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sometimes we need to read hopeful stories where good prevails within our own corrupt systems. here’s a selection of mostly fictional (and one biography) books that have helped me.

these aren’t books to guide you on political action or help you understand the nuances of foreign politics — those are worthwhile books to read too, but not the list I’m providing today. but perhaps they will fill you with determination and hope for a better reality. or maybe they will give you insight to an identity and journey different than your own, or help you feel seen.

((Cross posting some older posts from my insta (same username) because I’m not sure about the future of meta platforms/my use of meta platforms & I don’t want my content to be lost.))

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May I interest you in upcoming black bisexual books by black authors? Also a few bonus books which are not upcoming but I am looking forward to read them so I included them too!

Happy Black history month!

Books included:

Solo Stan by Talia Tucker @taliatuck

Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

Iron Tongue of Midnight by Brittany N. Williams

Something Kindred by Ciera Burch

The Billion Dollar Dynasty by Dominique Davis

Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory

Roar of the Lambs by Jamison Shea

Spiraling Out by Maya Ameyaw

An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole

Death Card by Jasmine Smith

Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal

Bonus books:

Everyone's Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni

More to Love by Georgina Kiersten

In The House of Transcendence by Amanda B. Weaver (formerly Amanda Ross)

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“ARC” Review of “Despite Duty” by Jasmin Joachims

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“But if it causes emotional discomfort, why do you cherish the existence of compassion?”

“It is what makes us, more than anything else, feel closest to those around us. Not feeling like you’re alone in the universe … it matters.”

I didn’t know how much I needed sapphic, sci-fi, space operas in my life, until I started this series! I am HOOKED!

And as someone who loves Star Wars, I honestly don’t know how I haven’t picked up a space opera before this!

As I have always prided myself in reviewing books honestly, I was beyond thrilled to be given the opportunity to read this copy of “Despite Duty” by Jasmin Joachims.

With that being said, I absolutely LOVED this book! I was already introduced to the main character, Elia, from reading the prequel novella, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading more of her adventures. In this story, we get more details about her ship, The Despite, and we meet her crew: N’guyerra and Eighty-Three, Elia’s AI (we met both of them in the novella), as well as Hector and Chen! This rag-tag crew was so diverse and entertaining. For example, Chen is an alien species that doesn’t have vocal cords, so he invented his own version of sign language to communicate with the rest of the crew! As someone who is part of the Deaf community, I really loved that this book included sign language (and in space)!

The story is told from Elia’s point of view and I love her witty inner monologue throughout the book, as well as the banter between her and her crew. I had several moments of laughter throughout the story.

“…I hadn’t counted on fighting actual cows. I would so get an earful from the crew for this. “Fucking cows,” my navigator N’guyerra muttered, then dove behind the boulder I was squatting.”

We follow the crew’s space adventures as they smuggle merchandise to the far reaches of the galaxy. However, unknowingly to the rest of the crew, Elia is an undercover agent working for the queen and is trying to find the person responsible for a terrorist attack. Of course the crew hits some bumps along the way and Elia struggles to keep her secret from them. We also get a hint of possible romance blossoming between Elia and the military commander, Allen Haggerty, despite her consistently trying to catch Elia doing things she shouldn’t be.

“The only way for evil to triumph is for a good person to do nothing.” - Hector

I think Jasmin Joachams has a fantastic writing style. Her words throughout the story were very engaging and easy to follow. She was able to effectively create the world Elia and her crew reside in and I enjoyed all the details she put into the story. I am very much looking forward to reading more of her work!

If you enjoy sapphic science fiction, space adventures, a badass female lead, a rag-tag found family crew, witty banter and beautiful writing, then “Despite Duty” is definitely a book you will enjoy!

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My January 2025 wrap-up!

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Before January ends, here are upcoming bi trans books! Lovely books 🩷💜💙

Unfortunately I couldn't find any books with female bi trans MC :/

Books listed:

Homegrown Magic by Jamie Pacton and Becca Podos

All I Know So Far by Nicole Zelniker

What Happened on Roslyn Street? A Paranormal Dark Academia Mystery Romance by Elle Lavendelle

Lord of Ruin by K.M. Enright

Aurethia Rising by Atlas Laika

Monsters, Mayhem & Wild Magic: Book 1 of the Hexed and Hunted Series by Noah Bodie

How to Survive a Slasher by Justine Pucella Winans

King Luna by River Kai

The Transition by Logan-Ashley Kisner

And They Were Roommates by Page Powars

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ARC Review of “Stolen by Time” by Lucinda Wicked

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I want to thank Lucinda Wicked for the opportunity to read this book. Here is my honest review:

I didn’t absolutely love it, but still enjoyed reading it. I really liked the concept of the story and the relationship that was built between Alex and Eilidh. I really liked that Eilidh continued to stand up for who she was, despite her dad and her clan trying to convince her otherwise.

