Rough Pages by Lev AC Rosen

 

Synopsis From Dust Jacket:

Private Detective Evander "Andy" Mills has been drawn back to the Lavender House estate fro a missing person case. Pat, the family butler, has been volunteering for a book service, one that specializes in mailing queer books to a carefully guarded listof subscribers. With bookseller Howard Salzberger gone suspiciously missing along with his address book, everyone on that list, including some of Andy's closest friends, is in danger of being exposed. 

A search of Andy’s bookstore reveals that someone wanted to stop him and his co-owner, Dorothea Lamb, from sending out their next book. The evidence points to not just the feds, but to the Mafia, who would be happy to use the subscriber list for blackmail. 

Andy has to maneuver through both the government and the criminal world, all while dealing with a nosy reporter who remembers him from his days as a police detective and wants to know why he's no longer a cop. With his own secrets closing in on him, can Andy find the lists before all the lives on it are at risk?

Growing up as a gay kid who moved a ridiculous number of times, including a three-year stint traveling with a carnival, I always felt isolated. I never learned how to build friendships with kids my own age because I was never around long enough. That feeling of never quite fitting in led me to understand the power of books very early. At first, they were an escape, an easy way to step out of my own life and into places and people I’d never meet in real life. As I got older, they became something even more important: proof that I wasn’t alone. Proof that I could have a happy life as a gay man. Proof that I didn’t have to listen to the news media, religious leaders, or politicians who demonized people like me. Growing up gay in the ’80s and ’90s, those books were already hard enough to find—I can’t imagine what that search must have felt like in the ’50s.

Rough Pages, more than anything, felt like a story about the power of books to create community. Yes, it’s wrapped up in the mystery of a missing bookseller, and I’m sure y’all can guess the poor guy doesn’t get a happy ending, but the way the author builds the story never lets you forget how deeply books can change a life for the better.

As always, the mystery itself is brilliantly crafted. My jaw was on the floor when Andy finally pieced it all together. Like in Lavender House and The Bell in the Fog, the solution isn’t clean or comforting. It’s messy, human, and heartbreaking—leaving me mourning the loss of life on both sides of the violence. It’s the kind of solution that will linger in my mind for years to come.

Andy, in only three books, has completely stolen my heart and cemented himself in my top five favorite detectives of all time. He’s grown so much within himself that, and while I know this sounds silly, I honestly feel proud of the man he’s becoming. I need Andy to comtinue that growths, so I need this author to continue the series for the rest of my life.

At the end of the day, Rough Pages reminded me exactly why stories have mattered so much throughout my life. They carried me through some of the hardest years, and this one felt like a reminder of the hope that can still be found in your found community. If you haven’t started this series yet, I truly hope you will. Andy, and the author, deserves more readers. 

Favorite Fictional Character --- Fred Gailey

 

Thankfully I’m no longer doing it, but after working thirteen years in retail management, Thanksgiving became just another day to me. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy eating a good meal with family and friend, even when I’m the one cooking it, it’s just that any enjoyment of the day as a whole was beaten out of me years ago. That said, there were still two traditions I hung on to.

The first was watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning, either while I’m cooking or just hanging out in my pajamas. This was the first year as an adult (I’m 49) that I didn’t do that because I canceled cable earlier this year, and Peacock+ is one of the few streaming services I don’t have. The second tradition, the one I did keep this year, is watching Miracle on 34th Street (1947) in the evening. I’m pretty sure existence would implode if I didn’t get my viewing in before Black Friday officially started.

Thankfully this is not a movie review, because I would struggle to even partially explain why I love this movie so much. It’s not my favorite Christmas movie; honestly, it’s not even in my top ten. But there’s just something about it that demands I watch it every year, and it never takes long for me to be swept up in the story of poor Santa Claus going on trial for being insane. A lot of my enjoyment is due to Edmund Gwenn’s portrayal of Kris Kringle—one of the best portrayals of the character ever filmed. Another reason, probably the biggest, is John Payne’s performance as Fred Gailey, the ever-charming lawyer who fights to prove Kris is indeed the one and only Santa Claus.

If there were ever a directory of “good guy” Christmas characters, I’m pretty sure it would be named after Fred, something like The Fred Gailey Compendium or The Gailey Encyclopedia of Christmas Characters. Hey, I never said I was good at coming up with names.

I would give you bullet points of all his good qualities, but I just used bullet points in a post a few days ago, so instead I’ll give you a massively long run-on sentence. Just joking—though I truly did think about doing it, just to see how annoying it would be to read. Anyway, Fred is, for lack of a better descriptor, a nice guy. He has a positive outlook on life. He’s comfortable with himself and confident in his abilities. He champions those who need his help, like Kris. He’s funny, affable, caring, supportive, and able to think outside the box when needed. He’s exactly who I’d want representing me if someone were trying to have me committed to an asylum against my will.

