Month: September 2025

Reviews

Bury Your Gays Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Bury Your Gays Review

Bury Your Gays follows Misha, a Hollywood writer who’s pressured by producers to kill off a queer character in the name of ratings. What unfolds is a mix of horror and satire as the villains from his own scripts step off the page and begin stalking him, blurring the line between art and reality.

I found this book original and bold, especially in how it critiques Hollywood’s treatment of queer stories and the wider issue of corporate greed in media. It tackles erasure, tokenism, AI ethics, and trauma, all while highlighting the power of friendship and love in all forms. Some of the monsters, particularly Mrs. Why, were genuinely creepy and surprisingly sad, while the flashbacks to Misha’s childhood gave depth and context to their creation.

That said, I did have mixed feelings. The pacing dragged in places and the chapter transitions sometimes left me feeling lost. The audiobook added to this with extra voices and sound effects that felt unnecessary. The Black Mirror-style AI angle also felt a little tired, and while the ending had some campy horror flair, it fizzled out and leaned heavy-handed.

Overall, I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. It’s clever, confronting, and very readable, and even if it doesn’t quite stick the landing, it adds something valuable to the conversation about queer representation in media.

⭐️3/5 stars In the end, it’s a bit messy but still worth the read.

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Birthstone Book Tag 💎

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Birthstone Book Tag 💎

This month I wanted to revisit the Birthstone Book Tag!

The Rules:
  • Mention the creator (me- Leslie @ Books Are The New Black ) and link back to me so I can see your post!
  • Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone.
  • HAVE FUN!
  • Nominate people if you want!

Sapphire has this deep, captivating energy, like gazing into a star-filled midnight sky or standing on a mountain peak under crisp autumn air. It carries a sense of wisdom and inner strength, steady and unwavering, yet there’s a touch of magic in its depth. It feels grounding but also inspiring, like it’s quietly urging you to trust yourself and keep moving forward, no matter the path ahead. I’ve decided to go with three books I’ve read s and three books on my TBR that match Sapphires!

Reviews

A Sorceress Comes to Call Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on A Sorceress Comes to Call Review

I went into this one with high hopes because I usually love T. Kingfisher’s fairy tale retellings and low-romance fantasy, but this didn’t quite land the same way.

The premise is strong. Cordelia is a sympathetic character, trapped under the control of her cruel sorceress mother, Evangeline. Her inner thoughts feel real and painful, while on the outside she’s forced into obedience. When they move on to their next victim, a kind squire, Cordelia meets his sister Hester who sees through Evangeline’s schemes and tries to help. The dynamic between the three women had a lot of promise and there are some really powerful darker moments that worked well.

But once the story shifts to the squire’s estate, the pace slows right down. The middle section drags with endless conversations, house parties and glares across the room. Some of the tension is there but it lingers too long and the action stalls. The fairytale angle also felt pretty thin.. apart from the horse Falada and Hester looking after geese, it didn’t really tie back to The Goose Girl in a meaningful way. I think it stands better as its own story.

Hester herself is likeable, but her subplot with Lord Evermore didn’t fully make sense to me. She refuses to marry him because of appearances, yet later on suggests he should be engaged to Cordelia despite it being just as scandalous. It felt a bit inconsistent. I also thought Cordelia’s voice blurred into Hester’s at times, losing some of the unique character work from the start.

The last part of the book picks up with more creepy and horror-leaning elements, and the climax is exciting if a bit convenient. By then though, it felt like a long wait to get there.

Overall, compared to other fantasy books out there this is still solid, but against Kingfisher’s usual work it fell short for me. I missed her trademark humour and sharper pacing. It’s not a bad book by any means, but not one of my favourites from her.

⭐️3/5 stars Strong characters and a dark edge but it drags a bit too much!