Author Archives: Duncan

Book Review: Beyond The Veil Series by K.M. Avery

Series Rating: 5 out of 5!

Once upon a time, there was a pandemic.

No, not that pandemic, this is different.

The arcanavirus was incredibly infectious. It was fatal for 11% of the world. For the majority of people, though, it merely caused mild flu-like symptoms. But a small percentage of those affected came out…changed. For some, they became Arc-humans, endowed with powers of telekinesis or speaking with the dead. Others became Arcanids – orcs, vampires, ghouls, elves, or shapeshifters. The transition for them was horrifically painful, and many didn’t survive it. And even if they did, they emerged into a society that ostracized them.

There has been no known vaccine or cure for the arcanavirus since it first appeared 30 years ago so it lingers in society, creating a need for masks, hygienic precautions, quarantines, and testing in the event of exposure.

This intriguing setting is the basis for K.M. Avery’s Beyond the Veil series. It is (to date) comprised of three trilogies, with one more promised. Each trilogy is centered on one couple, though the different characters make appearances throughout the series. Although the trilogies can be read out of order (I actually started on Book #4 first), I think they are best read in order since the events mentioned throughout the books take place in a chronological order.

Taken as a whole, these books stood out to me in a couple of ways. For one, the characters don’t have “plot armor”. Bad shit happens to them, and they have to deal with the ramifications of that. That’s almost refreshing, really. Issues of discrimination, identity, and privilege come into play in fascinating ways. The other thing is that you spend a lot of time in the narrating characters’ heads. Like, a lot. For me, this is a wonderful thing, though. I enjoy character-driven stories and I enjoy arcs that show the character growing and working through the things they have learned.

I also love how Avery uses the location of the stories in real places to provide a grounding in reality which tinges what is going on. The first five books are set in Richmond, Virginia and while I am not too familiar with the city I know some of the places mentioned (Shockoe Bottom, Short Pump) which added a lot to the story. Books 6 through 8 take place (mostly) in Shawano, Wisconsin, a very real small town about an hour northwest of Green Bay. Avery describes small-town Upper Midwestern life absolutely perfectly, right down to the Culver’s addictions and laconic locals.

Books 1 through 3 (The Ghost in the Hall, The Boy in the Locked Room, The Skeleton Under the Stairs) focus on Ward and Mason and take place in Richmond. These are more plot-driven, with some fun mysteries, interesting characters, and great plot twists. They’re the most fast-paced of the books, I think. Ward, the narrator for this trilogy, is a sweet guy who has to deal with a lot of problems as the story goes on. I was really cheering for him.

Books 4 through 6 (The Dog in the Alley, The Bones in the Yard, The Elf Beside Himself) are where I really started to love this series. Here we meet Hart and Taavi, a very different couple. Hart is the narrator in these, a tall, achingly beautiful elf with a mouth like a sailor with some of the most creative uses of the word “fuck” that I’ve ever read. The Dog in the Alley is a fun read because Hart is playing off Taavi, who is a shifter stuck in his dog form (a Xoloitzcuintle, or Xolo dog). Avery does a great job drawing Taavi’s character clearly even though his methods of communication are limited. I also want to call out The Elf Beside Himself because it is a tour de force showing how people work through grief, and how someone’s loved ones carry on if they are suddenly taken away. It is at times oppressive, but I can say that the depictions of grief are spot-on, and really struck a chord with me.

Books 7 through 9 (The Turning of the Tables, The Badger in His Burrow, The Past in the Present [coming later this year]) change the setting up as the story moves to Shawano, WI. Here, we see Seth and Elliot (a badger shifter) as they engaging in a will-they or won’t-they game of relationship chicken. This is where the character-driven aspects really kick in. Seth is kind of a mess of anxieties and insecurities, but we are in his head enough to know exactly why, and what his motivations are. There are mysteries going on in the background, but the characters are front and center, and I kind of loved that. Seth and Elliot’s final book will take them to Southwest Virginia, where I went to graduate school. I know what the small towns there are like, and am really looking forward to Avery’s depiction of them.

I listened to the first six books on audio (1-3 by Daniel Henning, 4-6 by Declan Winters) and both narrators did a fantastic job. Winters’ voice of Hart brings a lot to the character, and hearing him going off on a cursing rant was pretty damn funny. I’ll note parenthetically that all six of these audiobooks are available on Hoopla, if your local public library has access. There are no audiobooks for Seth and Elliot’s books yet, but when they come available I’m certain that I will listen again to see how it matches how I voice the characters in my head.

These books are ostensibly m/m romance, and while they do involve romantic elements (and a few spicy scenes in most books), I would say they are more urban fantasy with romantic elements. This series captures so much of what I love in a book – fun premise, interesting setting, great characterizations and motivations, and more. I highly recommend it!

Click here to read more of my book reviews!

Duncan’s Honey-Molasses Whole Wheat Bread

I spent most of 2020 refining this recipe (seriously – a couple dozen loaves were baked!), and I’m pretty happy with how it has evolved. The sesame seeds or any other toppings are purely optional, but I like them. The lecithin and dough enhancers prevent staling, so this is a great sandwich bread that will last a 4-5 days after baking.

Duncan’s Honey-Molasses Wheat Bread

Based on Bob’s Red Mill Bakery Organic Wheat Bread
Makes one 8 x 4-inch loaf

Ingredients
256 g Whole Wheat Flour
150 g All Purpose White Flour
15 g Dough Enhancer (see below)
7 g Instant or Rapid-Rise Yeast
8 g Salt
29 g Honey
14 g Molasses
3 Tbsp Melted butter
7 g Liquid Lecithin
266 g Warm Water 110°F
1 Egg

Instructions

  1. If using Rapid-Rise Yeast: In a bowl or measuring cup, combine the water, honey, and yeast. Stir to combine. Set aside while preparing other ingredients. After about 5 minutes it should have a dense foam on the surface. (If using Instant Yeast you can skip this step and just add the yeast, honey, and water directly to the bowl with the ingredients in the next step)
  2. Add all ingredients to the mixing bowl (adding the water/honey/yeast last) and mix with the dough hook until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Add a little all-purpose flour if the dough is too loose or sticky. Use a spatula (carefully!) to push dry ingredients to the center of the bowl so it gets incorporated into the dough.
  3. Knead with the dough hook for 10 minutes on medium speed or until you can stretch a small portion of the dough into a thin membrane (this is called the “window pane test”).
  4. Place dough in a clean, oiled bowl. Turn the dough in the bowl to make sure all surfaces are coated with oil.
  5. Cover with either plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray (preferred) or with a damp tea towel. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1.5-2 hours.
  6. Place the dough on a floured surface and fold it (as shown here).
  7. Return the dough to the bowl, again turning it to make sure all surfaces are coated with oil. Cover and let rise another hour. Lightly oil an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan.
  8. Place dough on a lightly floured counter and shape into a loaf. Place loaf in the prepared pan, cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes or until the dough crowns nicely above the pan and gives with a gentle press of the fingers, leaving a faint indentation. Preheat the oven to 350°F for at least 15 minutes before the end of the rising.
  9. Slice the top of the loaves with a lame or a sharp knife and brush with an egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
  10. Bake for 45 minutes until golden-brown. The internal temperature should be around 200°F. Remove bread from pan immediately and cool on a wire rack.

Dough Enhancer

(Source: Chickens in the Road)

Note: The recipe above assumes liquid lecithin will be added when making the bread. If using dry lecithin granules, add 2 Tbsp of that to this recipe.

  • 160 g wheat gluten
  • 4 g ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) crystals
  • 18 g powdered pectin
  • 18 g unflavored gelatin
  • 46 g nonfat dry milk
  • 2 g powdered ginger

Place ingredients in an airtight container and shake to combine.

Use 4% by flour weight for whole-wheat breads, 0.5-1.0% by flour weight for white breads.

Store in refrigerator.

Road Trip Like Duncan (and Charlie)

I likes me some road trips. Shocker, I know. And of course, dogs make everything better in my opinion, so road tripping with Charlie is pretty awesome indeed! Since 2017, I’ve taken four major road trips, totaling over 22,000 miles (36,800 km). Three of those were with Charlie. I think by now I’ve got a good handle on the tools needed for a great road trip, so I thought I’d share some of those. I’ll say up front that none of these are affiliate links; I’m not making any money off of these, they’re just things I found incredibly useful.

Websites and Apps

Trip Planning

Furkot is always my first stop when planning a road trip. I just use the mapping and timing functions, but there’s a lot of other functions for finding points of interest, lodging, food, etc. The interface is a bit fiddly, but once you get the hang of it it’s not too bad. I especially like that, once you nail down your final route, you can tell where you will be at what time. That’s useful for planning stops, meals, etc. (Despite the name, there is no connection to furry fandom that I am aware of!)

Tripit is extremely for gathering all of your travel documentation in one place, like hotel reservations, event tickets, etc. I tend to dump everything in there and then forget it during the trip, but it’s nice to know that if you need that info it’s available at your fingertips.

AirBnb isn’t for everyone, and it takes a lot of time to read through the listings and find the perfect rental. I’ve found that it’s great for finding dog-friendly lodging in the places that I like to be. I’ve stayed at 12 different AirBnbs over the years and have had pretty good luck overall.

Google Keep is a simple and free notetaking app that I use for things like grocery lists and to-do lists, was well as jotting down info for reference that I don’t want to lose. I like it because I can enter info on the web and it’s available on any device. The checklist function (and being able to cross things off once checked) is very helpful, and it’s why I use it to create my packing lists.

Once we’re on the road

iExit is pretty handy. With location services, it detects what highway your are on and what direction you are traveling. It then lists upcoming exits, along with food, gas, and lodging (you can configure what categories it shows). I believe it’s tied in with Yelp so it has links to reviews as well. This has been really handy when I’ve been in the middle of nowhere and looking for a bite to eat or how far it is to the next rest area. (Available on iOS and Android)

Gasbuddy is invaluable for finding the closest gas stations and the prices at each one. The info is maybe 80-90% accurate since it is user-generated, but it’s better than nothing. It can be used either on the web or their app. I prefer the web because it sucks somewhat less personal data!

Handy items to pack

OK, now we’re on the road. Sometimes I will drive several days back to back with an overnight stop between. At this point I have a routine: I drop my bag on the bed, set up my CPAP, put out my toiletries, and set up my chargers.

For a toiletry bag, I’ve been very happy with my LL Bean toiletry organizer that I bought in 2017. I’ve taken it on dozens of trips, not just road trips but also to Alaska and Europe. It holds just what I need and a bit more, and it’s been quite rugged.

I cannot recommend having a multi-outlet charger highly enough. I’m using this one these days that has two 100W USB-C outlets, one 20W USC-B, and one 18W USB-A. This is perfect for charging my iPhone, iPad, Airpods, and Apple Watch all at the same time. It’s damn handy to have one thing to plug in that covers everything.

The BERGENES phone stand from Ikea is a crazy simple thing that I came across at an AirBnb I stayed at in Albuquerque. It’s great because I never rely on hotel clocks, but I can set my iPhone in there (even in its case!) and see the time (and notifications, if I want). Not bad for something that’s only $3!

I bought this headlamp to have at home for walking the dogs in the dark, but realized it’s a great thing to carry while traveling too. It’s handy to have just in case something goes wrong with the car in the dark or wherever I’m staying loses power. I carry it and a set of rechargable batteries and charger so it’s always ready when I need it.

The last two items are things that I just keep in the car unless needed.

A plastic milk crate is very handy to help corral small items in one place as you’re driving. I keep mine in the footwell of the passenger seat when on a trip, and I usually keep some snacks there, a roll of paper towel and carpet cleaner (just in case), my commuter coffee cup, and a few other items.

I started carrying 25-foot extension cord and outlet strip after one too many nights at a hotel where the closest outlet was across the room. Even if I just want to plug in my CPAP and charger, is it too much to ask to have an outlet by the bed? Apparently so!

Finally, not an item but an idea: I realized that the best approach on road trips is to have a big suitcase for all of your clothes but also a smaller bag for one or two nights, so you don’t have to carry everything everywhere you go. Dirty clothes go back into the suitcase (I usually segregate from clean clothes with plastic bags), and when I get somewhere that there are laundry facilities I just pull out the whole suitcase and I’m good to go.

Traveling with Charlie

Road tripping with a dog brings some special considerations . These items are great not just for road trips but for everyday use as well.

Let’s start with the basics: A great dog leash. This double-handle 4-foot leash is outstanding because it not only provides greater control when I need it (perfect for city situations, or going to the vet) but also the D-ring at the top handle is perfect for hanging some useful accessories.

One of those accessories is a poop bag dispenser. I like this one, but there’s plenty of options. I also recommend these bags. Buying in bulk isn’t too expensive, and these have worked well over the last 8 years.

The other fantastic accessory is something that is simple and cheap, but so great to have: A poop bag holder. The rubber connector to the leash eventually gives out after about a year but at $2 each, who cares? These things are a godsend on dog walks, particularly with two dogs.

Let’s focus more on the travel aspects now.

First and foremost, GET A HARNESS. A dog musher I respect a lot had a very sobering thought: What do you call an unsecured dog in a car accident? A projectile. That’s bad for your dog and it’s bad for you. I’ve seen a couple of harness that  pass safety tests, but the one that I like is the Kurgo True-Fit harness. It has a heavy-duty carabiner that attaches to the seat belts and keeps the dog in one place and secure.

