving story of a young man's awakening.]]> 224 Stephen Spender 0802135242 Cody 0 to-read 3.82 1988 The Temple
author: Stephen Spender
name: Cody
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1988
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Alexis: Ou, le Traité du vain combat (suivi de) Le Coup de grâce (Le Livre de poche) (French Edition)]]> 11481907 It was with Alexis that, in 1929, Marguerite Yourcenar began her career as a novelist. Few literary debuts in this century are quite as astonishing; for this profound analysis of a man's homosexuality was written by a young woman of only twenty-four. Alexis was a daring book for its time in its exploration of sexuality and in the distinction its protagonist insists upon between pleasure and love.

]]> 280 Marguerite Yourcenar 2253003506 Cody 0 to-read 5.00 1971 Alexis: Ou, le Traité du vain combat (suivi de) Le Coup de grâce (Le Livre de poche) (French Edition)
author: Marguerite Yourcenar
name: Cody
average rating: 5.00
book published: 1971
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Desert of the Heart 1090728
Evelyn Hall is a literature professor who travels to Reno, Nevada in the summer of 1958 in order to obtain a divorce and thus put an end to her disastrous 16-year marriage. She is divorcing her husband on the advice of his psychiatrist because, this being the �50s, he believes that Evelyn’s success is causing her husband’s depression. During her six-week stay at a boarding house (a residency requirement) Evelyn meets Ann Childs.

At once, the narrative enters an aesthetic space that calls to mind the mythical preoccupations of Thomas Mann, the philosophical speculations of Frederich Nietzsche, the artistic theories of Camille Paglia, and the wry ironic humour of Iris Murdoch. They rapidly become aware of an increasing tension, arising in part from the generational gap between Evelyn and this young woman who bears a striking physical resemblance to her.

As for Ann, she is most alluring in her representation of freedom to Evelyn, from her innate artistic prowess to her unconventional liaisons amid the smoky nocturnal backdrop of casino life. And once these women have found the promise of a significant relationship, Rule’s rather open-ended question is whether or not it can survive the toxic atmosphere, not simply of an unruly gambling town, but of the past sorrows and hardships each of the characters is attempting to put behind them.

The title derives from W.H. Auden’s elegy for Yeats—“In the desert of the heart / Let the healing fountain start.”]]> 224 Jane Rule 0889223017 Cody 0 currently-reading 3.78 1964 Desert of the Heart
author: Jane Rule
name: Cody
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1964
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Bloom Town: Genesis 216398926 June, 1852.
A preacher’s daughter with a secret.
An outlaw running from the gallows.
A love story spanning oceans and deserts and years.

When Abby Proctor is kidnapped from a train in the middle of the desert halfway to her new life in California, she makes a promise to herself—she will escape. Because there’s a reason Abby is leaving Iowa and all its oppressions behind, and she refuses to be someone’s prisoner again. Especially when that someone is the infamous female outlaw Joey ‘JT London� Taylor, Abby's brash, brooding, and inconveniently beautiful captor.

But as Abby plots her escape, she stumbles upon a larger conspiracy at play behind her kidnapping—a complicated revelation considering the feelings she’s been having for Joey, who might not be the ruthless criminal everyone believes her to be. And when Abby realizes it’s all connected—her kidnapping, the secrets she left behind in Iowa, even her plans in California—she has to decide between returning to a life of obedience and unhappiness, or trusting an enigmatic outlaw who is bound for the gallows.]]> 516 Ally North Cody 0 to-read 4.67 Bloom Town: Genesis
author: Ally North
name: Cody
average rating: 4.67
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Babe, B.A. - Being the Uneventful History of a Young Gentleman at Cambridge University]]> 54593256 334 E.F. Benson 1473306345 Cody 0 to-read 2.00 1911 The Babe, B.A. - Being the Uneventful History of a Young Gentleman at Cambridge University
author: E.F. Benson
name: Cody
average rating: 2.00
book published: 1911
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Traitor Baru Cormorant (The Masquerade, #1)]]> 23444482
The Empire of Masks is coming, armed with coin and ink, doctrine and compass, soap and lies. They'll conquer Baru’s island, rewrite her culture, criminalize her customs, and dispose of one of her fathers. But Baru is patient. She'll swallow her hate, prove her talent, and join the Masquerade. She will learn the secrets of empire. She’ll be exactly what they need. And she'll claw her way high enough up the rungs of power to set her people free.

In a final test of her loyalty, the Masquerade will send Baru to bring order to distant Aurdwynn, a snakepit of rebels, informants, and seditious dukes. Aurdwynn kills everyone who tries to rule it. To survive, Baru will need to untangle this land’s intricate web of treachery - and conceal her attraction to the dangerously fascinating Duchess Tain Hu.

But Baru is a savant in games of power, as ruthless in her tactics as she is fixated on her goals. In the calculus of her schemes, all ledgers must be balanced, and the price of liberation paid in full.

]]> 399 Seth Dickinson 0765380722 Cody 0 currently-reading 4.04 2015 The Traitor Baru Cormorant (The Masquerade, #1)
author: Seth Dickinson
name: Cody
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Prince's Gambit (Captive Prince, #2)]]> 23398894
Forced to hide his identity, Damen finds himself increasingly drawn to the dangerous, charismatic Laurent. But as the fledgling trust between the two men deepens, the truth of secrets from both their pasts is poised to deal them the crowning death blow . . .]]> 404 C.S. Pacat Cody 5 favourites, 2023-favourites 4.39 2013 Prince's Gambit (Captive Prince, #2)
author: C.S. Pacat
name: Cody
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2023/07/29
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: favourites, 2023-favourites
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder]]> 58045504 An alternative cover for this ISBN can be found here.

The most nostalgic and reflective of Evelyn Waugh's novels, Brideshead Revisited looks back to the golden age before the Second World War. It tells the story of Charles Ryder's infatuation with the Marchmains and the rapidly-disappearing world of privilege they inhabit. Enchanted first by Sebastian at Oxford, then by his doomed Catholic family, in particular his remote sister, Julia, Charles comes finally to recognize only his spiritual and social distance from them.]]> 480 Evelyn Waugh 0141182482 Cody 5
I think my favourite part about this book is just how similar it is to The Secret History - you can view any character's motivations and their relationship to one another to be as genuine or as sinister (or any shade in between) as you'd like.

Sebastian, you will always mean the world to me. Julia, you're messy and deserve the world. Charles, you win the award for worst husband and father.

Also I feel like it's my duty to say this (because I just saw a podcast reviewer upset because it wasn't gay and they felt misled): it is gay. Like... pretty obviously gay.]]> 4.04 1945 Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder
author: Evelyn Waugh
name: Cody
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1945
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: early-queer-novels, 2025-favourites, favourites
review:
4.75 stars rounded up (am I docking .25 stars because of Catholicism? probably)

I think my favourite part about this book is just how similar it is to The Secret History - you can view any character's motivations and their relationship to one another to be as genuine or as sinister (or any shade in between) as you'd like.

Sebastian, you will always mean the world to me. Julia, you're messy and deserve the world. Charles, you win the award for worst husband and father.

Also I feel like it's my duty to say this (because I just saw a podcast reviewer upset because it wasn't gay and they felt misled): it is gay. Like... pretty obviously gay.
]]> The Green Bay Tree: A Play 10245231
A beautiful young man is forced to choose between the love of his fiancée and the lifestyle of his male mentor.

This is the infamous comedy of manipulation that, in 1934, made a leading Broadway star of Laurence Olivier, opposite his then-wife Jill Esmond. The Green Bay Tree (1933) was a scandalous hit in the West End and on Broadway.]]> Mordaunt Shairp Cody 0 to-read 3.67 1933 The Green Bay Tree: A Play
author: Mordaunt Shairp
name: Cody
average rating: 3.67
book published: 1933
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Bull from the Sea (Theseus, #2)]]> 248632 256 Mary Renault 0099463539 Cody 0 to-read 4.09 1962 The Bull from the Sea (Theseus, #2)
author: Mary Renault
name: Cody
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1962
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The King Must Die 13437406 339 Mary Renault Cody 5
Reminder that Renault is actually a decent writer and her views do not reflect Theseus's.

This is closer to a 4.25 in terms of enjoyment, but the writing in this is just next level, so rounding up to a 5 stars.]]> 3.69 1958 The King Must Die
author: Mary Renault
name: Cody
average rating: 3.69
book published: 1958
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves:
review:
Once I got into this, I got into this. Theseus is still kinda the worst, but I absolutely love the way Renault can transport you back in time and build a world that feels so recognisable, yet so foreign.

Reminder that Renault is actually a decent writer and her views do not reflect Theseus's.

This is closer to a 4.25 in terms of enjoyment, but the writing in this is just next level, so rounding up to a 5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf]]> 211025375 A sexy, atmospheric mid-century novel about two Shakespearean actors in an unusual marriage during one summer that will drive them closer than ever or rip them apart for good.

Up-and-coming stage actress Margaret Shoard has just taken a bow as Lady Macbeth, the role she has always believed was destined for her. At home, she plays wife to her best friend Wesley, even if she doesn’t hold his sole attention romantically. After a public breakdown threatens all she holds dear, Margaret’s doctor prescribes her uppers—just a little help to get through the days.

When Wesley is invited by eccentric director Vaughn Kline to join the cast for an inaugural Shakespeare performance in the New Mexico desert, Margaret decides to accompany him in the hopes that time away from the city will set her back to rights . . . but the world she finds in Vaughn’s company is filled with obsession and betrayal. Margaret and Wesley, embroiled in an affair with a man who may not be all he seems, must find a way forward together before their story becomes the real tragedy.]]> 368 Isa Arsén 0593718364 Cody 0 to-read 3.45 2025 The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf
author: Isa Arsén
name: Cody
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Crazy Pavements 12967919
Beverley Nichols (1898-1983) was one of the 'Bright Young People', a group of socialites well-known in 1920s London for their drinking, drug use, and elaborate parties, and in this novel he satirized the set to which he belonged. Inspired in part by Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and an influence on Evelyn Waugh's novels, Crazy Pavements (1927) was a bestseller in its day and has lost none of its ferocious humour. This edition, the first in more than seventy years, includes a new introduction by David Deutsch discussing the novel's themes, including its gay subtexts.

'An amazing book.' - Sunday Times

'With this book he establishes his claim to rank as a vastly entertaining observer of human life. He has a very attractive style, a frequently delicious humour, and a dramatic sense of situation.' - Arthur Waugh, The Daily Telegraph

'Brilliantly original.' - The Guardian

'It is altogether a brilliant affair.' - Bystander

]]> 313 Beverley Nichols Cody 0 to-read 3.48 1927 Crazy Pavements
author: Beverley Nichols
name: Cody
average rating: 3.48
book published: 1927
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Pole and Whistle 201866822 118 George Moor 1739353269 Cody 3 early-queer-novels
2.75 stars because the premise is refreshingly straightforward. So straightforward that it actually reminds me of a pulp/erotic novel from the 1960s that was rewritten to try to be literary. I just wish it was actually written well.]]> 4.27 The Pole and Whistle
author: George Moor
name: Cody
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: early-queer-novels
review:
Is giving melodramatic Wattpad despite being published in 1966.

2.75 stars because the premise is refreshingly straightforward. So straightforward that it actually reminds me of a pulp/erotic novel from the 1960s that was rewritten to try to be literary. I just wish it was actually written well.
]]> The Hymn to Dionysus 211004841 A timely and timeless reimagining of the story of Dionysus, Greek God of ecstasy and madness, revelry and ruin, for readers of The Song of Achilles and Elektra.

Raised in a Greek legion, Phaidros has been taught to fight for the homeland he’s never seen and to follow his commander’s orders at all costs. But when he rescues a baby from a fire at Thebes’s palace, his commander’s orders cease to make sense: Phaidros is forced to abandon the blue-eyed boy at a temple, and to keep the baby’s existence a secret.

Years later, after a strange encounter that led to the death of his battalion, Phaidros has become a training master for young soldiers. He struggles with panic attacks and flashbacks, and he is not the only one: all around him, his fellow veterans are losing their minds.

Phaidros’s risk of madness is not his only problem: his life has become entangled with Thebes’s young crown prince, who wishes to escape the marriage his mother, the Queen, has chosen for him. When the prince vanishes, Phaidros is drawn into the search for him—a search that leads him to a blue-eyed witch named Dionysus, whose guidance is as wise as the events that surround him are strange. In Dionysus’s company, Phaidros witnesses sudden outbursts of riots and unrest, and everywhere Dionysus goes, rumors follow about a new god, one sired by Zeus but lost in a fire.

