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E.R. LeVar

@erlevar1031.bsky.social

714 followers 184 following 680 posts

I am a SFF #writer, a world-traveler, a loom-weaver, and a bookseller with more degrees than necessary. Oh, and sometimes I review YA books, too! gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

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E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 4h

Happy Friday, #BookSky! Looking for a new dystopia? Climate change has made the world pretty uninhabitable in Sandra Proudman's THE END OF US. Unless you're lucky enough to live in the Dome. Or if you win the next Lottery... Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/10/the-...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

The End of Us / Sandra Proudman / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Happy weekend, #BookSky! Looking for a short story anthology for chilly fall evenings? A THOUSAND NIGHTS is a collection of fairy stories spun with hope, resilience, and sincerity by a collective of Muslim women authors Check out my full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/10/a-th...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

A Thousand Nights / Nafiza Azad & Intisar Khanani, Editors / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I love those cafes! Some of my favorites in STL. Nothing like coffee in an old jail.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I'm sometimes in STL - haha! I was based there I founded GR, and I probably will be again.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Looking for the perfect #spooky season read, #BookSky? Calling all horror buffs! Legendary director Jack Stanley is hosting a competition on the set of his biggest psychological horror film in Ryan Douglass's NIGHT OF MADNESS. Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/09/nigh...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

Night of Madness / Ryan Douglass / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I don't know why I would ever need to "Ask Gemini" about my own files. They're mine. I created them.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"Why do you have a Black History Month display? What about WHITE history?" happens every year. Yay to being in a conservative area 🙃

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Happy Friday, #BookSky! Looking for some new #fae shenanigans? Want to see immortals who *don't* get away with casually being Confederate soldiers? Looking for some grisly Southern charm? Check out WHERE WE GO AT NIGHT. Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/09/wher...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

Where We Go at Night / Ikwo Ntekim / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Happy Friday, #BookSky! Any other Twelfth Night fans out there? Susan Metallo's HEARTS ON THE TABLE transforms Shakespeare's comedy into a very queer, very delightful historical novel. Check out my full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/09/hear...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

Hearts on the Table / Susan Metallo / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Happy Friday, #BookSky! Wondering what's happening in the world of teen #dystopia? Juno Dawson's SURVIVAL SHOW gives a singing competition a deadly twist when overpopulation demands government euthanasia programs... Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/09/surv...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

Survival Show / Juno Dawson / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I can't believe it's been 6 years since I launched Gateway Reviews! To celebrate, I've pulled together a couple lists featuring the Best and Buzziest Books I've featured. If you (somehow) need more books for your TBR... #BookSky #BookReviews gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/p/all-time-f...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

All-Time Favorites

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Happy Friday, #BookSky! Looking for some good family fun? Well, Dinesh Thiru's MY KILLER FAMILY REUNION has the family part, anyway. They joke Grand Mom is unkillable, but with a new will in the works... Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/08/my-k...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

My Killer Family Reunion / Dinesh Thiru / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

The way I started this book in an airport, and I finished it before my flight took off (thanks to a delay, but still...)

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E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Happy Friday, #BookSky! I don't often find a 10/10 read, but this week... Well, I'm gushing. I won't ramble long here, but if you've ever needed to just leave your family behind you, this coming-of-age novel will speak to your soul. Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

The Secret to Belonging / Megan E. Freeman / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Everybody's understaffed and nobody's hiring.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Happy Friday, #BookSky! If current politics have taught you that The Handmaid's Tale didn't have enough spray tan and bottle blondes, THE SEASON OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS might be your next favorite #dystopia. Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

The Season of Light and Darkness / Jillian Cantor / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Happy Friday, #BookSky! Looking for a *complicated feelings* type of book? Alex is a victim of Munchausen by proxy, and a coma last spring brought the truth to light. Now he has to survive the trial... Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/08/alex...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

Alex, By Proxy / Karen Myna Cantor / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Asked my brother to feed my baby sourdough starter while I was out of town this past week, and tell me why he tasted it to "see if it's ready" 😭

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

"If you like POPULAR QUEER ROMANCE, try RANDOM STRAIGHT ROMANCE!" - some booktoker, bookstagrammer, or corporate bookstore

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Happy Friday, #BookSky! It's been too long since there was a good teen coming-of-age road trip book, right? Well, let me present HEARTBREAK AND OTHER ORGAN FAILURES. It's an impromptu girls' trip... with a deadbeat dad at the end. Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/07/hear...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

Heartbreak and Other Organ Failures / Taylor Hobbs / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Happy Friday, #BookSky! If you're putting together your #spooky season reading list already, I'll point you to Sophia Hannan's #paranormal #Thriller WE WERE NEVER HERE. YouTube ghost hunters, an art theft ring, a knife... Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/07/we-w...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

We Were Never Here / Sophia Hannan / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Hike Review 7/23 Ungraded hill to nowhere. One path on the map but multiple in fact with no signposts to indicate the "real" one. Steep drop-off on one side. Many spiders. Very scary. Constant construction sounds despite being a "conservation area," and no good views. 2/10

A log covered in glorious plate fungi. Truly a marvel to behold.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Trying to explain to my dog that "heat index" and "danger to human and animal life" mean we only get one walk today and not the 10,000 walks he prefers.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Happy Friday, #BookSky! On the lookout for the perfect #weekend read? If you like Dickensian characters, great wealth disparities, and messy family trees, check out Natasha Díaz's #Thriller WHAT LIES BENEATH THE FLOWERS. Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/07/what...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

What Lies Beneath Flowers / Natasha Díaz / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Happy weekend, #BookSky! Anybody else tired of blood-guts-and-war dragons?? If you need *different*, check out this world of dragon sanctuaries and dragon veterinarians instead in Dana Swift's #Fantasy WHEN DEALING WITH DRAGONS. Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/07/when...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

When Dealing With Dragons / Dana Swift / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Happy Weekend, #BookSky! If you're looking for a tongue-in-cheek spy thriller (or if you're just looking for a good book, period), check out AUGUSTA PINE DOES NOT EXIST! It's a fun, funny near-future hostage situation... Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/07/augu...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

Augusta Pine Does Not Exist / Emily Lloyd-Jones / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

April : "Hiring is slow because we're approaching end of fiscal year." May : "Hiring is slow because we're almost at the end of the fiscal year." June : "Hiring is slow because it's the end of the fiscal year."

