The Blog of a Book Smeller

Hi everyone! I'm Darcy. I'm a librarian in my 30s. Feel free to contact me with questions or comments!

[ellewantsrevenge]

my favorite fantasy world is tortall

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

Sapphic Books for the 2026 Trans Rights Readathon 🏳️‍⚧️

Good afternoon, book lovers and bookish bats. By now, you probably know that sapphic books have a special place in my heart, which made me all the more eager to create this list of sapphic books for the 2026 Trans Rights Readathon. I hope you find a new favorite queer story among them. 🩷

What are you reading for the 2026 Trans Rights Readathon?❓ What are you currently reading?❓ What's a sapphic book you love to recommend?❓

[redgoldsparks]

In May 2026, Oni Press is releasing a new annotated edition of GENDER QUEER: A MEMOIR to coincide with the seventh anniversary of the book's release! It's available for reorder here. The new book will be square and contain annotations from 20 people (including myself). Queer and trans cartoonists, comics scholars, and multiple people who appear in the book as characters contributed their thoughts, reactions, and notes to this new edition. There are comments on the color design process, on comics craft, on family, on friendship, on the touchstone queer media that inspired me and countless other people searching for meaningful representation, and on the complicated process of self-discovery. Here are some example annotated pages:

Exclusive: GENDER QUEER - THE ANNOTATED EDITION hits shelves next spring

Oni Press has announced Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition, with commentary from creator Maia Kobabe alongside cartoonists and academics.

[haveyoureadthisbook-poll]

Have you read In Memoriam by Alice Winn (2023)?

yes

no

I didn't finish it

I've never heard of it

Voting ended onFeb 27

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

books for trans awareness week 2025 🩷🩵🤍

good morning, my wonderful bookish bats. Transgender Awareness Week is observed November 13 - 19, but we shouldn't leave it as a one-week celebration. instead, we should read queer ALL year. take action. spark awareness. listen to stories and experiences from the transgender community and their allies. advocate the issues of violence, discrimination, and prejudice. you can educate yourself by exploring resources from GLAAD or learning from your amazing transgender community on Booksta. otherwise, here are a few books featuring trans characters or written by trans authors to add to your tbr. 🩷🩵🤍

tomorrow is also the Transgender Day of Remembrance, when we remember and honor the lives of trans members of our community. to acknowledge those taken from us too soon, you can explore The Trans Remembrance Project or Trans Lives Matter - TDoR Reports. thank you to @queerliblib for directing to me to these resources. you can find more trans books for trans awareness week through their Trans Stories list on Libby.

I recently read Volatile Memory and had the joy of reading A Gentleman's Gentleman earlier this year. if a story you love is missing from this list of trans books, let me know! help me grow my queer bookshelf!❗

what's your favorite book featuring a trans character, or which of these trans books will you add to your tbr for trans awareness week? ❓

[haveyoureadthisbook-poll]

Have you read Small Spaces by Katherine Arden (2013)?

yes

no

I didn't finish it

I've never heard of it

Voting ended onJan 13

[manuscripts-dontburn]

JOMP Book Photo Challenge hosted by  Just One More Page

September 29th: Freebie

[wormwoodandhoney]

some books read in 2024: sorcery & small magics, maiga doocy

Desperate to undo the curse binding them to each other, an impulsive sorcerer and his curmudgeonly rival venture deep into a magical forest in search of a counterspell—only to discover that magic might not be the only thing pulling them together.

[stormvvitch]

ace of spades by faridah àbíké-íyímídé

"We stare at each other. I have to stop myself from apologizing—because what would I even be sorry for? Existing too loud?"

[haveyoureadthisbook-poll]

Have you read Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling (1996)?

yes

no

I didn't finish it

I've never heard of it

Voting ended onJun 26, 2025

[browsethestacks]

Paperbacks That Never Were - Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia

Art by Nickolej Villiger

[haveyoureadthisqueerbook]

Have you read Transmogrify! 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic edited by G Haron Davis (2023)?

YES

NO

Voting ended onMay 12, 2025

[haveyoureadthisbook-poll]

Have you read Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (2020)?

yes

no

I didn't finish it

I've never heard of it

Voting ended onFeb 24, 2025

[have-you-read-this-comic]

Have you read Gender Queer: A Memoir (2019) by Maia Kobabe?

Yes

Partially

No

I've never heard of this

Voting ended onJan 20, 2025

Propaganda under the cut

[redgoldsparks]

You have 1 day 17 hours left to throw this poll :P

[mostlyghostie]

Classic Stack

Links

[angelsaxis]

raybearer is so great because there's not one wasted word, no character is insufferable, the mommy issues are INSANE right up to the very end, AND the worldbuilding is juicy. raybearer is the first book ive ever read that has clothing descriptions that dont bore me to tears. whenever i read a twist id have to put the book down literally like asdjhflasj it was so wild

[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

5 star reads of 2024 ↳ a sorceress comes to call by t. kingfisher