Category: Our Queerest Shelves

Categories
Our Queerest Shelves

It’s Time to Get Quozy

I just got Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen in the mail, and it is burning a hole in my bookshelf. Lesbian sasquatch romcom/horror!! What could be better? But I’ll hold off long enough to finish this newsletter. That’s how much I care about you.

Given the shirt I’m featuring in today’s email, I thought I’d use this space to point you towards the Trans Justice Funding Project: a “community-led funding initiative supporting grassroots, trans justice groups run by and for trans people.” You can help support their work at their donation page.

Bookish Goods

a shirt reading Protect Trans Kids with a trans flag behind the text in an arc

Protect Trans Kids T-Shirt by MegEmikoArt

It’s just that simple. Also, 50% of the proceeds from the sales of this shirt go to the Trans Justice Funding Project! $29

New Releases

the feeling of falling in love book cover

The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver (Trans Guy/Nonbinary Romance)

Neil needs a date for his brother’s wedding, and friends-with-benefits Josh seems like an obvious choice — until Josh confesses his love for Neil, which is unrequited. Awkward. So now he’s convinced his roommate Wyatt to join him. This is a romance between a trans guy and a nonbinary person, and it seems to have that classic grumpy one/sunshine one dynamic, so it’s a perfect fit if you enjoy a prickly main character.

the cover of Me and My Dysphoria Monster

Me & My Dysphoria Monster by Laura Kate Dale and Hui Qing Ang (Trans Girl Picture Book)

I’m so excited to see how much queer and trans kidlit has grown in recent years. This picture book has a trans girl main character who meets a trans man mentor who helps her deal with dysmorphia, imagining as a monster. I can only imagine how helpful this will be for trans kids who don’t yet have the words to describe their feelings of dysphoria.

Cherry on Top by Georgia Beers (F/F Romance)

Parallel Paradise by Mayapee Chowdhury (Bisexual F/F Romance)

Royal Exposé (Royal Generations #1) by Jenny Frame (F/F Royal Romance)

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

The Inconvenient Heiress by Jane Walsh (F/F Regency Romance)

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo (Queer Horror) (Paperback Rerelease)

The Oleander Sword (The Burning Kingdoms #2) by Tasha Suri (F/F Fantasy)

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones (Bisexual F/M YA Fantasy)

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala Genderfluid (YA Horror)

Fence: Rise (Vol. 5) by C. S. Pacat (M/M YA Comics)

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel), Vol. 3 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu and illustrated by Marina Privalova (M/M Light Novel)

Song of My Softening by Omotara James (Queer Poetry)

Antiman: A Hybrid Memoir by Rajiv Mohabir (Queer Memoir) (Paperback Rerelease)

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

Riot Recommendations

Last newsletter, I asked you to tell me what genre/subgenre/topic you’d like to see covered in Riot Recs, and cozy mystery was the top request! (Along with mystery more generally, and queer men rep more generally.) I’m still looking for more suggestions, so let me know on Twitter!

Unfortunately, while cozy mysteries are getting more diverse and “quozies” (queer cozy mysteries) are starting to make an appearance, they don’t seem to have overlapped yet: I couldn’t find any by authors of color. If you know of one, please let me know!

The Tita Rosie’s Kitchen series is by a queer Filipino author and has queer side characters, so that’s a good one to check out, too. (Fingers crossed that those characters get their own spin-off book!)

the cover of Renovated to Death

Renovated to Death by Frank Anthony Polito

A gay couple who host a home renovation reality show and solve crimes together? Yes, thank you. If you’re someone who loves to zone out in front of HGTV, this is the cozy mystery for you. Plus, it’s the beginning of a series, so there should be more soon!

cover image for Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies

Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies by Misha Popp

Daisy has a mobile bakery called Pies Before Guys. What could be more cozy than baking pies? And if those pies happen to also act as a magical method of revenge against men who’ve done terrible things, that’s just a happy bonus. When Daisy starts getting blackmailed, though, she’ll have to find out who is holding this secret over her — with enough time to win the state pie baking competition.

All the Links Fit to Click

23 New LGBTQ+ YA Novels To Chill With This Summer

Elana Dykewomon, Author Who Explored Lesbian Lives, Dies at 72

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

Happy reading!
Danika

Categories
Our Queerest Shelves

Sapphic Flappers and Other 1920s Queer Adventures

Our Queerest Shelves readers, I need your help! Every week, I am frozen with indecision at the prospect of having to pick just two queer books to highlight in the Riot Recommendations section, so I want to know: what kinds of books are you looking for? Happy trans stories? Bisexual dystopia? Gay cozy mysteries? Queer stories about monster hunting? Let me know on Twitter, and they just might pop up in the next send!

You don’t want to hear it and I don’t want to talk about it, but censorship against queer books continues — it’s even lead to a public library being defunded — and we’re expecting it to come back with a vengeance. The best way to oppose it is to show up to your local library board and school board meetings to let them know you support queer books. Second best is sending letters and emails or making calls to voice your support. But if you want to contribute financially, consider donating to EveryLibrary.

Bookish Goods

a photo of someone wearing a shirt that reads "Gorgeous, gorgeous gays read books"

Gorgeous Gorgeous Gays Read Books T-Shirt by JazzyDesignsEtsy

Find your fellow queer readers (and TikTokers) by wearing this shirt! $26+

New Releases

cover of The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings

The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings (Bisexual Dystopia)

From the author of Lakewood comes another queer dystopia. In this world, all women must marry by 30. Oh, and witches are real, and any woman who doesn’t fit the mold may find themselves on trial for suspicions of witchcraft. Josephine is 28, and is not particularly looking forward to marriage, so she decides to take an opportunity to honor a request in her mother’s will, who disappeared when she was younger.

the cover of High Times in the Low Parliament

High Times in the Low Parliament by Kelly Robson (Sapphic Fantasy)

This is being pitched as a “lighthearted romp through an 18th-century London featuring flirtatious scribes, irritable fairies, and the dangers of Parliament.” When Lana is swayed by a few kisses to deliver a message for another scribe, she finds herself banished to Low Parliament by an upset fairy, and now she’s tangled up in a vote that might decide the fate of humanity.