Speaking of carabiners, I recommend picking up a couple of lighter-weight ones and carrying them with your leash. If you need to secure your dog while you’re out, you can either use the carabiner to clip the leash to a railing or something, or if nothing of an appropriate diameter is available you can loop the leash around a post and secure it to itself with the carabiner.

Water is always super-important when on a trip. There are lots of fancy watering systems that you can buy, but I keep it simple. I have a foldable fabric water bowl that is no longer available, but any collapsible bowl will do. For carrying water, I just go to the grocery store and buy a 1-gallon jug of drinking water. I buy bottles that come with a handle so you can roll up the water bowl and tuck it through the handle (or clip a carabiner to the handle) for easy carrying. Refill the bottles from the tap as often as you like! The only downside is that eventually the water bottle handles break, but they’re good for at least 4-6 months in my experience.

Now you know how to travel like Charlie and me. I hope this is helpful, and that you get to go and enjoy your own travels as well!

Charlie Goes to the Pacific Northwest: The Wrap-Up

Statistics

(No relation)
  • Length of Trip: 29 days
  • Days of Long-Distance Driving: 11
  • Distance Driven: 5,463 miles (9,105 km)

Once again, my 2020 Subaru Outback was a champion road trip vehicle. I always had enough space, and then some. The polyurethane upholstery is great for traveling with dogs, too! By the end of the trip my total mileage was 42,161 – not too bad for a four-year-old car!

  • Nights in Hotels: 14
  • Nights in AirBnBs: 13
  • Nights staying with friends: 2

Wow, that was a lot of hotels! Fortunately, the majority of them were paid for with points. Overall my experiences with hotels were pretty good this trip, all of them being very dog-friendly. My AirBnBs were nice, with comfortable beds and all of the necessary amenities. I did learn some things about what to look for in future stays, though. Only a few nights staying at friends, though I am picky enough about where I sleep (and the additional logistics of Charlie) that was probably for the best.

  • Breweries Visited: 55
  • Beers Checked In: 172

So many flights of beer! I wound up at a few more taprooms this trip (as opposed to just breweries) and so wound up trying a lot of beers from local breweries I didn’t have time to visit (useful when in Portland!). As noted previously, brewery-hopping is really enjoyable on these trips because so many of them are dog-friendly. Having Charlie with me can often act as a great catalyst to meeting people and chatting. It’s a great way to reduce the social isolation of travel.

Lessons Learned:

  • Charlie is not a city dog.

I think that Charlie’s eyesight, which used to be “maybe shadows in bright light,” has gotten markedly worse this year. In addition to the woeful lack of greenery for him to feel under his paws, the smells and noise of city sidewalks were overwhelming enough to slow him down so much that I spent a lot of time half-carrying him in his harness to move along. Related:

  • Charlie is not a good urban dweller in general.

Our AirBnB in Seattle was a 4th-floor apartment, which…wasn’t great. Before we got fully settled in, he had a few accidents (easily cleaned up at least), and mornings were always a dash down the elevator to the exterior door so he could pee. At least he got good at holding it in until we were *just* outside. On the bright side, elevator rides don’t bother him!

  • Trendy neighborhoods are great to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.

My AirBnBs in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle and RiNo in Denver had a lot of interesting things within walking distance, but the prices were also sky-high. In the future I could see myself sticking more to the suburbs and venturing into city neighborhoods selectively, even if parking can be a pain in the butt.

  • A Hyatt Place is a Hyatt Place is a Hyatt Place.

With some notable exceptions (Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Knoxville, Tennessee) all of the Hyatt Places that I’ve stayed at have the same layout, the same furnishings, and the same (mediocre) breakfast buffet. I’m not sure they’re a good value for the money, but if you’re staying on World of Hyatt points they’re a great deal.

  • The best parts of these trips are finding neat cities that you never would have expected.

On this trip I learned that Spokane, Washington and Astoria, Oregon were really interesting places! I hope I get a chance to explore them more in the future.

  • Mountains soothe my soul.

Driving parallel to the mountains between Denver and Boulder, watching the sunset over the Front Range was absolutely stunning. I want to live somewhere where I can see that every day. And I will…someday.

As always, though, the biggest takeaway is a reminder: Life is short. You should take what time you can to enjoy the things that make you happy. I love travel, I love spending time with Charlie, and I love being able to do the two together. I can’t wait to see where out travels will take us in 2025!

I hope that you are able to do the things you love as well, dear reader, and find your own happiness.

I’ll close with some of my favorite photos from the trip. As always, thanks for reading!

Charlie Goes to the Pacific Northwest: Part 3, Ballard

Having explored around the suburbs of Seattle, it was time for our heroes to venture into the city! Our destination was the neighborhood of Ballard. Ballard is on the north side of Seattle and is full of interesting hipster restaurants and bars and interesting shops. It’s a very walkable area, which is a big reason I chose it. It was to be my home for the next five days.

Click to read more

Charlie Goes to the Pacific Northwest: Part 2, Seattle Suburbs

Did you ever start a blog project, promising to post every day, and then you…didn’t? No? Just me? Ah well.

One reason I wasn’t too worried about it is that over the past couple of months I have taken the time to go back to the 2017 Great Western Road Trip, the Maritimes Trip in 2022, and the road trip to the Southwest in 2023 and collapsed the daily blog entries into more-digestible chunks, so you’re only reading 4-5 entries and not 20+ entries. (Also, going back and fixing the photos that were posted to social media sites so they were locally-hosted was kind of a pain!)

So anyway, let’s see about getting back on track! I’ve tried to break the trip into logical parts from here:

  • This Part: Seattle Suburbs
  • Part 3: Ballard, Seattle
  • Part 4: Portland and the trip to Denver
  • Part 5: A week and a half in Denver, then home

I know these get kind of long, though I love having them to return to in the future. If you prefer to skim through just for the photos, that’s OK too!

Click To Read More

Charlie Goes to the Pacific Northwest, Part 1

Sometimes you have great plans and everything comes together, and sometimes those plans fall through. We’ll put these blog entries in the latter category 🙂 It’s been a long couple of days of longer-than-usual driving legs and that has left me pretty tired by the end of the day and not up for blog entries. Anyway! Enough excuses.

Click to Read more

Charlie Goes to the Pacific Northwest! (2024 Summer Road Trip)

It’s time for the 2024 Summer Road Trip: Charlie Goes to the Pacific Northwest! These trips have been wonderful, and I’m very excited for this year’s edition. To recap past trips:

This year, shown in the blue line on the map, Charlie and I will be on the road for four weeks to the Pacific Northwest and to Denver! I had so much fun last year, and traveling with Charlie is always very enjoyable. Solo road trips can be an incredibly isolating experience, and I find having a cute and friendly dog along helps to break the ice. I’ve gotten into so many great random conversations with people that were started from people wanting to say hello to Charlie.

As I was planning this year’s route, I thought about where I’ve been, and where I want to return to. I grew up in the American Southeast, spending the first 30 years of my life in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. I’ve had quite enough of those and am looking forward to seeing new places! And while I have friends there and know many wonderful people live there, I have zero desire to visit Texas or Florida in the current political climate. This extends to much of the Southwest, to be honest.

I haven’t been in the Pacific Northwest since 2020, when I spent Christmas there in a lovely AirBnB in Capital Hill, so Seattle seems like a great destination. I haven’t been to Portland since 2017, so an extended stop there would be nice. And I always want to visit Denver – I love the heck out of that city. So with my anchor points set, it was time to lay out my itinerary.

I don’t want to dawdle along the way between Chicago and Seattle, so I’ll be driving like hell across North Dakota, Montana, and Washington to get there as quickly as possible. At the same time, I try to keep each day’s driving to around six hours to leave time to relax and maybe explore our stop for the night a bit. Likewise the sprint between Portland and Denver will be as short as possible, but hopefully I’ll get to see some nice things along the way.

As always, I will be posting near-daily updates here on my blog, as well as lots of posts to social media (Mastodon and BlueSky). As with last year, if you want easy notifications of blog entries, you can either subscribe to my Telegram channel (now with a feedback chat!) or RSS.

I hit the road on Saturday, and I just can’t wait!

Book Review: Inevitable, by Briar Prescott

When Drew meets Ezra, he doesn’t expect much. A one-night stand and a quick goodbye in the morning. That’s how these things usually go. Only there’s nothing usual about Ezra and the connection that forms between them.

When Ezra meets Drew, he doesn’t expect much. A distraction and parting as strangers after a night of meaningless fun. That’s how these things usually go. Only there’s nothing meaningless about Drew and the relentless spark between them that just refuses to disappear.

When Bas meets Ezra… things get complicated. As if being hopelessly in love with his best friend isn’t painful enough. Throw in an unexpected friendship that develops with the one-time hookup of said best friend, and the results are messy at best.

But sometimes beautiful things emerge from messy and complicated beginnings, and where two isn’t enough, three might be just perfect.

Inevitable, by Briar Prescott

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I loved this book so much. If you’re looking for an action-packed, fast-moving plot, this ain’t it. Instead, it’s a character-driven novel of three men finding happiness together…sometimes despite themselves.

Ezra comes from a rough background, going to community college and trying to build a better life for himself after moving away from his often-jailed father and brothers. Bas and Drew are fortunate enough to have grown up in well-to-do households and are now successful on their own, Bas as a musician and producer, Drew as a sports lawyer. The two have known each other since childhood, and each carries an seemingly-unrequited love for the other. This is further complicated by the fact that Bas is ace (asexual).

When the three of them come together, each finds something in the other two that fulfills them, and they slowly, haltingly build a life together. The barriers are clear – Ezra’s unwillingness to trust anyone but himself, Bas’ belief that he can’t bring anything to a relationship, and Drew’s struggle to find acceptance with his homophobic family. Seeing these three navigate these obstacles to a happily ever after is wonderful, and made me smile a lot (and tear up a few times).

As a gay grey-asexual man, I can fully sympathize with Bas’ worries, and seeing him find happiness meant a lot to me. I really appreciated that Prescott explains (and shows) asexuality in a thoughtful way, and no one tries to “fix” Bas, nor does he suddenly discover he isn’t ace. It’s part of who he is, and that is respected.

If I have any complaint, it’s that I’d like a little more character development with Ezra. Also, for all that the book takes place in Boston, there’s not much interaction with the city (aside from the weather) to give it a sense of place. These nitpicks aside, I found this to be a really wonderful book, and highly recommend it!

I listened to the audiobook, performed by John Solo. His work here is excellent, with good differentiation between character voices, great pacing of the narration, and an ability to express feelings of anger, desperation, hope, and love to the reader. This is another solid performance from Solo.

Book Review: To Catch a Firefly, by Emmy Sanders

There’s a lot I’ve never told my best friend. The fact that I love him. That I miss him every day he’s gone. That, sometimes, I ache for him with a ferocity that leaves me breathless.

Lucky Buchanan tore into my life as a boy, wild and daring, my opposite in every way. He drew me in, stole my heart without trying. He hears me, even though I rarely speak a word. But I always knew this place wouldn’t be enough for my free-spirited friend. I knew he wasn’t mine to keep.

So why, when I finally try to get over him, does he sweep back into town? Why is he upset? Why is there tension between us for the first time in years?

I never saw a future where Lucky could be mine. But now, unless I want to lose my friend, I might not have a choice but to tell the truth. My heart belongs to him. It has from the start.

If only I knew how to hold onto a creature that’s meant to fly.

To Catch a Firefly, by Emmy Sanders

Rating: 5 out of 5!

It’s been a while since a book thoroughly destroyed me, but this one achieved that. Not in a bad way, but in a way that just left me a weeping mess because the story was so beautiful.

Ellis and Lucky are seemingly opposites when they meet as young children in rural Nebraska. We have Lucky, who is outgoing, excitable, and always looking to escape the small town in which they grow up. Ellis, though, is quiet, steady, and at ease with his lot in life. He is content to stay home and care for his ailing mother while Lucky strikes out into the world as a nature magazine photographer.

Although Ellis is neurodivergent and rarely speaks much, he and Lucky have a bond and an understanding. Lucky knows all of the words that Ellis doesn’t say, and the communication between them is (usually) easy for all that. Lucky calls Ellis frequently when on the road, excitedly telling Ellis about his adventures as he travels around the world. The emails that Ellis writes to Lucky in turn, though never sent, are beautiful, though. He expresses all of the care and love that he cannot say in fear of upsetting their close friendship. It takes a while for Lucky to figure out that the true love of his life has been there all along, waiting patiently, but once he does it’s wonderful.

This book is so good and so well-written. If you’re looking for lots of action it may not be for you. This one is character-driven, but we learn to know Ellis and Lucky so well that when they find their happily ever after it is all the more appreciated. Observations made in passing stuck with me, and the truth of them struck home – and at times left me in tears.

Maybe that’s what makes love—all the moments, big and small. All the memories piled up one on top of the other, just like those Northern Lights that paint across the sky at the edge of the world. Maybe, when it comes down to it, love is in the act of living. It’s choosing—breathing—that person every single day.

I loved this book so much, and highly recommend it.

Book Review: We Could Be So Good, by Cat Sebastian

Nick Russo has worked his way from a rough Brooklyn neighborhood to a reporting job at one of the city’s biggest newspapers. But the late 1950s are a hostile time for gay men, and Nick knows that he can’t let anyone into his life. He just never counted on meeting someone as impossible to say no to as Andy.

