Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

It’s far too late to come up with a remotely clever linkity title

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Congrats to Jase, who won the copy of Gay Pride (G-A-Y, Book 7) by Kim Dare!

Contests

Books & Reading

  • Both Kris and Katiebabs have posts about the difference between comfort reads and rereads.

Learn, Do, Make

  • If you’re not exactly sure how a cell phone call works, check out this infographic.

Wow

Huh

LOL

  • Oh oh… If you’ve been following Brigitte’s quest to not alert Atticus that he’s going to the vet… there’s been a dark turn of events.

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Icing on the Cake by Shayla Kersten. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who’s the man of honor for his best friend’s wedding. She puts him in charge of getting the cake… and oh, that baker is hot. (I wish Shayla Kersten wrote more m/m, because I’ve really enjoyed what she does have out… *hint hint*)
Gaps in Your Soul by Shayla Kersten. ebook reread. Um, yeah, so after reading the previous book, I felt the need to read some more Shayla Kersten. This is a pretty good m/m romance about… Hmm. Having trouble with a summary. At its most basic? I’d say it’s about how the US military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy messes with people’s minds and ultimately messes them up.
The One That Broke Free (One, Book 4) by T.C. Blue. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a soldier who was discharged ten years ago after his leg was permanently damaged. Since then, he’s been living alone in the small, closed-minded Southern town where he grew up, but after being in Boston for his brother and brother-in-law’s wedding, he’s rethinking his life. (I was lucky enough to win this from the author! Thanks, TC! And hey, TC will be giving away an ebook here at SOC tomorrow…)
Out of Balance by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about a banker who’s been going through a rough time when a hunky customer asks him out.
Two Man Team (Team, Book 2) by Jet Mykles. ebook. Do I hear bodies hitting the floor out there?! 🙂 Sarah reviewed this book and I was intrigued. (No, it wasn’t because of the Candy Cane Guy cover!) It’s an m/m romance that starts as an m/f/m romance and I’m not a fan of menagey books. But this one managed to avoid the big issue I have with menagey books, so it actually worked pretty well.
Vindaloo and the T-Bird by Sarah Black. ebook short. Good m/m romance about an eye surgeon who buys an old T-Bird so he has an excuse to spend time with the mechanic he used to date. There’s one thing that bothered me about this, but it’s a spoiler – we can talk about it in email if you’ve read the book!
Object of His Desire by Ava March. ebook. Good m/m Regency romance (I’ll give you a minute to recover) about a young man who’s been at a debauched house party for a week. He hasn’t participated because he’s been pining for the lord who’s hosting the party. Alas, he knows his affections won’t be returned, as the lord is ostensibly using the week to audition for his next mistress… (And yes, that’s Underwear Guy on the cover!)
Convincing Arthur by Ava March. ebook. Another good m/m Regency romance! It turns out that I don’t mind (and actually enjoy) historicals if they aren’t overburdened with historical details. I know that some love reading elaborate details of the clothes, the furnishings, the food… but that’s what turned me off of historicals in the past. Anyway! Leopold’s been waiting for Arthur to be free from his long-term and unfaithful lover. Now that Arthur’s free, will Leopold’s own debauched reputation keep Arthur away?
Fantasies: Christmas by Cassandra Gold. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who’s had a really bad week (he gets laid off, his beloved old cat dies, and his boyfriend dumps him by email) until he wins a Hawaiian vacation at the liquor store and invites the helpful guy next in line to go with him.
Cutting Cords by Mickie B. Ashling. ebook. Good m/m romance about two young men who end up as roommates in NYC because their dads were pro baseball teammates once upon a time. One guy is going blind but in denial (about more than just going blind *ahem*). The other is dealing (not so well) with crippling self-esteem issues. This story is told in alternating first- and third-person point-of-view, but I think it would’ve worked better if it had been entirely in third-person.
Poker Night 5: Full House by Carol Lynne. ebook. Well, I had to know how it all ended, since the story of Kent and Marco has been building through the previous four books! I enjoyed it, but I’d recommend reading the rest of the series first.
Theron’s Return (Campus Cravings, Book 11) by Carol Lynne. ebook. Um, I sort of pick these m/m romances up randomly as the descriptions strike my fancy, so for me, this is a completely nonlinear series. This one’s about a guy living in BK House who’s had a really, really bad year and simply can’t deal with it any more. It was ok – exactly the sort of read I needed at the time.
Calendar Boys April: Out of the Storm by Jamie Craig. ebook. Good m/m romance about a meteorologist who’s just been dumped by his boyfriend on a weekend getaway when a hunky ranger shows up at his cabin door, stranded by a surprise storm. (Wait, just how many dumped boyfriend books did I read this week?!)
Calendar Boys August: Scorched by Jamie Craig. ebook. Another good m/m romance – this one’s about a NYC firefighter who returns to Utah to help fight an out-of-control wildfire and runs into his former best friend’s kid brother.
Apotrope by Chris Owen. ebook short. Huh. This paranormal m/m romance about a vampire trying to impress a guy just never came together for me. (It’s part of Torquere’s Spice It Up series and the spice in question was garlic.)
Murder by Design by Jade Falconer. ebook. Um. Well, this m/m romance about a cop investigating the murder of a slutty model’s sugar daddy might’ve been better if half of it was cut out – I’d recommend the extremely repetitive scenes in which our two heroes gushed lovingly at each other over and over and over, ad nauseum.

