always raining here 💧 a lazy saturday

we will have this print at TCAF 2026 where we are FEATURED GUESTS promoting the new version of Always Raining Here!

hope to see some of you there!

*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Image & summary from NetGalley*

The stand alone adaptation of the popular webcomic by the same name about the down-to-earth courtship between two gay teenagers as they fumble with high school, parental expectations, their dreams, and each other. Carter is an impulsive, fun-loving, extremely gay teen on a mission to finally hook up with any cute, single guy who will have him. Unfortunately, his options are slim. Enter recently-single Adrian, Carter's very cute, hardworking, and stressed-out target who rebuffs all of his clumsy seduction techniques. Adrian initially plays along but slams on the brakes when he realizes he is still in love with his ex. After a messy, uninhibited night at a house party that results in Carter helping both Adrian and his best friend Maria—the two boys form a tentative friendship. As their friendship progresses through countless hangouts and a few too many pizza slices, the two become integral to one another. But can their vague relationship survive their first official hookup, Adrian’s self-destructiveness, and a big fight that threatens any chance of either confessing?

I love this graphic novel! This is one of the first queer webcomics that I read and I was very excited to revisit the story in polished, graphic novel format. In many ways, this comic feels nostalgic. Set in 2013, it was a blast from the past to remember what it was like to use flip phones and see so many pop culture references, plus that era of clothing and hair styles. I love how much of a gay disaster Carter is at the start. What an awkward way to go about trying to woo a guy, how absolutely cringey! The character development for Carter and Adrian is so good, the shifts are so gradual that all of a sudden you're in too deep with the story and feeling all the feels. Top tier story telling, messy and loveable characters, humor, romance, angst -- Always Raining Here has it all! I also really enjoy that the way the art style changed over time, which is one of my favorite elements of long running webcomics.

(Bonus: the last short comic is set during Halloween and today is Halloween!! I'm winning)

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Blurb:

The stand alone adaptation of the popular webcomic by the same name about the down-to-earth courtship between two gay teenagers as they fumble with high school, parental expectations, their dreams, and each other.

Carter is an impulsive, fun-loving, extremely gay teen on a mission to finally hook up with any cute, single guy who will have him. Unfortunately, his options are slim. Enter recently-single Adrian, Carter's very cute, hardworking, and stressed-out target who rebuffs all of his clumsy seduction techniques. Adrian initially plays along but slams on the breaks when he realizes he is still in love with his ex.

After a messy, uninhibited night at a house party that results in Carter helping both Adrian and his best friend Maria— the two boys form a tentative friendship. As their friendship progresses through countless hangouts and a few too many pizza slices, the two become integral to one another. But can their vague relationship survive their first official hookup, Adrian’s self-destructiveness, and a big fight that threatens any chance of either confessing?

Review:

A lovely story about two gay teens as they deal with heartbreak, romance, family, and high school. Carter is a fun loving impulsive teen who is determined to find a cute guy to hook up with, too bad his options are extremely low. Then he meets Adrian at a bookshop, Adrian is a straight laced, recently single, theater kid who is reeling from his recent heartbreak. Carter is determined to win Adrian over.. the only problem is Adrian is still in love with his ex. Carter and Adrian find themselves bumping into each other more and more, and a unlikely friendship begins to grow... but can their new friendship survive their first hookup or will Adrian's self-destructiveness threaten any chance of a real relationship between them. This was a great queer coming of age story between two different gay teenagers. I love how authentic the story felt and how much growth both characters go through. The romance was so well done and told in a fantastic way. It's just a really great read and one I'd definitely recommend!

Release Date: November 11, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

Chris Makes a Friend by Alex Gino (4th) This is not the summer Chris has planned… Chris does not want to be spending the summer with her grandparents and her little sister. Her grandparents aren’t bad — they just don’t let Chris do what she wants to do, which is sit around and read all day. And her sister, Becca, is the opposite, never sitting still and never being quiet. The good part is that…

"Adrian is heartsick, Carter is horny. This is a story about their misadventures as awkward teenagers as they fumble through unrequited romances."