It also helps that he’s quite handsome. Not that looks should influence my opinion — but let’s be real, they do. Fred Gailey is the Christmas boyfriend archetype, and I will hear no arguments about this.

The 2025 Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge

 

Woo-hoo! I'm signing up for my first, and probably last, reading challenge of 2025. My friend Michelle at The Mystical Lantern has been hosting this challenge for what feels like forever, and now that I'm blogging again, I can finally participate once more. I’m a little late to the game since the challenge started on November 24th, but that’s okay.

I'm going for the Christmas Tree level, which is 5 or 6 books, and I’m definitely joining the Fa La La La Films side challenge as well—especially since I’ve already watched eighteen Christmas movies, eight of which have been since the 24th.

If you’d like to join in the fun, head over to the sign-up post here.

The 100 Best Comedy Movies of All Time, According to Variety

 

Variety came out with their list of the 100 best comedy movies of all time, and I'm going to state up front that while I agree with a lot of it, there are some glaring omissions. I'll even admit I haven't seen everything—maybe not even most of what's on the list—but I still think they missed the mark. Before I get to what I think is missing, or comment on what I think is a terrible pick, let me show you what they chose. I'll highlight the ones I've seen in red. 

1. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

2. Some Like it Hot (1959)

3. Annie Hall (1977)

4. The Great Dictator (1940)

5. Waiting for Guffman (1996)

6. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

7. Duck Soup (1933)

8. Fargo (1996)

9. Young Frankenstein (1974)

10. Groundhog Day (1993)

11. Sherlock Jr. (1924)

12. Tootsie (1982)

13. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

14. Sideways (2004)

15. Playtime (1967)

16. His Girl Friday (1940)

17. The Heartbreak Kid (1974)

18. This is Spinal Tap (1984)

19. It Happened One Night (1934)

20. Superbad (2007)

21. The Bank Dick (1940)

22. Caddyshack (1980)

23. Trouble in Paradise (1932)

24. Bridesmaids (2011)

25. M*A*S*H (1970)

26. Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

27. The Philadelphia Story (1940)

28. Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979)

29. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

30. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

31. Pink Flamingos (1972)

32. Sullivan's Travels (1941)

33. Lost in America (1985)

34. Withnail and I (1987)

35. School of Rock (2003)

36. Ed Wood (1994)

37. The Princess Bride (1987)

38. The Nutty Proffesor (1963)

39. Clueless (1995)

40. Zoolander (2001)

41. A Hard Day's Night (1964)

42. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

43. Team America: World Police (2004)

44. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

45. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

46. Coming to America (1988)

47. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

48. Bringing up Baby (1938)

49. Shampoo (1975)

50. The Waterboy (1998)

51. Being John Malkovich (1999)

52. The Tall Blond Man With One Black Shoe (1972)

53. Broadcast News (1987)

54. Elf (2003)

55. Safety Last! (1923)

56. The Odd Couple (1968)

57. My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

58. House Party (1990)

59. Pillow Talk (1959)

60. Big (1988)

61. The Birdcage (1996)

62. Airplane! (1980)

63. Going Places (1974)

64. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

65. Poor Things (2023)

66. Eddie Murphy Raw (1987)

67. Hellzapoppin' (1941)

68. In the Loop (2009)

69. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

70. Legally Blonde (2001)

71. Miracle at Morgan's Creek (1944)

72. The Big Lebowski (1998)

73. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

74. Private Benjamin (1980)

75. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

76. Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)

77. Blazing Saddles (1974)

78. A Night at the Opera (1935)

79. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

80. Bamboozled (2000)

81. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

82. The Awful Truth (1937)

83. Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

84. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)

85. To Be or Not to Be (1942)

86. Idiocracy (2006)

87. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

88. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy (2004)

89. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

90. Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)

91. She Done Him Wrong (1933)

92. The Jerk (1979)

93. Hairspray (1988)

94. Clerks (1994)

95. Brazil (1985)

96. I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)

97. Born Yesterday (1950)

98. Pretty Woman (1990)

99. Wayne's World (1992)

100. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

I’ve been trying to decide where I want to start my commentary on this list, and I think I’ll start with what I love about it.

My sense of humor is definitely on the darker side—so much so that I laughed out loud when the guy slid down the deck and pinged off the propeller blade in Titanic (1997). So it was great to see Fargo in the top ten. It’s one of my favorite movies of all time and a terrific example of dark comedy at its best. I do think there was room for some others, though: Nurse Betty (2000), Very Bad Things (1998), Serial Mom (1994), Dogma (1999), Go (1999), Heathers (1988), American Psycho (2000), Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995), Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (1991), Knives Out (2019), and Game Night (2018) are all strong contenders that I love. There are actually two others, but they’ll come up later.

