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Jeff

Jeff

Hockey player, aspiring fiction writer, avid reader and theatre-goer. Learn more on my blog/website: www.jeffandwill.com
  • New York City
  • member since October 31 2007

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 46 reviews
  • Admit One

    Admit One

    by Jenna Hilary Sinclair
    • Rated 5 stars

    “I picked up "Admit One" because of this line from its blurb: “Months later, while Tom serves as reluctant assistant director for his school’s production of 'Rent,' he fears that the show’s same-sex love angle will somehow out him.” Of course the word Rent jumped out and the book was purchase was immediate.

    I’m so glad I did. This was a wonderful, multi-layered book.

    Tom Smith teaches high school history in Gunning, Texas, a small, conservative town. Tom is very closeted, traveling for hours to Houston or Abilene so he can be himself away from prying eyes. On one of those trips, he meets Kevin and becomes taken with this handsome man. So much so that he breaks his own rule about never hooking up with the same man twice.

    Tom gets a one-two punch when he finds out his school is doing "Rent" and that he’s going to be the assistant director (he didn’t expect the school would get permission for it when he’d say “yes” to the position the previous spring) and Kevin turns up as a parent for one of the cast members. Tom had no idea that the daughter Kevin had spoken about was one of his own students. Kevin also had no idea about Tom, and is thrilled to find the man that had won his heart months earlier.

    Now there are two things going on that might out Tom to the school and the town. To say he’s freaked out is an understatement.

    While the story around how out Tom will allow himself to become is the primary story, getting "Rent" off the ground in this conservative town gets a fair amount of time as well. We get to see auditions, the initial parents meetings, rehearsals and how the students cope as the some of the more outspoken people in town work to get the production shut down. I’d love to see a YA novel spun out from this. The students’ story would be great to read becuase there is one incredible group of kids working on this production. "Admit One" is not suitable for a middle school/high school audience because of the sex scenes. A book spin-off, however, could stand on its own without making reference to this book’s erotic moments.

    I was angry with Tom for a lot of this book. His reluctance to come out of the closet (even though he wants to as the quote above indicates) and open himself up to Kevin was incredibly frustrating. As I was reading the early chapters I was annoyed because Tom was so full of self loathing that he’s exactly the type of person that plays into the religious right’s agenda becuase Tom is exactly how they’d like us to be–so full of sadness and loneliness that we are shut away from life. Sinclair, however, has crafted such a rich, multi-faceted character that not everything about Tom is what it seems on the surface. By the end of the book I’d laughed, I cried, I was angry at myself for being so hard on Tom. Most importantly I was left extremely satisfied.

    "Admit One" is on the shortlist of the very best books that I’ve read in 2009.”

    Jeff wrote this review 4 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Riddle of the Sands

    Riddle of the Sands

    by Geoffrey Knight
    • Rated 4 stars

    “Last fall I read, and loved, the first in the Fathom’s Five series of books from Geoffrey Knight. "The Cross of Sins" was fun, sexy novel full of adventure and introduced us to Shane, Will, Luca, Eden and Jake who work for Professor Fathom on jobs that would make Indiana Jones proud. In "The Riddle of the Sands," the five are fighting for Jake’s young friend (and possible wannabe boyfriend?), Sam, who is the victim of a slow acting poison delivered by a henchmen of book one’s villain, Perron.

    To save Sam the guys have to find a pyramid that, so far, has only existed in legend. Can they find this pyramid or will it be a wild goose chase?. This book is crazy fun as they infiltrate a museum to get the supposed keys to the pyramid and then head into the desert to find where this pyramid should be.

    Knight does a tremendous job writing the scenes set at the boobietrapped ancient places where nothing is quite as it seems. Getting into the Temple of Min was extremely suspenseful as four of the guys were nearly squashed and skewered by the temple’s traps. Even more impressive was what went on inside the pyramid. Even though the characters were separated into groups of twos and threes, Knight kept the action moving for each of them with quick jumps from one group to the other. The descriptive elements were great too as there were snakes and alligators to dodge, large stone gears that can crush people, staircases that slowly collapse into slides and a pyramid that rises from the desert sand only to fall back down again. It was no surprise to read in a recent interview that Knight also works on screenplays because these scenes have a very cinematic quality which helps put the reader right into the action.

