Where I’ve been! Queer Lit, life and school!

Hey! So if you’re still here, I’ve been (and might still be) on a hiatus from reviewing books! I’ve just been so busy! I only read 23 books this year, and some of which can be found in my review tag on here but some STILL need reviews. Shame, I know. But I’ve been doing some awesome stuff which I can show you below and you may understand why I’ve been reading less: 

LAMBDA LITERARY, Nations Leading Queer Literary Org

I have been working for them! 

This is from their instagram and it’s just a part of what I was doing. This is me unboxing hundreds of queer books that were published in 2018. I was interning with them for most of 2018 and now I’m going to be officially on board as their social media manager! Haven’t been reading but have been getting so many queer books and doing bookish things

School and Writing!

I have been so swamped with classes and work!!! I have had to work 2 to 3 jobs recently because the cost of living in LA is no joke! That on top of all the school work I was given was wild. I’ve been trying my hardest to keep my grades up, so I’m so proud that I got 5 A’s this quarter! Especially because it was the hardest quarter yet! 

I’ve also have been writing more! I’ve applied to a creative writing work shop and needed a writing sample, so thats what I worked on recently. I really liked it, it’s a short story about magic, heartbreak and revenge! While I wait to hear back about that workshop, I have to work on another writing sample for a totally different and more exciting workshop!!! So, keep your fingers crossed!!

I WATCHED 80+ MOVIES IN THEATERS!!!

Life and Love!!

I travelled a little bit this month, very much on a budget. I needed a break from working and school, so I went to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon!! it was so awesome. 

ft. my lovely boyfriend

What Now? 2019 is here!!

I am going to write some reviews I’ve lagged on, slowly but surely, and I’m going to continue to write in general. Hopefully, with this raise I’ve received and school being a little more calm, I can relax and just WRITE. 

2019 IS THE YEAR OF WRITING FOR ME!!! (as well as reading and watching lol) 

QUEERLY,
JOSEPH REY

Socials! IG: @JosephJessRey Twitter: @JosephJessRey 

I am the November NOVLbox rep! It’s a really awesome sweepstakes where you could have a chance to win one of their limited monthly boxes! Its super cool!

Watch my unboxing video here for more info!

100TH VIDEO!!! I decided to react to my first video and see how much I’ve changed since then. I obviously still love queer rep discourse so not much has changed!!! Go like and subscribe!!

I also am hosting a giveaway on twitter until November 16th!! 

win these by retweeting/following me on twitter!!!

Here’s me being cute and talking about some stories!!!

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

[Goodreads]

Welcome to Andover… where superpowers are common, but internships are complicated. Just ask high school nobody, Jessica Tran. Despite her heroic lineage, Jess is resigned to a life without superpowers and is merely looking to beef-up her college applications when she stumbles upon the perfect (paid!) internship—only it turns out to be for the town’s most heinous supervillain. On the upside, she gets to work with her longtime secret crush, Abby, who Jess thinks may have a secret of her own. Then there’s the budding attraction to her fellow intern, the mysterious “M,” who never seems to be in the same place as Abby. But what starts as a fun way to spite her superhero parents takes a sudden and dangerous turn when she uncovers a plot larger than heroes and villains altogether.

Thoughts: 

Apple and Honey by Hideyoshico

[Goodreads]

Natsuki sees the world through a lonely haze. So, why is strange and popular Komano suddenly circling him with a sly smile? Is his attention a cruel joke…or is something delicious bubbling just beneath the surface?

Apple and Honey mixes summer heat and sweet desire into the perfect treat. Will the beach bring a secret couple closer together? And can the end of the world mark the beginning of lasting love?

Thoughts:

Giant Days Vol. 1 by Allison, Treiman, Cogar

[Goodreads]

Susan, Esther, and Daisy started at university three weeks ago and became fast friends. Now, away from home for the first time, all three want to reinvent themselves. But in the face of handwringing boys, “personal experimentation,” influenza, mystery-mold, nu-chauvinism, and the willful, unwanted intrusion of “academia,” they may be lucky just to make it to spring alive. Going off to university is always a time of change and growth, but for Esther, Susan, and Daisy, things are about to get a little weird.