Andy Fleming’s newspaper-tycoon father wants him to take over the family business. Andy, though, has no intention of running the paper. He’s barely able to run his life–he’s never paid a bill on time, routinely gets lost on the way to work, and would rather gouge out his own eyes than deal with office politics. Andy agrees to work for a year in the newsroom, knowing he’ll make an ass of himself and hate every second of it.

Except, Nick Russo keeps rescuing Andy: showing him the ropes, tracking down his keys, freeing his tie when it gets stuck in the ancient filing cabinets. Their unlikely friendship soon sharpens into feelings they can’t deny. But what feels possible in secret–this fragile, tender thing between them–seems doomed in the light of day. Now Nick and Andy have to decide if, for the first time, they’re willing to fight.

We Could Be So Good, by Cat Sebastian
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I usually listen to audiobooks while I walk the dogs around my neighborhood. While listening to this book, my neighbors probably wondered why I had a big ol’ dopey grin on my face for days.

Nick lives his life so far in the closet he’s almost in Narnia. Unfortunately, he has reasons to do so, as being outed as homosexual would destroy his job and his relationship with is family. He carefully considers every conversation, every friendship, every place he goes through the filter of worry about being found out. It is a stifling life.

And then along comes Andy, who is a friendly, sweet, smart (though scattered) man who pushes all of Nick’s buttons. Oh, and who also appears to be 100% straight. But the two strike up a wonderful friendship as their work, social, and family lives intertwine, and Andy starts to realize that he’s not quite as straight as he thought he was.

This book is the slowest of slow burns, but that is right up my alley. I love to get to know the characters, to understand where they are from, their histories, their motivations. We get that in spades here and I love it. I enjoyed getting to know Nick and Andy not just through their interactions, but by their relationships with friends and family around them. The side characters are great, and though we don’t spend a lot of time on their backstories, they add a nice depth to how Nick and Andy think and behave.

It’s not hard to predict the ending halfway through, but I’m OK with that. As they say, getting there is part of the fun. If  have any complaint it’s that I would have liked a little more at the end, perhaps a longer epilogue. I’m happy with the ending overall though.

As I was reading this, I was struck by how oppressive and pervasive the societal homophobia could be. To complain about feeling that oppression seems ungrateful and shallow, as people like Andy and Nick helped get us to where we are today.  The story provides an interesting measure of how far queer life has come in 55 years, and how much further we have to go. Sebastian does an amazing job of nailing the details of late 1950’s NYC, incorporating historical elements and references into the story to give a strong feeling of the era in the city, the newsroom, or Nick’s apartment in a working-class neighborhood.

As I mentioned, I listened to the audiobook version of this. Joel Leslie was fabulous as always, giving Nick a world-weary New York accent, while Andy’s voice reflects his upper class upbringing. All of the different characters have unique, consistent voices, something that can be a pet peeve of mine so I appreciate when it’s done right.

I highly recommend this book! And hey – if you have a library card with your local library, see if you can get access to the e-book or audiobook for free through Hoopla or a similar service like I did!

Book Review: When Life Gives You Werewolves, by Aeron Dusk

Arthur is a repressed twenty-two-year-old man with a useless degree and a student loan keeping him on the edge of poverty, but his life turns turtle when he meets a homeless werewolf at a bus stop.

When Life Gives You Werewolves, by Aeron Dusk

Rating: 5 out of 5!

This is a bit of change of pace. Most of what I review is published work (most often self-published), and I rarely get caught up in the many, many, MANY free stories that can be found across the web if only because it’s hard to find ones that are to my liking, and even harder to find good ones. I came across Aeron Dusk’s website after finishing their book The Mark of Amulii, a somewhat flawed but fun story with a very unique take on werewolf mythology. When I saw that they offered the novel-length story When Life Gives You Werewolves for free on their website I thought I’d read the first chapter to see what it was about. I was immediately hooked. Before I go further I want to note that there is kind of a lot of gay werewolf sex. If you find the phrase “gay werewolf sex” upsetting…sorry? Bye? Back to the rest of you perverts, though – there is way more plot and character development than sex scenes, so I was just fine with it. Also, gay werewolf sex is kinda hot, duh.

The world-building here is an interesting new take on werewolves: Werewolves exist in modern society, but they are considered less than by humans. They inhabit the outskirts of society, living on the dregs that humans leave behind, often homeless, drunk, or stoned. In late puberty, some humans begin the slow process of turning into werewolves, spending possibly many years as “half-turned”, straddling between humanity and werewolves in an delicate state, prone to violent emotional outbursts, and hypersexual to the extreme. They are usually paired with werewolves to keep them in check. Since half-turns get the equivalent of a disability stipend and housing from the government, many werewolves see half-turns as an easy meal ticket. Thus begins the story…

One of the things that I focus on when I read is the characters – Who are they? What is their history? What motivates them? In this book Dusk does a great job of weaving a tapestry of multiple characters intersecting at different times in their lives caring for each other, being terrible to each other, and sometimes hitting rock bottom. We have Art, whose orderly and neat life is upended as he becomes a half-turn in his early 20s. Art pairs with Simon, a conniving, lazy, drunk werewolf who is a hot mess, but somehow lovable anyway. Add in Adam, a spoiled brat of a half-turn and Austin, his abusive, antisocial werewolf, and the stage is set for quite a story. I wouldn’t have said it at the beginning, but I adored all of these characters by the end of the book.

Overall, the pacing can be a bit odd, particularly midway through where the story takes an abrupt left turn, but even that was explained to my satisfaction later. I teared up several times in the final chapters, which is always a sign of a great book for me. This was a marvelous find, and I highly recommend it!

(Featured image from Aeron Dusk’s website is an illustration from When Life Gives You Werewolves by Forge)

Book Review: Rafts, by Utunu

Kunet, a young human pearl diver from a small coastal fishing village, seeks to prove himself. Yet when the gods of sea and sky clash, it wreaks havoc on those caught between. In the wake of catastrophe, he finds himself adrift with an unexpected companion. Torn from their homes and everything they once knew, two strangers must now work together to survive, even as an unlikely relationship blossoms between them.

Rating: 5 out of 5!

Rafts, by Utunu

Oh my gosh, this book is absolutely wonderful. The “unexpected companion” mentioned in the blurb is Shima, a gnoll (think anthropomorphic hyena). Kunet has always been taught that gnolls are the enemies of humans, and now finds himself the unlikely companion of this large and fearsome creature and neither can even speak the other’s language.

The story is told from Kunet’s point of view, and we follow the two as they find themselves on a remote island with only themselves to rely on. Kunet is a young adult, uncertain and full of doubt about himself and his place in the world. As his relationship with Shima develops, we see him mature and thrive. I absolutely adore Shima. He is a prankster, a thoughtful lover, and a fierce protector of Kunet. I love how Utunu gives us a window into Shima’s culture through its language, how gnolls relate to one another and the world around them.

Kunet and Shima are such a great couple, and I was swept up in their story. It’s sweet, spicy at times, and moved me to tears. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

An Opinionated Guide To Restaurants At Midwest FurFest – 2023

This is an update of a post I made in 2021. Note that this is completely unofficial; it’s just me and my overblown opinions. Also, your opinions may be different from mine. I don’t care. Get your own blog!

Midwest FurFest used to publish a 20-30 page booklet of listings and reviews of local restaurants, but unfortunately when you have to print 5,000+ copies of anything (let alone a 20-30 page booklet) costs start to get prohibitive, and with the availability of Yelp and similar sites we had to make the difficult decision to discontinue the Restaurant Guide.

That said, I’m happy to offer a (completely biased) overview of restaurants in and around the Stephens Convention Center, though I will leave it to the reader to find exact locations on Google Maps.

Inside the Hyatt Regency O’Hare

  • O’H Restaurant (or whatever they’re calling it these days): a buffet restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food ranges from OK to pretty good, which is a disappointment because I know they Hyatt can do a lot better. I haven’t tried it since last year, but I really hope they have stepped up their game.
  • Red Bar: Bar/restaurant open late afternoons and evenings with has a small food selection available as well. The prices are also not cheap, and the service can be regrettably slow, although they are actively working with MFF to improve this. It sure is convenient, though!
  • Perks, the coffee shop/gift shop. They have a selection of grab-and-go sandwiches and salads. Personally, I’ve lived off their salads for lunches during the con and they’re not bad.
  • There are rumors of a food truck as well. We have made our opinion clear that the one (and only one) truck they have had in previous years was neither very good nor very fast, and they sold out quickly. Anyway, stay tuned to MFF’s social media for more info on that.

The Hyatt will set up larger food service stands (drinks, sides, burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs) that are on the expensive side but terribly convenient.

In the Stephens Convention Center

  • Expoteria: Right across the street from the hotel. Hours can vary. The food is cheap, and it is certainly…food. So, there’s that.
  • Starbucks: In the ground floor lobby of the convention center. Pretty much your standard Starbucks, and the prices are surprisingly not inflated for the location.
  • There will be a concession stand in the Dealers Den in Hall G. Expect drinks, sides, burgers, chicken sandwiches, and hot dogs that are on the expensive side but terribly convenient. The food is provided by Aramark which supplies many school cafeterias. I’m sure the similarity between the food quality is purely coincidental.
  • Bist-Rose: This is a new cafe that has been created in the lobby of the Stephens Convention Center. The food is still by Aramark, but it’s slightly elevated. Expect $13-15 sandwiches and salads and $10 beers.

In the Parkway Bank Park Entertainment District

  • Five Roses Pub: Pseudo-Irish pub. Average. Closed. This has been replaced by:
  • Saltwater Coastal Grill: Trying for a “Just off the Carolina shore” vibe that I find mildly grating given that 1. I’ve lived in that area and am quite familiar with it, and 2. We’re in freaking Illinois. Decent seafood menu with non-seafood options as well. They also have a sushi sub-restaurant with a surprisingly good menu. It’s all on the pricey side, but they do have all you can eat sushi/crab/shrimp for $30 on Fridays. They take reservations on their website.
  • King’s Dining & Entertainment: Bowling and restaurant. The place is loud, though fun with a group of friends out for drinks.
  • Adobe Gila’s: Mexican-ish. Not recommended. Carrying on a fine tradition of hating on this place for ten years now!
  • Sugar Factory: Ridiculously overpriced tourist crap (think $19 burgers)
  • Bub City: BBQ. Haven’t tried but reviews aren’t terrible. Takes reservations on their website.
  • Park Tavern: Gastropub with some good food selections and a great beer list. Service can be slow at peak times, though. Takes reservations on their website.
  • Fogo de Chao: Brazilian steakhouse. “The Meat Faucet”. Takes reservations on their website.
  • Crust Brewing: Craft beer and pizza place. The beer isn’t bad, nor is the pizza. Think Rock Bottom/RAM Brewing levels of beer quality. Could be fun with a group of friends.
  • Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar: This is the sort of thing you would like if you like this sort of thing. (Come to think of it, I say the same thing about some of my friends’ more adult social media posts. Anyway…)
  • Pete’s Tiki Tiki: It’s a bar. It serves tiki drinks. Does that make it a tiki bar? I have strong reservations. Shares a building with the piano bar and you can walk between them. FFS, if you want tiki, please go to Hala Kahiki instead (see below)
  • Verilife Dispensary: Hand if it’s a novelty for you, but keep in mind that Illinois is the second-most expensive state for cannabis in the US, and also that the TSA frowns on bringing cannabis products when traveling by air.

Also Nearby

A 10-15 minute walk south on River Road is the Fashion Outlets Chicago (fancy name aside, it’s just a mall). The food court and other restaurants have some decent options that are quite affordable. A 10-15 minute walk north on River Road brings you to McDonald’s and also Giordano’s Pizza, one of the Holy Trio of Chicago deep-dish pizza restaurants. New this year are Stan’s Donuts and Big Chicken, just behind Giordano’s. Both aren’t bad but definitely on the pricey side.

A little further walk (or a short Uber/Lyft/whatever trip) south on River Road, two blocks south of the Loews Chicago O’Hare, is Short Fuse Brewing Company I’ve found their beer to be pretty good; apparently they are doing something right as they were named Great American Beer Festival Brewery of the Year for their class. The food is pretty good, too.

Finally, a few miles south on River Road is Hala Kahiki Tiki Bar and Lounge. This is a shockingly legit retro tiki bar that has no business being tucked away in a Chicago suburb, but there it is. They have a huge menu, and the drink prices aren’t outrageous. You’ll want to eat before you go though – the food options there are pretty scarce. They have a special Christmas tiki menu this year, too!

Other good things to know: The Rosemont Entertainment Circulator is a free shuttle that runs nonstop all weekend and even late into the night. It stops at the CTA Blue Line station, at the front of the convention center, in the Parkway Bank Park, and at the Fashion Outlets Chicago.

Finally, Grubhub, UberEats, DoorDash, and other food delivery services are alive and well in Rosemont. Don’t be shy about using them to order as well!

Charlie Goes West: The Wrap-Up

Statistics

Length of trip: 27 days
Days of long-distance driving: 15 days
Distance driven: 5,773 miles (9,291 km)
Average Fuel Economy: 24.2 miles per gallon (10.3 km/litre)

I am so very happy with my 2020 Subaru Outback! It was the perfect road trip car. By the end of the trip the total mileage on the car was 30,336 miles.

Nights in hotels: 9
Nights in AirBnbs: 15 (AirBnbs in Flagstaff, Albuquerque, and Denver)
Nights staying with friends: 3

I was very happy with my AirBnbs, though they were all very different. Flagstaff and Albuquerque compared to a studio motel room, but Denver was actually a two-bedroom house with full kitchen. The real winner was Denver which put me in easy walking of so many great shops and restaurants.

