Here's my annual reading list — eight books I'm attempting this June, plus recommendations from years past.
All in Non-Review
Ranking the Couples in the “Game Changers” Series
One of the more interesting side effects of reading the entire “Game Changers” series straight through is that you stop thinking about the books individually and start thinking about the relationships as if they exist in the same ongoing world. Here’s my take on the best couples in the series and if they’ll make it to their tenth anniversary.
Why the “Game Changers” Series Works (Even When It Shouldn’t)
This is not my genre. I don’t read a lot of MM romance, and I definitely don’t seek out books where I know there are going to be extended, explicit sex scenes. I usually find them awkward at best and unintentionally funny at worst. And yet, after finishing the show a second time and immediately diving into Rachel Reid’s “Game Changers” series, devouring the books —plus the bonus content on her blog – in about two weeks.
What Makes a Good (and Bad) Audiobook Narration
Audiobooks are a form of translation – one that converts the written word into a lived performance. Like all translated text, there’s an art to getting it just right. When it works, it feels like the story was meant to be heard all along.
The Audiobook All-Stars and the Hall of Shame
Curious who the best and worst audiobook narrators are? I’ve compiled a hall of fame and shame based on five years of audiobook reviews.
2025: My Year in Reading
If last year was about proving I could still balance being a reader, hobby writer and professional, this year was about trusting that I am one. Reading didn’t compete with the rest of my life – it moved alongside it. That feels like real progress.
2025: The Best and Worst Audiobooks I Heard
With audiobooks making up nearly 80% of my reading this year, what I observed is that great audiobook narration isn’t about performance, range or theatrics – it’s about restraint.
2025: The Best and Worst Books I Read
Genre mattered far less than execution. YA, westerns, memoir, horror, literary fiction – even lighter romance – were all fair game. The result is a year light on five-star reads but heavy on discernment. Not a banner reading year, but certainly a clarifying one.
My 2025 Pride Month Reading List and Recommendations
This year, my Pride Month reading list is an act of deliberate protest. I’m prioritizing queer stories that push boundaries: books by trans writers, by authors of color and by creators outside the U.S. Because the most powerful thing we can do in the face of erasure is bear witness – and keep reading.
What Five Years of Writing Book Reviews Taught Me
I started this website with very modest expectations. But it has grown beyond anything I could've imagined. I still do it for me, but I'm so glad it's reached thousands of people from every corner of the world.
2024: My Year in Reading
Reading mirrors life. At times, you experience one incredible read after another, but other times you’re stuck in a slump that seems unending. But perseverance often leads to better days, and this year reminded me of that truth.
2024: The Best and Worst Audiobook Narrations I Heard
With 72% of my reading this year incorporating an audio component, it’s surprising that more performances didn’t land on my “worst” list – especially considering how average my overall reading year felt.
2024: The Best and Worst Books I Read
Short story collections, anthologies and graphic novels provided much-needed variety, proving that it’s always a good idea to shake up your format. As for my quest to tackle the “chonky” novels languishing on my TBR list, well, many were ambitious but frustrating.
My 2024 Pride Month Reading List (Plus, 10 Must-Read Books By Queer Creators)
Celebrate Pride Month by diving into these (mostly) nonfiction queer-focused novels by queer-creators.
2023: My Year In Reading
Revisit my year in reading.
2023: The Best and Worst Books I Read
I had no trouble narrowing down my “best” list this year, but “worst” was another story. Truthfully, I read a lot of mediocre books – many I should’ve given up on – which means this was a year dominated by quantity and not quality.
2023: The Best and Worst Audiobook Narrations I Heard
In a year where 67 percent of my reading was listening, I experienced the good, the bad and the downright ugly of audiobook performances and production. With that said, here are the 10 best and 12 worst audiobook narrations I heard in 2023.
Read With Pride: My 2023 Pride Month Reading List
Not every act of defiance requires a protest. In fact, one of the most radical things you can do to support and honor the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month is to read.
A Conversation About “Spare” by Prince Harry
By now the scandalous details and big reveals of Price Harry’s memoir have been well-publicized. Instead of rehashing elements that a quick Google search can provide to you, I invited my friend Heather - my go to source for info on the royals - to discuss the good, the bad and the interesting revealed in “Spare.” The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
2022: My Year In Reading - The Stats
My 2022 reading goal was to have 45 percent of books read be written by authors not like me, defined by being a white, cis-gendered male who identifies as gay. Factoring in all diversity markers (and multiple books by the same authors), 53% of books read qualified under the “not like me” umbrella.