In this heartfelt, funny, touching memoir, Tan France, star of Netflix’s smash-hit QUEER EYE, tells his origin story for the first time. With his trademark wit, humor, and radical compassion, Tan reveals what it was like to grow up gay in a traditional Muslim family, as one of the few people of color in Doncaster, England. He illuminates his winding journey of coming of age, finding his voice (and style!), and how he finally came out to his family at the age of 34, revealing that he was happily married to the love of his life–a Mormon cowboy from Salt Lake City.
In Tan’s own words, “The book is meant to spread joy, personal acceptance, and most of all understanding. Each of us is living our own private journey, and the more we know about each other, the healthier and happier the world will be.”
– Goodreads
I loved this memoir. I love Tan France. I love Queer Eye. SO MUCH LOVE.
I really liked hearing about Tan’s life when he was growing up. It showed a great perspective. I loved hearing how he built himself from the ground up and how his business and brand evolved.
I especially liked the parts about Queer Eye. The hiring process, behind the scenes, the Emmys, everything. It was great.
There’s also life lessons and notes on style and how to style yourself. Which I may or may not need.
Also as a plus – Antoni appears in the audio!
Pick this book up if you love queer eye, style, memoirs, or just need a pick me up. Listening to this book made me so happy!
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, YA , Time Travel
Rating: ★★★★
One moment, Emmie is writing her high school history paper; the next, she’s sitting with a gorgeous 16th century king who vacillates from kissing her to ordering her execution.
Able to travel back to her own time, but intensely drawn to King Nick and the mysterious death of his sister, Emmie finds herself solving the murder of a young princess and unraveling court secrets while trying to keep her head on her shoulders, literally.
With everything to lose, Emmie finds herself facing her biggest battle of all: How to cheat the path of history and keep her irresistible king, or lose him–and her heart–forever.
– Goodreads
Thank you to Literary Crush Publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this quick, time travel romance.
Emmie is a high school student with dreams of becoming a jewelry designer. She finds an old ring at a yard sale and gets it for inspiration to create her own ring. Little does she know this ring has magical powers. She finds out soon enough.
This book travels back and forth between the present time and when the Tudors ruled England. Emmie meets Nicholas the Ironheart and they start t spend more time together. Of course, romance ensues.
This is a great YA romance. Emmie won’t just settle for Nick’s time and customs. She won’t agree to anything that SHE doesn’t want to do. I ended up rooting for them in the end, even though I wasn’t sure I would.
Some of the side characters got a little annoying – like Mia, Emmie’s best friend in present time. Even though the people in the Tudor era had old ideals (obviously), I liked those characters much more. Everyone in the present was just…. eh. Overly obnoxious and like a caricature of present teens.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, easy to follow read. I loved the romance. I won’t tell you if there’s a HEA, though, since I was left guessing until the end. Definitely pick this up if you’re into romance, time travel, or the tudor era.
After Beau LeFrancois’s mother wrecks Bett Diaz’s luxury SUV, his family faces an impossibly large bill—with no car insurance to help pay it. To pay off the debt, Beau spends his weekends working at the Diaz Ranch.
Beau’s prepared to work, but he’s definitely not prepared for the infamous temper of Bett Diaz, also known as “The Beast” at school. As Beau learns the secrets behind Bett’s tough exterior, he finds himself falling for her . . . until he catches Bett in a lie.
A contemporary twist on a classic fairy tale, Beau and Bett is a timely story of family, friendship, and the power of speaking out and standing up for yourself.
– Goodreads
Thank you Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
“There’s a little bit of beast in every person. And in every beast, there’s a human heart with a story of how it got to that place. A story waiting to be changed with understanding. A story waiting to be changed with just a kiss.”
I enjoyed this gender swapped Beauty and the Beast retelling. Beau’s mom stopped to pick an avacado on her way home. Bett the Beast ran into her, saying it was her fault. Beau’s dad isn’t working because of an injury, so he volunteers to work at Bett’s dad’s ranch to pay off the deductible for the damage to Bett’s car.
Over the course of two months, Beau starts falling for Bett. He sees her for who she really is, not the Beast everyone thinks she is. Toward the end there is a betrayal, but in typical fairy tale fashion, there is a happily ever after.
I liked that this book was such a quick, easy read. It’s a nice, sweet, teen-aged romance. At times I felt the writing and dialogue was a little juvenile, even though these kids were 16 years old. The main characters were likeable enough, but not so much that I really felt connected to them.
If you want a quick, easy romance, this is the book for you. This is really one of those slump-breaker books. You know, you can get in, read, and get out fast – but the story is interesting enough to keep you engaged.