A Killing in Costumes by Zac Bissonnette (Lesbian and Gay Cozy Mystery)

The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia (Aro/Ace Nonbinary, All-Queer Cast Fantasy Novella)

the cover of The Bruising of Qilwa

New World: Made for Me by Lily X (F/F Sci-Fi Romance)

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros (Queer YA Historical Fantasy) (Paperback Rerelease)

These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall (Sapphic YA Horror)

Kevin Keller Celebration Omnibus (Gay Comics)

Ask the Brindled: Poems by No’u Revilla (Queer Poetry)

Queer Tattoo edited by Benjamin Wolbergs, Florian Rudolph, and Brody Polinsky (Queer Nonfiction)

Queering Mesoamerican Diasporas by Susy J. Zepeda (Queer Nonfiction)

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

Riot Recommendations

Today’s theme is 1920s sapphic historical fiction genre crossover books. There are a surprising amount of sapphic historical fiction book set in the 1920s, and I can never resist them. Flapper girls! These two aren’t even all the 1920s sapphic genre crossover titles: there’s also Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May for fantasy and Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman for mystery, to name just a few more.

Cover for The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

What if, instead The Great Gatsby having intense queer subtext as well as subtext that Gatsby was Black, it simply had a queer woman of color as the main character — and some magic thrown in, just for fun? Enter, The Chosen and the Beautiful, starring Jordan, a bisexual Vietnamese adoptee. This is a gorgeous story that swept me away, and it doesn’t hurt that it has a complicated and very queer love triangle… quadrangle… pentagram? (With the deals with demons happening, that would make sense.)

Dead Dead Girls Book Cover

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia

Louise had enough adventure for a lifetime when she kidnapped as a teen. She has no intentions of getting herself involved investigating the string of murders of Black women outside of the café she works at. But then she’s blackmailed by the police into helping find the killer — though she might be putting herself and her girlfriend in danger while doing so.

All the Links Fit to Click

Elana Dykewomon, Acclaimed Lesbian Author, Dead at 72

Alice Oseman is selling million pounds worth of books each month

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

Happy reading!
Danika

Categories
Our Queerest Shelves

Sapphic Books to Read on a Rollercoaster

We are midway through a two week long heat wave here, and there’s been a steady cool breeze through my window today, so I’m wearing a hoodie for the first time in ages. It feels weird to have sleeves. And pants. But I’m excited to briefly not be reduced to laying down on the tile floor to try to keep a human temperature.

This is the last time I’ll be reminding you to apply for our Editorial Operations Associate position! If you love being the person who holds the clipboard, come work with us! Applications are open until August 8th.

This week, I want to spotlight The Okra Project. They offer “free, delicious, and nutritious meals to Black Trans people experiencing food insecurity.” You can help out at their donate page.

Bookish Goods

a photo of a read more queer books tote bag

Read More Queer Books Tote Bag by JazzyDesignsEtsy

Transport your beach reads with this Read More Queer Books tote bag! $9

New Releases

the book eaters cover

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean (Lesbian Fantasy)

Devon is a book eater who has run away from the controlling book eater network of families to protect her mind eater son. But that means finding him humans to feed on while she searches for some alternative. I just finished this one, and I loved it. In alternating chapters, we see Devon on the run, willing to sacrifice anything for her son, constantly going from one bad situation to another; and then we see her childhood and how she got to this point. I talk about it more in depth on this week’s All the Books episode.

the cover of The Devouring Wolf

The Devouring Wolf by Natalie C. Parker (Sapphic Middle Grade Fantasy)

This is a “queer tale about kid werewolves,” which is good enough for me. Also, that cover is perfect. It follows Riley and four other werewolf kids who don’t shift into wolves when they come of age, like they were supposed to. Now, they’re being chased by The Devouring Wolf, which is supposed to just be a campfire story. I can’t wait to get my paws on this one.

Dogs of Summer by Andrea Abreu, translated by Julia Sanches (Sapphic Fiction)

Radiant Fugitives by Nawaaz Ahmed (Lesbian Fiction) (Paperback Rerelease)

the cover of All This Could Be Different

Boulder by Eva Baltasar, translated by Julia Sanches (Lesbian Fiction)

All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews (Sapphic Fiction)

Don’t Make Me Do Something We’ll Both Regret: Stories by Tim Jones-Yelvington (Queer Short Stories)

Small Angels by Lauren Owen (Lesbian Gothic Fiction)

Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak (Bisexual Historical Fiction)

the cover of Don't Make Me Do Something We'll Both Regret

Ben and Beatriz by Katalina Gamarra (Pansexual Much Ado About Nothing Reimagining)

Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor (Lesbian Mystery)

Heartstrings by Rachel Spangler (F/F Romance)

Set in Stone by Stela Brinzeanu (F/F Historical Romance)

Real Sugar is Hard to Find by Sim Kern (Queer SFF Short Stories)

cover of Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin; illustration of two young woman in sci-fi gear in a jungle

A Broken Blade (The Halfling Saga #1) by Melissa Blair (Sapphic Fantasy)

Unwieldy Creatures by Addie Tsai (Queer Frankenstein Retelling)

Fault Tolerance (Chilling Effect #3) by Valerie Valdes (Pansexual Sci Fi)

Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin (Sapphic YA Fantasy)

Slaughter at Seabridge by Cassidy Frost (Bisexual YA Horror)

Katerina Cruickshanks by Daniel Gray-Barnett (Nonbinary Picture Book)

the cover of Knocking Myself Up

Kind Like Marsha: Learning from LGBTQ+ Leaders by Sarah Prager and Cheryl Thuesday (LGBTQ Nonfiction Picture Book)

