Wrap-up: June 2019

We had an epic June (and Pride Month), so what better way to finish it off than to give you a wrap-up of all the amazing things that happened on this blog and others! So we thought, what better than to highlight some of the best (and gayest) books and posts of the month.

We’re starting with what each of us read and watched this month (even the stuff we hated, yes), complete with any reviews we wrote. And then we want to highlight some great posts from the community we read. Hopefully, this will become a more regular feature, but who knows.

What we read

Anna

Crush by Richard Siken (poetry; gay author) – 5 🌈
Shame is an Ocean I Swim Across by Mary Lambert (poetry; lesbian author) – 4 🌈
Noticed Me Yet? by Anyta Sunday (mlm relationship) – 1.5 🌈
Hottie Scotty and Mr Porter by R. Cooper (gay mc & li) – 2 🌈
Everything I Know by Josh Lanyon (gay mc & li) – 2 🌈

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst (bi mc, lesbian mc) – 2 🌈 [review]
Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson (memoir) – 5 🌈
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan (bi mc, gay li) – 3 🌈
Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai – DNF [review]
Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake (bi mc, gq li) – 4 🌈 [review]

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren (bi mc, gay li) – 5 🌈
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver (bi nonbinary mc, bi li) – 4 🌈 [review]
Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian (gay mc & li) – 3.5 🌈
The New Testament by Jericho Brown (poetry; black gay author) – 3 🌈

Charlotte

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite (lesbian mcs) – 2 🌈 [review]
Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence by Adrienne Rich (essay) – 4 🌈
Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst (bi mc, lesbian mc) – 1 🌈 [review]
Rogue Nights by multiple authors (two f/f, two m/m) – 3 🌈
Just Married? by Natasha West (lesbian mcs) – 3 🌈

A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole (bi mc, nonbinary side character) – 5 🌈
Rebound by Eden Finley (gay mcs) – 2 🌈
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson (bi li) – 3.5 🌈 [review]
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (bi mc, lesbian li, gay sides) – 2 🌈 [review]
Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai (gay mc) – 3 🌈 [review]

Six Goodbyes We Never Said by Candace Ganger (bi/pan mc) – 2 🌈 [review]
Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells (bi mc, lesbian li) – 3.5 🌈 [review]
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (wlw mcs) – 4 🌈
The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali (Bangladeshi lesbian mc) – DNF
Another Dance by L. A. Ashton (gay mcs) – 2 🌈 [review]

October Mourning by Lesléa Newton (poetry) – 3 🌈
Behind the Throne by K. B. Wagers (mlm mcs) – 4 🌈
Snotgirl, Vol 1: Green Hair Don’t Care by Bryan Lee O’Malley (wlw mc) – 2 🌈
Fired Up by Riley Hart (gay mcs) – 3 🌈
Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake (bi mc, gq li) – 2 🌈 [review]

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (bi mc, gay li) – 4.5 🌈 [review]
A Blade so Black by L. L. McKinney (bi mc) – 3 🌈
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver (bi nonbinary mc, bi li) – 3 🌈 [review]

What we watched

Charlotte

Just Friends (2018) dir. Ellen Smit (gay mc, Syrian(?) gay li) – 4 🌈
Gentleman Jack (ep 1) cr. Sally Wainwright (lesbian mc & li) – 4 🌈

Anna

Ideal Home (2018) dir. Andrew Fleming (gay mcs) – 3.5 🌈
Dear Ex (2018) dir. Chih-Yen Hsu & Mag Hsu (Chinese gay mc & li) – 4 🌈
Looking: The Movie (2016) dir. Andrew Haigh (gay mc, gay characters, Mexican American gay li) – 2.5 🌈
Hearts Beat Loud (2018) dir. Brett Haley (Black sapphic mc, Black sapphic li) – 3.5 🌈
Mario (2018) dir. Marcel Gisler (gay mcs) – 1.5 🌈

Gentleman Jack (S1) cr. Sally Wainwright (lesbian mc & li) – 5 🌈
Wynonna Earp (S1) dir. Paolo Barzman (bi mc, lesbian li) – 3 🌈
Pose (S1) cr. Steven Canals, Brad Falchuk & Ryan Murphy (Black cast, gay & trans mcs) – 5 🌈
Trinkets (S1) cr. Amy Andelson, Emily Meyer & Kirsten Smith (lesbian kleptomaniac mc, sapphic li) – 3 🌈
Looking (S1) cr. Michael Lannan (gay mc, gay characters, Mexican American gay li) – 2.5 🌈
Tales of the City (S1) cr. Lauren Morelli (bi mc, gay mc, Black gay mc, trans mc, trans Latino mc, Chinese-American lesbian mc, gay, bi & trans characters) – 3 🌈

On the blog

We had a bumper month to celebrate Pride! Some of the highlights were:

• Interviews with K. A. Doore, Abdi Nazemian, Sophie Cameron, K. Ancrum and Julian Winters.
• Rec lists for music, films and TV, and LGBT non-fiction.
• Buddy reads: Of Fire and Stars | Swimming in the Monsoon Sea | Girl Made of Stars | I Wish You All the Best
• Discussion posts: The Value of Ownvoices Lit | Perceptions of Marketing LGBT Books
• And as ever, we gave you a round-up of all the LGBT releases in the month (part one | part two). And what to look forward to in July.

On other blogs

• Shri @ sunandchai wrote a great review of one of our most anticipated releases, Crier’s War.
• Mahana @ Sapphic Library posted a rec list of all sapphic fantasy and paranormal books. And also a rec list of authors of m/f romance who also write f/f.
• Cande @ Latinx Magic wrote a post as part of Shri’s #RepresentationMeans about what Latinx LGBT representation means to her.
• Ngọc @ readwithngọc posted a list of 16 diverse LGBT films to expand your watchlist beyond only films about white gay men.
• Michelle @ Magical Reads made a huge masterlist of all the LGBT YA releases so far and upcoming this year.
• Lauren and Megan @ YA Bookers had a great discussion about diversity and ownvoices representation in UKYA.
• Caitlin made an excellent rec list of what SFF to read if you enjoyed particular contemporaries (gay ones, of course).
• Shealea @ Shut Up Shealea made an amazing list of 16 underrated LGBT books.

So, what did you read/watch this month?

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