• All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    In the Intersection: Black, African, and Caribbean LGBT Lit

    For Pride Month 2021, our rec posts are taking a bit of a different shape. Over the course of June, we’ll have nine posts for you (of which this is, obviously, the first) in which we rec books where LGBT-ness intersects with another identity, be it race, disability or religion. These posts are only intended as starter packs, mind, and we’re going to try include books that may be less talked about. Ideally, we’ll have read most of the books we’re reccing, but sometimes that might not be the case (in a way, these are as much lists for ourselves as for you!).

    And, also, a brief note on “ownvoices” (or however you wish to refer to it): all of the books we rec are (for the most part—there are a handful of exceptions though) by authors who ID as LGBT, although maybe not the specific identity of their characters. The other part of the intersection will more strictly match up with the character’s identity (within reason, i.e. whether the author talks about it specifically in terms of themself).

    In the case of this list, we’ve used flag emojis to mark a country of origin (where possible) and a separate emoji (🏹) to mark if the author is a diaspora author.

    All of the series: East Asian lit, West Asian litSouth Asian litSoutheast Asian lit, Latine litIndigenous litreligion in lit, and neurodiversity & disability in lit.

    And, if after reading this you’re looking for more LGBT lit by African authors, let us point you in the direction of this list.

  • Interviews

    Author Interview: Regina Jamison

    Regina’s debut novel – Choosing Grace – came out back in January, so hopefully you have already read it. If not, but you’re a fan of historical fiction & especially the kind that takes place in the more recent past, please do yourself a favour and order a copy right now.

    And in the meantime, read on to learn more about Regina, and how a TV show taught her to crystallise her dreams and what she has learned from Toni Morrison. And of course, follow Regina on twitter!

  • All Releases,  Music,  Music Releases

    Music Releases: LGBT songs of May 2021

    Yes, we’re already nine days into Pride month, but I am finally here with the collection of May songs by LGBT artists that I know of. I mean, I’m sure there were more than 77 released…

    So if you need even more new music, check out all my previous monthly posts right here!

    And hey, one of the artists featured today is Jxckson, whom we interviewed recently. You can check out the interview here!

  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Love and Other Natural Disasters

    To say that Love and Other Natural Disasters was our most anticipated summer YA release, would probably be an understatement. And listen. It delivered all that we were hoping for & more.

    So if you’re looking for a sweet sapphic rom-com, absolutely do not look further. Maybe just read our reviews and let us convince you in more words that you should read this one! And listen to our mix while reading it, of course!

    Before all that, though, follow Misa Sugiura on twitter!

    When Nozomi Nagai pictured the ideal summer romance, a fake one wasn’t what she had in mind.

    That was before she met the perfect girl. Willow is gorgeous, glamorous, and…heartbroken? And when she enlists Nozomi to pose as her new girlfriend to make her ex jealous, Nozomi is a willing volunteer.

    Because Nozomi has a master plan of her own: one to show Willow she’s better than a stand-in, and turn their fauxmance into something real. But as the lies pile up, it’s not long before Nozomi’s schemes take a turn toward disaster…and maybe a chance at love she didn’t plan for.

    Love and Other Natural Disasters

    Misa Sugiura

    Goodreads

    Rep: Japanese American lesbian mc, Japanese American lesbian li, Taiwanese American sapphic li, Black bi side character, Japanese American gay side character, Filipino American gay side character
    CWs: homophobia
    Release: 8th June 2021

  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The Jasmine Throne

    Today’s review is of what was probably our single most anticipated release of 2021. If, for whatever reason, you haven’t already heard about The Jasmine Throne, let this be your moment of epiphany. And, if you trust only one of our recs this whole year, let it be this one. The Jasmine Throne is probably one of the best books to be released this year, if not all time. It’s a book that will leave you hollowed out and unable to even think of picking anything else up for the foreseeable future.

    But enough of that here. Read our reviews and you’ll find out just how much we adore this book. Before you do, though, don’t forget to follow Tasha on twitter.

    And remember, there’s a music mix at the end of this post!

    Author of Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne, beginning a new trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from the princess’s traitor brother.

    Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of the powerful, magical deathless waters — but is now little more than a decaying ruin.

    Priya is a maidservant, one among several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, so long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides.

    But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne. The other is a priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire.

    The Jasmine Throne

    Tasha Suri

    Goodreads

    Rep: Indian-coded cast, lesbian mcs
    CWs: violence, gore, homophobia, execution by burning, forced drug use
    Release: 10th June 2021

  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The Way It Breaks

    You won’t find reviews of adult contemporary novels very often on this blog, but both me and Charlotte like to venture out of our comfort zones every once in a while. And whenever we do, we’re lucky enough to come across something we enjoy.

    Which is why we are all here today. I already mentioned The Way It Breaks on my post about ownvoices achillean books, and I was actually able to read it a bit early. So read on to find out why you should pre-order this book, and in the meantime, follow Polis on twitter!

