reviews, releases and recommendations of LGBT media
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…
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!
It’s a companion post of sorts to one of my previous rec lists, where I recommended people books based on their favourite Richard Siken quotes. This time the quotes are lesbian, though.
The idea is very simple: I asked our followers on twitter to choose their most beloved quote by Mary Oliver (which isn’t easy, I know!) & then tried to figure out what book does it remind me of. Sometimes based on vibes alone, sometimes based more on the plot. So let’s go.
If you’re on a lookout for a spooky read with the autumn fast approaching, look no further! Just let us tell you why you should absolutely be reading The City Beautiful, for all your gothic needs.
And remember, we actually talked with Aden Polydoros a few days ago!
So have fun, and get scared!
Death lurks around every corner in this unforgettable Jewish historical fantasy about a city, a boy, and the shadows of the past that bind them both together.
Chicago, 1893. For Alter Rosen, this is the land of opportunity, and he dreams of the day he’ll have enough money to bring his mother and sisters to America, freeing them from the oppression they face in his native Romania.
But when Alter’s best friend, Yakov, becomes the latest victim in a long line of murdered Jewish boys, his dream begins to slip away. While the rest of the city is busy celebrating the World’s Fair, Alter is now living a nightmare: possessed by Yakov’s dybbuk, he is plunged into a world of corruption and deceit, and thrown back into the arms of a dangerous boy from his past. A boy who means more to Alter than anyone knows.
Now, with only days to spare until the dybbuk takes over Alter’s body completely, the two boys must race to track down the killer—before the killer claims them next.
Aden Polydoros
Rep: Romanian Jewish gay mc, Lithuanian Jewish gay li, Ukrainian Jewish gay li
TW: antisemitism, mentions of past rape, mentions of past pedophilia, body horror (chapter 42), blood, gore, violence, murder, drowning, vomiting, fire, immolation
Release: 5th October 2021
There’s something about a good histrom that just perfectly scratches a certain itch for me. And once I find an author whose books I enjoy, I will binge their entire backlist. That being said, it’s still an area where, at least in tradpub, it’s very cishet and white. So, here I’ve done my utmost to find you 10 recs that are very much not cishet (although they do remain quite white, so if anyone has recs of their own, please do drop them in the comments!). For that time when you just need a good histrom.
If you ever have a burning desire for dark and dangerous fairytale retellings, then I have the book for you today, with a review of Soman Chainani’s upcoming Beasts and Beauty, which is out at the end of the month. You can preorder it via Bookshop (UK, US—these are affiliate links), but in the meantime, here’s five reasons you really should be looking forward to this one.
You think you know these stories, don’t you?
You are wrong.
You don’t know them at all.
Twelve tales, twelve dangerous tales of mystery, magic, and rebellious hearts. Each twists like a spindle to reveal truths full of warning and triumph, truths that capture hearts long kept tame and set them free, truths that explore life . . . and death.
A prince has a surprising awakening . . .
A beauty fights like a beast . . .
A boy refuses to become prey . . .
A path to happiness is lost. . . . then found again.
New York Times bestselling author Soman Chainani respins old stories into fresh fairy tales for a new era and creates a world like no other. These stories know you. They understand you. They reflect you. They are tales for our times. So read on, if you dare.
Soman Chainani
Rep: gay mcs
CWs: blood, racism/racial trauma, implied rape, emotional abuse, implied child trafficking
Release: 28th September 2021
In a shocking move, Anna is not the one behind today’s film & tv rec list. Namely because Anna does not watch crime dramas, but I do, and I have been craving gay crime dramas above all. So, here are the fruits of my research, to share with you. A little confession though: I haven’t really…finished all of these shows, so some of the CWs may be lacking (I’ll come back to update when I do, for now I’ve made notes of when they cover up to, episode-wise. The number episode will be the last I watched), because apparently I have such little staying power even for shows I’m really enjoying… Who knew.
Before we get into the rec list proper though, I do want to note that there is a sad lack of trans rep in it. That’s because I had three (apparently insurmountable) standards for reccing trans rep in crime dramas: 1) that the actor is also trans, 2) that the trans character is not a murder victim and/or does not die horribly, and 3) the trans character is not the murderer and/or a psychopath. Maybe I should lower my standards next time.
However, I did come across a couple that fitted some of those categories, which I’ll share with you here if you really want to watch them: Bellevue (trans character played by a trans actor, but is the murder victim—although she is properly developed as a character and is given screentime, if that decides you) and Big Sky (trans side character played by a nonbinary actor, but seems minor).
And finally, because it’s just occurred to me, a note on CWs: I’ve tried to add all I’ve noticed while watching, but I feel there also needs to be a general one here, for the types of things you generally see in crime dramas (i.e. dead bodies, gore, autopsies).
Hopefully, by now, you’re already excited about The Charm Offensive. We most definitely were, the moment we learned about it. If, however, you live under a rock, let us introduce you to one of the loveliest books of the year. (And hey, the comparison to Casey McQuiston’s writing? Totally deserved.)
Anyway, give Alison Cochrun a follow on twitter, and enjoy!
In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.
Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star.
Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off.
As Dev fights to get Charlie to connect with the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told.
Alison Cochrun
Rep: Indian American gay mc with depression, gay mc with generalised anxiety disorder, OCD & a panic disorder, Chinese American bi side character, lesbian side character, Black ace bi side character with anxiety, gay side character, Muslim pan side character, Black bi side character
CWs: panic attacks, biphobia (from side character)
Release: 7th September 2021
Specific labels may vary but all the books in this post have achillean main characters & are written by achillean authors. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t be reading m/m books which aren’t, roughly speaking, ownvoices. Rather, a place to celebrate the few that are.
Of course, I’m only human, so if you spot any mistakes or missing titles, let me know!
Taking a break from making very niche rec lists for a super specific trope used in an even more specific genre! So instead, I’m here today with books from various genres, featuring an even bigger array of tropes, but all of them sharing a specific representation. And yeah, the title gives it away, I know; it’s not a surprise all the books listed below have main characters who are on the asexuality spectrum. Hopefully, the selection is broad enough that everyone finds something for themself!
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. 🌈
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
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.
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 lit, South Asian lit, Southeast Asian lit, Latine lit, Indigenous lit, religion 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.
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.
Isaac Fitzsimons
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
