Categories
Read Harder

7 Short Books You Can Squeeze In Before the End of the Year

Hello, everyone! First, a quick introduction. My name is Danika, and I’ll be helming the Read Harder ship this year. I’ve been writing for Book Riot since 2015, and I’ve been working here full time as an Associate Editor for just shy of three years. I am a co-host on All the Books, and I also write the LGBTQ books newsletter Our Queerest Shelves.

I’ve watched Read Harder grow and change over the years — can you believe this is the TENTH YEAR of the challenge?? — but a couple things always stay the same. One is that the challenge pushes us to diversify our reading in all senses of the word, helping us to discover our new favorite books that we never would have picked up otherwise. The other is the community of passionate, well-read, compassionate readers that has sprung up around Read Harder. That’s why I’m so excited to have a central place for this community, so we can have our own cozy, supportive, moderated corner of the internet to ourselves.

But it’s not time for Read Harder 2024 yet! We still have a little bit left of 2023 to go! Have you finished your Read Harder 2023 tasks? Are there any you’re hoping to squeeze into the last week or so of the year? Or are there other reading goals you’re hoping to reach by the end of December 31st? Let’s chat in the comments!

Obviously, numbers aren’t everything in our reading lives, but the Goodreads Challenge is popular for a reason. It’s fun to try to reach that goal you set at the beginning of the year. And if it’s looking like you’re just shy of meeting it, then this post is for you: here are some of my favorite short reads that you can squeeze in before the end of 2023. These are all under 200 pages, ordered from longest to shortest.

the cover of The Truth About Stories

The Truth About Stories by Thomas King (184 pages)

This is one of my favorite books of all time; I think about it frequently. It’s also a quick read, and you can even listen to King’s original lectures instead. This collection of essays/lectures explores the nature of storytelling, specifically looking at the kinds of stories told about Indigenous people in North America. If you’re reading this, you’re passionate about books and stories. This book will leave you thinking about the power and importance that the kinds of stories we listen to and tell have.

cover of Spear by Nicola Griffith, showing a red silhouette or a person on horseback emerging from a blurred image off white trees emerging from a chalice

Spear by Nicola Griffith (184 pages)

This is a gorgeous, queer, Welsh take on King Arthur. Getting used to the Welsh names might take a little while, but after that, this is a precisely plotted novella that packs an expansive story into a small page count. It follows a main character who grows up isolated, with a deep connection to nature. Then, she disguises herself as a man and decides to head to King Arthur’s court to try to become a knight. There are also a few illustrations included! Be sure to read the author’s note at the end for an exploration of the nature of Arthuriana.

Check out all seven recommendations at Book Riot! Let’s chat in the comments: Did you set a Goodreads Challenge this year? Do you think you’ll be completing it? How many books are you hoping to read in 2024?

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Read Harder Uncategorized

Introducing the Read Harder Challenge 2024, Take Two!

Editor’s Note: Apologies to those of you who may have received this twice, or who received another newsletter’s content instead. We had an email snafu on Wednesday (possibly related, Mercury is in Retrograde…).


It’s finally here: the 2024 Read Harder Challenge! Would you believe this is the TENTH YEAR of the Read Harder Challenge? Every year, we have fun cooking up the perfect tasks to get you out of your reading comfort zone, discovering your new favorite books. As always, there are 24 tasks: two for each month of the year.

You can approach this challenge any way you want: use one book to complete multiple tasks, or only assign each title once. Yes, audiobooks and comics count! Make this challenge your own. The important thing is that you branch out and pick up books you wouldn’t otherwise have tried.

This year’s tasks include all sorts of fun challenges, including some timely reading projects (we really need to collectively improve our media literacy skills), trending genres (cozy fantasy, anyone?), and tasks to diversify your reading in all sorts of ways.

Not sure where to get started? You’ll be receiving emails with recommendations for each task throughout the year! Free subscribers will get a couple book recommendations for each, while paid subscribers will get access to the whole list — plus more crowd-sourced in the comments! We’ll also be doing weekly progress check-ins for paid subscribers, where we can discuss what we’re reading, what we recommend for each challenge, and which tasks we need advice on how to complete. If you want to join the Read Harder community, you can subscribe for $6 a month or $60 for the year. Community features will go live in January.

