Books Everywhere

Immovable force (my desire to read more books) meets unstoppable object (my growing to be read pile)

[problemsofabooknerd]

I was wondering if you had any recs for queer YA contemporary books with happy endings. I just feel like everything always ends sad and need some happiness in my queer life. 😂

OMG YES of COURSE I do!! I do not make it my business to ever read queer YA that ends sadly. I’m too gay and sad for that lol. I’ll list some fave queer ya that ends happily and I’ll mark with a * if it has a POC as the lead. 

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour (f/f, lesbian mc)*

I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver (nonbinary lead, nb/m romance)

Check, Please!: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu (gay lead, m/m)

I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman (trans guy lead, lots of anxiety & depression discussion, other mc is a hijabi girl who I personally saw as ace but it isn’t confirmed) *

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman (bi girl lead, gay/pan/demisexual side characters, also lots of anxiety & depression discussion)*

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (gay guy lead, m/m)

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera (lesbian mc, some f/f but the point is mostly Juliet’s journey with feminism)*

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst (two bi girl leads, f/f)

Starworld by Audrey Coulthurst & Paula Garner (unrequited love between a girl and her friend, but it’s all ok and ends happily even with the rocky stuff that happens for the rest of the book)

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde (f/f, bi girl lead, also has autistic rep with the other mc)*

Style by Chelsea M. Cameron (f/f, both mcs are lesbians, one of the mcs has a disability)

Chord by Chelsea M. Cameron (f/f, queer girls, sequel to above)

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate (f/m with a bi girl lead)*

Final Draft by Riley Redgate (f/f, pansexual girl lead)*

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann (f/m, biromantic ace girl lead)*

How To Make A Wish by Ashley Herring Blake (f/f, bi girl lead)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (gay boy lead, m/m)*

The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding (lesbian lead, f/f)

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren (bi boy lead, mc is also Jewish, m/m)

Running With Lions by Julian Winters (bi boy lead, m/m)

That’s just a few to help you get started! I do have more books about trans characters who get happy endings, but most of them are fantasy/sci-fi so I left them off this contemporary list. If people are after those, send me a message and I’ll give you more recommendations! 

[coolcurrybooks-deactivated20230]

I’ve done some Twitter threads on this topic, so thought it might be nice to do a Tumblr post too. One of my pet peeves is when people act like adult fantasy (or sci-fi for that matter) is just a straight white dude thing and that diversity only exists in young adult fantasy. That’s such a disservice to all the authors of marginalized identities currently writing adult fantasy!

Authors and books below the cut, including links to Goodreads. I’m not providing trigger warnings (if I make the post too long Tumblr starts freaking out about it), but you can use the search function on Goodreads reviews to find more specifics. 

Keep reading

[darkearthsuggestions]

hello! i was wondering if there were any books you'd reccommend that embody the sort of feel your blog gives off, if there are any that inspired you.

Ooh this is a good question– I haven’t read a lot of fiction lately, but there are definitely some books I’d recommend for some dark forest and fairy tale vibes! 

The Gray House – huge, twisting Russian novel about a boarding school for children with various disabilities; the House has an incredible atmosphere, like the woods in a brother’s grimm fairy tale, where everything is possible and metaphorical and real at the same time. It’s a bit dark– has some fairly serious violence and mentions of suicide, but overall an absolutely incredible book that I only think I understand about 60% of at any given time. 

American Gods– many of the religious themes of this blog have actively drawn inspiration from Gaiman’s writing! It can be a bit of a trudge at times, but he has a fascinating interpretation on the perspective of gods, both humanizing and acknowledging that they are anything but human. 

Vassa in the Night– an urban fantasy take on the Russian tale of Baba Yaga and Vasilissa; Baba Yaga runs a convenience store that walks around on chicken legs and good old Vassa has to pay off her debt. Genuinely exceptional story telling with images that linger, as well as being a fairly quick read compared to the other two here. 

The Language of Thorns– Leigh Barduo, author of the Six of Crows, has written her own fairy tales here. They channel a mixture of Grimm and russian influence alongside refreshing originality. Despite adhering to some familiar tropes, the endings of each are unique and feel right in the way that a good fairy tale often does. As you might be able to tell, I love a good fairy tale, and this is my favorite set to date. 

[ainewrites-blog]

YA Books With Queer Girls

This maaay be stemming from anger, as all my best ideas are, but I figured it might help someone find a really awesome book, and so I shall be your unofficial librarian for a sec. 

I can vouch for all of these books; yes, some are better than others (I mean, yes, Of Fire and Stars has an overly simple plot), but they are all very much enjoyable, especially if you’re not in constantly book-reviewer mode like I am whenever I read. 

Also, I’m focusing this specially on books with queer girls, because I feel like YA has a bit of a problem with wlw. They tend to fly majorly under the radar, while books like Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda and Carry On get majorly hyped. Don’t get me wrong, I love both those books to bits, but still. I want to read all the books about girls who love girls. 

-

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman: I need to put on of my all-time fav books here, first, don’t I? But, seriously, this book is fucking fantastic, and I love it to bits. It’s got all the amazing things: podcasts, nerdy people being nerdy, geeking out over sci-fi, it’s fantastic. Bisexual female MC/narrator + demisexual male MC + gay male side character + gay female minor character. 