I got this on audible as a members freebie during Pride Month. Honestly I picked it up because Tan France is on the cover. I’m obsessed with Queer Eye and would kill to have him style me. Anyway.
I am so glad I chose this book!! One of my favorite drag queens, Shangela, was featured. Hallelujah!
This was an audio of a group of LGBT famous people telling stories. Like Shangela’s was about when she broke her leg and went to see Queen Bey. I was crying at my desk from laughter.
All the stories were humorous. But mostly, it was about just being YOU, whoever that is. Loving yourself (cause if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?) and living your best life. The last story was a tear-jerker, but honestly, I think you needed one in this kind of book.
Nick Offerman and his posse of high-profile guests present this series of 12 short stories written in the style of classic kid’s tales, but with a decidedly adult approach.
If children’s literature is any guide, we should all be able to magically fall asleep simply by saying goodnight to the things we can see from our beds. But any adult knows that our work anxieties and shameful memories would rather stay up all night and chat. That’s where Offerman and Co. come in—with clever and occasionally downright dark parodies of the classic kids genre. What really happened after Snow White died, from the perspective of the one medically trained dwarf? A naive wizard professor reports back from the trenches of an underprivileged school of magic. A middle-aged man is haunted by the voices of his own aging body. The stories will make you laugh, cry and probably squirm a little.
Performers include: Patrick Stewart, Alia Shawkat, Jane Lynch, Aparna Nancherla, Harry Goaz, Mike Birbiglia, Ellen Page, Rachel Dratch, Gary Anthony Williams, Nicole Byer, and Matt Walsh.
Please note that this audiobook contains explicit content.
– Goodreads
I hated to give this book such a low review. I saw it as an audible member freebie in May and was like, oh I have to get that! I listened to Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally’s audio a couple months ago and LOVED it. I thought this would be the same. Not so much.
This was a collection of short stories, narrated by various famous humans. The stories just didn’t hold my attention. None of the grabbed me, which I was sad about. I listened while driving to work, and while at work. Sometimes work can command my attention so it takes away from the audio, but that wasn’t the case here. Even when driving I found my mind wandering because I just couldn’t stay focused.
The best part was at the very end when Nick Offerman called himself my lumberjack daddy and sang me a lullaby.
Unfortunately, I can’t recommend this audio to anyone. Even my love of Nick Offerman isn’t enough.
Cartoonist Meredith McClaren (Hinges) tells five short, sexy stories featuring superheroes, supervillains, sidekicks, and the people who love them.
Showing consent and character-driven erotic relationships, Super Fun Sexy Times answers the age-old question: what happens when the mask comes off?
Two sidekicks on opposite sides get stuck in an underground lab together, and find a great way to pass the time. A tactician and superhero discuss their desires, limits, and kinks before their first time, and perhaps get a little too excited in the process. A pair of supervillains explore gender and sex together, while growing closer in their relationship. Lesbian heroes try out a kinky rolepaying scenario, and discover how to make it work for both of them. And an exhausted assassin relaxes after a long day with the kind (yet firm) attentions of his husband.
Told with care, sex-positivity, and humor, and featuring a wide variety of sexualities and bodies, Super Fun Sexy Times aims to create an erotic reading experience that lives up to its name!
– Goodreads
Thank you to Netgalley for providing a free copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
This graphic novel was surprisingly… graphic.
Not that it’s a bad thing! But the first anatomy I saw kind of took me aback. I loved it though! I mean, I read erotica and romance all the time. But something about seeing it on the page. I don’t know. It’s like a weird mix of porn and erotica books.
This was a graphic novel of 5 short stories. There was SO MUCH lgbt rep. I loved it. It explores all kinds of sex positive things. Consent, safe words, trying and failing new endeavors. It was SO GOOD. I can’t recommend this enough. So much positivity throughout this book. That’s the thing that stuck out most to me, and also what I loved the most. It shows it’s okay to try new things. It’s ok if things don’t work out. It’s GREAT to have conversations before getting in too deep.
Fresh from med school, sixteen-year-old medical prodigy Saira arrives for her first day at her new job: treating children with cancer. She’s always had to balance family and friendships with her celebrity as the Girl Genius—but she’s never had to prove herself to skeptical adult co-workers while adjusting to real life-and-death stakes. And working in the same hospital as her mother certainly isn’t making things any easier.
But life gets complicated when Saira finds herself falling in love with a patient: a cute teen boy who’s been diagnosed with cancer. And when she risks her brand new career to try to improve his chances, it could cost her everything.