Breweries visited: 49
Beers checked in: 148

Why breweries? I assure you I am by no means a heavy drinker, though I do enjoy a good beer. I have found the brewery-hopping is a nice thing to do when traveling with Charlie because they tend to be dog-friendly, and there is a built-in social environment. I had the good fortune to have great conversations with random strangers, something that is normally kind of difficult for me to initiate. Everybody wants to talk about Charlie, though, and that’s a great introduction to other topics. (Also, how did I check in so many beers? I like flights.)

Lessons Learned

  • Back to back to back days of driving are pretty rough. You’d think I would have learned that last year!
  • Mountains lift my spirits. I saw the first hint of mountains in western South Dakota, the Black Hills, and I was actually elated. It was a great feeling.
  • Exerting yourself at 7,000+ feet above sea level takes a far greater toll than you might expect. I mean, I’m still out of shape, but I’m not THAT out of shape!
  • Mountain roads are fun. Back roads are fun. Even rocky, unpaved dirt roads are fun (when you have a car equipped for it). Interstates are boring, but when you need to get from here to there quickly, sometimes you have no choice.
  • Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist are a godsend on long, straight, boring highways.
  • Nevada always surprises me with the beauty to be found in even some of the most remote and desolate areas.
  • California is a nice place to visit, but I’m pretty sure I would never want to live there.
  • I knew this already, but traveling with a dog who loves to ride in the car is wonderful. You never feel alone, and always have a friend right nearby. Charlie is the best road trip buddy ever!

The final lesson learned is that although this trip wasn’t cheap and was a lot of time away from work, who knows what the future will bring? Do the things that make you happy while you can. Sure, plan for the future, but don’t forget to enjoy today, too.

I have so many wonderful memories from this trip that I will treasure for years to come. Those of you who have followed along in this blog or on social media, I hope that you were able to enjoy the trip vicariously. I also hope that you have adventures of your own in your future!

Thanks for reading.

Coming in late? You can start reading about the entire trip from the beginning: Charlie Goes West

Charlie Goes West, Day 0

I’m still scrambling trying to get everything packed, or at least staged and ready to go. It turns out when you’re going to leave home for a month, you need to give some things a little extra thought. How long will those eggs in the fridge last? Which lights should be left on? Little things like that.

I still need to get Nora’s food and medications all packed up. The dog sitter loves Nora, which helps. They have a small dog and a couple of young children, and Nora gets along quite well with all of them. She spent the night with them last weekend and they got the Full Nora Experience, which means she got into their snack stash and ate an entire bag of Fritos and a bag of Brownie Brittle. They need to work on understanding her “tells” as well. When Nora comes and sits in front of you and stares at you, she isn’t saying “Oh, please pet me.” She is saying “Hey dummy, I need to pee. Let me out.” They had to deal with a couple of accidents because of that, but seemed quiet OK with it. In talking with them, they have a lot of experience with dogs way more troublesome than Nora, so I think she’ll be just fine there.

Nora stares into the camera as a hand from offscreen scratches her chin.

So anyway, I have four weeks of travel ahead of me, starting right after I drop Nora off tomorrow morning:

The first week and a half is going to be fun, but a little tiring. As I have learned from past road trips, the daily routine of driving someplace new, stay at a hotel, then pack up and drive to the next place can be wearing. I’m glad I’ve got some AirBnB’s lined up in Flagstaff, Albuquerque, and Denver. That will give me time to recharge a bit, work remotely, and do some laundry!

Tomorrow, I hit the road!

A map of the western United States showing Duncan's route from Illinois to (in order) Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, California, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and back to Illinois.

Charlie Goes West! (Summer 2023 Road Trip)

I loves me a good road trip. I’ve been on a couple of great ones over the last couple of years including 2017’s Great Western Road Trip and 2022’s Drive to the Canadian Maritimes. It’s almost time to set out on a new adventure! Every adventure needs a great name, and this year it’s Charlie Goes West.

My last trip out west took me from Chicago north through the Prairie Provinces then down the Pacific Coast from Portland to San Francisco, then a straight shot back east on I-80 then I-70. That was fun, but I missed out on the Northern Plains and some of the nicest parts of the Rocky Mountains, not to mention the entire Southwest. I was also completely solo on that trip, and I learned last year how much fun it is to travel with Charlie. He may be blind, but he adores riding in the car and thrives on meeting new people.

When I started planning out this year’s trip, I thought about some things I didn’t want to miss. I’ve never been to the Badlands, and I’ve never had a chance to explore the Southwest. Also, the four states in the contiguous US that I have never set foot in are Nebraska, South Dakota, Arizona, and New Mexico. It’s time to fix that! For extra fun, I didn’t want to retrace any of my 2017 route if it could be avoided. All of these pieces came together into this year’s route, which is around 5,200 miles as planned:

A map of the western United States showing Duncan's planned route.

(Map generated by Furkot, an extremely handy road trip planner!)

I have the luxury of a good amount of vacation time and the ability to work remotely most of the time. That’s why after 2017’s two-week trip and 2022’s three-week trip, this trip is going to be a full four weeks. Because I’m working from the road occasionally, I’ll only be using eleven vacation days. While I didn’t know many people out in the Maritimes last year, this time around I’ll be passing by many friends along the way. I’m looking forward to some fun times ahead!

I hit the road on Saturday morning, 12 August, and I can’t wait! I’ll be posting updates here on my blog, as well as on my Mastodon account (which should get notifications of blog updates as well).

Book Review: Carnival of Mysteries: Crow’s Fate, by Kim Fielding

Crow Rapp assumes he’ll spend his life growing corn in rural Illinois, like the grandparents who raised him. But during a visit to a traveling carnival, he encounters a handsome stranger named Simeon Bell—and receives a prophecy of a horrifying future. When that future materializes soon afterward, Crow flees…only to find that no matter how far he goes, fate pursues him.

Simeon re-enters his life a decade later and causes Crow to consider whether actively fighting his fate might be better than constant attempts at escape. In a world tinged by magic, where myths are as real as the sky above them, the men try to determine Crow’s true identity. Along the way, they test the powers of friendship and love and explore the boundaries of free will—ultimately discovering whether the force of destiny can be overcome.

Rating: 5 out of 5!

Carnival of Mysteries: Crow’s Fate, by Kim Fielding

A few years ago (though possibly even before that) shared-world series became A Thing in the m/m romance genre. I get it – it’s basically a writing prompt, something to create a jumping-off point for a story. In this case, it’s the Carnival of Mysteries: “Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special.” Unfortunately, the execution of some of these shared-world books can be extremely uneven, and so I have generally shied away. Kim Fielding has written some of the my favorite books so I figured I’d at least give this one a shot, though.

I loved this book so much! Crow and Simeon are marvelous characters. The story is told from Crow’s point of view, and we get a full view of his concerns, his insecurities, and his hopes…or lack thereof. His life is extremely difficult, as death and destruction pursues him. He can’t afford to get to close to anyone, and so lives a lonely, desperate life. When Simeon enters his life Crow starts to question who he is and why he is pursued by monsters. Most importantly, Simeon makes Crow have hope for his future…their future.

In the hands of another writer this could have been a bit of a tedious book, but Fielding does a fantastic job of keeping the pace moving. The story turns into a bit of a travelogue as Crow and Simeon travel the country searching for answers. The surprises that they find along the way suggest very strange things are afoot. When things take a turn for the fantastical in the third act, though, the groundwork has been laid well enough that it doesn’t break the suspension of disbelief. What I loved the most about this book, though, is that from a simple story of a man pursued by his demons, we also get contemplation of fate, free will, nature versus nurture, and even some Walt Whitman and Greek tragedies thrown in as well. These all gave a depth to the story that I really appreciated.

I listened to the audio version of Crow’s Fate, performed by Joel Leslie. As always, Leslie’s delivery was excellent, with good separation between the characters, believable accents, and even female character voices that didn’t sound like “a man trying to sound like a woman”, if that makes sense. If audiobooks are your thing, this one is definitely worth picking up.

Will I continue reading the Carnival of Mysteries books? We’ll see. But this one is a great start!

Book Review: The Dog Days of December, by Kim Fielding

Alone in a new town, psychology professor Shawn Daly has resigned himself to a quiet, solitary Christmas. Then he nearly runs over a stray dog. She’s not seriously injured—but it turns out she has other plans for Shawn’s winter break. And that cute guy down the block with the friendly Newfoundland dog? Turns out he’s a big part of those plans.

Dogs may bring shedding fur and a heap of responsibilities. But they may also be just the right thing to give the holidays—and a love life—some sparkle.

Rating: 5 our of 5!

The Dog Days of December, by Kim Fielding

As much as I love m/m romances, I admit I’m not a fan of the annual slew of Christmas/holiday-themed books that come out each year. Bah, humbug. I am, however, a big fan of Kim Fielding. She has written some of my favorite books, including Rattlesnake, the Bones series, and The Bureau series. I was looking for a light “palate cleanser” after my last read, and so I picked up this novella, which Fielding mentioned in her newsletter.

The story starts and ends with the POV of a dog, Abby. This sets the tone and suggests not to take things too seriously. Of course, I’m a dog person, so I was instantly won over. I’m also a sucker for stories where the main characters aren’t young, beautiful, and buff. Shawn is a psychology professor in his 40s; Austin is a bearish fellow of a similar age who works in the university’s IT department.

Even though the story is short, I really enjoyed seeing these two slowly getting to know each other and struggle to take the leap past friendship. It’s sweet, adorkable, and captures the spirit of season. I definitely enjoyed this one!

Maritimes Road Trip, Part 2

Day 5: Ottawa, Ontario to Quebec City

I woke up entirely too early, but I decided to take advantage of this and get on the road. I took Charlie for walk in Byward Market, which was just getting started for the day, and got to take a picture of him in front of the famous Ottawa sign, which is usually mobbed by tourists.

Continue reading →

Maritimes Road Trip, Part 1

Day 1: Home to Livonia, Michigan

 This started off well enough, at least. I had the car packed up and ready on time, and drove up to Chad’s place to drop off Nora. It was raining pretty steadily and I found that after applying the sealant to the windshield the wipers were chattering with every pass. I conferred with Piper, and he confirmed my suspicion: they needed to be replaced. Fortunately there was an Autozone just up the road in Kenosha, but after a brief detour and installation of new wipers, Charlie and I were good to go!

Continue reading →

Maritimes Road Trip, Day 0

Everything is packed and ready to go into the car in the morning. Charlie’s food, medications, bowls, and various accessories are ready to go. Nora’s food and medications are packed and ready to drop off with Chad, who is a wonderful friend who will be taking good care of Nora while I’m gone.

Here’s what the next three weeks look like:

This is looking like it’ll be over 4,000 miles. It’s a lot, but I’m really looking forward to it. Seeing new parts of the world is always exciting anyway, and I’ve never explored Quebec or the Maritimes before. I’m also looking forward to meeting up with great friends along the way, and hopefully meeting some new friends too!

I’ll be blowing up my Twitter along the way, and I am hoping to post daily updated here as well. Stay tuned!

A map of the Great Lakes and Eastern Canada showing a round-trip route from Chicago, Illinois to Halifax, Nova Scotia

On the Road Again: Maritimes Road Trip 2022!

It’s been five years since my last road trip, which means this year’s trip is long overdue! The general idea is to hit the road for three weeks, traveling to Halifax, Nova Scotia and back. And this time I won’t be going alone! I will have Charlie as my co-pilot.

Charlie, a RedMerle Border Collie
Charlie can be my navigator. Sure, he’s blind, but what could possibly go wrong?

The general plan is to stop every couple of days and work from my hotel room. In my current position I can’t just disappear for three weeks, so this seems like a reasonable balance. Plotting things out, I realize I’m probably still driving too much on too many days, but on the flip side I have worked hard to keep all driving legs to five hours or less. All of my hotels are booked, so the itinerary is set:

  • Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Toronto, Ontario
  • Ottawa, Ontario
  • Québec City, Québec
  • Rivière-du-Loup, Québec
  • Moncton, New Brunswick
  • Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
  • Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • Lubec, Maine
  • Boston, Massachusetts
  • Binghampton, New York
  • Cleveland, Ohio

A bit of a whirlwind tour even taking 19 days, but I’m really looking forward to it! I’m glad I will have Charlie with me, since he helps with a couple of things. First and foremost his company will be welcome. Having him along means that I will almost always be eating in an outdoor environment (Remember Covid? Yeah, it’s still around.) Finally, everyone wants to stop and say hello and pet Charlie (and he loves it). This provides needed social interaction, since I tend to be rather introverted when traveling alone, and not very good at striking up conversations with strangers. It helps that Charlie adores riding in the car, too!

As with my last road trip, I will be documenting it both on Twitter and here. Keep an eye out!

You Want Some M/M Werewolf Books?

Sometimes a male werewolf and another male werewolf (or another male human) love each other very much. You want some suggestions for m/m werewolf books? Well here you go! I have rated all of these 5/5 (or if a series most of the books 5/5).

In no particular order:

That’s a good start, anyway. Go forth and howl at the moon!

Five Years On: Dear Friends

Dear Dan Dear Friends,

This would have been my fifth letter to Dan, but after a couple of starts I realized that I was repeating what I have written over the last five years. I’m not sure what this means, except that perhaps I’ve said all that I want to say here. If I gave any credence to Kübler-Ross (which I absolutely do not) I suppose this is what “acceptance” would look like.