Bolero by Wyatt Kennedy & Luana Vecchio (Bisexual SFF Graphic Novel)

Knocking Myself Up: A Memoir of My (In)Fertility by Michelle Tea (Queer Memoir)

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

Riot Recommendations

Now that we’ve tipped into August, I’m determined to make the most of the rest of the summer, including some seasonal reads. One thing I can’t resist in the summer is queer books set at amusement parks: I loved the drama and fun of Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan, I can’t wait to get my hands on the graphic novel Lifetime Passes by Terry Blas and Claudia Aguirre, and there’s nothing quite like the premise of an M/M YA set at a country music theme park (A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy). For a version that lends itself to both summer and fall, there’s the Deadendia graphic novels, which take place at a haunted house (slash portal into hell) at an amusement park.

While this is a little subgenre, I can’t seem to find any by authors of color. I did some poking around, and it looks like about 70% of park attendees are white, but that’s still 30% who are people of color. Besides, publishers are notorious about pigeon holing authors of color into writing only about tragedy and racism. I would love to see some books on this theme published by authors of colors in the future, because this is such a fun, joyful little subgenre.

the cover of Almost Flying, showing girls on a rollercoaster

Almost Flying by Jake Maia Arlow

Dalia’s dad is getting remarried, and he insists that she needs to bond with her new stepsister, Alexa. Luckily, Alexa was already planning an amusement park trip, and Dalia has been desperate to ride a roller coaster for the first time. She invites along a new friend, Rani, and she soon discovers Alexa has brought a secret guest of her own: her girlfriend. As they explore the park together, Dalia realizes that she might also be interested in girls — specifically, Rani.

the cover of The Stars and the Blackness Between Them

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus

Audre has just been kicked out of her home in Trinidad after being caught with her girlfriend. Now, she’s being sent to live with her estranged father in the U.S. When she gets there, she becomes friends with Mabel, who keeps getting sicker. This only has one scene set at an amusement park, but I promise you that includes a rollercoaster ride you won’t forget.

All the Links Fit to Click

Why Do the Gays Care So Much About Percy Jackson? (I find it odd this article doesn’t mention the upcoming (very queer) Nico book co-written by Mark Oshiro!)

Did Somebody Say Lesbian Sasquatch Horror-Comedy “Bachelor” Parody?

Paper Girls Takes Us On A Time Warp and Sets Up Destined Queerness and How the Paper Girls Show Is Different from the Comics

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

Happy reading!
Danika

Categories
Our Queerest Shelves

A violinist with a Faustian bargain and an alien donut shop owner walk into a book together…

Well, it’s heat wave time here, and I’m in the land of no air conditioning. I spent most of yesterday reading while submerged in a kiddie pool. I hope you’re all keeping cool!

Reminder: Book Riot is hiring an Editorial Operations Associate! If you are ready to wield the power of a clipboard, apply to join us!

This week, I wanted to highlight the charity True Colors United. Their mission is to “implement innovative solutions to youth homelessness that focus on the unique experiences of LGBTQ young people.” You can find out more about them at their website, and you can help at their donation page.

Bookish Goods

a sticker of a book with the text "lgbt books save lives" and the trans symbol

LGBT Books Save Lives 3″ Vinyl Sticker by CoyoteSnout

In a time where queer books are being banned and challenged at unprecedented rates, it’s worth having this reminder.

New Releases

Cover of A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows (M/M Fantasy)

Okay, sit down for this premise: it’s a marriage of convenience… but it’s between two men in a fantasy setting. You don’t usually see queer takes on a marriage of convenience, and I’m here for it.

When Vel is outed, he expects his life to fall apart, including his planned marriage to form a political alliance. Instead, the neighboring kingdom offers a different solution — that he marry his betrothed’s brother Cae instead. To make things more awkward, a faction is willing to stop at nothing to prevent this alliance, putting both their lives and their kingdoms in danger, so they’ll have to learn to work together.

the witchery book cover

The Witchery by by S. Isabelle (Sapphic YA Fantasy)

Look, I can’t resist a queer witch book, and this one is set at a coven boarding school. Things at Mesmortes are always high stakes, as Haunting Season brings an onslaught of Wolves that witches and humans have to fight back against, but this year is particularly difficult. Students are turning up dead in the halls of the academy, and the peace between humans and witches is at a breaking point. These four witches will have to develop their powers together in order to stop the Wolves — and maybe something even worse.

Seeing Strangers by Sebastian J. Plata (Gay Fiction)

Cover of Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min; pink with line illustration of person kissing another person's neck

Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min (M/M, Trans Guy Love Interest YA Contemporary)

The Valkyrie’s Daughter by Tiana Warner (Sapphic YA Fantasy)

A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow, Vol. 9 by Makoto Hagino (Yuri Manga)

Yuri Espoir, Vol. 1 by Mai Naoi (Yuri Manga)

Yuri is My Job!, Vol. 9 by Miman (Yuri Manga)

How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 6 by Tamifull (Sapphic Manga)

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

Riot Recommendations

I was going to include these paperback releases out this week in the new releases section, but I didn’t want you to miss them. If you’ve been holding off on picking up these excellent books, now is the time!

Light from Uncommon Stars book cover

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (Trans and Sapphic SFF)

I am still think about this book many months after finishing it. It’s about a violinist who sells her soul to the devil for success, but will get it back if she convinces seven other violinists to do the same. She just needs one more. Meanwhile, an alien refugee opens a donut shop after escaping from a hostile planet, but she fears violence will follow them here. And a trans teenager seems to find safety with a violinist intent on developing her talent. I find it so interesting that each of these main characters seems to be living in a different genre: fantasy, sci fi, and realism. This is also one of the most brutal books I’ve read — strong content warnings for transmisogyny, and I recommend looking up the full list of content warnings — while simultaneously being one of the most hopeful books I’ve read. Somehow, it pulls off this ambitious premise.