    Of course, beyond the major plot, we also find out more about the characters various subplots. A good deal of time is spent on the rift between Will and his diplomat dad. The complicated relationship between Jake and Sam is explored. Luca got more clues on his search for his father. Like the first book there’s a lot of hot, steamy sex as these guys work their way around the world on their mission.

    Knight says that he’s planned for eight books so far in the Fathom’s Five series so far. That’s great news. I’m eager to read book three, "The Curse of the Dragon," which deals with a stolen, cursed diamond.”

    Jeff wrote this review 11 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • A Note in the Margin

    A Note in the Margin

    by Isabelle Rowan
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Rowan created a well crafted romance with an unexpected character. The end result is a book with more layers than the typical book in the genre and a book that leaves you with a warm, happy feeling.

    As the book opens, John has left his high stress job at the advice of his doctor. He’s taking a year off and running a small bookstore, Margins, that he just bought. During his first days, he’s not only getting used to the store and the customers, but also to the homeless man the previous owner allowed to sit in the used book section. John is encouraged to let the man stay. As John gets to know David he starts to see the man behind the homeless man he tried to ignore and that turns into a love that changes John’s live. It’s not an easy relationship to be sure. David’s been hurt a lot and it takes a lot for him to trust. Plus David has a teenage son he’s desperate to reconnect with, but he doesn’t know how to do it.

    A Note in the Margin was completely unexpected. I can’t think of another romance I’ve read that involved two people who were more polar opposites. The point-of-view Rowan uses lets us get both John and David’s point of view so you engage with them both as they have their internal arguments about what their deepening relationship means. In particular you feel for David as he tries to come back from being on the streets, just barely scraping by and trying to stay alive. It takes a lot of courage for him to open up to John and that struggle makes this more than a typical romance novel.”

    Jeff wrote this review Sunday, November 1 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • What We Remember
    • Rated 4 stars

    “The latest from Michael Thomas Ford, "What We Remember," was a great, meaty mystery. Now, I don’t read a lot of mystery so my idea of a meaty mystery and someone who read mysteries routinely may differ, but I enjoyed this book a lot.

    The set up is simple, although it sets up the dark tone immediately. The body of sheriff Daniel McCloud is found seven years after his death. His family thinks he killed himself to avoid a slow death from cancer. That, however, is far from the truth. The eldest McCloud child is soon accused of the murder becuase his high school class ring was found with the body. Over the course of 300 some pages, the story moves between the present (1991) and seven years before. As the story unfolds, Ford weaves a claustrophobic tale of small town life where typically everyone knows everyone else’s business.

    Ford handles his huge cast of characters well, although none of them gets a very meaty role except for the black sheep gay son in the family, Billy. He handles the intricacies of the story very well too. A lot of characters had a hand in creating the atmosphere that caused Daniel McCloud’s death. Usually, for me, mysteries go over the top and this one stayed rooted in a reality I could believe in. The only thing I wish is that there was more of the book set after everything was revealed. I wanted to know what more of the characters thought about who the killer was and why it happened like it did.”

    Jeff wrote this review Friday, October 23 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • David Inside Out
    • Rated 4 stars

    ““Being yourself might make people reject you. People you desperately care about. Being yourself only works if you’re basically cool. Which I’m not.” – David

    That’s the eternal issue of being a teenager, which is only heightened when the teen is dealing with coming out. That’s the subject of Lee Bantle’s "David Inside Out." David is 16, on the track team, has a few close friends, a maybe girlfriend and a supportive mom. But he’s realizing that not only is his best friend gay, he might be too.

    Over the course of a few months, David looses his best friend because he can’t deal with how out Eddie is. He falls hard for a closeted teammate, Sean, who can’t come to terms with his own sexuality but desperately wants some intimacy. David experiments with his maybe girlfriend with pretty disastrous results. Throughout the book, David questions himself and if he really is gay and what that might mean for him.

    Bantle’s use of first person point-of-view is great for this story. The short chapters feel like blog or diary entries–a quick look inside what David is feeling that day, that moment. It gives David a crystal clear voice, which makes the book work so well. Everything David feels is laid out right there: the good, the hurt and the confusion.

