• All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Dark Academia

    24 August, 2022

    I have to start off today’s rec list with a little definition because, above all others, dark academia seems to be a genre that could mean absolutely anything. I mean, when I was researching for this list, someone had added Pride and Prejudice as dark academia to their recs. So, before we go anywhere, I’m going to lay out what I consider to be the hallmarks of dark academia (and thus, the criteria by which I’ve selected these recs).

    First and foremost, I think this is a genre that needs to be set in and around academia. I mean, it’s in the name! Thus, these books are set at university and/or other schools (or school-equivalents). Secondly, I think what makes this genre is the themes, that is those of obsession, possessiveness, unhealthy relationships and desire. There’s a certain headiness to the genre, where, while events may seem outlandish, while you’re reading you’re just as absorbed as the characters themselves. Oh, and there might be a little pinch of murder to spice it up.

    So, with luck, I’ve selected 10 books that fit this description. And hey! They are, as ever, all gay.

    A lot of those titles are available on Scribd, so if you want to check out that service but don’t have an account yet, use my invite code to get 2 months for free! (This also gives me one free month.)

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Wranglestone + Timberdark

    18 August, 2022

    Did you ever go through a phase of reading all the zombie apocalypse books you could get your hands on? No? Just me? Okay then. But even if you didn’t, this is a series you’ll want to be on the lookout for. I was lucky enough to read an ARC of Timberdark, but my review here is for the whole series, because I couldn’t review one without the other. So, let’s dive in!

    And don’t forget, you can follow Darren on twitter.

    The islands of Lake Wranglestone are a safe haven in a world filled with the Restless Dead. But as the lake freezes over, there’s nothing to stop them from crossing the ice.

    Peter’s has never really felt at home in a place where practicality and grit are valued above all else. He’s nothing like rancher, Cooper, the boy he’s always watched from afar. But when he’s is ordered to join him out on the mainland to help herd the Dead from their shores, they find more than just each other.

    There they unearth a dark secret about Wranglestone’s past. One that forces the pair to question everything they’ve ever known.

    With the tide turned against the Dead, Peter and the remaining community on Wranglestone prepare to leave for town, where the comforts of the world before await them. Could this be the home that finally brings both safety and unity for all?

    Cooper isn’t so sure. He harbours feelings from that terrible night on the lake and worse, a secret… codename, Timberdark.

    With Cooper’s new found connection to the Dead, Peter’s suspicions about what he might do next grow. Faced with losing the boy he loves, Peter must uncover the truth about the mysterious Timberdark before their future together and the world around them is placed in danger.

    Wranglestone Duology

    Darren R. Charlton

    Goodreads

    Rep: gay mc, gay li
    Timberdark release: 1st September 2022

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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Asian Sapphic Novels

    15 August, 2022

    A recommendation list that’s a bit longer than usually (40 books instead of 10), but I feel like that’s justified: Kate @ Your Tita Kate requested Asian sapphic books, and that’s just too vast a topic to cover it with ten novels. (Forty aren’t enough either, but I had to stop somewhere.)

    Yes, I am sadly aware of the lack of North and Central Asian books on this list, but despite my best efforts, I simply could not think of any. The list does cover four other main regions of Asia, though, and it’s all fiction. I opted not to include poetry this time.

    A lot of those titles are available on Scribd, so if you want to check out that service but don’t have an account yet, use my invite code to get 2 months for free! (This also gives me one free month.)

    Related: Southeast Asian LGBT Lit, South Asian LGBT Lit, West Asian LGBT Lit & East Asian LGBT Lit.
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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Poetry Collections (III)

    13 August, 2022

    It’s been a while since we did a rec list of poetry collections—and Anna took on the last two—so what better way to break up your Saturday than to sit and read a poem or few! Trust me when I say each of the collections here are ones that’ll make you feel a little hollow on finishing, in the way only the best poetry can. Or don’t trust me and read it for yourself!

    As ever, the why you should read it sections have been replaced with favourite quotes.

    And hey, a lot of these titles are available on Scribd, so if you want to check out that service but don’t have an account yet, use my invite code to get 2 months for free! (This also gives me one free month.)

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  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: Ownvoices Achillean Books of July-December 2022

    12 August, 2022

    A list of achillean books written by achillean authors from second half of 2022. The term ‘ownvoices’ is used broadly, in the sense that some of those books feature gay protagonists & are written by bi authors, some are written by nonbinary achillean authors, etc. But none of them are written by women, straight or otherwise. And the term ‘achillean’ is used as a blanket label, so you will find here mlm books, but also mlnb books and books with achillean protagonists & no romance at all.

    There are no rainbow emojis this time, for obvious reasons, but there are plant emojis for nonbinary and/or trans authors.