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jairgirdar

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar (F/F YA Contemporary)

Nishat is a second generation Bangladeshi immigrant living in Ireland who has the perfect plan for her business class’s final project: she’ll start a henna business! She’s been learning from her grandmother for years, and this will be a great opportunity to hone her craft. There’s just one problem: someone else in the class has the same idea. When Nishat confronts Flávia about this being appropriative, Flávia, who is Black and Brazilian, brushes her off. Now they’re in competition, and Flávia has an advantage by being more popular and better at advertising. And then there’s an added complication…neither of them can deny the spark they share. I do want to give content warnings for homophobia: Nishat has a really rough experience. It still manages to be hopeful, though, and I really appreciate this novel’s discussion of cultural appropriation.

All the Links Fit to Click

Autostraddle posted 12 Books to Read to Be a Better Ally to Disabled People This Disability Pride Month

Drag Queens Are “Not Gonna Back Down” after Attacks on Story Hours

Michelle Tea on Queer Pregnancy and Writing a Memoir in Present Tense

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

Happy reading!
Danika

Categories
Our Queerest Shelves

Queer YA with Summertime Vibes

I don’t know about you, but this week has felt endless to me. I keep having to do things every day. It’s exhausting! I just want to channel the energy of a gay capybara reader (that will make sense in approximately four more seconds).

As a heat wave rolls across the UK, consider donating to nonprofits who are dedicated to helping houseless LGBTQ people. Hot weather is especially dangerous for unhoused people, and queer people are much more likely to be unhoused. Here is a list of some organizations who are helping.

Bookish Goods

a sticker showing a capybara reading by a stack of rainbow books with the text Be Gay, Read Books

Be Gay Read Books Capybara Vinyl Sticker by CTKRStudio

This is all I want to do with my life. I love the subtle Progress Pride Flag with the leaning books, too! $2+

New Releases

Don’t miss checking out our sponsor for another great queer book out this week!

cover of Can't Resist Her

Can’t Resist Her by Kianna Alexander (F/F Romance)

Summer has moved back to her hometown to take a teaching position, and she’s determined to save the high school her grandmother founded. Aiko is on the architectural team in charge of tearing down the high school. But despite both being firmly invested in opposite sides of this conflict, they also can’t forget the kiss they shared one fateful dance in senior year…

Tea Dragon Society box set cover

The Tea Dragon Society Box Set by K. O’Neill (Queer Middle Grade Fantasy Graphic Novels)

I cannot express how much I adore this inclusive middle grade fantasy series, full of queer characters, disabled characters, and characters of color. The artwork is gorgeous, and who can resist a tiny little tea dragon?? I bought an art print to hang up on my wall, and I’ll definitely be buying this set — even though I already own the first volume…

A quick note: even though I love O’Neill’s work and this series in particular, Oni Press has recently fired a lot of staff and seems to be a in a strange position right now, so keep an eye out for updates there.

The Work Wife by Alison B. Hart (Sapphic Fiction)

Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens (Sapphic Historical Literary Fiction)

Young Men in Love cover

Vicious Creatures by Ashton Noone (Sapphic Thriller)

The Comedienne’s Guide to Pride by Hayli Thomson (Lesbian YA Contemporary)

The Language of Seabirds by Will Taylor (M/M Middle Grade Contemporary)

Young Men in Love: A Queer Romance Anthology edited by Joe Glass and Matt Miner (M/M Romance Comics Anthology)

The Last Session Vol. 1: Roll for Initiative by Jasmine Walls and Dozerdraws (Nonbinary, Queer Fantasy Graphic Novel)

I Think Our Son Is Gay, Vol. 3 by Okura (LGBTQ-Friendly Manga)

Whisper Me a Love Song ,Vol. 5 by Eku Takeshima (F/F Manga)

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

Queer YA Summer Reads

I’m a big fan of seasonal reading. In fact, I won’t pick up a horror book 11 months of the year, but I devour them in October. These queer YA books take place in the summer, so reading them in the sunshine adds a little bit of extra magic.

the cover of Kings of B'more

Kings of B’more by R. Eric Thomas

Harrison has big plans for him and his best friend, Linus, in the summer before junior year. But then he learns that Linus is moving out of state within a week. Inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Harrison decides to cram all of that summer fun into one ambitious day, including a mini road trip to attend their first Pride. This is a celebration of queer Black boy friendship, but it also discusses the racism and danger they face as young Black men.

cool for the summer book cover

Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler

From a plot inspired by Ferris Bueller to one inspired by Grease! This is told in two timelines. One is the intense and confusing summer Lara spent falling for Jasmine, which seems to exist in a vacuum, and then Lara’s life at school, where she finally looks to have a chance with her long-time crush, Chase. But just when things with Chase seem to be moving from daydream to reality, Jasmine walks through the doors as a new student at their school.

Sure, I may be a little bit biased because my name is in the acknowledgements of this book (!! That’s never happened before!!), but I would already have recommended it before I fell out of my chair reading that.

All the Links Fit to Click

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

Happy reading!
Danika

Categories
Our Queerest Shelves

Queer YA To Read for Disability Pride Month

Welcome to the new Our Queerest Shelves format! You won’t find a lot that’s different, but some things have been shuffled around. One notable addition is Bookish Goods, where I tempt you with a queer bookish Etsy item every week. I’m sorry/you’re welcome.

Book Riot is hiring an Editorial Operations Associate! If you love checklists and making sure things are running smoothly, we want to work with you. We are committed to building an inclusive workforce and strongly encourage applications from women, individuals with disabilities, and people of color. Check out all the details here, including work from home jurisdictions and salary.