In The Hymn to Dionysus, bestselling author Natasha Pulley transports us to an ancient empire on the edge of ruin to tell an utterly captivating story about a man needing a god to remind him how to be a human.]]> 416 Natasha Pulley 1639732365 Cody 0 dnf 4.24 2025 The Hymn to Dionysus
author: Natasha Pulley
name: Cody
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Life of Alcibiades: The Idol of Athens]]> 9727972
Alcibiades's extraordinary beauty, great wealth, ostentatious vanity, male and female amours, debaucheries, and impious revels earned him notoriety not only in Athens but throughout the Hellenic world. In subsequent ages his name was used as a near byword for all kinds of excess. But, as Benson argues, reappraising Alcibiades's reputation, great as were his vices, his virtues were even greater ...

Although The Life of Alcibiades was originally published in 1928, and there have been other newer detailed works published on Alcibiades since then, no other work captures the passion and the excitement of the brilliant but erratic career of Alcibiades as Benson's biography does. As the reader will discover, Benson evidently has much sympathy for his subject and this brings the entire biography to life. He combines detailed research, especially his use of primary materials from Thucydides and Plutarch, with writing flare, not an easy accomplishment.

Front cover photograph: "Alcibiades", Ideal Male Portrait. Marble. Roman copy after a Greek original of the 4th century BC. Palazzo dei Conservatori, Hall of the Triumphs. Back cover photograph: E. F. Benson, aged 26.

Edward Frederic Benson (1867-1940) was a prolific and much loved English novelist, biographer and short story writer. He was educated at Marlborough College, King's College, Cambridge (where he obtained a first in classics) and the British School of Archaeology in Athens. Benson is most famous for a series of comic novels he published during the 1920's and 1930's--"Mapp and Lucia". Benson was awarded an MBE and was made an Honorary Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford.

Dr. Craig Paterson is a philosopher and author. He now lives in Los Angeles, California.]]> 310 E.F. Benson 1456303333 Cody 0 to-read 3.87 1928 The Life of Alcibiades: The Idol of Athens
author: E.F. Benson
name: Cody
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1928
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Peter Darling 58170822
The only person who truly missed Peter is Captain James Hook, who is delighted to have his old rival back. But when a new war ignites between the Lost Boys and Hook’s pirates, the ensuing bloodshed becomes all too real � and Peter’s rivalry with Hook starts to blur into something far more complicated, sensual, and deadly.]]> 310 Austin Chant 1087818192 Cody 0 to-read 4.09 2017 Peter Darling
author: Austin Chant
name: Cody
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[All Quiet on the Western Front]]> 355697
In 1914 a room full of German schoolboys, fresh-faced and idealistic, are goaded by their schoolmaster to troop off to the ‘glorious war�. With the fire and patriotism of youth they sign up. What follows is the moving story of a young ‘unknown soldier� experiencing the horror and disillusionment of life in the trenches.]]> 296 Erich Maria Remarque 0449213943 Cody 5 2025-favourites OOF. 4.04 1928 All Quiet on the Western Front
author: Erich Maria Remarque
name: Cody
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1928
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: 2025-favourites
review:
OOF.
]]> <![CDATA[The Harrovians: A Tale of Public School Life]]> 9886360 281 Arnold Henry Moore Lunn 1453809481 Cody 0 dnf 3.50 1913 The Harrovians: A Tale of Public School Life
author: Arnold Henry Moore Lunn
name: Cody
average rating: 3.50
book published: 1913
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> Eric, or Little by Little 2812020 276 Frederic W. Farrar 1406516864 Cody 0 to-read 2.94 1858 Eric, or Little by Little
author: Frederic W. Farrar
name: Cody
average rating: 2.94
book published: 1858
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Sinister Street 655426 Sinister Street was first published in two volumes, the first in 1913, the second in the following year. Henry James, in a letter to Hugh Walpole, described it as “really a very interesting and remarkable performance� at one and the same time so extremely young� and so confoundingly mature.�
In an article, he named Compton Mackenzie as one of the four young novelists most likely to sustain the greatest traditions of English fiction.
Year by year the novel has sold steadily and established itself as one of the classics of its age. It is the story of a young man who passed through a public school and Oxford in the first decade of this century and whose experiences culminated in the byways of London, and it has been justly described by Mr. Frank Swinnerton as “the record of a departed generation�. But, while manners and conditions have changed, its appeal retains the same force for every succeeding generation, because the story is concerned with the perpetual problems of romantic youth.]]> 832 Compton Mackenzie 0140184759 Cody 0 to-read 3.86 1913 Sinister Street
author: Compton Mackenzie
name: Cody
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1913
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Copper Script 229093104
Joel’s not an admirer of the police, but DS Fowler has the most irresistible handwriting he’s ever seen. If the policeman’s tests let him spend time unnerving the handsome copper, why not play along?

But when Joel looks at a powerful man's handwriting and sees a murderer, the policeman and the graphologist are plunged into deadly danger. Their enemy will protect himself at any cost--unless the sparring pair can come together to prove his guilt and save each other.]]> K.J. Charles 1912688247 Cody 0 to-read 0.0 2025 Copper Script
author: K.J. Charles
name: Cody
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Song of Achilles 13623848 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780062060624.

Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.]]> 408 Madeline Miller Cody 5 this book &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt; 4.30 2011 The Song of Achilles
author: Madeline Miller
name: Cody
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves:
review:
this book >>>>
]]> Queer 23942 160 William S. Burroughs 0330300164 Cody 0 to-read 3.57 1985 Queer
author: William S. Burroughs
name: Cody
average rating: 3.57
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Daniel Cabot Puts Down Roots (The Cabots, #3)]]> 62972185 New York City, 1973

Daniel Cabot doesn’t really know what he’s doing with his life. He’s lost faith in himself, his future, and maybe the world. The only things he knows that he cares about are the garden in the empty lot next to his crumbling East Village apartment building and his best friend.

Alex Savchenko has always known that he’s…difficult. Prickly, maybe, if you’re feeling generous. But maybe that’s the kind of personality it takes to start a low-income pediatrics clinic in one of Manhattan’s most troubled neighborhoods. When Daniel stumbles into his life, Alex doesn’t expect him to stay—most people don’t. And when Alex develops useless, inconvenient feelings for his new friend, he does what he’s always done, and tells himself that he isn’t feeling anything at all.

Daniel, though, has always worn his heart on his sleeve, and he isn’t stopping now.

Sometimes when things seem to be falling apart, it means there’s room for something incredible to grow.]]> 230 Cat Sebastian Cody 4 help this was so cute 4.20 2022 Daniel Cabot Puts Down Roots (The Cabots, #3)
author: Cat Sebastian
name: Cody
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves:
review:
help this was so cute
]]> <![CDATA[Luke and Billy Finally Get a Clue (The Cabots #3.5)]]> 199280681
Billy Reardon’s spent the past five years trying and failing to keep his teammate Luke Novak at arm’s length—or at least a normal, friendly distance. Or, failing that, he’d like to not make a fool of himself. But a month after getting seriously injured by a wild pitch and disappearing off the face of the earth, Luke shows up at Billy’s isolated house in the mountains just as a storm’s about to roll in. Now that they’re stuck together in the middle of nowhere, Billy can’t even pretend not to have feelings that go beyond what he ought to feel for a teammate.

Meanwhile, Luke’s acting strange and Billy doesn’t know why. And Billy can’t seem to fight the urge to make Luke sandwiches and hot cocoa, lend him cozy sweaters, and watch him play with the dogs. It’s all pretty terrible, and the one thing Billy’s sure of is that things between them are going to be different after all this is over.

This novella is about 25,000 words]]> 102 Cat Sebastian Cody 5 2025-favourites 4.18 2023 Luke and Billy Finally Get a Clue (The Cabots #3.5)
author: Cat Sebastian
name: Cody
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: 2025-favourites
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Winterwode (The Books of the Wode)]]> 52823217 Marion has fled the Church to join her brother's band, but old shackles and new fears hamper her ability to take up her birthright as Maiden to the Wode...
The outlaws hold to an uneasy truce with Gamelyn, also known as the defrocked Templar Guy of Gisbourne, once Robyn’s fiercest enemy and now lover...
A lone traveller is waylaid, and common occurrence quickly proves uncommon. Knight and Maiden, Archer and Men, all are conscripted to aid a Queen’s—and ultimately a King’s—ransom...
For England lies divided, and beneath winter’s chill lies for crown, for country, and for the Shire Wode's deepest magics.]]> 438 J. Tullos Hennig 1951293053 Cody 4 4.50 2015 Winterwode (The Books of the Wode)
author: J. Tullos Hennig
name: Cody
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Knight and the Butcherbird]]> 224970641
In this gritty, haunting tale about doing whatever it takes for love, a small-town storyteller resolves to keep the local monster—and her own secrets—safe from a legendary knight.

Nestled deep in the steep hills, valleys, and surrounding woodlands lies Iron Hollow, a rural community beset by demons. Such horrors are common in the outlands, where most folks die young, if they don’t turn into monsters first. But what’s causing these transformations?

No one has the answer, not even the town’s oral historian, seventeen-year-old Shrike. And when a legendary knight is summoned to hunt down the latest beast to haunt their woods, Shrike has more reason than most to be concerned. Because that demon was her wife. And while Shrike is certain that May still recognizes her—that May is still human, somewhere beneath it all—she can’t prove it.

Determined to keep May safe, Shrike stalks the knight and his demon-hunting hawk through the recesses of the forest. But as they creep through toxic creeks and overgrown kudzu, Shrike realizes the knight has a secret of his own. And he’ll do anything to protect it.]]> 36 Alix E. Harrow 1662527233 Cody 0 to-read 4.07 2025 The Knight and the Butcherbird
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: Cody
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Mr Loverman 17879710 Barry to his friends.
Trouble to his wife.

Seventy-four years old, Antiguan born and bred, flamboyant Hackney personality Barry is known for his dapper taste and fondness for retro suits.

He is a husband, father and grandfather.

And for the past sixty years, he has been in a relationship with his childhood friend and soulmate, Morris.

Wife Carmel knows Barry has been cheating on her, but little does she know what is really going on. When their marriage goes into meltdown, Barrington has big choices to make.

Mr Loverman is a groundbreaking exploration of Britain's older Caribbean community, which explodes cultural myths and fallacies, and shows how deep and far-reaching the consequences of prejudice and fear can be. It is also a warm-hearted, funny and life-affirming story about a character as mischievous, cheeky and downright lovable as any you'll ever meet.]]> 307 Bernardine Evaristo Cody 0 to-read 4.19 2013 Mr Loverman
author: Bernardine Evaristo
name: Cody
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ariadne: A Novel of Ancient Crete]]> 2186378 246 June Rachuy Brindel 0312049129 Cody 0 to-read 4.15 1980 Ariadne: A Novel of Ancient Crete
author: June Rachuy Brindel
name: Cody
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1980
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Pierre and Luce 425904 88 Romain Rolland 1595690603 Cody 0 to-read 3.64 1920 Pierre and Luce
author: Romain Rolland
name: Cody
average rating: 3.64
book published: 1920
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Story of Silence 51051711 The Story of Silence is a rich, multilayered new story for today’s world � sure to delight fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale.

There was once, long ago, a foolish king who decreed that women should not, and would not, inherit. Thus when a girl-child was born to Lord Cador � Merlin-enchanted fighter of dragons and Earl of Cornwall � he secreted her away: to be raised a boy so that the family land and honour would remain intact.

That child’s name was Silence.

Silence must find their own place in a medieval world that is determined to place the many restrictions of gender and class upon them. With dreams of knighthood and a lonely heart to answer, Silence sets out to define themselves.

Soon their silence will be ended.]]> 400 Alex Myers 0008352682 Cody 0 to-read 4.08 2020 The Story of Silence
author: Alex Myers
name: Cody
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Peter Cabot Gets Lost (The Cabots, #2)]]> 57658678
After years of scraping by, Caleb Murphy has graduated from college and is finally getting to start a new life. Except he suddenly has no way to get from Boston to Los Angeles. Then, to add to his misery, there's perfect, privileged Peter Cabot offering to drive him. Caleb can't refuse, even though the idea of spending a week in the car with a man whose luggage probably costs more than everything Caleb owns makes him want to scream.

Peter Cabot would do pretty much anything to skip out on his father's presidential campaign, including driving across the country with a classmate who can't stand him. After all, he's had plenty of practice with people not liking him much—his own family, for example. The farther Peter gets from his family's expectations, the more he starts to think about what he really wants, and the more certain he becomes that what he wants is more time with prickly, grumpy Caleb Murphy.

