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The hot Texas nights were lonely for Ben before his heart began beating to the rhythm of two words; Tim Wyman. By all appearances, Tim had the perfect body and ideal life, but when a not-so-accidental collision brings them together, Ben discovers that the truth is rarely so simple. If winning Tim's heart was an impossible quest, keeping it would prove even harder as family, society, and emotion threaten to tear them apart. Something Like Summer is a love story spanning a decade and beyond as two boys discover what it means to be friends, lovers, and sometimes even enemies.
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, read by Michael Crouch. Straight people should have to come out too. And the more awkward it is, the better. Simon Spier is 16 and trying to work out who he is - and what he's looking for. But when one of his emails to the very distracting Blue falls into the wrong hands, things get all kinds of complicated. Because for Simon, falling for Blue is a big deal.... It's a holy freaking huge awesome deal.
Call Me by Your Name first swept across the world in 2007. It is the story of a sudden and powerful romance that blossoms between an adolescent boy and a summer guest at his parents' cliffside mansion on the Italian Riviera. During the restless summer weeks, unrelenting but buried currents of obsession, fascination, and desire intensify their passion as they test the charged ground between them and verge toward the one thing both already fear they may never truly find again: total intimacy.
I left my family and tiny Texas hometown 15 years ago to escape small-town gossips and to give my mom and sister the chance at a better life. But when a phone call from an attorney back home informs me that my sister passed away, leaving me custody of her newborn baby, I'm shocked out of the steady life I've built for myself running a tattoo shop in San Francisco. The thing is: I don't do babies. And I don't do small towns. Or commitment. And I especially don't do family.
James is 34 and fed up. His six-year relationship with Adam has imploded, he hates his job making up celebrity gossip and his best friend, Bella, has just announced she's moving to Russia. Adrift and single in loved-up London, James needs to break out of his lonely, drunken comfort zone. Encouraged by Bella, he throws himself headlong into online dating, blogging each encounter anonymously as the mysterious Romeo.
NYPD Detective Alec MacAidan has always been good with weird. After all, his life has been a string of the unexplainable. But when an injured man gives him cryptic clues, then turns to dust in front of him, Alec's view on weird is changed forever. Cronin, a vampire Elder, has spent the last 1,000 years waiting for Alec. He'd been told his fated one would be a man wielding a shield, but he didn't expect him to be human, and he certainly didn't expect that shield to be a police badge.
The hot Texas nights were lonely for Ben before his heart began beating to the rhythm of two words; Tim Wyman. By all appearances, Tim had the perfect body and ideal life, but when a not-so-accidental collision brings them together, Ben discovers that the truth is rarely so simple. If winning Tim's heart was an impossible quest, keeping it would prove even harder as family, society, and emotion threaten to tear them apart. Something Like Summer is a love story spanning a decade and beyond as two boys discover what it means to be friends, lovers, and sometimes even enemies.
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, read by Michael Crouch. Straight people should have to come out too. And the more awkward it is, the better. Simon Spier is 16 and trying to work out who he is - and what he's looking for. But when one of his emails to the very distracting Blue falls into the wrong hands, things get all kinds of complicated. Because for Simon, falling for Blue is a big deal.... It's a holy freaking huge awesome deal.
Call Me by Your Name first swept across the world in 2007. It is the story of a sudden and powerful romance that blossoms between an adolescent boy and a summer guest at his parents' cliffside mansion on the Italian Riviera. During the restless summer weeks, unrelenting but buried currents of obsession, fascination, and desire intensify their passion as they test the charged ground between them and verge toward the one thing both already fear they may never truly find again: total intimacy.
I left my family and tiny Texas hometown 15 years ago to escape small-town gossips and to give my mom and sister the chance at a better life. But when a phone call from an attorney back home informs me that my sister passed away, leaving me custody of her newborn baby, I'm shocked out of the steady life I've built for myself running a tattoo shop in San Francisco. The thing is: I don't do babies. And I don't do small towns. Or commitment. And I especially don't do family.
James is 34 and fed up. His six-year relationship with Adam has imploded, he hates his job making up celebrity gossip and his best friend, Bella, has just announced she's moving to Russia. Adrift and single in loved-up London, James needs to break out of his lonely, drunken comfort zone. Encouraged by Bella, he throws himself headlong into online dating, blogging each encounter anonymously as the mysterious Romeo.
