reviews, releases and recommendations of LGBT media
October is drawing to a close now and we’re approaching Halloween itself. And, since there are three days left in the month (and only two more months in the rest of the year), perhaps you’re starting to think about how best to complete your Goodreads challenge. Fret not! Because today, we come bearing comic recs.
So if you’re looking for the perfect short read to cap off your spooky season, Boom! Studios has you covered! Check these four out and let us know what you think!
In my humble opinion, today’s post is the most exciting post we have this month. A while ago on twitter (a while because I got impatient and didn’t want to wait), we asked the question: what are your most anticipated 2022 LGBT releases. And, lo and behold, here they are, all in a post, so you can get excited about what’s to come! (And obviously, get a few preorders in, since we are hitting somewhat of a crisis.)
We also did this last year, if you remember, so you can check that out, and see how much the list has grown (66 books on that post—but 2 delayed—vs. 120 on this), and also have a look to see how many you’ve read!
Finally, a little key (bearing in mind that it’s a little hard to confirm rep so far out & some we think might be gay, but only based on an author’s previous output):
🧡 = sapphic rep
💛 = achillean rep
💙 = trans or nonbinary rep
💚 = other or unknown rep
There are already 3 posts about LGBT retellings on the blog: for fairy tales, for mythology and for classic books. They’re all a few years old, though, so it was a high time for an update. So I asked on twitter what kind of retellings y’all would want to see the most and the answer was “a little bit of everything”
And that’s exactly what I’m bringing you today. I divided my recs into four categories, for ease of browsing. There is, of course, some overlap, because books aren’t always clean cut & they might fit into more than one category, but there needs to be some kind of logic to the chaos. So let’s go! Choose what you’re interested in the most (or simply browse all the recs):
First time for everything! We really are here today with a film review! But really, if you follow us on twitter, you might have guessed that this was coming—we were both clearly very, very excited about Operation Hyacinth. So now that it’s been a week since the movie released on Netflix, let us tell you why exactly you should watch it too.
Before we start, though, a quick note: please watch the film with English subtitles, they’re definitely better than the English closed captions.
Not satisfied with the result of a murder investigation in Warsaw’s gay community, an officer in 1980s communist Poland resolves to uncover the truth.
dir. Piotr Domalewski
written by Marcin Ciastoń
Rep: gay mc, gay li, gay characters
CWs: police brutality, homophobia, slurs, autopsy, implied suicide (body on screen), gun violence, shooting, homophobic violence, drowning, violence
Release: 13th October 2021
It’s October, it’s autumn, it’s spooky season, so what better rec list today than a BUMPER rec list of books to read when you want to feel extra spooky! You can even pick your reads based on the emojis below, depending on what you feel like. It’s a win-win situation, I’m sure.
And if you want yet more recs, here’s the list I made last year.
Another day, another guest post, as the poets say. Or maybe they don’t, but they should do from now on. Which is to say we have already hosted a number of very talented people on the blog, and you can read all the previous guest posts here.
Today though we have for you an essay by Candas Jane Dorsey, whose newest book – What’s the Matter with Mary Jane? – comes out tomorrow (October 19th). And you will actually learn a thing or two not only about Dorsey, but about the book itself as well by reading it, so enjoy!
Today’s post is another interview, this time with Sarah Manvel, author of the novella You Ruin it When You Talk from Open Pen. She’s also taking part in the BFDay21 Festival, which takes place this evening and tomorrow in London, which this post very handily coincides with (wow, it’s like we planned it!). So have a read of this interview and, if you’re in town, get yourself down there!
You can follow Sarah on twitter here, and check out her event happening tonight here!
By happy coincidence (or not, you decide), our rec list today comes on the heels of some twitter discourse stemming from an opinion that is—how to put this politely—really fucking stupid. And because of that opinion, in addition to making sure that each of these books is gay, today I’ve challenged* myself to not include a single cis white man!
*It’s not really a challenge.
You can also find part one of this list here. And, handily, you can find a massive thread of recs here!