Instead of focusing on what I have lost, though, I want to focus on what I have, and what I have gained. To do this, let me tell you a story. I’ll preface this by saying much of this happened while I was in a state of shock, so names and faces were sometimes a blur.

Five years ago today, I experienced the worst moment of my life. I was lost, and I had no idea what I was going to do. I came home from the hospital in a daze. A few hours later, something amazing happened. Friends began showing up at my front door, first one, then another, and another, and soon I had a house full of friends. They brought snacks, they brought beverages, they brought frozen food for meals later. It was exactly what I needed, a distraction and a way to keep me from falling into a deep pit of despair. I’m not sure who started that phone chain or who organized what, but I am so, so grateful to all of you.

Two days later, friends collaborated with the Hyatt Regency O’Hare to hold a memorial gathering in Dan’s honor. The Hyatt went above and beyond to accommodate us. Midwest FurFest staffers were invited to join us, as well as all our local friends and extended family. It was an amazing thing to see the O’Hare Ballroom packed with people to remember Dan (or Takaza, as many knew him by). It was so comforting to know how much our community cared and wanted to show that.

Our extended group of friends and family wasn’t just local, though. It took a few months to set things up, but in June 2017 I organized another memorial gathering at a hotel near O’Hare Airport. Almost 150 people came, some local, some flying in from every corner of the country (and Canada!). It was a night for a lot of tears for me and many others, but also laughter and wonderful stories of how Dan touched so many lives. It was also another bit of necessary closure.

Looking back at an awful time in my life, I take comfort knowing that I was surrounded and supported by a remarkable group of friends and family (both found and related). You all kept me going and were there when I needed you. I can only hope that I can be there for you when needed as well.

Thank you.

Short Story Review: Bisclavret, by K.L. Noone

https://www.jms-books.com/images/bisclavret.jpg

A very long time ago, in the very old forests of Brittany, a werewolf loved a king …

The Lord Bisclavret has a secret. A family enchantment. A wolf’s curse, transforming him when the moon is full. He hopes to be a good lord for his people, and he’s always been a loyal king’s man, even if the new king is inexperienced and scholarly. But one betrayal might leave him trapped in wolf-shape forever … unless his king can save him.

Andreas would rather be a University scholar than a king, and has no interest in a royal marriage — desire’s always come slowly, if at all. But he loves his kingdom, so he’ll try to protect it, even when rumors of a man-killing wolf spread across his land. He’ll pick up a sword and go out on a hunt, and hope to keep his people safe.

But the wolf has the eyes of a man, and the scholar-king’s knowledge of folklore and fairy-stories might break a werewolf’s curse … with the help of love.

Very loosely based on the twelfth-century story by Marie de France, Bisclavret features a bisexual werewolf lord, a demisexual king who’d rather be a scholar, some exasperated men-at-arms, and very important stolen clothing.

Bisclavret, by K. L. Noone

I generally don’t review short stories but this was so good I’ll make an exception!

What a lovely story. I love so many things about this – the characters, the framing of the story, the sweet side-comments. The love demonstrated between these two men is what I adore most though. Grand, sweeping romantic gestures are nice, but someone who patiently deals with their love’s forgetfulness or silly habits with fondness? That’s a beautiful thing. Also, I always appreciate a demisexual character, and I like how it is explained in context.

An Opinionated Guide To Restaurants At Midwest FurFest – 2021

This is an update of a post I made in 2019. While I have confirmed the places listed below are still open, I can’t comment on the impact of the pandemic on hours, staffing, etc.

Note that this is completely unofficial; it’s just me and my overblown opinions. Also, your opinions may be different from mine. I don’t care  Get your own blog!

Midwest FurFest used to publish a 20-30 page booklet of listings and reviews of local restaurants, but unfortunately when you have to print 5,000+ copies of anything (let alone a 20-30 page booklet) costs start to get prohibitive, and with the availability of Yelp and similar sites we had to make the difficult decision to discontinue the Restaurant Guide.

That said, I’m happy to offer a (completely biased) overview of restaurants in and around the Stephens Convention Center, though I will leave it to the reader to find exact locations on Google Maps.

Inside the Hyatt Regency O’Hare

  • Midwest FurFest will not be offering a con suite this year, unfortunately. Issues of sanitation and public health dictated the decision.
  • O’H Restaurant: a full-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food is good to really good, but it’s expensive hotel prices. The good news is that the hotel runs specials for all meals (including the breakfast buffet) that lowers the prices from crazy high to slightly expensive.
  • Red Bar: Bar/restaurant open late afternoons and evenings with has a small food selection available as well. The prices are also not cheap, and the service is usually regrettably slow, although they are actively working with MFF to improve this. It sure is convenient, though!
  • Perks, the coffee shop/gift shop. They have a selection of grab-and-go sandwiches and salads, but even better throughout the weekend they set up a food station (in the past they have offered on different nights Build Your Own Mac and Cheese, Mini Naan Pizzas, Tacos, and Subs) that is actually quite reasonably priced.
  • There are rumors of a food truck as well. Stay tuned to @FurFest for more info on that.

The Hyatt will set up larger food service stands (drinks, sides, burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs) that are on the expensive side but terribly convenient.

In the Stephens Convention Center

  • Expoteria: Right across the street from the hotel. Hours can vary. The food is cheap, and it is certainly…food. So there’s that.
  • Starbucks: In the ground floor lobby of the convention center. Pretty much your standard Starbucks, and the prices are surprisingly not inflated for the location.
  • There will be a concession stand in the Dealers Den in Hall G. Expect drinks, sides, burgers, chicken sandwiches, and hot dogs that are on the expensive side but terribly convenient. The food is provided by a vendor which supplies many school cafeterias. I’m sure the similarity between the food quality is purely coincidental.

In the Parkway Bank Park Entertainment District

  • Five Roses Pub: Pseudo-Irish pub. Average.
  • King’s Dining & Entertainment: Bowling and restaurant. The place is loud, though fun with a group of friends out for drinks.
  • Adobe Gila’s: Mexican-ish. Not recommended.
  • Sugar Factory: Ridiculously overpriced tourist crap (think $19 burgers)
  • Bub City: BBQ. Haven’t tried but reviews aren’t terrible. Takes reservations on their website.
  • Park Tavern: The one bright spot. Gastropub with some good food selections and a great beer list. Service can be slow at peak times, though. Takes reservations on their website.
  • Fogo de Chao: Brazilian steakhouse. “The Meat Faucet”. Takes reservations on their website.
  • Hofrauhaus: Closed, and in the process of being replaced by a craft beer/pizza bar. Unfortunately that is still under construction and will not be open by MFF.
  • Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar: Closed, and replaced by Verlife Dispensary.

Also Nearby

A 10-15 minute walk south on River Road is the Fashion Outlets Chicago (fancy name aside, it’s a mall). The food court and other restaurants have some decent options that are quite affordable. A 10-15 minute walk north on River Road brings you to McDonald’s and also Giordano’s Pizza, one of the Holy Trio of Chicago deep-dish pizza restaurants.

A little further walk (or a short Uber/Lyft/whatever trip) south on River Road, two blocks south of the Loews Chicago O’Hare, is Short Fuse Brewing Company While I’ve found their beer decent (nothing stellar, but not bad), apparently they are doing something right as they were named Great American Beer Festival Brewery of the Year for their class. The food is pretty good, too.

Finally, a few miles south on River Road is Hala Kahiki Tiki Bar and Lounge. This is a shockingly legit retro tiki bar that has no business being tucked away in a Chicago suburb, but there it is. They have a huge menu, and the drink prices aren’t outrageous. You’ll want to eat before you go though – the food options there are pretty scarce.

Other good things to know: The Rosemont Entertainment Circulator is a free shuttle that runs nonstop all weekend and even late into the night. It stops at the CTA Blue Line station, at the front of the convention center, in the Parkway Bank Park, and at the Fashion Outlets Chicago.

Finally, Grubhub, UberEats, DoorDash, and other food delivery services are alive and well in Rosemont. Don’t be shy about using them to order as well!

Audiobook Review: Under the Whispering Door, by TJ Klune

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead.

Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop’s owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.

But Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo’s help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.

Under the Whispering Door, by TJ Klune

5 out of 5!

Once again, TJ Klune succeeds in ripping my damn heart out, stomping it flat, then puts it all back together with a fantastic ending.

Wallace Price is a terrible person, and he dies. And no one misses him. I don’t think that it’s giving anything away that there is a terrific redemption arc for him, but along the way there are just so many amazing characters. Mei, Nelson, and Apollo the dog all help Wallace in his journey, and are joined by the enigmatic Manager, the ridiculous Desdemona Tripplethorne, and poor Nancy, stuck in a cycle of grief. For me, though, it is the tender relationship with Hugo, gentle, understated, empathetic-to-a-fault Hugo, was the very best part of the story.

Klune thoughtfully includes a content warning at the beginning about frank discussion of death, and suicide. And it’s warranted – it hits hard sometimes, and as someone whose husband was taken from him suddenly, it hits far too close to home. Still, it was worth it. I very much appreciated Klune’s secular take on death, not denying any religious ideologies, but merely saying that we don’t know, and we never will know until it is our time to find out.

I listened to the audiobook version of this, and Kirt Graves and TJ Klune are an absolutely perfect pairing. I will always hear the characters in Klune’s Green Creek series in Kirt’s voices, and his characterizations of Wallace and Hugo here are absolutely spot on as well.

This is such a great book, and I recommend it highly!

Book Review: Never Underestimate an Omega , by Eden Winters

An alpha leader must have an alpha mate, but Gray wants only one man.

And that man is an omega.

Wolf shifter Gray Collins returns to his home pack to avenge his father’s murder, never expecting to take on the role of leader. Gray is a loner with no desire to tackle the politics of being Pack Alpha. Worse yet, he falls for the man he’s come to depend on—omega Logan Richardson.

According to pack lore, omegas are inferior, nothing more than lowly servants. Or are they? Logan is far too cunning, fierce, and bold to be a low-ranking wolf. While he keeps his head down in public, when they’re alone, Logan stands toe-to-toe with Gray like no one else dares. Mutual respect grows into friendship, friendship into a white-hot desire neither can fight.

Despite the law and the odds, the two wolves form a tentative bond. Together they lead the pack through strife and threats, all while keeping a secret—a secret that could get them both killed, and plunge the pack back into the savage dark ages.

The entire Lycan world is on the brink of a hard-won lesson: Never underestimate the relentless force of an omega.

Never Underestimate an Omega , by Eden Winters

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This was a lot of fun! Winters deliberately subverts many of the tried-and-true tropes of shifter romances to wonderful effect. Gray is an alpha who really doesn’t want to lead, and Logan is a leader who quietly runs everything from behind the scenes. They suffer from romance-novel levels of communication constipation

There’s not a whole lot of world-building here, though it slowly fills in as the book goes on. You get your requisite alphas, betas, and omegas, as well as deltas and gammas (who are all apparently a bunch of stoners?), and the classification of who does what is an integral part of the story.

There’s a bit of a lull in the middle of the book as the plot loses some steam, but the final act redeems that quite well. Also, this is very much a slow burn, so if you’re looking for erotica this may not be your best choice. It is however an excellent story with fun characters!

Oh, and also I give bonus points for this delightfully meta passage:

Ah, but he’d love to be an alpha’s fated mate—one alpha’s in particular. In his fated mates romance novels, the alpha almost always chose an omega. This omega somehow wound up pregnant if the book happened to be mpreg. No, thank you. No, thank you very much. While he enjoyed mpreg stories, male pregnancy was something he’d rather read about than experience firsthand.

Book Review: Conventionally Yours, by Annabeth Albert

Charming, charismatic, and effortlessly popular, Conrad Stewart seems to have it all…but in reality, he’s scrambling to keep his life from tumbling out of control.

Brilliant, guarded, and endlessly driven, Alden Roth may as well be the poster boy for perfection…but even he can’t help but feel a little broken inside.

When these mortal enemies are stuck together on a cross-country road trip to the biggest fan convention of their lives, their infamous rivalry takes a backseat as an unexpected connection is forged. Yet each has a reason why they have to win the upcoming Odyssey gaming tournament and neither is willing to let emotion get in the way—even if it means giving up their one chance at something truly magical.

Conventionally Yours (True Colors #1), by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Conventionally Yours has some of my favorite tropes: slow-burn, road trip, enemies-to-lovers, hurt/comfort. I appreciate that the setting is deep in fannish culture, and though doesn’t repeatedly point it out glaringly, it also doesn’t just mention it and dispense with it for the rest of the book. The backdrop for the story is the card game Odyssey, a thinly-disguised version of Magic: The Gathering. The snippets of gameplay that are included are illustrative of the personalities of the players, and although some readers have found it tedious I thought it was an interesting additional and a unique way to provide the reader insight to how the characters think.

Main characters Conrad and Alden are each at a crossroads in their lives. Conrad comes across as a bit of the jock stereotype, partying and sleeping around through college, though appearances are of course deceiving. Alden’s moms have been pushing him to medical school, but that’s not what he wants, though exactly what he does want is still hazy for him. Alden is also neurodiverse in some fashion, and I like that the author doesn’t try to get more specific than that. Difficulties reading social cues, anxieties, and other traits suggest underlying issues, but that’s as deep as it gets, and that’s fine. Both are participants in their professor’s YouTube series, “Gamer Grandpa”. Having only interacted over gameplay, each finds the other annoying and exasperating.