When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore: Guys. GUYS. This book is gorgeous. One of the most beautiful books I’ve read in a long time. Anna-Marie McLemore is already one of my top ten favorite writers and she’s only written two books, and this…I love this book and I want everyone to read this amazing book SO JUST GO READ IT, OKAY? AND it’s about QPOC, AND it very much respects and embraces true magical realism, AND the author is literally the sweetest person ever. Queer female MC + trans male MC.

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova: This book is like a mix of Alice in Wonderland and a crazy fever dream. BUT IN A GOOD WAY. And can I mention the worldbuilding??? I’m in love with it. Bisexual female MC + queer female MC

Everything Leads to You by Nina Lacour: THIS BOOK IS FREAKIN’ ADORABLE. I mean, it’s about romance and movies and mysteries and it has a beautifully built slowburn romance and everyone is adorable and the romance is adorable and just ALL THE YES. Gay female MC + Gay female MC

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee: This book is all about the internet! I mean, if you exist on a creative plain of the internet, you’ll see yourself in this book. PLUS all the amazing and totally important conversations about asexuality. Asexual romantic female MC.

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert: I am SO ANGRY about how much this book has flown under the radar, because it’s amazing and so important and it addresses so many amazing things, and I just…Brandy Colbert writes the most fantastically realistic, flawed characters and I love it. Bisexual female MC + queer female side character.

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst: I need to mention the cover of this book, first, because OH THE GORGEOUSNESS. Also, can I say NON-HOMOPHOBIC FANTASY WORLD??? Gay female MC + gay female MC

Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, and Brooke A. Allen: I shriek about this graphic novel/s every single time someone asks for a comic recommendation. It’s ridiculous in the best way and lighthearted and has the most lovable characters and can I mention the cast is ENTIRELY FEMALE? Gay female MC + Gay female MC + Trans female MC

As I Descended by Robin Talley: Gay modern day Macbeth retelling with ghosts. Want to hear that again? LESBIAN MACBETH. WHY HAVEN’T YOU READ THIS ALREADY? Gay female MC + Gay female MC

10 Things I Can See From Here by Carrie Mac: Okay, yes, this book has an awful cover but don’t let that sway you because I love this book to pieces. For one, it’s set in Vancouver, and I love Vancouver, and also it has probably one of the most realistic portrayals of anxiety I’ve ever read, AND THAT ANXIETY DOESN’T GET CURED WITH ROMANCE. Gay female MC + Gay female side character

The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine: Okay, yes, this is a sequel, but I had to add it to the list because I’m in love with this series and this world and I LOVE IT SO MUCH. It’s gloriously stabby. Bisexual female MC + queer female MC

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde: This book is a love letter to fandom and nerd culture and everything, AND I LOVE IT TO PIECES. I’m so, so happy this book is getting so much hype because it stands up to the hype and crushes it and I just love it, okay?? Also, I love all the characters. ALL OF THEM. They’re so fantastically written and adorable and I REALLY, REALLY LOVE THEM. Bisexual female MC + Queer female side character.

Get It Together, Delilah/The Flywheel by Erin Gough: It’s set in a bakery/cafe, which is enough to get my heart beating, but this book is just straight-up adorable. Also, if you don’t think I’m making panna cotta gelato the first chance I get YOU ARE SADLY MISTAKEN. Gay female MC + Gay female MC.

BONUS: These books don’t have queer girls as MCs, but they do have queer girls and are just overall fantastic. The Upside of Unrequited has a sideplot about the MC’s gay sister and her pansexual girlfriend, plus the most adorable moms in YA, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue has a female character whom I’m like 99% sure is asexual, A Tyranny of Petticoats has a couple of stories that are about queer girls, as does Meet Cute. 

Also, did I miss any important books??? Tell me if I did because I want to know about ALL THE BOOKS with queer girls. 

[henryclervals]

Masterpost of Free Gothic Literature & Theory

Classics Vathek by William Beckford Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë The Woman in White  & The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu The Turn of the Screw by Henry James The Monk by Matthew Lewis The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin The Vampyre; a Tale by John Polidori Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe Confessions of an English Opium-Eater by Thomas De Quincey The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Dracula by Bram Stoker The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Short Stories and Poems An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce Songs of Innocence & Songs of Experience by William Blake The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Pre-Gothic Beowulf The Divine Comedy  by Dante Alighieri A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe Paradise Lost by John Milton Macbeth by William Shakespeare Oedipus, King of Thebes by Sophocles The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster

Gothic-Adjacent Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood Jane Eyre & Villette by Charlotte Brontë Lyrical Ballads, With a Few Other Poems by Coleridge and Wordsworth The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens The Idiot & Demons (The Possessed) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas Moby-Dick by Herman Melville The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells

Historical Theory and Background The French Revolution of 1789 by John S. C. Abbott Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth by A. C. Bradley The Tale of Terror: A Study of the Gothic Romance by Edith Birkhead On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History by Thomas Carlyle Demonology and Devil-Lore by Moncure Daniel Conway Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism by Inman and Newton On Liberty by John Stuart Mill The Social Contract & Discourses by Jean-Jacques Rousseau Feminism in Greek Literature from Homer to Aristotle by Frederick Wright

