Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski (book review)

A fantastic debut novel with beautiful intimite writing that will completely envelop you ...

source

Tomasz Jedrowski takes an interesting approach in his debut novel “Swimming in the Dark” which depicts two young men over the course of the summer of 1980 in Soviet-governed Poland. Prior to starting university they meet at an agricultural camp while serving their compulsory labour requirement for the country and embark on a passionate affair while reading James Baldwin's “Giovanni's Room”. It's described in highly romantic terms where the pair are able to form a world of their own: “we lay facing each other, the tip of your nose on the bridge of mine. Nothing else mattered in the dark.” They discover their own paradise in a beautiful, remote rural location. But, at the same time, the threat of Party politics and the punishment dealt for homosexual acts creates an atmosphere of suspense. Their story could go either way. (source)

Written in the second person ... rather like a series of letters to the authors past lover ... the style works perfectly in portraying a personal & intimite coming-of-age story in communist Poland during the 1980's. What makes this story even more poignant is what's happening in Poland at the moment with whole towns decrying LGBT people and declaring LBGT freezones.

source

The recent election of Andrzej Duda as President and his continuing rethoric & hate towards the LGBT community fuels an already volitile situation. Read more HERE & HERE. We can expect to see an increase in LGBT people seeking asylum in Ireland in the near future and hopefully we will welcome them. (Don't even get me started on why the hell Europe keeps pouring funds into Poland)


When reading this book it hit me in many ways. It was poignant and melonchonic as you know the story isn't going to end well, but, yet it's such a page turner ... you want to get to the end but you don't. (you know what I mean). The book took many years to write and hone and you can tell as it's really well polished. However, the danger of writing a book for years means it can get overworked & sometimes there are too many metaphors but they for the most part are beautiful & lyrical so you don't really notice their ubiqitnious. My favourites were:



“But like stones thrown into the sky with all one’s might, pieces of that night – the boys and the men who wanted them, the flirtation, the codes of seduction I could only guess at – returned to me with even greater intensity than I had lived. The law of gravity applies to memories too.”


“I was paralysed by possibility, caught between the vertigo of fulfillment and the abyss of uncertainty.”



Somewhat autobiographical, Jedrowski intertwines the reality of living in somewhere like Poland (under communist rule homosexuality is illegal), crushes, infatuation, coming-out, corrupt politics and people. Yet he still manages to ask interesting questions:


“How does one bond with another child, as a child? Maybe it’s simply through common interest. Or maybe it’s something that lies deeper, for which everything you say and do is an unwitting code.”


The only negative I would say about this book is that I would have liked to learn more about living in Poland under communist rule ... I'd like more about the oppressive rule and enforced poverty of the general public & the lives of LGBT people. Although that's only a personal preference, I imagine Jedrowski cannot delve too deeply into those topics as it may alienate some of the readership.


I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will keep it on my shelf amongst some of my other favourite LGBT reads by Adam Silvera, Shaun David Hutchinson & Benjamin Alire Saénz. I will most certainly be rereading it & give this amazing debult novel a nine out of ten planets. The pressure is on Jedrowski now to write his next novel!








John The Captain Ryan

The Gravity of us by Phil Stamper (book review)

My next book review is on this fantastic debut novel by Phil Stamper - The Gravity of Us.

 

(source)

But first, to put this review into a little bit of context (who knows for how long this blog will be read), at the moment there is a huge amount of Worldwide press and interest on Civil Rights and the Black Lives Matter movement. So as this book is based on Nasa's current mission to Mars I wanted to point you towards the awesome book and movie titled Hidden Figures. This is a book and movie charting the lives of a group of awesome black women - Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Johnson - who were Nasa's human calculators without whom the mission to the moon probably wouldn't have happened. I previously did a blog review here: Hidden Figures, movie review.

And to neatly go full circle, as most of you know we are heading into the last few days of Pride which of course didn't really happen because of our Covid19 lockdown - or as some like to call it a Queerantine - this will probably be the last LGBT title I'll get to review for Pride month.  

In this book we follow the life of Calvin, or Cal for short as his dad is also called Calvin. He has his whole life planned out, college, journalism studies, an internship with Buzzfeed and has been building his social media profile and polishing his journalism skills. He currently has 500,000 followers and does a weekly walk through of New York and what's happening. In the past he has covered local and national stories, politics and elections. He even broadcasts about the hugely popular Orpheus Project - NASA's mission to Mars. 