    Orestis is a young man who refuses to accept his lot in life. He wants a better job, a toned body, his own place, a brighter future. On a night out, he bumps into an old school friend who lands him an interview at her father’s five-star hotel. Orestis feels he is finally on the path to success. That is, until he becomes acquainted with a high-end gigolo who draws him onto a different path – one that takes him to a wealthy Belarusian trophy wife named Darya. Before long, Orestis’ destiny drifts even further out of his control.

    Set in Cyprus, The Way It Breaks is a modern tale about fate and free will; love and boundaries; and the value of a human being. 

    The Way It Breaks

    Polis Loizou

    Goodreads

    Published: 24th June 2021
    Rep: bi mc, bi character, gay character
    TW: fatphobia, internalised fatphobia, xenophobia

  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The Passing Playbook

    So you’re looking for an ownvoices trans m/m book by a Black author? Boy, do we have a treat for you! And listen, even more importantly The Passing Playbook is one of the most joyful & loving young adult books we know of – loving in a way that it lets the LGBT teens know they’re loved and valued.

    Read on to see more reasons why you absolutely should order yourself a copy, too! And we even have a music mix to listen to while reading!

    And hey, while you’re at it, follow Isaac on twitter!

    Fifteen-year-old Spencer Harris is a proud nerd, an awesome big brother and a Messi-in-training. He’s also transgender. After transitioning at his old school leads to a year of bullying, Spencer gets a fresh start at Oakley, the most liberal private school in Ohio.

    At Oakley, Spencer seems to have it all: more accepting classmates, a decent shot at a starting position on the boy’s soccer team, great new friends, and maybe even something more than friendship with one of his teammates. The problem is, no one at Oakley knows Spencer is trans – he’s passing.

    So when a discriminatory law forces Spencer’s coach to bench him after he discovers the ‘F’ on Spencer’s birth certificate, Spencer has to make a choice: cheer his team on from the sidelines or publicly fight for his right to play, even if it means coming out to everyone – including the guy he’s falling for.

    The Passing Playbook

    Isaac Fitzsimons

    Goodreads

    Rep: biracial Black mlm trans mc, gay li, bi side character, nonbinary side character
    CWs: mentions of past transphobic violence, religious homophobia
    Release: 3rd June 2021

  • Book of the Month,  Literature

    Book of the Month: The Dangerous Kingdom of Love

    We wavered between a few releases for June’s book of the month and eventually settled on this one on account of the number of adds it has on Goodreads. Because we’re fair and scientific like that (in theory). This month’s selection is for all the historical fiction lovers out there, so feast your eyes on it!

    Everyone else? Well, best start reading historical fiction, since you won’t want to miss out on this one!

    Related: Don’t forget all releases can be found in our monthly lists here.
  • Wrap Ups

    Wrap-up: May 2021

    May was a busy (and somewhat stressfully hectic) month for us! As you have by now hopefully noticed, we’re self-hosted, thanks to the incredible generosity of Kayla Ancrum (a sign that you need to read her books now if you haven’t already — her next is out on 22nd June, so there’s still time to preorder!). After a wobbly start, we think we know what we’re doing now, although I’m sure Hostgator support would disagree.

    But anyway, if you’re interested in what we’ve been reading and watching in the meantime, check it out!

    And, of course,

    🌈 🌈 HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!! 🌈🌈

  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: June 2021

    If you think that a lot more LGBT books come out during Pride than all the other months, you would be correct! And this post is a real-life proof. Took days to prepare, but here we are: 166 LGBT books out this June!

    And yes, you read that right: one hundred and sixty six. Surely, you will find something for yourself here.

    As always, a rainbow emoji next to the title indicates the author is part of the LGBT community – if I made any mistakes here, please do correct me. And if you need some more books, you can find all our previous monthly releases posts here.

  • Interviews

    Author Interview: Isaac Fitzsimons

    If you could inject yourself with serotonin, I imagine it’d feel about the same as reading The Passing Playbook. It’s a book about a trans kid who joins his new school’s football team, a rivalry turned romance, and a found family that will have you grinning uncontrollably. In other words, it is the perfect way to kick your Pride month reading off.

    If, for some reason, you’re still not convinced, our reviews will be up for The Passing Playbook in the next week, and don’t forget you can follow Isaac on twitter right now!

  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun

    Please don’t be fooled into thinking I’m biased in my opinion about Jonny’s book, I’m really not. They really just are that talented and created that lovely & soft novel. The music mix accompanying this review is titled “inside your arms i feel so much warmer” (Where We’re Going / Gregory Dillon), and that is exactly the vibe of this book.

    And hey, we actually interviewed Jonny some time ago, check it out!

    Also don’t forget to follow Jonny Garza Villa on twitter!

    A poignant, funny, openhearted novel about coming out, first love, and being your one and only best and true self.

    Julián Luna has a plan for his life: Graduate. Get into UCLA. And have the chance to move away from Corpus Christi, Texas, and the suffocating expectations of others that have forced Jules into an inauthentic life.

