reviews, releases and recommendations of LGBT media
I hope this Monday is treating you well (or if it’s not, I hope it improves soon). Today’s post is an interview with Adan Jerreat-Poole, a YA fantasy author, who spoke to us about… well, I won’t spoil it! You’ll have to read to find out.
And, don’t forget, you can follow them on twitter.
A companion post to the one from the beginning of the year. Over 100 books with canon bisexual and/or pansexual protagonists. Or love interests. Or really major side characters.
My guidelines for choosing books to include in this post were pretty simple: either a character just uses the label or the text makes it abundantly clear that they’re bi/pan. (As you can imagine, not a lot of fantasy or historical books use modern labels.) If I missed anything that you think should be on the list, please let me know in the comments!
Like always on this blog, the rainbow emoji indicates that the book is by an LGBT author. 🌈
If you haven’t read any books by Anna Burke, I’m going to need you to turn around and leave this site to go rectify that immediately. Anna Burke writes exclusively lesbian books, and they are, honestly, the best. Today I’m reviewing her upcoming release (which is the sequel to Compass Rose, so there will be some, vague spoilers!), out on 27th July, and one you won’t want to miss.
In the year 2514, the only thing more dangerous than the seas is those who sail them.
Life aboard the mercenary ship Man o’ War is rarely dull as hurricanes, swarms of jellyfish, and man-eating squid pose daily doses of danger. As intrigue and subterfuge from enemies old and new begin to surround its captain, the infamous Miranda Stillwater, even an uncanny sense of direction won’t be enough to help Compass Rose navigate these dangerous straits. As dark secrets bubble to the surface and everything she’s fought so hard for begins to crumble, Rose learns the hard way that she’ll have to rely on the only person who can save her from certain disaster. Unfortunately, that person is Compass Rose herself.
This swashbuckling 26th-century adventure novel is smart, colorful and quirky, yet it manages to deliver a healthy dose of heart, humor, and humility on every single page.
Anna Burke
Rep: lesbian mc & li, lesbian side characters
CWs: gore, violence, amputation
Release: 27th July 2021
Hopefully July is treating you all well so far (I’m sat here, watching torrential rain)! Today’s post is one that, with luck, you’ve all been anticipating. Anna posted about YA releases on Friday, and now I’m posting about the sapphic releases of the second half of 2021 (bi releases will be up in a few days too, so keep an eye out!). Not all of these have sapphic main characters, but they do feature (to the best of my knowledge) somewhat prominent sapphic characters at least.
You can, of course, find January to June’s releases here.
Undoubtedly I have missed books (we all know that, as soon as I post this, there’ll be five more to add, minimum), so I’ll be checking back on the post pretty regularly to add more.
Hopefully I got y’all used to those YA posts enough that you were actually waiting for this one. If not, just don’t tell me. But if yes, sorry for the wait and enjoy! There are over 105 LGBT YA books here, surely you will find at least a dozen or two to fall in love with.
And like always, a rainbow emoji indicates that the book is by an LGBT author.
Exciting news today, as our guest on the blog is Clara Alves, a Brazilian author, whose novella, The Mermaid’s Prophecy, was translated into English just last year. So, if you’re looking for something to read outside of the usual (US/UK) market(s), you should absolutely check it out!
And in the meantime, read this interview, and follow Clara on twitter.
Today’s our stop on the blog tour for Up All Night, a YA anthology where each story is set over the course of a single night. Obviously, we have been excited about this one since we first heard of it so, on the off chance that you’re not as excited as us, let us try convince you why you should be!
And, as ever, there’s a mix to listen to at the end!
When everyone else goes to bed, the ones who stay up feel like they’re the only people in the world. As the hours tick by deeper into the night, the familiar drops away and the unfamiliar beckons. Adults are asleep, and a hush falls over the hum of daily life. Anything is possible.
It’s a time for romance and adventure. For prom night and ghost hunts. It’s a time for breaking up, for falling in love—for finding yourself.
Stay up all night with these thirteen short stories from bestselling and award-winning YA authors like Karen McManus, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nina LaCour, and Brandy Colbert, as they take readers deep into these rarely seen, magical hours.
ed. by Laura Silverman
Rep: bi disabled mc, sapphic mc, nonbinary li, Jewish bi mc, Black gay mc, Indian American gay li, gay, lesbian, bi & nonbinary characters
CWs: child sexual abuse, domestic abuse, infidelity, car crash, death of a parent, self harm
Release: 13th July 2021
Pride might be over, but here’s the last reminder of it: over 100 songs that LGBT artists released in June! As always, ten of them are featured in the post itself, but for the full experience you have to check out the mix at the end of it.
That’s not enough for you? Try all my previous monthly posts right here!
Today is the (US) publication day of Leah Johnson’s sophomore novel, Rise to the Sun, a summery, sunshiney contemporary romance set at a music festival. If you’re looking for a book to read at the beach, if you’re looking for a book that’ll make you feel as though it’s summer, even as it’s grey and rainy outside, then this is the book for you. And you can pick it up right away!
But if you want a little more reason for reading this, check out this review! You can also follow Leah on twitter (which you absolutely should).
And don’t forget to listen to the mix at the end of this post while you read (or, really, just Joy Oladokun…)!
Three days. Two girls. One life-changing music festival.
Olivia is an expert at falling in love . . . and at being dumped. But after the fallout from her last breakup has left her an outcast at school and at home, she’s determined to turn over a new leaf. A crush-free weekend at Farmland Music and Arts Festival with her best friend is just what she needs to get her mind off the senior year that awaits her.
Toni is one week away from starting college, and it’s the last place she wants to be. Unsure about who she wants to become and still reeling in the wake of the loss of her musician-turned-roadie father, she’s heading back to the music festival that changed his life in hopes that following in his footsteps will help her find her own way forward.
When the two arrive at Farmland, the last thing they expect is to realize that they’ll need to join forces in order to get what they’re searching for out of the weekend. As they work together, the festival becomes so much more complicated than they bargained for, and Olivia and Toni will find that they need each other, and music, more than they ever could have imagined.
Packed with irresistible romance and irrepressible heart, bestselling author Leah Johnson delivers a stunning and cinematic story about grief, love, and the remarkable power of music to heal and connect us all.
Leah Johnson
Rep: Black bi mc, Black lesbian mc, Black sapphic side character
CWs: suspected shooting, revenge porn
Release: 6th July 2021
July’s book of the month is a welcome addition to the subgenre of romance that features trans main characters. If you find yourself loving YA trans lit, but pining for something more adult to go along with that, then you’ll want to check this book out. So without further ado, scroll on to find out more!
Pretty homophobic but Pride Month is over. Everyone celebrated in different ways, be it at marches or through reading LGBT books, or by simply existing in this world.
So here’s a rundown of what Charlotte & me read and watched in this gayest of months, which isn’t really any shorter than a list of what we read in any other month… Check it out, though, maybe get inspired, tell us what you read yourself!
And hey, no spoilers, but keep an eye out for the blog in upcoming days! We have something exciting to share!
It’s the end of June, which means that it’s that time again! Sadly, unlike the past couple of months, July’s releases don’t break 100 (or sort of gladly, if you’re me, and having to write up the post), but there are some truly exciting releases here.
Also exciting is our new layout for the posts! Instead of just giving you a long list with dates, we’ve split the list into genres, so you can just search for whichever genre you want to read. (And see just how few there are for some… 😒)
As ever, you can find all our previous releases posts here and the rainbow emoji indicates an author who id’s as LGBT.
It’s that time of year again when we put an impossible task before ourselves: choose only one (1) book per month you’re most excited about. When we know and are waiting for dozens of them? It’s like choosing a favourite pet.
It’s a tiny bit easier because we also have a rule: neither of use is allowed to choose a book we have already read an arc of. And since we were very lucky this year with advanced copies, the pool to choose from was a tiny bit smaller. This is why you won’t see The Hollow Heart or A Marvellous Light, or Iron Widow here, to name just a few…
This is all to say that a ridiculous number of great LGBT books is being published this year, and below are six we (haven’t read yet and) are most excited about. And here’s what we were waiting for in the first half of the year!
Today’s interview is with an author whose newest book was released just last month. Hopefully you have already read All Kinds of Other, but if not, get to know the author & then order yourself a copy! Read all about the connection between writing and baking bread, about the dangers of killing of red-haired characters, and which English cinematic icon James would like to have a dinner date with.
And of course, follow James on twitter!
Today’s post is a collaboration with a group of bloggers. The idea came from Mols and she reached out to a number of trans and nonbinary bloggers, in hopes of creating a truly giant rec list of books. So here we are, with over 100 titles!
To see the full list, though, and not just my contribution, you have to check out everyone’s posts! So head over to those lovely people: Mols @ Mols by Moonlight, Artie @ ArtieCarden, Ocean @ Oceans of Novels, Anniek @ Anniek’s Library, Bertie @ Luminosity Library, Andee @ Mouse Reads, Danni @ The Rush of a Book, Vee @ Vee_Bookish!
Please keep in mind, all the books are written by trans and/or nonbinary authors, but not every single one of them features such rep.