As they put more miles between themselves and their pasts, they both start to imagine a future where they can have things they never thought possible.]]> 217 Cat Sebastian 1393337244 Cody 5 4.29 2021 Peter Cabot Gets Lost (The Cabots, #2)
author: Cat Sebastian
name: Cody
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars, this was cute as hell
]]> This Monster of Mine 219268963 She knows the taste of death. He'll stoke her hunger for it.

Eighteen-year-old Sarai doesn't know why someone tried to kill her four years ago, but she does know that her case was closed without justice. Hellbent on vengeance, she returns to the scene of the crime as a Petitor, a prosecutor who can magically detect lies, and is assigned to work with Tetrarch Kadra. Ice-cold and perennially sadistic, Kadra is the most vicious of the four judges who rule the land - and the prime suspect in a string of deaths identical to Sarai's attempted murder.

Certain of his guilt, Sarai begins a double life: solving cases with Kadra by day and plotting his ruin by night. But Kadra is charming and there's something alluring about the wrath he wields against the city's corruption. So when the evidence she finds embroils her in a deadly political battle, Sarai must also fight against her attraction to Kadra - because despite his growing hold on her heart, his voice matches the only memory she has of her assailant...

A dazzling Ancient Rome-inspired romantasy debut, This Monster of Mine is a bloodbath of manipulation, deception, and forbidden love.]]> 416 Shalini Abeysekara 145495809X Cody 0 to-read 4.27 2025 This Monster of Mine
author: Shalini Abeysekara
name: Cody
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder]]> 143975490
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a thrilling story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on The Wager, showing that it was not only the captain and crew who ended up on trial, but the very idea of empire.

On 28th January 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s ship The Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon, The Wager was wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The crew, marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing 2,500 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes.

But then ... six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they told a very different story. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes–they were mutineers. The first group responded with countercharges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous senior officer and his henchmen. It became clear that while stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death—for whomever the court found guilty could hang.

The Wager is a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes told by one of our greatest nonfiction writers. Grann’s recreation of the hidden world on a British warship rivals the work of Patrick O’Brian, his portrayal of the castaways� desperate straits stands up to the classics of survival writing such as The Endurance, and his account of the court martial has the savvy of a Scott Turow thriller. As always with Grann’s work, the incredible twists of the narrative hold the listener spellbound.]]> 9 David Grann 0307747492 Cody 0 to-read 3.83 2023 The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
author: David Grann
name: Cody
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Raven Scholar (Eternal Path Trilogy #1)]]> 212174157 From an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes The Raven Scholar, a masterfully woven and playfully inventive tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar’s quest to uncover the truth.

Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists—the best of the best.

Then one of them is murdered.

It falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. To do so, she must untangle a web of deadly secrets that stretches back generations, all while competing against six warriors with their own dark histories and fierce ambitions. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.

If she succeeds, she will win the throne. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won’t let that happen.

We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.]]> 656 Antonia Hodgson 152933988X Cody 0 to-read 4.50 2025 The Raven Scholar (Eternal Path Trilogy #1)
author: Antonia Hodgson
name: Cody
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Charioteer 18758839
First published in 1953, The Charioteer is a a tender, intelligent coming-of-age novel and a bold, unapologetic portrayal of homosexuality that stands with Gore Vidal's The City and the Pillar and James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room as a landmark work in gay literature.

With an introduction by Simon Russell Beale.]]> 420 Mary Renault 1844089509 Cody 5 � The Charioteer by Mary Renault (1953)

Now that I've read The Charioteer, twice I figured it might be time to finally write an actual review? For my all time favourite book? Maybe?

Well: The Charioteer is a book that was meant to be reread.

I have never read a book with so many parallels. Renault certainly trusts the reader...a lot. No word is wasted and what you think may be a throwaway line has significance to a decision made later in the book. It's like the Hydra - when you think you've cracked it, when you think you've understood the novel and characters, you uncover another motif or parallel and the analysis never ends.

And, to be honest, you want to keep analysing it because the characters are painfully real and you desperately want to understand them. The book is entirely character-driven and if you accept what they think or say at face value, you'll probably get whiplash. And that doesn't account for the fact that Renault withholds so much information from you and chooses when (or if) she ever wants to tell you.

And for what it's worth, this is mainly a stylistic choice, not one to solely avoid censorship. For instance: when Renault revised the book in 1959, she added an ellipsis to a scene and we can try to infer what might've happened, but there's not a consensus among fans (but they totally kissed in chapter 2, fight me).

The Charioteer isn't a book I'd recommend to everyone. It's dense, the love triangle at the heart of the story tears at you, and you constantly feel uneasy. But it is also the most beautiful book I've ever read. The parallels between the couples is just so painful. Renault plays with your allegiances so well that it's only at the end of the book that you can see the full picture and what and who the book was always about.

I've read it twice already but I can't wait to reread it again. (And yes, I will be reading the '53 version solely for the knee touch scene that was cut in chapter 8.)

Altogether: a perfect book, infinite stars. Also recommending the audiobook!]]> 4.15 1953 The Charioteer
author: Mary Renault
name: Cody
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1953
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: 2024-favourites, favourites, early-queer-novels
review:
"I wanted someone to follow, I wanted him to be brave. But he wants to be brave for me too; and no one can do that."
� The Charioteer by Mary Renault (1953)

Now that I've read The Charioteer, twice I figured it might be time to finally write an actual review? For my all time favourite book? Maybe?

Well: The Charioteer is a book that was meant to be reread.

I have never read a book with so many parallels. Renault certainly trusts the reader...a lot. No word is wasted and what you think may be a throwaway line has significance to a decision made later in the book. It's like the Hydra - when you think you've cracked it, when you think you've understood the novel and characters, you uncover another motif or parallel and the analysis never ends.

And, to be honest, you want to keep analysing it because the characters are painfully real and you desperately want to understand them. The book is entirely character-driven and if you accept what they think or say at face value, you'll probably get whiplash. And that doesn't account for the fact that Renault withholds so much information from you and chooses when (or if) she ever wants to tell you.

And for what it's worth, this is mainly a stylistic choice, not one to solely avoid censorship. For instance: when Renault revised the book in 1959, she added an ellipsis to a scene and we can try to infer what might've happened, but there's not a consensus among fans (but they totally kissed in chapter 2, fight me).

The Charioteer isn't a book I'd recommend to everyone. It's dense, the love triangle at the heart of the story tears at you, and you constantly feel uneasy. But it is also the most beautiful book I've ever read. The parallels between the couples is just so painful. Renault plays with your allegiances so well that it's only at the end of the book that you can see the full picture and what and who the book was always about.

I've read it twice already but I can't wait to reread it again. (And yes, I will be reading the '53 version solely for the knee touch scene that was cut in chapter 8.)

Altogether: a perfect book, infinite stars. Also recommending the audiobook!
]]> <![CDATA[Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit]]> 15055
This is the story of Jeanette, adopted and brought up by her mother as one of God's elect. Zealous and passionate, she seems destined for life as a missionary, but then she falls for one of her converts.

At sixteen, Jeanette decides to leave the church, her home and her family, for the young woman she loves. Innovative, punchy and tender,

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a few days ride into the bizarre outposts of religious excess and human obsession.]]> 176 Jeanette Winterson Cody 0 to-read 3.76 1985 Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
author: Jeanette Winterson
name: Cody
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Odyssey 34068470 The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty, and power; about marriage and family; about travelers, hospitality, and the yearning for home.

In this fresh, authoritative version--the first English translation of The Odyssey by a woman--this stirring tale of shipwrecks, monsters, and magic comes alive in an entirely new way. Written in iambic pentameter verse and a vivid, contemporary idiom, this engrossing translation matches the number of lines in the Greek original, thus striding at Homer's sprightly pace and singing with a voice that echoes Homer's music.

Wilson's Odyssey captures the beauty and enchantment of this ancient poem as well as the suspense and drama of its narrative. Its characters are unforgettable, from the cunning goddess Athena, whose interventions guide and protect the hero, to the awkward teenage son, Telemachus, who struggles to achieve adulthood and find his father; from the cautious, clever, and miserable Penelope, who somehow keeps clamoring suitors at bay during her husband's long absence, to the "complicated" hero himself, a man of many disguises, many tricks, and many moods, who emerges in this translation as a more fully rounded human being than ever before.

A fascinating introduction provides an informative overview of the Bronze Age milieu that produced the epic, the major themes of the poem, the controversies about its origins, and the unparalleled scope of its impact and influence. Maps drawn especially for this volume, a pronunciation glossary, and extensive notes and summaries of each book make this an Odyssey that will be treasured by a new generation of scholars, students, and general readers alike.]]> 582 Homer 0393089053 Cody 4
*gender neutral]]> 4.30 -700 The Odyssey
author: Homer
name: Cody
average rating: 4.30
book published: -700
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves:
review:
I will always be an Iliad girlie*

*gender neutral
]]> Band Sinister 39345944
Guy Frisby and his sister Amanda live in rural seclusion after a family scandal. But when Amanda breaks her leg in a riding accident, she’s forced to recuperate at Rookwood Hall, where Sir Philip is hosting the Murder.

Guy rushes to protect her, but the Murder aren’t what he expects. They’re educated, fascinating people, and the notorious Sir Philip turns out to be charming, kind—and dangerously attractive.

In this private space where anything goes, the longings Guy has stifled all his life are impossible to resist...and so is Philip. But all too soon the rural rumour mill threatens both Guy and Amanda. The innocent country gentleman has lost his heart to the bastard baronet—but does he dare lose his reputation too?]]> 224 K.J. Charles Cody 4 3.75 rounded up! 4.19 2018 Band Sinister
author: K.J. Charles
name: Cody
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves:
review:
3.75 rounded up!
]]> Ravens' Brood 3378332 320 E.F. Benson 187374109X Cody 0 to-read 3.31 1993 Ravens' Brood
author: E.F. Benson
name: Cody
average rating: 3.31
book published: 1993
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Untitled (All for the Game, #6)]]> 228362986 Nora Sakavic Cody 0 to-read 5.00 2025 Untitled (All for the Game, #6)
author: Nora Sakavic
name: Cody
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Katabasis 210223811 Two graduate students must set aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul, perhaps at the cost of their own.

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality—her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world—that is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands, and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the same conclusion.]]> 400 R.F. Kuang Cody 5 2024-favourites
(And the allure of why I want to go back and finish it.)]]> 4.12 2025 Katabasis
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Cody
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: 2024-favourites
review:
I never thought I'd read a book that accurately sums up why I quit my PhD.

(And the allure of why I want to go back and finish it.)
]]> <![CDATA[The Goddess Of (The Fragile Divine, #1)]]> 204964640
Naia, the daughter of the High Sea Goddess, is an embarrassment. She holds no title and no power but is the key to a curse placed centuries ago on her mother: Naia must form a union with a god from an opposing family.

When the day arrives for her arranged marriage, she turns to the High God of Death and Curses for help.

He assists Naia under one condition—she must accept a curse, blindly. Willing to do whatever it takes to escape her mother’s kingdom beneath the sea, Naia agrees and flees to the Mortal Land.

When she wakes up in Ronin Kahale’s childhood home, she’s greeted by the warm, welcoming twenty-eight-year-old mortal. Distrustful of Ronin and his selfless hospitality, she’s convinced there’s more to him than what he’s sharing.

However, he’s her one-way ticket into Hollow City, an ominous concrete jungle infested with witches. Somewhere among its streets lies Finnian, Naia's younger brother and the only one capable of helping her hide from their cruel mother.

Naia desperately tries not to care for another mortal, but as her life intertwines with Ronin’s, she questions the lengths she will go to keep him safe from the gods who hunt her down—and the curse that looms over her.

With gods, though, everything comes with a price.


The Goddess Of is not intended for readers under 18 years of age. Please check content warnings as some material may be sensitive for some readers.]]> 429 Randi Garner Cody 0 to-read 4.15 The Goddess Of (The Fragile Divine, #1)
author: Randi Garner
name: Cody
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Golden Raven (All for the Game, #5)]]> 213726350 I do not care what they think of me. I can’t. It only matters that I play.

Jeremy Knox is no stranger to damage control, but his last season on an Exy court is off to a disastrous start. The relentless crusade against his newest teammate threatens the haven he and his friends have worked so hard to build. He promised Jean a fun senior year, but tragedy and ugly truths make every step forward an uphill fight.

Jean Moreau promised the USC Trojans a championship trophy, and he intends to deliver. Granted, it would be significantly easier if they’d slide off their high horses and throw a few elbows on the court. Their steadfast refusal to do things his way is nearly as aggravating as their unwanted affection, but maybe they’re not the ones that need to change.

With so many ready to drag him down, how can he learn to fly?]]> 484 Nora Sakavic Cody 5 2025-favourites
Okay okay it took me 4 whole days to chill out enough before I could write a coherent review. I read this in one sitting. I had to get up and pace around the room at points. Nora writes characters and character growth so well that not a moment in the book is wasted, it's all development. Jean and Jeremy own me, okay? Own me. They have my whole heart.

