Book Review – Equal Opportunity Reader

[REVIEW] The Idea of You, by Robinne Lee

The Kindle cover of The Idea of You, showing the very pretty kissing couple from the film adaptation, is propped up on a dining table against a woven handbag behind a wide green mug of milky coffee, next to a blue and white chinaware planter.

(You can find this book here.) I wasn’t really planning on reviewing this age-gap, popstar, Amazon Prime-adapted romance but it’s weirdly icky, so let’s discuss. It’s fine that French-American gallery owner Soléne is 20 years older than her 20-year-old lover Hayes. It’s fine that he’s a member of the world’s biggest boy band. It’s fineContinue reading “[REVIEW] The Idea of You, by Robinne Lee”

[REVIEW] Walking Practice by Dolki Min, translated by Victoria Caudle

The cover of Walking Practice by Dolki Min, displaying a weird, grotesque alien,is held in the lap of the writer's sundress. In the background you can see a very gross beach.

(Buy this book here.) Spoilers abound, because there was no other way. Sometimes, it takes a people eating alien to show us just how much dating, gender expectations and hook-up culture can suck. This debut novel by enigmatic queer Korean literary figure Dolki Min follows an alien stranded in Seoul, light years away from home,Continue reading “[REVIEW] Walking Practice by Dolki Min, translated by Victoria Caudle”

[REVIEW] That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Demon, by Kimberly Lemming

A Black woman's hand holds the Kindle cover of That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Demon, featuring a pretty Black woman and a sexy elf in a passionate clinch, up in front of a lush potted basil plant.

(Buy this book here.) You’ve probably already heard of this smash-hit monster romance about a pink-haired sistah named Cinnamon and a demon (but not really?) named Fallon. While tarrying on the path home to her family’s spice farm after a drunken festival to celebrate the band of heroes sent to kill the demons threatening theContinue reading “[REVIEW] That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Demon, by Kimberly Lemming”

[REVIEW] Blood At The Root, by LaDarrion Williams

The Kindle cover of Blood At The Root, depicting a magical Black boy standing in front of an ancient tree, is held up in front of a slightly less ancient, very green real world tree.

(Buy this book here.) Malik Baron has had the usual fantasy hero’s rough start in life. He’s an orphan who’s finally aged out of the abusive foster homes he grew up in, and he has the prickly, exasperatingly self-destructive, suspicious personality to show for it. He also has erratic magic powers and no idea whereContinue reading “[REVIEW] Blood At The Root, by LaDarrion Williams”

[REVIEW] The Wildest Ride, by Marcella Bell

A Black woman's hand holds up the Kindle cover of The Wildest Ride, depicting a very handsome Black cowboy, in front of a weathered white wooden fence.

(Rope a copy of this book for yourself here.) This rodeo romance is pure wish-fulfillment fantasy. Lil Sorrow(that’s her real name) is a former teen rodeo champ sidelined for years by sexism and family obligation. AJ Garza is a bull riding circuit superstar trying to take home one last prize pot before retiring to focusContinue reading “[REVIEW] The Wildest Ride, by Marcella Bell”

[REVIEW] The Truth of the Aleke, by Moses Ose Utomi

The Kindle cover of The Truth of the Aleke, depicting four young Black people in traditional garb standing upside down beneath a clay fortress, takes up the entire screen.

(Buy this book here.) Somehow, this sequel to my favorite fantasy book of 2023 manages to be both entirely the same and completely different from its predecessor. Once again, a beautifully written story set in a Nigeria-inspired fantasy world revolves around a boy hero, although this time around instead of sweet teachable Tutu we haveContinue reading “[REVIEW] The Truth of the Aleke, by Moses Ose Utomi”

[REVIEW] A Fledgling Abiba, by Dilman Dila

The paperback cover of A Fledgling Abiba, which depicts a person surrounded by geometric patterns, is held up by a Black woman's hand in front of a handmade upcycled mural displayed in Roslindale Substation.

(Buy this book here.) Sometimes a writer has to work really hard to take the reader into another world, crafting and creating wonder out of both imagination and the collective fantastic. Other times all a writer has to do is write what is familiar to them for an unfamiliar audience. I think this novella actuallyContinue reading “[REVIEW] A Fledgling Abiba, by Dilman Dila”

[REVIEW] Milk Fed, by Melissa Broder

In front of a half gallon and a gallon container of plant-based milk, the Kindle cover of Milk Fed is propped up. It depicts a dear God is that a nipple? I just realized that's an art deco nipple!

(Buy this book here.) Rachel is a non-religious queer Jewish woman in L.A. By day she works for a talent agency. By night, she’s a stand-up comedian. She dresses well, goes to therapy, is politically progressive, and is probably the coolest person a lot of her friends know–at least until you factor in her toxicContinue reading “[REVIEW] Milk Fed, by Melissa Broder”

[BOOKLIST] Complex Love; A Booklist of Diverse and Intersectional Romance Novels

Six hands, all belonging to different people, are placed on a pink background to form a heart shape.

Every year, Valentine’s Day rolls around, and every year, we all have to endure lists of monolithic romance novels about very boring people. Aside from the usual “hot blonde meets borderline emotionally abusive hockey player/CEO/pop star/cowboy/hometown hero” lists, there are also lists of Black romance, Asian romance, Latin romance, queer romance and all sorts ofContinue reading “[BOOKLIST] Complex Love; A Booklist of Diverse and Intersectional Romance Novels”

[REVIEW] Lunar New Year Love Story, by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham

The Kindle cover of Lunar New Year Love Story, depicting a young Asian couple in front of a pinkwashed sunset sky, is propped up in front of a lily plant and surrounded by wooden hearts and wrapped chocolate hearts.

(Buy this book here.) Valentina Tran loves the holiday she’s named after. Every year she makes heart-decorated cards for all her classmates, and an extra special one for her dad, who’s still trying to cope years after his wife’s death. To the disgust of her realistic bestie Bernice, Val maintains a belief in romance soContinue reading “[REVIEW] Lunar New Year Love Story, by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham”