Dead Real Extract Alert

I got an extract for you guys! And I think you guys are going to like it! Best way to describe this book is “Heartstopper meets Shaun of the Dead”.

Let me give you a quick synopsis of Poppy T Perry’s Dead Real and you’ll see what I mean.

Nora wants to tell her horror movie superfan best friend, Ruby, that she is in love with her. Totally, absolutely, completely going to tell her. So what if someone’s written on the toilet wall that Nora’s frigid? Or that her old friends say that all bisexuals are attention seekers? Or that Ruby wants to lose her virginity before they go off to university? Or the town has suddenly been overrun Ned by flesh-eating zombies?

Yes, you read that last line right.

Looks like Nora has no time but the bloody now to tell Ruby of her undying love - before the undead get their teeth into each others’s hearts first…

Like I said, I thought you were going to like the synopsis of this! And I am thrilled to share a tiny extract from you. Now, this is from the first chapter and I choose this little section because it made me howl with laughter! No other reasons. It made me laugh and I thought it would make you guys laugh too. 

If you want to know more about this book after reading the extract, check out either Poppy’s website at poppytperry.com, her Instagram (@poppytperrybooks) or you can use this affiliate link to visit uk.bookshop.org!

The Disappearance Boy Extract

I have an extract for you guys! And, if all goes to plan, I am hoping to get my hands on a copy of this book and be reading it before the end of the year (yes, I have plans for this!)

The Disappearance Boy by Neil Bartlett follows Reggie Rainbow, the disappearance boy After having polio as a child and leaving him with a limp, his strong arms and nimble fingers make Reggie perfect for behind the scene theatres where he helps illusionist Mr Brooks’s assistant “disappear”. So when Mr Brooks takes a job down in Brighton, Reggie has to come to. But Brighton is a different world and Reggie finds that the sea air and the life of the Brighton Grand has its own magic. Soon, Reggie begins to wonder about secrets and how long he can keep them for a living… 

Like I said, I am hoping to read this in the coming week (possible over the Christmas period due to November being NetGalley November) so I am quite excited to hear your thoughts on the extract I am popping below. 

Now, before I hand you over to the extract, I must thank Justin at Inkandescent for letting me share the extract and answering my queries over this title and one other Inkandescent title (publishing early next year so no spoilers!). And I am going to put an affiliate link to this for uk.bookshop.org, just in case the extract went your appetite, as well as link to Inkandescent’s website in case you want more info and want to buy direct. 

All good? Ok, ONTO THE EXTRACT!!!

Blog Tour Review - Tales from Beyond The Rainbow

Another day, another blog tour review. And this is so up my street that as soon as Bee from Kaleidoscopic Tours emailed about this title, I instantly emailed back and went "PLEASE LET ME BE INVOLVED! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!"

And here we are!

Title and Author: Tales from Beyond the Rainbow by Pete Jordi Wood

Publisher: Puffin

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by UK publisher and PR Blog Tour Company, Kaleidoscopic, in exchange for an honest review/reaction for blog tour. 

Buy From (Affiliate): Bookshop.org

There are fairy tales and folklore that time has forgotten or concealed in one form or another. This could be for a number of reasons. They became out of fashion. The morale of the story doesn't fit with the changing world. Or because the stories in question tackle the issue of gender and sexual identity, and all end (mostly) with happy ever afters. 

In this collection of short fairy tales and folklore from around the world (ranging from Germany, Russia, China, Taiwan, Cape Verde, Canada and other corners of the world), Pete Jordi Wood has collected and adapted them, each illustrated by an artist who shares heritage with he culture of where the stories have come from.

Book Review - PROUD

• Title And Author: PROUD - Compiled by Juno Dawson
• Publisher: Stripes 
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical 
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by the publisher in exchange for an honest review/reaction
• Length: 352 Pages

This has been one of those books that as soon as I heard of it, I knew I was going to read it. It might not be straight away as my To Be Read pile is getting out of control. But I need I wanted to have my hands on a copy. 

And I thought I did when I was approved for an eProof copy via NetGalley. Alas, the file didn’t like my Kindle. So I held fire. Then this came through my front door with rainbow shoelaces (awesome!). But I held fire on reading it as I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to read this. I was in a murdery mood, reading wise. But after going to the Stripes Blogger Event, I sat down and started to slowly work my way through the collection. 

PROUD is an anthology of stories, poetry and illustrations from the top LGBTQIA+ authors, illustartors and fresh talent, each giving their own reaction to the theme of Pride. 

There isn’t much else I can say. So, thoughts on this are thus…

#LGBTQIARead & #PrideBookClub TBR (Kinda)

So, my lovely friends George (@theGeorgeLester) and Faye (@daydreamin_star) are hosting the #LGBTQIARead on Twitter. Basically, it's a week (25th June to 1st July) where you can read LGBT+ books! I love this idea and I do have plans to do a binge on LGBT books in the future, but I got myself in a knot on what I'm reading so might not be taking part. If you guys want to, check out daydreamersthoughts.co.uk/lgbtqiaread-is-back/ for more details.

But, because I wanted to get involved in some way, I decided to write a fast post about some books on my TBR that are LGBTQIA. Now, I have no idea when am going to read these so don't get too excited but there are one or two I do want to read in next few weeks so keep your eyes peeled.

So, should I name some LGBTQIA books I have on my TBR? Where do I start? er...

The lovely people at Penguin Platform, who are hosting their own LGBT book club over the next few months to celebrate Pride - #PrideBookClub - and they sent me two books: Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown and Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. Both I am intrigued to read - Rubyfruit Jungle more as I have never heard of this book. But I do want to get my rear in gear and read these soon.

Another book I have on my kindle TBR (via NetGalley) is Good As You by Paul Flynn. This non-fiction (I know! I NEVER read non-fiction) follows British history over 30 years up to when same-sex marriage became legal in the UK. It's full of pop culture and reference that I can get on board with. Again, this is another #PrideBookClub read but am going to save this till last, I think, as I struggle at times with non-fiction so I don't want to rush.

I discovered this novella by fluke and that is Marine Biology: A San Andreas Shifter Prequel by G.L. Carriger (or Gail Carriger, author of the Parasol Protectorate series). Now, I am not a fan of LGBT erotica and this series hints that it might go this way (I have read some that fit in this genre but I always find the writing a bit chucky in place) but I sense that humour is going to be the main driving force of this and I am all up for humour!

I have more - The Last Beginning by Lauren James (time-travel/bending with LGBT characters? And with the first book in the duology being awesome? SOLD!), The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Greek mythology retelling but with a LGBT twist? Yep, am tapping that!), the new Cassandra Clare novel - Lord of Shadows (I hope to finish Lady Midnight today, but Cassandra never fails to have a wonderful blend of diversity in her books and this new trilogy is no exception!), Played! by JL Merrow (NetGalley impulse request - Don't ask!), Unburied Fables (A collection of fairy tales reimaginings with a LGBT twist. Something I can get totally on board with) but the one author that I hope to be all over in the coming months is Adam Silvera with his books, History is All You Left Me and his upcoming (and the one I am desperate to read!) They Both Die At The End! I NEED TO READ THIS BOOK VERY VERY SOON!