Without further ado, here are the 24 tasks for the 2024 Read Harder Challenge! And if you want the downloadable PDF, you can grab that here.

  1. Read a cozy fantasy book.
  2. Read a YA book by a trans author.
  3. Read a middle grade horror novel.
  4. Read a history book by a BIPOC author.
  5. Read a sci-fi novella.
  6. Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character.
  7. Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author.
  8. Read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited.
  9. Read a book recommended by a librarian.
  10. Read a historical fiction book by an Indigenous author.
  11. Read a picture book published in the last five years.
  12. Read a genre book (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author.
  13. Read a comic that has been banned.
  14. Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (virtual or in person) and then attend the event.
  15. Read a YA nonfiction book.
  16. Read a book based solely on the title.
  17. Read a book about media literacy.
  18. Read a book about drag or queer artistry.
  19. Read a romance with neurodivergent characters.
  20. Read a book about books (fiction or nonfiction).
  21. Read a book that went under the radar in 2023.
  22. Read a manga or manhwa.
  23. Read a howdunit or whydunit mystery.
  24. Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat! 
Categories
Read Harder

Introducing the 2024 Read Harder Challenge!

It’s finally here: the 2024 Read Harder Challenge! Would you believe this is the TENTH YEAR of the Read Harder Challenge? Every year, we have fun cooking up the perfect tasks to get you out of your reading comfort zone, discovering your new favorite books. As always, there are 24 tasks: two for each month of the year.

You can approach this challenge any way you want: use one book to complete multiple tasks, or only assign each title once. Yes, audiobooks and comics count! Make this challenge your own. The important thing is that you branch out and pick up books you wouldn’t otherwise have tried.

This year’s tasks include all sorts of fun challenges, including some timely reading projects (we really need to collectively improve our media literacy skills), trending genres (cozy fantasy, anyone?), and tasks to diversify your reading in all sorts of ways.

Not sure where to get started? You’ll be receiving emails with recommendations for each task throughout the year! Free subscribers will get a couple book recommendations for each, while paid subscribers will get access to the whole list — plus more crowd-sourced in the comments! We’ll also be doing weekly progress check-ins for paid subscribers, where we can discuss what we’re reading, what we recommend for each challenge, and which tasks we need advice on how to complete. If you want to join the Read Harder community, you can subscribe for $6 a month or $60 for the year. Community features will go live in January!

Without further ado, here are the 24 tasks for the 2024 Read Harder Challenge! And if you want the downloadable PDF, you can grab that here.

  1. Read a cozy fantasy book.
  2. Read a YA book by a trans author.
  3. Read a middle grade horror novel.
  4. Read a history book by a BIPOC author.
  5. Read a sci-fi novella.
  6. Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character.
  7. Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author.
  8. Read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited.
  9. Read a book recommended by a librarian.
  10. Read a historical fiction book by an Indigenous author.
  11. Read a picture book published in the last five years.
  12. Read a genre book (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) by a disabled author.
  13. Read a comic that has been banned.
  14. Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (virtual or in person) and then attend the event.
  15. Read a YA nonfiction book.
  16. Read a book based solely on the title.
  17. Read a book about media literacy.
  18. Read a book about drag or queer artistry.
  19. Read a romance with neurodivergent characters.
  20. Read a book about books (fiction or nonfiction).
  21. Read a book that went under the radar in 2023.
  22. Read a manga or manhwa.
  23. Read a howdunit or whydunit mystery.
  24. Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat! 
Categories
Read Harder

Read Harder 2024 is Almost Here! Here’s What’s Changing This Year

We’re counting down the days until the 2024 Read Harder Challenge drops on December 13th, but in the meantime, we wanted to give you a sneak peek of what’s changing this year. As always, we’ll be posting 24 tasks to get you out of your reading comfort zone. But in 2024, this newsletter will look a little different!

One of our favorite things about Read Harder is the community of passionate readers that has sprung up around it over the years, scattered across many different social media platforms. That’s why this year, we want to host a Read Harder community right here, with a tight-knit, moderated discussion group.

