Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 183
Publisher: Open Road Media
Released: 5th of September 2017 (first published 1982)

When Liza Winthrop first lays eyes on Annie Kenyon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she knows there’s something special between them. Soon, their close friendship develops into a deep and intimate romance. Neither imagined that falling in love could be so wonderful, but as Liza and Annie’s newfound sexuality sparks conflict in both their families and at their schools, they discover it will take more than love for their relationship to succeed.

What I Have to Say 

This book was truly amazing. What struck me the most was how different it was from modern LGBT books.  Because it wasn't all about the struggle of being gay and coming to terms with it and all the other things that go along with it. I wasn't expecting such a positive book. Obviously there were struggles and a lot of hardship that the girls had to go through, but for the most part it was about two people just falling in love. The gender of them didn't matter until later.

You see that's what I want to see more of and it's so interesting that a book from the 80s can capture exactly what the genre is missing. Because so many LGBT books act like the gay characters can only possibly be defined by being gay. That all their story has to be about struggling to come to terms with it, or fighting to be accepted. It's never about just two people falling in love naturally. It's never about the gradual discovery of what it means to be gay.

Obviously there was drama at the end and it got very sad, but it ended on a hopeful note. And the characters were just beautiful. I have to say that I fell in love with Annie a bit too during this book. She was so lively and well rounded. I loved the made up games they played and the way they both were together. They fitted together so greatly and made a very beautiful, very realistic couple.

This is definitely a must for anyone interested in the LGBT genre, whatever your sexuality, it's a truly wonderful story.

My thanks go to Open Road Media and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review. 

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 432

Publisher: Simon Pulse 

Released: 7th of November 2017 

Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.

That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.

When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.

Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself? 

What I Have to Say 

This was an interesting take on the whole concept of zombies and eating people. I loved the idea of gene hacking and the way that Suvada developed the idea of smart phones and apps to include things that actually change the way people look. The way that medicines had transformed and the problems that Cat faced because of her illness were so realistic and interesting. 

There were also so many twists and turns that this book took. Just when you thought you knew where things were going it zoomed off in another direction with a shocking turn of events. This is definitely a book where you can't trust anyone and even they can't trust themselves. There's so many secrets and lies that are hidden away. 

I can't wait for the next book to see what Suvada decides to do next. 

My thanks go to Simon Pulse and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review.