Every scene with the Foxes? Kevin? I cannot and will not be silenced. Jean's favourite colour? What he tells Jeremy near the end of the book? I'm deceased. Jeremy's own form of self-harm and punishing himself? The messy dynamic between Jean and Kevin? Jean and Neil? End me.

I'm going to be so obnoxious until book 3 comes out. ]]> 4.61 2025 The Golden Raven (All for the Game, #5)
author: Nora Sakavic
name: Cody
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: 2025-favourites
review:
THIS BOOK ENDED ME

Okay okay it took me 4 whole days to chill out enough before I could write a coherent review. I read this in one sitting. I had to get up and pace around the room at points. Nora writes characters and character growth so well that not a moment in the book is wasted, it's all development. Jean and Jeremy own me, okay? Own me. They have my whole heart.

Every scene with the Foxes? Kevin? I cannot and will not be silenced. Jean's favourite colour? What he tells Jeremy near the end of the book? I'm deceased. Jeremy's own form of self-harm and punishing himself? The messy dynamic between Jean and Kevin? Jean and Neil? End me.

I'm going to be so obnoxious until book 3 comes out.
]]> Hazelthorn 220909040
Evander has lived like a ghost in the forgotten corners of the Hazelthorn estate ever since he was taken in by his reclusive billionaire guardian, Byron Lennox-Hall, when he was a child. For his safety, Evander has been given three ironclad rules to follow:

He can never leave the estate. He can never go into the gardens. And most importantly, he can never again be left alone with Byron's charming, underachieving grandson, Laurie.

That last rule has been in place ever since Laurie tried to kill Evander seven years ago, and yet somehow Evander is still obsessed with him.

But when Byron suddenly dies, Evander inherits Hazelthorn’s immense gothic mansion and acres of sprawling grounds, along with the entirety of the Lennox-Hall family's vast wealth. There’s just one caveat: He must choose a new guardian from amongst Laurie's scheming, backstabbing relatives to help manage the estate until he turns eighteen.

Except Evander's sure his guardian was murdered, and Laurie may be the only one who can help him find the killer before they come for Evander next. Perhaps even more concerning is how the overgrown garden is refusing to stay behind its walls, slipping its vines and spores deeper into the house with each passing day. As the family’s dark secrets unravel alongside the growing horror of their terribly alive, bloodthirsty garden, Evander needs to find out what he’s really inheriting before the garden demands to be fed once more.]]> 368 C.G. Drews 1250376297 Cody 5 2025-favourites
I'm not sure a book has ever made me cry, gag, and yearn before.

This was such a wild ride, I absolutely loved it, easily a new favourite. The prose was absolutely beautiful, the themes hit me, the plot twists had me by the throat.

Everything about the book is unique: the way the genres morph from a murder mystery to botanical/folk/psychological horror to a unhinged gothic retelling and back again; Evander and Laurie's dynamic (which had me gnawing on my kindle); Evander's entire characterization.

I stayed up until 2:30am to finish this - the last 70% of the book had me TENSE, okay.

I loved Don't Let the Forest In and it was one of my favourite reads of 2024, but there was something about Hazelthorn that drew me in and devoured me in a way that I haven't felt with a book in a long time.

A huge thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the ARC! I am going to be so obnoxious about this book, oh my GOD.]]> 4.78 2025 Hazelthorn
author: C.G. Drews
name: Cody
average rating: 4.78
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: 2025-favourites
review:
SHUT UP THIS WAS SO GOOD.

I'm not sure a book has ever made me cry, gag, and yearn before.

This was such a wild ride, I absolutely loved it, easily a new favourite. The prose was absolutely beautiful, the themes hit me, the plot twists had me by the throat.

Everything about the book is unique: the way the genres morph from a murder mystery to botanical/folk/psychological horror to a unhinged gothic retelling and back again; Evander and Laurie's dynamic (which had me gnawing on my kindle); Evander's entire characterization.

I stayed up until 2:30am to finish this - the last 70% of the book had me TENSE, okay.

I loved Don't Let the Forest In and it was one of my favourite reads of 2024, but there was something about Hazelthorn that drew me in and devoured me in a way that I haven't felt with a book in a long time.

A huge thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the ARC! I am going to be so obnoxious about this book, oh my GOD.
]]> <![CDATA[All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)]]> 32758901 "As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid--a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.� Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.]]> 144 Martha Wells Cody 0 4.11 2017 All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)
author: Martha Wells
name: Cody
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[It's a Love/Skate Relationship]]> 212991006 A sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance between a hotheaded hockey player and the ice princess at the figure skating rink next door.

Charlie Porter is a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the hockey rink. When she accidentally starts a brawl after a game, she’s suspended from school, meaning no hockey this season—and no chance to play in front of college scouts.

Alexa Goldstein’s pairs skating partner was hurt in the fight, and with only four months until their next competition, pickings for a replacement are slim. So she strikes a deal with Charlie—skate with her at the competition well enough to place, and her Olympian mother will use her formidable connections to get Charlie in front of scouts at D-1 schools, even without her team.

It seems impossible, and not just because Charlie has never figure skated before. Where Charlie is powerful, Alexa is elegant; where Charlie is quick to blow up, Alexa is cold as ice. But as the frostiness between them starts to thaw, they begin to wonder if they’ve found a partner for more than just skating.]]> 317 Carli J. Corson 0063370883 Cody 0 to-read 4.43 2025 It's a Love/Skate Relationship
author: Carli J. Corson
name: Cody
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Deviant's War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America]]> 51542229
In 1957, Frank Kameny, a rising astronomer working for the U.S. Defense Department in Hawaii, received a summons to report immediately to Washington, D.C. The Pentagon had reason to believe he was a homosexual, and after a series of humiliating interviews, Kameny, like countless gay men and women before him, was promptly dismissed from his government job. Unlike many others, though, Kameny fought back.

Eric Cervini's The Deviant's War is the story of what followed. This book is an assiduously researched history of an early champion of gay liberation, one who fought for the right to follow his passion and serve his country in the wake of Joseph McCarthy's Lavender Scare. We follow Kameny as he explores the underground gay scenes of Boston and Washington, D.C., where he formulates his arguments against the U.S. Government's classification of gay men and women as "sexual perverts." At a time when staying in the closet remained the default, he exposed the hypocrisies of the American establishment, accelerated a broader revolution in sexual morals, and invented what we now know as Gay Pride.

Based on firsthand accounts, recently declassified FBI records, and forty thousand personal documents, The Deviant's War unfolds over the course of the 1960s, as the Mattachine Society of Washington, the group Kameny founded, became the first organization to protest the systematic persecution of gay federal employees. It traces the forgotten ties that bound gay rights to the Black Freedom Movement, the New Left, lesbian activism, and trans resistance. Above all, it is a story of America (and Washington) at a cultural and sexual crossroads; of public battles with Congress; of FBI informants; murder; betrayal; sex; love; and ultimately victory.]]> 494 Eric Cervini 0374139792 Cody 0 to-read 4.29 2020 The Deviant's War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America
author: Eric Cervini
name: Cody
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sunshine Court (All For the Game, #4)]]> 201914164 My name is Jean Moreau. My place is at Evermore. I belong to the Moriyamas.

It is a truth Jean has built his life around, a reminder this is the best he can hope for and all he deserves. But when he is stolen from Edgar Allan University and sold to a more dangerous master, Jean is forced to contend with a life outside of the Nest for the first time in five years. The Foxes call his transfer to California a fresh start; Jean knows it is little more than a golden cage.

Captain Jeremy Knox is facing his final year with the USC Trojans and fifth straight year falling short of the championships trophy he desperately craves. Taking in the nation’s best defenseman is a no-brainer, even if that man is a Raven. But Jean is no monster, just a man with no hope or desire for a future, and when Evermore's collapse starts dragging Jean's hideous secrets to light, Jeremy is forced to contend with the cost of victory.]]> Nora Sakavic Cody 5 2024-favourites
HAHA OUCH, I AM SO SCARED

-----

Original review:

Was I extremely excited about this book? Yes, I am addicted to AFTG. Did I care a lot about Jean? No, I was indifferent to him. Do I care about Jean now? My god yes, I'd literally give anything to see Jean happy.

This is exactly how to build a sequel with different characters. The perfect amount of overlap with TKM, the perfect amount of focus on the Foxes while shifting focus to new characters, and the perfect way to explore the fallout of the events of Neil's actions. The dual POV worked perfectly and Nora is a master of writing unique, three-dimensional characters.

Jean is Neil's foil in just about every way and I am so excited to see who he becomes in the next book.

But more than anything: what the FUCK Nora this one hurt a lot]]> 4.54 2024 The Sunshine Court (All For the Game, #4)
author: Nora Sakavic
name: Cody
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: 2024-favourites
review:
Second read, 21 Feb 2025:

HAHA OUCH, I AM SO SCARED

-----

Original review:

Was I extremely excited about this book? Yes, I am addicted to AFTG. Did I care a lot about Jean? No, I was indifferent to him. Do I care about Jean now? My god yes, I'd literally give anything to see Jean happy.

This is exactly how to build a sequel with different characters. The perfect amount of overlap with TKM, the perfect amount of focus on the Foxes while shifting focus to new characters, and the perfect way to explore the fallout of the events of Neil's actions. The dual POV worked perfectly and Nora is a master of writing unique, three-dimensional characters.

Jean is Neil's foil in just about every way and I am so excited to see who he becomes in the next book.

But more than anything: what the FUCK Nora this one hurt a lot
]]> The Boy I Love 216848487
It’s a tale from the past, with a message for today. A stunningly poignant, devastating, and ultimately beautiful tour-de-force - Simon James Green

At just nineteen, Stephen has already survived a year at the front. Now he is returning to the trenches to lead a platoon, despite his wounds. Broken-hearted from the loss of his first love, Stephen wonders what he's fighting for. Then he meets Private Danny McCormick, a smart, talented young recruit. From their first meeting, there's something undeniable between them � something forbidden by both society and the army. Determined to protect Danny, Stephen must face down the prejudices and ignorance of his superiors as well as the onslaught of German shells and sniper fire.
As the summer of 1916 ticks down to one big push on the Somme, can Stephen and Danny stay together � and will their love save them � or condemn them?]]> 282 William Hussey Cody 1 dnf
This may come across as picky, but in terms of historical accuracy, my only requirement is that I need to feel slightly immersed in the time period if a book is going to be historical fiction. I don't do well with characters who feel modern and are dropped into historical settings and I didn't feel much of the early 20th century culture bleed through at all.

The nationalism would absolutely have been waning a bit with the introduction of the draft in January 1916, but I would expect to see some of 1916 culture reflected in the boys. (If this was even set in 1917 my criticism here might change and Danny's character might make a bit more sense... Actually, I'm not sure why Danny didn't just become a conscientious objector.) But my biggest issue in terms of 20th century culture is that romantic friendships were generally encouraged between teenagers and boys who fooled around in school weren't exactly uncommon, so I had an issue with just *how* the period typical homophobia was displayed seeing as that was the main plot point. Looking at any bonding with a suspicious eye when there was a literal war going on felt very modern. The class differences probably would have been more an issue, but I didn't feel that addressed as much.

However, I think my biggest criticism is just the timescale. The whole book is dated to lead up to the Somme, which gives the reader a sense of foreboding dread. The only problem for me is that the romance has to be insta-love and builds up and takes place very quickly to align with these dates. Our main character was recently mourning the death of his first love, so I think I just needed a bit more time for him to jump into something else and for that romance to mean as much as it did. Even if it was trauma bonding, I didn't care enough about the pairing. Susan Hill's Strange Meeting has a similar set up and dynamic, but I think the characters were a bit more three-dimensional which is why I could buy into that more than this.

(I also did not love the ending and didn't think it fit in with the themes of the novel but I won't get into that here.)

It's hard not to draw the comparisons, but don't go in expecting a YA In Memoriam. Do go in expecting a simpler YA romance that happens to have WWI as a backdrop. The novel works to reclaim a space, but the lack of nuance and build up didn't make me believe in it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andersen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I wish I loved this one more!]]> 4.22 2025 The Boy I Love
author: William Hussey
name: Cody
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2024/08/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: dnf
review:
This is a difficult review to write: I didn't love this one. I think the second half is much stronger than the first half, but there were just a few areas that weren't quite for me. Technically DNF'd around the 70% but I skimmed the rest.

This may come across as picky, but in terms of historical accuracy, my only requirement is that I need to feel slightly immersed in the time period if a book is going to be historical fiction. I don't do well with characters who feel modern and are dropped into historical settings and I didn't feel much of the early 20th century culture bleed through at all.