NYPD Detective Alec MacAidan has always been good with weird. After all, his life has been a string of the unexplainable. But when an injured man gives him cryptic clues, then turns to dust in front of him, Alec's view on weird is changed forever. Cronin, a vampire Elder, has spent the last 1,000 years waiting for Alec. He'd been told his fated one would be a man wielding a shield, but he didn't expect him to be human, and he certainly didn't expect that shield to be a police badge.
Ox was 23 when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his blood red eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces. It's been three years since that fateful day and the boy is back. Except now he's a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.
Henry "Monty" Montague doesn't care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are 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.
If England had yearbooks, I'd probably be "Arden St. Ives: Man Least Likely to Set the World on Fire." I've no idea what I'm doing at Oxford and, until a week ago, I had no idea who Caspian Hart was. Turns out, he's brilliant, beautiful...oh yeah, and a billionaire. It's impossible not to be captivated by someone like that. But Caspian Hart makes his own rules. And he has a lot of them. About when I can be with him. What I can do with him. And when he'll be through with me. But now that Caspian's shown me glimpses of the man behind the billionaire I know it's him I want.
He promised to never leave me. But when I needed him the most, that was exactly what he did. Wilderness guide Xander Reed has spent fifteen years trying to forget the night he turned to his best friend in his darkest hour, only to find the young man who'd sworn to always have his back was turning his on Xander instead. Two thousand miles and fifteen years of building a new life in the quiet backcountry of the Rocky Mountains should have been enough to put the memory of Bennett Crawford out of his mind.
When Theodore Davenport decides to switch his mundane job for a career, he walks into Holden House Publishing with enthusiasm and determination to succeed. As he settles into his new role, makes new friends, and dreams of making it to the top, everything is going to plan. Until he meets James Holden, CEO of Holden House.
Daniel Mulligan is tough, snarky, and tattooed, hiding his self-consciousness behind sarcasm. Daniel has never fit in - not at home in Philadelphia with his auto mechanic father and brothers, and not at school where his Ivy League classmates looked down on him. Now, Daniel's relieved to have a job at a small college in Holiday, Northern Michigan, but he's a city boy through and through, and it's clear that this small town is one more place he won't fit in.
When homicide detective Dexter J. Daley’s testimony helps send his partner away for murder, the consequences - and the media frenzy - aren’t far behind. He soon finds himself sans boyfriend, sans friends, and, after an unpleasant encounter in a parking garage after the trial, he’s lucky he doesn’t find himself sans teeth. Dex fears he’ll get transferred from the Human Police Force’s Sixth Precinct, or worse, get dismissed.
The mid-'70s: at an all-boys Catholic school in Melbourne, Timothy Conigrave falls wildly and sweetly in love with the captain of the football team. So begins a relationship that weathers disapproval, separation and ultimately death. With honesty and insight, Holding the Man explores the highs and lows of any partnership and the strength of heart both men have to find when they test positive for HIV. This is a book as refreshing and uplifting as it is moving - a funny and sad and celebratory account of growing up gay.
Self-proclaimed playboy, Aiden Vale, has it all - good looks, successful career, plenty of cash in the bank, and an endless supply of men who know the score...that one night is just that. So the last thing he wants, or needs, is to forge a connection that might mean revealing more of himself than he's ready to. But when fate intervenes, putting Aiden in the path of someone who threatens to knock down his carefully constructed walls, he's quick to realize the young man he's become infatuated with is hiding a painful secret.
Three years ago, Bear McKenna’s mother took off for parts unknown with her new boyfriend, leaving Bear to raise his six-year-old brother Tyson, aka the Kid. Somehow they’ve muddled through, but since he’s totally devoted to the Kid, Bear isn’t actually doing much living. With a few exceptions, he’s retreated from the world, and he’s mostly okay with that - until Otter comes home. Otter is Bear’s best friend’s older brother, and as they’ve done for their whole lives, Bear and Otter crash and collide in ways neither expect.
Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wisecracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were 18? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.
Once upon a time, in an alleyway in the slums of the City of Lockes, a young and somewhat lonely boy named Sam Haversford turns a group of teenage douchebags into stone completely by accident. Of course, this catches the attention of a higher power, and Sam's pulled from the only world he knows to become an apprentice to the king's wizard, Morgan of Shadows.
There are two sides to every story. When you're Tim Wyman, sometimes there are three.
