Back in 2013, shortly after her marriage, I read a heartfelt blog post from Liz Kessler. In it she announced that Read Me Like A Book would be published, and gave the background of why (and when) she had written it. The blog post was met with thundering support and love from the online book community for Liz. Seeing that reaction, and how much it moved Liz, was incredibly inspiring to me.

Liz was publicly coming out in her professional life.

This announcement was understandably laced with some trepidation on her part as Liz is a successful writer of books for a younger readership with her popular Emily Windsnap series. She feared how parents and other gatekeepers would react. But as a young reader of mermaid books who has had to step into the real world now and then, it was a very encouraging step.

The world was ready for Ash's story at long last, and having read the book, I can safely say that it is a much welcome addition to our shelves!
Event Report:

Last week, for a sold out event, Liz's supporters gathered at a truly incredible launch for Read Me Like A Book. Authors, bloggers, ex teachers, friends and fans alike all came together to celebrate the coming out of Ash’s story at long last. Hosted brilliantly by bookseller Yael from Waterstones Hampstead, the atmosphere was buzzing. With speeches from Yael, Liz and Ruth Hunt of Stonewall, it really felt like a grand launch that would be truly unforgettable. Yael opened by praising Liz and saying how excited Hampstead was to host the launch, and their aim to become a forerunner in the advancement and promotion of diverse titles.

Everyone was extremely moved by Liz’s speech as she reiterated the story behind Read Me Like A Book from her original blog post and told hilarious stories about her journey to publishing, including her brother pointing out that Emily Windsnap's own story was perhaps a metaphorical coming out (some people marry mermaids, and proud!). Liz thanked her friends and family for their support, her publishing team at Orion, as well as tearful thank you to her wife Laura. (Well I was certainly crying!)

A highlight of the evening was the speech from Stonewall’s Ruth Hunt. Laying the groundwork for Stonewall’s mission to open the minds of the UK general public to equal rights for LGBT individuals, Ruth discussed the importance of representation in schools. I was very happy to hear that Read Me Like A Book will be getting a great introduction to secondary schools in the UK thanks to the work of Stonewall. No where else is there a more important place for this booked to be stocked than the very location that might help change someone’s life by truly proving that you are not alone, whether your worries be about sexuality, family problems, friendship breakdowns or even crushes. Ruth reminded us all of the social, political and personal impact in simply sharing our stories.

We ended the evening with cheers for Liz, tears and hugs all round, books were signed (one for me, one for my Mum), and then proceeded to dig in to the graciously provided rainbow cake (yum!) 

Book Review:

Read Me Like A Book is about Ashleigh Walker, a young and bolshy teenage girl prone to avoiding homework, getting fed up, and going on dates. Worrying about bad grades and college is the least of her problems when her parents are having screaming matches on a daily basis, or freezing each other put entirely. Playing the field is a perfect distraction, and Ash likes her boyfriend Dylan well enough. But something is missing. It's when she finds herself besotted with the funny, kind words and challenging lessons of her English teacher, Miss Murray, that things start to become clear. For it's not just the chance to debate that has Ash hooked. She wants to get to know Miss Murray herself. Even if she is a girl, and a teacher.

Liz's writing is natural and accessible which makes this coming out novel in an English setting an exciting book to pick up and sink into. There have been novels in America that have explored these events such as Annie on My Mind, Ask the Passengers and The Miseducation of Cameron Post. But few on English turf - most notably in recent years is Keris Stainton's Starring Kitty. Read Me Like A Book is a great next step as it is aimed at a slightly older audience and has such a sense of heart in the personal knowledge and understanding, particularly in regards to that confusing slow building realisation that Liz puts into each word. Unlike some of its older US counterparts, RMLAB is not so much concerned with homophobic reactions to Ash coming out as it is with her growing understanding and acceptance of who she is. It begins the process of owning an identity. 

Ash is a messy teen, often stroppy. This makes her path all the more relatable as she makes bad decisions and sometimes gets burned for it. She finds wonderful support from some of her friends, most notably Jayce who has reasons of his own to lend a supportive ear. The evolution of her crushes and relationship is endearing and will capture your heart, ready to cheer her on to find her happiness.