Circumstances send Alden and Conrad road-tripping from New Jersey to Las Vegas for the biggest national Odyssey convention, where the winner could join the pro tour and receive the money and (fandom) fame that comes with it. Winning the tournament would mean validation and success for either of them, though the problem is there can be only one winner, a dramatic tension that builds through the story.

I loved both of these guys. I saw bits of people I know in each of them, and that made the story that much more enjoyable. This is very much a slow burn romance, but watching them slowly open up to each other and realize that they’re a better match than they ever would have guessed was so very sweet.

The book is told by alternating the point of view between Alden and Conrad chapter-by-chapter. The audio version did a great job of this by having two brilliant narrators swapping off, Joel Froomkin (aka Joel Leslie) for Alden’s chapters and Kirt Graves for Conrad’s chapters. Joel nails Alden’s Jersey-boy accent, while Kirt’s earnest Midwestern Conrad is dead-on. My only quibble is that this meant that we actually heard four “voices” as, for example, Kirt read Alden’s dialogue in Conrad’s chapters, and that didn’t match Joel’s delivery. I still like the approach, though, and I’m happy to see it is used again in the sequel.

This is a fun, geeky, and very satisfying story of an intense rivalry that becomes an sweet relationship. I happily recommend it!

Judging a Book By Its Cover

Just for fun, I put together a list of how I decide what goes on my to-read shelf. These are superficial, judging-a-book-by-its-cover criteria, but there are so many possibly-interesting books out there I needed to create some guidelines to follow.

First off, there’s the Goodreads rating. Now, I know better than to rely on crowdsourced ratings from the Internet (see also: Yelp, TripAdvisor, etc.) however they can be helpful in aggregate. In general I look at reviews with at least 500 ratings to give it any weight. After that, my low-water mark is 3.70 (out of 5). A book would have to be pretty enticing for me to pick it up if the rating is below that.

What will definitely make me pick up a book: m/m paranormal romances go to the front of the line. Shifters, particularly wolves, are obvious as well. I’m a sucker for May-December romances, and the hurt/comfort trope as well. I’m a big fan of urban fantasy, and if there are queer characters so much the better (see also: Kai Gracen). Certain authors get my immediate attention too: Lily Morton, Kaje Harper, N.R. Walker, Andrea Speed, and a few others.

What will make me steer clear of a book? BDSM isn’t my cup of tea at all. Vampires are right out. Ew. MPreg is just so wildly anatomically improbable that I can’t take it seriously, but if the story is good I can disregard it. I steer clear of heterosexual romances, unless there’s a strong fantasy story with it (see also: Mercy Thompson).

Book Review: Galaxies and Oceans, by N.R. Walker

Seizing his one chance to escape, Ethan Hosking leaves his violent ex-boyfriend, leaves his entire life, and walks into the path of a raging bushfire. Desperate to start over, a new man named Aubrey Hobbs walks out of the fire-ravaged forest, alive and alone. With no ID and no money, nothing but his grandfather’s telescope, he goes where the Southern Cross leads him.

Patrick Carney is the resident lighthouse keeper in Hadley Cove, a small town on the remote Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia. After the tragic death of his lover four years ago, he lives a solitary life; just him, a tabby cat, the Indian and Southern Oceans, and a whole lot of loneliness. He’s content with his life until a stranger shows up in town and turns Patrick’s head.

Patrick never expected to be interested in anyone else.

Aubrey never expected to be happy.

Between Aubrey’s love of the stars and Patrick’s love of the ocean, these two fragile hearts must navigate new waters. If they can weather the storm of their pasts, they could very well have a love that eclipses everything.

Galaxies and Oceans, by N.R. Walker

I am a big fan of N.R. Walker’s character-driven contemporary stories, and this book is no exception. When they first meet, these men are emotionally battered, but surviving. Aubrey is a survivor of horrible domestic abuse, and Patrick is grieving for his husband, lost at sea four years earlier.

I really loved Aubrey, who went from a relatively pampered life to homeless and struggling to get by on the streets. It seems a stretch, but it becomes apparent that he has the strength of character to do whatever is necessary to keep going, and to avoid being pulled back into his old life.

Patrick is living in a small town and keeping relative solitude in his job as lighthouse keeper. He’s living his life, but it’s the emotional equivalent of just keeping the lights on. There’s only one other gay man in town, and he’s not interested (I do love that the whole town seems to be cheering for him throughout the story though).

The circumstances which conspire to throw Patrick and Aubrey together are a little contrived, but given the genre I’ll allow it. It’s a slow burn as the feelings between the two grow. I can sympathize with Patrick’s feelings of guilt as he comes to terms with his feelings for Aubrey, leading to this wonderful passage:

Love him.

I can see why you love him.

Those two words stopped me. I did still love him, but it was in the past. I didn’t want to say I loved him in past tense, because that sounded like it was over and forgotten. And it wasn’t. He wasn’t forgotten. He never would be. But it wasn’t love like it was when he was alive. It hadn’t lessened any, it just became something else. It was a permanent part of my life. Like a background hum, a comforting presence that helped me get through dark times. It was still there, and I didn’t want it to disappear; I wanted that hum, that white noise that comforted me.

This is such a remarkable observation, and I adore Patrick all the more for it.

As frequently occurs in Walker’s books, the setting itself is almost a character in the story. Here, we are on Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia, with nothing but open ocean between it and Antarctica. She describes it as a place of bare rocks and sea, an austere place but with beauty to be found if you know where to look. That fits this story so very well (also, I would love to see the Aurora Australis someday!).

As always, Joel Leslie does a fabulous job performing this book. His character voices are unique and easy to follow, and the production quality is very good – I’ve become accustomed to listening for awkward edits and wildly varying audio levels, and I heard none of that. On aside note, I noted with amusement that Leslie seems to have a uniform “Australian woman” voice with only slight variations so it can be difficult to distinguish between those characters, but that’s just a minor quibble. I have loved all of his performances over the books I have heard from him, and seeing him as narrator is a strong selling point for when I am considering purchasing an audiobook.

Four Years On: Dear Dan

Dear Dan,

Image: Dan hugging Charlie

What a crazy year this has been, unlike anything we could have even dreamed of. I’ve been thinking about how we would have dealt with the ever-worsening pandemic. We’d both be working from home, and in each other’s space more often than not. There would have been friction, but we would have worked through it. We faced a lot of adversity together, and that was what made it all bearable: we did it together.

The worst part of the last twelve months has been the isolation. You were always my rock, the one I could lean on when I needed support, and I really could have used that. If not for Nora and Charlie I’d be in a far worse place, but they have helped keep me afloat. You only had Nora’s company for less than a year, and Charlie’s even less than that. Although we both agreed to adopt them when the time came, you had to persuade me each time. In a way, they’re a lasting gift from you, one that I treasure.

It never fails to surprise me that it’s been four years. It feels like a long time, but also like yesterday. Last week I was explaining an issue with the bank and mentioned your passing and it was like stating a fact, neither good nor bad, but something that happened. Time brings some degree of emotional distance, I suppose; not from you, but from the event. I guess it’s a coping mechanism. Our lives were (and continue to be) intertwined, and every day I am reminded of you in a thousand different ways. I smile at the reminders, remembering our time together, more often than I feel the pain of loss, and that’s as it should be.

I love you so much, Dan.

Book Review: Spellbound (Magic in Manhattan #1) by Allie Therin

To save Manhattan, they’ll have to save each other first…

1925 New York

Arthur Kenzie’s life’s work is protecting the world from the supernatural relics that could destroy it. When an amulet with the power to control the tides is shipped to New York, he must intercept it before it can be used to devastating effects. This time, in order to succeed, he needs a powerful psychometric…and the only one available has sworn off his abilities altogether.

Rory Brodigan’s gift comes with great risk. To protect himself, he’s become a recluse, redirecting his magic to find counterfeit antiques. But with the city’s fate hanging in the balance, he can’t force himself to say no.

Being with Arthur is dangerous, but Rory’s ever-growing attraction to him begins to make him brave. And as Arthur coaxes him out of seclusion, a magical and emotional bond begins to form. One that proves impossible to break—even when Arthur sacrifices himself to keep Rory safe and Rory must risk everything to save him.

Spellbound (Magic in Manhattan #1) by Allie Therin, Narrated by Erik Bloomquist

5 out of 5!

This book is fun as hell. Therin has done a fine job of creating the look and feel of 1925 New York City, as well as touching on the differences among the social strata. The paranormal world building is lightly overlaid on real events and places to create a compelling history, as well as a good deal of suspense and mystery.

I keep telling myself that I don’t like historical romances (paranormal or not) because of the dismal attitudes toward homosexuality. K.J. Charles proved how wrong I was (about the romances, not the homophobia, alas), though, and now Allie Therin has soundly put the idea to rest.

Rory and Ace are such a great couple, and the cast of characters are a hoot as well. I especially loved Rory’s arc throughout the book as he learns that he doesn’t have to hide and try to escape everyone’s notice, and is in fact someone worthy of another’s affection. Ace is cynical and snarky, and a perfect foil for Rory’s naiveté. I am really looking forward to seeing their relationship develop over the rest of the series.

I listened to the audio version of this, performed by Erik Bloomquist. As frequently happens with prolific performers, I have heard his work in other books (Charlie Adhara’s Big Bad Wolf series). It took a bit to recalibrate to the voices of this particular book, but once that was settled I really enjoyed Bloomquist’s performance. Not only does he provide clear difference between that characters’ voices, he captures their vocal tics and accents well. His dry, sardonic delivery of Ace’s dialogue is just perfect, too.

If you’re looking for an entertaining and at times suspenseful historical paranormal romance, this is an outstanding choice!

Pic-a-Day 2021

I have started a new project for 2021, one photo for each day of the year. This is my second attempt at something like this. The first time was using a DSLR camera, and because I don’t carry that everywhere things quickly fell apart. Now that I am carrying my phone around everywhere (and the camera quality is likely better than that old DSLR!) I think that this time around will be easier. I will be gathering all of the photos in one album, which you can click through below:

02 January 2021

2020: A Year In Books

(Previous Year-in-Review posts: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016)

At the end of each year, I like to look back and highlight some one my favorite books of the year. These were selected from books I read in 2020, not necessarily what was first published in 2020. First, the numbers:

This word cloud of my Goodreads shelf names gives a good idea of my usual reading fare
  • Books read this year: 103
  • Did Not Finish: 2% (man, were they dreadful)
  • 3-Star Ratings: 16%
  • 4-Star Ratings: 35%
  • 5-Star Ratings: 49%
  • Number of Audiobooks: 39
  • Pages Read/Listened To: 24,242

(I’ve explained elsewhere why there’s usually no 1-star or 2-star ratings, and why my ratings skew higher.)

That’s enough of that. On to the good stuff! As it turned out my favorite books of the year easily broke down into categories: m/m romance and urban fantasy. Four of my top five m/m romance books/series were set in Australia, and three of those have an asexual/demisexual main character. The latter is a lot easier to explain than the former: I identify as a gray-asexual/demisexual (homoromantic) man, and representation matters. That aside, with the quality of their writing and descriptions of the locales, all of these authors have made a powerful case for visiting Down Under!

My absolute favorite book of the year is one that I recently reviewed here, The Gentle Wolf (Perth Shifters #2), by Pia Foxhall. I urge you to ignore the fact that it’s #2 in the series – it can be read as a standalone. Great worldbuilding and relatable characters (not just the main characters – the entire cast!) elevate a strong story into something really special. Read my full review here.

Continuing on the theme of Australian shifters, Furborn by Isabelle Rowan was a delight. The setting, in the sheep country of Victoria outside of Melbourne, was new to me and the descriptions of the area were fascinating. This is a story of fox shifters slowly being forced into hiding by the encroachment of modern living, and of one fox who befriends a farmer’s son who would rather be anywhere else. It takes its time and allows the relationship between the two to slowly develop, and I found the conclusion wonderfully satisfying.

Moving on to contemporary stories, I enjoyed N. R. Walker’s Upside Down very much. No one writes adorkable like Walker, and it is always quite endearing. Sidney resident Jordan is a lovable goof, but also a complete mess as he tries to reconcile his asexuality with his attraction to Hennessey. I can identify closely with coming to terms of where you fall on the asexual spectrum, and as such this book really spoke to a lot of my experiences. This is a lovely, low-angst story that is well-worth your time. Here is my full review of the book.

Keira Andrews’ Honeymoon for One is an adorable collection of romance tropes – hurt/comfort, friends-to-lovers, and probably a few others – in a single story. Ethan finds his fiancé in bed with another man the night before their wedding, then says to hell with it and goes on their (pre-planned, pre-paid) honeymoon by himself. There are complications, of course, including the fact that Ethan is losing his hearing. I thought this aspect was handled thoughtfully, and really felt for Ethan’s struggles trying to navigate a world where full hearing is taken for granted. The book turns into a bit of a travelogue as the tour bus he had booked travels from Cairns to Sidney, all while Ethan and Clay, the tour bus driver, fall for one another. I listened to this as an audiobook, and it was a case where the performance by the narrator (the ever-talented Joel Leslie) really enhanced the experience. He does accents and dialects so well, and I appreciated how the effect of Ethan’s hearing loss came across.

