Marie S.

A fun cozy with higher stakes

Revisado: 02-23-25

I first read “Can't Spell Treason Without Tea” by Rebecca Thorne on ebook when it was initially released, but this was my first time listening to the audio. I loved it - it’s a cozy fast paced fantasy adventure that is infused with kindness.

The main protagonists are an expert swordswoman and her girlfriend who is the most powerful mage in the realm. Two very strong women who are in love with each other who run away to escape from their stressful jobs and then open a tea and books shop together. The dangers from their past follow them however while they try to live without drama.

There is detailed world building, action, adventure, comedy, and kindness. Plus, what’s refreshing is that their relationship is a healthy one which is full of constant communication. The main characters are just soooo cute together. It’s a fun comfort read that is excellent on audio - Jessica Threet does a great job with the narration.

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A very entertaining sapphics in space romcom

Revisado: 02-13-25

I decided to revisit some of the books I enjoyed in print last year so I just listened to “Lady Eve's Last Con” by Rebecca Fraimow. It’s a very entertaining sapphics in space romcom.

“Lady Eve’s Last Con” is about small-time hustler Ruthi Johnson who decides she is going to get revenge on a wealthy businessman for dumping her sister. She then creates an elaborate scheme to have him fall for her so that she can break his heart and steal some of his fortune. Ruthi goes all-in with intentions of conning him and then falls for his suave sister.

The story is set in the future, but has a very old-timey roaring 20s vibe. The backdrop is staged with balls, operas, and glitzy vacation destinations. The story has an almost cozy feel, as the mysteries are slowly unraveled. It has romance, a bit of action, some comic relief, and two likable main characters with interesting dynamics.

Sapphic romcom and a space con! The mob! Hover motorcycles! This audiobook caught me at the perfect time, since I needed a brief respite from the depressing US political news.

I recommend “Lady Eve’s Last Con” if you want to listen to a fun romcom starring two charming women. Tamika Katon-Donegal also did a very good job with the narration.

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Very Atmospheric Detective Series

Revisado: 01-09-25

I loved Rough Pages (Evander Mills #3) by Lev AC Rosen.

This queer dark noir mystery series is steeped in 1950s gay culture and community. The latest book is especially relevant since the focus of the plot is the criminalization of queer literature.

The writing is very atmospheric and the author makes you feel like you are in 1950s San Francisco. It is gritty though and doesn’t shy away from the constant dangers, prejudices, and fear that queer people faced in that time period.

Andy, the lead character has grown from someone who only looked out for himself to now caring about the whole community. He is willing to help others even at the risk of harming himself. Each of the books in the Evander Mills series can be read as stand-alones, but there is so much character growth that I would start with the first one, “Lavender House”.

The narration by Vikas Adam is also excellent. I hope we see another book in this series!

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Lyrical prose with Mad Max frenetic energy

Revisado: 12-12-24

I just finished the sapphic dark political fantasy “Metal from Heaven” by August Clarke and thought it was very good. The story details a political revolution against capitalism led by a lesbian bandit biker gang. It’s a bloody revenge tale that’s so well written.

The dark tone is set in the very first chapter when we see the young main character’s entire family executed because they were protesting for labor rights and safer working conditions. The scene is so vividly described that it made me feel like I was viewing the horror. The violence is very visceral.

After the tragedy, the main character (Marney Honeycutt) gets taken in by a lesbian bandit biker gang. The group is part of a larger outlaw collective who are dedicated to robbing the wealthy and then sharing the spoils with the entire community. The plot is bloody and graphic, but there are also tender moments laced with found family vibes.

As the years go by, Marney becomes one of the most notorious bandits in the region and she vows to revenge her murdered family. The atmosphere has a Mad Max frenetic energy while the prose is lyrical. The world building is threaded with symbolism and the politics of capitalism, religion, and culture. The plot is so complex and layered that I kept stopping and re-listening to passages.

The narration of the audiobook is excellent! The audio version is narrated by Vico Ortiz, the actor from the HBO show “Our Flag Means Death”. There are many characters in this cast and Ortiz does such a great job distinguishes between them. Plus, I loved the raspy tired exhausted voice that they used for Marney. It was perfect.

“Metal from Heaven” by August Clarke is bloody, queer, intense, visceral, sensual, political, well plotted, and the author’s prose made the world come to life. The ending was bittersweet, but I loved the writing in this book.