But then overnight his life is uprooted. His dad is chosen to be the 20th and last member of the Orpheus project and they have to pack up and move immediately. He has to abondon his plans, friends and worst of all his journalism ambitions as StarWatch the company that owns the rights to interviews and publicity for the Orpheus project has a gagging order in place. After a three day drive to their new home they land in the town that has been bought-up for the Astro-families the name given to the families of the Astronauts. Cal, in a moment of last defiance figuring his dad has only arrived and hasn't yet signed the papers and gagging order makes a final broadcast to his fans breaking the news who the final 20th member of the Orpheus Project is. All hell breaks loose as the press & StarWatch descend even before they have unpacked their car. 

Shortly after this mess Cal finds out everything isn't as cosy as StarWatch likes to portray, the other Astrofamiles and Astrokids are not perfect and StarWatch experiencing dropping ratings tries to create drama and excitement - they have full access to the houses of the Astrofamalies and with Cal's exposé they aren't very happy. Cal also meets Leon, one of the only other teen Astorkids in the area and they hit it off. What ensues is a sweet teen romance with enough intrigue and drama to keep you turning the pages.

Before I like to cover the pro's of a book I like to mention the negatives, but, honestly in this debut novel I found none. There is no mature content - the most that happens is two teens kissing so nothing unsuitable for a mature chilld or 12+ reader. One person does loose their life, so I suppose that is a trigger warning but there is not too much detail and the family affected leaves the story very quickly. The only one negative I have is the premise of the book is based on the lives of the family members of the astronauts so I would have liked to learn a little more about them, but that's really it.

The book is really well written and paced. The language is perfectly aimed at a teen market but also an adult that likes NASA, geeky, LGBT stories will also enjoy. It delves into the World of a teenager and their interaction with Social Media and the press. Cal's dad doesnt understand what Cal is messing about with online - it's not a proper thing/job is it? ... the mechanics of social media, online press, modern journalism and followers, I imagine this reflects exactly how today's parents think and misunderstand about the digital World today. As mentioned before the book has enough tension and drama that makes you want to continue reading. It's a throughly enjoyable read. There are two moments I love in the book;

Cal considers himself a fixer of broken things (part of his obsession with planning) but he is reminded that he cannot fix ever broken thing but he can makes things a little better.

Also in the early stages of Cal and Leon's relationship Leon is starting to talk a little about his depression and he realises that Cal wants to kiss him. He asks Cal not to kiss him to make him feel better but to instead kiss him showing affection at a later stage. 

I really enjoyed this book and give it a solid 9 out of 10 stars. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

John The Captain Ryan

 

Pride Month book review - Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

Hi everyone,

As Pride month draws to a close I'll be posting a couple more LGBT book reviews, my latest is ...

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell.

Pop on over to my Youtube channal and hear what I have to say ...

I give this book a 7 out of 10 planets.

I hope you enjoy it also. Don't forget to check out the first book in the Simon Snow Series - Carry On, my review can be found here:

Toodles

John The Captin Ryan

The Inexplicable Logic of my Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (Book Review)

Hi all, I haven’t been blogging for a few months – life has a tendency to get mad at times but I haven’t stopped reading books or binging on Netflix so over the next few weeks I hope to get back on track and catch up on some book reviews.

The Inexplicable Logic of my Life is an amazing book written by Benjamin Alire Sáenz who also brought us Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe which I will be blogged about later in the month. This is Book 5 in my 52-weeks, 52-books challenge.

Plot Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Sal (Salvatore) lives in El Paso, Texas, with his adoptive father, a gay Mexican-American art professor named Vicente Silva. Vicente assumed responsibility for Sal after his mother died, when Sal was just three years old. (The connections between Sal’s mother and Vicente don’t become clear until late in the book, when Sal finally opens a letter his dying mother wrote and left in Vicente’s care.) Although Sal is white, the adoption secures his place in the heart of a loving Mexican-American family, which is headed by the matriarch Sal comes to know as Mima. 