I loved seeing horror-comedy make the list with Shaun of the Dead, since it’s my second-favorite subgenre after dark comedy. And while I’ve never seen that particular movie, I’m not sure it’s the best example of the genre at its best. I’d put forth Jennifer’s Body (2009), Ready or Not (2019), Trick ’r Treat (2007), Happy Death Day (2017), Krampus (2015), House (1985), Gremlins (1985), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020), Ghostbusters (1984), Fright Night (1985), and The ’Burbs (1989) as either substitutions or additions.

I loved seeing Cary Grant all over the list, especially with His Girl Friday, which is my absolute favorite romantic comedy of all time. The chemistry between him and Rosalind Russell is off the charts. But I was really surprised that Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) wasn’t one of his selected movies. Three of my favorites were also skipped over: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), Houseboat (1958), and My Favorite Wife (1940).

I have to admit, given I haven’t seen a lot of these movies, that this isn’t a bad list overall—I’m just 1000% sure it’s not a list I would ever put together. So here are my proposals to fix it.

The inclusion of a Christmas movie would normally be something I’d celebrate, but I really don’t like Will Ferrell, so seeing Elf—when there are far better choices—felt like a stab in the back. These are the movies I’d propose instead: Christmas in Connecticut (1945), The Ref (1994), Christmas with the Kranks (2004), or The Holiday (2006). And while I may not necessarily like the next three movies, I’m still surprised they were passed over for Elf: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), A Christmas Story (1983), and Home Alone (1990).

This may be wildly unpopular, but I’m not a fan of Jim Carrey, Vince Vaughn (as a comedic actor), Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, or the aforementioned Will Ferrell, so I’d like to see all of their movies off this list. I’d replace them with any combination of the following: Lucille Ball in The Long, Long Trailer (1953); Lily Tomlin in Big Business (1988) and 9 to 5 (1980); Michael J. Fox in The Secret of My Success (1987); Diane Keaton in Baby Boom (1987); Melanie Griffith in Working Girl (1988); Mary Gross in Feds (1988); Jeremy Renner in Tag (2018); Goldie Hawn in Overboard (1987); and Elisabeth Shue in Adventures in Babysitting (1987).

Speaking of movies I’d like to get rid of, I’m annoyed that there are so many films on this list where cisgender male characters dress as women for laughs, deception, or both. Instead, I’d like to replace two of them with The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995). And speaking of bad stereotypes played for laughs, I’d replace The Birdcage with any of the following: Edge of Seventeen (1998), In & Out (1997), But I’m a Cheerleader (1999), Jeffrey (1995), Trick (1999), or Red, White & Royal Blue (2023).

While I may not like every movie I’m about to list, I’m still flabbergasted that not a single John Hughes movie—directed or written by him—is included. The Breakfast Club (1985), Pretty in Pink (1986), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), Uncle Buck (1989), Sixteen Candles (1984), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), The Great Outdoors (1988), She’s Having a Baby (1988), Mr. Mom (1983), and Weird Science (1985) are all missing in action. It’s shocking and needs to be corrected. 

Before I list the movies whose absence feels like pieces of my soul are missing, I wanted to mention a few others I was surprised not to see, even if they aren’t favorites of mine: Beetlejuice (1988), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Friday (1995), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), and Grumpy Old Men (1993).

Now we’re down to the four movies left off this list that not only shocked me but left me judging every single person who put it together.

Auntie Mame (1958) is just about my favorite movie of all time. Rosalind Russell is so damn funny here, as is the entire cast. I first watched this in high school on A&E, when those two letters actually stood for something, and it’s been my favorite movie ever since. I would do anything to have an Auntie Mame in my life.

Speaking of Rosalind Russell, she’s comedy gold in The Women (1939), which has an all-female cast including Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer. I watch it at least once a year and will probably be doing so for decades to come.

How Death Becomes Her (1992) was passed over is beyond me. Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, and Bruce Willis act the hell out of these roles, delivering some delightful one-liners.

That leaves the biggest snub, in my opinion: Clue (1985). This movie shouldn’t just be on the list—it should be number one. I wouldn’t be surprised if flames appeared on many faces after not seeing this movie listed. The cast is full of comedy legends who know how to deliver a line. Rejecting them like this should be illegal.

What do y’all think of the list? What do you think shouldn’t be on it, and what do you think got brutally snubbed? No matter what, whether the movies are on the list or among the ones I mentioned, I hope you decide to give a few you’ve never seen a watch—and maybe even revisit an old favorite you haven’t thought of in a while. Happy watching!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving filled with love and laughter. 