The nationalism would absolutely have been waning a bit with the introduction of the draft in January 1916, but I would expect to see some of 1916 culture reflected in the boys. (If this was even set in 1917 my criticism here might change and Danny's character might make a bit more sense... Actually, I'm not sure why Danny didn't just become a conscientious objector.) But my biggest issue in terms of 20th century culture is that romantic friendships were generally encouraged between teenagers and boys who fooled around in school weren't exactly uncommon, so I had an issue with just *how* the period typical homophobia was displayed seeing as that was the main plot point. Looking at any bonding with a suspicious eye when there was a literal war going on felt very modern. The class differences probably would have been more an issue, but I didn't feel that addressed as much.

However, I think my biggest criticism is just the timescale. The whole book is dated to lead up to the Somme, which gives the reader a sense of foreboding dread. The only problem for me is that the romance has to be insta-love and builds up and takes place very quickly to align with these dates. Our main character was recently mourning the death of his first love, so I think I just needed a bit more time for him to jump into something else and for that romance to mean as much as it did. Even if it was trauma bonding, I didn't care enough about the pairing. Susan Hill's Strange Meeting has a similar set up and dynamic, but I think the characters were a bit more three-dimensional which is why I could buy into that more than this.

(I also did not love the ending and didn't think it fit in with the themes of the novel but I won't get into that here.)

It's hard not to draw the comparisons, but don't go in expecting a YA In Memoriam. Do go in expecting a simpler YA romance that happens to have WWI as a backdrop. The novel works to reclaim a space, but the lack of nuance and build up didn't make me believe in it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andersen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I wish I loved this one more!
]]> <![CDATA[Queer Cambridge: An Alternative History]]> 211860282 316 Simon Goldhill 1009528068 Cody 5
5 stars - full RTC.]]> 4.20 Queer Cambridge: An Alternative History
author: Simon Goldhill
name: Cody
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/01
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves:
review:
A bold and fascinating study on an early queer community, an abnormal queer space, and the men who occupied it [and influenced society because of it] over time.

5 stars - full RTC.
]]> When the Doves Cried 217241790
1915: Given another chance to write themselves into the narrative, two men emerge. Torn away from their homes and serving on the frontlines of World War One, the pair find themselves drawn to one another after each suffers an immense lose. With no memory of their history together, they attempt to hold onto one another as the war takes its toll and hope runs thin. Grief, however, can be lethal, and war knows no mercy.

Our dearest friendships can become our biggest tragedies, and memories can cause be our greatest undoing.]]> 550 Kieran Dimitri Cody 0 to-read 5.00 When the Doves Cried
author: Kieran Dimitri
name: Cody
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Return of the Soldier 160010 112 Rebecca West 0812971221 Cody 0 to-read 3.70 1918 The Return of the Soldier
author: Rebecca West
name: Cody
average rating: 3.70
book published: 1918
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Slaying the Vampire Conqueror 123368729 She was commanded to kill him with a single strike to the heart. She didn’t expect her own to betray her.

Sylina has sacrificed everything for her goddess–her soul, her freedom, her eyes. Life in service to the Arachessen, a cult of the Goddess of Fate, has turned Sylina from orphaned street-rat to disciplined killer, determined to overthrow Glaea’s tyrannical king. But when a brutal vampire conqueror arrives on their shores, Sylina faces an even deadlier adversary. She’s tasked with a crucial mission: infiltrate his army, earn his trust� and kill him.

Atrius is a terrifying warrior carving an unstoppable path through Glaea. Yet when Sylina becomes his seer, she glimpses a dark and shocking past–and a side of him that reminds her far too much of parts of herself she’d rather forget. Sylina’s orders are clear. The conqueror cannot live. But as the blood spilled by Glaea’s tyrant king runs thicker, her connection with Atrius only grows stronger. A connection forbidden by her vows. A connection that could cost her everything.

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror is a standalone fantasy romance set in the Crowns of Nyaxia world, full of heart-wrenching forbidden romance, dark curses, and epic battles � perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom and the From Blood and Ash series.]]> 369 Carissa Broadbent Cody 5
I swear Broadbent tricked me into thinking I like romantasy. I don't dislike it - it's an entire genre. But I prefer more plot to my romances and 9 out of 10 times, I won't pick up the popular romantasy books of the year. Broadbent is definitely the exception. I found this book trended closer to The War of Lost Hearts than Serpent and the Wings of night in terms of the plot/romance split. Everything about the characters and plot just felt so unique.

Above all, I genuinely loved Sylina's character and the unique magic system. Her motivations, disability, and insecurities all felt real. And much of the magic system was a bit reminiscent of being able to see/sense things through the Force and that's one of my favourite types of fantasy, so always a fan of that.

Read for a very slow burn, unique magic system, a standalone fantasy romance that is part of a bigger world, and unique characters with great chemistry.]]> 4.10 2023 Slaying the Vampire Conqueror
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: Cody
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/04/29
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars rounded up, this is my favourites of the Nyaxia novels! Thank you to Macmillan, Bramble, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I swear Broadbent tricked me into thinking I like romantasy. I don't dislike it - it's an entire genre. But I prefer more plot to my romances and 9 out of 10 times, I won't pick up the popular romantasy books of the year. Broadbent is definitely the exception. I found this book trended closer to The War of Lost Hearts than Serpent and the Wings of night in terms of the plot/romance split. Everything about the characters and plot just felt so unique.

Above all, I genuinely loved Sylina's character and the unique magic system. Her motivations, disability, and insecurities all felt real. And much of the magic system was a bit reminiscent of being able to see/sense things through the Force and that's one of my favourite types of fantasy, so always a fan of that.

Read for a very slow burn, unique magic system, a standalone fantasy romance that is part of a bigger world, and unique characters with great chemistry.
]]> Our Infinite Fates 210395729 The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.

They've loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They've killed each other in every one.

Evelyn remembers all her past lives. She also remembers that in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being whose soul―and survival―is tethered to hers.

The problem is that she’s quite fond of the life she’s in now, and her little sister needs her for bone marrow transplants in order to stay alive. If Evelyn wants to save her sister, she’ll have to:

1. Find the centuries-old devil who hunts her through each life―before they find her first.
2. Figure out why she’s being hunted and finally break their curse.
3. Try not to fall in love.]]> 352 Laura Steven 1250333881 Cody 3
Oh no...I didn't love this? The first 30% - obsessed with, flawless, emotional, stunning. The next 50% however? Eh. It was a bit too repetitive for me to be fully invested in. I thought this was going to be a 5 star read in that first 30%. Then a 4 star read. And around the 85% mark, I settled on a 3 star. I love the concept, but I didn't really feel the love between Arden and Evelyn in the end.

I did love the diversity in this story though - moving out of Western-focused areas and adding gender fluidity into the narrative. For the most part, I loved the flashback scenes. I loved getting to know these characters in different time periods and in different settings. But as the story went on, their meetings felt a bit too repetitive and their interactions too short. And the modern day element of the story felt far too drawn out. I love the concept, but the execution just didn't work for me.

And I know they're teenagers and their frontal lobe isn't quite there yet, but they *are* a thousand years old. And sex shouldn't be *that* much of a big deal.

That said! I flew through this book. Recommending for those who like Your Blood, My Bones.]]> 3.80 2025 Our Infinite Fates
author: Laura Steven
name: Cody
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/12
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves:
review:
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!

Oh no...I didn't love this? The first 30% - obsessed with, flawless, emotional, stunning. The next 50% however? Eh. It was a bit too repetitive for me to be fully invested in. I thought this was going to be a 5 star read in that first 30%. Then a 4 star read. And around the 85% mark, I settled on a 3 star. I love the concept, but I didn't really feel the love between Arden and Evelyn in the end.

I did love the diversity in this story though - moving out of Western-focused areas and adding gender fluidity into the narrative. For the most part, I loved the flashback scenes. I loved getting to know these characters in different time periods and in different settings. But as the story went on, their meetings felt a bit too repetitive and their interactions too short. And the modern day element of the story felt far too drawn out. I love the concept, but the execution just didn't work for me.

And I know they're teenagers and their frontal lobe isn't quite there yet, but they *are* a thousand years old. And sex shouldn't be *that* much of a big deal.

That said! I flew through this book. Recommending for those who like Your Blood, My Bones.
]]> <![CDATA[A Merciful Sea (Nightingale & Courtney, #3)]]> 220080870
Arthur Courtney is a commander without a ship and without purpose. So when old friend Captain Henry Harrison offers him a place onboard HMS Lion, bound to join Nelson’s fleet in the Mediterranean, he is eager for the opportunity.

But onboard discipline has broken down; Harrison is not the captain he once was. Added to this, Courtney has agreed to a troubling deal in order to serve: marriage to Harrison’s sister-in-law, Tabitha Sandham. He fears he will have to choose between his career and his love for Hiram Nightingale.

In England, Nightingale’s life is shaken by the death of his father and by the re-appearance of the Lion, the ship that caused him such pain. When threatening notes are received at his and Courtney’s cottage on the Isle of Wight, he vows to find out the truth behind them.

But it appears there is more trouble on the island than simply the threatening messages. So while Courtney defends the sea, Nightingale must help protect England’s shores from calamity.]]> Katie Daysh 1804366919 Cody 5
I adored this series and I'm going to miss new Nightingale and Courtney adventures!

4.5 stars rounded up - thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!]]> 4.68 A Merciful Sea (Nightingale & Courtney, #3)
author: Katie Daysh
name: Cody
average rating: 4.68
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves:
review:
I'm not sure how this book series manages to feel like a harrowing adventure and a warm hug at the same time, but it accomplishes it. A Merciful Sea is probably the most character-driven of the adventures so far. Both Nightingale and Courtney are tested - individually and their relationship. The conclusion is satisfying and feels right.

I adored this series and I'm going to miss new Nightingale and Courtney adventures!

4.5 stars rounded up - thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
]]> Most Valuable Player 220504469
For Mason, tutoring an airheaded jock is nothing but a distraction from a past he can't escape. What he doesn't expect is to find something worthwhile in their conversations-something softening in the ice between them. Nor does Cam expect that Mason's calm smile hides a harrowing story. As they slowly nudge through each other's steel gates, the dangerous realities beyond high school threaten their deepening bond.

But really, it's about football.]]> A.M. Woody Cody 5
The character development? The romance? Flawless. I'd blink and 50 pages had passed - I just couldn't put this one down.

I want to protect Mason and Cameron with every fibre of my being. Gnawing on my kindle, wishing there was a sequel or a 200 page epilogue because I could literally read about them doing nothing. Side note but I'm hit or miss when characters use nicknames but the nicknames in this book? SO cute. (Big Princess Bride vibes.)

I know this review isn't coherent. I'll go back to it and write something more thoughtful later. But but for now I'm still feeling Big Emotions from this book and this is best you're going to get from me.

Oh and this cover?? It's?? Beautiful? In love with it.

The BIGGEST thanks to Amanda for the e-ARC!]]> 4.78 2025 Most Valuable Player
author: A.M. Woody
name: Cody
average rating: 4.78
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves:
review:
This is queer YA romance at its best. You can tell that so much love and care was put into this story and its characters.

The character development? The romance? Flawless. I'd blink and 50 pages had passed - I just couldn't put this one down.

I want to protect Mason and Cameron with every fibre of my being. Gnawing on my kindle, wishing there was a sequel or a 200 page epilogue because I could literally read about them doing nothing. Side note but I'm hit or miss when characters use nicknames but the nicknames in this book? SO cute. (Big Princess Bride vibes.)

I know this review isn't coherent. I'll go back to it and write something more thoughtful later. But but for now I'm still feeling Big Emotions from this book and this is best you're going to get from me.

Oh and this cover?? It's?? Beautiful? In love with it.

The BIGGEST thanks to Amanda for the e-ARC!
]]> Shirewode 18297691 A Novel of Robyn Hood

King of the Shire Wode. That is what they will call you...

Home razed by Church edict, loved ones struck down by treachery, Rob of Loxley is left for dead. Taken by an old druid master into the deeps, Rob emerges as driven leader of a tight-knit band of outcasts, claiming the forest as their own and wielding the Horned Lord's vengeance with silent, deadly arrows. Unwilling witness to Loxley's destruction and disowned by his noble family, Gamelyn Boundys takes flight from England. As a sworn knight of the Lionheart's Crusade, Gamelyn has found new identity and purpose--but no absolution. When the two boyhood lovers next cross paths, it will be in a brutal, blindfolded game of foxes and hounds, one which pits Templar assassin against Heathen outlaw. And when Rob discovers his sister Marion is also still alive, the game turns.

