Bogormen

Title: Over the Top
Author: Jonathan Van Ness
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 269
Date read: September, 2020

Who gave Jonathan Van Ness permission to be the radiant human he is today? No one, honey.

The truth is, it hasn’t always been gorgeous for this beacon of positivity and joy.

Before he stole our hearts as the grooming and self-care expert on Netflix’s hit show Queer Eye, Jonathan was growing up in a small Midwestern town that didn’t understand why he was so…over the top. From choreographed carpet figure skating routines to the unavoidable fact that he was Just. So. Gay., Jonathan was an easy target and endured years of judgement, ridicule and trauma—yet none of it crushed his uniquely effervescent spirit.

Over the Top uncovers the pain and passion it took to end up becoming the model of self-love and acceptance that Jonathan is today. In this revelatory, raw, and rambunctious memoir, Jonathan shares never-before-told secrets and reveals sides of himself that the public has never seen. JVN fans may think they know the man behind the stiletto heels, the crop tops, and the iconic sayings, but there’s much more to him than meets the Queer Eye.



Anybody's who's watched the new reboot of "Queer Eye" (and probably several who hasn't) knows who Jonathan Van Ness is, and the basic story of how he became the awesome person he is now. But the truth is (as always) that there's so much more to him than comes out in the show. He has been to hell and back, and the fact that he's still here to tell his story is nothing short of a miracle.

Jonathan's voice is so clear throughout the book that I didn't even need the audiobook version to clearly hear him read it aloud to me, and his joy and passion for life jumps out of every page - even when accounting the most horrible parts of his life.

I would have liked to read more about Queer Eye itself, and was sad not to see any photos included (would have loved to see pictures of baby Jonathan!), but this is definitely more a book of overcoming hardship and finding joy in life, rather than "how I became JVN of Queer Eye", so it makes sense that the focus was placed elsewhere. I have nothing but respect for him, and definitely understand some of his moods better now.

Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea
Author: T.J. Klune
Genre: Paranormal, LGBTQ+
Rating: 4/5
# pages: Audiobook ~13hrs
Date read: September 2020, October 2024

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.


So very, very different from TJ Klune's other books. It never fails to surprise me how easily he navigates between different styles and genres. This is unlike any of the other books I've read by him (although he still loves the word 'dashing' ;) ), but just as charming as any of them.

I grew very fond of all the children at Marsyas Orphanage and found it surprisingly difficult to leave them all behind when the story ended. It's not really a book that lends itself to sequels, but I do hope that TJ Klune will explore this universe further, and perhaps let us see how the children fare in the future, as visitors in other books.