    Then in one reckless moment, with one impulsive tweet, his plans for a low-key nine months are thrown—literally—out the closet. The downside: the whole world knows, and Jules has to prepare for rejection. The upside: Jules now has the opportunity to be his real self.

    Then Mat, a cute, empathetic Twitter crush from Los Angeles, slides into Jules’s DMs. Jules can tell him anything. Mat makes the world seem conquerable. But when Jules’s fears about coming out come true, the person he needs most is fifteen hundred miles away. Jules has to face them alone.

    Jules accidentally propelled himself into the life he’s always dreamed of. And now that he’s in control of it, what he does next is up to him.

    Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun

    Jonny Garza Villa

    Goodreads

    Rep: Mexican American gay mc, Vietnamese American gay li, gay, lesbian, bi & pan side characters
    TWs: past & present parental abuse, physical abuse (chapter 14 & 28), homophobia, outing, mc gets kicked out
    Release: 8th June 2021

  • All Reviews,  Literature

    Blog Tour: How to Become a Planet

    I loved In the Role of Brie Hutchens…, so when I was invited to take part in a blog tour for Melleby’s new middle grade book, it was a no-brainer. And I was right, and got exactly as soft & thoughtful book as I was expecting. So yeah, big thanks to Algonquin Young Readers for allowing me to shout about this lovely novel!

    Apart from a review, I also prepared a music mix you can listen to while reading the book.

    Also don’t forget to follow Nicole Melleby on twitter!

    For Pluto, summer has always started with a trip to the planetarium. It’s the launch to her favorite season, which also includes visits to the boardwalk arcade, working in her mom’s pizzeria, and her best friend Meredith’s birthday party. But this summer, none of that feels possible.

    A month before the end of the school year, Pluto’s frightened mom broke down Pluto’s bedroom door. What came next were doctor’s appointments, a diagnosis of depression, and a big black hole that still sits on Pluto’s chest, making it too hard to do anything.

    Pluto can’t explain to her mom why she can’t do the things she used to love. And it isn’t until Pluto’s dad threatens to make her move with him to the city—where he believes his money, in particular, could help—that Pluto becomes desperate enough to do whatever it takes to be the old Pluto again.

    She develops a plan and a checklist: If she takes her medication, if she goes to the planetarium with her mom for her birthday, if she successfully finishes her summer school work with her tutor, if she goes to Meredith’s birthday party . . . if she does all the things that “normal” Pluto would do, she can stay with her mom in Jersey. But it takes a new therapist, a new tutor, and a new (and cute) friend with a checklist and plan of her own for Pluto to learn that there is no old and new Pluto. There’s just her.

    How to Become a Planet

    Nicole Melleby

    Goodreads

    Rep: sapphic mc with depression and anxiety, nonbinary li, side sapphic couple
    CWs: panic attacks
    Release: 25th May 2021

  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Jay’s Gay Agenda

    To say we have mixed feelings about this book is probably a very fair statement. So, we discussed and we figured the best thing to do in reviewing this book would be like so: split the review into factors that we liked, and factors that we didn’t get along with. The caveat of course being that these are our personal opinions, so please don’t let us put you off this book unnecessarily!

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    There’s one thing Jay Collier knows for sure—he’s a statistical anomaly as the only out gay kid in his small rural Washington town. While all this friends can’t stop talking about their heterosexual hookups and relationships, Jay can only dream of his own firsts, compiling a romance to-do list of all the things he hopes to one day experience—his Gay Agenda.

    Then, against all odds, Jay’s family moves to Seattle and he starts his senior year at a new high school with a thriving LGBTQIA+ community. For the first time ever, Jay feels like he’s found where he truly belongs, where he can flirt with Very Sexy Boys and search for love. But as Jay begins crossing items off his list, he’ll soon be torn between his heart and his hormones, his old friends and his new ones…because after all, life and love don’t always go according to plan.

    From debut novelist Jason June comes a moving and hilarious sex-positive story about the complexities of first loves, first hookups, and first heartbreaks—and how to stay true to yourself while embracing what you never saw coming.

    Jay’s Gay Agenda

    Jason June

    Goodreads

    Rep: gay mc, Chinese-American gay li, gay genderqueer side character, gay side character
    CWs: vomiting
    Release: 1st June 2021

  • Interviews

    Artist Interview: Jxckson

    Today is something of a celebration for Jxckson, given his debut EP Paradox was just released. In his own words, “[it] explores a mix of genres including pop, dancehall, and synthwave, where no two songs sound alike, yet drive the listener through the twists and turns of one cohesive story.” The EP, alongside the songs, features two poem written by Jxckson’s sister, who’s working on her own debut, but in the publishing world.

    Read on to learn how Jxckson uses visuals to create lyrics & stories, and how much of an influence Britney Spears is for him.

    And of course, you can listen to Jxckson’s music here, and follow him on twitter.