As his adoptive grandmother, Mima refers to Sal as her “hijito de mi vida,” and the adoration is mutual. The warmth of the Silva family magnetically pulls in two other teen characters. Sal’s best friend, Sam (Samantha), is locked in raging conflict with her mom. Another friend, Fito, suffers the effects of a drug-addicted mother and an absentee dad. In order to survive, Fito must hold down two after-school jobs. (more here)

Alternative Book Covers from Goodreads

My tuppence:

There is a huge amount going on and Sal’s best friend Samantha keeps him grounded, their constant communications by text keeping them in contact – they sometimes even text each other when they are in the same room. Sal is dealing with homophobia, losing his grandmother, growing up and all the other stuff that adolescents go through and he’s not doing very well. He is throwing punches and questioning everything. When Samantha’s mother dies in a car accident she goes to live with Sal and Vicente and then the edition of Fito to the mix is fantastic and reinforces to Sal how lucky he is to have a loving and supportive family.

The book deals amazingly with the exploration of self and identity and it’s something we all go through. During the story the love of Vicente’s life –Marco - makes a reappearance. Vicente, once gave up on the relationship with a man he loved when that man said he didn’t want to be a stepfather. At first Sal isn’t in favour of Marco’s return as he knows how hurt his father was but it enables Sal to see how lonely his father is. Sal realises that as he will be leaving for college his father shouldn’t be alone and deserves another chance at love. But central to the story is how we deal with loss, how Samantha comes to terms with the loss of her mother – even though their relationship was always rocky and how Sal deals with losing his Mima when she is diagnosed with late stage cancer – their relationship couldn’t be more different than Sam and her mothers.

There are some great quotes in this book (find a selection of them here) and this is my fave:

(source Bongbong book blog)

Whilst slow moving the book is well worth a read, the way Sáenz deals with the topic of loss and grief is brilliant and heart wrenching. It just keeps you turning the pages. However, this slow pacing style will turn people off and in comparison to other young adult novels it is certainly aimed at the more experience reader.

Benjamin Alire Sáenz (born 16 August 1954) is an award-winning American poet, novelist and writer of children's books. You can read more about him here

Here is another great blog review about The Inexplicable Logic of my Life.

The verdict, a great read for either adults or advanced young adult readers, I give this book an 8 out of 10 planets.

John The Captain Ryan

My Top LGBT reads

Read on to find out my top LGBT reads ...

I'll give you the Sun by Jandy Nelson

“A story of two twins, Jude & Noah both of whom narrate their intertwined story of love, life and bad decisions in a realistic heart-breaking way”

__________________________________________

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by MacKenzi Lee

“A fantastic tale of a spoiled bisexual British Lord romping around Europe – a great story where the aristocracy of the 18th-century meets Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda”

__________________________________________

What if it's us? by Becki Albertalli and Adam Silvera

“A fun story of Ben and Arthur, will they, won't they? A classic story of a doomed romance, or is it. Maybe, just maybe this is the one" 

__________________________________________

Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becki Albertalli

(Albertalli's 2nd book on my list)

“It's an exciting story, intertwining the busy social media driven World of today's teens with the constant struggle for identity and self”

__________________________________________

Noah Can't Even by Simon James Green

One of the funniest books I've ever read. 

“Skittles and Haribo will solve all problems”

__________________________________________

Boy meets Boy by David Levithan

"The book takes us on the usual journey for teens; that of love, lost love and love found again only of course this time it’s two boys"

__________________________________________

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

“You can’t pick and choose whose equality you support. That’s not equality” 

__________________________________________

When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid

“Raunchy, riotous and real”

__________________________________________

History is all you left me by Adam Silvera

(Silvera's 2nd appearance on my list)

“A beautifully written book, heartfelt, touching and simply amazing”

__________________________________________

Willful Machines by Tim Floreen

“A fantastic book with great characters and a central theme about life and freedom”

__________________________________________

Release by Patrick Ness

“A poignant story of loss and rebirth”

__________________________________________

And that's me done, hope you enjoy these books like I did, comment and let me know what you think?

John The Captain Ryan

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Book Review)

A fantastic tale of a spoiled bisexual British Lord romping around Europe – a great story where the aristocracy of the 18th-century meets Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. This is Book 3 in my 52-weeks, 52-books challenge.

In The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee  we follow the adventure of Henry “Monty” Montague who was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

As Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy. His sister Felicity is along for the ride – she is also one to buck convention, always has her head stuck in a book and wants to become a scientist or doctor when society expects her to be a “lady”.

We embark on a break-neck speed journey around Europe detailing a “Grand Tour”; the aristocracies 18^th century version of finding who you were, “one” got drunk, slept around and had fun. "One" spent the time schmoozing with other well-to-does around Europe, nurturing family ties and basically having a ball. But for Monty this goes spectacularly wrong – he gets drunk and rips the bodice from the wrong lady, he has to escape naked across a well manicured lawn but not before he steals a memento, something small that won’t be noticed – except it proves to be very valuable.

