reviews, releases and recommendations of LGBT media
It’s been a little while since we featured a sapphic book on our book of the month feature, but this month’s is just that! I (Charlotte) have read this book and adored it, so I can’t recommend highly enough that you preorder it. (You can also read some of the other works by this author in the meantime, which are also not straight so…)
But anyway, read on to find out more about this book!
Do you ever get the feeling that September just doesn’t feel real? Like, I feel as though it was August, I blinked, and now it’s October. That may just be me.
September, as you can see, was a productive month. Anna watched a lot, I read a lot (I don’t want to talk about it), time went by. So take a scroll through, and let us know how September was for you!
If you’re looking for something new to read this fall, you’re in luck. Actually, if you’re looking for something spooky, you’re also in luck – there are quite a few horrors and thrillers coming out in October. Among other kinds of books. Among almost 90 titles.
A little bit different than I usually do on my posts, but I decided with Charlotte that’s actually a more important piece of information. So. A rainbow emoji indicates that the author is LGBT, but not necessarily that the specific rep in the book is ownvoices.
And if you need some more books, you can find all our previous releases posts here.
Have you ever picked up a gay middle grade book, in the hopes of something lighter to read in between YA or adult books, and suddenly found yourself bawling over it, because there’s something about MG that just hits and yet is so hopeful?
If you haven’t, you’re missing out.
So, in the interests of helping you not miss out any more, I have compiled a rec list of MG books for you to cry over*.
*Disclaimer: you might not actually cry. I don’t know.
Because I haven’t read huge amounts of LGBT MG myself, here you’ll find 6 books I’d rec, and 4 upcoming releases I can’t wait to read.
Enjoy!
O. E. Tearmann is an author-duo made up of Olivia and Nonir, the minds behind the ongoing Aces High, Jokers Wild series. We spoke to them about their inspirations, favourite genres, some great books they would rec.
Don’t forget, you can also follow them on twitter.
After a last minute switcheroo, today’s rec list is a long-awaited continuation of all those other sapphic rec lists (all the previous posts are here) which you have probably forgotten about. On request, this iteration is the first of (hopefully) many sapphic science fiction rec posts!
Same disclaimer as in that adult sci fi rec list (in which I apparently recced most of these books anyway…huh) applies: I really like hard sci fi, but I know that that’s not the case for everyone, so there are soft sci fi recs in here too (although by some strange coincidence, most of these recs take place in space…proof space is gay I think).
And, because I like fun, 5 of the books on this list are upcoming! (Okay, 6, but does it really count when that 6th is out in 5 days?).
So have a gander!
If there is one thing I care about deeply when it comes to YA literature, it’s supportive parents. I firmly believe that at least in fiction, LGBT kids deserve only the best. And nothing can be more formative than your parents being perfectly fine with who you are (as they always should be!) & allowing you to grow up with love and confidence.
So this is why this rec list got made. Because as much as I personally adore supportive parents, it’s still not the opinion shared by majority and books featuring them are scarce. All the more reasons to appreciate them!
Or, regarding the erasure of the word ‘lesbian’ from YA contemporary literature. I don’t know if you’ve noticed (perhaps you haven’t) that, while the use of some labels to describe sexuality is (wonderfully) on the rise, the use of the label ‘lesbian’ has stagnated, to say the least. So this piece will, hopefully, provide an explanation of sorts of why this shouldn’t be.
A note to start: we’re limiting this discussion to mainstream YA contemporary because that is what’s most likely to get into young lesbians’ hands, especially if they are not so deep into talking about books on the internet.
Not to get ahead of myself, but this is probably the best mix I have ever made. Not just because I used only great songs which also work together very well, but most of all because of theme of those songs.
I used one of the Twenty-One Love Poems by Adrienne Rich (from the collection “Dream of a Common Language”) as the original description of it & it should tell you better than I ever could, what the theme here is.
I wake up in your bed. I know I have been dreaming.
Much earlier, the alarm broke us from each other,
you’ve been at your desk for hours. I know what I dreamed:
our friend the poet comes into my room
where I’ve been writing for days,
drafts, carbons, poems are scattered everywhere,
and I want to show her one poem
which is the poem of my life. But I hesitate,
and wake. You’ve kissed my hair
to wake me. I dreamed you were a poem,
I say, a poem I wanted to show someone . . .
and I laugh and fall dreaming again
of the desire to show you to everyone I love,
to move openly together
in the pull of gravity, which is not simple,
which carries the feathered grass a long way down the upbreathing air.
I think you will all agree that having someone love you makes you feel like you’re home, safe & sound. And gay love somehow makes that feeling more pronounced. And so here we are! Enjoy, and let me know what you think!
A few months back, I asked people on twitter what five LGBT releases they were most anticipating in 2021. Yes, I know, five was very harsh of me, especially since I couldn’t even keep myself to that few anyway, but hey. You do what you gotta do.
Anyway, I figured I’d turn those tweets into a post, to give you a little bit of a taster of 2021’s releases. Also feast your eyes on the gorgeousness of these covers so far! I cannot wait to see what else is to come.
Finally, a little key (although bearing in mind that it’s a little hard to confirm rep so far out!):
💗 = wlw rep
💙 = mlm rep
💜 = trans or nonbinary rep
A deadly competition for the throne will determine more than just the fate of the empire in this riveting duology opener, perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Aurora Rising, and Three Dark Crowns.
Alyssa Farshot has spent her whole life trying to outrun her family legacy. Her mother sacrificed everything to bring peace to the quadrant, and her uncle has successfully ruled as emperor for decades. But the last thing Alyssa wants is to follow in their footsteps as the next in line for the throne. Why would she choose to be trapped in a palace when she could be having wild adventures exploring a thousand-and-one planets in her own ship?
But when Alyssa’s uncle becomes gravely ill, his dying wish surprises the entire galaxy. Instead of naming her as his successor, he calls for a crownchase, the first in seven centuries. Representatives from each of the empire’s prime families—including Alyssa—are thrown into a race to find the royal seal, which has been hidden somewhere in the empire. The first to find the seal wins the throne.
Alyssa’s experience as an explorer makes her the favorite to win the crown she never wanted. And though she doesn’t want to be empress, her duty to her uncle compels her to participate in this one last epic adventure. But when the chase turns deadly, it’s clear that more than just the fate of the empire is at stake. Alyssa is on her most important quest yet—and only time will tell if she’ll survive it.
Rebecca Coffindaffer
Published: 29th September 2020
Goodreads
Rep: pan mc, lesbian, gay and nonbinary side characters
CWs: alcohol use, blood, gore, death of a loved one, emotional withholding from a parental figure, murder, guilt and trauma, science fiction-related violence
We have a very exciting interview for you today! Corinne Duyvis very kindly answered our (increasingly odd) questions. Because guess what else is great about this interview? We rejigged what we asked! So here you have it, your first glimpse at not only Serious Writer Questions, but also who exactly would the author want on their side in a zombie apocalypse?
And don’t forget, you can also follow her on twitter. And there’s still plenty of time to preorder her upcoming release, The Art of Saving the World (out on 15th September!).
If you know me (Anna), you know I absolutely adored Crier’s War. And if you don’t know, you can just read my review of it. So when Shealea @ Caffeine Book Tours announced she’s organising a book tour for the sequel, I immediately decided I need to be a part of that!
So here we are. Below you will find all the details about Iron Heart, five reasons why you should buy and read the book right this second (if you haven’t actually preordered it), and a very sapphic playlist. Enjoy! And please check out the full schedule for the blog tour so you can get more sapphic content in your life!
An unstoppable love between two girls—one human, one Made—both set on destroying the Iron Heart.
For too long the cruel, beautiful Automae have lorded over the kingdom of Rabu, oppressing the humans who live there. But the human revolution is on the rise, and at its heart is Ayla. Once handmaiden, now fugitive, Ayla escaped the palace of Lady Crier, the girl Ayla had planned to kill . . . but instead fell in love with. Now Ayla has pledged her allegiance to Queen Junn, whom she believes can accomplish the ultimate goal of the human rebellion: destroy the Iron Heart. Without it, the Automae will be weakened to the point of extinction.
But playing at Ayla’s memory are the powerful feelings she developed for Crier. And unbeknownst to her, Crier has also fled the palace, taking up among travelling rebels, determined to find and protect Ayla.
As their paths collide, neither are prepared for the dark secret underlying the Iron Heart.
In this stunning sequel to acclaimed author Nina Varela’s Crier’s War, the love that launched a revolution must now pave the way for a whole new era . . . and the ultimate change of heart.
Nina Varela
Published: 8th September 2020
Goodreads | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound
Rep: lesbian poc mc, bi poc mc, poc cast, side m/nb couple, side mlm & wlw couples
TW: body horror (chapter 6 & 14), panic attack, torture, murder
…or urbanish, since most of these turned out to be historical fantasies. But that still counts, in my opinion.
But anyway! Today’s rec list is a continuation of a previous one, because I’ve done high fantasy, I did adult fantasy, and Anna did (some) YA fantasy. So where else to turn to next, but (back) to urban fantasy. So. Without further ado, let’s start!
P.S. you can see what I recced in the first of these posts here.
The first week of August alone gave us a bunch of great songs, and then it only got better!! I’m very excited to share with you my ten absolute favourites, even though it was a hell to choose them. So don’t forget to listen to the whole mix at the end of the post, since it’s almost 60 songs long.
If you want more music, check out all my previous monthly posts right here!