Usually here is where I highlight a nonprofit to support, but instead I’d like to do a call to action: please call or email your legislator and let them know you support libraries and oppose book bans. Contact your local school board and library board and let them know you support Pride displays and carrying LGBTQ books. Librarians could use your help!

Bookish Goods

a photo of a magnet with a rainbow and an open book reading Libraries are for Everyone being held up by a hand with light skin

Libraries are for Everyone Magnet by GoodGoodCat

In light of some of the news pieces you’ll find linked below, it’s a good time to remind all who can see your fridge (or other metallic surface) that libraries are for everyone! $3

New Releases

cover of they drown our daughters by katrina monroe

​​They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe (Lesbian Horror)

I have it on good authority that this lesbian gothic is one of the best books of the year. Whose authority? Why, Book Riot’s Liberty Hardy, who reads 600+ books a year. Also, Autostraddle reviewed this with the title “This Gay Ocean Horror Book Is So Good I Want To Scream.” After Meredith broke up with her wife, she moved back to her hometown to care for her daughter and mother. But her mother, in early stages of Alzheimer’s, keeps warning her that all three women are in danger of being pulled under the water.

If You're a Kid Like Gavin cover

If You’re A Kid Like Gavin by Gavin Grimm and Kyle Lukoff, Illustrated by J Yang (Trans Guy Picture Book)

When Gavin Grimm’s school denied him the right to use the boy’s washroom because he’s trans, he took the battle all the way to the Supreme Court — and won. This picture book is his story, co-written by Kyle Lukoff, who was written queer kids’ books including When Aidan Became a Brother and Call Me Max. This story teaches kids how to advocate for themselves and others.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress (Sapphic Fiction)

Other Names for Love by Taymour Soomro (Queer Guy Fiction)

Cover of What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

Gods of Want: Stories by K-Ming Chang (Sapphic Short Stories)

The Romance Recipe by Ruby Barrett (F/F Romance)

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (Nonbinary Horror)

August Kitko and the Mechas from Space by Alex White (Queer Sci Fi)

The Taking of Jake Livingston (Gay YA Horror) (Paperback rerelease)

Pretty Baby by Chris Belcher (Lesbian Memoir)

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

Queer YA To Read for Disability Pride Month

It’s Disability Pride Month, and that means I have a good excuse to talk about some of my favorite queer books with disability representation! This week, I want to recommend some realistic YA with disabled or chronically ill main characters.

The Reckless Kind Book Cover

The Reckless Kind by Carly Heath

Have I recommended this book before in Our Queerest Shelves? Yes, because I will take any excuse to talk about it. It’s set in 1904 Norway and follows a queer teen found family group: Aster, who is asexual, has Waardenburg Syndrome, and is deaf in one ear; Gunnar, who is an amputee, is non-ambulatory, and experiences chronic pain; and Erland, who has anxiety. Gunnar and Erland are in a romantic relationship, and the three of them are rejected from their community for not following norms, forcing them to find a way to survive together. Plus, there’s a horse race to save the family farm. This is a beautiful and immersive story I need more people to read ASAP.

the cover of Full Disclosure

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

Simone is a teenager who’s been HIV positive since birth. It’s managed well with medication, but she faced so much stigma in her last school that she had to change schools and hide her diagnosis. Now, just as everything seems to be going well and the boy she’s crushing on might be crushing on her too, she starts getting blackmail notes threatening to out her as HIV positive.

Simone is bisexual, and she spends part of the book coming to terms with this: she has two queer best friends, and she feels like she can’t “claim” the label of bisexual because she’s more often attracted to guys. This is something I haven’t seen a lot in books, and it’s handled so well. She also has two dads, so there’s plenty of queer rep!

All the Links Fit To Click

Librarians caught up in vicious anti-LGBTQ cultural book bans are quitting

What Should a Queer Children’s Book Do?

12 Self-Published LGBTQ Books To Bring to the Beach This Summer

LGBTQ Reads has recommendations of queer books to read for Disability Pride Month!

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

Happy reading!

Danika

Categories
Our Queerest Shelves

TEST: Queer Memoirs To Read for Disability Pride Month

It’s July, which means it’s Disability Pride Month! I’m hoping to highlight a few different subcategories of queer books by disabled authors this month, so feel free to let me know if there’s a title or subcategory of queer books by disabled authors you’d like to see in upcoming July newsletters!

Today I wanted to highlight Sins Invalid, a disability justice performance project that centers people of color and queer people. I read Crip Kinship: The Disability Justice & Art Activism of Sins Invalid by Shayda Kafai and was blown away, so definitely take a minute to poke around their website and see some of the videos of their performances. You can support them on their donation page.

Bookish Goods

sticker of a blue dragon reading books with the text "in a world of bookworms be a book dragon"

Book Dragon Sticker by Etsy Shop

This is fake (the link doesn’t match) just for test purposes.

New Releases

the cover of Florida Woman

Florida Woman by Deb Rogers (Sapphic Fiction)

Through a combination of bad decisions and unfortunate circumstances, Jamie has become a Florida Woman headline. Luckily, she has landed a pretty sweet community service job instead of jail time, helping at a macaque sanctuary. The women working there are a tight-knit group, and Jamie desperately wants to fit in (and maybe kiss one of them). But then she starts hearing the monkeys scream at night. Underneath the idyllic facade of the sanctuary, some secrets are being kept…

You can hear me talk about in more depth on this week’s All the Books episode!

the cover of Keya Das's Second Act

Keya Das’s Second Act by Sopan Deb (Lesbian Secondary Characters Fiction)

Normally, I wouldn’t include a book that doesn’t have a queer main character, but considering the plot revolves around the queer secondary characters, I’m counting it — kind of like Everything Everywhere All At Once, which you should definitely see if you haven’t already. I cried the whole half hour.