Tim hoped moving to Texas would mean a new beginning, but he soon finds himself falling into the same tired patterns. Until he meets recklessly brave Benjamin Bentley, who introduces Tim to a world of love, sex, and warmth. Certain that society won't understand what he and Ben have together, Tim struggles to protect their relationship, even if it means twisting the truth. Buried beneath his own deceptions, Tim must claw his way to the surface in the hopes of learning to fly.
Something Like Winter, the companion novel to Something Like Summer, tells the story from Tim Wyman's perspective, revealing new private moments and personal journeys.
In 'Something Like Summer' we were introduced to Ben and Tim, with that story being told from Ben's point of view, and when we first met Tim he wasn't the most likeable character, and for good reason! This story is told from Tim's perspective where we learn more about Tim and his mind set and how he comes to terms with his sexuality. As the story develops we get reacquainted with some familiar characters, and some new ones.
Tim's obsession with Ben, and his meddling in Ben's life is very nearly his undoing, with his emotions taking him, and us, on a roller coaster ride!
The excellent narration by Kevin R. Free brings the characters to life and I was disappointed when this story ended - I wanted more, and I'm so glad that there are further stories in this series, and I hope that they as good as these first two! This is 13 hours of listening well spent and I can highly recommend it!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
What a lovely book, I love the idea of second perspectives and this does just that. It fills in a lot of blanks from the first book, while leaving enough grey areas for the next book to fill. Lovely, wholesome book. 10/10 would recommend
After enjoying the first book. I immediately started the second upon discovering Something Like Winter is a story told through the point of Tim!!
I loved that this book revisits some of the sweetest and darkest moments between Ben and Tim, unveiling the feelings, emotions on Tim’s side.
It feels like a story being retold but it’s far from repetitive. If you have read the first book you actually will love those recounted moments in this second book.
Amazing book and looking forward to read the 3rd book!
Starting after the previous book is a bit jarring at first, but after the first chapter, it really get going and is totally worth it. I loved it.
Absolutely loved this story. Great characters and a love story told with great passion. I laughed a lot and I cried too - makes me wish I was 16 again or better still, what I wouldn't give for a time machine.
Any additional comments?
Everyone deserves a second chance, but due to choices or circumstances a lot of people don’t get that opportunity.
We all make mistakes and Tim, throughout his teen years made quite a few. In this story we see his point of view and the motivation behind his actions.
This story is so well written and has characters that have managed to get under my skin in a way that very few fictional characters do.
Loved it Quite a lot, Very Relatable even though I am British and they all are Americans.
Well Narrated and pretty well written.
What more could you ask for?
First, let me start off by stating that I was very apprehensive about reading/listening to this second installment offered by Jay Bell. I absolutely adored and cherished Something Like Summer and I was so afraid that the next book might tarnish my mental images of Ben, Tim, and Jace...it took me over six months before I began the second part of this journey...but I was so wrong!!
So I began listening to the book on the treadmill at the gym, filled with anxiety and let me just say this...Jay Bell is an evil, evil person. Deliciously evil, that is!! Not to spoil anything, but I literally stumbled and fell off the treadmill as I listened to the first part of the story...evil I tell you (saying with a smile). Suffice it to say, I loved listening to Tim's perspective of the story and it only added pleasurable images to what was already in my head. Many of the holes (that I didn't even realize existed) from the first book were filled in and then to continue the story to a fantastic conclusion was exceptional. A great story and great continuation. I will state again, that Jay Bell's writing is exceptional and the narration by Kevin R. Free was spot on. I am looking forward to the next installment, Something Like Autumn.
I seriously recommend this book!!!
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
What did you love best about Something Like Winter?
I had no idea this was going to be Tim's side of the same story I read in Something Like Summer (which quickly became one of my favorite books) What a great way to relive it through the eyes of the other main character.
What aspect of Kevin R. Free’s performance would you have changed?
Unfortunately, this is the one part of the book that bothered me. A lot of the characters sounded cartoonish. (Aaron and Tim's live-in boyfriend... I forget his name... sounded SO gay that it was almost offensive. Tim's grandmother sounded like Speedy Gonzales and adult Tim sounded like Moose from the old Archie cartoons)
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
There were so many of those moments. I don't think it's possible to pick just one.
Any additional comments?
I don't know which book was better or which book should be read first, but you don't want to miss Something Like Winter or Something Like Summer. It is worth every minute. It's been a couple of years since I read Something Like Summer, but now that I'm done with Winter, it's time for me to re-read Summer.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Would you consider the audio edition of Something Like Winter to be better than the print version?
NO! both add to each other, I fell in love with the printed version of the series. Listening to Seasons just brings the story back to the forefront.