Academic Theory Introduction: Replicating Bodies in Nineteenth-Century Science and Culture by Will Abberley Viewpoint: Transatlantic Scholarship on Victorian Literature and Culture by Isobel Armstrong Theories of Space and the Nineteenth-Century Novel by Isobel Armstrong The Higher Spaces of the Late Nineteenth-Century Novel by Mark Blacklock The Shipwrecked salvation, metaphor of penance in the Catalan gothic by Marta Nuet Blanch Marching towards Destruction: the Crowd in Urban Gothic by Christophe Chambost Women, Power and Conflict: The Gothic heroine and “Chocolate-box Gothic” by Avril Horner Psychos’ Haunting Memories: A(n) (Un)common Literary Heritage by Maria Antónia Lima ‘Thrilled with Chilly Horror’: A Formulaic Pattern in Gothic Fiction by Aguirre Manuel The terms “Gothic” and “Neogothic” in the context of Literary History by O. V. Razumovskaja  The Female Vampires and the Uncanny Childhood by Gabriele Scalessa Curating Gothic Nightmares by Heather Tilley Elizabeth Bowen, Modernism, and the Spectre of Anglo-Ireland by James F. Wurtz Hesitation, Projection and Desire: The Fictionalizing ‘as if…’ in Dostoevskii’s Early Works by Sarah J. Young Intermediality and polymorphism of narratives in the Gothic tradition by Ihina Zoia

[asimplelibrary-deactivated20181]

Book Recommendations based on your favourite TV Shows

After spending the bank holiday marathoning the second season of A Series of Unfortunate Events (and it making me immediately want to re-read the series), I started thinking about books that give me the same feelings and have the same transportive power as great TV shows.

I’ve put together some recommendations in a liked-that-try-this format based on some great shows, so let’s get into them!

Like Doctor Who? Try the Peter Grant series.

Starting with Rivers of London, the Peter Grant series is an episodic police serial set in central London, but with a twist – Peter is a wizard in training. Although fantasy rather than sci-fi, the episodic, monster-hunting plots from Doctor Who (along with a particular preference for modern day London) in a fun and snarky package definitely have a lot in common with each other.

Like Gravity Falls? Try Lumberjanes.

Like Gravity Falls, Lumberjanes follows a group of girls exploring the local area where the creatures aren’t exactly as they should be. Both have a quirky sense of humour and a lot of heart, with a lot of supernatural hijinks thrown in. Lumberjanes is also a nearly all female cast, with great diversity and queer characters, making it a great follow on from Gravity Falls when you start missing the twins and their Grunkle.

Like Game of Thrones? Try The Kingkiller Chronicles.

Much like Game of Thrones, Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicle is a hefty fantasy series (who’s fans, like Geroge R R Martins, are still waiting for the next book after a 6 year gap) with gritty world-building, explorations of characters and motivations with a dark sense of humour. Although not spanning several narrators and two continents, Rothfuss’s focus on one character, Kvothe, still allows a great insight into the rich world he has built.

Like Full Metal Alchemist? Try The Shades of Magic series.

Both Full Metal Alchemist and Shades of Magic are set in fantasy worlds with a smattering of technology (FMA taking inspiration from the early 20th century and Shades of Magic from the late 19th) with a magic system that is dark, complex, and highly dangerous to manipulate. They also both have an ensemble cast of lovable but flawed characters, with their relationships set against a richly built universe giving each instalment a lot of heart.

Like Pretty Little Liars? Try The Secret History.

School? Check. Dysfunctional friendship group? Check. Murder? Check. The Secret History packs all of the tension and darkness of Pretty Little Liars but is instead set against the backdrop of a small college rather than a high school. The book follows a group of Classics-obsessed students and how their friendship begins to dissolve under the pressure of secrets and lies but without as many plot holes and bizarre pregnancy storylines

Like The Walking Dead? Try The Illuminae Files.

Two words: space zombies. Illuminae, although a YA sci-fi rather than an adult zombie-apocalypse series has the same heart-in-your-mouth tension and great action that you can find in the Walking Dead, but instead on a spaceship with a mysterious disease and a malfunctioning AI. They both explore love, friendship and loss against a dramatic backdrop, and frequently get your heart racing.

Are there any recommendations you have for TV shows you love? Or are they any other shows you’d like to get recommendations for? Let me know!

[weneeddiversebooks]

The 16 Best Books of the Year by Black Authors

The end of 2017 is near, which means it is time for annual year-end “best of” lists to pop up everywhere. Here, The Root presents our annual list of the most compelling books published in 2017 by black authors in affordable, regular print runs—which is why Beyoncé’s $300 literary opus on the making of Lemonade that dropped this August does not make the list.

