Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’ve got new releases and two queer short story anthologies for you to check out. We’re past Mother’s Day in Colorado now, which means that it’s time for us to finally start planting flowers. (Before Mother’s Day, chances are that you’re going to get a freeze coming in to ruin your day.) It’s been really cool to have a garden again, and plants, and the chance to think about trees and the like. It’s going to be a long-term project, but I’m bringing color and botanical diversity to this yard! Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Tuesday!
Make this your most bookish summer yet with personalized reading recommendations from Tailored Book Recommendations! Our bibliologists (aka professional book nerds) are standing by to help you find your next favorite read. Get your recommendations via email, or opt to receive hardcovers or paperbacks delivered right to your door. And with quarterly or annual plans available, TBR has something for every budget. Get started today from just $18!
Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here are two places to start: Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, which provides medical and humanitarian relief to children in the Middle East regardless of nationality, religion, or political affiliation; and Ernesto’s Sanctuary, a cat sanctuary and animal rescue in Syria that is near and dear to my heart.
Bookish Goods
Pride Bookshelf Stickers by BackroadsBookstore
These cute stickers come with books in different colors for each pride flag — and each has a different little potted plant with it too. I love them. $3
New Releases
The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood
Jerusalem is a Saint, gifted with the powers of a demi-god and the physicality to match. She fears nothing and has but one goal: revenge on the vampires who enslaved and murdered her family. Yet she finds herself teaming up with the Ancient Vampire Alexei on the Union’s side to fight the Confederates, and together they might well change the course of the war.
Til Death Do Us Bard by Rose Black
Logan “The Bear” Theaker hung up his axe a year ago and has settled in for a life of quiet domesticity with his bard husband, Pie. But when Pie abruptly vanishes, Logan doesn’t hesitate to follow — especially when he finds out that Pie has been blackmailed into stealing an artifact that can create and control an undead army. But the deeper Logan goes into the rescue, the more secrets he uncovers, until he’s wondering if he will be able to save his marriage even if he does save his husband.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
We’ve got a brand new queer short story anthology, and I’m recommending another that isn’t quite as new-to-the-shelf shiny but still just as good!
We Mostly Come Out at Night: 15 Queer Tales of Monsters, Angels & Other Creatures edited by Rob Costello
Trans and queer authors bring you 15 short stories about being the monster and what that might mean.
We’re Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction (2020) edited by C.L. Clark & Charles Payseur
This anthology contains 15 queer speculative fiction short stories that were published in 2020.
See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.