We’re switching it up a little with the graphic novel rec posts now. Anna’s taken care of the previous three, so now it’s my turn to rec you a few things that they haven’t read (yet). If you want to take a look at what they put in those posts, you can see them here: one, two, three. And if you’re interested in what I have to add to that, scroll on!
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ARC Review: Summer’s Edge
Thriller fans listen up: if you haven’t had Summer’s Edge on your radar before, now is the time to rectify that. Looking for the kind of thriller that thrills you? Gets your heart pumping and your blood racing? Well, you’ll want to have your eye on this one. Don’t believe me? Let me explain why…
And of course, you should follow Dana on twitter.
I Know What You Did Last Summer meets The Haunting of Hill House  in this atmospheric, eerie teen thriller following an estranged group of friends being haunted by their friend who died last summer.
Emily Joiner was once part of an inseparable group—she was a sister, a best friend, a lover, and a rival. Summers without Emily were unthinkable. Until the fire burned the lake house to ashes with her inside.
A year later, it’s in Emily’s honor that Chelsea and her four friends decide to return. The house awaits them, meticulously rebuilt. Only, Chelsea is haunted by ghostly visions. Loner Ryan stirs up old hurts and forces golden boy Chase to play peacemaker. Which has perfect hostess Kennedy on edge as eerie events culminate in a stunning accusation: Emily’s death wasn’t an accident. And all the clues needed to find the person responsible are right here.
As old betrayals rise to the surface, Chelsea and her friends have one night to unravel a mystery spanning three summers before a killer among them exacts their revenge.
Summer’s Edge
Dana Mele
Rep: lesbian mc, bi mc
Release: 31st May 2022 -
ARC Review: The Science of Being Angry
If you’ve followed us on the blog for a while, you probably noticed that we’re fans of Nicole Melleby’s books. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we very much wanted to read her latest as soon as possible. And like always, Nicole did not disappoint! Read our review to learn why you should buy yourself a copy, if you haven’t preordered it before!
And of course, follow Nicole on twitter.
Related: How to Become a Planet review, our best books of 2021 and of 2020.
Eleven-year-old Joey is angry. All the time. And she doesn’t understand why. She has two loving moms, a supportive older half brother, and, as a triplet, she’s never without company. Her life is good. But sometimes she loses her temper and lashes out, like the time she threw a soccer ball—hard—at a boy in gym class and bruised his collarbone. Or when jealousy made her push her (former) best friend (and crush), Layla, a little bit too roughly.
After a meltdown at Joey’s apartment building leads to her family’s eviction, Joey is desperate to figure out why she’s so mad. A new unit in science class makes her wonder if the reason is genetics. Does she lose control because of something she inherited from the donor her mothers chose?
The Science of Being Angry
Nicole Melleby
Rep: sapphic mc with anger management issues, sapphic li, lesbian parents
TW: blood, bullying, panic attacks
Release: 10th May 2022 -
Book Recs: High Fantasy (III)
With no clue what new rec list to possibly do, I turned back to an old(er) one to refresh. I last did a high fantasy rec list back in March 2021, and before that, April 2019, both of them before a number of books I now consider favourites were even released. So, what better time to do an update than now? And here we are, with 10 high fantasy recs for your delectation and delight!
And hey, a lot of those titles are available on Scribd, so if you want to check out that service but don’t have an account yet, use my invite code to get 2 months for free! (This also gives me one free month.)
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Book Recs: LGBT Witches and Other Magic-Doers (II)
It’s been three years since Charlotte has done the original post, and we decided that’s long enough for me to update her recs a little bit. Actually, it is always interesting to see which books for any given topic she recommends vs. me. There’s a lot of overlap, but our tastes aren’t identical.
Anyway, if you’re craving some gay magic? Enjoy!
And hey, a lot of those titles are available on Scribd, so if you want to check out that service but don’t have an account yet, use my invite code to get 2 months for free! (This also gives me one free month.)
Related: LGBT Witches and Other Magic-Doers (part I) & Get Your Spook On
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Book Recs: LGBT Contemporary or Literary Fiction
Contemporary and/or literary fiction is, I’ll admit, a genre I struggle with. On the whole, I find it bores me so finding books within it that I enjoy is… occasionally a futile-seeming exercise. However. I thought I’d challenge myself for you today and put together a rec list of the genre so, here we are! If you’re as little enamoured by this genre as I am, let me suggest these few exceptions to maybe change your mind.
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Film & TV Recs: LGBT Short Features
Listen, okay, lets be real. Sometimes you just have like 15 minutes to spare. Or sometimes 15 minutes is all that your attention span affords you. But don’t worry! Even with that limited time, you can watch amazing LGBT movies!
Related: Gay Short Features
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ARC Review: Wild and Wicked Things
Finally, it’s almost time for one of our most anticipated books of the year to be out in the world! The lesbian witchy retelling of The Great Gatsby that exceeds every expectation anyone had about it! Adult fantasy keeps gifting us in the most surprising of ways.