So my friend CJ went to RT and all I got was… dang. A lot of goodies! Thank you, CJ! And thanks to all the authors who signed stuff for me. 🙂

“Mom, I’m truly alarmed by the large number of naughty boys and utter lack of black kitties.” -Mayhem

38 thoughts on “It’s far too late to come up with a remotely clever linkity title”

  2. Another great round up of link… Enough to keep me going for the next few days..

    Good reading week – have you read Vintage – Jamie Craig, from the Calendar boys series.. That was the best one for me.

    I did like Ashling and Marsh book alot.

    I am very glad you read onto Full house – I thought it was the best of the series. I love the relationship between the kids and their brother..

    Nice haul – Mayhem is just jealous she is not in the eyes of the camera..

    E.H>
    .-= Erotic Horizon´s last blog ..Review – Saving Tampa © Jo Webnar =-.

    Reply

  4. First, thanks for the link! Great links, esp hot guys who read (I’ll be bookmarking that one, LOL). Cute kitties, and great RT swag – CJ’s a great friend!

    Reply

  7. Those bunk beds could sorta almost be comfy if they were mostly filled with pillows, but what’s with all this round furniture? I can just imagine a cat tail getting stuck under that in the middle of the night…
    .-= naomi´s last blog ..dear credit card company, =-.

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  9. Dave complains ad nauseum about the birds waking him up in the morning – perhaps I should look in to making that alarm clock a reality. LOL!

    Reply

  11. Hmmm. Lots of those I haven’t read. I must get that icing book. Grrr. I just hate going to that publisher, it’s a PITA. But I will.

    Oh that bunk bed? I’d have visions of the person on top slithering down in the night and end up wedged in the skinny part. LOL Looks cool, not very practical.
    .-= Tam´s last blog ..Angelic Friday Part 3 (On Thursday) =-.

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  12. Chris- Some sadistic person gave Alex an alarm clock, in the shape of a train engine, that whistled and chugged like a train- but sounded as if a giant locomotive was in your room.

    Took the batteries out of THAT in a hurry.
    .-= Lorraine´s last blog ..Not much here…. =-.

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  13. Another week of great links. That bed looks cool but not comfortable at all. 🙂

    And wow, lots of reading this week.

    I liked both of Shayla’s books, have the first 3 of TC’s series so must get the new one. I’ve got Carol, Jamie and Ava’s in my TBR as well. And of course Stephani’s on my TBB. Haven’t read the others though.

    Thanks for the mention. 🙂
    .-= Lily´s last blog ..Birthday cookies for a great friend… =-.