It turns out “heartbreak” is the one thing she still doesn’t know how to treat.
– Goodreads
Thank you Netgalley for a free copy of this book In exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
Omg. Love this book.
It’s contemporary. It’s ya. It’s medical. It’s romance. It’s everything!
I’m a nurse, so I love me a good medical story. This follows Saira, the United State’s youngest doctor. 16 years old. Okay. I’ll roll with it.
Her first day on the job she meets a boy. A patient. And love ensues. Obviously.
She has her ups and downs on the job. People are hard on her. They don’t think she should be there because of her age. And it shows, as it should. A 16 year old doctor will still have a 16 year old’s feelings.
I loved the ups and downs of her career and life. It felt real even though it’s kind of unheard of. And honestly, I’d be scared of a 16 year old doc too. I know I wouldn’t have been as amazing as the nurse practitioner in the story. (One complaint though. He acted more as a nurse than a nurse practitioner, but most people not in the medical field wouldn’t pick up on that.)
Would I recommend this book? Yes. 100%. Will you like it even if you aren’t in the medical field? Yes. Think of it as a YA Grey’s Anatomy with a little doctoring and a lot of drama.
Yall. This month has been CRAZY. I’ve been getting back to the gym. My husband had his wisdom teeth taken out. I have a two year old so that’s crazy.
I’ve gotta carve out more me time somewhere! I also need to read. Its June 9 and I have read a whopping ZERO books this month! Omg.
I am almost done with an ARC from Netgalley that I’m so excited to share with you guys! Its serving YA, contemporary, medical realness and I am in LOVE! Okay, so maybe I have been watching A LOT of Queer Eye this month and I am OBSESSED. Especially with Jonathan. Be my bff? Please?
Jonathan if he ever sees this post.
ANYWAYS. So May reads.
The Beautiful Brain. Audible Original. Four stars for a medical book about CTE and brain injuries. I loved it. Most people probably won’t though, I wouldn’t think. I just look a good medical book.
The Shift. Four Stars. I read this in honor of Nurse’s Week that was May 6-12. Its a memoir about a day in the life of a nurse. I loved it. It brought back the feels of being a nurse on the floor I used to have.
Nimona. 3.5 Stars. This is a graphic novel, but I listened to the audio. The audio was good, the actors were good. But I think I would have liked the graphic novel better.
Collective 3 stars for this sci-fi romance series. Each book follows a different alien and his mate. They were good. The romance scenes were spicy. It just didn’t jump out as being over a 3 star.
Aurora Rising. Oh my. Definitely my most favorite read of the month and will probably be top 5 for the year. I am LIVING for Kal. I mean. I want that body. haha! Plus, I got to talk DnD with Jay Kristoff after our author chat. He is the sweetest, most genuine guy. I love him and want to play DnD with him. Love him. Love this book. Full review to come but just go read it right now.
Caraval. Four star book. This was a great book about magic and carnivals and deception. I can’t wait to read the next two installments!
Illuminae. Five stars. This was a reread. I read the physical version last year and LOVED the format. It was so interesting and original. I listened to the audio this month and it may have been better! It was full cast. All the voice actors were amazing. Its a book that I would love to listen as I read along.
Whatever Normal Is. Two stars. This was the very first ARC I received. I loved the cover, but the story was just… not good.
12 Days of Forever. Three stars. Typical audio romance. Wasn’t great, but wasn’t bad.
Gemina. Five Stars. Book two of the Illuminae files. AMAZING. Again, I read the physical. The format was amazing. It follows different characters, so I was scared I wouldn’t like them as much. This was not the case. New book boyfriend in the bad-boy main character.
Standing Sideways. Four Star. Full review posted. This was an arc I received and I really loved the way it looked at loss and redemption.
June plan? WHAT June plan?
I’m just trying to read a book, guys. But really, my plan is to read as many ARCs as possible and get caught up. Fingers crossed!
When Livia Stone suddenly loses her twin brother, Jasper, she must learn to navigate her new life alone. As she faces tragedy and starts down a road toward self-destruction, Daniel enters Livia’s life—at a moment when she needs it most.
Standing Sideways is a poignant, relevant, and touching story of survival, courage, and compassion that will have readers crying, laughing, and most of all, debating the issues affecting the lives of parents and teens alike on a journey of hope and forgiveness.
– Goodreads
Wow. May was INSANE. It was my son’s second birthday. My mom moved and had a garage sale. We were just generally much busier than normal. I’m so sad my blog got neglected! My reading did, too. I only read 12 books this month. Eek. But more on that tomorrow, hopefully!