*Note: The author, August Clarke has also written the sapphic fantasy series “The Scrapegracers Trilogy” under the name H.A. Clarke.

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A fun action packed fantasy!

Revisado: 12-04-24

I thought that “The Last Hour Between Worlds” by Melissa Caruso was a lot of fun. I started reading it on my Kindle and then changed over to the audio version narrated by Moira Quirk (the voice actor of the Locked Tomb series) and she really was the perfect fit for this story.

“The Last Hour Between Worlds” is a fantasy about two women going thru a groundhog day scenario ….trying over and over again to save a party full of public officials from dying. It had magic, action, time loops, campy humor, illusions, and sapphics with swords.

What made the story unique though is that the main character a couple of months ago gave birth to a baby…… so she is an exhausted nursing mother who is also smart and good with a sword. A protagonist who is a single mother with a newborn is very rare to see in an action packed adventure.

She has to power thru her maternal exhaustion and is forced to team up with her arch nemesis in order to attempt to save everyone. The story also includes a sapphic romance subplot and the two women grow closer as they work together to save the world.

There is death and destruction, but there is dry humor and sapphic yearning too and Moira Quirk’s understated narration subtly captured all of it. It was a great performance!

It’s the first book in a series and is a complete story, but the stage is set for the next adventure. It doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. I will definitely be getting the next one.

“The Last Hour Between Worlds” by Melissa Caruso was a fun listen and the narration by Moira Quirk is excellent!

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An amazing story of resilience!

Revisado: 08-29-24

I just finished WNBA women’s basketball player Brittney Griner’s memoir “Coming Home” and thought that it was a very compelling and detailed account of the time she spent held in a Russian prison.

I have been a fan of the WNBA since the league’s inception 28 years ago (was a season ticket holder for the New York Liberty for the first 14 years). I remember reading the troubling news reports when this was happening so I found it very interesting to read her own harrowing account of the events.

The book’s entire focus is on the almost full year that she was wrongfully detained and the psychological effects she experienced after she got home. It also highlights all of the efforts that her wife and others made to get her released. It’s a very comprehensive account of the months that she spent first in a Russian detention center and then in a labor camp (a gulag).

“Coming Home” is not a book about basketball, but is a story of perseverance, resilience, and not giving up hope. It’s also about dealing with the aftermath of PTSD and trauma and finding the strength to cope and heal.

Brittney Griner narrates the prologue, epilogue, and acknowledgements, but professional narrator Andia Winslow voices the rest of the book. The narration was perfect.

I thought it was a very good and interesting listen!

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Complex and Detailed Fantasy

Revisado: 06-27-24

The book follows Kai the Witch King and the story’s timeline flips back and forth from the present to about 60 years in the past. It’s a multi layered story of colonization, empire, and prejudices, but it also includes wonderful characters and such strong found family vibes. I really liked it a lot, but it is complex and detailed. It’s not dry though, since there is also periodic humor sprinkled in. The humanity of the characters added so much heart to the story and actually made it a page turner for me.

It’s also very queer and set in a queer normative world. Kai has lived in multiple bodies (both men and women) yet he always considers himself a man and is always attracted to men. Folks have referred to him as a transgender character. The other main character, Ziede the witch is in a same-sex marriage with Tahren the Immortal Blessed female warrior. We spend the whole book essentially on a quest to find Ziede’s missing wife who they believe was kidnapped as part of a political conspiracy.

The narration by Erik Mok is excellent.

The story is heavily plotted and takes a bit of focus, but I loved it and would be interested to read another book set in this world.

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A Must-Listen!

Revisado: 06-10-24

I loved Natalie Naudus’s debut novel “Gay the Pray Away”.

It is a sapphic YA romance about a young woman (Valerie) who has been raised in an ultra-conservative religious family. Even though this is a work of fiction, it incorporates many of the author Natalie Naudus’s personal experiences. She grew up in a similar environment, raised by a very cultish religious family and her childhood ordeal is woven into this story.

The focus of “Gay the Pray Away” is on the main character’s oppressive home life, but the narrative is also infused with such a strong dose of hope. It is an ode to closeted queer kids which primarily shows them that they are not alone and that there is a much larger world out there.

