This is my last Friday Favourties post for 2017 and it's my greatest pleasure to have Liz Jacobs, author of queer romance, a wonderful human being and a dear friend. Her next release is the second and final book in her queer NA series Abroad. Abroad: Book One is a stunning debut, an unforgettable story of finding oneself and one's place in the world. It's one of my #bestbooks2017. Abroad: Book Two comes out on 2 Jan 2018 and you can read its blurb and pre-order links at the end of this post.
Friday Favourites
1. Favourite place
Ohhh, this is hard! There are so many to pick from: cities, countries, little places... But let's go with the cheesiest one, which is my home, with my wife. The most important factor being my wife, obviously, because she is home. (I know. GROSS. *vomits*)
2. Favourite food and drink
First, let me just say, I LOVE FOOD. I cannot possibly pick one, BUT I will give a favorite meal, which is—pan-roasted chicken with roasted veggies. It just feels like the perfect meal.
Oh, and Pho. And Ramen. And…okay, I love soups with stuff in them.
I cheated, sue me. I love food!
Favorite drink is tea, Earl Grey, hot. (No milk.)
3. Favourite music/genre/artist/song
You're killing me, Smalls. I love many different kinds of music—it really varies with mood, where I am, etc. I can say that I am currently obsessed with Janelle Monae to an unhealthy degree. My favorite band of all time is possibly the Manic Street Preachers, followed closely by My Chemical Romance. (In fact, I woke up with My Chem in my head this morning, HELLO DARKNESS, MY OLD FRIEND.) I also love pop and some classical (Bach is my boo) and Spanish guitar and salsa music and and and…
4. Favourite movie/TV series
Movie: I'mmmm…gonna go with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, for it is everything Perfect and Good in this world. It gives me all the made family and friendship feels and also brings light to dark places. It's just so wonderful. SO WONDERFUL. (With Four Weddings and a Funeral as runner-up, not winning because the main love story is Zzzzzzzzzzzz… but the supporting cast are amazing and wonderful.)
TV series: HOW DARE. Oh, man. Let's go with "shows I have rewatched a million times" which will leave us with: due South (mounties! Dogs! Partnerships!) and Veronica Mars.
5. Favourite hobby besides writing, if you consider writing a hobby
I have been very vocal about my cross-stitching as of late, so that, at the moment. I'm also a big reader, to no one's surprise. I've been known to draw, but haven't in a while (unless you count doodles). I used to make a ton of jewelry. I'm basically a hobby dilettante.
6. Favourite books
Listen, I would consider this evil, if I didn't have a definitive answer, which is, At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill. It's not an easy book, and it's not exactly a happy book. But it is absolutely astonishing in its scope and heart and the writing is simply sublime. It's a truly incredible, unique, special book that I want everybody in the world to read.
Runners up include: a few Russian books that haven't been translated and never will be (more's the pity), as well as Jane Austen's Persuasion, KJ Charles' A Seditious Affair and Think of England, Anyta Sunday's rock (the biggest book hangover, omg), Alexis Hall's Prosperity (another massive book hangover), and Joanna Chambers' Enlightenment series (which I first read WHILE hungover, and it cured not only my hangover but also cleared my skin and brought on temporary world peace).
I should stop there, shouldn't I…
Abroad: Book Two
Blurb:
The heartwarming and romantic conclusion to the duology celebrated by Teen Vogue as “a nuanced and sexy take on growing up and learning to accept who you are.”
Nick Melnikov has finally done it — he’s come out.
To himself. To his sister. And to Dex, who listens, hears him, and understands. To Dex, who kisses him and shows him all that they could be, if Nick could only find the courage. It’s one thing to let yourself be open thousands of miles away from your family, but exchange student Nick is uncomfortably aware that his time with Dex is running out. Who will he be when he goes home again?
Dex Cartwell is as happy with Nick as he’s ever been, but he can’t ignore the shadow of Nick’s inevitable departure from London, back to his life in Michigan. Is it worth it for Dex to expose his heart to another doomed relationship with a predetermined expiration date? What does Dex really want for the beginning of the next chapter in his life, post-graduation?
Dex wants to turn to his best friend in the struggle to find a way forward, but Izzy Jones has her own problems. She’s got one friend in love with her, and when she turns to another for help things get twice as complicated. Izzy never wanted complicated, but life just keeps getting in the way — and sweeping her off her feet.
Then Nick’s mom and sister come for a visit, and he is forced to decide between living his truth and protecting himself from fear and change. It’s going to take a lot of courage and a few leaps in the dark if Nick, Dex, and Izzy are to find a way to live and love on their own terms.
Author Bio and Links
Liz Jacobs came over with her family from Russia at the age of 11, as a Jewish refugee. All in all, her life has gotten steadily better since that moment. They settled in an ultra-liberal haven in the middle of New York State, which sort of helped her with the whole “grappling with her sexuality” business.
She has spent a lot of her time flitting from passion project to passion project, but writing remains her constant. She has flown planes, drawn, made jewelry, had an improbable internet encounter before it was cool, and successfully wooed the love of her life in a military-style campaign. She has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize for her essay on her family’s experience with immigration.
She currently lives with her wife and dog in Massachusetts, splitting her time between her day job, writing, and watching a veritable boatload of British murder mysteries.
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