The plan is to do my May wrap up on June 1, then my June plan on June 2! Crossing my fingers.
Alright. Lets get into this review.
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and the publisherfor a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
This was such a good read. Although quick, it definitely wasn’t easy. This was definitely a page turner. I kept wanting to read to find out what happened to Livia’s brother and how her life would end up.
Standing Sideways follows the story of Livia, who just lost her twin brother. The better twin, as she says. You see all had decisions after the death. The bad, and good, decisions. It shows how everyone deals with grief differently. Not all ways are good.
This book took a few twists and turns. Some parts surprised me. I keep rooting for Livia to make the right decisions and to follow who she ‘used to be’. A bit toward the ending got a little muddled for me, but it ended up nicely!
At the end of the book, I was surprised to learn this is based off a true story. It made it that much more real, heartbreaking, but also joyous. Also— all proceeds of this book go to charity so how great is that?!
I would definitely recommend this book. It gave me all the feels.
In a book as eye-opening as it is riveting, practicing nurse and New York Times columnist Theresa Brown invites us to experience not just a day in the life of a nurse but all the life that happens in just one day on a hospital’s cancer ward. In the span of twelve hours, lives can be lost, life-altering medical treatment decisions made, and dreams fulfilled or irrevocably stolen. In Brown’s skilled hands–as both a dedicated nurse and an insightful chronicler of events–we are given an unprecedented view into the individual struggles as well as the larger truths about medicine in this country, and by shift’s end, we have witnessed something profound about hope and healing and humanity.
Every day, Theresa Brown holds patients’ lives in her hands. On this day there are four. There is Mr. Hampton, a patient with lymphoma to whom Brown is charged with administering a powerful drug that could cure him–or kill him; Sheila, who may have been dangerously misdiagnosed; Candace, a returning patient who arrives (perhaps advisedly) with her own disinfectant wipes, cleansing rituals, and demands; and Dorothy, who after six weeks in the hospital may finally go home. Prioritizing and ministering to their needs takes the kind of skill, sensitivity, and, yes, humor that enable a nurse to be a patient’s most ardent advocate in a medical system marked by heartbreaking dysfunction as well as miraculous success.
– Goodreads
So Nurse’s Week is May 6-12. I read this book in honor of Nurse’s Week. And I just love nursing memoirs. It reminds me why I became a nurse, because it’s so easy to forget sometimes.
This follows Theresa Brown, RN through one of her shifts. Just 12 hours. Parts of it my soul remembered, and reminded me why I now have a desk job. Parts of it my soul remembered in a good way, and made me miss patient care. I loved growing close to patients and feeling like I made a difference. I wasn’t as excited about the difficult patients, though.
Theresa works on an oncology ward – cancer and blood diseases. When I was a nurse, I worked medical-surgical (medical illnesses and some surgery post-op). We were right next door to the oncology unit, so I got pulled there frequently. The nurses over there always had the best attitudes and were so friendly, which surprised me since they dealt with cancer daily.
There were some major differences, though. Theresa talks about having four patients and being overwhelmed. If I had four patients, my day was going good, but it would probably go to shit. I routinely had 5-6 patients. Sometimes SEVEN. SEVEN PATIENTS to ONE ME. There is no time to adequately assess seven patients. Theresa talks about her struggles with four. On that note, did you know California is the ONLY STATE with SAFE nurse/patient ratios? Yeah. When you think your nurse doesn’t care, maybe she doesn’t. Or she may have 7 people she’s trying to keep alive for 12 hours. NEWSFLASH – If you want better nursing care, we all have to fight for safer nurse/patient ratios, whether you are in healthcare or not. It could be you laying in that bed one day. Would you want your nurse to be looking after you and three others, or you and six others? Yeah, I’ll let you think on that.
Ugh, sorry for that rant. That’s why I left bedside nursing. I currently am in love with my job. But I know I’ll never go back bedside unless safe ratios are established.
Back to the book. Theresa talks about feelings of inadequacy as a nurse. I should have done that sooner. I should have picked up on that. Is there something wrong here, or am I just freaking out? Nursing is STRESSFUL yall. We are the eyes and ears for the doc. The doctor sees them for 5 minutes. We see them for 12 hours. It’s up to us to pick up on anything and everything.
This was such a great read. If you want to know what nurses really do, please read this book. It’s such a realistic view into a day in the life. A life we all chose. A life some regret choosing. It’s hard. It’s emotionally draining. But sometimes, its the most rewarding profession in the world.
Mithah Reads 