Good afternoon, book lovers and bookish bats! As many of you know, I've already done a "What to Read After Watching Ted Lasso" book guide (which you can find in my Watch + Read" highlight), which primarily featured soccer romance books. I've also done multiple sports romance book guides, including a queer sports romance book guide, earlier this year. ⚽
Given that, I wanted to make sure this version of my What to Read After Watching Ted Lasso book guide was a bit different. Though these books may seem like random recommendations, I tried to choose a mix of sports romance books, queer soccer books, and, perhaps most predominately, books of hope and kindness. I hope you find a new favorite among them! ⚽
As a reminder, this is one of only a FEW woman's soccer team adaptations you'll see on your screen! Cleat Cute was announced for an adaptation years ago, and I'm sure my fellow sapphic book lovers are eager to see it's adaptation. These stories represent and communicate far more than you realize. Woman's sports teams are underfunded. They're not given even half the time, attention, support, or funding as men's teams. Ted Lasso is doing an amazing job at addressing these problems (the second episode is INCREDIBLE), even as the show itself is belittled for focusing on women (the irony). ⚽
It's not only a commentary on sexism. Ted Lasso had always prioritized how mental health is stigmatized among athletes and coaches. Mental health plays an important role in Cleat Cute's story as well. I'm excited to see how both shows approach this topic when focused on female athletes, who are already judged for so much. ⚽
Are you watching the new season of Ted Lasso (featuring a woman's soccer team)?❓
Recently reread "This is How You Lose the Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone with my online book club, so I created a flippable illustration featuring Red and Blue for fun. ❤️💙
Early Access - Steal a Sneak Peek at My ARC Approvals 🔖
What's the last ARC you downloaded?❓
Good afternoon, book lovers and bookish bats! I'm SO excited about the books, namely the ARC approvals, I have on my TBR. This is only the first six ARCs awaiting me; stay tuned for the rest. 🦇
I'm currently reading and loving Victorious, and it's glorious; like stepping back in time or hearing from an old friend. I'm both excited and terrified to reach The End. 🦇
In other news, Saturday is a Batty About Book Club meeting and Romance Bookshop Day. What's your favorite indie bookstore?❓
Have a wonderful day, book lovers and bookish bats, and happy reading! 🦇
Good afternoon, book lovers and bookish bats! As many of you know, I've already done a "What to Read After Watching Ted Lasso" book guide (which you can find in my Watch + Read" highlight), which primarily featured soccer romance books. I've also done multiple sports romance book guides, including a queer sports romance book guide, earlier this year. ⚽
Given that, I wanted to make sure this version of my What to Read After Watching Ted Lasso book guide was a bit different. Though these books may seem like random recommendations, I tried to choose a mix of sports romance books, queer soccer books, and, perhaps most predominately, books of hope and kindness. I hope you find a new favorite among them! ⚽
As a reminder, this is one of only a FEW woman's soccer team adaptations you'll see on your screen! Cleat Cute was announced for an adaptation years ago, and I'm sure my fellow sapphic book lovers are eager to see it's adaptation. These stories represent and communicate far more than you realize. Woman's sports teams are underfunded. They're not given even half the time, attention, support, or funding as men's teams. Ted Lasso is doing an amazing job at addressing these problems (the second episode is INCREDIBLE), even as the show itself is belittled for focusing on women (the irony). ⚽
It's not only a commentary on sexism. Ted Lasso had always prioritized how mental health is stigmatized among athletes and coaches. Mental health plays an important role in Cleat Cute's story as well. I'm excited to see how both shows approach this topic when focused on female athletes, who are already judged for so much. ⚽
Are you watching the new season of Ted Lasso (featuring a woman's soccer team)?❓
Good afternoon, book lovers and bookish bats! I hope you've had an amazing summer full of beloved books. Personally, I'm an autumn, but that doesn't stop me from diving into a stack of amazing sapphic summer reads every year. Here are a few sapphic summer books recs for your ever-growing tbr. Did I miss any of your favorites?
What's your favorite sapphic book for summer?❓
(For my autumn girls who are desperate to cool down and cozy up, check out the fantasy slide at the end! Remember to read queer all year!)
Happy International Cat Day, book lovers and bookish bats!
To celebrate International Cat Day, here are a few books I think would belong on Luna and Cleo's tbr. Based on their personalities, which books would you add?
Do you have a cat? If so, what's their name? What are they like? And would books would you put on their tbr?
Fun fact: International Cat Day first came to be in 2002. It was started by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and managed by International Cat Care to focus on global feline welfare, safety, and adoption awareness.
Now, some sadder cat facts:
About 1/3 of the US shelter population is comprised of black cats
Black cats take 24% longer to get adopted (namely because of superstition and stigma, which can also lead to cruelty and abuse)
Black cats are the least likely to get adopted
This may shock a few of you, but I was never a cat person growing up. My family had two tiny, yippy Maltese Yorkie mixes (Maxie and Lucky, who we've both said goodbye to this past year), but they were more my sisters' dogs than mine.
