• All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Sapphic Fantasy (II)

    9 February, 2022

    About two years back now, maybe nearer three, I started a rec series of posts of sapphic books split by genre. Then, sometime early 2020, I got bored, and stopped. Now, though, I’ve decided to come back to it, partly because I’ve read so much more since then I feel I have more content to rec. Partly because of recent dumbass twitter discourse. So yeah.

    It’s been a while, though. It’s been so long, in fact, I decided I had to expand how many books I included in here, just so none of my favourites would have to miss out! I upped it to 25 and there are still more that I haven’t added, so keep an eye out for a third post sometime soon…haha…

    As ever, all of the previous posts can be found here.

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Devotion

    3 February, 2022

    Today is the (long awaited, in my view) UK release day of what is undoubtedly one of the best books I read last year. Hannah Kent’s Devotion is a gorgeous historical tale, that spans lives and loves. If you’ve never read one of her works before, this is the perfect place to start. But if you’re somehow not convinced by the blurb alone, you can find my review for it in this post.

    And you should also go ahead and follow Hannah on twitter and instagram!

    1836, Prussia. Hanne is nearly fifteen and the domestic world of womanhood is quickly closing in on her. A child of nature, she yearns instead for the rush of the river, the wind dancing around her. Hanne finds little comfort in the local girls and friendship doesn’t come easily, until she meets Thea and she finds in her a kindred spirit and finally, acceptance.

    Hanne’s family are Old Lutherans, and in her small village hushed worship is done secretly – this is a community under threat. But when they are granted safe passage to Australia, the community rejoices: at last a place they can pray without fear, a permanent home. Freedom.

    It’s a promise of freedom that will have devastating consequences for Hanne and Thea, but, on that long and brutal journey, their bond proves too strong for even nature to break . . .

    Devotion

    Hannah Kent

    Goodreads

    Rep: lesbian mc, lesbian li
    Release: 3rd February 2022

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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Books With Less Than 400 Goodreads Ratings (IV)

    29 January, 2022

    As ever, when I run out of rec list ideas, I turn back to this one. Books which I consider underrated (where “underrated” is specifically defined as “less than 400 ratings on Goodreads. Yeah, Goodreads is not the be all and end all, yeah, 400 is pretty harsh comparably, but it’ll do. At least until I run out of books and need to increase the number haha). I’ve done this 3 times already, so this rec list marks the 76th-100th books (round of applause please). Hopefully, there’s something here for everyone.

    And don’t forget, you can also check out the previous posts: find the first post here, the second one here and the third one here.

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  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: January-June 2022 Books With Bi Protagonists

    23 January, 2022

    January on Reads Rainbow means big releases posts (big as in long & time-consuming to draft; not big as in only about big books!). And today it’s time for books with bi and/or pan rep.m

    Those posts have been going for a few years, but just as a reminder: I only include books where there’s no doubt that a character actually is bisexual (or pansexual). That means the character either uses a label or the narrative makes it abundantly clear (especially in case of sff novels). Also, I include books with bi/pan main characters and love interests, and sometimes really major side characters.

    If you know any books I missed or mistakes I made, please let me know in the comment! And like always, the rainbow emoji means the author is LGBT. Happy reading!

    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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  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: 2022 Sapphic Releases (January to June)

    18 January, 2022

    It’s the moment you’ve all undoubtedly been waiting for, the first of our 2022 sapphic releases posts! This one is the biggest initial post so far, with over 300 releases that I know about as of this moment in time. Yeah, it’s a monster post, and I am somewhat exhausted just making it. There’s something for everyone here, so dive in!

    Update, 27/1/22: I’ve decided to add in rep again here, since sapphic is a blanket term and books here do include sapphic mcs in m/f relationships, as well as those in f/f relationships and, while I know which are which, and also that I mean it in this blanket sense, others may not. This will, of course, be updated as I read more of the books/it’s easier to find rep info.

    Looking for July to December? Find it here!

    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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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Indie, Small Press & Self Published Books

    16 January, 2022

    This is a post I’ve been meaning to do for a while. We all know about all of the Big 5 books, the ones that appear on most rec lists most often, that get more marketing (comparatively speaking) and which more people know about. So, today’s rec list is specifically the opposite of that. Today, I’m reccing you books by independent publishers, small presses, and self-published authors.

    For ease, the definition of indie here that I’m using is “not Big 5 or an imprint of Big 5”. That is, not Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, or Hachette. Since the indies range in size beyond that, I’ve split those into two sections: smaller and larger (generally decided by output).

    A little key before we start:

    💛 = sapphic
    💚 = achillean
    💙 = trans or nonbinary
    🌻 = contemporary
    🌿 = historical
    🐚 = fantasy
    🌺 = mystery/thriller
    🍂 = paranormal/horror
    🍃 = science fiction

    For this list, I stuck to a single book by each author (although there are many where I’d rec multiple books) because I figured, hey, this can be a series! So, check back later this year for more, I guess!

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The Bone Spindle

    11 January, 2022

    It’s the day you’ve all undoubtedly been waiting for! That is, it’s The Bone Spindle‘s book birthday! If you haven’t been excited about this one I am forced to assume you’ve been living under a rock. I mean, what could be better than Sleeping Beauty crossed with Indiana Jones? Nothing, I tell you. But if, for whatever ungodly reason, you’re still on the fence about this one, let me try convince you with this review!

    And don’t forget to follow Leslie on twitter too!

    Related: check out our interview with Leslie.

    Fi is a bookish treasure hunter with a knack for ruins and riddles, who definitely doesn’t believe in true love.

    Shane is a tough-as-dirt girl warrior from the north who likes cracking skulls, pretty girls, and doing things her own way.

    Briar Rose is a prince under a sleeping curse, who’s been waiting a hundred years for the kiss that will wake him.

    Cursed princes are nothing but ancient history to Fi–until she pricks her finger on a bone spindle while exploring a long-lost ruin. Now she’s stuck with the spirit of Briar Rose until she and Shane can break the century-old curse on his kingdom.

    Dark magic, Witch Hunters, and bad exes all stand in her way–not to mention a mysterious witch who might wind up stealing Shane’s heart, along with whatever else she’s after. But nothing scares Fi more than the possibility of falling in love with Briar Rose.

    The Bone Spindle

    Leslie Vedder

    Goodreads

    Rep: lesbian mc, sapphic li
    Release: 11th January 2022

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  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: Contemporary (January to June 2022)

    31 December, 2021

    It’s a new year and, since the number of book releases we know about per month is just tipping into unwieldy (June alone last year had 150 books to add to the post, not to mention the 50+ more we found later), we’ve decided to change up the way we’re doing releases posts. We started organising releases posts by genre around halfway through last year, so we’re sticking with that here. The major difference? Each genre gets its own post, which will eventually cover a period of 6 months. So, like with our various other releases posts (although those go up all at once, whereas here we’ll add each month), these are more easily edited and added to! Which means, even if we miss a book, we can better come back and add it to the post. A win for everyone!

    In this post, you’ll find the collection of contemporary books that we know about from January to June of 2022!

    Looking for the other posts?

    Fantasy | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry | Science Fiction

    Looking for July to December?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry | Science Fiction

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  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: Historical (January to June 2022)

    31 December, 2021

    It’s a new year and, since the number of book releases we know about per month is just tipping into unwieldy (June alone last year had 150 books to add to the post, not to mention the 50+ more we found later), we’ve decided to change up the way we’re doing releases posts. We started organising releases posts by genre around halfway through last year, so we’re sticking with that here. The major difference? Each genre gets its own post, which will eventually cover a period of 6 months. So, like with our various other releases posts (although those go up all at once, whereas here we’ll add each month), these are more easily edited and added to! Which means, even if we miss a book, we can better come back and add it to the post. A win for everyone!

    In this post, you’ll find the collection of historical books that we know about from January to June of 2022!

    Looking for the other posts?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry | Science Fiction

    Looking for July to December?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry | Science Fiction

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  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: Fantasy (January to June 2022)

    31 December, 2021

    It’s a new year and, since the number of book releases we know about per month is just tipping into unwieldy (June alone last year had 150 books to add to the post, not to mention the 50+ more we found later), we’ve decided to change up the way we’re doing releases posts. We started organising releases posts by genre around halfway through last year, so we’re sticking with that here. The major difference? Each genre gets its own post, which will eventually cover a period of 6 months. So, like with our various other releases posts (although those go up all at once, whereas here we’ll add each month), these are more easily edited and added to! Which means, even if we miss a book, we can better come back and add it to the post. A win for everyone!

    In this post, you’ll find the collection of fantasy books that we know about from January to June of 2022!

    Looking for the other posts?

    Contemporary | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry | Science Fiction

    Looking for July to December?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry | Science Fiction

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  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: Mystery/Thriller (January to June 2022)

    31 December, 2021

    It’s a new year and, since the number of book releases we know about per month is just tipping into unwieldy (June alone last year had 150 books to add to the post, not to mention the 50+ more we found later), we’ve decided to change up the way we’re doing releases posts. We started organising releases posts by genre around halfway through last year, so we’re sticking with that here. The major difference? Each genre gets its own post, which will eventually cover a period of 6 months. So, like with our various other releases posts (although those go up all at once, whereas here we’ll add each month), these are more easily edited and added to! Which means, even if we miss a book, we can better come back and add it to the post. A win for everyone!

    In this post, you’ll find the collection of mystery and thriller books that we know about from January to June of 2022!

    Looking for the other posts?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Historical | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry | Science Fiction

    Looking for July to December?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry | Science Fiction

    Read More
  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: Nonfiction (January to June 2022)

    31 December, 2021

    It’s a new year and, since the number of book releases we know about per month is just tipping into unwieldy (June alone last year had 150 books to add to the post, not to mention the 50+ more we found later), we’ve decided to change up the way we’re doing releases posts. We started organising releases posts by genre around halfway through last year, so we’re sticking with that here. The major difference? Each genre gets its own post, which will eventually cover a period of 6 months. So, like with our various other releases posts (although those go up all at once, whereas here we’ll add each month), these are more easily edited and added to! Which means, even if we miss a book, we can better come back and add it to the post. A win for everyone!

    In this post, you’ll find the collection of nonfiction books that we know about from January to June of 2022!

    Looking for the other posts?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry | Science Fiction

    Looking for July to December?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry | Science Fiction

    Read More
  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: Paranormal/Horror (January to June 2022)

    31 December, 2021

    It’s a new year and, since the number of book releases we know about per month is just tipping into unwieldy (June alone last year had 150 books to add to the post, not to mention the 50+ more we found later), we’ve decided to change up the way we’re doing releases posts. We started organising releases posts by genre around halfway through last year, so we’re sticking with that here. The major difference? Each genre gets its own post, which will eventually cover a period of 6 months. So, like with our various other releases posts (although those go up all at once, whereas here we’ll add each month), these are more easily edited and added to! Which means, even if we miss a book, we can better come back and add it to the post. A win for everyone!

    In this post, you’ll find the collection of paranormal/horror books that we know about from January to June of 2022!

    Looking for the other posts?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Poetry | Science Fiction

    Looking for July to December?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry | Science Fiction

    Read More
  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: Poetry (January to June 2022)

    31 December, 2021

    It’s a new year and, since the number of book releases we know about per month is just tipping into unwieldy (June alone last year had 150 books to add to the post, not to mention the 50+ more we found later), we’ve decided to change up the way we’re doing releases posts. We started organising releases posts by genre around halfway through last year, so we’re sticking with that here. The major difference? Each genre gets its own post, which will eventually cover a period of 6 months. So, like with our various other releases posts (although those go up all at once, whereas here we’ll add each month), these are more easily edited and added to! Which means, even if we miss a book, we can better come back and add it to the post. A win for everyone!

    In this post, you’ll find the collection of poetry books that we know about from January to June of 2022!

    Looking for the other posts?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Science Fiction

    Looking for July to December?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry | Science Fiction

    Read More
  • All Releases,  Book Releases,  Literature

    Book Releases: Science Fiction (January to June 2022)

    31 December, 2021

    It’s a new year and, since the number of book releases we know about per month is just tipping into unwieldy (June alone last year had 150 books to add to the post, not to mention the 50+ more we found later), we’ve decided to change up the way we’re doing releases posts. We started organising releases posts by genre around halfway through last year, so we’re sticking with that here. The major difference? Each genre gets its own post, which will eventually cover a period of 6 months. So, like with our various other releases posts (although those go up all at once, whereas here we’ll add each month), these are more easily edited and added to! Which means, even if we miss a book, we can better come back and add it to the post. A win for everyone!

    In this post, you’ll find the collection of science fiction books that we know about from January to June of 2022!

    Looking for the other posts?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry

    Looking for July to December?

    Contemporary | Fantasy | Historical | Mystery/Thriller | Nonfiction | Paranormal/Horror | Poetry | Science Fiction

    Read More