One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

 

Ebook from the library.

5/5 stars

This was not really what I expected but I loved it anyway.

August has moved to New York in an attempt to get away from her mother's obsessive search for her missing brother which has clouded August's whole childhood. She's on her third college degree and fiercely minimalist with her possessions.

She is at first unsure about her new roommates, one claims to be psychic, one leaves strange art everywhere and the third is basically nocturnal with a dog who has become communal. Over time they become family, along with August's work crew at Billy's Pancake House and Annie, the drag queen across the hall. Along the way she meets Jane on her subway commute. Cool, mysterious and electrifying, Jane isn't who she appears to be...

The story with Jane was a bit startling at first for what I thought was a regular contemporary romance/whatever but the whole thing drew me in and was so well written!

To me this book is queer joy and I highly recommend it!

Stef Out x

Why Can't Life be Like Pizza? by Andy V. Roamer

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

2/5 stars

CW: homophobic language, light racism

I was disappointed by this book. R.V. was not a particularly likeable character. One of two children of Lithuanian immigrant parents living in the US with his brother Ray (age unknown? Acts older but implied to be younger.) R.V. complained a lot but did nothing to fix anything. Apparently he's some kind of genius and brags about doing well in school and enjoying homework and reading difficult books. He also complained a lot about all the "Lith stuff" that his parents were involved in but I thought it was great that his parents are so in touch with their culture.

Also considering that he's pondering his own sexuality R.V.'s attitudes were quite homophobic. He was very dismissive about his teacher for being swishy, limp-wristed, femme and having a high voice. Said teacher is not even confirmed to be gay at this point. That comes later after a homophobia based attack which is then brushed off. No mention of reporting it or anything.

Overall I just found this book flat and boring. The diary style doesn't work particularly well, why would you explain stuff about your language and culture that you already know in your own diary? Also the ending was very abrupt, I guess to get people to read the sequel. Sorry but book one did not draw me in enough to warrant reading the second.

Stef Out x

New Year's Resolutions 2023

 I'm back with my New Year's Resolutions list for 2023!

1. Get a tattoo
2. Get a piercing
3. Watch 100 films
4. Complete my book resolutions
5. Learn to knit
6. Sew a garment
7. Learn to crochet
8. Write 20,000 words for NaNoWriMo
9. Write 10,000 works outside NaNoWriMo
10. Do a painting
11. Finish 2 embroideries
12. Go on an outing
13. Get a new job
14. Learn to drive
15. Get a new car
16. Decorate the hallway

Book resolutions:

1. Read 100 books
2. Read 2 auto/biographies
3. Read 2 other non-fiction
4. Complete 23 in 2023 challenge
5. Complete Alphabet challenge
6. Read 30 NetGalley books
7. Complete owed reviews
8. Review every book

I want to be more crafty and creative in 2023, I need to learn new skills and I need to make more things with my own hands! I also need to write more, to stretch my brain, I need to finish something!

As explained in my last post I need a new job, why is it so hard to find something that is compatible with my skill set, physicality and mental capacity? As for the car, we haven't had this one long but knowing our luck! LOL! But also it is still a little smaller than ideal, it's nice to dream anyway.

The hallway seems a bit random but it's actually not. It's been needing doing for a while but the council just redid the bathroom and toilet, they look nice on the surface but the paintwork needs an extra coat and their shower was pathetic so we bought a mixer tap shower and paid a plumber to fit it. They also took forever! We were quoted 10 working days, it was about 3-4 weeks in the end. People not showing up, only one person coming in a week etc. It was awful. Anyway now the bathroom has been done the hallway looks even shabbier, especially where they bashed at it bringing stuff in and out, so now it's desperate for redoing. The paint is cheap enough, the big cost is new flooring and we can't skip that because it's already patch-worked from where puppy Forest ripped some back up.

So that's the list. Obviously there are other non-list mini goals as always but whatever to them.

Stef Out x