Candice Huber (they/them) Owner of Indie Bookstore @tubbyandcoos 🏳️🌈Queer 🔮Witchy 🐉Sci-fi/fantasy nerd. 📚CR: Untethered Sky 🎧CL: Ninth House I rant about books, especially scifi, fantasy, horror, and romance, the book industry, nerd stuff, TV shows, and whatever else crosses my mind
⭐⭐ It wasn't good. Would not recommend. Likely problematic in some way.
⭐ Hated it (extremely rare, don't think I've ever given 1 star).
LIGHT FROM UNCOMMON STARS BY RYKA AOKI ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC - It's really hard to pull off aliens, demons, violins, AND donuts, plus intense content AND hopefulness, but this book does it. *chef's kiss* TW: transphobia, racism, child abuse, serial assault, deadnaming, rape, self harm
THE CITY INSIDE BY SAMIT BASU ⭐⭐⭐
ARC/BOUND MANUSCRIPT - Had to put this one down a few times because it was immersive & horrifying & SO realistic. Hard for me to read in current times. Superbly written, good for lovers of literary leaning sci-fi like Station Eleven.
MASTER OF POISONS BY ANDREA HAIRSTON ⭐⭐⭐
ARC - Superb prose, beautiful book. Character driven. I did get bored in the middle, but overall really appreciate that this book exists. Great for lovers of prose and character over plot.
DEAD SILENCE BY S.A. BARNES ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC - Great neurodiverse rep, super spooky, ragtag found family, unreliable narrator. Had a LOT of fun with this one! TW: Death, suicide, blood, body horror, gore, forced institutionalization
HENCH BY NATALIE ZINA WALSCHOTS ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PAPERBACK - Really enjoyed this creative take on the superhero genre! Good neurodiverse & queer rep. If you like The Boys, you'll probably like this, too. TW: Body horror, medical trauma, PTSD/anxiety/panic attacks, confinement, torture
JADE CITY BY FONDA LEE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
AUDIOBOOK - Legitimately one of my favorite books ever. And Andrew Kishino KILLS the audiobook. Think Hong Kong gangsters but with MAGIC. Fascinating worldbuilding, politics, & society. Compelling plot & prose. Amazing characters. This book has it all!
NETTLE & BONE BY T. KINGFISHER ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC - A fairytale (like the dark Grimm fairytales of old), & it's basically if NPCs/side characters went on the main quest. There's a bone dog, a demon chicken, a goblin market, a third princess, and fairy godmothers, and it's just lovely.
CREMA BY JOHNNIE CHRISTMAS & DANTE LUIZ ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PAPERBACK - A graphic novel lesbian love story with ghosts & LOTS of coffee. Beautiful visuals exploring Brazilian culture created by Dante Luiz, a Brazilian artist!
LEGENDS & LATTES BY TRAVIS BALDREE ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PAPERBACK (Self Published Version) - Cozy fantasy with a lesbian love story, found family, lots of coffee & pastries, & extremely accurate depictions of what it's like to build a business. A lovely, nice, cozy story to be enjoyed with coffee, of course.
JADE WAR BY FONDA LEE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
AUDIOBOOK - JUST AS GOOD AS THE FIRST ONE
THE LEAST WE CAN DO BY JOSH COOK ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PAPERBACK - Well thought out & informative look at bookstores, white supremacy, & free speech.
JADE LEGACY BY FONDA LEE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
AUDIOBOOK - Fonda Lee NAILS the ending of this beautiful trilogy. The only time I've ever cried because a series is over. This has jumped to my #1 favorite series EVER. READ IT. Also Andrew Kishino is amazing & I'd like him to read me to sleep every night.
IRON WIDOW BY XIRAN JAY ZHAO ⭐⭐⭐⭐
HARDCOVER - Really enjoyed this book! Super fun, & a lot more intense than I expected. Give me bisexuals & disabled folk abolishing gender roles any day.
HOW TO KEEP HOUSE WHILE DROWNING BY KC DAVIS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
AUDIOBOOK - This book is SO HELPFUL for anyone who is not neurotypical. Although it talks about care tasks, the advice can be used in any number of ways. It's short & to the point, & I'll be trying my best to incorporate the tips into my life!
NONA THE NINTH BY TAMSYN MUIR ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC - Can't say much since I read the ARC, but this was by far my favorite of this series so far. Nona is pure & a blorbo & you will absolutely love her. It's weird & wonderful & I will fiercely protect Nona & Noodle with my life.
LAZINESS DOES NOT EXIST BY DEVON PRICE ⭐⭐⭐
AUDIOBOOK - I really vibed with the first half of the book. For the second half of the book, I agreed with the general ideas & concepts, but I disagreed with a lot of the advice the author gives. I do still think this book is absolutely worth reading!
TREAD OF ANGELS BY REBECCA ROANHORSE ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC - I really liked this murder mystery historical fantasy novella! Roanhorse's Catholic school & religious studies/theology background really shines in her take on Virtues, demons, Orders, & Fallen. A fun, quick read!
A MARVELLOUS LIGHT BY FREYA MARSKE ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC - I've been unbusheled! If you've always wished Downton Abbey was SUPER GAY & also had MAGIC, this is the book for you!