Bae, however, was so eager to get a cat. The year before I moved in with her, I caved and agreed. Over the span of months, she met over a dozen cats waiting to be adopted, searching for the right fit, but none seemed right.
One day, while she played with six cats in a tiny room, I stepped out (my allergies couldn't handle it). There were two carrier cases on a table outside the room--both pitch black and therefore seemingly empty. Until, through the shadows, two golden eyes blinked back at me. The kitty foster mom told me that this little black cat, Clove, didn't play well with others and had to be excluded from the meet and greet room.
Obviously, I convinced bae to take her home right away. And so Luna Pancake Clove came into our lives.
While we found Luna (sweet baby Lu), CleoCatra found US. She was a tiny little stray, caught in a ditch, found by bae's sister's dogs--and the sneaky little soot gremlin convinced them to take her home. She was presented to me as a birthday gift, and so we took home our second black cat, CleoCatra HaBeastie King.
Both cats were named after cartoon kitties (can you recognize which two? I'm holding out for a Russian Blue as our third, to name her Yzma). Each one is like a familiar to our witchy spirits (Luna, who is very much like me, is bae's familiar, while Cleo, who is so much like bae, is mine). Both have turned our little Owl House, full of weirdos, into a home.
Update Your Watchlist: 11 Books With Upcoming Adaptations
August 2026: Part 1 / 4
[ Please share this on Bookstagram ]
What book adaptations are you looking forward to?❓
Good morning, book lovers and bookish bats. Do you remember when I used to post a monthly "Bookish Breaking News" post containing a list of upcoming releases, sequels, and book adaptations? The last page, brimming with books to be adapted into movies, TV series, and even comic books, always stole the show. Just one problem: I'm not a fan of adaptations (even with bae working in the film industry, even with half my ATL found family working on sets in the area). 🍿
Though I stopped creating those Bookish Breaking News posts, I still kept my local bookish bats up-to-date about upcoming book adaptations. Yesterday, I went through our Discord and realized that, in the last two months, I'd shared OVER 50 links announcing upcoming book adaptations. I also realized that I hadn't been keeping my Bookstagram bookish bats up-to-date, and I apologize for that. 🍿
To make up for it, I've created this guide to help you update your watchlist (or TBR, if you're like me and want to read the book before the adaptation comes out). Full disclaimer: what started as a post featuring 10 upcoming adaptations turned into a list of 35, then 50. For the sake of self-control (and perhaps shelf-control), and to avoid losing your attention with a 50-slide carousel, I've split it up into four parts. In the future, I'll keep it to one post a month (hopefully). 🍿
Anyway, hopefully I haven't lost you yet with this ramble. Here are 11 (out of so, so many) books with upcoming adaptations: part one of four for August 2026. Make sure to save this post or follow me to get the rest of the list! 🔖
Sad Nostalgia - Things I Miss About the "Old" Bookstagram
Real Comments
Bookstagrammers used to comment on one another’s posts. We’d discuss books, exchange opinions, ask one another questions. Now it’s just “love this” or 😍😍😍. I miss having CONVERSATIONS with my fellow book lovers.
DMs Filled To The Brim
Getting random messages from other Bookstagrammers encouraged connnection + made us a community. It was a chance to yap about beloved books, exchange book recs, + learn more about one another.
Real Book Reviews
People used to post lengthy, personal, detailed book reviews that displayed their love, passion, + honest opinions. Now, it’s all about the aesthetic, minimalized (or barely legible) text, character art, + trope lists. What happened?
Authentic Friendships
All those comments on book review posts + DMs from fellow book lovers turned strangers into friends. We knew one another’s names. Now, people call me “Batty.” They follow expecting a follow back without any real care about the person behind the post.
Real Bookish Content
Book reviews.
Monthly recaps.
Monthly TBRs.
No more. Now, it’s photos of what you’re cooking, places you’re going, matcha lattes, and gimmicky tutorials with no real advice.
Real Bookish Content (Yes, Again)
We talk more about TALKING about books (“how to request ARCs,” “how to use Canva,” “whimsy” this, “trends” that) instead of actual DISCUSSING the books we’re reading + what we love about them.
Actual Empathy
We used to care about each other, used to recognize the person behind the account instead of the pretty book photos. When did Bookstagram become more about the aesthetic than the real, authentic connections?
Variety
Bookstagram used to be brimming with a mix of books. Now, people read what’s trending (+ if you’re not, does anyone really pay attention)? You’re more likely to see 100+ posts about the same book than a mix (allowing readers to find books that meet their specific tastes).
Fun
Being a Bookstagrammer used to be fun.
Now, we’re obsessed with follower counts + reach. We’re so stressed about what we’re posting + how much engagement we get that we don’t post what we want to post.
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