Buy this from Bookshop.org to support local bookstores and the Lesbrary! I first learned about Sabrina Imbler (they/them) last year when my girlfriend and I traveled to Seattle to watch the UConn Women’s Basketball team compete in the Sweet 16. Whenever I travel, I like to visit a local bookstore, which is how we endedRead More
Censorship, Expression, and Signaling in Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Buy this from Bookshop.org to support local bookstores and the Lesbrary! Malinda Lo’s novel Last Night at the Telegraph Club (2021) has won multiple awards and has been reviewed multiple times at the Lesbrary already, so let’s start this review somewhere different: Last Night at the Telegraph Club has been banned and/or challenged at least 34 times in 14 states. HavingRead More
Ungovernable Gender Chinese Fantasy: The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang
Bookshop.org Affiliate Link When a book is described as being about ruthless bandits with unseemly femininity and ungovernable gender, let’s just say that I had little to no choice in devouring every single page of The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang. It’s a queer martial arts political epic fantasy retelling of a Chinese classic called Water Margin. ButRead More
A Brutal and Beautiful Chinese Epic: She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
Bookshop.org Affiliate Link If you have even a passing interest in sapphic fantasy, you have almost certainly heard about She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. A reimagining of the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty’s rise to power, it begins with a young boy who is destined for greatness and a young girlRead More
Larkie reviews Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
Amazon Affiliate Link | Bookshop.org Affiliate Link Trigger warning for suicidal ideation A compact novella with a haunted house story, strained friendships, and a hungry ghost, I had high expectations for Nothing But Blackened Teeth. Were they met? Kind of, but overall the book fell a little flat for me. First off, there are fiveRead More
Meagan Kimberly reviews Crossfire: A Litany for Survival by Staceyann Chin
Amazon Affiliate Link | Bookshop.org Affiliate Link I had the privilege to see Staceyann Chin do a live reading at Miami Book Fair a few years ago, which is where and why I picked up this collection. Her performance was electric and captivating, and that strong voice translates well on the page. Every piece isRead More
Rachel reviews Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Amazon Affiliate Link | Bookshop.org Affiliate Link Described as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale, Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow (Penguin Random House, September 21st 2021) is a must-read blend of Chinese history and science fiction that also combines compelling writing with an original plot. Although the plot of this YA novel is complex andRead More
Rachel reviews Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Amazon Affiliate Link | Bookshop.org Affiliate Link I read Malinda Lo’s newest book, Last Night at the Telegraph Club (2021) about a month ago, and I’m still thinking about it. If you’re looking for a slice of mid-twentieth-century lesbian culture with some wonderful Chinese American representation and rich social history, Last Night at the Telegraph Club is forRead More
Carmella reviews Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin
Trigger warning: this review discusses suicide. What do crocodiles and lesbians have in common? Plenty of things, as I learned from Qiu Miaojin’s Notes of a Crocodile. The novel, first published in Chinese in 1994, is a fragmented, broody, and often puzzling coming-of-age tale. The main story is told through journal entries by our narrator,Read More
Marthese reviews Their Story (Tamen De Gushi) by Tan Jiu
“What’s up with her today?” “Youth” Their Story (Tamen De Gushi) is a full colour Manhua (Chinese Comic) that is still ongoing, about Sun Jing and Qiu Tong, two girls from neighboring schools. Sun Jing, a popular girl at her school has a crush on Qui Tong, who she sees at a bus stop butRead More