    The use of a trio of characters in different stages of coming out is nice to see, and reminded me a bit of what Alex Sanchez did in the "Rainbow Boys" trilogy. There’s David trying to sort himself out, Eddie who is already coming out to the world and Sean trying to deny that part of himself (even while leading David on). It’s a cross section of gay teenagers that must exist in every school across the world. Readers are likely to find themselves or someone they know right here.”

    Jeff wrote this review Friday, October 23 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • E-Male
    • Rated 4 stars

    “"E-Male" by Scott & Scott is a delightful late summer, beach-type read. It’s a fun mix of romance, mystery, party and tropical vacation all put together in a frothy package.

    Kory is an internet entrepreneur, creator of the successful E-Male dating site. Unfortunately, the success has taken its toll. It’s not technology that makes the matches, it’s Kory and his exceptional matchmaking skills. If that secret got out that Kory knew all, Kory and the site would be ruined.

    Zac runs a gay travel business like a tyrant. His offices are in the middle of nowhere. His employees live under the triple D rules: No Dancing, No Dating, No Drama. Even though Zac is successful, he’s not happy.

    Mysteriously the two are thrown together when it appears Zac’s company wants to partner with E-male. Except Zac didn’t create the contracts for the merger. So who did?

    Ultimately the two agree on a temporary arrangement that leads everyone to Baytown (or Boystown if you prefer). Here the past comes to light, there’s the huge Beach Ball with its box dancing contest, boys can party or steal away for diving or mountain hikes. For Zac and Kory they have to fight to save their businesses and, maybe, if the right match can be made, find love.

    It’s great to read a new Scott & Scott book. It’s been about three years since the last one and this is just as much fun as the others. They spin great stories and here it’s a great mix of romance with intrigue. Every now and then it got just a little redundant as the reader is reminded too often about the secrets Kory and Zac have, but ultimately that doesn’t matter because the overall story is so satisfying.

    Hopefully Scott & Scott won’t wait so long between novels this time.”

    Jeff wrote this review Saturday, September 5 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The V in Valor
    • Rated 4 stars

    “J.M. Snyder's "The V in Valor" is the first of five stories in a new set of Vic & Matt adventures. It's also my first exposure to Snyder's super couple and I like what I've read so far. Since I haven't read any of the former stories, I don't know the complete back story, but what I do know is that Vic and Matt are linked telepathically and that Vic has an abundance of superhuman strength. The quirk here is that every time the two make love, Vic ends up with a new super power. Sometimes that power can stick around, sometimes in changes over time, sometimes and gone before he's hardly experimented with it.

    This story had a straight forward plot, mostly a day in the life of Vic & Matt. Vic's picked up the new power of being able to manipulate metal, which he uses to rescue a dog being terrorized by some thug kids. He ultimately can let the dog be picked up by the pound, so he brings it home... even though he'd earlier said he didn't think they should have a pet.

    The next in the series of "V" stories was released just a few days ago so I need to pick that up and see where this goes. I think I'll also be picking up some other Vic & Matt books to get more familiar with this couple because this first exposure was a lot of fun.”

    Jeff wrote this review Tuesday, August 25 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • To Love a Cowboy

    To Love a Cowboy

    by Rhianne Aile
    • Rated 4 stars

    “This book is made up of two works: "To Love a Cowboy" and "Justice."

    "To Love a Cowboy" is a modern day romance set on a ranch. Roan Bucklin returns to the ranch after years of college and living on his own. His return rekindles the feelings between him and the ranch foreman that had just started to spark when Roan left home. Both men have a thing for each other: Roan's willing to admit it; Patrick isn't because he's not sure Roan should give up his life to be with an older man. It is a sweet story with a great mix of love, romance and some steamy goings-on.

    "Justice" jumps back in time to the old West with the Abrams brothers who happen upon the town of Justice while they are out seeking vengeance against the man who killed their parents. Justice is a unique town for the brothers, where everyone is welcoming and they quickly find a place they think they could call home after all these years. The feeling grows when they each meet someone they could grow old with. Of course there's a good dash of drama too as the brothers finally catch up with the man they've been searching for.

    These stories were great summer reading... would've been ideal for the beach or vacation getaway. For both stories, I like how Aile set them in a universe where no one really questioned that the characters could be gay. No one really had to come out, no one had to deal with upset parents. It was okay that these characters were were in love with men. It's nice to get that in books while society continues to, unfortunately, grapple with the issue.”