    And hey, over time a lot of those titles will be available on Scribd, so if you want to check out that service but don’t have an account yet, use my invite code to get 2 months for free! (This also gives me one free month.)

    See also: ownvoices achillean books of January-June 2022 & LGBT releases by rep
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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: A Taste of Gold and Iron

    9 August, 2022

    A Taste of Gold and Iron is a book we imagine you’ve been anticipating ever since it was announced, because we know we were! We’re a mere 3 weeks out from release now, so, without waffling on any further, let us give you a little taste of what you can expect in this review. (And, as ever, there’s a mix at the end too.)

    And don’t forget, you can follow Alex on twitter too.

    Kadou, the shy prince of Arasht, finds himself at odds with one of the most powerful ambassadors at court—the body-father of the queen’s new child—in an altercation which results in his humiliation.

    To prove his loyalty to the queen, his sister, Kadou takes responsibility for the investigation of a break-in at one of their guilds, with the help of his newly appointed bodyguard, the coldly handsome Evemer, who seems to tolerate him at best. In Arasht, where princes can touch-taste precious metals with their fingers and myth runs side by side with history, counterfeiting is heresy, and the conspiracy they discover could cripple the kingdom’s financial standing and bring about its ruin.

    A Taste of Gold and Iron

    Alexandra Rowland

    Goodreads

    Rep: Turkish coded cast & setting, gay mc with depression and anxiety, bi mc, achillean side character, nonbinary side characters
    CWs: violence, panic attacks
    Release: 30th August 2022

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  • Wrap Ups

    Wrap-up: July 2022

    1 August, 2022

    I don’t know about you, but July seems to have sped by for me. We’re already into August and from there, it’s basically the end of 2022. Time, what a thing. In an unexpected turn of events, neither of us watched or listened to anything gay this month. I say “unexpected”, but this is probably more so for Anna than me. But anyway, August sounds like the perfect month for correcting that! And we did read a whole lot besides.

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  • Discussions and Guest Posts

    Guest Post: On Queernormative Worldbuilding in Secondary Worlds

    27 July, 2022

    We’re just under two weeks out from the release of Naseem Jamnia’s The Bruising of Qilwa, a book I’m sure you’ve all been highly anticipating. Today, you’re all in luck, because we have a small taste of what’s to come with this guest post that Naseem kindly wrote for us, part of which looks at how they approached their own worldbuilding in the book. So sit yourself down, and let’s get started!

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  • Interviews

    Author Interview: Victor Manibo

    24 July, 2022

    Today’s interview is with someone whose book, undoubtedly, we have all been waiting impatiently for (and the release of which, fingers crossed, is nearly, finally, upon us!). You know the drill by now: we spoke with Victor Manibo about any number of things, that you can find below!

    And don’t forget that you can follow Victor on twitter too!

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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Twitter’s Favourite LGBT Romance Novels

    21 July, 2022

    Once again, I have asked people on Twitter something and was overwhelmed with the responses. This time my question was: what are your 5 favourite LGBT romance novels? Almost fifty people replied! It’s amazing to see how much this community loves to hype up their favourite books!

    But it also means that I had to take some time to decide how to make this post. In the end I settled on dividing it into three parts: one for recommendations from me & Charlotte, one for books which were mentioned multiple times (some more than five times!), and one all the other hidden gems. I still ended up with close to 200 titles! (In each category, the books are in alphabetical order.)

    A lot of those titles are available on Scribd, so if you want to check out that service but don’t have an account yet, use my invite code to get 2 months for free! (This also gives me one free month.)

    💛 = sapphic rep (not necessarily an f/f relationship)
    💚 = achillean rep (not necessarily an m/m relationship)
    💙 = trans & nonbinary rep

    Related: Twitter’s Favourite Sapphic Books, LGBT Books & Trans Books
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  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: 2022 Sapphic Releases (July to December)

    19 July, 2022

    If I could have seen into the future when making the schedule for this month, I would not have made myself do a massive post, thus requiring me to have my laptop running for hours, on the hottest day of the year. But, them’s the breaks, I suppose. And, let’s be real, it’s a very good post to make up for it! So let’s get cracking.

    Looking for January to June? Find it here!

    And hey, a lot of these titles are available on Scribd, so if you want to check out that service but don’t have an account yet, use my invite code to get 2 months for free! (This also gives me one free month.)

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  • Interviews

    Author Interview: Derrick Chow

    17 July, 2022

    As the days heat up, give yourself the chills reading about Derrick Chow’s (horror) debut novel, Ravenous Things, which comes out in nine days’ time! Obviously, we’re all waiting very impatiently, but in the meantime, perhaps this interview can ease that agitation.

    And don’t forget that you can follow Derrick on twitter too!

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