[thebookiemonster14]

gay books that aren’t Gay Books, an elaboration

i made a post like this about six months ago but i’ve realised a) that as a wlw, there are literally No books about wlw on there, and b) ive read loads more books that are Fab and deserve a place on there

so to fit on this list, there are only 2 conditions

there must be lgbt+ characters in the book

said characters’ entire plotline must not revolve around them being lgbt+. this can be referenced, but they have to have wider development. eg: trc is acceptable as even though ronan goes through a process of accepting he’s gay, his arc is also involving accepting other (spoilery) things about himself

feel free to add your own as i’ve not read nearly enough fiction about wlw, as long as it’s not just to do with being lgbt as this is a list for people who want to see themselves in fantasy, crime, mystery, adventure, school novels specifically without having All the focus on being lgbt+.

OKAY ONTO THE LIST

carry on by rainbow rowell. this is the first book i ever really read where the sexuality of the characters wasn’t the most important thing about them. it isn’t for everyone (read: blatant harry potter references) but i did and still adore it. mlm relationship, queer & gay. 5 stars.

the raven cycle by maggie steifvater. the representation is nowhere near as good as some of the others on this list but it’s this high up because of the writing and the characters. mlm relationship, gay & bi. 5 stars.

the foxhole court by nora sakavic. again, not astronomical rep, but the plot and characters make up for it. mlm x2 relationships, one main. 5 stars.

six of crows by leigh bardugo. fantastic cast of characters. mlm relationship, gay & bi, and bi female character. 5 stars.

a darker shade of magic by ve schwab. beautiful worldbuilding. mlm relationship (both bi i think?) which is also own voices.  5 stars.

vicious by ve schwab. fantastic dark plot. ace main character, kind of adheres to the “ace characters are heartless” on which way you look but i think basically everyone’s a little bitch in the book so. 5 stars.

they both die at the end by adam silvera. so sad but it’s not Bury Your Gays as such since that’s the entire preface of the book. mlm relationship, gay & bi. own voices!  5 stars.

a gentleman’s guide to vice and virtue by mackenzi lee. mlm relationship.   4 stars.

radio silence by alice oseman. gave me an existential crisis. wlw and mlm solidarity, bi female mc, gay m and gay f, gay demi m. 4 stars.

i want to put more than this by patrick ness on here (4 stars) because he’s a fantastic ov rep and i love him and this is his most non-Gaytm book, but if you do want a book about being gay in the deep south then def read release and im breaking my own rule here but it’s amazing 5 stars.

ink and bone by rachel caine has a couple that remind me of holt and kevin from brooklyn nine nine (just much sadder.) worth reading just for the concept. mlm minor relationship. 4 stars.

again, i feel like you could squeak the song of achilles by madeline miller on here by the skin of its teeth. dont read this if you dont want sadness. 4 stars.

daughter of the burning city by amanda foody is a fantastic spooky book and so original. bi mc and aspec love interest. 3.5 stars.

ash by malinda lo. cinderella retelling. i didn’t personally like this one too much but it’s a cute wlw relationship. 3 stars.

history is all you left me by adam silvera. i very much didn’t like this one for personal reasons but i know a lot of people love it. mlm rep with a bi character (watch out bc the mc is slightly biphobic.) 2 stars.

i haven’t read adaptation by malinda lo yet but my friend loved it. it has a bi mc with a bi love triangle.

likewise i haven’t read of fire and stars by audrey coulthurst but my friend LOVED it with a passion. wlw relationship.

PLEASE ADD MORE THAT YOUVE READ

[thecrowdedbookshelf]

The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky

Title: The Immortals 

Author: Jordanna Max Brodsky 

Genre: Urban fantasy 

Rating: two stars 

Trigger warnings: Weird conceptions of virginity, depictions of violence, animal violence 

Review: 

The book starts with Selene DiSilva taking care of some girls physically abusive boyfriend, and that about sets the tone for the book. Throughout the novel Selene kicks butt and takes names, reluctantly picking up a side kick professor named “Theo”. Together they set about trying to find out who is killing young women in the city, and what it has to do with Selene, AKA Artemis, getting her powers back. 

I’d like to start off saying that I wanted to like this book. It had such an interesting premise and I love to read urban fantasy about the immortal gods trying to pass as Mortal People, but unfortunately this book fell flat in many ways. First, lets start with characters. Selene’s character is stiff, albeit flexible. Throughout the book her character experiences some development in that she learns to hate mortality less and like the idea of relationships more. However thats about it, outside of those two things there is minimal growth between the start and the end of the novel. Theo, the sidekick, is also unfortunately one dimensional. He experiences little to no character growth at all, and ultimately ends up forgiving himself for sleeping with his best friends wife. 

Thats another thing I didn’t like, at the start of this book Theo goes on long, and I do mean long, tangents about how much he loved this woman and slept with her while she was married to his best friend. The worst bit? Only about a third was plot relevant. The other two parts served just to make you feel bad for him, which ultimately you don’t really. If you’re like me you just end up skipping entire passages of him ruminating on how good sex with her was. Ick. 

Furthermore, this author was dedicated to the idea of giving Artemis a romantic entanglement. Now initially I was against this, she’s the virgin huntress goddess after all, but ultimately the concept grew on me and I ended up rooting for her and Theo. The romantic relationship was handled very well, with even conversations about consent and what Selene’s boundaries are. My problem was with the fetishization of virginity prevalent in the book. It’s not just with Artemis, all the girls had to be “virgin sacrifices”, and the one girl who wasn’t was horrifically mutilated so she could “be a virgin again”. This was uncomfortable, but could be explained as narrative. But then as the book progressed, more and more attention was drawn to the fact that Selene was a virgin and was interested in this man, and on the very last page the author tipped the scale from “weird focus on” to “fetishization of” virginity. 