History and legend both chronicle Robyn Hood and Guy of Gisbourne as the deadliest of enemies, but the reality is complex--and infinitely more tragic.]]> 360 J. Tullos Hennig 162380664X Cody 5 2025-favourites
The chemistry and angst between Robyn and Guy was off the charts. The angst caused physical chest pain. The romance. The intimacy. I will not be silenced.

(I'm still not sure if I'll read on in the series because I loved these two so much and they stand on their own, but I already miss this world so I probably will read more!)
]]> 4.43 2013 Shirewode
author: J. Tullos Hennig
name: Cody
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: 2025-favourites
review:
I stayed up until 3am multiple nights reading this because I needed to know what happened. The parallels, character development, and world building - I will not shut up about these books.

The chemistry and angst between Robyn and Guy was off the charts. The angst caused physical chest pain. The romance. The intimacy. I will not be silenced.

(I'm still not sure if I'll read on in the series because I loved these two so much and they stand on their own, but I already miss this world so I probably will read more!)

]]> Greenwode (The Wode, #1) 53808706 Daring the old gods. Defying the new.
The making of a legend—and a truly innovative re-imagining of Robin Hood.
Rob of Loxley and his older sister Marion have been groomed from birth to take their parents� places within the Old Religion. Despite this, when Rob finds an injured nobleman’s son in the forest, neither he nor Marion understand what befriending young Gamelyn could mean for the future of their beliefs. Already the ancient spirits are fading beneath the iron of nobleman’s politics and the stones of Church subjugation. More, the druid elders warn that Rob and Gamelyn are cast as sworn adversaries, locked in timeless and symbolic struggle for the greenwood’s Maiden.
Instead, in a theological twist only a stroppy dissident could envision, Rob swears he’ll defend the sacred woodland of the Horned God and Lady Huntress to his last breath—if his god will let him be lover, not rival, to the one fated as his enemy.
But in the eyes of Gamelyn’s Church, sodomy is unthinkable... and the old pagan magics are an evil that must be vanquished.

------

With a truly original take on the Robin Hood legends, this historical fantasy series sets Robin the outlaw archer as a queer, chaotic-neutral druid; Marion as pagan queen who is sister but not wife, and their consort a Christian--and thusly conflicted--nobleman.

]]> 340 J. Tullos Hennig Cody 5 2025-favourites
At a glance: Greedwode is book 1 in a queer, poly Robin Hood retelling.

This series is actually split into two parts: a duology and a trilogy. I don't think I'm going to read the final two books in the series because I've read some of the reviews and I'm not sure I like the trajectory the books are heading. That said, these first two books can and do stand on their own.

The dynamic between Rob, Gamelyn, and Marion is genuinely so perfect. The characters are real, flawed, and each of them feels fully fleshed out. The chemistry between Rob and Gamelyn gives soulmate vibes and I loved the evolution of their relationship.]]> 3.95 2013 Greenwode (The Wode, #1)
author: J. Tullos Hennig
name: Cody
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: 2025-favourites
review:
This book series! It's been so long since I've fallen in love with characters like I've fallen in love with these. But when I originally started reading this book, I DNF'd. It was taking me ages to read and I couldn't get used to the prose (quite archaic and flowery). But two weeks passed and I could not get these characters out of my head. So I picked this book back up and devoured it and its sequel.

At a glance: Greedwode is book 1 in a queer, poly Robin Hood retelling.

This series is actually split into two parts: a duology and a trilogy. I don't think I'm going to read the final two books in the series because I've read some of the reviews and I'm not sure I like the trajectory the books are heading. That said, these first two books can and do stand on their own.

The dynamic between Rob, Gamelyn, and Marion is genuinely so perfect. The characters are real, flawed, and each of them feels fully fleshed out. The chemistry between Rob and Gamelyn gives soulmate vibes and I loved the evolution of their relationship.
]]> Boys with Sharp Teeth 208840739 We Were Liars meets The Raven Boys in this mind-bending YA debut about dark revenge, twisted desire, and the sinister secrets lurking behind the walls of an elite boarding school.

Seventeen-year-old Marin James has spent her entire life living in the shadow of the exclusive Huntsworth Academy. And when her cousin’s dead body is found in a creek on school property, Marin knows exactly who’s to blame: Adrian Hargraves and Henry Wu, the enigmatic yet dangerously alluring leaders of the school's social elite.

Swapping her ripped jeans for a crisp prep school skirt, Marin infiltrates Huntsworth to seek justice. But her quest is quickly muddied by a confusing attraction to her new life, and to the two dysfunctional and depraved boys who somehow understand her better than anyone ever has.

When Marin uncovers an otherworldly secret the boys are hiding within Huntsworth's ivied gates, the lines between right and wrong, love and hate, and nightmare and reality begin to crumble -- and nothing is as it seems.

Welcome to Huntsworth Academy.]]> 400 Jenni Howell 1250334594 Cody 2
This one is a really difficult one to rate! The prose was beautiful and atmospheric, I was hooked with initial the mystery, and I really loved Adrian and Henry's characters. I do, however, think that the story's pitch left me with some mixed feelings because I went in expecting one thing, but got another.

So just a few notes: this is not a queer book (though there are pretty queer moments) and this is not a romance (though there were moments that definitely leaned in a romantic nature). The love triangle that *we* see is very much defined by the obsession between Marin/Jamie and her relationship with Henry and Adrian. I'd actually have loved the story to take place over a longer period of time to really play with these dynamics.

It's dark, but maintains a YA tone, I can absolutely see Howell's intent was to write a dark academia story but merged with some YA themes/character types. I'm not personally a fan of these YA tropes, but that's a personal preference. There are paranormal elements so it diverges from the dark academia books that exist to primarily critique academia as an institution. For what it's worth, I'd actually say this has some really similar tones and themes to folk horror books.

If you are intrigued by a dark YA love/obsession triangle, are a fan of Kelly Andrews' writing, and want a YA dark academia (with dark academia as a theme, not just an aesthetic), definitely pick this one up.

(Low-key would love a prequel of Henry, Adrian, and Baz.)]]> 3.53 2025 Boys with Sharp Teeth
author: Jenni Howell
name: Cody
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2024/07/21
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves:
review:
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for a honest review.

This one is a really difficult one to rate! The prose was beautiful and atmospheric, I was hooked with initial the mystery, and I really loved Adrian and Henry's characters. I do, however, think that the story's pitch left me with some mixed feelings because I went in expecting one thing, but got another.

So just a few notes: this is not a queer book (though there are pretty queer moments) and this is not a romance (though there were moments that definitely leaned in a romantic nature). The love triangle that *we* see is very much defined by the obsession between Marin/Jamie and her relationship with Henry and Adrian. I'd actually have loved the story to take place over a longer period of time to really play with these dynamics.

It's dark, but maintains a YA tone, I can absolutely see Howell's intent was to write a dark academia story but merged with some YA themes/character types. I'm not personally a fan of these YA tropes, but that's a personal preference. There are paranormal elements so it diverges from the dark academia books that exist to primarily critique academia as an institution. For what it's worth, I'd actually say this has some really similar tones and themes to folk horror books.

If you are intrigued by a dark YA love/obsession triangle, are a fan of Kelly Andrews' writing, and want a YA dark academia (with dark academia as a theme, not just an aesthetic), definitely pick this one up.

(Low-key would love a prequel of Henry, Adrian, and Baz.)
]]> Set My Hand Upon the Plough 51109044
In 1939 the writer Enid Barraud, disillusioned with her city life, left London and went to live in a village in Cambridgeshire, joining what became known as the Land Army, one of thousands of women who went to work the land while war raged overhead and abroad. In her recently rediscovered memoir, Set My Hand Upon the Plough, first published in 1946, Enid writes with remarkable candour and honesty about her life on the farm, and her relationship with the farm workers. Barraud preferred to identify as male, was known to her co-workers as John, and lived with her female partner. Based on her wartime diaries and her contributions to Mass Observation, the book also reveals Barraud’s sexuality, and it now joins the ranks of LGBT memoirs, casting new light on the lives of the men and women who fought or who worked on the home front and their role in the liberation of Europe.]]> 127 E. M. Barraud 1915068320 Cody 0 to-read 4.00 1946 Set My Hand Upon the Plough
author: E. M. Barraud
name: Cody
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1946
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Star Wars: Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel]]> 221805141 320 Lamar Giles 0593874463 Cody 0 to-read 5.00 Star Wars: Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel
author: Lamar Giles
name: Cody
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Orlando 18839 Orlando 'The longest and most charming love letter in literature', playfully constructs the figure of Orlando as the fictional embodiment of Woolf's close friend and lover, Vita Sackville-West. Spanning three centuries, the novel opens as Orlando, a young nobleman in Elizabeth's England, awaits a visit from the Queen and traces his experience with first love as England under James I lies locked in the embrace of the Great Frost. At the midpoint of the novel, Orlando, now an ambassador in Constantinople, awakes to find that he is now a woman, and the novel indulges in farce and irony to consider the roles of women in the 18th and 19th centuries. As the novel ends in 1928, a year consonant with full suffrage for women. Orlando, now a wife and mother, stands poised at the brink of a future that holds new hope and promise for women.]]> 336 Virginia Woolf 0141184272 Cody 4 early-queer-novels 3.88 1928 Orlando
author: Virginia Woolf
name: Cody
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1928
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: early-queer-novels
review:

]]> Gossamer Axe 790426 When her lover is imprisoned, Christa—a centuries-old harper—must set her free using the greatest weapon she possesses: music


In ancient Ireland, Chairiste Ní Cummen, a harper, was trained in the secrets of music and magic, but her curiosity and pride trapped her and her lover in the realm of the fairy folk, the Sidh. Chairiste alone managed to escape, and now, living in the modern world as Christa Cruitaire, a quiet harp teacher, she is all but resigned to her inability to win her beloved’s freedom . . . until she discovers that the volume and violence of the electric guitar and heavy metal might prove brutal enough to forcibly breach the barriers between the human and fairy worlds. With the aid of her bandmates—who must themselves overcome inner demons of abuse, addiction, and prejudice—Christa is determined to use her newfound musical power to rescue the woman she loves.


Audacious and heartfelt, Gossamer Axe is an entirely original hero’s journey, an ode to the power of music and the human spirit alike, charged with rapier-sharp social commentary.]]> 351 Gael Baudino 0451450256 Cody 0 to-read 4.03 1990 Gossamer Axe
author: Gael Baudino
name: Cody
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Strange Meeting 39703393
Returning to his World War One battalion in France after a period of medical leave in England, John Hilliard, a young officer, finds his division almost unrecognisable. His commanding officer is an alcoholic, there is a new adjutant and several of his close friends have been killed.

But there is David Barton. As yet untouched and unsullied by war, fresh-faced and radiating charm. As the pair approach the front line, bloodied by the deaths of their fellow soldiers, their friendship deepens. But as the reality of the violence sets in, the men know that they will soon be separated...

A poignant novel on human love as war and the pity of war.]]> 272 Susan Hill 1788160681 Cody 5 4.00 1971 Strange Meeting
author: Susan Hill
name: Cody
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1971
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: early-queer-novels, 2025-favourites
review:
4.5 stars, will write a review when I stop crying (eventually)
]]> Sword at Sunset 149413
Artos here comes alive: bold and forceful in battle, warm and generous in friendship, tough in politics, shrewd in the strategy of war - and tender and tragically tormented in love.

Out of the braiding of ancient legend, fresh research, soaring imagination and hypnotic narrative skill comes a novel that has richly earned its reputation as a classic.]]> 512 Rosemary Sutcliff 0812588525 Cody 0 to-read 4.07 1963 Sword at Sunset
author: Rosemary Sutcliff
name: Cody
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1963
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Cardigans (Criminal Intentions, #1)]]> 39783569 212 Cole McCade Cody 4 3.95 2018 The Cardigans (Criminal Intentions, #1)
author: Cole McCade
name: Cody
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan, #1)]]> 150247395
Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears--quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.]]> 410 Robert Jackson Bennett 1984820702 Cody 0 4.28 2024 The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan, #1)
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Cody
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ruined King (The Wingless King Book 2)]]> 220953191 The Veil is spreading, and with it, corruption deepens. Now, harboring the resurfaced memories of his forgotten past, Seren realizes the role he must play as the fate of the realm hangs in the balance. With the soul of a reincarnated goddess inside him, Seren must return home and accept his destiny-the one to perform the Cleansing.

Upon his long-awaited return to his homeland, Seren is immediately thrust into his role by Aiden, with no time to process the years that have kept them apart.

Alongside his allies, Seren sets out to fulfill the prophecies by gathering the trinity of holy items-the harp, the sword, and the crown.

