• Other

    Misc Media Recs: Podcasts, Webseries & Webcomics (I)

    At the beginning of the month, I got really into podcasts, because they gave me something to listen to while I was playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Or rather, one podcast. Because this list was initially supposed to be only podcasts, with a few webseries thrown in.

    Instead… Well, you can see what it is instead.

    But anyway. Sometimes you just need an easily and rapidly consumable shot of LGBT media, hence why on this post you can find recs for podcasts, webseries and webcomics. And this will be an ongoing series too.

    If you enjoyed any of these recs, please do support the creators however you can (Patreon, Tapas, etc — there should be links on websites, hopefully, or at least links to the creators’ pages).

    So, pick your content and let’s go!

    PODCASTS | WEBSERIES | WEBCOMICS

  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: 2020 Sapphic Releases (January to June)

    Not to be bringing any sort of bitterness to this blog or anything, but there’s only so many times you can see “there’s no (good) f/f” as a tweet before you snap. So in the interests of not snapping, I compiled a list of all the sapphic releases I know about this year.

    And I know a lot.

    So this list is actually going to be split into two. The first, this post, is going to take us from January to June. The second will come in a few months time and focus on July to December. Actually, the post is based on a thread I did on twitter, so if you’re impatient, go check that out (though dates aren’t always correct, and it’s not the most up to date).

    So do you want to read f/f books but you don’t want to look for them?

    Well it’s your lucky day. I did the looking for you!

    P.S. dates are correct to the best of my knowledge, but if I have missed a postponement somewhere, please let me know.

  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Sapphic YA Contemporary (II)

    It’s been a while since I last did one of these, and I have since read a fair few sapphic books. So, with the second resurgence of the f/f twitter discourse in a week, obviously my only recourse is to rec posts.

    And here I am.

    I also figured I’d go back to YA contemporary because, duh, I know more of them. But to mix things up a little, I’ll add a couple of upcoming ones you can support!

    As ever, all the previous posts are here. The previous contemporary rec list can be found here.

    Also as ever, it’s actually f/f or otherwise sapphic books.

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

    Film & TV Recs: LGBT Period Dramas (II)

    A long promised continuation to my first rec list of LGBT period dramas. Definitely check out that post for more recommendations!

    Like in that previous post, I’d like to say that I’m aware there are barely any movies with trans rep on the list. I did my best. All the other period dramas featuring trans characters that I know of, gave those roles to cis actors & I’m not about to recommend that here.

    I accidentally made about half of this rec list about titles based on real stories & people, it wasn’t a conscious choice. But it does mean that not all of the movies listed are exactly super happy & gracious to the LGBT characters.

  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Twitter’s Favourite Sapphic Romances

    The other day I asked people on book twitter to list 5* of their favourite books with best sapphic romance and this is what happened. I got so many great responses, I couldn’t just leave it as a tweet and let it disappear forever! Which is why I decided to turn all those recs into a post.

    *Yes, Charlotte was allowed ten books because she’s my co-blogger and gets special treatment.

    Some books appear multiple times on this list, yes, I know! But that only shows the bookish community loves them a lot. And I mean, a lot. And if they shower those books with love like that, then you definitely want to read them as well!

    (As always on this blog, ownvoices books are marked with a 🌈 emoji.)

  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Mysteries

    I’m a simple reader: give me a good mystery and I will be satisfied. Make it gay and I will be over the freaking moon. And I’ve finally read enough excellent mysteries that I can make a rec list of them!

    I have fairly high standards for mysteries, I’ll admit. I mean, I want something where I could potentially guess the culprit myself for a start. But not too easily. Basically I have to be able to follow along but also have some element of actual mysteriousness. I told you it was high standards.

    But that, of course, means that all the books on this list are especially excellent (not that they wouldn’t be otherwise but. Stringent criteria and all).

    So, onwards.

  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Queen of Coin and Whispers

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    ‘She loved me as I loved her, fierce as a bloodied blade.’

    When teenage queen Lia inherits her corrupt uncle’s bankrupt kingdom, she brings a new spymaster into the fold … Xania, who takes the job to avenge her murdered father.

    Faced with dangerous plots and hidden enemies, can Lia and Xania learn to rely on each another, as they discover that all is not fair in love and treason?

    In a world where the throne means both power and duty, they must decide what to sacrifice for their country – and for each other …

    Queen of Coin and Whispers

    Helen Corcoran

    Published: 23rd April 2020
    Goodreads
    Rep: lesbian mcs, lesbian, gay & bi side characters

  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Books By and About QPOC

    Today, I have for you a massive rec list of books by and about QPOC (and Latinx authors/characters). There are fifty books on here – though that isn’t the sum total of those I know, so if your favourite isn’t here, it’s simply because I couldn’t fit it.