    Jeff wrote this review Sunday, August 23 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Straight Lies (Kensington)
    • Rated 3 stars

    “"Straight Lies" by Rob Byrnes is the fourth novel from Byrnes, who debuted with "The Night We Met" back in 2002. His last, "When The Stars Come Out," was a Lambda Literary Award Winner and is my favorite of his books.

    I was excited this spring when "Straight Lies" came out. Unfortunately, it's the least satisfying of Byrnes' books to date. I think the lack of satisfaction stems from the fact that the madcap caper genre is not one of my favorites. That made it hard to get into the book, as evidenced by the fact it took me nearly six weeks to read it.

    Here Grant and Chase are lovers and small time criminals, dealing mostly in car and credit card theft. The chance for a bigger score, through blackmail, comes as they find out that big, gay movie star Romeo Romero isn't really gay after all and there's a videotape that proves it. Since they can't manage to get their hands on the video, they decide they need to make one of their own. So Grant, Chase and their gang--girlfriends Lisa and Mary Beth; Jared, a twink who is smarter than he seems; Farraday, a drunk, former cab driver; and Jamie Brock, who once had and lost the original videotape--attempt to trick the movie star into a seduction during his yearly pool party that supports a gay charity. The idea seems foolproof: simply get Mary Beth to seduce the actor. Numerous interruptions make increasingly difficult.

    Trying to pull off the blackmail takes the last third of the book and it felt like it went on forever. I know this is supposed to be played to comic effect, but for me the plot was just dragged out as the team had to keep modifying its approach. It's the kind of story I'd much rather see played out in a movie than to read in a book.

    That said, there were things here that I liked, especially the strong characters that Byrnes put together. If it hadn't been for those, I'm not sure I would've finished the story. It was also great that Byrnes took a genre which I usually consider to be a pretty straight one and gave it a great gay spin. There's no reason that a couple of gay boys can't be successful petty crooks! The premise around Romeo Romero was also clever: an actor who faked coming out to help his career was a great twist.”

    Jeff wrote this review Monday, July 13 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • How It Ended (Bloomsbury Paperbacks)How It Ended (Bloomsbury Paperbacks)Jay Mcinerney
    • Rated 4 stars

    “It was a pleasure to spend the past few weeks with short stories from Jay McInerney. How It Ended: New and Collected Stories is a diverse collection and showed me a side of McInerney’s writing I haven’t seen before. The McInerney I’ve been exposed to has always taken place in New York City among a crowd of characters I felt like I could know. Here, he breaks out of New York City and takes us to foreign countries.

    Among my favorites here…

    “It’s Six A.M. Do You Know Where You Are?” Of course I love this one. It’s the original short story behind Bright Lights, Big City. It was wonderful getting that bread off the truck for the first time in about 20 years.

    “The Madonna of Turkey Season.” The holidays can be difficult for families and these folks have it bad year after year with one thing or another.

    “In the North-West Frontier Province.” This story was the most different from anything else I’ve read from McInerney. Set in Landi Kotal Pakistan. This focuses on two people waiting for their friend to come back from Kabul where he was to complete a deal. Meanwhile, in Landi Kotal, the woman is trying to detox and the man is trying to keep everything together. It was wonderfully nuanced and the characters and setting were just stunning and the whole thing vibrated an uneasiness.

    “The Queen and I.” Another separation from the usual as far as I’m concerned. It’s in New York City, but it looks at the street culture. We meet a songwriter/poet/coke & crack addict who befriends a trans hooker and becomes her pimp/protector. It was a completely engaging read.

    “I Love You, Honey.” This one is just plain disturbing. Liam and Lora are married. But twice Lora has abortions out of love for her husband. I know, it sounds bizzare but it made for an interesting story about some very out of kilter characters.

    “Sleeping with Pigs.” The funniest story in the book. Boy meets Girl. Girl gets pig for pet. Nothing is the same again.

    “The March.” Is a story featuring Corrine, who I initially met in Brightness Falls (McInereny’s post 9/11 novel). She, unfortunately, has her world rocked as she discovers how much of the humanness New Yorkers gained after 9/11 fell away as time passed.”

    Jeff wrote this review Friday, June 19 2009. ( reply | permalink )
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