Keya Das’s Second Act follows Shantanu Das, who is in his 50s and has a lot of regrets. The biggest one is that he didn’t accept his teenage daughter Keya when she came out as gay, and now it’s too late. She’s passed away. Then, in his attic, he finds an unfinished manuscript Keya and her girlfriend, Pamela, were working on. He decides to pay homage to Keya’s memory by putting on the play himself — but first, he has to get Pamela’s permission.

the cover of Gender Queer: A Memoir Deluxe Edition

Gender Queer: A Memoir, Deluxe Edition by Maia Kobabe and Phoebe Kobabe (Nonbinary Asexual Graphic Memoir) (Rerelease)

Gender Queer has been getting a lot of press in recent years for challenges against it, but what it should be known for is how many people it has helped both feel seen themselves and to better understand others. This new addition includes a foreword by ND Stevenson, creator of Lumberjanes, Nimona, and Netflix’s She-Ra. It also has a new afterward from the author.

Jazzed by by Jill Dearman (Sapphic Historical Crime Fiction)

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (Lesbian YA Contemporary) (Paperback rerelease)

the new cover of Taproot

The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) of Carl Paulsen by Gary Eldon Peter (Gay YA Contemporary)

Taproot by Keezy Young (M/M YA Fantasy Graphic Novel) (Reissue)

My Love Mix-Up!, Vol. 4 by Wataru Hinekure and Aruko (M/M Manga)

Go For It Again, Nakamura!! (Go For It, Nakamura! Vol 2) by Syundei (M/M Manga)

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

All the Links Fit to Click

Queer Memoirs To Read for Disability Pride Month

It’s Disability Pride Month! Of course, it’s always a good time to diversify your reading, which means including disabled authors and authors of color as well as queer and trans authors, but this is a good excuse to add more books by disabled authors to your TBR. Here are a couple of memoirs to get you started.

It’s Disability Pride Month! Of course, it’s always a good time to diversify your reading, which means including disabled authors and authors of color as well as queer and trans authors, but this is a good excuse to add more books by disabled authors to your TBR. Here are a couple of memoirs to get you started.

the cover of Exile and Pride

Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness, and Liberation by Eli Clare

First published in 1999, Exile and Pride is a groundbreaking work at the intersection of queer and disability studies. This blends memoir and essays as Clare discusses his experiences as a genderqueer writer and activist with cerebral palsy, focusing on the body as a site of power, resistance, and oppression.

the cover of Dirty River

Dirty River: A Queer Femme of Color Dreaming Her Way Home by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Dirty River follows Piepzna-Samarasinha as a young brown, queer, disabled femme as they ran from the U.S. to Canada. It’s a vulnerable and resilient story about survival, and you can see Piepzna-Samarasinha’s poetry background in the sharp and precise wording. I also highly recommend her books Bodymap (poetry) and Care Work (nonfiction).

That’s it for me this week! Until next time, you can find me at my bi and lesbian book blog, the Lesbrary, as well as on Twitter @danikaellis. You can also hear me on All the Books or you can read my Book Riot posts.

Happy reading!
Danika

Categories
Our Queerest Shelves

Queer Memoirs To Read for Disability Pride Month

It’s July, which means it’s Disability Pride Month! I’m hoping to highlight a few different subcategories of queer books by disabled authors this month, so feel free to let me know if there’s a title or subcategory of queer books by disabled authors you’d like to see in upcoming July newsletters!

Today I wanted to highlight Sins Invalid, a disability justice performance project that centers people of color and queer people. I read Crip Kinship: The Disability Justice & Art Activism of Sins Invalid by Shayda Kafai and was blown away, so definitely take a minute to poke around their website and see some of the videos of their performances. You can support them on their donation page.

Queer Memoirs To Read for Disability Pride Month

It’s Disability Pride Month! Of course, it’s always a good time to diversify your reading, which means including disabled authors and authors of color as well as queer and trans authors, but this is a good excuse to add more books by disabled authors to your TBR. Here are a couple of memoirs to get you started.

the cover of Exile and Pride

Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness, and Liberation by Eli Clare

First published in 1999, Exile and Pride is a groundbreaking work at the intersection of queer and disability studies. This blends memoir and essays as Clare discusses his experiences as a genderqueer writer and activist with cerebral palsy, focusing on the body as a site of power, resistance, and oppression.

the cover of Dirty River

Dirty River: A Queer Femme of Color Dreaming Her Way Home by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Dirty River follows Piepzna-Samarasinha as a young brown, queer, disabled femme as they ran from the U.S. to Canada. It’s a vulnerable and resilient story about survival, and you can see Piepzna-Samarasinha’s poetry background in the sharp and precise wording. I also highly recommend her books Bodymap (poetry) and Care Work (nonfiction).

All the Links Fit to Click

LGBTQ Book Riot Posts

New Releases This Week

the cover of Florida Woman

Florida Woman by Deb Rogers (Sapphic Fiction)

Through a combination of bad decisions and unfortunate circumstances, Jamie has become a Florida Woman headline. Luckily, she has landed a pretty sweet community service job instead of jail time, helping at a macaque sanctuary. The women working there are a tight-knit group, and Jamie desperately wants to fit in (and maybe kiss one of them). But then she starts hearing the monkeys scream at night. Underneath the idyllic facade of the sanctuary, some secrets are being kept…

You can hear me talk about in more depth on this week’s All the Books episode!

the cover of Keya Das's Second Act

Keya Das’s Second Act by Sopan Deb (Lesbian Secondary Characters Fiction)

Normally, I wouldn’t include a book that doesn’t have a queer main character, but considering the plot revolves around the queer secondary characters, I’m counting it — kind of like Everything Everywhere All At Once, which you should definitely see if you haven’t already. I cried the whole half hour.