Every two weeks, you’ll get an email with book recommendations that complete one of the Read Harder tasks. On the off week, we’ll let you know about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. Free subscribers will have access to a couple of recommendations, while paid subscribers get access to the full list, plus the recommendations shared by other Read Harder community members in the comments! We’ll also have weekly check-ins for paid subscribers, where we can share our progress, let each other know what we’re reading, and trade advice for completing different tasks.

The Read Harder community is made up of some of the most interesting and well-read people we know, so we’re excited to host that community right here on Book Riot, in a private, cozy, and supportive corner of the internet.

If you want to keep getting free Read Harder newsletters, you don’t have to change anything! Your subscription will stay the same in 2024. If you want the full experience of being part of the Read Harder community, including the complete lists of recommendations plus access to community discussions, you can subscribe for $6 a month or $60 annually. Subscriptions will open up on December 13th, and you’ll get the details on how to sign up then.

We’ll be back soon with the Read Harder tasks for 2024! See you in the comments!

Categories
What's Up in YA

Culinary Combat, the Society for Arcane Sciences, and More YA Book Talk

It’s October, which means it’s practically Halloween! I have a couple of queer YA recommendations for the spooky season, whether you’re looking for something spine-chilling or silly.

Speaking of seasonal reads, autumn is here, which means it’s time to curl up with a great read and get cozy — whatever your version of cozy looks like. Whether it’s romance, creepy reads, modern classics, or escapist reads you crave, TBR can help you find the perfect books for your fall reading, with options curated to your specific reading tastes.

Bookish Goods

a photo of three bookmarks with cute ghosts in Edinburgh streets at night

Edinburgh Ghosts Bookmark by SnugAndScribble

Have you seen the TikTok trend of painting ghosts into thrift store paintings? These bookmarks remind me of those, but even better. $3.50+ each or $9.50+ for the set.

New Releases

the cover of The Homecoming War

The Homecoming War by Addie Woolridge

Meg is so close to graduating high school and getting out of Huntersville. She’s even class president! But her plans are complicated when her high school is merged with their rival school. Now, she has to work with Davies High’s class president, Chris, as their two schools have an escalating prank war. To make things even more complicated, she might have a reluctant crush on him.

the cover of The Glass Scientists

The Glass Scientists: Volume One by S. H. Cotugno

This webcomic turned graphic novel has a simultaneous hardcover and paperback release. It follows Dr. Henry Jekyll as he tries to rehabilitate the image of arcane scientists after that unfortunate Frankenstein incident by founding the Society for Arcane Sciences. But some members want to push science in a radical, dangerous direction — and they’re willing to expose Jekyll’s secrets in the process.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Queer YA Reads for Spooky Season

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White book cover

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Looking for a read that proves YA horror doesn’t pull any punches? You need to pick up The Spirit Bares Its Teeth. Silas is an autistic trans teenager stuck in Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium. When a ghost asks him for help, he realizes that he needs to take down this school before it kills him first. Be sure to check out the trigger warnings for this one: it’s a bloody read and includes transphobia, ableism, and misogyny.

the cover of The Beginner's Guide to Culinary Combat

Cooking with Monsters (Book One): The Beginner’s Guide to Culinary Combat by Jordan Alsaqa, illustrated by Vivian Truong

Looking for something Halloween-adjacent but not actually scary? How about a fun YA graphic novel about cooking with monsters? Hana has just started at Gourmand Academy of Culinary Combat, and she’s struggling to keep up with her classmates. Pair this with Basil and Oregano by Melissa Capriglione for two different takes on a queer YA graphic novel set at a fantasy cooking school!

That’s it for me! You can usually find me writing the Our Queerest Shelves newsletter. I also have a sapphic book blog called the Lesbrary, and you can also hear me on All the Books, or you can read my Book Riot posts.

Happy reading!
Danika

Categories
What's Up in YA

1930s Immortal Shanghai Spies, Books for Bi Visibility Month, and More YA Book Talk

Hello, YA readers! This is Danika, filling in for Kelly as she takes some well-deserved time off. Today, I have a couple YA paperback releases for you, as well as some bisexual YA book recommendations to read for Bisexual Visibility Month.

