In case you weren’t already a little nervous or uneasy going in to the dental clinic, the doorstop at my dentist’s front door will fix that for you.
Month: June 2025
Bored Gay Werewolf by Tony Santorella
What can I possibly say about Bored Gay Werewolf, which caught my attention
with the garish colours of its front cover when I saw it in Waterstones and whose blurb suggested that it might, perhaps, be a queer fantasy romp with a Buffy-esque sense of
humour.
Werewolf? Sure, it’s got a few of those. There’s even a bit of fun, offbeat humour each time the protagonist reflects on their curious monthly cycle and tries to work out whether they attacked or even killed anybody this time around. But mostly it’s not a story about werewolf: it’s a story about a slacker who gets suckered into a pyramid scheme, with just a hint of lycanthropy around the fringes.
Gay? I mean: the protagonist’s gay, and many of their friends are queer… and while the representation is good, sexuality doesn’t feel like it’s a particularly significant issue to the storyline. I enjoyed the parallels that were drawn between Brian’s coming-out as gay versus his (for most of the story) closeted werewolf nature – which even though I saw them coming from the first chapter onwards were still well-presented – but apart from that it almost felt like gayness wasn’t a central theme to the story. A smidge of homophobia, some queer culture references, and a throwaway Grindr hookup with a closeted MSM dude do not contribute enough homosexuality to justify “gay” being the largest, pinkest word on a novel’s cover, if you ask me.
Bored? I was, at some points in the book, but I’m not convinced that’s what was intended. The pacing’s a little inconsistent: a long and drawn-out description of an exercise routines overshadows an exploration of the impact of werewolf super-senses, for example. And a long-foreshadowed fight scene finale feels like it’s over in an instant (with a Van Helsing ex Machina twist that felt simultaneously like the brakes being slammed on and a set-up for an inevitable sequel).
I sound pretty negative about it, I’m sure. But it’s not actually bad. It’s just not actually good, either. It’s a passable, middle-of-the-road time-filler with an interesting hook, a few funny set pieces (I laughed out loud a couple of times, for sure), and a set of misfit characters who spend most of the book feeling a little… incomplete? Though it’s possible that latter point’s at-least partially deliberate, as this is without a doubt a “Gen-Z Grows Up” story. Maybe if I were younger and didn’t yet have my shit together the story would appeal better.
Dan Q did not find GC9M1WJ Village Hall series 1179 – Mortimer Hall Marston
This checkin to GC9M1WJ Village Hall series 1179 - Mortimer Hall Marston reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Had to give up on this one for now. Found the plaque without difficulty and soon had a believable set of coordinates (though I briefly struggled with what was meant by the D & E description). Soon I was at the GZ and, after a brief hunt through the multitude of possible hosts, tried the hint. No use, though: I’m no wiser what I should be looking for. Sadly this is only a flying visit to Marston and I’ve got to go wrangle the kids now, but maybe I’ll revisit next time I’m in the area.
Dan Q found GC9GJZH Dotty writes letters
This checkin to GC9GJZH Dotty writes letters reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
I’m in Marston on an errand and figured I’d pick up a couple of local caches that weren’t around when I was last in the vicinity: which I guess was way back when I lived near here! The puzzle didn’t leave me stumped for long, but I always used to score highly at Dotty’s kind of game! TFTC.
Dan Q found GC9GEC1 Church Micro 14176…Old Marston
This checkin to GC9GEC1 Church Micro 14176...Old Marston reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
A quick and easy offset church micro if ever I saw one. I’ll tell you what, I totally approve of this form of formula – this letter is this number plus or minus something, ten just string them all together – rather than the more-common algebraic backflips one sometimes has to do. SL, TFTC!
Dan Q found GCANV4T #14 Longworth Loop
This checkin to GCANV4T #14 Longworth Loop reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
While I searched through potential hosts in this off-the-path GZ, the geopup just stood in one particular place, looking at me as if I were a fool. I should’ve listened, because clearly her own geosense is developing: she was right next to the cache’s hiding spot!
TFTC, and thanks once more for such a brilliant loop of caches: all nicely hidden, well cared for, and appropriately sized. Really enjoyed our walk this morning
Dan Q found GCANV4Q #13 Longworth Loop
This checkin to GCANV4Q #13 Longworth Loop reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
After a brief hunt in a couple of candidate places a hit the hint, which was reassuringly clear on which host I should be searching. Soon the cache was in hand. TFTC.
Dan Q found GCANV4N #12 Longworth Loop
This checkin to GCANV4N #12 Longworth Loop reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
After fashioning the requisite tool it still took me a solid 5+ attempts to retrieve the cache – it felt a bit like playing those wiggle-wire fairground games that I suck at so much! Once retrieved, the dog was very disappointed that start I was holding wasn’t a plaything for her. TFTC, FP awarded for the right container, right hiding place, right difficulty.
Dan Q found GCANV4E #11 Longworth Loop
This checkin to GCANV4E #11 Longworth Loop reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Found at retrieved entirely by feel while the geopup stood (well, sat) guard. TFTC.
Dan Q found GCANV49 #10 Longworth Loop
This checkin to GCANV49 #10 Longworth Loop reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
A helpful geotrail led me right to this one, though I had to wait until a slow-moving jogger, talking on their phone, had passed before I could retrieve it. TFTC.
Dan Q found GCANV45 #09 Longworth Loop
This checkin to GCANV45 #09 Longworth Loop reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Great container in an excellent spot (have another FP!) but retrieval of this one was a bit of a stretch for my old bones! Amazing route you’ve picked out here, too, CO. TFTC!
Dan Q found GCANV41 #08 Longworth Loop
This checkin to GCANV41 #08 Longworth Loop reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
QEF at the one obvious hiding place within the GZ. Got pickled retrieving the cache, but that was nothing compared to how difficult it was to extract the log from its inner container. What a challenge! TFTC.
Dan Q found GCANV3H #07 Longworth Loop
This checkin to GCANV3H #07 Longworth Loop reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
A telltale sign to geocacher’s eye made both finding and retrieving this cache pretty easy. TFTC!
Dan Q found GCANV3D #06 Longworth Loop
This checkin to GCANV3D #06 Longworth Loop reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
My geosense tingled and I found this cache straightaway, even while the geohound excitedly ran out into the open field ahead and exhorted me to follow. SL, TFTC!
Dan Q found GCANV37 #05 Longworth Loop
This checkin to GCANV37 #05 Longworth Loop reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
After initially following what I mistook for a geotrail but which turned out to be on entirely the wrong side of the path, I soon saw my mistake, crossed over, and had the cache in hand. TFTC.