However, this book salvages its two star status rather than a one star in the relationship between Artemis, Apollo, and their mother, Leto. Their relationship was one of my favorite in the books, and is my favorite part of this interpretation of Artemis. The mother/daughter relationship is portrayed in a very real way, Selene hasn’t talked to her mother for years, but drops everything to visit her in the hospital. Every scene with Leto in it was incredibly heart wrenching, and Selene’s character motivations as they related to her mother were stronger than any of her other motivations. If the author had oriented the book around the twins relationship with Leto, the result would have been a much stronger story. 

This book was a quick read, with some interesting plot twists that make you go “oh my god I didn’t see that coming”. Sometimes they are good twists. Sometimes they are bad twists. All in all, this book is ultimately derivative and bizarre piece of vent writing that made it past an editor. I would not recommend this book to anyone. 

[minoritiesinpublishing]

Debut Author Rebecca Roanhorse Answers 5 Questions About Her Apocalyptic Native American Fantasy Trail of Lightning

Rebecca Roanhorse wanted to read a fantasy novel in which the heroes and gods were of North American Indigenous origin, but she couldn't find one—so she decided to write it. Today, the New Mexico resident, Yale grad, and Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation workshop alum joins us to answer five que

“The elevator pitch was an “Indigenous Mad Max: Fury Road.” I think that really captures the pacing and the sensibility of the book. This is an all-out breakneck apocalyptic adventure with a primary cast of Navajo characters, and it takes place wholly on the Navajo reservation.” 

Well hell, I’m SOLD. Book comes out June 26th from @sagapress. 

[thecrowdedbookshelf]

Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen

Title: Wake of Vultures 

Author: Lila Bowen 

Genre: Western/fantasy 

Pages: 335 

Triggers: Rape, domestic violence, gore, slavery, child abuse, racism  

Rating: Five stars 

Review: 

When you’re raised in the harsh environment of the Durango, you either learn to adapt or die. This is the harsh lesson that Nettie Lonesome learns at a very early age. She learns that theres no place for a half black, half Indian girl in her white adopted family’s house. However, this world view is completely changed after she kills a stranger one night when she’s by herself. Since then, she can see inhuman things almost everywhere she looks. When the only family she’s ever known is lost to her, she leaves the awful town where she was raised in to follow a seemingly impossible task thats been set before her. On the way, she’ll discover the truth of the world and become comfortable existing as who she is: Rhett Hennessy.

If you can afford to, ignore the trigger warnings. Please god, read this book. This book right here exemplifies diversity done right, the character was relatable and likable even though I couldn’t relate to all aspects of his story line. This book is gritty, wonderful, and shockingly hopeful for the subject matter. Rhett Hennessy is my child, and watching him learn the truth about the world that was stolen from him broke my heart. This book is equal parts a narrative about self discovery and acceptance and a narrative of kicking monster ass. 

The plot is compelling, and there’s not much more I can say without major spoilers. However, the driving motivation for Rhett is the ghost of and Indian woman that rides a water horse and who silently points him in the direction of his quest. How cool is that? The characters all play a vital role in the advancement of the plot, and it comes to a very satisfying conclusion. 

In regards to the trigger warnings, the author held herself very firmly to historical accuracy, and that’s reflected in the narration. While it has it’s dark moments, the hopeful themes of family, self discovery, and catharsis, make it well worth the read. The budding romance is in character and aligns with how Rhett is experiencing this new world he’s been very reluctantly thrust into. 

This book is fantastic, if a bit of an emotional drain. I would recommend it for fans of fantasy, historical fiction, or are just really passionate about reading diverse books.

[thecrowdedbookshelf]

The Genius Plague by David Walton

Title: The Genius Plague 

Author: David Walton 

Genre: Science fiction 

Pages: 382 

Triggers: None 

Rating: Five Stars 

Review: 

The zombie apocalypse gets a new take in David Walton’s The Genius Plague. In fact, its not a plague at all, its a fungal infection, and the hosts are left very much alive. It starts small, localized in the remote Amazon Rainforest, but gradually spreads. The world becomes aware of it when our protagonist’s brother, Paul, is attacked by pirates that speak a strange language and have no mercy. When he returns from his fungus collecting “vacation”, he’s sick, but don’t worry, he gets better. Or does he? His brother Neil becomes wary when his brother starts displaying superhuman intelligence, just as seemingly random but insanely coordinated terrorists attacks shake the world. Could the two be related? And if they are, can Neil find a way to stop it? 

Oh my god this book was so good. The characters were perfect, and the split narration is welcome. Paul is a likable eccentric genius, always willing to push the boundaries for his studies. Neil is the black sheep of the family, not as smart as his brother he goes to work for the NSA in the hopes of following his fathers footsteps. The relationship between these two brothers is nuanced and develops in a realistic way throughout the novel. Neil struggles with his brothers constant hunger for knowledge while also trying to come to terms with his fathers rapidly developing Alzheimer’s. Watching his once bright father’s mind decay in front of him, he must decide whether or not the fugue sweeping the nature is the miracle he’s been praying for, or the curse nobody saw coming. 