Finally in my Top Five are the first two books in Lily Morton’s Finding Home series: Oz and Milo. These take place in the Cornish countryside in the UK, and are a fine example of how compelling great characters can be. Oz is from a working-class Irish/English family and somehow winds up with the job of Estate Manager for the Earl of Ashworth (but please, really, just call him Silas). Oz is delightfully snarky and all of the dialogue is so much fun! The chemistry between Oz and Silas is so good. Milo, on the other hand, grew up in an aristocratic family. He is sweet and shy, and usually has good control over his stutter unless flustered. He is definitely flustered by his older brother’s best friend Niall, a brash and coarse man who was always protective of Milo. The blossoming relationship between the two made me smile. There’s one more book in the series; I’ll be starting off 2021 with that!

Moving on to my other favorites, these fell neatly into the urban fantasy genre. The market is a crowded field, and it seems that some get tucked away into the m/m romance niche because the main characters happen to be men who love other men. This spins into a big rant for me about book marketing and genres and institutionalized homophobia that I’m not going to get into right now. Anyway, here are five urban fantasy books/series that I think are worthy of note.

I’ll start out with Hailey Turner’s Soulbound series, and oh my gosh! This is one of those series where I want to buy a bunch of copies of Book 1 to shove into people’s hands, saying “Just read this. You’ll thank me.” The worldbuilding here is fantastically intricate, interweaving magic users as part of the military, direct intervention by gods from all possible pantheons (and what a pain in the ass they can be), and all variety of supernatural beings. Multiple plotlines are woven through the series, and Turner keeps everything going at a breakneck pace in all five books (and Book 6 is coming in March 2021!). Patrick Collins, former Mage Corps soldier and now federal agent is reluctantly in the vanguard against the demonic forces of hell (in all its incarnations), accompanied by Jonothan de Vere, his smoking hot (and badass) werewolf boyfriend. Each book takes us to a different locale, with some, um, impressive collateral damage (the events in Chicago are pretty epic). There are a lot of characters involved and a lot of action, but I never had any problem following what was going on. Turner has done an amazing job with the plotting and character arcs here. I listened to all of these as audiobooks, and Gary Furlong is masterful in keeping the different character voices separate and easy to follow. If you like audiobooks, these are a great choice!

Keeping with the action/adventure theme, K.D. Edwards’ The Hanged Man (The Tarot Sequence Book 2) was every bit as good as its predecessor The Last Sun, which was one of my Best of 2019 choices. Great character development, some surprising plot twists, and hints of ever more sinister goings-on ratchet up the tension. Here is my detailed review of The Last Sun.

Turning to a very different setting and tone, we have T.J. Klune’s House in the Cerulean Sea. This is one case where the blurb says it the best:

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

The descriptions of the Department in Charge of Magical Youth immediately put me in mind of Terry Gilliam’s Brazil. This contrasts starkly with the idyllic Marysas Island Orphanage. There’s a lot going on in this book beneath the obvious, and the hints of how Linus’ demeanor changes throughout the story are a lot of fun to follow. This was different from any other book I’ve read in recent memory (although there are some interesting parallels that could be drawn with Klune’s The Bones Beneath My Skin).

Finally, a series that is plain ol’ mainstream [heterosexual] urban fantasy. Given its success, it is not a great surprise that Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson universe has given rise to a whole genre of action-oriented urban fantasies with strong female protagonists (which is pretty awesome, I think). Some series have been less than successful, but K. N. Banet’s Jacky Leon books are a whole lot of fun. The setup is intriguing: modern-day society, but the existence of werewolves (whose wolf looks more like a dire wolf) is known to the public. What is not known is the existence of the rest of the supernatural world – vampires, fey, and other werecreatures. Jackie Leon is a werecat (whose cat looks more like a saber-toothed tiger). She’s trying to lay low and live a quiet life, running a dive bar in Jacksonville, Texas. Fate has other plans for her, of course. I’ve read (well, listened to) the first three books of the series, and I’ve been really impressed. The plotting is tight and the action moves along at a good clip. The cast of characters is great fun, and the political intrigue adds an additional tension to the events that I like. I look forward to reading the other books in this series!

Finally, although I like to use these wrap-ups to highlight great books of the year, I have a dishonorable mention: Anne Bishop’s The Others alternate-history series. The first two books were interesting, if written a bit archly, and quite slow-moving until the final act. The third book is when it all comes crashing down, though. Some egregious retconning and flat-out stupidity on the part of the main characters left me sorely disappointed, feeling like the first two books were a waste of time. I’m out.

Anyway, to end on a happier note, here are some of the honorable mentions from this year:

My goal in 2020 was to read 100 books, which I just slightly surpassed. I’m setting the same goal for 2021, but I am hoping to beat that! We’ll see how the year plays out. Happy New Year, all!

Book Review: The Gentle Wolf, by Pia Foxhall (Perth Shifters #2)

The Gentle Wolf, by Pia Foxhall

Omega Aodhan Donne has buried his past, his life revolves around his chocolaterie, Little Star, a place where he creates sweet and happy memories. Demisexual, and used to being shoved in the friends category by the time he falls for someone, he throws all his energy into creating romantic moments for others in his store, neglecting his needs. His highlight for two years has been the man who visits his shop every Tuesday.

Beta Thomas Wilson is an historian who believes the past should be unearthed, working as the curator at Western Australia’s only shifter museum, educating children and adults about shifter history. Quiet and hard-working, he allows himself to visit Aodhan at Little Star once a week, as a treat.

When Aodhan decides he wants to get know Thomas better, he offers him a window into a complicated history that influenced the lives of shifters in the whole of Australia, and faces the possibility of Thomas learning too much about his dark past.

After deciding to take it slow, their unconventional relationship becomes a whirlwind, sweeping them up together and blowing open the doors hiding their painful pasts. They couldn’t face their truths alone, but if they’re willing to face them together, Aodhan and Thomas may get the love they’ve always yearned for.

Content warning (contains spoilers)
domestic emotional abuse, child sexual abuse

Rating: 5 out of 5!

I’m calling it now – this is the best book I’ve read in 2020. I loved Aodhan and Thomas so much, and they were so good for each other.

I’m a gay man who identifies as demisexual/gray-asexual, and many of Aodhan’s experiences and feelings as an adult really struck a chord with me. The author captures the emotions and worries of someone who is demisexual exceptionally well.

This is the slowest of slow-burn love stories, but I loved that. Both men have deep emotional scars from their past. I especially appreciate that their pasts weren’t presented and then – well, that’s over with, now on to the rest of the story. We are the sum of our history, and that can inform our emotions and needs. This is the case for Aodhan and Thomas. Over two years they have (unknowingly) laid the foundation for a strong relationship while becoming acclimated to each other. Watching these two men come to lean on each other for support was wonderfully sweet and gratifying.

While this is a shifter book in a genre that frequently treats the shifter subgenre as trope-laden connect-the-dots stories, The Gentle Wolf digs deeper. The personal histories, particularly Aodhan’s, can affect the larger world, and the hints of connections outside the immediate story setting were intriguing. I would especially love to hear more of the Noongar (SW Australia Aboriginal) shifters. Foxhall’s obvious respect for the Noongar culture and traditions is very much appreciated.

This is the second book in the Perth Shifters series, but I think it stands alone quite well. The first book (Blackwood) was enjoyable and worth seeking out (I rated it 4 out of 5) but it is by no means as deep or nuanced as The Gentle Wolf, though it is a good introduction to the author’s worldbuilding. I recommend them both, but I especially love The Gentle Wolf!

As a side note, between N. R. Walker, Keira Andrews, and now Pia Foxhall, I kind of want to spend a month in Australia to see all of the wonderful places mentioned in their books (and I know that still wouldn’t be enough time)!

Three Years On: Dear Dan

Dear Dan,

Three years ago today. Sometimes it seems far longer than that, sometimes it seems just days ago. I still think about you every day. The worst are the dreams where we are together doing fun or just mundane things. I wake up to remember that will never happen again and it hurts, a lot.

This year I spent two weeks in Alaska volunteering with the Iditarod, just like we had always talked about doing. It was everything we hoped it would be, and more. I am already thinking in terms of what I will do next year, and how to make the trip even better. You’re not surprised, I know. Some things never change.

Charlie and Nora continue to be my emotional anchors at home. They helped get me through the darkest times, and they continue to help keep me smiling. Nora was diagnosed with Addison’s Disease, and while we were trying to figure out what was wrong, I admit that I was scared. I know that I will have to say goodbye to them sometime in the far future, but not yet. Not yet.

I wonder what you would make of the current world situation. You would be practical, I know. We would have worked together to make a plan and be prepared for whatever happened. I’m not as good at making plans by myself, but I try. You helped provide the confidence I needed sometimes. All I can do now is try my best and hope that that is enough.

Life does go on, though. This time of year again reminds me of the wisdom I was told about grief, “It doesn’t get any easier, you just get stronger.” That’s the truth. I probably stand stronger now than I ever have, but I miss having someone to lean on when needed. I continue to be incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by loving family and friends who help more than they can ever know. If nothing else I have learned to treasure every single one of them even more because life is indeed fickle.

I love you Dan, and I miss you so much. I carry you always in my heart.

Tom

Book Review: Accepting Submission, by Kris T. Bethke

Alphas aren’t made to submit.

Raised in a conservative clan, Asher Grant has done everything he could to be a good alpha. A good son. But denying his needs has made him weak, and he’s lost touch with his bear. No longer able to shift, his clan rejects him instead of helping. Desperate, there’s only one place Asher can turn.

Trey Carver leads his pack with a firm but gentle hand. Under his guidance, his wolves have flourished. Asher knows he won’t be welcome among the wolves, but Trey has something he needs. Asking for it isn’t easy. Accepting it when it’s offered is even harder.

As Trey teaches Asher the beauty of dominance and submission, Asher begins to heal. Accepting his true self has a power all its own. When Trey makes the ultimate offer, Asher feels honor bound to deny it. Can a wolf convince a bear that they are meant to be?

Accepting Submission, by Kris T. Bethke

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I’ll start this review by noting that I was provided an advance readers copy for reasons mentioned below, but I am happy to provide an independent review.

I really enjoyed this. It’s told entirely from Asher’s point of view, and we get a close look at his insecurities and doubts. He is an outcast for not living up to his clan’s perceptions of what he should be and feels a complete failure. At his heart, though, he is a smart, sensitive man who just doesn’t fit expectations. I could wish we had some of Trey’s POV to have a better sense of his reactions, but I also understand how that could take the reader out of the story. The scenes of Asher and Trey just talking and learning about one another are what made the story for me, and they make a great couple.

D/s is not typically my thing, but I understand the mechanics of it and can absolutely sympathize with the power exchange concept (even a control freak like me can see the attraction of letting someone else make the decisions sometimes). I liked that it was made clear that being a sub doesn’t mean “anything goes”. If a sub has questions or concerns, it’s OK to do say so. Like any relationship, communication is what makes it work. Those aspects are what helped me connect more with the scenes here.

Oh, and about that ARC? If you note my username, and the fact that I have two sweet dogs, Nora and Charlie, you’ll understand. Any similarities beyond the names are purely coincidental, but it was a delightful surprise from Kris (although my Nora is every bit as sassy as the Nora in the story!).

I loved this fun, sexy novella! I look forward to reading more tales of the Carver pack.

2019: A Year in Books

(Previous Year-In-Review posts: 2016, 2017, 2018)

I wanted to take a moment to look back on 2019 and mentioned a few of the fantastic books I read last year (note these are not books that came out in 2019, but books I read in 2019). Although I usually read m/m romances almost exclusively, two of my favorites were from outside the genre, proving that sometimes a little variety can always be a good thing!

First, the best of the year:
A big chunk of my reading last year was consumed by Patricia Briggs, who writes some of the best urban fantasy I’ve come across. All of the books in her Mercy Thompson series were almost uniformly great, and even when they weren’t quite 100% they were still really enjoyable. I am impressed that after 12 books (starting with Moon Called), while there’s still a hint of a formula to each book there’s enough new and interesting things going on that everything remains fresh and exciting. The Alpha and Omega spinoff series (five books, starting with Cry Wolf) ties into the main series in some ingenious ways, sharing the occasional side-character and events, even though the main characters of the two series never meet face to face. This series was fun because, having established a fascinating world, Briggs is free to use different narrative conventions and plot twists that wouldn’t be possible in the main series. Both of these series are really enjoyable!

Lee Welch’s Salt Magic, Skin Magic was a delightful find. It’s a paranormal mystery set in a Victorian England where magic is real and such a commonplace thing. I loved this one because the spark between the two main characters was so well-written, the mystery was a challenging puzzle, and the ending was supremely satisfying.

In a similar vein, K.J. Charles’ Spectred Isle was a delightful foray into a magical Victorian England, though here magic is much more secretive. This is another mystery, and as shown in previous works that I raved about last year, Charles is skilled at weaving a complicated web of a mystery, then revealing it little by little. This particular book was great fun because of the banter between the new-to-magic Saul and experienced magician Randolph. The ending is a tour de force that ties things together brilliantly. In addition to this, The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal is a collection of short stories that serves as a prequel of sorts to Spectred Isle featuring some historical figures spoken of with reverence there. For all that short stories often leave me wanting more depth and development, this is a great read and a worthy addition to the world that Charles has built.

