Setting aside the ethical, legal, environmental, & financial concerns, more people should be worried that using AI makes them deeply unfuckable

I'm so happy I grabbed this ARC. I'm leaving this review of my own accord. (I bought a copy as well ahead of reading the ARC if that tells you anything!)

Wake Up! is both a standalone and undeniably part of Seasons. It's hard to put into words, but that same feeling of knowing and wanting to know these characters binds these books together. At this point when I see Merey's name on a book I know I'll love it in ways I can't imagine until I'm in it.

Their lives are so much their own that I should be grasping to relate to them, yet I feel such a strong sense of familiarity with Al and Tian. I may never understand the intricacies of high-stakes mahjong but I do understand queer relationships that defy convention and resist definition.

Paperback of Wake Up! By R. Merey with white tiles, a faux bullet, a folded $20 bill, and a cross necklace

Paperback of Wake Up! By R. Merey with stickers, tea, and candies

Wake Up! by R. Merey @traumbooks.bsky.social

(I don't have mahjong tiles but I do have Rummikub...play pretend with me)

Merey writes characters that make me want to know all their idiosyncrasies.

#bookreview
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your moment of calm

It's a neat nod to how these places have historically been a refuge for queer people with nowhere else to go...even if it meant having to keep their love a secret.

Thanks so much to the author for sending an advance copy my way! I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

and makes their intimate moments so much more intense. Very sweet, very hot, and very worth it.

The historic and monastic setting come with the obstacles to queer love that you might expect. That being said, I really liked how the monastery serves as a refuge for these men.

Cover of Like Fire From Heaven by R. O. Riley licked by flames that match the cover art. A shrike is climbing up one side of the book. Text framing the book reads "very sweet, very hot, very worth the wait"

Like Fire From Heaven by R. O. Riley

This historical love story spans many years. The slower pace gives Brother René and Peter time to explore their individual arcs. While I was anxious for them to see them together, the slow burn adds weight to their trust in one another

#arcreview
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My heart broke for Andrew. His body betrays him as his support system turns to ash. No amount of pretending normalcy can protect him from revelations that shake his sense of reality.

I'm so glad I picked up an ARC of the expanded edition. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

Graphic of Pieties by Marc Ruvolo floating among white koi in a murky pond. A shrike swims past just below the book's shadow. Algae green text in one corner reads "devastating"

Pieties by @marcruvolo.bsky.social (Expanded edition from @slashichorrorpress.bsky.social )

It's been some time since I read the first edition so I can't compare them in detail (Was the milk drinking always this horrific??), but the expanded edition is just as devastating.

#arcreview
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I've followed this series from Unfix Me and each book is just as solid as the last. While this book works as a standalone, it's always nice to see old friends from previous books.

Thanks so so much to the author for the chance to check out an ARC. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

Like Weste's other books, this one balances the fun with some truly sobering scenes. I had to take a moment when a particular chapter hit close to my own grief. Please don't let that scare you away - it made the tender moments all the sweeter.

Graphic of Trust Me by Emory Weste under a rainbow with th text "bless these dorks" before a rainy background. A shrike is perched on the spine with a matching rainbow umbrella.

Trust Me by Emory Weste 🌈

Bless these dorks. I love how Dean goes from seeing Oliver as a weirdo to claiming him as HIS weirdo. They have comical opposites-attract energy while developing real chemistry.

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#arcreview #mmromance #queerbooks

HECK

Anniversary copy of Absolution poorly edited into a photo of the St. Marks lighthouse

(...and definitely didn't manage to forget one at home, absolutely not, my impeccable memory would NEVER).
(4/4)

Anniversary copy of Acceptance held behind a pair of blue butterworts

I maaay have paired my favorite with my absolute favorite wildflower. 😉
(3/4)

Authority held in front of a swamp leatherflower bloom

St. Marks is near and dear to my heart and I'm eternally grateful for the volunteers and staff who help protect this corner of paradise. If you're ever in the area, please consider stopping to say hi to the incredible native wildlife. I brought along some friends for a commemorate photo op.
(2/4)

Anniversary copy of Annihilation held in a field of bristle thistle

I caught up on the Southern Reach series by @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social on my annual wildflower pilgrimage, which just so happens to include the preserve that inspired parts of Area X.
(1/4)
#bookart #southernreach #stmarkswildliferefuge #theforgottencoast

Various stickers and a pin themed for Curious Corvid publishing and Entropy

Three wrapped books sealed with twine, 3D printed bones, and dried flowers. 3D printed colorful corvid skills accompany each copy. Three boar vertebrae frame the collection on a background afghan with a skull motif.

Paperback of Entropy by Ravven White. Three boar vertebrae and dried flowers frame the book on a background afghan with a skull motif.

Bsky wouldn't let me post all the pics without separating and crunching them 😮‍💨

It took a whole lot of willpower not to keep all three for myself (the DETAILS the PRESENTATION) but I valiantly resisted long enough to gift a couple copies. 🫡 Please clap.

Illustration on the opening page of entropy of a Rod of Asclepius made from bones, distorted limbs, and flowers. Ravven's signature reads "for my nonbinary boy wife"

They're here! 🥰

Entropy is even prettier in person. Thank you so so so so so much to Ravven for trusting me to put your incredible interior art ideas to paper. And next to Billy Mitch's cover art?? That's a hell of an honor. Love you lots. 💖

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#bookmail #bookart #illustration

Tenebrous Press - The Home of New Weird Horror Independent, award-winning publisher of Horror/Sci-Fi/speculative books, magazines and merchandise. Hail the Tenebrous Cult.

We don’t have any April Fool’s pranks for you—you’re welcome:)

But we DO have a bunch of preorders & new releases—& a Weird AF back catalogue!—& it’s a great day to support independent artists, & that ain’t no joke🖤☠️

store.tenebrouspress.com

Resonance hits hard with an unflinching portrayal of substance abuse and its psychological toll. Please heed the CWs and look after yourself, this story is heavy but worth the journey.

Thanks so so much to Lily James for sending an advance copy my way. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

While this is a romance, I really appreciate how much this book delves into Iggy and Bodhi as individuals. I feel like I got to know them very well on their own, which made it all the more rewarding to know them together.

Graphic of Resonance by Lily James framed by musical notes and lipstick hearts. A shrike is perched on the book cover. Grunge text above reads "romance and recovery"

Happy pub day to Resonance by Lily James !!

I knew I'd love these two, but I wasn't expecting THIS much emotional investment. Iggy and Bodhi had me tearing up throughout the book, from their heartwrenching struggle through recovery and their hard-won happiness.

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#mmromance #arcreview

Thanks so much to the author for sending an ARC my way. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

I found the alpha/alpha and fox-shifter aspects super cute. Unique cultural and biological details made their story just that more fun, especially since they don't override the romance. Cooper and Patrick's relationship is much deeper than pure instinct.