The plot is so fast paced you’ll be gasping for breathe at the end. The writing is effective and realistic enough that you’ll forget you’re reading a book, you’ll feel like you’re fighting for shreds of information right along with Neil and the NSA code cracker crew. With new characters being introduced throughout the novel and a plot that twists like a slippery eel, you’ll devour this book within a day, like I did. 

Furthermore, David Walton avoids the pitfalls that often befalls realistic science fiction writers: that is he knows that the devil is in the details. Not only is the book a riotous read, it’s chockfull of interesting information. Walton strikes the perfect balance between enough science to satisfy the readers demand to understand but doesn’t get lost in science babble. The science concepts are broken into accessible language that allows the reader to fully engage with the material without being pulled out of the action by handwaving or science babble.

This book was one of the best I’ve read in a long time, it kept me engaged right to the last page and left me hungry for more. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science fiction, zombie apocalypses, and global politics.  

[thecrowdedbookshelf]

The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano: Review

Title: The Glass Spare 

Author: Lauren DeStefano 

Genre: Fantasy 

Pages: 402

Ranking: Four Stars 

Triggers: Light gore, attempted sexual assault (start) 

Review: 

‘“I should have killed you long ago,” he told her. “And I still can’t bring myself to do it.”’ The Glass Spare is a high paced adventure chock full of spies, royalty, and enough gems to give a magpie a heart attack. Once upon a time, there was a princess that lived hidden from the kingdom. This made her her fathers most prized possession, a royal spy that can move invisibly among the kingdom’s enemies. She’s a spare, one of the king’s hidden children that will likely never be crowned, but she’s not the only one. Through an unfortunate series of events, the princess discovers that she’s more dangerous than she knows: her touch turns living things to gemstone. The rest of the books follows the princess, Wilhelmina Heidle, as she embarks on a journey to clear her conscious, find out what’s wrong with her, and possibly find true love. 

All in all, this was a very good book. All of the characters are fleshed out, dynamic, and likable. The plot is engaging enough to keep attention and moves at a solid pace. The world of The Glass Spare is solidly developed, easy to keep track off, and doesn’t get you bogged down with obscure capital names. The focus of this book is definitely centered on the two main characters: Wilhelmina and Loom. The character relationship is complex and well developed, at first Wilhelmina is confused and scared by her attraction to this strange new boy, but soon she finds that it leads her in new and interesting directions. However, my favorite character was one of the spares, Gerdie. As Wilhelmina’s younger brother, he offers a counterbalance to her wild wanderlust. 

The plot is solid, but lackluster. My favorite parts by far were the character interactions, at times I forgot what the focus of the plot was: finding a wizard to break Wilhelmina's curse. In fact, a large part of the book is not about finding the wizard, but how Loom thinks Wilhelmina can save his country. 

In conclusion, this book was good, but not spectacular. I would recommend it for fans of fantasy, people who love character interactions, and anyone who just dies for the enemies to friends trope. 

[lizziethereader]

booksforthoughts BPC | November 2017 | 10. Photogenic 

excuse the jargon, but it has SHINY BITS!

[here-be-fangirls]

Book suggestions for a sci-fy fantasy hoe?

HELL YEAH

I haven’t read a TON of sci-fi but I did my best !!

Sci-Fi

THE ABYSS SURROUNDS US by Emily Skrutskie. Futuristic pirates, giant sea monsters, 2 girls falling in love. sooo original, quality gay content, buy it, read it, LOVE IT. I made a power point about it. 

THE SUPERNATURALIST by Eoin Colfer. an underappreciated fave tm. also futuristic, v difficult to explain, but original and weird in an awesome way. 

THE LUNAR CHRONICLES by Marissa Meyers it’s not SUPER sci-fi ish– very much YA Sci-Fi, I would say– but there are LOTS OF LADIES, cool representation, etc. it’s a good time. 

SAGA, by Brian Vaughan, IF you do graphic novels and are up for some Mature Content (nudity, violence, general… weirdness…) it’s about two soldiers from opposing planets falling in love and just trying to Live Their Lives and raise their baby while Literally Everyone tries to kill them 

Fantasy

SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugo. MY #1. WILL STAN FOREVER. NECESSARY TO READ IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND 50% OF MY BLOG CONTENT. I MADE A WHOLE POWERPOINT ON THIS JUST CHECK THAT OUT.  ALSO I MET LEIGH BARDUGO AND WILL BE CRYING ABT THAT FOREVER

CARRY ON by Rainbow Rowell. a Chosen One story that subverts all the tropes in the most fantastic ways, involves a mage boy falling in love with his vampire roommate????? precious & gay & good af?????