“Was she not a woman? Did she have to be pretty and delicate and subservient to be a woman?”

I thoroughly enjoyed the spicy scenes and I liked the element of time travel, which gave the story a bit of a mystical feel. This was also the first time I’ve read a historical type romance and I was surprised at how much I really enjoyed it. I’m not usually one to like historical stories, but I’ve been wanting to go outside my comfort zone a bit and I’m glad I chose this book to do it. I think that having the time-travel component helped me enjoy my first experience with this genre.

The following elements are what I think could have been improved:

I felt like the flow of the book was a bit choppy, the world building lacked enough details, and some parts of the plot felt rushed or were left unexplained. I am a very visual reader (I see the story in my mind) and I wasn’t able to visualize the story as smoothly as I usually do. I found myself needing to re-read parts to try and better visualize and decipher what was happening. It also didn’t help that I felt some parts abruptly ended without a logical transition to the next part. As far as the world building, it was decent, but I wanted more! I could only vaguely visualize the beautiful landscape of Scotland and the MacLeod castle. I would have loved to get more of the small details that set this world apart from others.

Let’s talk about the main characters next. I first want to thank Lucinda for including a pronunciation guide for the names! I loved both Alex and Eilidh (pronounced AY-lee) and I was rooting for them throughout the entire story. I liked the element of “love at first sight” that they both seemed to have for each other, despite trying to push the feelings down. However, the constant need for reassurance from each other got a bit old. I remember thinking “You both like each other and have made it very clear to each other, why are you still questioning it?!” Also, Alex not making a full decision of what she wanted to do (which I understand is a super hard decision to make) annoyed me a bit. There also wasn’t much character development, even though I felt like there was space for it, especially with Alex.

All in all, this book was very enjoyable. If you enjoy sapphic, time-travel, slow-burn, touch her and die romances set in 18th-century Scotland, then “Stolen by Time” is for you!

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How I feel nowadays (you gotta find a way to cope)

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New book blog here!!! Would love to follow more book blogs! Let’s be friends! 🥰

[ looking for book blogs! ]

hi there, book lovers! since it's a new year, I wanted to do a fresh post to call out all book-focused blogs on Tumblr! If you primarily post bookish content, like and reblog this post and I'll follow you back! here's to growing the booklr community!

Please share this and explore the previous likes/reblogs to discover more accounts!

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🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in January 2025 🌈

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Since my full monthly book release guides take hours and my engagement is so low, I've decided to condense these guides for now. Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Happy reading!

❓What was the last queer book you read?

[ Release dates may have changed. ]

❤️ We Could Be Rats - Emily Austin 💛 The Three Lives of Cate Kay - Kate Fagan 💚 I Think They Love You - Julian Winters 💙 Brewed with Love - Shelly Page 💜 Murder in the Dressing Room - Holly Stars 💙 The Assassin's Guide to Babysitting - Natalie C. Parker 💚 Good Girl - Aria Aber 💛 Single Player - Tara Tai ❤️ For One Night Only - Jessica James

❤️ The Relationship Mechanic - Karmen Lee 💛 The Broposal - Sonora Reyes 💚 The In-Between Bookstore - Edward Underhill 💙 A Traitorous Heart - Erin Cotter 💜 Those Fatal Flowers - Shannon Ives 💙 An Honored Vow - Melissa Blair 💚 The Afterdark - E. Latimer 💛 Zoe Brennan, First Crush - Laura Piper Lee ❤️ The Last Bookstore on Earth - Lily Braun-Arnold

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We like cats and books right??

Meet my baby, Oscar! Since losing his brother in 2023, he’s been super cuddly. Anytime I’m on the couch, he’s there ready for cuddles! 🥰

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Collecting books and reading books are two different hobbies 🙃

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These are adorable!!! I should share my baby… new post coming soon! 😁

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Book Review of “Despite Distress” by Jasmin Joachims

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This was such a fun read! I thoroughly enjoyed the comedic dialogue of the main character, Elia, as she ventures to the far reaches of the galaxy in search of an information broker.

Jasmin Joachims did a great job at world building in such a short time and creating unique characters that really capture your attention.

This was my first ever “space opera” story and I think I’m hooked! I cannot wait to read the next books in the series!

If you enjoy space adventures, Star Warsish witty dialogue and a badass sapphic female main character, then definitely read this novella!

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Romance Book Blast LGBTQIA+ Book Haul!

Free romance books today!

These are all sapphic, as that is my preference, but there are many mlm books, too!

Link to website: https://www.romancebooklovers.com

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Here’s a load of trans / non-binary books to read while you still can 😃