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  14. The hate map is depressing as hell – 26 groups in Michigan!? 🙁

    On a lighter note, you read two historicals and a menage? I think I speak for nearly everyone when I say, “FWUH?” 😉

    Also, I love that there’s a public Beltane celebration in MN – that’s freaking fantastic!

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  15. I read Eyre’s post regarding hate – having grown up as part of a minority group in a small, insular community that disliked and distrusted anybody of a different religion or a different skin color or sexual orientation, I do know what she’s talking about. Hatred doesn’t go quietly. People fear difference, perhaps as much today as they did back in the sixties during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
    .-= Julia Rachel Barrett´s last blog ..Maybe the best day ever! =-.

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  20. You do realize that one of the fist links I clicked on was ‘make your own pop tarts’. 🙂 Though the post was all about the ‘healthy’ varieties. No mention of hot fudge sundae pop tart recipes. bummer.
    .-= Ava March´s last blog ..The Crowded End of the Pond =-.

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  21. You should be very scared of mama kittie… she looks like she is the middle of casting a spell with her eyes or something… and the water one killed me!!!!!

    Thanks for the smiles hon!!!!

    And of course love your books!

    Reply

  22. There is this inn in NH that has themed rooms (cave, movies, the orient, etc.), and a number of those rooms have round beds. It is only a matter of time before they create a themed room with the special bunk beds for the kids (the cave has two little cubbie areas for kids to sleep, which actually looked like fun in the I’m sneaking and hiding sort of way).
    .-= Seanna Lea´s last blog ..月曜ばか =-.

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  23. Thanks for all the great links, especially the kitty pictures! Like Ava, I clicked on the pop tart link first. I’m certain that nothing I make myself could ever be as good as the real thing. 🙂

    BTW, thanks for the link!
    .-= Eyre´s last blog ..Happy Birthday, Ralph! =-.

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  26. Completely agree that being severely sleep-deprived is quite like being drunk! I have a few extended grading sessions that prove it.

    The Greece comic on Indexed is a hoot! Thanks for the link.
    .-= Jodi´s last blog ..dispatch from box island =-.

    Reply

  28. I have a recipe for Lingonberry Pop Tarts that I still need to try!

    And maybe I should show Modern Cat Remy’s woodcarving project aka my upstairs banister. :-/
    .-= Eklectika´s last blog .. =-.

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  29. Lots of Linkety goodness today Chris!

    Thanks for the one on the Kobo Reader – It is getting pushed big time up her through Chapters – I’m not biting.

    Wow – those kitty scratchers are diabolical!! lol

    Nice haul thanks to CJ there.. I love promotional goodies – you enjoy!

    Thanks also for all the great reading recs.

    🙂
    .-= Lea´s last blog ..Author Fan Letter Blog Crawl =-.

    Reply

  32. Good m/m Regency romance (I’ll give you a minute to recover)

    *faints* I need more than a minute *grin*

    Hmmm. Cutting Cords sounds interesting. And I love the boiling oil LOL Cat!

    May – your mother is lucky because she gets to look at black kitties every day 🙂
    .-= orannia´s last blog ..Hostage =-.

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  35. May I think its time you faced the music, either its just that naughty boys are absolutely everywhere and thus on everything.

    Black kitties are very rare and special, and so if they put them on lots and lots of books you’d lose your rare and special status.
    .-= Rebekah´s last blog ..Then there was Meatball. =-.

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  37. The title seems clever to me 😉

    Congrats Jase!

    Good to see you liked Icing on the Cake too! And I thought Shayla Kersten writes mainly m/m, doesn’t she?

    Ava March writes good historicals, I agree. They are the kind I like too, since I’m, like you, not to keen on the historical details either. Have you read her Bound series yet? Oliver and Vincent are hot, they actually reminded me a bit of Nicky and Brandon.
    .-= ErotRomReader Janna´s last blog ..Happy Gay Friday & What I Read =-.

    Reply

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