The whereabouts of only the harp are known, hidden deep within the fallen kingdom of Andanova. Seren embarks on this perilous quest with his companions, including Jude, whose past is intricately tied to Andanova's dark history. As new and unexpected truths begin to emerge, Seren is faced with more secrets and lies than he ever anticipated.

How many more revelations will Seren uncover before the full truth is revealed? And what if some truths are better left buried in the dark?]]> K.C Wassem Cody 0 to-read 5.00 The Ruined King (The Wingless King Book 2)
author: K.C Wassem
name: Cody
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Lamb 216867498
But Mama’s want is stronger than her hunger sometimes, and when a beautiful, white-toothed stray named Eden turns up in the heart of a snowstorm, Margot must confront the shifting dynamics of her family, untangle her own desires, and make her own bid for freedom.

With this gothic coming-of-age tale, novelist Lucy Rose explores how women swallow their anger, desire, and animal instincts—and wrings the relationship between mother and daughter until blood drips from it.]]> 336 Lucy Rose 1399619713 Cody 0 to-read 3.95 2025 The Lamb
author: Lucy Rose
name: Cody
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Though This Be Madness 223117941
THOUGH THIS BE MADNESS is a loosely Hamlet-inspired YA Historical Romance, pitched as Anatomy: A Love Story meets the electric rivals-to-lovers dynamic of Carry On and the exploration of neurodivergency and queerness in a historical setting as in The Spirit Bears Its Teeth. The novel features a protagonist with borderline personality disorder (BPD).


Coming in 2027 from Peachtree Teen]]> Cass Biehn Cody 0 to-read 5.00 Though This Be Madness
author: Cass Biehn
name: Cody
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> No Man Sings 34438173 Alexander Krislov Cody 0 to-read, early-queer-novels 3.00 1956 No Man Sings
author: Alexander Krislov
name: Cody
average rating: 3.00
book published: 1956
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: to-read, early-queer-novels
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Regeneration (Regeneration, #1)]]> 5872 Regeneration, one in Pat Barker's series of novels confronting the psychological effects of World War I, focuses on treatment methods during the war and the story of a decorated English officer sent to a military hospital after publicly declaring he will no longer fight. Yet the novel is much more. Written in sparse prose that is shockingly clear—the descriptions of electronic treatments are particularly harrowing—it combines real-life characters and events with fictional ones in a work that examines the insanity of war like no other. Barker also weaves in issues of class and politics in this compactly powerful book. Other books in the series include The Eye in the Door and the Booker Award winner The Ghost Road.]]> 256 Pat Barker 0140236236 Cody 4 4.04 1991 Regeneration (Regeneration, #1)
author: Pat Barker
name: Cody
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1991
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/23
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves:
review:
Probably a 3.75? This wasn't bad, but it felt like the second half lacked the heart of the first half and that made it drag for me. I loved the Sassoon scenes, but the scenes with Prior or Rivers just felt two-dimensional in comparison.
]]> Disorderly Men 102864014
Roger Moorhouse is a Wall Street banker and Westchester family man with a preciously guarded secret. As the shouting begins and flashlights blaze in his face, the life he’s carefully curated over the years—a fancy new office overlooking lower Broadway, a house in Beechmont Woods, his wife and children—is about to come crashing down around him.

Columbia literature professor Julian Prince lives a comparatively uncloseted life when he finds his first committed relationship tested to its limits. How could he explain to Gus, a fearless young artist, that he couldn’t stay with him that weekend because the woman who was still technically Julian’s fiancée would be visiting? But when Gus is struck unconscious by a police baton, Julian comes out of hiding to protect him, even if exposure means losing everything.

For Danny Duffy, a carefree Irish kid from the Bronx with a sassy mouth and diverse group of friends, the raid is a galvanizing, Spartacus moment. Danny doesn’t have too much left to lose; his family has just disowned him. But once his name appears in the newspaper, he’ll be fired from his job at Sloan’s Supermarket, where he’s risen to assistant manager of produce, and begin a journey that veers between political enlightenment and violent revenge.

The three men find themselves in a police wagon together, their private lives threatened to be revealed to the world. Blackmail, a private investigator, Gus’s disappearance, and Danny’s quest for retribution propel Disorderly Men to its piercing conclusion, as each man meets the boundaries of his own fear, love, and shame. The stakes for each are different, but all of them confront a fundamental question: how much happiness is he allowed to have � and what share of it will he lay claim to?]]> 320 Edward Cahill 1531504442 Cody 0 to-read 4.20 2023 Disorderly Men
author: Edward Cahill
name: Cody
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Inseparable 56197486 A never-before-published novel by the iconic Simone de Beauvoir of an intense and vivid girlhood friendship

From the moment Sylvie and Andrée meet in their Parisian day school, they see in each other an accomplice with whom to confront the mysteries of girlhood. For the next ten years, the two are the closest of friends and confidantes as they explore life in a post-World War One France, and as Andrée becomes increasingly reckless and rebellious, edging closer to peril.

Sylvie, insightful and observant, sees a France of clashing ideals and religious hypocrisy—and at an early age is determined to form her own opinions. Andrée, a tempestuous dreamer, is inclined to melodrama and romance. Despite their different natures they rely on each other to safeguard their secrets while entering adulthood in a world that did not pay much attention to the wills and desires of young women.

Deemed too intimate to publish during Simone de Beauvoir’s life, Inseparable offers fresh insight into the groundbreaking feminist’s own coming-of-age; her transformative, tragic friendship with her childhood friend Zaza Lacoin; and how her youthful relationships shaped her philosophy. Sandra Smith’s vibrant translation of the novel will be long cherished by de Beauvoir devotees and first-time readers alike.]]> 176 Simone de Beauvoir 0063075040 Cody 0 to-read 4.05 2020 Inseparable
author: Simone de Beauvoir
name: Cody
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Fielding Gray 8840734 Book by Raven, Simon 208 Simon Raven 085634995X Cody 0 to-read, early-queer-novels 4.33 1967 Fielding Gray
author: Simon Raven
name: Cody
average rating: 4.33
book published: 1967
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read, early-queer-novels
review:

]]> I, Claudius (Claudius, #1) 18765
I, Claudius and its sequel, Claudius the God, are among the most celebrated, as well the most gripping historical novels ever written.

Cover illustration: Brian Pike]]> 469 Robert Graves 067972477X Cody 0 to-read 4.24 1934 I, Claudius (Claudius, #1)
author: Robert Graves
name: Cody
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1934
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Count of Monte Cristo 7126 The epic tale of wrongful imprisonment, adventure and revenge, in its definitive translation

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to use the treasure to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas� epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialized in the 1840s.

Translated with an Introduction by Robin Buss

An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here]]> 1276 Alexandre Dumas 0140449264 Cody 0 to-read 4.29 1846 The Count of Monte Cristo
author: Alexandre Dumas
name: Cody
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1846
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Phaedra's Love 146550
Sarah Kane's radical reworking of Seneca's classical tragedy of incest and unrequited lust. Phaedra's Love is a bold and provocative revisioning of the story of Phaedra's obsessive and destructive love of her son Hippolytus and his violent punishment by Theseus.]]> 48 Sarah Kane 0413771121 Cody 2 lmao what the fuck 3.70 1996 Phaedra's Love
author: Sarah Kane
name: Cody
average rating: 3.70
book published: 1996
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves:
review:
lmao what the fuck
]]> Fairies and Fusiliers 266988 112 Robert Graves 1603120092 Cody 0 to-read 3.70 1917 Fairies and Fusiliers
author: Robert Graves
name: Cody
average rating: 3.70
book published: 1917
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Not about Heroes: The Friendship of Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen]]> 820475
Set Requirements: Unit set

"Dulce et decorum est/Pro patria mori," facetiously penned British poet Wilfred Owen, who was soon to die in the Great War. It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. This moving play is about the poetic life and the inter relationship between two of the finest Great War poets: Owen who died and Siegfried Sasson who didn't. Told by means of letters and poetry, Not About Heroes paints a vivid picture of the war. It was staged to]]> 98 Stephen MacDonald 0573640440 Cody 4 4.15 1983 Not about Heroes: The Friendship of Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen
author: Stephen MacDonald
name: Cody
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1983
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves:
review:

]]> The Sun of God 205867499 Julius Caesar is dead. The Republic has fallen. Rivals vie for power. Who will emerge the victor? And who will die trying?

When Julius Caesar is stabbed to death in Rome, 19-year-old Gaius Octavius is on the other side of the Adriatic Sea. Despite his youth and illness-riddled past, Octavius dreams of glory, and Caesar’s death might just be the answer. Determined to write his own fate, Octavius sails to Rome with his close friend, Marcus Agrippa, who has followed the rich, charming, and ambitious Octavius since they were young.

Meanwhile in Rome, Marcus Antonius has seized power, though his heart longs for his mistress, Cleopatra, who has fled back to Egypt. As Octavius goes head to head with Antonius, his friendship with Agrippa slips into something tantalizing and forbidden, threatening all that they know. Amidst the plotting and deceit of Rome’s elite, Octavius and Agrippa realize that power always demands a price, and that love more than hate is the most dangerous power of all.

Woven with history and forbidden romance, The Sun of God unveils the hidden world of Ancient Rome in the reimagined past of a young, ruthless Octavius as he defies all odds and rises to absolute power as Emperor Augustus, founding the Roman Empire and changing history forever.]]> 558 Zoë Tavares Bennett Cody 0 to-read 4.32 The Sun of God
author: Zoë Tavares Bennett
name: Cody
average rating: 4.32
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Inheritor 552600 Book by Benson, E. F. 316 E.F. Benson 1873741065 Cody 5
We follow Steven Crofts as his relationships come under intense strain as he falls deeper and deeper into the family curse. The only relationship that persists is Steven's relationship with Tim, a Pan-like illegitimate relation who is nearly identical in appearance to Steven.

The references to paganism, interestingly, seem to be a representation for both heterosexuality and homosexuality in this novel. Maurice and Steven losing themselves and social confines to follow their nature feels pretty obvious as far as symbolism goes. Steven goes as far as recognising something in Maurice's nature and they're quoting Walt Whitman together. But when Steven rejects Maurice and loses his humanity altogether and perpetuates the family curse (involving a wife and a first born), the paganism has now shifted to represent the unnaturalness of a heterosexual relationship/heterosexual coupling.

The abundant themes and references to paganism and Greek culture aside, Steven and Maurice form a passionate friendship that is so overtly romantic that a few sentences needed to be dedicated for Benson to assure the reader that their relationship was sexless. If you took these statements at face value, you probably wouldn't read into the fact that Steven was disappointed when his wife loses her boyish appearance when she's pregnant and he's repulsed by her touch. Even though he has had very physical relationships with his male close friends. The homoeroticism between Steven/The Child, Steven/Maurice, and even Steven/Tim is fairly obvious. (Even if Steven and Tim are related, what Tim represents to Maurice is exactly what Maurice was to The Child.)

This novel feels like it shouldn't work. And in any other hands, I don't think it would. It's so character-driven and sustains itself on the atmosphere it creates. But I could have read another 100 pages of this - I'd love to see how the events following the ending would continue to play out. And after finishing the novel, I can't quite tell how much was a decent into madness, if Steven truly was missing a soul and his humanity, and how much of the ancient magic was real.]]> 3.75 1930 The Inheritor
author: E.F. Benson
name: Cody
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1930
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: early-queer-novels, 2025-favourites
review:
Okay I absolutely loved this. The Inheritor starts out in Cambridge and slowly devolves into a claustrophobic, otherworldly novel. And there are layers and layers of queer imagery and queer subtext at play.

We follow Steven Crofts as his relationships come under intense strain as he falls deeper and deeper into the family curse. The only relationship that persists is Steven's relationship with Tim, a Pan-like illegitimate relation who is nearly identical in appearance to Steven.

The references to paganism, interestingly, seem to be a representation for both heterosexuality and homosexuality in this novel. Maurice and Steven losing themselves and social confines to follow their nature feels pretty obvious as far as symbolism goes. Steven goes as far as recognising something in Maurice's nature and they're quoting Walt Whitman together. But when Steven rejects Maurice and loses his humanity altogether and perpetuates the family curse (involving a wife and a first born), the paganism has now shifted to represent the unnaturalness of a heterosexual relationship/heterosexual coupling.

The abundant themes and references to paganism and Greek culture aside, Steven and Maurice form a passionate friendship that is so overtly romantic that a few sentences needed to be dedicated for Benson to assure the reader that their relationship was sexless. If you took these statements at face value, you probably wouldn't read into the fact that Steven was disappointed when his wife loses her boyish appearance when she's pregnant and he's repulsed by her touch. Even though he has had very physical relationships with his male close friends. The homoeroticism between Steven/The Child, Steven/Maurice, and even Steven/Tim is fairly obvious. (Even if Steven and Tim are related, what Tim represents to Maurice is exactly what Maurice was to The Child.)