What follows is a marvellous chase death-defying chase; they are attacked by highwaymen, lose their chaperone, get jailed, drugged and then kidnapped (kind-of) by pirates. Then to Venice, a sinking island and finally … hang on there … you’ll have to read it yourself. Along the way in this historical accurate story we learn about class & racism in a unique and interesting way. We feel Monty’s heart breaking when he learns about his best friend – Percy – who has epilepsy and when their tour ends will be locked up in an insane asylum. They’ve never slept together but have loved each other for many years; their life and awkward love for each other is intelligently intertwined within this story – will they, won’t they – will it ruin their friendship – and will Monty find a cure or stop Percy being locked up for the rest of his life.

This book for me straddles the YA book World really well, for an experienced reader; it’s over 500 pages long, it’s historically accurate and the plot meanders a little but it’s still a fantastic, perfect for an avid reader that isn’t quite ready for the massive epics like Stephen King’s The Stand, or fantasy epics by Brent Weeks or Brandon Sanderson.

It’s an exciting read with a vivid picture of 18^th century Europe, a forbidden romance and pirates, frankly what else do you need. It’s definitely the case that the three main characters were born in the wrong century and this book if read in the classroom would generate lots of interesting debates and discussion.It is very well researched and written. 

The verdict, a great read for either adults or advanced young adult readers, I give this book an 8 out of 10 planets. For me there was a little too much history and not enough attention given to the plot, but, then again, I always hated history in school. It’s still a great read.

John The Captain Ryan

Stand-Up against bullying. #StandUp18

This week, 12th - 16th November is National Stand-Up against homophobic bullying week.

This will be a quick blog ...

90% of LGBT youth experience mental health issues with 70% feeling unsafe in school.



Check out this heartfelt video by James Mitchell TV; he talks about the relief and support he felt after opening up to his friend Steph as part of the #BetterOutThanIn campaign for LGBT youth. Taking the brave step of opening up to someone you trust is worth it.

If you are struggling to start your conversation with a family member or friend, stick one of these on the DVD player and start watching it.

I've watched them all and love them for different reasons but Love, Simon is my fave.  I've blogged a review of the book HERE 

And the movie HERE 

Anyway, that's me done for today.

Live Long and Prosper and talk to someone today...



John The Captain Ryan

#lgbt #lgbtireland #lgbtyouth #StandUp18

Noah Can’t Even by Simon James Green (Book Review)

Skittles and Haribo will solve all problems.

This is a hilarious book, following the exploits of Noah Grimes (absolutely no resemblance to Rick & Carl Grimes), his father abandoned him and his mother, his mother embarrasses him at every opportunity, especially with her Beyonce tribute act, school is horrible, his best friend Harry just kissed him and his shoulder to cry on – his Nan – is losing her mind.

He actually reminds me of myself because he worries about everything, is always trying to figure out how to be just a little less unpopular, and he hated PE, just like me.

This book is witty, fun, fast paced with enough intrigue to keep you turning the pages. Really, that’s not a cliché; I read the book in about 36 hours. (I’m reading When everything feels like the movies by Raziel Reid at the moment and it’s not nearly as compelling). The author Simon James Green is a very talented person, he has written for TV, worked back stage on the Westend and you can just imagine Noah trouping out on stage in an Agatha Christie production. Green claims the book is somewhat biographical and his writing style of short sharp sentences, manic train of thought and a book that just flows so quickly is a joy to read.

With great news last summer (2017) that Noah Can’t Even might be bound for the big screen, hopefully following in the footsteps of Love Simon which is being released in March 2018, I hope this book stays on recommended LGBT reading lists for many years to come.

There is a sequel due this summer – Noah Could Never – and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

I definitely have no hesitation in recommending this young adult book, to both young adults and old adults, it’s a gem, easy and fun to read. (There are a few suggestions to s-e-x but as Noah is even afraid to say the word, there's nothing it it that teens shouldn't read). I give Noah Can’t Even a 10 out of 10 planets. 