Two books by T.J. Klune make this list. Ravensong is the sequel to Wolfsong, which I absolutely adored in print and in audiobook. Ravensong continues the story, and in true Klune fashion, ripped my heart out and stomped all over it. Seriously, how Klune manages to keep such a high quality of writing going I’ll never know, but I’ll sure appreciate it! The other book is The Bones Beneath My Skin, an odd one-off novel that’s a departure from most of his usual themes, but the writing style is still familiar. In tone, I would place it toward Into This River I Drown (another tour de force, and a story which is slyly referenced here) but the atmosphere is a lot less somber. Great characters drive a great story – I really liked this one.

After enjoying their Hexworld series and Whyborne and Griffin series, I was delighted to pick up Jordan L. Hawk’s Spectre Series 1. These are written in the sense of a “season” of a TV series, which each book having its own plot but also an overarching plot that spans all six books that gets resolved in the finale. I really enjoyed the moody side of Charleston, South Carolina that serves as the backdrop to these paranormal stories, and the characters allow Hawk to have a lot of fun with disparate personalities, and the problems that arise when you have three people, but only two bodies. Oh, and one of those three is a few thousand years old.

The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards…well, you can read my review right here. It’s a fantastic book, and absolutely belongs on my best-of-2019 list.

Finally, there’s Gary Paulsen’s Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod. This nonfiction autobiographical book tells the story of how Paulsen was bitten by the mushing bug and drawn into the world of sled dog racing. This was an incredible read, filled with laugh-out-loud moments, some terrific personal insights and thoughts about the relationship between humans and dogs, and moments that moved me to tears. Even if you’re not a fan of sled dog racing, this is worth picking up.

There are also a couple of books that deserve honorable mention:

Stealing His Heart by Bru Baker is a spinoff from her Camp H.O.W.L. trilogy. Nothing terribly complex, but still an enjoyable story, with werewolves. Werewolves always make things better, but I might be biased.

In Any Light by Sam Burns is a lovely short story, a brief detour in The Rowan Harbor Cycle to explore the relationship between side characters Isla and Cassidy. I love these characters, and the fact that Isla is ace made me smile a lot when she found her “happy for now”. The ending definitely had me tearing up.

The Long Way Home by Z. A. Maxfield is a tense paranormal thriller that had a great mystery and even better chemistry between the main characters. There were a few stumbles at the that took this out of the ‘best of’ running, but I still enjoyed the book. I’m kind of sad there wasn’t a sequel because I’d love to read more of these guys!

N. R. Walker’s Finders Keepers was hugely enjoyable. I jokingly accused her of secretly working for the Australian tourist board because the descriptions of Coolum Beach and Australia’s Sunshine Coast made it sound like an absolute paradise. This is a fun, low-angst story with a fun twist on the meet-cute trope where the main characters ‘meet’ over text messaging and get to know each other before they ever meet face to face.

Finally, I want to return to Mercy Thompson’s world to mention Faerie Gifts, an ongoing fan fiction series by Liv Campbell and William Alexander on Archive of Our Own. I really enjoy how the authors retain the feel of Patricia Briggs’ Mercyverse while bringing in new characters in an entirely different location in the world. Also, Sam the werewolf is absolutely freakin’ adorable!

2020 is already off to a great start, and I look forward to adding many great books my best of 2020 list! As always, you can find me on Goodreads as Duncan Husky, plus there you can find my reading lists of m/m shifters, m/m werewolves, and m/m paranormal books.

Book Review: Upside Down, by N.R. Walker

Jordan O’Neill isn’t a fan of labels, considering he has a few. Gay, geek, a librarian, socially awkward, a nervous rambler, an introvert, an outsider. The last thing he needs is one more. But when he realizes adding the label ‘asexual’ might explain a lot, it turns his world upside down.

Hennessy Lang moved to Surry Hills after splitting with his boyfriend. His being asexual had seen the end of a lot of his romances, but he’s determined to stay true to himself. Leaving his North Shore support group behind, he starts his own in Surry Hills, where he meets first-time-attendee Jordan.

A little bewildered and scared, but completely adorable, Hennessy is struck by this guy who’s trying to find where he belongs. Maybe Hennessy can convince Jordan that his world hasn’t been turned upside down at all, but maybe it’s now—for the first time in his life—the right way up.

Upside Down, by N.R. Walker

Rating: 5 out of 5!

Nobody writes adorkable like N.R. Walker! Her low-angst, character-driven novels are always refreshing and enjoyable, and this book was no exception. Jordan is a nerdy sort, whose social anxiety leads to nervous chatter which actually gets to be pretty endearing. Hennessy is more laid-back, but more of a techno-geek. What begins as an crush on a stranger on a bus blossoms into something beautiful and charming.

One of the things that I loved about this book were the side characters: Merry, Jordan’s stoic co-worker and best friend, Angus, Jordan’s sweet-but-dense roommate, Michael, Hennessy’s best friend and boss. I especially got a kick out of “The Soup Crew”, strangers on the bus who become invested in Jordan and Hennessy’s growing relationship. As I’ve seen in other books, Walker has a tendency to tie the side-characters together neatly with some convenient coincidences, but that’s a minor nitpick.

As mentioned in the blurb, the story is about an asexual relationship, and Jordan’s coming to terms with his own asexual orientation. Recognizing that this is a concept that is new to many, Walker makes an effort to clearly explain what asexuality is and is not, and that is something that is much appreciated. As a man who continues to come to terms with his own asexuality this book spoke to me on a very personal level, and I could absolutely identify with a lot of Jordan’s feelings. The fact that asexuality is a spectrum not a fixed point is frequently frustrating, and for that reason Jordan’s self-doubt is quite relatable.

I listened to this on audio and while the story was great, I had some minor issues with Glen Lloyd’s narration. Some pauses between chapters and paragraphs where the setting changes would be appreciated. Also, the voices used for Hennessy and Jordan were very similar, at least to my American ear, making it difficult to tell who was talking at times.

I really enjoyed Upside Down and would highly recommend it to anyone, though it is especially good if you want to learn more about asexuality.

Note: To find out more about asexuality I suggest checking out The Asexuality Visibility and Education Network, which is a trove of useful information.

Book Review: The Last Sun (The Tarot Sequence, Book 1) by K. D. Edwards

Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment’s missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home.

With his companion and bodyguard, Brand, he questions Addam’s relatives and business contacts through the highest ranks of the nobles of New Atlantis. But as they investigate, they uncover more than a missing man: a legendary creature connected to the secret of the massacre of Rune’s Court.

In looking for Addam, can Rune find the truth behind his family’s death and the torments of his past? 

The Last Sun (The Tarot Sequence, Book 1), by K.D. Edwards

Rating: 5 out of 5!

There was once a large land off what we know as the east coast of North America, Atlantis. They were a race of beings who possessed magic and used that magic to hide their existence while meddling in human affairs however they liked. This was all well and good until the first man in space looked out the window and saw something which should not be there. This discovery started a sequence of events that escalated to the Atlantean World War, a war that the Atlanteans lost. The decimated race retreated to the island of Nantucket, where they have created their own society in parallel with humans, consuming human popular culture, but with its own social mores and politics.

All of this has occurred before The Last Sun’s story begins, but the world-building here is glorious. With the Atlantean ability to translocate entire tracts of land to their island, we get an urban fantasy that has just enough of a touch of the real world to keep it anchored (and to easily envision where events are occurring). One of the gratifying things here is that this is all in the background, tacitly understood, which allows the story to flow around it.

And flow it does! We take up the story of Rune Saint John, disgraced child of a ruined family, eking out an existence on the fringes of Atlantean society. He is accompanied by his Companion, Brand, his bodyguard and best friend to whom he is linked empathically. What follows is part caper, part mystery, part political intrigue. Rune and Brand are great foils for one another, and the banter between them shows the underlying affection despite occasional exasperation.

To go any further into the plot gives away all kinds of spoilers, unfortunately. Technically speaking, though, this book is outstanding. The narrative framing, the development of the side characters, and the bit-by-bit unraveling of the mystery are all handled perfectly. This is the kind of book that when you get to the end, you’re sad that there’s not more. Great news, though! The sequel, The Hanged Man, is out and it is every bit as good as this book, if not better.

I listened to this book on audio, narrated by Josh Hurley. This is definitely not just narration, though! Hurley delivers a masterful performance, capturing the emotions and inflections of each character. Every character is distinct, and each develops a trademark way of speaking. I especially lover Brand’s snarkiness, and Addam’s Russian accent, which becomes more pronounced the more emotional he is. Hurley’s work made an excellent book even better!

Finally, two notes about this book. First, there is frank discussion of rape and abuse and the consequences thereof. It is handled thoughtfully and sensibly and is an important part of the story. Second, for all that this book came to my attention as an M/M romance, it would be far better classified as urban fantasy with characters who happen to not be straight. I would highly recommend this book to any fan of urban fantasy; without a doubt it is one of the best books I’ve read in the last five years.

A Quick Opinionated Guide To Restaurants at Midwest FurFest – 2019

This was originally published in 2018, but has been updated for 2019. Note that this is completely unofficial; it’s just me and my overblown opinions. Also, your opinions may be different from mine. I don’t care  Get your own blog!

Midwest FurFest used to publish a 20-30 page booklet of listings and reviews of local restaurants, but unfortunately when you have to print 5,000+ copies of anything (let alone a 20-30 page booklet) costs start to get prohibitive, and with the availability of Yelp and similar sites we had to make the difficult decision to discontinue the Restaurant Guide.

That said, I’m happy to offer a (completely biased) overview of restaurants in and around the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, though I will leave it to the reader to find exact locations on Google Maps.

So first there’s inside the hotel.

  • Midwest FurFest offers a con suite every year which has light snacks (think chips and such) and soda for free all weekend. We do not recommend you try to go through the weekend relying solely on this – any right-thinking nutritionist would scream in horror. This is located in the Rosemont Ballroom on the Entry Level.
  • O’H Restaurant: a full-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food is good to really good, but it’s expensive hotel prices. The good news is that the hotel runs specials for all meals (including the breakfast buffet) that lowers the prices from crazy high to slightly expensive.
  • Red Bar: Bar/restaurant open late afternoons and evenings with has a small food selection available as well. The prices are also not cheap, and the service is usually regrettably slow, although they are actively working with MFF to improve this. It sure is convenient, though!
  • Perks, the coffee shop/gift shop. They have a selection of grab-and-go sandwiches and salads, but even better throughout the weekend they set up a food station (in the past they have offered on different nights Build Your Own Mac and Cheese, Mini Naan Pizzas, Tacos, and Subs) that is actually quite reasonably priced.
  • There are rumors of a food truck as well. Stay tuned to @FurFest for more info on that.

The Hyatt will set up larger food service stands (drinks, sides, burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs) that are on the expensive side but terribly convenient. Rumor has it they are working to improve on these as well, creating themed “pop-up restaurants”.

In the convention center:

  • Expoteria: Right across the street from the hotel. Hours can vary. The food is cheap, and it is certainly…food. So there’s that.
  • Starbucks: In the ground floor lobby of the convention center. Pretty much your standard Starbucks, and the prices are surprisingly not inflated for the location.
  • There will be a concession stand in the Dealers Den in Hall G. Expect drinks, sides, burgers, chicken sandwiches, and hot dogs that are on the expensive side but terribly convenient. The food is provided by a vendor which supplies many school cafeterias. I’m sure the similarity between the food quality is purely coincidental.

About a 5-minute walk away is the “Parkway Bank Park” (ugh, branding) with a lot of options of varying quality:

  • Five Roses Pub: Pseudo-Irish pub. Average.
  • King’s Dining & Entertainment: Bowling and restaurant. The place is loud, though fun with a group of friends out for drinks.
  • Adobe Gila’s: Mexican-ish. Not recommended.
  • Sugar Factory: Ridiculously overpriced tourist crap (think $19 burgers)
  • Bub City: BBQ. Haven’t tried but reviews aren’t terrible. Takes reservations on their website.
  • Park Tavern: The one bright spot. Gastropub with some good food selections and a great beer list. Service can be slow at peak times, though. Takes reservations on their website.
  • Fogo de Chao: Brazilian steakhouse. “The Meat Faucet”. Takes reservations on their website.
  • Hofrauhaus: German beer hall. Oompah oompah music. Tourists. Fun with a group of rowdy friends though. Takes reservations on their website.
  • Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar: Chain piano bar that just opened in early November

A 10-15 minute walk south on River Road is the Fashion Outlets Chicago (fancy name aside, it’s a mall). The food court and other restaurants have some decent options that are quite affordable. A 10-15 minute walk north on River Road brings you to McDonald’s and also Giordano’s Pizza, one of the Holy Trio of Chicago deep-dish pizza restaurants.

A little further walk (or a short Uber/Lyft/whatever trip) south on River Road, two blocks south of the Loews Chicago O’Hare, is Short Fuse Brewing Company I’ve found their beer decent (nothing stellar, but not bad), and the food is pretty good.

Finally, a few miles south on River Road is Hala Kahiki Tiki Bar and Lounge. This is a shockingly legit retro tiki bar that has no business being tucked away in a Chicago suburb, but there it is. They have a huge menu, and the drink prices aren’t outrageous. You’ll want to eat before you go though – the food options there are pretty scarce.

Other good things to know: The Rosemont Entertainment Circulator is a free shuttle that runs nonstop all weekend and even late into the night. It stops at the CTA Blue Line station, at the front of the convention center, in the Parkway Bank Park, and at the Fashion Outlets Chicago.

Finally, Grubhub, UberEats, DoorDash, and other food delivery services are alive and well in Rosemont. Don’t be shy about using them to order as well!