What did you like best about this story?
We get to know Tim and understand how his story with Ben evolved.
What does Kevin R. Free bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He brings a new dimension to the voice I hear in my head, although I am not the biggest fan of how Tim sounds all the time.
If you could take any character from Something Like Winter out to dinner, who would it be and why?
Eric!
Any additional comments?
I just hope that we will not wait too, too long for Autumn and Spring to be available.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Any additional comments?
It's been awhile since I've read and listened to Something Like Winter, but what I clearly remember most is having to relive a tragic event in Ben's life from the first book. It colored my perception of the entire story, and not in a good way. I cannot read/listen to the third one, Something Like Autumn, as it focuses on the subject of that tragic event, and I just can't go there. I will continue on past this and the next book as Jay Bell is a wildly talented writer and mostly I love his stories. Looking forward to many more.
Let me add that Kevin R. Free is an outstanding narrator.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Please read my review of Book 1: Something Like Summer for a background. This book was Tim's POV on his relationship with Eric. It gave insight to how Tim met Eric and the years after Tim broke up with Ben. Tim was still self centered but one thing was clear, he loves Ben. He made some poor choices but he grew especially Jace showed him how a real man does it.
The audiobook gave me a different feel from book 1. I could hear the whine, the excitement, the pain etc in the characters voices. I think Kevin Free did a great job making me empathize with Tim. It was hard, but the narrator made him real to me.
Tim and his family's opinion of gays really affected how Tim felt about himself. He grew in a Catholic family, and they were also sports jocks. Loving another man would not fly in that kind of circle and so Tim tried his best to be what others wanted him to be. The consequence was that he hurt the guy he loved Ben and he hurt himself. He wouldn't completely let go, but he wouldn't give up either. Tim was just a mess for a long time. I felt him though. I understood his need to avoid being shunned by family and friends. Ben was lucky because his family accepted his choices but it isn't that easy for others. Tim's battle was much harder.
Jay Bells writing is really smooth to me. It was emotional and the characters had depth. I can't wait to read about Jace before Ben in book 3.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
What did you love best about Something Like Winter?
Have you ever wanted to see what it was like to walk in someone elses shoes or be a fly on the wall watching two people meet and fall in love. Something Like Winter gives you the opportunity to do just that . Jay Bell was so right on in staying with Tim's point of view kept the story real for me.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Ben! If you listened to Something Like Summer you know that Ben isn't as cool and collected as Tim portrays him in Something Like Winter. To hear Tim talk about Ben you just have to fall in love with him all over again.
Which character – as performed by Kevin R. Free – was your favorite?
Allison Cross- Kevin portrayed her as a strong women giving her a voice of strength and possessiveness for Ben.
Who was the most memorable character of Something Like Winter and why?
The most memorable character would have to be the supporting characters of Tim and Ben. Eric Conroy was patient and non-judgmental with Tim and that is very hard to do when you love someone. Jace for trusting and supporting, Ben he was such a good big part of the story. Marcello, what a character he would slide in right at the last second to do what was right. He proves that no character is black and white. Grays are so much more interesting to read about.
Any additional comments?
I am really hoping the author Jay Bell records the rest of the series with the same narrator. He did a fantastic job with the characters giving each one a personality and a unique voice.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Any additional comments?
Not much to say here. Just that this is a really good book. Good narration. Great, well-written story. Likable characters.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Something Like Summer took me by storm, a wonderful read that I had to finish in less than 24 hours. I cried at the end because it was over too soon, a beautiful story. But I had no idea what was in store with Something Like Winter. Tim was an enigma in Something Like Summer. Something Like Winter shines the sun on Tim, his loves, mistakes and foibles. The best part is the sweet, sweet ending. I cried my eyes out over it, it was so beautiful. I wish all of gay romance fiction could be like both books, epic in time if not scope. Full of love and tragedy, heartache and triumph. I am sure I will be reading this pair again, not soon, but someday. The narration was perfect, by the way, a wonderful perk and dimension that I would not have wished to miss.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This book is a fantastic love story. Tim and Ben are awesome. I wish i could find a love like this. Thanks Jay Bell for writing such a wonderful book and also Kevin Free (the narrator) who made this love story become even more lively and fantastic. I will definitely finish the whole “Something like” series. For the one who still hesitate, believe me! you will smile and cry with them.
Such a beautiful book. The movie made me want to read it, and I'm glad I had this option with my busy schedule.