Here's another story I read on my holiday. Another from my fellow Spice Organiser for UK Meet, Jo Myles.

SPOILER ALERT

Blurb: When ugly socks attract. Surly artist Jez can’t help staring at the brightly coloured socks of the businessman who sits opposite him on the train every day.

• It's written in first person, which I love. You really learn with the reader about his internal dialogue
• I travel on the Tube regularly, and often see people I make up stories about, or men I find attractive, so this really resonated with me.
• Showed how you can't tell someone by a first impression, just because he's in a suit doesn't mean he’s an accountant.
• Although it is a short story it covers an awful lot of ground and emotions.
• The sketching scene reminded me of the bit in Titanic where Leo draws Kate Winslett! This made me smile, as it’s one of my all time favourite cheesy romantic films.
• I liked the pillow talk more than the sex but I'm all about the talking and emotion more than the sex. I loved when they were watching the film together and taking, it’s exactly what I like to do in real life.
• Goes into present tense for now, it's our stop on the train. This didn’t jar, as often I don’t get on with present tense. It made perfect sense to bring it up to the now.
• I loved the about the story part, which Jo includes at the end of  her stories, I enjoyed reading how the ideas grew, the inspiration changed into a story.

Have you read this story too? What did you think of it? Are there any other authors you think I'd like with similar typed stories to this one? I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time

Liam xx

Blurb: Despite the tumour-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal...But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

This is another 'why you should go off piste and read different genres' post.

A friend of mine, H, who isn't known for emotional outbursts, said she had to put the book aside to catch her breath because she was crying so much while reading it. I love a good cry, I'm a bit of a tart like that, so I immediately bought the book.

So easy to read yet you don't know it’s a young adult book. It is told from Hazel’s point of view; although the subject matter is very tough, the writing is breathtakingly simple and I found myself re-reading phrases like the one below. You’re not beaten over the head with the subject matter all the time, Hazel’s voice manages to normalise it, which feels so right, as she has lived with the knowledge of her impending death for as long as she can remember.

The way it describes how they fell in love is beautiful, ‘I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once.’

Hazel and Gus bond over swapping favourite books, always a great thing to do with friends I’ve found. Hazel reads Gus’s action book, and Gus reads Hazel’s favourite book – An Imperial Affliction – literary fiction which is so clever it just ends mid... They meet the author and ask him how the book actually ends, and the way he treats the children is a lesson in how writers should not treat their readers.

It captures perfectly what it’s like to watch someone you love, gradually dying in front of you. The Last Good Day – which you don’t realise until the day has passed. It was this section which made me cry.

And when I say cry, I mean, just like my friend, so much I had to put the book to one side, wipe my face, and pause to regain breathe. Yes, it was really, that sad.

It was also beautiful, let’s not forget that.

Have you read any of John Green’s books? Which books have made you cry recently? I’d love to hear your recommendations.

Until next time

Liam xx

Blurb: It’s hard to flirt when sequins are chafing your bits...Injured pole dancer Matt Lovell meets attractive radiographer Sal when he’s in casualty for an x-ray.

This is another M/M short story I read on holiday, and my thoughts about it.

SPOILER ALERT

• I loved how it shows so well, the awkward first moments of meeting someone, is he gay, does he fancy me, all those questions I often consider when first looking at another man. Because, contrary to what some gay men think, not every man is gay!
• I enjoyed the joking and banter about The Simpsons between the two characters.
• Loved how visual it is with the colours of the uniform and their link to the underwear of the pole dancer.
• There was quite a bit of sex, but since Jo often describes herself as writing smutty contemporaries, I should have expected it ;) Although there was more sex than I’m used to reading, it was well written, and what I’d call, *respectful* as in it didn’t go on for too long and end up tipping into porny.
• There was a lovely sweet ending as they got together and it wasn't just a one night of fun, which for me, made the sex all that more interesting and necessary. But that’s me, I’m an old-fashioned boy!

Have you read it?
Did you read it ages ago and you're wondering what took me so long?
What other stories of Jo's have you read, which you think I'd enjoy too? I'd love to hear from you.