Keya Das’s Second Act follows Shantanu Das, who is in his 50s and has a lot of regrets. The biggest one is that he didn’t accept his teenage daughter Keya when she came out as gay, and now it’s too late. She’s passed away. Then, in his attic, he finds an unfinished manuscript Keya and her girlfriend, Pamela, were working on. He decides to pay homage to Keya’s memory by putting on the play himself — but first, he has to get Pamela’s permission.

the cover of Gender Queer: A Memoir Deluxe Edition

Gender Queer: A Memoir, Deluxe Edition by Maia Kobabe and Phoebe Kobabe (Nonbinary Asexual Graphic Memoir) (Rerelease)

Gender Queer has been getting a lot of press in recent years for challenges against it, but what it should be known for is how many people it has helped both feel seen themselves and to better understand others. This new addition includes a foreword by ND Stevenson, creator of Lumberjanes, Nimona, and Netflix’s She-Ra. It also has a new afterward from the author.

Jazzed by by Jill Dearman (Sapphic Historical Crime Fiction)

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (Lesbian YA Contemporary) (Paperback rerelease)

the new cover of Taproot

The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) of Carl Paulsen by Gary Eldon Peter (Gay YA Contemporary)

Taproot by Keezy Young (M/M YA Fantasy Graphic Novel) (Reissue)

My Love Mix-Up!, Vol. 4 by Wataru Hinekure and Aruko (M/M Manga)

Go For It Again, Nakamura!! (Go For It, Nakamura! Vol 2) by Syundei (M/M Manga)

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

That’s it for me this week! Until next time, you can find me at my bi and lesbian book blog, the Lesbrary, as well as on Twitter @danikaellis. You can also hear me on All the Books or you can read my Book Riot posts.

Happy reading!
Danika

Categories
Our Queerest Shelves

Queer Monster Romances and Our Flag Means Death Fan Fiction

This is the last newsletter of Pride month! But don’t worry, we keep the queer book love alive all year long. The new releases section may look a little smaller soon, though: the big publishers seem to save their queer books for a Pride month release date, so there are a lot fewer in July.

As for a nonprofit to highlight this month: Reproductive rights are queer rights. Bodily autonomy is a queer issue. Here are 89 Abortion Funds That You Can Give To Immediately.

Let’s Talk About Rainbow Stickers On Queer Books

Recently, I’ve seen a few TikToks of libraries or bookstores putting rainbow stickers on the spines of LGBTQ books (and/or separating them into their sections). It’s clearly done with the best of intentions — and don’t get me wrong: I would love to explore a bookstore or library where I could easily make a beeline for the queer books. But it seems to be done without a lot of consideration of the nuances of this discussion.

I wrote about this years ago in a post called 5 Reasons To Get Rid of the LGBTQ Fiction Section (And One Good Reason To Keep It). In summary, LGBTQ sections or separating out queer fiction is discriminatory. It implies that the only reason to read these book is if you’re looking for LGBTQ content. It discourages those books from being browsed by people not looking for LGBTQ books, which could hurt that author’s sales. It’s also unsustainable — it’s not always easy to tell which books have queer representation. In the years since writing that article, I think my last point has become moot, though: the selection in these sections would likely be much better than it would be in 2016.

But another major consideration is closeted readers. Even those who aren’t closeted might feel nervous, depending on the environment, in approaching the LGBTQ section or picking up a book with a rainbow prominently on it (and then handing it to someone else to check out/buy).

I completely get the impulse to label queer books with stickers, and I believe that there are patrons/customers who are asking for this — but the risks outweigh the rewards. Instead, I’d like to see more rotating LGBTQ books displays, as well as a good tagging system and lists/pamphlets available with selections of LGBTQ books. There are ways to help people find these books without physically labelling them or separating them into permanent sections.

For real-life librarians’ thoughts on this topic (I just play a Lesbrarian on the internet), check out The Sticky Situation of LGBT+ Book Labels and the ALA’s toolkit for supporting LGBTQ patrons. (Both do not recommend using rainbow stickers.)

New Releases This Week

the cover of Patricia Wants to Cuddle

Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen (Lesbian Horror)

Yes, this is the lesbian sasquatch book that everyone is talking about! Kirkus Reviews said it’s a “one-of-a-kind queer horror comedy for people who watch The Bachelor and The X-Files back-to-back.” It’s about a Bachelor-esque dating show set on an island in the Pacific Northwest that takes a turn from manufactured drama to unscripted danger. I can’t wait to dive into this one.

cover of Bad Things Happen Here

Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow (Sapphic YA Mystery)

I loved This Is What It Feels Like, so when I saw Barrow had a new sapphic YA book coming out, I had to read it. This is part murder mystery, part exploration of being a queer, fat, Black, mentally ill young woman in a white and wealthy community. It was a fascinating read (check out next week’s All the Books! podcast, where I talk more about it!). Content warnings for frequent discussion and depiction of self harm, as well as violence and suicide ideation.

This Way Out by Tufayel Ahmed (Gay Fiction)

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin (Lesbian Fiction) (Paperback Rerelease)

the cover of M is for Monster

Harlem Sunset (Harlem Renaissance Mystery #2) by Nekesa Afia (Sapphic Historical Mystery)

X by Davey Davis (Queer Noir)

When London Snow Falls by Hayden Stone (M/M Romance)

Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances (Dragons and Blades) by Aliette de Bodard (M/M Fantasy)

Godslayers (Gearbreakers #2) by Zoe Hana Mikuta (Sapphic YA Sci Fi)

M Is for Monster by Talia Dutton (Queer SFF Graphic Novel)

the cover of Clementine: Book One

Clementine: Book One by Tillie Walden (Bisexual Horror Comic)

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon Vol. 3 by Shio Usui (F/F Manga)

Adachi and Shimamura (Light Novel) Vol. 9 by Hitoma Iruma and Non (Yuri Light Novel)

I Am Onir and I Am Gay by Onir and Irene Dhar Malik (Gay Memoir)

Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality by Julia Shaw (Bisexual Nonfiction)

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

LGBTQ Book Riot Posts

All the Links Fit to Click

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

That’s it for me this week! Until next time, you can find me at my bi and lesbian book blog, the Lesbrary, as well as on Twitter @danikaellis. You can also hear me on All the Books or you can read my Book Riot posts.