Before we get into this week’s YA paperbacks and recommendations, did you know that Book Riot’s editorial team is writing for casual and power readers alike over at The Deep Dive? During the month of September, all new free subscribers will be entered to win Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, plus five mystery books from The Deep Dive. To enter, simply start a free subscription to The Deep Dive. No payment method required!

Bookish Goods

a photo of a Heartstopper totebag with colorful leaf illustrations and speech bubbles saying "hi" and "hi"

Heartstopper Leaves Tote Bag by TesonStore

It’s fall in the northern hemisphere, which means it’s Heartstopper season! You can get those iconic leaf illustrations on just about anything on Etsy, including this tote bag that is perfect for carrying your books. $10

New Releases

Find below two of this week’s paperbacks.

the cover of Bad Girls Never Say Die

Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu

You might recognize Jennifer Mathieu from her book-turned-movie Moxie. In this novel, she reimagines The Outsiders with female main characters. Set in Houston in 1964, Evie and her group of friends are “bad girls” who are too loud and wear too much makeup. They’re fiercely loyal to each other. But when Evie is saved from disaster by a “good girl,” she has to reevaluate what she thought she knew about friendship.

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong cover

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

Book two in this duology, Foul Heart Huntsman, is out today, and so is the paperback version of book one! In a fantasy version of 1930s Shanghai, Rosalind has healing powers as a result of a strange experiment, and she’s using them to be a spy. Now, to keep her cover, she has to pose as the wife of another spy, Orion. What could go wrong?

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Bisexual YA Book Recs

I know Kelly generally does YA book news at this point, but I don’t know where her sources are, because I was having trouble digging up much. So instead, I’m going to recommend a couple of bisexual YA books for Bisexual Visibility Month.

the cover of Follow Your Arrow

Follow Your Arrow by Jessica Verdi

When CeCe and her girlfriend Silvie breaks up, it’s more than heartbreaking: it’s a threat to her brand. CeCe’s whole life is online, and Cevie was supposed to be #RelationshipGoals. When she starts to fall for a very offline guy, how will he react to her online life, and how will the Cevie fans respond? I love how this book explores bisexuality as a distinct identity, including CeCe’s feeling like she doesn’t quite belong in either straight or queer spaces. It’s also one of the few books I’ve read with a bisexual main character who has a preference for one gender (women). I think this deserves way more attention.

Things We Couldn't Say cover

Things We Couldn’t Say by Jay Coles

Gio is a Black bisexual teenage boy who is just starting to feel stable in his life after his mother left eight years ago. Now, she’s suddenly reappeared, looking for forgiveness, and Gio doesn’t know how to feel about her. Meanwhile, he’s starting to become closer friends with a teammate on his basketball team, David, and might be falling for him — but Gio isn’t sure he can handle any more complicated relationships in his life right now. There are still so few books with bisexual men or boys as main characters, and even fewer with Black bisexual men, so this is a must-read. Also, this cover is stunning in real life.

That’s it for me! You can usually find me writing the Our Queerest Shelves newsletter. I also have a sapphic book blog called the Lesbrary, and you can also hear me on All the Books or you can read my Book Riot posts.

Happy reading!
Danika

Categories
What's Up in YA

Honeycomb Horror, a Monstrous Chariot Race, and More YA Book Talk and News: August 3, 2023

Hello YA Readers!

Kelly is off on a well-deserved break, so this is Danika filling in for today’s newsletter! I’ve got a couple YA paperback releases to share along with some YA-related book news — surprise, surprise, it’s mostly censorship-related.

Looking for even more books? Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. New books for days. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try! 