Favorite Fictional Character --- Tootle

 

A long, long time ago I did a whole month of FFC posts highlighting some of my favorite Little Golden Books characters. I love so many of them that a few inevitably got left out, so tonight I’m finally starting to fix that.

Like a lot of people, some of the very first books I ever owned were Little Golden Books, and many of those characters still live in my heart. They’re the kinds of characters that help kids fall in love with reading, a gift they’ve been bestowiing for decades now. Tonight’s character debuted in 1945 in his self-titled book by Gertrude Crampton, and he has never been out of print. The sheer number of hearts and minds he’s touched, including my own, is honestly unfathomable. And as you’ve already seen from the title of this post, I’m talking about Tootle — the lovable train with a focusing problem.

Tootle, who is a youngster himself, goes to train school with dreams of becoming the Flyer between New York and Chicago. The one lesson drilled into his metallic little noggin over and over is simple: a good train stays on the tracks. One day he’s challenged to a race by a horse, and in order to win, he jumps the tracks and barrels into a meadow. What he doesn’t foresee is that he’s about to fall in love with meadow romps—chasing butterflies, enjoying the flowers, and generally living his best life. Through some clever trickery, the townspeople bring an end to his gallivanting and get him back on track (literally) toward Flyer stardom.

There’s an obvious lesson to be taken from Tootle’s story and a subtle one as well that I personally feel is a little emotionally damaging, but neither are what stayed with me over the years. What stuck with me was how Tootle made me feel—that spark of wonder and joy that hits you when a book opens up a little world just for you.

And just a quick thank-you to Michelle of True Book Addict for designing the brand-new FFC image. She made the original one as well, and even though I’m a bit sad to set that one aside, I’m genuinely in love with this new look.

The Dark Friars by Ryan J Hamshaw

 

Synopsis From Goodreads:

For Seventeen-year-old Liam O’Connor, nightmares become reality when he dreams of a fellow student's murder. Eager to uncover the truth, Liam and his friends investigate, revealing hidden secrets about his identity.

Targeted by the menacing Dark Friars, Liam is saved by the enigmatic Tariq, who introduces him to a supernatural world where good and evil battle in the shadows.

Can Liam juggle college, family, friendships, and desires while bearing the heavy responsibilities of his newfound destiny?

Against the picturesque cathedral city of Sarumbourne, the looming threat of the Dark Friars intensifies, and Liam's normal life shatters amid the chaos.

To be perfectly honest, this synopsis bores me to tears and gives the reader absolutely no clue how fantastic this book actually is. At least, it was for me. Not a single second was wasted. I was hooked from the first few sentences as we get dropped right into Liam’s nightmarishly violent dream. I was so sucked in that the second I finished, I bought a copy—even though it’s on Kindle Unlimited—and then bought the second book a few minutes later. I had zero self-control.

I don’t read a ton of YA. I think I read one or two last year, maybe the same this year. I’m only mentioning this because I don’t have a huge backlog to compare The Dark Friars to, but I can say I enjoyed it as much as my favorite YA of all time, Rotters by Daniel Kraus—just for completely different reasons. Liam, his friends Lily and Jack, Tariq, and the rest of the Keepers and Guild members pulled me straight into a world of immensee magic and the fight between those trying to protect it and those who want to twist it for their own nefarious means.

In a not-small way, The Dark Friars reminds me of my favorite TV show of all time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So much so that I’m giving in and breaking out the bullet points, though I still wish I could get away with using a giant Venn diagram.

• Like Buffy, Liam gets hit with immense power after the violent death of his predecessor. Unlike Buffy, Liam was forced to dream about that violent death for days.

• Buffy becomes the Slayer. Liam becomes the newest Keeper—one of six guardians protecting Sarumbourne from every manner of magical nightmare: shapeshifters, vampires, demons, and, of course, the Dark Friars.

• Buffy has the Watchers Council. Liam and the other Keepers have The Guild.

• Buffy has Willow and Xander. Liam has Lily and Jack—and honestly, I’d trade Xander for Jack in half a heartbeat. Jack is sooooo much better.

• Buffy has Angel. Liam has Tariq, and I’m already confident that Liam and Tariq are going to have a far healthier go of things.

That’s not to say the world the author has created feels derivative, because it absolutely doesn’t. This world stands entirely on its own and feels fully realized—a feat that can be difficult to pull off in the first book of a series. I could follow the paths of Craythorn Forest and Grovely Wood. The campus of Sarumbourne College is as real to me as my own. And I desperately want to wander the halls and rooms of The Seven Angels for myself. I think I would like it there.

All I know is that there better be a third, fourth, fifth, and twelfth book soon. Especially if they all have these gorgeous covers.