THE DARKEST PART OF THE FOREST by Holly Black. FAERIES and MAGIC and HORNED BOYS SLEEPING IN COFFINS and DARK MAGICAL WOODS and SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS and ANYWAYS THIS A FAVE 

13 TREASURES by Michelle Harrison is middle-grade and i’m not a fan of the whole trilogy, but the first book is dark and creepy af (esp for middle grade) involves fairies & a really creepy clever mystery and ahhhhhh I love it

DREAMER’S POOL by Juliet Marillier. adult fantasy. this book isn’t actually A Fave but the second book in the series is GREAT and I ADORE the main characters. also every book has a ~mystery~ and they’re all v interesting 

UPROOTED by Naomi Novik. can i get an UNDERAPPRECIATED FAVE SCREAM. this book………….. it’s like a fairy tale…… but it’s not….. and it’s better….. and the writing is incredible……… and i am not even worthy of trying to explain how good it  is 

THE DIVINERS by Libba Bray. This is more???? paranormal ish than fantasy BUT it’s SO GOOD. set in the 1920s but actually acknowledges the ISSUES of the 1920s (such as racism) in a great way, has characters of color, a disabled character, lgbtq+ characters, and is totally lit. 

BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS by Shannon Hale (or anything by Shannon Hale!) Middle grade but can totally be enjoyed by someone older. female characters written by a badass feminist author. obscure fairy  tale retellings. hell yeah. 

………can u tell I read more fantasy than scifi?

THANKS FOR ASKING I LOVE ASKS HAVE FUN READING BLESS UP 

[powells]

Console-free Camping

If you like to play The Last of Us, then try Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

If you like to play Beyond: Two Souls, then try The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

If you like to play Call of Duty: Black Ops (Zombies), then try World War Z by Max Brooks

If you like playing Grand Theft Auto, then try American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

If you like playing Sid Meier’s Civilization, then try A Game Of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

If you like playing Final Fantasy, try playing Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

If you like playing Mass Effect, then try Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

If you like playing Alice: Madness Returns, then try Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

If you like playing Halo, then try Starship Troopers by Robert A Heinlein

If you like playing Portal, then try House Of Stairs by William Sleator

If you like playing Mario Kart, then try The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia 

If you like playing Dark Souls, then try Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

If you like playing Life Is Strange, then try We Are Okay by Nina Lacour

If you like playing Stardew Valley, then try How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

If you like playing Fable, then try Young Elites by Marie Lu

If you like playing Borderlands, then try Velocity by Chris Wooding

If you like playing Dishonored, then try Airman by Eoin Colfer

If you like playing The Oregon Trail, then try Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

If you like playing the Elder Scrolls series, then try The Naming by Alison Croggon

If you like playing Red Dead Redemption, then try Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

If you like playing Bioshock, then try  Dark Life by Kat Falls

If you like playing Fallout, then try Razorland by Ann Aguirre 

If you like playing Assasin’s Creed, then try The Way of Shadows Night by Brent Weeks

If you like playing Dragonage, then try Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

If you like playing The Legend of Zelda, then try Graceling by Kristin Cashore

If you like playing Until Dawn, then try Ten by Gretchen McNeil

If you like playing Sonic, then try Maximum Ride by James Patterson

If you like playing Overwatch, then try Bluescreen by Dan Wells

If you like playing Uncharted, then try Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

If you like playing Pokemon, then try Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by JK Rowling, and Newt Scamander

If you like playing Mario Party, then try Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

[gamingallnight]

This is amazing!!

[posi-pan]

There’s a saddening lack of books with pansexual/panromantic rep included in queer book recs, so I’ve compiled a list of books for us pans, that I will be continuously updating.

Some notes: I haven’t read the majority of these books, so I’m trusting the people who sent me recs and the research I’ve done. Some of the books are part of series, and I’m not sure if the pan character is in one or some/all books, so keep that in mind.

For each book I’ve put the genre, the names of the characters if I could find them, if it’s canon or implied/hinted, and a goodreads link.

27 Hours by Tristina Wright (Sci-Fi, YA) - Nyx Llorca, canon

Ace of Hearts by Feral Sephrian (Romance) - Felix, canon

Adrift by Isabelle Adler (Romance, Sci-Fi) - Character, canon

Alexey Dyed in Red by A.M. Valenza (Fantasy) - Vasiliy, canon

Balancing Act by Angie Barry (Contemporary, Fantasy) - Character, canon

The Barrow series by Mark Smylie (Fantasy) - Stjepan Black-Heart, implied/hinted

The Bartimaeus series by Jonathan Stroud (Fantasy, YA) - Bartimaeus, canon

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp (YA) - Character, canon

Betrothed: A Faery Tale by Therese Woodson (Fantasy) - Faeries, canon

Between Ghosts by Garrett Leigh (Romance, Military) - Nat, implied/hinted

The Blood Between Us by Zac Brewer (Mystery, YA) - Adrien Dane, implied/hinted

Blood Borne by Archer Kay Leah (Fantasy) - Ress, canon

The Blue Codex by Emily Kirby (Fantasy, Sci-Fi) - Character, canon

Bookish Friends To Lovers series by G.L. Tomas (NA) - Ruby Jiang-Cruz, canon

Bound series by Megan Mulry (Erotica, Historical Romance) - Characters, canon

Breakfire’s Glass by A.M. Valenza (Fantasy, Romance) - Nikolai, canon

Calloway Sisters series by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie (NA) - Connor Cobalt, implied/hinted