Liam x

I spent my time on holiday to catch up on reading some MM fiction. This was the first one, and what I thought about it. If you haven't read it, don't read this review, as it has spoilers, go over to RJ's site and download the story.

SPOILER ALERT

This was a free short story on RJ’s website. I enjoyed the twist which was revealed at the end. I thought the sex was well described, without being too much. I found the inner dialogue for the straight man, very interesting and intruiging.

I don't normally read stories where it is as much sex as this one, but I did enjoy it as there was a strong and interesting story woven into the sex.

At the end it left me wanting more and asking lots of questions - is the trick straight or just for pay? I wanted to know more about the client’s previous life, and what his plans were for his new gay life.

Last night I went to my writers group and we were asked to write a short story in 25 minutes. This is mine. All I’ve done is type it up – it was written longhand on a note pad – and a bit of tidy up.

I hope you enjoy reading it.

Auntie

I stood by the window, peering under the clean white net curtains. There were two black cars parked in the road. My uncle stood next to one of these cars; my two cousins clinging onto him crying. My parents and brother stood by their car. I noticed my mum looking up to the window where I was stood. I quickly dropped the net down.

I walked to the bathroom and splashed my face with cold water. I walked back to the bedroom and sat on the bed, squeezing my eyes tightly closed. ‘I will not cry, I will not cry,’ I chanted to myself.

Mum appeared at the door, dressed top to toe in black, her hair tied up in a bun, like I’d never seen before. I noticed how large her shoulder pads were on her jacket.

She sat on the bed next to me. ‘Are you sure you’re not coming? Last chance.’

I shook my head. ‘I just can’t...It’s too...It isn’t true. If I don’t go it’s not true,’ I replied.

Mum put her hand around my shoulder. ‘It is true. If you don’t come now, you can’t come later. The cars are leaving in a few minutes. There’s still time to dress and come with us. How about you sit in the back of the car with me, Dad and your brother. He’s come.’

‘He’s too young to understand,’ I replied.

She said nothing to that. The silence was so large you could have driven one of the black cars through it.

I felt tears on my cheeks. Mum wiped them off. ‘I’ll see you later for the food, back here. Put on a nice shirt, something colourful, it’s what she wanted.’ She kissed my head and left.

I squeezed my eyes and slowly stood, walking to the window. The hearse arrived with white flowers spelling Auntie and Mum next to the coffin.

All the people walked to their cars. Mum, Dad and my brother got into the back of one of the black cars, my uncle and two cousins into the back of the other one with Granddad – Auntie’s dad. The hearse slowly left the close in Brentwood where Auntie first showed me what is now one of my favourite films, Dirty Dancing, as we sat on her new flowery and cream three piece suite.

I lay back on the bed and remembered other happy times, with Auntie: helping me de-clutter my bedroom; eating a home-made Indian meal; her laughing with Mum and reminding me of Birds of a Feather. Times that weren’t here and now in her spare bedroom as she was driven off in a wooden box.

Ends

If anyone has any thoughts or comments, I’d love to hear them.

Thanks

Liam x

I’m just back from a week at the BF’s parents’ in the south of France. It was basically a fly and flop holiday. I made the most of the time to read an awful lot, eat an inordinate amount of cheese and goose rilette, and of course do some baking.

During the holiday, I realised that I haven’t read that much MM fiction, so I used the time to begin to rectify this, more about why this is in another post...I also read something in my usual genre, and thought I’d take my own advice, and read something else completely different and outside my usual genre.

I plan to post my thoughts on what I read over the coming weeks. I’m not calling them reviews, as I won’t give them ratings; I am taking the Elisa Rolle approach, and just including my thoughts on what I liked. Hopefully it’ll inspire you to read something you’d not considered before. Here’s the list of what I’ve recently read.

• The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
• How Much For the Whole Night? By RJ Scott
• Pole Star by Jo Myles
• An Absolute Scandal by Penny Vincenzi
• Bear Naked by JL Merrow
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• First Impressions by Jo Myles

We also had a day trip to Toulouse, which included a visit to an art gallery of a photographer, Arthur Tress, which included quoting from his website: ‘work dealing with the hidden dramas of adult relationships and the re-enactments of male homosexual desire...’

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Have you had your summer holiday yet? I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time

Liam xx