Bookish Goods

a photo of a Bee and Honeycomb Charm Bookmark Paperclip

Bee and Honeycomb Charm Bookmark Paperclip by NylaBooks

After you read The Honeys, you’ll never be able to look at bees or honeycombs the same way again. But in the meantime, enjoy this cute bee bookmark! $9

New Releases

They’re (paper)back! Let’s look at two excellent YA paperback releases that hit shelves this week. You can also check out the full list of today’s paperback YA releases.

cover of The Honeys by Ryan La Sala; the word 'honeys' repeated all the way down the cover over paintings of flowers

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

I read this one when it first came out, and if you’re in the mood for a summer horror book, this is it. I beg you, I implore you, just read the first two pages. This was the most intense start to a book I’ve ever read, and I was convinced it must be a dream sequence, but no. This is about a genderfluid teenager trying to figure out what led to his sister’s death by going to the summer camp she was obsessed with. There, the strict gender roles are just as unsettling as the body horror.

monsters made and born book cover

Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah

In this oceanic world, Koral and her family are indentured by Landers to capture the monstrous maristags to be used in their Glory Race. When the last maristag escapes, Koral has to find another way to afford her little sister’s medication, so she decides to cheat her way into the deadly Glory Race. But there are a lot of people who will do anything to stop a low-caste girl from winning the gold, and she might just spark a rebellion. This one promises to be a great match for fans of The Hunger Games and These Violent Delights.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter and the New Release Index.

YA Book News

That’s it for me! I usually write Book Riot’s LGBTQ books newsletter, Our Queerest Shelves. You can also find me at my sapphic book blog the Lesbrary and (sigh) Twitter. Plus, you can hear me on All the Books or you can read my Book Riot posts.

Happy reading!
Danika

Categories
Today In Books

Sarah Silverman Sues Meta and OpenAI for Copyright Infringement: Today In Books

The Books Unbanned Club is Distributing Banned Books in Florida Through Little Free Libraries

Little Free Libraries has teamed up with Venables Bell + Partners to create the Unbanned Book Club. Five hundred banned or challenged books have been donated by Penguin Random House and HarperCollins, and they will be appearing in Little Free Libraries starting in Jacksonville. One hundred fifty books have been banned or challenged in Jacksonville’s Duval County during the past two years.

Sarah Silverman Is Suing OpenAI and Meta for Copyright Infringement of Her Book

Alongside fellow authors Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey, comedian Sarah Silverman is suing Meta and OpenAI over allegations that ChatGPT and Meta’s LLaMA were trained on illegally acquired copies of their books, as evidenced by ChatGPT being able to summarize the entire book. They claim that their books were accessed through “shadow libraries” like Z-Library, which host pirated ebooks. The authors have stated they “did not consent to the use of their copyrighted books as training material.”

Hundreds March in Solidarity With Cork Library Staff After Harassment for Carrying LGBTQ+ Books

Staff in Cork Library in Ireland have been facing harassment over carrying LGBTQ books, including being accused of being pedophiles as well as being recorded without consent. They also had one person record themselves destroying a copy of This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson in the library. On Friday, roughly 400 people marched on city hall to demand more protection and support for library workers.

Anatomy of a Book Cover: The Process of Book Cover Design

How does book cover design work? Find here an introduction to the process, both in self- and traditional publishing.

Categories
Our Queerest Shelves

Bisexual Werebears and Other Queer Shapeshifters

We’re back! Luckily, this was a light week for new releases, so even though there wasn’t a Tuesday newsletter, this one isn’t out of control. I hope you enjoyed your long weekend, if you had one, and let’s talk about queer books!

Prison Books Collective is looking for more queer fiction, especially trans and gay books! The information on how to donate books is on their Instagram!

What do S.A. Cosby, Khaled Hosseini, Sarah Bakewell, and Yahdon Israel have in common? They’ve been guests on Book Riot’s newest podcast, First Edition where BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O’Neal explores the wide bookish world. Subscribe to hear them and stay to hear Book Riot’s editors pick the “it” book of the month.

Bookish Goods

a pin of Nimona with dragon wings

Nimona Recycled Acrylic Pin by FleurMarigold

Everyone is loving the Nimona movie! If you want to carry Nimona everywhere you go, here’s a pin to preorder! $13

New Releases

Because of the holiday, there aren’t many books out this week. Also, the releases I could find aren’t as diverse as I’d like: we need more queer books by and about people of colour!

the cover of A Place for Us

A Place for Us by Brandon J. Wolf (Queer Memoir)