The Cobbler’s Soleless Son series by Meredith Katz (Fantasy) - Character, canon

The Core by Ada R. Griffiths (Fantasy, Steampunk) - Character, implied/hinted

A Darker Shade of Magic series by V.E. Schwab (Fantasy) - Lila, implied/hinted

Daybreak Rising by Kiran Oliver (Fantasy, NA) - Character, implied/hinted

Different Names For The Same Thing by Francis Gideon (Contemporary, Romance) - Character, canon

Don’t Feed the Trolls by Erica Kudisch (Romance) - Daphnis, canon

Double Exposure by Chelsea M. Cameron (Romance) - Anna Corcoran, canon

Dragonborn by Maeghan Friday (Fantasy) - Character, canon

Engelsfors series by Mats Strandberg and Sarah Bergmark Elfgren (Fantasy, YA) - Two characters, implied/hinted

Every Day by David Levithan (Fantasy, YA) - A, implied/hinted

First and First by Santino Hassell (Contemporary, Erotica) - Aiden and Oli, canon

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler (Fantasy, Paranormal) - Shori Matthews/Ina species, canon

From Stars They Fell by H.R. Harrison (Fantasy, Sci-Fi) - Character, implied/hinted

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough (Historical Fiction, YA) - Main Character, canon

The Girl at Midnight series by Melissa Grey (Fantasy, YA) - Character, implied/hinted

Homesick at Space Camp by Francis Gideon (Romance, Sci-Fi) - Character, canon

Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg (YA) - Hannah, implied/hinted

How Not to Summon Your True Love by Sasha L. Miller (Fantasy, Romance) - Main Character, canon

Ida by Alison Evans (YA) - Character, implied/hinted

Island of Exiles by Erica Cameron (Fantasy, YA) - Side Character, canon

Jack of Thorns by Amelia Faulkner (Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance) - Main Character, canon

Jess, Chunk, and the Road Trip to Infinity by Kristin Elizabeth Clark (YA) - Chuck, canon

Junk Mage by Elliot Cooper (Romance, Sci-Fi) - Character, canon

The Life and Times of Angel Evans by Meredith Debonnaire (Fantasy, Short Story) - Angel Evans, canon

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert (YA) - Rafaela, canon

Looking For Group by Rory Harrison (YA) - Arden, implied/hinted

Lost and Found by J. Holland (Fantasy, Romace) - Character, implied/hinted

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series by Rick Riordan (Fantasy) - Magnus Chase, canon

The Mark of Noba by G.L. Tomas (Fantasy) - Tetra and Sterling, canon

The Melody of Me and You by M. Hollis (NA) - Chris Morrison, canon

Mr. March Names the Stars by Rivka Aarons-Hughes (Contemporary, Romance) - Character, implied/hinted

On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher (Romance) - Isla, canon

Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley (YA) - Christa, canon

Out On Good Behavior by Dahlia Adler (NA) - Frankie Bellisario, canon

Outside The Lines by Caitlin Ricci (Contemporary) - Character, canon

The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan (Fiction, YA) - Anais, implied/hinted

Poison Kiss by Ana Mardoll (Fantasy) - Character, canon

Prosperity by Alexis Hall (Fantasy, Steampunk) - Piccadilly, implied/hinted

The Queen of Lies by Michael J. Bode (Fantasy) - Character, canon

Rogues of the Republic series by Patrick Weekes (Fantasy) - Ululenia, implied/hinted

Scarred by Mia Kerick (Romance) - Character, canon

Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate (YA) - Lucas McCallum, canon

Shifting Tides by Caitlin Ricci (YA) - Blaine, canon

Six of Crows series by Leigh Bardugo (Fantasy, YA) - Jesper Fahey, implied/hinted

Solitaire by Alice Oseman (YA) - Michael Holden, canon

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin (Fantasy) - Oberyn Martell, implied/hinted

Split City Waltz by Ada Redmond (Sci-Fi) - Character, implied/hinted

Superheroes Anonymous series by Lexie Dunne (Fantasy) - Portia, canon

Texture Like Sun by Ils Greyhart (Fantasy, Romance) - Character, canon

There Will Be Phlogiston by Alexis Hall (Fantasy, Steampunk) - Anstruther Jones, canon

Timekeeper by Tara Sim (Fantasy, Steampunk, YA) - Colton, canon

Tongue & Groove by Shae Connor (Romance) - Saul Wilder, canon

Tow Trucks & New Year’s Kisses by Lila Leigh Hunter (Romance) - Character, canon

Translucid by Zen DiPietro (Sci-Fi) - Emé, canon

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli (YA) - Mina, canon

Vampire Sorority Sisters by Rebekah Weatherspoon (Paranormal, Romance) - Characters, canon

Wander This World by G.L. Tomas (NA, Paranormal) - Melanie Blue, canon

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson (YA, Sci-Fi) - Diego Vega, implied/hinted

Welcome to Orphancorp by Marlee Jane Ward (Dystopia, Sci-Fi, YA) - Main Character, implied/hinted

Wriggle & Sparkle by Megan Derr (Fantasy, Paranormal) - Anderson, implied/hinted

Your Heart Will Grow by C.M. Lloyd (Fantasy, NA) - Kelpana, canon

Happy reading!