    It’s gonna go like this: I’ve split this post into contemporary, historical, science fiction or dystopia, and fantasy sections. In each section, half the books have been released, half are upcoming (barring sci fi, where I could only find 4 upcoming releases).

    So, enjoy!

  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Moontangled

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    Take one ambitious politician and one determined magician with wildly different aims for their next meeting.

    Add a secret betrothal, a family scandal, and a heaping of dangerous fey magic in an enchanted wood…and watch the sparks fly!

    For just one moonlit, memorable night, Thornfell College of Magic has flung open its doors, inviting guests from around the nation to an outdoor ball intended to introduce the first-ever class of women magicians to society…but one magician and one invited guest have far more pressing goals of their own for the night.

    Quietly brilliant Juliana Banks is determined to win back the affections of her secret fiancée, rising politician Caroline Fennell, who has become inexplicably distant. If Juliana needs to use magic to get her stubborn fiancée to pay her attention…well, then, as the top student in her class, she is more than ready to take on that challenge!

    Unbeknownst to Juliana, though, Caroline plans to nobly sacrifice their betrothal for Juliana’s own sake – and no one has ever accused iron-willed Caroline Fennell of being easy to deter from any goal.

    Their path to mutual happiness may seem tangled beyond repair…but when they enter the fey-ruled woods that border Thornfell College, these two determined women will find all of their plans upended in a night of unexpected and magical possibilities.

    Moontangled

    Stephanie Burgis

    Published: 3rd February 2020
    Goodreads
    Rep: wlw mcs

  • Book Club,  Literature

    Book Club: February Read

    February brings us both Black History Month (and associated readathons) and #FFFeb. So, obviously, it made most sense for us to pick an f/f book with Black MCs, by a Black author.

    And also we heard this one would make us cry, and who doesn’t want a good cry over a book.

    So, without further ado, the book.

  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Nottingham

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    Robyn Hood didn’t set out to rob the rich, but in Nottingham, nothing ever goes according to plan….

    After a fateful hunting accident sends her on the run from the law, Robyn finds herself deep in the heart of Sherwood Forest. All she really wants to do is provide for her family and stay out of trouble, but when the Sheriff of Nottingham levies the largest tax in the history of England, she’s forced to take matters into her own hands. Relying on the help of her band of merry women and the Sheriff’s intriguing—and off limits—daughter, Marian, Robyn must find a way to pull off the biggest heist Sherwood has ever seen.

    With both heart and freedom at stake, just how much will she risk to ensure the safety of the ones she loves?

    Nottingham

    Anna Burke

    Published: 21st January 2020
    Goodreads
    Rep: lesbian mcs, lesbian & bi side characters, trans side character
    CWs: self-harm, mentions of gendered violence/rape, homophobia & internalised homophobia

  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Sapphic Mystery/Thrillers (II)

    I’m back with another sapphic rec list and just in time for #FFFeb! (If you haven’t heard, I’m running a month of only reading sapphic books on twitter and you’re welcome to join! More info is here.) Since mystery is my favourite genre (and Mahana @ Sapphic Library told me to do thrillers), this rec list is, unsurprisingly, full of mystery and thrillers.

    To note first though, a fair few books on here are upcoming, so I have occasionally only been able to find limited information about them. So, apologies if I have made a mistake anywhere.

    As ever, all the previous posts are here.

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

    Film & TV Recs: Gay Christmas Movies

    This winter both Charlotte and I wanted to rec you some holiday stories. Charlotte went for novellas and you can find her post here. I decided to rec you Christmas movies. Only… I knew there aren’t many, but I didn’t realise there are actually three and two of them are unwatchable…

    If you’re looking for a list of those netflix-like movies of switched princesses and time-travelling knights and princes falling for regular people, but Make It Gay… If you’re hoping for that, this list isn’t for you, because movies like that still don’t exist for us.

    But if you’re looking for some pretty cool movies with a christmasy theme in one way or another, you may just find something for yourself here. At the very least, you’ll find canon rep.

  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Christmas (and Other Winter Holidays)

    Because we promised (vaguely, maybe a while back on twitter), me and Anna have some wintery rec lists for you! We’ve trawled through all the Christmas (and other winter holiday) media, just to find something gay all for you (ask Anna about her travails with Christmas films I dare you).

    And here is the first of those rec lists! Ten books (mostly novellas in this one) for you set during Christmas (or another winter holiday, but mostly Christmas because it’s surprisingly difficult to find holiday novellas that are a) gay and b) not Christmas-specific. Obviously I wasn’t trying hard enough).

    But anyway. Onwards.