The overall themes also reinforce the importance of queer books for LGBTQ youth. Valerie was fed propaganda and harmful rhetoric her entire life and books help to expose her to a community which exists outside of her stifling religious cult.

Other instances in the story where the real world meshes with the fictional one are the nods we see to some of Natalie Naudus’s narrated work. One of her best audio performances is her narration of “One Last Stop” by Casey McQuiston and this book is prominently featured in “Gay the Pray Away”. Reading “One Last Stop” helps to lead to the character Valerie’s awakening and the book was also impactful in the author’s life as well. Natalie Naudus has publicly commented that her narration of Casey McQuiston’s book prompted her to come out as bisexual.

Even though “Gay the Pray Away” is based on religious trauma, it is ultimately very hopeful and I wholeheartedly recommend it. Natalie Naudus is an exceptional narrator and her emotional connection to the story makes the audiobook a must-listen.

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Well Written & Smart Thriller

Revisado: 05-07-24

When I read it a few years ago I really loved “The Girls I’ve Been” by Tess Sharpe. I just finished a re-read via audio so that I could prepare for the release of her upcoming new sequel, “The Girl in Question”.

I LOVED this book just as much the second time around and also thought that the author Tess Sharpe did an excellent job with the narration of the audio version. She captured all of the intensity, emotions, and nuance in this story.

“The Girls I’ve Been” is a well written twisty thriller which has so much heart and it is packed with such fierce sapphic badassery. The story is action-packed, but it also has so much character depth.

The very first chapter opens up with Nora (who is a 17 year old con artist), her current girlfriend Iris, and her ex boyfriend Wes being held as hostages in the middle of a bank robbery. The chapters then alternate between the events at the bank robbery and Nora’s con artist history and we gradually see the activities in her past revealed. This is such a smart page turner from start to finish.

Nora, Iris, Wes, and Lee (Nora’s older sister who is also queer) are such a found family of damaged people. I loved all of these characters. Nora calls them her “Franken Family”. They are all survivors of some type of trauma or abuse. The overriding theme though is more about the amazing strength of these survivors than the power of the abusers. Bottom line, it is a story about a group of people who fight back and is a very satisfying tale of empowerment. Much of the abuse happens off page, but there are some pretty intense scenes so folks should check content warnings.

Tess Sharpe’s books have become auto buys for me. Last year she also released a YA sapphic romance (“Six Times We Almost Kissed”) which was very good too. Her writing style evokes so much emotion 💜

I loved “The Girls I’ve Been” and can’t wait to read the sequel, “The Girl in Question”!

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A very emotional and thoughtful romantic comedy

Revisado: 04-08-24

I just finished listening to “Here We Go Again” by Alison Cochrun and I loved it. It’s the type of book though that you have to be in the right headspace for, since it’s a very emotional and thoughtful romantic comedy about death. Every single page is full of feels.

This entire book is also a love letter to teachers and the impact that some of them leave on our lives. The plot focuses on two 32 year old women who put aside their dislike for each other to drive their dying beloved high school English teacher 3,000 miles across the country from Washington State to Maine. You feel like you are experiencing every single mile of this road trip with them. It also puts a spotlight on the families that queer people create for each other.

This is a warm hearted book that stresses how we should all appreciate the things that we have in our lives. It’s a story about mortality, regrets, trusting someone else, taking risks, and working to live your life fully. The author also masterfully mixes in some comedy amidst all of the sadness. There is laughter amidst the tears, but there are sections that I literally heave sobbed all of the way through.

I initially pre-ordered “Here We Go Again” because I loved Alison Cochrun’s last book (“Kiss Her Once for Me”) and Natalie Naudus was also listed as one of the narrators for her new release. It’s a co-narration with Natalie Naudus and Jeremy Carlisle Parker and they both do such an excellent job with this audiobook. It’s also unique in the aspect that it is voiced a little differently than usual. There are mid-chapter narrator changes and I really haven’t seen this before in other than a full cast recording and this is not that. I thought that the format really enhanced the listening experience. Kudos and applause to both Natalie Naudus and Jeremy Carlisle Parker for amazing and emotional performances 💜

I wholeheartedly recommend “Here We Go Again” by Alison Cochrun. It is a romance, but just be prepared to cry a lot on their journey to the requisite happy ending.

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