Today’s post is two for the price of one! We were lucky enough, firstly, to read Farhad J. Dadyburjor’s romcom The Other Man early, and also interview the author himself. So, here you can find five reasons you should be reading this book (and you can even start right now! It’s out today! Buy it here) as well as finding out a little more about the mind behind it all. What’s not to love?
A heartwarming and transporting romantic comedy about finding happy ever after on your own terms.
Heir to his father’s Mumbai business empire, Ved Mehra has money, looks, and status. He is also living as a closeted gay man. Thirty-eight, lonely, still reeling from a breakup, and under pressure from his exasperated mother, Ved agrees to an arranged marriage. He regrettably now faces a doomed future with the perfectly lovely Disha Kapoor.
Then Ved’s world is turned upside down when he meets Carlos Silva, an American on a business trip in India.
As preparations for his wedding get into full swing, Ved finds himself drawn into a relationship he could never have imagined―and ready to take a bold step. Ved is ready to embrace who he is and declare his true feelings regardless of family expectations and staunch traditions. But with his engagement party just days away, and with so much at risk, Ved will have to fight for what he wants―if it’s not too late to get it.
Farhad J. Dadyburjor
Rep: Indian cast, gay mc, Brazilian American gay li
Release: 12th October 2021
I think we can all agree that books including sports in any way, be it a romance between two teammates or the main character running marathons, just somehow hit harder. Sometimes they’re truly all you need in life! Which is why I’m here with ten sports books.
Anyway, I hope no one is surprised that more than half of this list are YA books…
A new interview to share with you today, with Shawn Hitchins, the author of the upcoming The Light Streamed Beneath It, a memoir of grief, memory and recovery. It’s out in just a few days’ time as well, so there’s no need to wait too long for it!
So make sure you’re following Shawn on twitter and don’t forget to preorder!
Today’s post is a new addition to our myriad of releases posts! If you’re looking for books for age groups younger than young adult, perhaps even for small children, then trust me, this is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. A round-up of all the middle grade and picture book releases of 2021! It’s a little delayed, it’s true, partly because we decided to do this post on a whim, but it’s here! And there’s so many exciting books on offer!
Making sure y’all have lots & lots of new music to listen to by bringing you all the September releases by LGBT artists that I heard about. Please comment if you know any I’ve missed and I will add them to the mix (available at the end of the post!), but in the meantime check out ten of my personal favourites.
That’s not enough for you? Try all my previous monthly posts right here!
And hey, on an unrelated note! We started a bookstagram account, check it out!
Today’s post is part of a blog blast to celebrate the release of Lana Harper’s John Tucker Must Die inspired fantasy romcom, Payback’s a Witch. Also known as the most perfect read for spooky season. And you can read it right away, there’s no need to wait! But if you’re not quite convinced yet, let us help you with that…
And don’t forget to follow Lana on twitter too!
Emmy Harlow is a witch but not a very powerful one—in part because she hasn’t been home to the magical town of Thistle Grove in years. Her self-imposed exile has a lot to do with a complicated family history and a desire to forge her own way in the world, and only the very tiniest bit to do with Gareth Blackmoore, heir to the most powerful magical family in town and casual breaker of hearts and destroyer of dreams.
But when a spellcasting tournament that her family serves as arbiters for approaches, it turns out the pull of tradition (or the truly impressive parental guilt trip that comes with it) is strong enough to bring Emmy back. She’s determined to do her familial duty; spend some quality time with her best friend, Linden Thorn; and get back to her real life in Chicago.
On her first night home, Emmy runs into Talia Avramov—an all-around badass adept in the darker magical arts—who is fresh off a bad breakup . . . with Gareth Blackmoore. Talia had let herself be charmed, only to discover that Gareth was also seeing Linden—unbeknownst to either of them. And now she and Linden want revenge. Only one question stands: Is Emmy in?
But most concerning of all: Why can’t she stop thinking about the terrifyingly competent, devastatingly gorgeous, wickedly charming Talia Avramov?
Lana Harper
Rep: bi mc, Russian American bi li
Release: 5th October 2021
Another month, another book of the month. October’s selection is a book both me and Anna are looking forward to, the kind of book that seems as though it’ll feel like a big warm hug. And, really, aren’t we all searching for a book like that deep down?