This novel feels like it shouldn't work. And in any other hands, I don't think it would. It's so character-driven and sustains itself on the atmosphere it creates. But I could have read another 100 pages of this - I'd love to see how the events following the ending would continue to play out. And after finishing the novel, I can't quite tell how much was a decent into madness, if Steven truly was missing a soul and his humanity, and how much of the ancient magic was real.
]]> Landlocked in Foreign Skin 218398084
When Isobel reveals that she will never let the Fisherman go, even if they find the mad god, the Fisherman knows:

It's time to get violent.]]> 176 Drew Huff Cody 0 to-read 4.13 Landlocked in Foreign Skin
author: Drew Huff
name: Cody
average rating: 4.13
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Vintner's Luck (Vintner's Luck, #1)]]> 157387 The Vintner's Luck explores a decidedly unorthodox love story as Sobran eventually comes to love and be loved by both Xas and the young Countess de Valday, his friend and employer at the neighboring chateau.
]]> 284 Elizabeth Knox 0312264100 Cody 0 to-read 3.89 1998 The Vintner's Luck (Vintner's Luck, #1)
author: Elizabeth Knox
name: Cody
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune, #1)]]> 192786618
Until Robin sets his sights on Sir John Hartlebury's heiress niece. The notoriously graceless baronet isn't impressed by good looks or fooled by false charm. He's sure Robin is a liar, a fortune hunter, and a heartless, greedy fraud - and he'll protect his niece, whatever it takes.

Then, just when Hart thinks he has Robin at his mercy, things take a sharp left turn. And as the grumpy baronet and the glib fortune hunter start to understand each other, they also find themselves starting to care - more than either of them thought possible.

But Robin's cheated and lied and let people down for money. Can a professional rogue earn an honest happy ever after?]]> 311 K.J. Charles 1398715751 Cody 4 4.04 2021 The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune, #1)
author: K.J. Charles
name: Cody
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/07
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves:
review:
4.25? It was cute! The angst in the first half sustained me.
]]> Despised And Rejected 39693554 376 Rose Allatini 1910263168 Cody 5 early-queer-novels
Despised and Rejected is a novel of two worlds. The first part of the story reads like a pre-war society story that could slip into satire at any moment. It follows Antoinette, a queer woman who loves the chase of romantic pursuit those unattainable to her, and Dennis, a queer man who recognises Antoinette's queerness and proceeds to strike up a friendship with her. As the novel progresses, the tone starts to shift. Society wants them to get married - Dennis tries to repress his own sexuality and tries (unsuccessfully) to fall for Antoinette, Antoinette doesn't love men but falls for Dennis's complete unattainability. Dennis tries not to think of Alan, the man he really loves, and Antoinette struggles with her place in society.

The second part of the story is a plea for sympathy and tolerance. The novel reads more like a pamphlet here - Dennis is a pacifist and deals with the shame of not enlisting in a war he does not believe in; Antoinette follows him and is exposed to new ideas. Dennis begins to accept his sexuality and falls in love. With her intense love for Dennis, Antoinette begins to separate herself from the society she's grown up in.

The book was published in 1918 and, because it was finished prior to the end of the war, we don't know the fates of the characters. Hence my need for an epilogue. Allatini certainly didn't know the war would be over within a couple of years and the tone of the novel reflects this.

Due to the blatant anti-war themes and sympathetic view of homosexuality, the book was taken out of print within months of its publication in 1918. It was mostly lost to time and was only recently rediscovered in 2018. Just like Alf by Bruno Vogel, queer stories have always existed. We just need to remember that they weren't widely published (and when they *were* published, publishers were fined, and they were taken out of print). ]]> 4.21 1918 Despised And Rejected
author: Rose Allatini
name: Cody
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1918
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves: early-queer-novels
review:
Absolutely livid that Ao3 is barren, I need an epilogue.

Despised and Rejected is a novel of two worlds. The first part of the story reads like a pre-war society story that could slip into satire at any moment. It follows Antoinette, a queer woman who loves the chase of romantic pursuit those unattainable to her, and Dennis, a queer man who recognises Antoinette's queerness and proceeds to strike up a friendship with her. As the novel progresses, the tone starts to shift. Society wants them to get married - Dennis tries to repress his own sexuality and tries (unsuccessfully) to fall for Antoinette, Antoinette doesn't love men but falls for Dennis's complete unattainability. Dennis tries not to think of Alan, the man he really loves, and Antoinette struggles with her place in society.

The second part of the story is a plea for sympathy and tolerance. The novel reads more like a pamphlet here - Dennis is a pacifist and deals with the shame of not enlisting in a war he does not believe in; Antoinette follows him and is exposed to new ideas. Dennis begins to accept his sexuality and falls in love. With her intense love for Dennis, Antoinette begins to separate herself from the society she's grown up in.

The book was published in 1918 and, because it was finished prior to the end of the war, we don't know the fates of the characters. Hence my need for an epilogue. Allatini certainly didn't know the war would be over within a couple of years and the tone of the novel reflects this.

Due to the blatant anti-war themes and sympathetic view of homosexuality, the book was taken out of print within months of its publication in 1918. It was mostly lost to time and was only recently rediscovered in 2018. Just like Alf by Bruno Vogel, queer stories have always existed. We just need to remember that they weren't widely published (and when they *were* published, publishers were fined, and they were taken out of print).
]]> Alf (Gay Modern Classics) 3930862 160 Bruno Vogel 0854491554 Cody 5 early-queer-novels
"Alf" has almost been lost to time, but these stories need to be read and remembered.

Also :(]]> 4.28 2003 Alf (Gay Modern Classics)
author: Bruno Vogel
name: Cody
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/27
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves: early-queer-novels
review:
This needs to be required reading. The translation isn't great, it has a tendency to read like a pamphlet at times, and the story is a bit odd in how it's presented, but it still needs to be required reading. Explicitly queer, pacifist, and surprisingly heartbreaking, "Alf" tells the story of Felix and the love story with his best friend, Alf. Published in 1929, "Alf" takes place in 1914 and uses Alf and Felix's story to highlight a few of society's tragedies; the novel is short but manages to touch on dysfunctional families, mental health, the dangers of religion and ignorance, homophobia, and the pointlessness of war.

"Alf" has almost been lost to time, but these stories need to be read and remembered.

Also :(
]]> Hawk Mountain 58999179
Single father Todd is relaxing at the beach with his son, Anthony, when he catches sight of a man approaching from the water’s edge. As the man draws closer, Todd recognizes him as Jack, who bullied Todd relentlessly in their teenage years, but now seems overjoyed to have “run into� his old friend. Jack suggests a meal to catch up. And can he spend the night?

What follows is a fast-paced story of obsession and cunning. As Jack invades Todd’s life, pain and intimidation from the past unearth knife-edge suspense in the present. Set in a small town on the New England coast, Conner Habib’s debut introduces characters trapped in isolation by the expansive woods and the encroaching ocean, their violence an expression of repressed desire and the damage it can inflict. Both gruesome and tender, Hawk Mountain offers a compelling look at how love and hate are indissoluble, intertwined until the last breath.]]> 307 Conner Habib 0393542173 Cody 0 to-read 3.75 2022 Hawk Mountain
author: Conner Habib
name: Cody
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor, #1)]]> 48727813 Two-time British Fantasy Award Winner
Astounding Award Winner
Lambda Literary Award Finalist
Hugo Award Finalist
Locus Award Finalist
Otherwise Award Finalist

"Magnificent in every way."—Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

"A dazzling new world of fate, war, love and betrayal."—Zen Cho, author of Black Water Sister

She Who Became the Sun reimagines the rise to power of the Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor.

To possess the Mandate of Heaven, the female monk Zhu will do anything

“I refuse to be nothing…�

In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness�

In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.

When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.

After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu takes the chance to claim another future her brother's abandoned greatness.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 416 Shelley Parker-Chan 1250621798 Cody 0 to-read 3.87 2021 She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor, #1)
author: Shelley Parker-Chan
name: Cody
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Very Queer Family Indeed: Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain]]> 29240881
So begins A Very Queer Family Indeed , which introduces us to the extraordinary Benson family. Edward White Benson became Archbishop of Canterbury at the height of Queen Victoria’s reign, while his wife, Mary, was renowned for her wit and charm—the prime minister once wondered whether she was “the cleverest woman in England or in Europe.� The couple’s six precocious children included E. F. Benson, celebrated creator of the Mapp and Lucia novels, and Margaret Benson, the first published female Egyptologist.

What interests Simon Goldhill most, however, is what went on behind the scenes, which was even more unusual than anyone could imagine. Inveterate writers, the Benson family spun out novels, essays, and thousands of letters that open stunning new perspectives—including what it might mean for an adult to kiss and propose marriage to a twelve-year-old girl, how religion in a family could support or destroy relationships, or how the death of a child could be celebrated. No other family has left such detailed records about their most intimate moments, and in these remarkable accounts, we see how family life and a family’s understanding of itself took shape during a time when psychoanalysis, scientific and historical challenges to religion, and new ways of thinking about society were developing. This is the story of the Bensons, but it is also more than that—it is the story of how society transitioned from the high Victorian period into modernity.
ձ> 344 Simon Goldhill 022639378X Cody 0 to-read 3.43 A Very Queer Family Indeed: Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain
author: Simon Goldhill
name: Cody
average rating: 3.43
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tell England: A Study in a Generation]]> 1073565 244 Ernest Raymond 1406837571 Cody 0 to-read 3.82 1922 Tell England: A Study in a Generation
author: Ernest Raymond
name: Cody
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1922
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Bachelor's Valet (Flos Magicae #2)]]> 156929909
Despite Alphonse's protests, he's to marry Aaliyah Kaddour: a bright, headstrong young woman who would probably be charming company if she didn't threaten everything about Alphonse's way of life. Marrying means giving up his fashionable flat, his fast car, and, worst of all, it means losing Jacobi.

Perhaps most distressingly, this talk of marriage is bringing all sorts of confusing feelings to the forefront. Because rather than falling for the beautiful girl being pushed into his arms, Alphonse seems to be falling for his valet. Except a man can't fall in love with another man. Can he?

Meanwhile, Aaliyah has plans of her own. She's as devious as she is pretty, but if Alphonse wants to get through this marriage business in one piece, he'll have to trust her. Her and Jacobi, and, most dangerously, his own feelings.]]> 239 Arden Powell Cody 0 3.97 2021 The Bachelor's Valet (Flos Magicae #2)
author: Arden Powell
name: Cody
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves:
review:

]]> And He Shall Appear 71372951
When a young man arrives in Cambridge as a first-year student, everything about him marks him as an outsider. There’s the punting and the politics, the wine and the waistcoats, all seemingly familiar to everyone but him. Then he falls under the spell of Bryn Cavendish.

A notorious partier and skilled magician, Bryn is magnetic. To be in his circle is to revel in clouds of ecstasy, untouched by the rules. To be exiled from it is to haunt the peripheries of campus life like a ghost.

As the academic year intensifies and Bryn’s magic tricks become more sinister, one question lingers. Is Bryn’s charisma the source of the influence he wields? Or is his mastery dependent on a much darker and dangerous power?]]> 336 Kate van der Borgh 0008636540 Cody 0 to-read 3.39 2024 And He Shall Appear
author: Kate van der Borgh
name: Cody
average rating: 3.39
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Charm Offensive (The Charm Offensive, #1)]]> 56898248 Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star.

Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off.

As Dev fights to get Charlie to connect with the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told.

In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.]]> 354 Alison Cochrun 1982170719 Cody 2
first 50%? beautiful, cute, stunning, yearning, fantastic ace rep. definitely thought this would be a rare 5 star contemporary romance.

last 20%? never mind, I promise you it is JUST a contract for a TV show - it is not that deep. how are they nearly 30.

(briefly need to add that, for a novel that was Very On The Nose about sexuality and labels, it didn't touch upon race at all, which felt...noticeable?)]]> 4.12 2021 The Charm Offensive (The Charm Offensive, #1)
author: Alison Cochrun
name: Cody
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves:
review:
what do you do when you like love stories but dislike 95% of genre romances? idk.

first 50%? beautiful, cute, stunning, yearning, fantastic ace rep. definitely thought this would be a rare 5 star contemporary romance.

last 20%? never mind, I promise you it is JUST a contract for a TV show - it is not that deep. how are they nearly 30.

(briefly need to add that, for a novel that was Very On The Nose about sexuality and labels, it didn't touch upon race at all, which felt...noticeable?)
]]>