Summary: Bending the Bookshelf
A blog for book lovers with open minds and open hearts: dedicated to the power of creativity, the wonder of originality, the delight of curiosity, the beauty of diversity, and the joy of imagination.

Karin
Bishop's
Fool Moon is a mostly riveting book, though at
the mid-point a little too drawn out. This is a story about a young
man who comes to terms with his own gender identity, while
addressing the prejudices of father and friends. But beyond that,
it is a deep and lovely tale about finding ones’ rightful place in
the scheme of things. Set in the context of magic and witchcraft,
it appears on the surface to be a parable for the journey of many
gender variant individuals to find their true niche and inner
strength. However, as it eventually turns out, our young
protagonist wasn’t actually transgender or even intersex at all.
I’ll leave it to the reader to find out who this person of power
really was.
This is a haunting tale that provides some realistic and believable
theories as to why things happen the way they do and why there are
always clear paths, reasons and choices for our actions.
Serendipity aside, it turns out that the random collisions of atoms
in the universe may not be quite so random after all. This is an
exceptionally well-crafted novel demonstrating both to the lead
character and to the reader, how everything makes perfect sense in
the context of free will and choices, intelligent or not. The
author, an exceptionally insightful, talented and gifted writer,
could easily have been a programmer as the story unfolds with the
irrefutable logic of the flow chart of a finely tuned computer
application. I highly recommend this book.
[Reviewed by
Samuel]
Date Published: Jun 04, 2012 - 4:52 am
Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme being hosted by the
lovely Tynga over at
Tynga's Reviews, designed to share the newest
addition to our shelves.
Mailbox Monday is a similar meme
with a roving band of hosts (thanks to Sassy Brit at
Alternate-Read.com for
hosting this month).
Nothing new purchased this week, but I did get some lovely titles
for review:
What did add to your shelves this week? I'm dying to know!
Date Published: Jun 03, 2012 - 8:40 am
"Waiting On" Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that everyone's
excited about (created by Jill at
Breaking The
Spine).

