Category: Book Reviews

My 2 Cents on The Darkest Game by Joseph Schneider

What’s new, everyone? Joseph Schneider has just come out with The Darkest Game, the third standalone entry in his LAPD Detective Tully Jarsdel Mystery series. Marcus Tullius “Tully” Jarsdel himself is a Los Angeles-based homicide detective who was once a history PhD candidate. His erudite and pensive personality makes him an easy target for mockery and dismissal, especially … Continue reading My 2 Cents on The Darkest Game by Joseph Schneider →

My 2 Cents on The Club by Ellery Lloyd

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review! What’s new, everyone? Ellery Lloyd, the pseudonym for husband-and-wife writing team Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos, has just published their newest thriller, The Club. It revolves around the Home Group, a global organization of deluxe celebrity … Continue reading My 2 Cents on The Club by Ellery Lloyd →

My 2 Cents on This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

What’s new, everybody? Today we’re covering This Poison Heart, the 2021 YA contemporary fantasy novel by Kalynn Bayron. If the author’s name sounds familiar, it’s because I included her debut novel, Cinderella Is Dead, in last year’s article, “My 2 Cents on Five Queer Must-Reads for Young Adults.” Having deeply enjoyed Cinderella Is Dead, I had high expectations … Continue reading My 2 Cents on This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron →

2 Cents Critic Podcast – It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey 

Tune in for Arthur’s breakdown of It Happened One Summer, the Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com novel by Tessa Bailey (Fix Her Up, Window Shopping). On top of giving his thoughts on the opposites-attract romance between high-maintenance Instagram socialite Piper Bellinger and grumpy fishing captain Brendan Taggert, Arthur draws numerous correlations between It Happened One Summer and … Continue reading 2 Cents Critic Podcast – It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey  →

My 2 Cents on Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

What’s new, everybody? If you’ve been keeping up with this blog for a while, you probably remember that I included a favorite book of mine in the June 2021 post, “My 2 Cents on Five Queer Must-Reads for Young Adults”: 2018’s What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Kate in Waiting) and … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera →

My 2 Cents on the Top Ten Books of 2021

What’s new, everyone? As of this writing, 2021 is just one day away from its official conclusion! Plenty of notable events have unfolded over the past year: the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Bennifer getting back together, the premiere of the Disney+ MCU shows, Paul Rudd being named People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive, the numerous COVID variants that … Continue reading My 2 Cents on the Top Ten Books of 2021 →

My 2 Cents on a Trio of Queer Contemporary Romance Novels

What’s new, everyone? Contemporary romances are slowly but surely becoming increasingly inclusive, particularly in regard to the rainbow 🏳️‍🌈. Of course, we still have major steps to take, like creating a rom-com that stars a trans lead. Nonetheless, I’m glad to keep reading more and more queer romances that are as enjoyable as their cishet counterparts. … Continue reading My 2 Cents on a Trio of Queer Contemporary Romance Novels →

My 2 Cents on Steelstriker by Marie Lu

What’s new, everyone? If you’ve been following my reviews long enough, you know that one of my top reads of 2020 was Skyhunter by Marie Lu (Legend, The Kingdom of Back). With its eighteen-year-old heroine Talin Kanami devoting herself as a loyal Striker to her homeland of Mara’s mission of beating back the occupying regime of the … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Steelstriker by Marie Lu →

My 2 Cents on Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

What’s new, everyone? TJ Klune (The Extraordinaries, The House in the Cerulean Sea) has just published his newest book, Under the Whispering Door. It tells the story of Wallace Price, an incredibly callous and self-absorbed lawyer who makes no effort to gain sympathy from the reader as he pitilessly lays off a paralegal in the opening chapter. … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune →