• All Reviews,  Interviews

    ARC Review + Author Interview: Farhad J. Dadyburjor

    12 October, 2021

    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.

    The Other Man

    Farhad J. Dadyburjor

    Goodreads

    Rep: Indian cast, gay mc, Brazilian American gay li
    Release: 12th October 2021

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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: LGBT Sports Lit

    10 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…

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  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: 2021 Middle Grade & Picture Books

    7 October, 2021

    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!

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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Books for fans of Mary Oliver’s poetry

    27 September, 2021

    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.

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The City Beautiful

    25 September, 2021

    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.

    The City Beautiful

    Aden Polydoros

    Goodreads

    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

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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Historical Romances

    13 September, 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.

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Beasts and Beauty

    11 September, 2021

    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. 

    Beasts and Beauty

    Soman Chainani

    Goodreads

    Rep: gay mcs
    CWs: blood, racism/racial trauma, implied rape, emotional abuse, implied child trafficking
    Release: 28th September 2021

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  • All Recommended,  Film & TV Recs,  Film & TV Shows

    Film & TV Recs: Crime Dramas

    25 August, 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).

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The Charm Offensive

    18 August, 2021

    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.

    The Charm Offensive

    Alison Cochrun

    Goodreads

    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

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  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: Ownvoices M/M books of July-December 2021

    16 August, 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!

    See also: ownvoices m/m books of January-June 2021, of January-June 2020 & of July-December 2020.
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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Books with Ace Protagonists

    11 August, 2021

    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!

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  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: July-December 2021 Books With Bi Protagonists

    24 July, 2021

    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. 🌈

    Related: January-June 2021 Bi/Pan Books, January-June 2020 Bi/Pan Books, July-December 2020 Bi/Pan Books
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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    Blog Tour: Up All Night

    12 July, 2021

    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.

    Up All Night

    ed. by Laura Silverman

    Goodreads

    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

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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: 100+ Books by Trans & Non-Binary Authors

    26 June, 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.

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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

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

    12 June, 2021

    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.

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