Benders by Jonathan Orlando Woolf
A suspenseful contemporary serial murder novel, 'Benders' takes
place against the steamy underworld in California amongst
transgender nightclubs and the street walkers looking for money,
drugs and the ultimate hustle. New to the task force, Detective
Alan Patrick is drawn into the erotic world of the ladies from Club
Paradiso, causing him to question his sexuality while searching for
the killer committing a series of grisly murders. All the prominent
victims can be linked to sketchy pickups of the benders on the
strip, and the mayor's office is pressing for swift resolution. In
this small community of transgender suspects, no one is above
suspicion.
Past traumas, dramatic motives, and increasing tension from
police bias, leaves close friends banding together... and
questioning which one of them negotiating a price for a few hours
of passion, is hustling their john on a one way trip. Benders is a
razor sharp psychological thriller, digging deep into a world of
shadows and exposing complicated layers through anger, frustration,
and sensitivity. No longer viewing from the fringe of their world,
cruise the strip, watch the burlesque show, and become immersed as
the drama unfolds. [Now Available!]
This one just came out last week, but I must admit I'm intrigued .
. . sounds like an exciting read!
♥
Date Published: May 29, 2012 - 10:01 pm
I am delighted to announce that Issue #15 of
Frock
Magazine is now available, once again featuring my "
Frock
Books" review column. This month's column was a ton of fun, and
features an interview with the lovely Angie Bowie, author of
Lipstick Legends.
The column had a bit of a facelift this month, and I must say it
looks fabulous!
Completely free, and available digitally,
Frock
Magazine is one of the finest transgender lifestyle
magazines around, and one that prides itself on being coffee-table
friendly (i.e. free of any erotic content, suggestive ads,
etc.).
Don't just pick it up for my column, though - the magazine has a
wonderful variety of articles and features, looks absolutely
gorgeous, and is a wonderful read. Please hop on over
to
Frock Magazine and give it a read today!
♥
Date Published: May 26, 2012 - 2:13 pm
Okay, so it's not technically a holiday here in the Great White
North (
we did that last weekend), but it is a holiday
weekend in the US, and there are great book deals to be found all
over the place!
Torquere
Books is offering 15% off all purchases from now
through Monday, May 28 at Midnight (EST). Just put
'
memday2012' in the coupon code box when you check out to
get the discount.
JMS Books
(and
Queerteen Press) are offering 30% off the
regular price of all their e-books through Monday, May 28. No
codes or coupons required . . . just pop over and start
shopping!
♥
Date Published: May 25, 2012 - 9:59 am
The 18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature
that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend, hosted by
Crystal from Reading Between the Wines.
Q. Do you feel the need
to write a review for your personal reads, as oppose to
requested reviews, or are there some books you read just for
the joy of reading?
A. Good question. There is definitely a clear divide
between books I've been provided with for the purposes of a
review and those I've picked up for pure pleasure. For the most
part, however, I tend to review both with equal fervour,
especially the good ones! I find that when I really like a
book, I want to share it with the world, regardless of how I
came across it..
Q. Activity! Dream cast your current
read.
A. I know this is a total cheat, but I have to be
perfectly honest - dream casting just about always puts me in
one of the lead roles. As for co-stars, Nicole Kidman usually
gets the 'classy' roles, Alyson Hannigan usually gets the
'cute' ones, and Andrej Pejic gets all the 'hot' ones.
♥
Date Published: May 25, 2012 - 7:05 am
"Waiting On" Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that everyone's
excited about (created by Jill at
Breaking The
Spine).
Female Force: RuPaul by Michael Troy
Don't be a drag, just be a queen. Bluewater productions breaks
new ground again with big heels in it's latest offering in the
popular Female Force Series focusing on Rupaul. Rupaul is easily
the most famous drag queen and self-described "Supermodel of the
World." This whimsical look at the life and times of the host of
the popular Logo series, "Rupaul's drag race is as unique as the
woMan himself. A must have for any collector's closet- or shelf
rather. [July 15, 2012]
What's not to love here? It's RuPaul. It's a bio. It's a comic
book. I so can't wait to get my hands on this!
♥
Date Published: May 23, 2012 - 7:21 am

My apologies for being a bit late in posting the
winner, but this was a holiday weekend here north of the border, so
I was out enjoying the sun . . . and absolutely no where near a
computer. :)
As I'm sure you all recall, the
Hop
Against Homophobia was an attempt by over 250 authors,
reviewers, and publishers to stand together and create awareness of
homophobia, with each participating blog featuring a message on
homophobic discrimination in its various forms. Each blogger had a
message or idea to share, as well as a giveaway.
I am pleased and delighted to announce that
KimberlyFDR was
our lucky winner, receiving her choice of any book from my towering
review pile.
I'll be emailing you later today, Kimberly, with
the list of books available to choose from.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to stop by and
participate.
♥
Date Published: May 22, 2012 - 10:56 am
The 18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature
that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend, hosted by
Crystal from Reading Between the Wines.
Q. What are you currently
reading? Do you love it? Is it a new-to-you author or an old
favorite? Tell us all about it!
A. I'm currently reading
The Lurker War by
Donald Allen
Kirch, a fun fantasy novel with a transgendered
heroine, and
Consensual Infidelity by
Kaysee
Smart, a fascinating true story of one ordinary
couple's experiment with swinging.
Q. Summer Break is upon
us! What would be the perfect vacation spot for you to catch
up on your reading & relax?
A. I'd go wtih a deserted tropical island.
Somewhere with tall trees, long beaches, an nice lagoon, a
dry place to sleep . . . and a certainty of rescue after a
few weeks, perhaps by a cute Coast Guard officer in a
skintight wet-suit.
♥
Date Published: May 17, 2012 - 8:03 pm