leonidskies's reviews
142 reviews

A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry

dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I really, really wanted to be obsessed with this book! The concept was so exciting, the world and magic incredibly strong, and everything about it was wonderful... but I found that the characters being overwhelmingly real historical figures was off-putting. It held me back from getting really into the characters, and unfortunately made it glaringly obvious when a character was invented on top of the historical figures to make it so the entire cast wasn't men. It felt like the author was primarily interested in a couple of the historical figures and significantly less so with the others, and that harmed the balance. That said, it was a wildly entertaining read and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!

Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw

funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

The Best of Assigned Male by Sophie Labelle

funny hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Just a dash of lovely queer joy :) the concepts of the comics in this book are very simple, and none of it is especially 'deep'. It's politics and life that I've been living for a very long time, but that was part of what made it so wonderful to read - there was a distinct sense of being seen and understood through the pages of these comics, and I really adored that. This was really, really nice to read.

Queer Crips: Disabled Gay Men and Their Stories by John R. Killacky, Bob Guter

emotional funny informative fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content

Moderate: Medical content and Medical trauma

Minor: Death

Idlewild by James Frankie Thomas

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book has ruined me, I will never stop thinking about it and everyone should read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Sexual violence

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Fatphobia and War

The Fisherman by John Langan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 71%.

Didn't finish this book because of the misogyny. It's pretty inherent in the genre, but it just dragged.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett

funny hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Doctor Who: The Wonderful Doctor of Oz by Jacqueline Rayner, Asmaa Isse

adventurous hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Gay Men and the Left in Post-War Britain: How the Personal Got Political by Lucy Robinson

informative slow-paced

2.75

Fabulosa!: The Story of Polari, Britain's Secret Gay Language by Paul Baker

informative medium-paced

4.0