Under the Cape: An Anthology of Superhero Romance, although a perfectly fine collection of prose stories, illustrates why so many new superhero concepts have a hard time getting off the ground. I was curious to check out this diverse group of tales. There are eleven in total, grouped as six “sweet” and five with “heat” (which mark how explicit the sex acts are). Five are male/female; four female/female; and two male/male. (You can see the breakdown at the publisher’s website.) […]

Conventionally Yours is an adorable teen gay romance that takes place during a road trip to a gaming convention. Conrad and Alden regularly face off playing a collectible card game as part of programming on a YouTube channel. They don’t get along, with different styles and personalities. Both have challenges in their lives that they’re unwilling to reveal, and both are struggling with family pressure. When they’re given the chance to compete in a national tournament, they wind up driving […]

I just discovered the Black Archive series of books about Doctor Who. There’s one per story (for the ones they’ve covered so far), ranging across the entire gamut of Doctors, with a new one coming every month. Unlike many books on that topic, these works don’t talk as much about who made the episode, instead analyzing the content of the story, the themes and associations. Based on the one I read — the one by Ian Millsted about Black Orchid, […]

In another time, Tokyo: Day by Day would be an amazing guidebook to use to prepare for a visit to one of the world’s most vibrant, exciting cities. These days, it’s more of a wish book and a reminder of what it was like to be able to travel. Either way, the book promises “356 Things to See and Do!”, and it provides. Each day is a page that highlights a restaurant, a unique store, a museum (for snowglobes! or […]

I was reminded how much I enjoyed Frank Viva’s work during a recent re-read of A Trip to the Bottom of the World With Mouse, so I thought I’d check out some of his other picture books. I should have done that earlier, since Young Charlotte, Filmmaker was perfect for me. Produced by The Museum of Modern Art in New York, it’s the story of a young woman who adores black and white and makes her own movies. Sometimes she’s […]

The latest Pop Classics storybook from Quirk Books is my favorite. Doctor Who: The Runaway TARDIS is, as with the others, illustrated by Kim Smith, who has a gorgeous, approachable, colorful style. The other credit is “based on the series by Chris Chibnall”, which means it’s the thirteenth Doctor, with a likeness to Jodie Whittaker. I’ve previously covered The Karate Kid and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and this follows the same pattern: The movie books retell the story, but the […]

My Dad Thinks I’m a Boy?! is a trans positive children’s book by Sophie Labelle that shows the reader what it’s like to be a trans child with an unaccepting parent. Stephie is seven years old and clear on who she is and what she likes. Her dad wants her to be Stephen and go fishing with him because that’s what her father likes, even though it makes her sad. The flipped perspective, where the father is childish and stubborn […]

If you’re not ready yet to let go of lovely holiday feelings, let me recommend a charming Christmas romance collection. Let Your Heart Be Light by J.R. Lawrie (published by Carnation Books) is a set of three M/M holiday love stories about two couples. The first is a goofy blue-haired stand-up comic who finds the love of his life in an older civil servant. The second features two neighbors who finally get a chance to meet after one is treated […]