Other LGBT books I have reviewed are

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan HERE

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde HERE

When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid HERE

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli HERE

John The Captain Ryan

My top reviews of the year - Top 12

So, I’ve been blogging for a little more than a year now and have reviewed loads of things. Thanks to the Western Regional Section of the LAI and the Rudai 23course I’ve gotten off to a great start and published over 100 blogs so far. I’ve reviewed loads of books, movies and TV series. It would have been cool if it were a top 10 list, but it turns out I gave 12 reviews a 10 out of 10 planet, so here is a round-up of the best of the best:

I have to start with Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda(Book Review). This is by far one of my fave reads in the last year, an amazing book written by Becky Albertalli telling us of the story of Simon, how he is as normal as most other teenagers with the same problems and – oh ya – he’s gay.

 

Quote: "Your real friends will not have a problem when you come out and if they do, well they weren't true friends in the first place. You can go and find some better ones"

 

This is closely followed by Love Simon, a seminal movie for the LGBT community, the first proper – big budget – big production of a young teens coming out story based on Albertalli's book.

 

Quote: "You get to exhale now, Simon ... You get to be more you than you've been in a very long time”

  

Deadpool 2 (movie review) is the fab sequel from the Marvel Universe; it's possible the odd occasion where the sequel is better than it’s predecessor.

Quote: "the soundtrack, it's just amazing. Songs like Celine Dion's "Ashes", Dolly Parton's "9 to 5," and even "Tomorrow" from Annie accompany some of the movie's most violent scenes, making for a delightfully weird playlist.  Weird yes, perfect also yes "

  

History is all you left me  (Book Review) is an amazing book dealing with love, loss and rebuilding one's soul. The author Adam Silvera is great, check out all the other titles he has.

Quote: "The short sticatto sentences are brutal and honest. In one paragraph we learn so much about Theo. The last sentence is just perfect. Sums up the whole book really. It’s been one month since you lived. It’s a beautifully written story of grief, rebuilding and hope. A must read"

The supernatural horror - The Lodgers (Movie Review) - was amazing and to see something filmed in my home town of Wexford is great. An awesome screenplay by talented writer David Turpin makes this a must see. 

Quote: "When you see the interior parts of The Lodgers, the closest movie I can compare it to is Crimson Peak. Seriously, the visuals and feel of the crumbling building stack up against the multi-million-dollar creation of recent Oscar winner Guillermo Del Toro" 

Noah Can’t Even  (Book Review) is one of the funniest reads I've gotten my mitts on in ages. Another must read by the very talented Simon James Green

Quote: "Skittles and Haribo will solve all problems"

 

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp (movie review) is another great movie from the Marvel universe. A great plus is that it is stand-alone and can be viewed without extensive knowledge of all the Marvel movies over the last few years (of which there has been way way too many)

 

 

Quote: "The fight scenes are awesome, the special effects are brilliant but more than anything the story, dialog and interactions between the characters are really funny"

 

 

As part of the Rudai23 course I was doing, here's a blog on using the App Quik which allows you to make a video/photograph slideshow with a soundtrack 

 

 

Quote: “ It was really intuitive and with no instructions one could use it straight “out of the box”

 

 

 

Logan (movie review)

 

One of my fave ALL time movies, Logan is the story of (Wolverine) and Charles (Professor X), in this time-line they are the only two superheros left in the World.  Patrick Stewart (who might return as Captain Picard) proves yet again that he is one of the best actors to ever grace the screen. We also cannot discount Hugh Jackman - possible the Greatest Showman on Earth, only gets better with age.

 

I also speak about the "Disneyfication" of movies in this review. 

Quote: "Stewart is amazing, portraying the role of an old man losing control over his mind with poignant understanding and realism"

 

 

 

I came across this gem of a book in work and just had to add it to my blog - Declaration of the Rights of Boys & Girls.

 

 

 

Quote: "The illustrations are fun and cheerful, girls having the right to be dirty and boys having the right to wear pink ... the book does a fantastic job of spreading a message of equality without being preachy or insulting to anyone’s faith ... It is quite frankly a book that every child from the age of 3 should have on their shelf"

 

 

 

Last year we saw the remake of IT by Stephen King, hitting our screens with mixed reviews but I loved it.

 

 

 

I talk about remakes and then review IT. The second part is due to be released in September 2019.

Quote: "Final Verdict:  A massive success that will instil a fear of clowns for generations to come"

And finally, my first podcast (but hopefully not last) I reviewed 3 movies together with Black Panther getting the highest marks. All I can say is it's an awesome movie and of course #Representation Matters

That's me all done. Please like and follow me on FACEBOOK to keep up to date with all my blogs.

Thanks for reading and thanks for all the fish.

John The Captain Ryan