From that first kiss, those crushes you don't quite know what to do with - to not knowing who you can share your secret with at all, there can never be enough coming out stories as everyone has their own unique narrative. Be you fourteen and confused, in your twenties and getting ready to face the world, or taking a risk and a leap of faith in your professional life, coming out is an ongoing process. Thank you, Liz, for sharing both your journey and Ash's with all of us who needed to read it. Even if it did take us over ten years to get there!

Liz’s book will change lives for the better. What more could we ask for from our fiction?

🌈

Summer Love: An LGBTQ anthology
Edited by Annie Harper
Published June 23rd 2015 by Duet, an imprint of Interlude Press
Review copy provided by the publisher

This collection of bright and bold short stories offers an optimistic glimpse of young LGBTQ+ life, from coming out, first romances, summer flings, bad break ups, and everything in between. It's pure escape from the doom and gloom that so often lines the shelves, and a blissful Summer retreat. From authors with a huge variety of personal perspectives and experiences, this anthology is a welcome addition to readers looking for an intro to LGBTQ+ YA and well worth picking up. Its joyful outlook avoids sugar coating yet offers escapism whilst putting the under-represented at its front and centre.

In Beautiful Monsters we get an insight into the trepidation of coming out, both to yourself and to others. Cody likes to keep invisible, but when his work sends him to help the local GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) run their Pride parade, he finds himself spilling his soul to André, their young leader. A line about the GSA being a place for the kids to come and chat about clothes, music, games or whatever they wanted really strikes home: ‘this is the place they come to not to talk about all that other shit.’ Rachel Davidson Leigh creates a myriad of people and experiences all linked with a sense of belonging. The electric connection between Cody and André drives this story, as well as gorgeous character detail: Cody has a hobby of painting figures for a game he doesn’t play, with his favourite character Kaelyssa doubling up as confessional. The writing is full of life and the nerves of taking that feared first step are felt with each word.

The Willow Weeps for Us by Suzey Ingold has Jack and Richard engaged in a summer romance set against a pre-WWII back drop in England, reminiscent of Michelle Magorian. It's a tale of the calm before the storm. This gentle romance has the depth and grandness of the era imbued in the glorious scenery and decadent descriptions. With a river punt, pallets of strawberries and piano song, this is a gay Little Love Song and a step out of time.

Amy Stilgenbower's The Fire Eater's Daughter had me hooked from the first lines, deftly setting the scene with the scent of fried foods at the carnival. An illicit love story set in the 1950s, our young Polish descended protagonist finds herself having well and truly fallen for the fire eater's daughter. My favourite aspect of this story was the incredible mother figure, who has a real sense of personal history that encourages a seize the day attitude. I feel this is a story that could well be expanded into an entire novel.

Surface Tension by Ella J Ash is an introspective look at the pressure of labels versus passing and the chance for a summer of escape, only to be left with 'a belief in the present, not just the imaginary future.' Exploring social circles within a band of teen camp volunteers, and what happens when a crush disrupts the hope to keep things low key. I loved the real sense of friendship and summer fun here, with such a sense of camaraderie in unexpected places. An insightful exploration of what happens when you confront your own internalised stereotypes and assumptions.

My Best Friend has a nostalgic look back at a platonic friendship through the years. An epistolary communication on the event of a wedding, this story is Brokeback where they really are just good friends.

My personal favourite from the anthology is What The Heart Wants masterfully written by Naomi Tajedler. This sumptuous heart in your throat awakening is exquisite and delivers a truly diverse snapshot of life across sexuality and race. What The Heart Wants asks 'perhaps I'm Ambersexual' offering pansexuals and demisexuals representation (though without stating labels explicitly.) There is also an established asexual character that defines themselves thus and enters a happy romantic relationship. Taking place in a summer extra credits art class, it looks into the friendship of Noam and Charlie who are polar opposites in looks and temperament. Charlie worries that Noam is not putting herself out there until she falls for Amber, the art class model. Meanwhile they form a firm friendship with quiet artistic Peter. I could read an entire novel about the dynamics of this little group of friends, the characters are complex and unique with a fully rounded sense of individuality and uniqueness that sets this story apart. Fully realised and utterly enchanting. It's a heart thudding tale of first desire. The family dynamics at play are also very interesting, with supportive parents strained by a fraught sibling relationship.