Brandon J. Wolf is an LGBTQ+ activist who is also a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub terror attack. In this memoir, he talks about his journey growing up in a racist and homophobic small town in rural Oregon to finding his community in Orlando — and how that safe space was ripped away. This experience inspired him to become the activist he is today, and A Place for Us reminds us that the fight is not over: “With our backs against the wall,” he writes, “we find a way out together.”

the cover of All About Romance

All About Romance by Daniel Tawse (Nonbinary YA Contemporary) (UK Release)

The U.S. may have paused most of its releases for the Fourth of July, but the UK didn’t! This UK YA release is about Roman, a nonbinary teen in a small town where they feel isolated, especially in terms of dating. When they start getting anonymous postcards in their locker, they think they know who their secret admirer is — but will they be brave enough to act?

A Man of Lies by Ben Crane (Achillean Crime Fiction)

The Beasts of Paris by Stef Penney (Achillean Historical Fiction)

Of Love and Libraries by Brenna Bailey (F/F Romance)

For more new releases, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Since Nimona is getting so much attention, I thought I’d highlight a couple of other queer books with shapeshifting main characters! Now, “gay shapeshifter books” is a very specific genre, but I’ve gone in a different direction with these two.

the cover of Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl

Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor

This is your favorite queer author’s favorite queer book. It’s praised by Carmen Maria Machado, Eileen Myles, Michelle Tea, Maggie Nelson, and many more. It follows Paul, a queer person in 1993 who can change their body at will: from Riot Grrrl to leather cub. Paul travels across the country, celebrating the joys and mourning the losses of the queer community in the early ’90s.

the cover of Bearly a Lady by Cassandra Khaw

Bearly a Lady by Cassandra Khaw

Zelda is a bisexual plus-sized woman working in the fashion world — who is also a werebear. Which is really damaging her wardrobe. This book is filled with wacky romantic hijinks as she plays bodyguard for a fae nobleman while crushing on a werewolf. (There’s also a female love interest, but I won’t spoil who.) This was such a fun read, and it was a real shock when I read Khaw’s other books and found out they usually write gruesome horror novels!

This was a limited release, so the physical copy is hard to get ahold of, but you can find the ebook on Kobo.

All the Links Fit to Click

Happy Disability Pride Month 2023! (LGBTQ Reads)

Minnie Bruce Pratt, Lesbian Poet, Essayist, and Activist, Has Died at 76

9 must-read books encapsulating the queer Asian experience

Book Ban Corner

That’s it for me this week! Until next time, you can find me at my sapphic book blog the Lesbrary and (sigh) Twitter. You can also hear me on All the Books or you can read my Book Riot posts.

Happy reading!
Danika

Categories
Letterhead

What? Our Queerest Shelves is evolving!

Hello fellow book nerds!

I have some exciting news about Our Queerest Shelves. We’re introducing a subscription level, where you’ll get even more queer book content!

The subscription is $6 a month, and bonus content will be once a week. I’ll be experimenting with new formats. That could include more queer book lists on a theme, but also possibly podcasts, videos, essays, opportunities for community engagement, queer BookTok round ups — I’ll keep you on your toes! And I’ll also be looking for feedback from subscribers on what you’d like to see more of. I’m really excited for the chance to do something different, and your subscriptions make it possible for this to be my Real Life Job: yelling about queer books on the internet! (Okay, yes, I do other things too, but this is the best part.)

Don’t worry! You don’t have to subscribe to get the same content you’ve been getting all along from Our Queerest Shelves. You’ll still get two emails every week with new releases, recommendations, and links from the rest of the queer bookternet.

We’re always looking for new ways to improve our book coverage, and subscription newsletters open up so many possibilities that don’t rely on a constantly-changing algorithm. Instead, we can reach our audience directly, and you can support us directly, if you like what we do. After trying out a few options, we’re now going to be sending these newsletters through Substack, which enables us to have a subscription option.

You don’t have to do anything on your end to keep getting OQS in your inbox; it will just be coming from a different source, and it hopefully will look a little snazzier.

I hope you enjoy the next evolution of Our Queerest Shelves!

a graphic in the style of a Pokemon evolution. The text says: "What? Our Queerest Shelves is evolving!" "Our Queerest Shelves evolved into a Substack!" The second image shows the updated OQS logo.