Happy reading!

Danika

Categories
Our Queerest Shelves

LGBTQ+ Book Sales Soar + Your New Release Megalist

This week, I’m covering for Danika and though I will never live up to their ability to do this newsletter well, I hope you find something new to read plus news to keep you in the know.

Queer Book Sales Up

Last week, the NDP group announced that sales of print LGBTQ+ books soared over 39% in the last year. Among the leading titles were Adam Silvera’s TikTok sensation They Both Die at the End and the Heartstopper series from Alice Osemaan. You can check out the other titles which saw a big boom here.

Publishers Weekly’s coverage of the story is interesting, as it points out that these sales are happening even amid censorship of queer titles across the US. Though both of these are factual statements–there are more queer book sales and a bulk of the books being banned are those of or about queer people–tying them together is disingenuous, as most books that are challenged or banned do not see sales bumps. The books named in either article are not even among the most challenged.

Even if the Streisand Effect were true and every queer book being challenged saw their sales grow, is that really something to celebrate?

New Releases This Week

YA is my usual jam, so I’m going to give you the in-depth on two queer YA books that hit shelves this week, and I’ll also link out to several (several!!) other rad LGBTQ+ books that are also out this week across categories and genres.

jumper book cover

Jumper by Melanie Crowder

Blair is 19 and has the drive, talent, and passion for adventure that makes her the perfect fire fighter. She’s taken a job with her best friend Jason as a smokejumper for the Forest Service. The problem? Blair is a Type 1 Diabetic, which disqualifies her from service. She and Jason keep it a secret until an accident during training, where her dreams may come to a crushing, devastating end.

There is no romance between Blair and Jason. It is instead a lovely F/F romantic thread built amidst an intense story of climate change, chronic health realities, and more. I adore Crowder’s writing, so I’m picking this one up ASAP.

the loophole book cover

The Loophole by Naz Katub

How about a second-chance romance featuring a gay Indian Muslim teen who gets a wish granted by a mysterious girl? Look no further.

Sy’s stuck at his job in a coffee shop after Farouk leaves him to travel–and fix–the world. But when a girl offers Sy the chance at three wishes in exchange for helping her, he takes it. When he finds the courage to leave home to find Farouk, though, will the sparks fly again or will he discover something wholly new about himself?

Coffee, Shopping, Murder, Love by Carlos Allende (Gay Comedy)

The Godbreaker (The God-King Chronicles #3) by Mike Brooks (M/M, Queer Fantasy)

the ballad of perilous graves book cover

The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings (Queer Fantasy)

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland (M/M Fantasy)

What Rough Beast (The Remembrance War #2) by Michael R. Johnston (M/M Space Opera)

Our Colors by Gengoroh Tagame, translated by Anne Ishii (Gay Graphic Novel)

To Strip the Flesh by Oto Toda (Trans Man Manga)

This Way Out by Tufayel Ahmed (Gay Fiction)

Didn’t Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta by James Hannaham (Trans Woman Fiction)

Don’t Make Me Do Something We’ll Both Regret: Stories by Tim Jones-Yelvington (Queer Short Stories)

When London Snow Falls by Hayden Stone (M/M Romance)

X by Davey Davis (Queer Noir)

Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances (Dragons and Blades) by Aliette de Bodard (M/M Fantasy Anthology)

The Secrets of the Stormforest (The Strangeworlds Travel Agency #3) by L.D. Lapinski (Trans Boy Middle Grade Fantasy)

jobs for girls with artistic flair book cover

Jobs for Girls with Artistic Flair by June Gervais (F/F Fiction)

This Wicked Fate (This Poison Heart #2) by Kalynn Bayron (Sapphic YA Fantasy)

Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino (Queer YA Horror/Fantasy Retelling)

The Big Book of Pride Flags by Jessica Kingsley and Jem Milton (Nonfiction Picture Book)

Funny Gyal: My Fight Against Homophobia in Jamaica by Angeline Jackson with Susan McClelland (Lesbian Memoir)

LGBTQ Book Riot Posts

George M. Johnson Announced as Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week

LGBTQ+ Characters Triumph at the End of the World in These 8 Queer Dystopian Books

7 Bookish Ways to Celebrate Pride

10 Queer Historical YA Novels That Reclaim LGBTQ History

Ace of Capes: Asexual Superheroes, Villains, and More

12 Books by Up-and-Coming Trans and Nonbinary Authors

10 Sapphic New Adult Books to Read in Yours 20s

All the Links Fit to Click

It’s Lit: Queer Youth on an Online Book Club Club That Became Family

‘Queer, hilarious and full of joy’: the rise of LGBTQ+ romance fiction

LGBTQ authors recommend books that spark queer joy

8 Books About Coming into Queer Selfhood

17 LGBTQ+ Books From 2022 That Deserve a Spot on Your TBR List

West Hollywood Hosts First Q Con for LGBT Comic Book Fans

12 LGBTQ Books I Would Do Anything To See As TV Shows And Movies

Explore the ‘Disappearing Queer Spaces’ of the Harlem Renaissance

Drag Queen Story Hour Performer Did Not Expose Self to Kids; Social Media Users Spread Bogus Tale

Months after removing book about transgender boy, Roanoke County School Board set to vote on updated library policy

Book Bans Are on the Rise, but Students Are Fighting Back

Drag Queens won’t be cowed by haters. The story hour goes on.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

That’s it for me this week! You can find Danika at their bi and lesbian book blog, the Lesbrary, as well as on Twitter @danikaellis. You can also hear Danika on All the Books or you can read their Book Riot posts.

Happy reading!

Kelly