S.J. Martin's The Most Handsome shows another side to the idea of labels within this collection, as a young transgender protagonist finds a sense of belonging in the pages of a book at Oliver's Bookshop in Provincetown. The bookshop experience lays the groundwork for Carter's acceptance of who he is, discovering the experiences of other transgender people. The tale reminds readers of the power of words and representation and has a heartfelt and uplifting conclusion.

Something Like Freedom by Caroline Hanlin has bisexual Eli meeting his best friend's cousin Gabe. Recovering from the break up of his two year relationship, Eli is a sympathetic ear to Gabe who has run away from his religious parents after they discovered he was gay. This quiet, layered little story has shades of darkness but carries a sunrise of hope and connection with music and reflection.

On the Shore by Rachel Blackburn is the perfect end to the collection, what better way to end Summer Love than caught in the rain on a beach at night with the restorative promise of a new romance after nursing a broken heart.

Overall the collection has some strong gems and some lovely first steps for new authors. It's a great read for anyone looking for somewhere to start reading LGBTQ+ stories, or for anyone who wants a diverse array of experiences. I look forward to seeing what else Duet Books have to offer.

4 out of 5 Stars!

Preorder a copy of Summer Love here or at your local store.

The Accident Season
By Moïra Fowley-Doyle
Published 2 July 2015
Review copy from NetGalley

The Accident Season is a danger laden trip through a family’s unspoken fears. With the sense that peril and pain is around every corner, I was utterly gripped and had to keep reading even with a distinct sense of unease. Not quite contemporary, not quite fantasy, this story tiptoes the borders of genre like a girl balancing on a slippery log over a fast moving river. You will be swept away!

“It's the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom.

The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items - but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear.

But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free?”

This book reads like a contemporary classic in the making, Fowley-Doyle's vivid descriptions are completely unforgettable. A brilliant, dark, sexy and gloriously creepy story. The Accident Season is the kind of book where scenes just get stuck in your head forever like snapshots.

My favourite aspect of the book was the slow unspooling of reality and the fae world. The protagonists exist in a space where the impossible happens on a daily basis. Cara pretends not to see the dangers around her, whilst her sister Alice sees them but stubbornly walks along her lonely path. Best friend Bea has always had an edge of free spirited fierceness that draws her to Cara and her family. Step-brother Sam knows there’s something out there, but he’s unprepared for the harsh truths. And they’re all held together by the paranoid presence of their long-suffering mother, whose fears are born of love but can be unwelcome and smothering.

Cara is obsessed by the mystery of secret keeper Elsie. This is a clever and intriguing hook that will keep you guessing. It reminded me of a Susan Hill novel, where a growing sense of wrongness infiltrates every sentence. It is Final Destination meets The Woman in Black. Be prepared to check your photos obsessively to make sure that Elsie isn’t in them.

Elsie’s presence creeps into every space in Cara and Alice’s lives, the haunting spectre of secrets held deep at the heart of the novel. She is a terrifyingly innocent flicker in the corner of your eye. I feel no shame in saying she gave me the shivers.

I also loved the setting in Galway, Ireland. It felt refreshing to experience the lives of teens outside of the English landscape. These teenagers are a little wild, a little rebellious, but still completely relatable. Their mixed up relationships are full of passion and desperate desire. It lent credence to the otherworldliness of their exploits to this outsider. The dark elements of the story aren't all wrapped up in the freakish Fae mystery, but on the real life hurts and abuses that exist and are experienced by far too many people. Fowley-Doyle's clever unpicking of these events will leave you with a desperate need to reread with fresh eyes. It's one of the best accounts of domestic disasters I have ever read, and an excellent discussion starter.

The enchanting twisty turny plot set against this backdrop of bleak grabbing onto fun when you can is certainly one that will make you catch your breath. I dare you to attend the most unmissable Halloween party in town. It's frightfully fun.

A beautiful and gripping book, full of secrets that will play on your mind long after the final page. Perfect for fans of E. Lockhart, Henry James and Holly Black.


Make sure you pick up a copy when it hits the shelves in July!