harry_lemon's reviews
137 reviews

DNF
Sorry, I just couldn't finish this one.
I'm not discounting his story, and I know there are people who would benefit from this book, but I just don't think I can count myself as one of them. 
I admire Page's honesty and truth, I just don't really know if I cared to finish the book. 

4.75⭐
Wow, this one hurt...

I didn't really know what to expect from this book going in. I'll admit, the story was a bit slow for me in the beginning because I didn't know what was happening or the direction. However, once I was invested, it was hard not to think about this book. 

This was such a devastatingly beautiful book to read. I have so many conflicting emotions for the story and the characters, it's hard for me to make a reasonable critique of the work. I will say though, the work was absolutely well written and had a strong impact on me. I'm only knocking it .25 stars because I do think there were a couple things I thought didn't need to be included. Regardless, a wonderful read and powerful.

5⭐
A wonderful peak and understanding of the icon that is RuPaul Charles. 

I had high hopes for this memoir and it absolutely delivered. The titular "House of Hidden Meanings" is all about looking through and finding undercurrents and understandings from the past, looking to find the significance in life's crazy ups and downs. RuPaul does an amazing job of detailing his life, upbringing, trials and tribulations, all while seeing the purpose and importance in how it impacted him. 

I listened to the audiobook format and hearing the author read their own words is always such a delight because you get so much more than just reading their words. I felt like RuPaul was talking to me. Loved it!

One of the things I've noticed is that the sign of a good memoir is when you find yourself looking back on your own life experiences and start seeing the parallels. As I was listening to his story, I began to reflect on my own life and moments that I believe shaped me in certain ways. Hopefully, as you read/listen to this, you do the same and find new hidden meanings within your own story. 

Welp, I tried...
I don't even understand what happened between the first and second book. I could have forgiven the plotline about the father if it wasn't 100 pages of a 260 page book!
I won't deny that the writing is well done, but having the read schlog through this seemingly unimportant story just to get to Elio and Oliver, no ma'am. 
Sorry to this man...

5⭐
As of writing this review, the only thing I want to do is go lie down...

I'm not fully sure how I feel about the book in its entirety, so I'll stick to the facts: the writing is exceptionally well done, the characters are multi-layered and intriguing, the plot is twisty and very surprising. 

I have many thoughts about plot points and motivations, etc., but overall I'm very happy with this read purely because it kept me interested. You know the writing and story is good that you don't want to put the book down, and fear when you're going to pick it up next. For a debut novel, Parks-Ramage did an amazing job of telling a powerful story that is both uncomfortable, but important and poignant. I can't wait to see what he does next. 

5⭐
Excuse me, while I go and melt into a puddle...

Wow. I heard great things about this book and it did not disappoint. James Baldwin is a masterful writer; his ability to describe characters, setting, even feelings are breathtaking. There were so many moments in this novel that I couldn't believe that someone was capable of intelligently putting these concepts into words. I'm so grateful I got to read this book, it is a definite must-read for any gay man. Difficulties of defining love, life choices and consequences, these themes and so many more give this book such depth and nuance. I think you could read this multiple times and still find new things to appreciate it for. Amazing.

3⭐
This book was perfectly fine. 

I firstly want to take a second and address the concept of the "narcissistic" book reviews. Though there are moments where the author comes across ego-driven, I do think that other reviewers need to realize the industry that this person works in. This is an individual who has gained notoriety for his physicality and sexuality. Aiden Shaw obviously works in entertainment, in many forms, where he survives off of being "likable" or attractive to audience members; this is his livelihood. Of course, that means he has to pay attention to his abilities and physical form, because that is how he sees himself and how he makes his career. Additionally, I think there is a great amount of vulnerability in this work, and I doubt if anyone of those reviewers would fell comfortable enough to talk about those private matters in such an honest way. Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones...

Ranting aside: reading this book, I definitely did not expect it to go the way that it did. This book did talk about love and the definition of it within the author's life at a certain point in time; however, I thought there might be more evolution throughout his stories. I'm not down-playing Shaw's life or any of his experiences, but I just felt like I was missing some "aha" moment. But, maybe that's the point...

I do think this could have benefited from another set of eyes, as I found a few parts of the book a bit monotonous. There is mention of a lot of drugs, a lot of concerts and gallivanting around the world, but by a certain point I was more curious about the main theme of the story - love - than what concert was happening where. 

While I wouldn't say this was an absolutely "breathe-taking" novel, I commend Shaw for his vulnerability in this work; I can only imagine how difficult it must be to rake through so much of one's life to then put words to paper and explain the situation, as best they could. His style of writing had me interested and encouraged me to keep reading to better understand him, which I think is a good sign of a memoir. I've seen that there is a second memoir of his - "Sordid Truths" - and I do believe I'll be reading that sometime in the future. 

Overall, I don't not recommend this book. I think that this is one of those memoirs where each individual can get something from it that is beneficial to them. 

4⭐
Oof, this hurt in the best possible way.
 
I'll admit, this book didn't start off very strong for me. I felt it was a little too meandering at the beginning and I was having difficulty staying interested in Arthur Less. However, as the story went on, I fell in love with his character and he seemed fully fleshed-out. 

This book was deeply touching, involving themes of love, mortality, regrets in life, worries of the future, and what it means to truly be a human being. I found so much of this book deeply insightful and I teared up at a very key moment that deeply touched me. I'm excited to read the sequel book, thank you so much Andrew Sean Greer. 

1.5⭐
Well, I'm glad it was short, I'll say that...

This is the third of my Beat Generation authors (Burroughs, Kerouac, and Ginsberg), and this was by far the worst. This book gets at least 1 star for Burroughs's writing style, because I can see how he is a good writer. But, in regards to plot, characters, themes, this book falls significantly below acceptable. 

Of course, this work is EXTREMELY of its time, so if you choose to read this (good luck), take a lot of the book with a grain of salt. 

I'll admit there are some decent moments that deal with longing for connection from the queer perspective as well as fear and jealousy from homophobia. However, there are very few compliments I can give this work, sadly. I went in hoping for something truly seminal, but ended up vastly disappointed. 

4.5⭐
I think this book converted me into a romance-book-girly...

This was such a breath of fresh air. I loved Luc and Oliver. It was such a great story that had me feeling EVERYTHING. There were a couple moments that I thought did not need to be necessary, purely because it hurt my feelings haha. But, the overall premise and arc of the story, the characters and situations, were fantastic!

Honestly, I was a little nervous going into this because of a previous queer romance I had DNF'd, but this restored my faith that there are some books out that are absolutely worth my time. I can't wait to read the sequel and more from Alexis Hall.