Thoughts:

“It is said to take at least twenty one days to form a habit.
It is said to take at least three weeks for an old mental image to fade
and for a new one to solidify.
I think that’s the closest way to describe my feelings for you right now.

I don’t just want to kiss you out of “habit”
I want to kiss you cos you’re solidified in my mind.
You’re in there. Your hands are in there.
Your lips, your body, your laugh,
your dorky ass personality.
It’s all in there.

You are a mental image stuck in my mind.
It’s as though I was sitting outside at night,
looking up at the dark cloudy sky when
the clouds parted and you were there.
A moon: unexpected yet cherished.
Your moonlight has yet to fade.

I wish I knew how things will turn out,
(this could be good, this could be good).
I wish I knew if the sun will rise on our night,
(this heart can’t wait to see you),
The only thing I do know is this:
It is way past twenty one days and
You’re in my mind and I’m in yours.
I say we bask in each others moonlight.
(I swear to god thats how they make stars).”

-You’re In There, Joseph J. Rey

Snotgirl Vol. 1 by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Leslie Hung

[Goodreads]

Who is Lottie Person?
Is she a gorgeous, fun-loving social media star with a perfect life or a gross, allergy-ridden mess? Enter a world of snot, blood, and tears in this first collection from New York Times Best Seller Bryan Lee O'Malley (Scott Pilgrim, Seconds) and dazzling newcomer Leslie Hung!

Thoughts:

Did you guys catch my recent video?! I looked pretty cute in it and talked about some great stories! 

theboywhocriedbooks:

kSkim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki 

[Goodreads]

“Skim” is Kimberly Keiko Cameron, a not-slim, would-be Wiccan goth who goes to a private girls’ school. When Skim’s classmate Katie Matthews is dumped by her boyfriend, who then kills himself, the entire school goes into mourning overdrive. As concerned guidance counselors provide lectures on the “cycle of grief,” and the popular clique starts a new club (Girls Celebrate Life!) to bolster school spirit, Skim sinks into an ever-deepening depression.

And falling in love only makes things worse…

Suicide, depression, love, being gay or not, crushes, cliques, and finding a way to be your own fully human self–are all explored in this brilliant collaboration by cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki. An edgy, keenly observed and poignant glimpse into the heartache of being young.

Thoughts: 

Keep reading

Runaways Vol 1: Pride & Joy by Brian K. Vaughan

[Goodreads]

All young people believe their parents are evil … but what if they really are?

Meet Alex, Karolina, Gert, Chase, Molly and Nico - whose lives are about to take an unexpected turn. When these six young friends discover their parents are all secretly super-powered villains, the shocked teens find strength in one another. Together, they run away from home and straight into the adventure of their lives - vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy.

Thoughts:

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Aquirre-Sacasa, Hack (Vol: 1)

[Goodreads]

On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, the young sorceress Sabrina Spellman finds herself at a crossroads, having to choose between an unearthly destiny and her mortal boyfriend, Harvey. But a foe from her family’s past has arrived in Greendale, Madame Satan, and she has her own deadly agenda. Archie Comics’ latest horror sensation starts here! For TEEN+ readers. Compiles the first six issues of the ongoing comic book series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Thoughts: 

Black Jack by Osamu Tezuka 

[Goodreads]

Black Jack is a mysterious and charismatic young genius surgeon who travels the world performing amazing and impossible medical feats. Though a trained physician, he refuses to accept a medical license due to his hatred and mistrust of the medical community’s hypocrisy and corruption. This leads Black Jack to occasional run-ins with the authorities, as well as from gangsters and criminals who approach him for illegal operations. Black Jack charges exorbitant fees for his services, the proceeds from which he uses to fund environmental projects and to aid victims of crime and corrupt capitalists. But because Black Jack keeps his true motives secret, his ethics are perceived as questionable and he is considered a selfish, uncaring devil. 

The Black Jack series is told in short stories. Each volume will contain 16-20 stories, each running approximately 20-24 pages in length. Black Jack is recognized as Osamu Tezuka’s third most famous series, after Astro Boy and Kimba, the White Lion.

Thoughts: