I reviewed Makana Yamamoto’s debut cyberpunk novel, Hammajang Luck, during last year’s Trans Rights Readathon (which is currently ongoing until the end of March). I enjoyed the book’s high-stakes heist and dystopian politics, so I was excited to pick up the standalone sequel, The Obake Code, especially as it stars one of my favorite characters from theRead More
Wrangling Chaos and Grief: Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders Review
Recently, I was complaining to my sister about one of my pet peeves in fiction: stories featuring an academic or student that is vague about that character’s area of interest or research. Get specific about it! Include some nerdy tangents! Don’t just have a character vaguely be described as an art historian or a classicistRead More
A Queer and Feminist Murder Ballad: The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar Review
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone is a modern sapphic classic, but I somehow I ended up reading El-Mohtar’s new novella first. It did not disappoint—in fact, it was the final push I needed to finally pick up This is How You Lose the Time War, andRead More
A Queer Coming-of-Age Story Told From the Margins (Literally): The Secret Astronomers by Jessica Walker Review
I tend to take a traditional approach to fiction. I learned the three elements of a story—plot, setting, character—pretty early, and it stuck because is made sense. The Secret Astronomers by Jessica Walker is an exception. Before genre or protagonist, above theme or prose, this book’s most remarkable feature is its format. It’s a tale told inRead More
A Steamy Friends-to-Lovers Beach Read: My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner Review
This summer, I really fell in love with reading by the water. I did some beach reading, but mostly, I just packed a bottle of water and a snack, walked myself down to the waterway, found a bench, and cracked open a book. It’s so peaceful. And between the cover and setting of My BestRead More
Jane Austen Meets Queer History: I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner Review
This Pride Month, I wanted to highlight I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner, a YA historical romance graphic novel that is one of my favorite comics I’ve read this year. I feel that it’s important to recognize that we have always been here, and not without opportunities for love and personal expression. George, theirRead More
Faeries, Dragons, and Space Monsters, Oh My: Three Sapphic SFF Novellas
I first want to give a shout-out to the Asian Readathon, which Cindy Pham (@WithCindy on Youtube) hosts during May. While we’re near the end of the month, the associated Directory of Asian Books is an incredible resource year-round, and both it and this year’s challenge contain an LGBT category. With that in mind, I’veRead More
Large Format Photograph as Novel: Housemates by Emma Copley Eisenberg
Some of my favourite books can be accurately described as “slow.” In fact, I so enjoy a character-based story that when I hear “nothing happens in this book,” it bumps it up my TBR. So, it was a surprise to me to find myself slogging through Housemates feeling like nothing was happening. If it wasn’tRead More
A Sweet and Steamy Polyamorous Romance: Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander
Buy this from Bookshop.org to support local bookstores and the Lesbrary! Before this book had even come out (happy release day, Triple Sec!), I’d already been recommending it nonstop on Our Queerest Shelves. Ever since I finished it, I haven’t been able to stop talking about. It’s definitely one of my favourite books of theRead More
A Comforting Queer Cozy Fantasy Comic: The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught
Buy this from Bookshop.org to support local bookstores and the Lesbrary! One of my favourite micro niches is queer cozy fantasy middle grade comics—which mostly just means I adore the Tea Dragon series by K. O’Neill. I have a print from that series on my wall. I have the box set. I have the cardRead More