Dear Steve Kluger,

I’m slowly making my way through everything you’ve written, with the highest of expectations.  I haven’t been let down yet, and Almost Like Being in Love is no exception.  A classic storyline of love lost and found, with enough twists and wonderfully real, human moments to make it stand-out, this one is a total winner in my book.  Anyone who’s queer, anyone who’s in love, anyone with a beating heart should read this along with all your others, because they’re AWESOME.  Five stars, and I can’t wait to see you in May!

Love,

Wanna check out this title for yourself?  Try the Indie Bound or ABC bookstore finders!

Dear Kevin Sessums,

Ok…perhaps if I hadn’t had to wait around for an Ikea shipment on the day I had intended to discuss this at book club, I would be able to explain why I gave it three stars. As it is, I’m not sure I can put it into words. The writing was good, the plot was interesting, the dude had a weird and compelling life. Somehow, though, those things didn’t add up to me liking the book. I wasn’t particularly moved, nor was I invested in the narrator. It struck me as a little too sensational–not that…more Ok…perhaps if I hadn’t been suddenly busy on the day I had intended to discuss Mississippi Sissy at book club, I would be able to explain why I’m giving it three stars. As it is, I’m not sure I can put it into words. The writing was good, the plot was interesting, you had a weird and compelling life. Somehow, though, those things didn’t add up to me liking the book. I wasn’t particularly moved, nor was I invested in the narrating voice. It struck me as a little too sensational–not that the events of your life were too sensational, but the way they were presented seemed aimed to shock me, or make me feel some emotion or another. Which is what books do, to some extent, but it stops working when I can see it winding up and aiming for me.

Love,

Wanna check out this title for yourself?  Try the Indie Bound or ABC bookstore finders!

Dear Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett,

Havemercy was a great fantasy! I loved it! Sometimes it was predictable, but I still loved it! Well-written, interesting, with just enough of a world created that it felt full without overwhelming me with foreign words and details I’d never needed to know in the first place. What could be better than talking mechanical dragons, sweet spring/autumn romance, awkward university students and studly war heroes?
Well, I could have asked for one thing–a little (or even a lot) less derogatory language about women/portrayals of women, and one or two female characters who didn’t feel like they were just thrown in on a whim. I understand the personality you were trying to create with the dragon rider who likes to slap ladies on the ass and talk about spreading their legs all the time, and I liked him by the end, but I found some of that groundwork offensive–it went farther than needed. The book had a definite slant in the direction of objectifying women–the three districts of the capital city were given women’s names and called the sister districts, the genderless dragons were referred to as their riders’ “girls,” and women were absent altogether from any kind of healthy romantic interest among the straight male characters. I am surprised that a book written by two women had no substantial female presence in it. This male onesidedness is what kept this book at four stars instead of five. Quite a romp, if a chauvinist romp.

Love,

Wanna check out this title for yourself?  Try the Indie Bound or ABC bookstore finders!

Dear Sarah Monette,

Once again, I wish there were more gradiations of stars. This book was highly entertaining to me, a lover of fantasy, and a lover of all things queer. Unfortunately, it falls into that category of fantasy that isn’t really outstanding in its writing, and has moments that make you cringe–but you love it anyway. I enjoyed the world created in this book, though sometimes it felt forced, and I enjoyed the characters, though sometimes they behaved so erratically or were so unusual in appearance t…more Once again, I wish there were more gradiations of stars. Melusine gets four, because it was highly entertaining to me as a lover of fantasy, and of all things queer. Unfortunately, it falls into that category of fantasy that isn’t really outstanding in its writing, and has moments that make me cringe–but I love it anyway. I enjoyed the world created in this book, though sometimes it felt forced, and I enjoyed the characters, though sometimes they behaved so erratically or were so unusual in appearance that I felt like I was reading a fanfiction. One thing I thought was brilliant was your ability to hide information from me. The mysteries of the story were much harder for me to figure out than they usually are in this kind of book, all due to your apparent skill at withholding information without the text seeming lacking. Overall, I really enjoyed it! It’s been a good long while since I read any fantasy written for an adult audience specifically, and it felt really, really good to be back in the fold.

Love,

Wanna check out this title for yourself?  Try the Indie Bound or ABC bookstore finders!

Dear Steve Kluger,

Writing you a letter review seems a little silly when I’ve already sent you a rabid fanletter, and made plans to hear you speak in Brookline on my birthday (HEHEHEHE!), but how can I resist including My Most Excellent Year in my blog?  Especially since it gets ALL MY STARS, EVER.  It rang so very true to me, and I want everyone on Earth to read it, even if they don’t like it at all, but really it’s got something for everyone. Baseball, theater, ambassadors, government agents, homosexuals, deaf children, and of course, Mary Poppins in the flesh. What more is there to life?

Thank you so, so much.

Love,

Wanna check out this title for yourself?  Try the Indie Bound or ABC bookstore finders!