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Happy weekend, #BookSky! Looking for a High Seas adventure to get you through this #summer heat? A PRINCE AMONG PIRATES might do the trick! Kit thought this was just a merchant vessel... Check out my full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/06/a-pr...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

A Prince Among Pirates / Katie Abdou / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

3 years ago, I could get an interview no problem. Today, I'm waiting weeks for "We've decided to go with someone with more experience..."

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

I do landscape photography and post that to a lot of my socials, and I have a family member who followed me (without my prompting) who comments on every photo, "This is nice, but why aren't there any people??" And I'm sorry, but get off my landscape photography account, then?

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Happy Friday, #BookSky! Need a #Mystery to add to your TBR? Fallon's in this competition to win. She needs all the exposure she can get. But something here isn't right in LAST TO LEAVE. Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/06/last...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

Last to Leave / Teresa Richards / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Recycling mildly popular YA books from 20 years ago with fancy new "special editions" instead of just finding new authors is definitely a choice.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

It's beautiful. That is all.

Round white mushrooms

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Happy Pride, #BookSky! If you're looking for a fun summer read, check out THE MONSTERS WE MADE! It's road tripping, paranormal investigating, a bit of government meddling... and falling in love with a girl for the first time. Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/06/the-...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

The Monsters We Made / Peyton June / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

"After you apply online, go into the building and introduce yourself! Then they'll invite you to an interview." - my mother

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Hey, Small Business Owner! I know you think your AI mascot is super cute -- plus, free is a really good deal! -- but it's actually creepy and off-putting. Maybe save up a bit to commission an artist? Sincerely, Someone who prefers to shop local

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Looking for the perfect #summer read, #BookSky? Blue Beach is the only Black-owned beach this side of town, and the (white) neighbors aren't happy. Especially when a body washes ashore in Karyn Parsons's #HistoricalFiction. Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/06/blue...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

Blue Beach / Karyn Parsons / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

9 months into job-hunting, and my lovely mother has given the advice of "Just ask your friends if they know of anything!!"

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Need a Pride Month read? SHAPES OF LOVE is great aroace rep!! It asks the hard questions, explores deep friendships, and perfectly captures the nostalgic moment between the end of high school and the start the rest of your life. Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/05/shap...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

Shapes of Love / L.V. Peñalba / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

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E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Happy weekend, #BookSky! Anybody else wishing they were heading to the beach right now? That's where Odie's headed... and where the storm washes his sailboat ashore in Anna Ellison's #Romance CALYPSO'S ODYSSEY. Check out my full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/05/caly...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

Calypso's Odyssey / Anna Ellison / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Happy weekend, #BookSky! Thinking of traveling this #summer? Evelyn would tell you to think again. She's several iterations in to this plane crash time-loop in Rachel Reiss's SECONDS TO SPARE. Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/05/seco...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

Seconds to Spare / Rachel Reiss / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Eavesdropping on some old ladies at the coffee shop as she says she's so mad her grandson accused her of being a Tr*mper for "defending him." Not five minutes later saying she only trusts 🦊News because every other outlet is "lying."

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Me: types "encampment" Microsoft Word: did you mean "campsite"? No, Microsoft, I did not mean campsite.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Happy Friday, Book People! 💙📚 Looking for a lush #Fantasy to escape into this #weekend? Every night is full of magic and revelry in Elisa A. Bonnin's THE NIGHT KING'S COURT. Check out my full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

The Night King's Court / Elisa A. Bonnin / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Happy weekend, #BookSky! Need some seaside #horror in your life? Lindsay Weinberg's already got big #summer plans after getting kicked out of her most recent boarding school. But her plans *don't* involve rural Maine in THE COVE. Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

The Cove / Claire Rose / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

YA is such a strange spot rn because on one hand, you have adult fantasy/romantasy funneled to YA because that's culturally where women authors *belong* and on the other hand, you have classic MG books being republished as YA because they are suddenly too hard/dark for the contemporary kid.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Happy weekend, #BookSky! The sun is out, the ground is thawed, and things are getting green around me. And greenery means rot, or at least it does in Jill Baguchinsky's #Horror MAY THE DEAD KEEP YOU. Check out my full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/04/may-...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

May the Dead Keep You / Jill Baguchinsky / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Yesterday was my last day as a bookseller, and I miss it already. For management reasons, I had to move on, but please direct all your deranged book questions to me! Only remember the color of the book? I got you. Only know NPR talked about it a month ago? I can help!

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Happy Weekend, Book People! Looking for a cozy romance to be your next escape? Madeline and Cooper might be nemeses, but they're working together now to keep their parents from dating in WE ARE NEVER GETTING TOGETHER. 📚💙 Full #BookReview: gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/2026/04/we-a...

gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com

We Are Never Getting Together / Janette Rallison / Book Review

Gateway Reviews features thorough reviews of new release Young Adult literature across genres.

E.R. LeVar @erlevar1031.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Very possible, though he seemed to be as confused about the situation as I was! 🤣