THE EMPRESS OF SALT & FORTUNE BY NGHI VO ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PAPERBACK - A beautifully written gut punch that you don't realize until it's over about the power of story, resistance, resilience, & friendship. Just what I needed right now.
THE JADE SETTER OF JANLOON BY FONDA LEE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
AUDIOBOOK - Really loved returning to Janloon in this novella! And it gave me the appearances of some old friends, which was great! And as always, Andrew Kishino kills the audiobook.
ACES WILD BY AMANDA DEWITT ⭐⭐⭐.5
ARC - Despite the marketing, this isn't a heist book. This is a YA story featuring a cast of asexual characters. We need SO MUCH MORE of this! I loved the found family & how this book takes internet friends seriously. The voice is strong & the book is fun overall!
P.S. There were some ableist issues with the ARC that have been corrected in the final published version, so I left that out of my review.
HEARTSTOPPER V. 1 BY ALICE OSEMAN ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PAPERBACK - Watched the TV show so had to read the comic. So sweet! The show did a really good job adapting it!
BURNOUT BY EMILY & AMELIA NAGOSKI ⭐⭐⭐⭐
AUDIOBOOK - Geared towards women but useful to any gender, this book goes into the science of burnout & how to deal with it. It's practical & introduced me to many useful concepts. Recommended if you're feeling burned out!
THE UNDERTAKING OF HART & MERCY BY MEGAN BANNEN ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC - This is going to be my favorite rec for folks who loved House in the Cerulean Sea. Romance with ZOMBIES & talking animals & DEATH & gods & demigods. Grumpy/sunshine, rugged cowboy, sexy penpals. Sobbing in a good way. A great getaway!
PAPER GIRLS V. 1-6 BY BRIAN K. VAUGHAN ⭐⭐⭐⭐
E-BOOK - Rereading while watching the new show. Love this comic, & the show is pretty well done! 80s kids on bikes + time travel.
Added Note: I'm SO MAD this show got canceled! UGH
PATRICIA WANTS TO CUDDLE BY SAMANTHA ALLEN ⭐⭐⭐
AUDIOBOOK - I don't know how I feel about this one. Listened to the audiobook & readers were great! But I didn't find the story as funny or compelling as others seem to. It wasn't bad though, just maybe not my thing.
A RESTLESS TRUTH BY FREYA MARSKE ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC - Excellent followup to Marvellous Light. 1900s lesbians on a boat solving murders! With magic!
SISTER, MAIDEN, MONSTER BY LUCY A. SNYDER ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC/BOUND MANUSCRIPT - I've never said WTF so many times. It was genuinely the grossest, weirdest, most revolting book I've ever read. Folks who are really into cosmic & body horror will have their socks knocked off. It will be haunting my nightmares for years to come.
THE OLEANDER SWORD BY TASHA SURI ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
AUDIOBOOK - Better than The Jasmine Throne, and I LOVED that book. More sword lesbians. More magic. More love. Taking the story in a whole new direction. SO MUCH EMOTIONAL DAMAGE. I got to "Epilogue" & literally screamed. WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME?? Anyway everyone should read it.
BEETLE & THE HOLLOWBONES BY ALIZA LANE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
PAPERBACK - Loved this adorable queer graphic novel about goblins & witches & blob ghosts in malls. Perfect for the season!
THE BALLAD OF PERILOUS GRAVES BY ALEX JENNINGS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
AUDIOBOOK - Legit the most NOLA book I've ever read. Also one of the most imaginative. The audiobook is AMAZING. I live in NOLA, & this book made me miss it anyway. Beyond happy for Alex and can't wait for he does next!
A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE VAMPIRE UPRISING BY RAYMOND A. VILLAREAL ⭐⭐⭐⭐
AUDIOBOOK - Listened to the audiobook bc some of my favorite readers did it. I enjoyed it! It did feel like it ended in the middle, but it was fun & the readers are phenomenal.
BLOODMARKED BY TRACY DEONN ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC - AHHH definitely just as good, if not better, than Legendborn. Love the way the author challenges systems & how Bree really comes into her own. And if you ask if I'm team Nick or Sel, I will say BOTH this deserves polyamory, they all love each other.
ARC - This novella packs an emotional punch! It's about love and obsession and the entwining of the two. With large birds and manticores. But who are the monsters really?
UNTETHERED SKY BY FONDA LEE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END BY C.L. POLK ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC - Another emotional & entertaining gut punch of a sapphic, magical novella with the most perfect final line: "I'd be grateful, even though I knew the end." 😭 Perfect winter read with a nice cup of tea & warm blanket.
If you want to chat on Discord, you can join me in a few places!
Tubby & Coo's (this is the bookstore I own)
Both Ends of the Rainbow International Queer SF/F Book Club (a book club I run with another bookshop in the UK called Portal Bookshop, we have members from all over the world!)
General Bookseller Discord
Queer Bookseller Discord
JoCo Cruise Discord (This is for folks who attend or want to attend the JoCo Cruise - we go every year!)
Trans Rights Library (a book club that reads queer books by queer authors, with a focus on trans and nonbinary people and queer women)