You could still preorder a copy of Wild and Wicked Things, and in the meantime don’t forget to follow Fran on twitter, if you’re not already!
Related: interview with Fran & most anticipated LGBT releases of 2022
In the aftermath of World War I, a naive woman is swept into a glittering world filled with dark magic, romance, and murder in this lush and decadent debut.
On Crow Island, people whisper, real magic lurks just below the surface.
Neither real magic nor faux magic interests Annie Mason. Not after it stole her future. She’s only on the island to settle her late father’s estate and, hopefully, reconnect with her long-absent best friend, Beatrice, who fled their dreary lives for a more glamorous one.
Yet Crow Island is brimming with temptation, and the biggest one may be her enigmatic new neighbor.
Mysterious and alluring, Emmeline Delacroix is a figure shadowed by rumors of witchcraft. And when Annie witnesses a confrontation between Bea and Emmeline at one of the island’s extravagant parties, she is drawn into a glittering, haunted world. A world where the boundaries of wickedness are tested, and the cost of illicit magic might be death.
Wild and Wicked Things
Francesca May
Rep: lesbian mc, nonbinary lesbian mc, bi side character
CWs: domestic violence, child abuse, magic requiring self harm, blood
Release: 29th March 2022 -
Book Recs: LGBT Books That Make You Feel Feral
Specifically, I mean, they make you the personification of this gif:
Because sometimes that’s what you want from a book, right? You want it to make you feel ever so slightly (or maybe not slightly at all) insane. Well I have good news for you! Each of the 10 books here will provide just that. So, enjoy!
And hey, a lot of those titles are available on Scribd, so if you want to check out that service but don’t have an account yet, use my invite code to get 2 months for free! (This also gives me one free month.)
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Book Recs: LGBT Books With the Vibe of The Raven Cycle
There comes a time (usually after you’ve read all the fics) when you want to read a book similar in feeling to your favourite, but also different enough that it doesn’t just seem like a reread. Something to hit you right in that nostalgic spot.
That’s what I have here today: 10 LGBT books that kind of feel like The Raven Cycle. A lot of different themes going on, so let’s explore!
Related: quietly magical LGBT books & LGBT found family
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ARC Review: The City of Dusk
Today’s post is a review of a book we know you all must be chomping at the bit for. The City of Dusk is out in just over a week, and you don’t want to miss it. But if, for whatever reason, you’re still on the fence about things, check out our review for why you shouldn’t be!
And we’re running a giveaway of the book over on twitter, so head on over for a chance to win!
The Four Realms—Life, Death, Light, and Darkness—all converge on the city of dusk. For each realm there is a god, and for each god there is an heir.
But the gods have withdrawn their favor from the once vibrant and thriving city. And without it, all the realms are dying.
Unwilling to stand by and watch the destruction, the four heirs—Risha, a necromancer struggling to keep the peace; Angelica, an elementalist with her eyes set on the throne; Taesia, a shadow-wielding rogue with rebellion in her heart; and Nik, a soldier who struggles to see the light— will sacrifice everything to save the city.
But their defiance will cost them dearly.
The City of Dusk
Tara Sim
Rep: lesbian mc, bi mcs
Release: 22nd March 2022 -
Book Recs: Sapphic Science Fiction (II)
Earlier, I ran a quick Twitter poll to ask the question of what genre of sapphic recs people would prefer and so, here we are! 20 science fiction recs (and some dystopia) just for you! If you’re interested in what I recced last time, that list is here. And if you’re interested in all the other sapphic posts I’ve done, those can be found here. Otherwise, enjoy!
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Book of the Month: Mamo
When we made a shortlist of our potential books of the month, Mamo won for two reasons: fewest adds on Goodreads (a travesty), and Anna’s love of it. But, really, this was always going to be our pick, for obvious reasons: gorgeous art, a wonderful story, and a sweet romance. If you’re not excited about this graphic novel, then we can only conclude you hadn’t heard of it before. So take a look at why we think this is the book for you!
And as always, you can, of course, also follow Sas on twitter.
Related: Don’t forget all releases can be found in our monthly lists here.
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Book Releases: 2022 Middle Grade & Picture Books
This is the last of our big releases posts of the first half of the year. Here you will find 62 middle grade releases, and 25 picture book releases, all of which feature LGBT main characters! Everything I know at this point in time (give or take a couple that I’m waiting for clarification on). This list will get updated as I find more books, so if there’s one you know that’s not on here, feel free to mention it.
And as ever, 🌈 means the author IDs as LGBT.
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Book Recs: Adult LGBT Books with YA Crossover Appeal
You know when you want to read a YA book, but actually you don’t want to read about teenagers, because you just got back home from your day job & you’re in a different head space? I got you!
Just so we’re clear, though, I’m not saying those books should be shelved as YA, I’m not saying those authors didn’t know what they were writing, I’m not saying those authors have no idea how to write adult books… I’m not here to infantilise anyone, I’m simply offering you books with the vibes you’re looking for.
