#Aiden Thomas has good books

[aurumacadicus]

It's time to pick our August book for book club! Tumblr will vote, and the book club will then vote among the top three in Discord. If you’d like to join the book club, send me a message and I’ll send you a link to the discord! Keep an eye out for the other poll, and check out the books’ summaries under the cut!

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

It’s been hundreds of years since King Arthur’s Reign. His descendant, Arthur, a future Lord and general gadabout, has been betrothed to Gwendoline, the quick-witted, short-tempered princess of England, since birth. The only thing they can agree on is that they despise each other.

They’re forced to spend the summer together at Camelot in the run up to their nuptials, and with 24 hours, Gwen has discovered Arthur kissing a boy and Arthur has gone digging for Gwen’s childhood diary and found confessions about her crush on the kingdom’s only lady knight, Bridget Leclair.

Realizing they might make better allies than enemies, they make a reluctant pact to cover for each other, and as things head up at the annual royal tournament, Gwen is swept off her by her knight and Arthur takes an interest in Gwen’s royal brother. Lex Croucher’s Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is chock full of sword-fighting, found family, and romantic shenanigans destined to make readers fall in love.

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis

It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horrible and then turn your skull into a goblet or something.

It’s a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is… you.

Gav isn’t really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed.

But as he realizes nothing – from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess – is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. And he’ll have to answer the hardest question of all – who does he want to be?

A high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, an evil wizard convocation, and a garlic festival. All at once. All in all, Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks.

A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon

Twenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seol’s Mapo Bridge.

But her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed in white—her guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.

But the young woman’s initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how it’s portrayed in stories. It isn’t just destiny—it’s work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit card—which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn’t a monster or an intergalactic war. It’s global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.

Park Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and the desire to do good in a world that feels like it’s ending. A fun, fast-paced, and enchanting narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated Anton Hur, A Magical Girl Retires reminds us that we are all magical girls—that fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight can be anyone’s game.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Shiori’anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted. But it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

A sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes. She warns Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and the very boy she fought so hard to marry. And she must embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to forswear—no matter what the cost.

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

“Only the most powerful and honorable semidioses get chosen. I’m just a Jade. I’m not a real hero.”

As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the chaotic Obsidian gods at bay. Sol selects ten of the most worthy semidioses to compete in the Sunbearer Trials. The winner carriers light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all—they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body melted down to refuel the Sun Stones, protecting the world for another ten years.

Teo, a seventeen-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of the goddess of birds, isn’t worried about the Trials . . . at least, not for himself. His best friend, Niya is a Gold semidiós and a shoo-in for the Trials, and while he trusts her abilities, the odds of becoming the sacrifice is one-in-ten.

But then, for the first time in over a century, the impossible happens. Sol chooses not one, but two Jade competitors. Teo, and Xio, the thirteen-year-old child of the god of bad luck. Now they must compete in five trials against Gold opponents who are more powerful and better trained. Worst of all, Teo’s annoyingly handsome ex-best friend and famous semidiós Hero, Aurelio is favored to win. Teo is determined to get himself and his friends through the trials unscathed—for fame, glory, and their own survival.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to the Lost Apothecary…

Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Carline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

Vermilion by Molly Tanzer

Gunslinging, chain smoking, Stetson-wearing Taoist psychopomp, Elouise “Lou” Merriwether might not be a normal 19-year-old, but she’s too busy keeping San Francisco safe from ghosts, shades, and geung si to care much about that. It’s an important job, though most folks consider it downright spooky. Some have even accused Lou of being more comfortable with the dead than the living, and, well… they’re not wrong. When Lou hears that a bunch of Chinatown boys have gone missing somewhere deep in the Colorado Rockies she decides to saddle up and head into the wilderness to investigate. Lou fears her particular talents make her better suited to help placate their spirits than ensure they get home alive, but it’s the right thing to do, and she’s the only one willing to do it. On the road to a mysterious sanatorium known as Fountain of Youth, Lou will encounter bears, desperate men, a very undead villain, and even stranger challenges. Lou will need every one of her talents and a whole lot of luck to make it home alive…

[maddiesbookshelves]

USA Book haul 📚

I limited myself to 4 books because I didn't have a very big bag, and I only bought The Sunbearer Trials in hardback after a week of thinking about it because it was used and so half of its usual price. However, all of those are books I've been wanting to read for a while and have heard very good things about. Although, I did buy All These Sunken Souls mostly because of Joel Rochester, aka fictionalfates (go check out their yt channel/insta), who wrote one of the short stories in the anthology

If you're curious about these books, here are some summaries:

All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology, edited by Circe Moskowitz

We are all familiar with tropes of the horror genre: slasher and victims, demon and the possessed. Bloody screams, haunted visions, and the peddler of wares we aren’t sure we can trust. In this young adult horror anthology, readers will get a little bit of everything they love—and a lot of what they fear—through a twisted blend of horror lenses, from the thoughtful to the terrifying.

Camp Damascus, by Chuck Tingle

Welcome to Neverton, Montana: home to a God-fearing community with a heart of gold.

Nestled high up in the mountains is Camp Damascus, the self-proclaimed “most effective” gay conversion camp in the country. Here, a life free from sin awaits. But the secret behind that success is anything but holy.

The Sunbearer Trials, by Aiden Thomas

As each new decade begins, ten semidioses are selected by the god Sol as the most worthy to compete in The Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser will be sacrificed to Sol, their body used to fuel the Sun Stones that will protect the people of Reino del Sol for the next ten years.

Teo, a 17-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of Quetzal, has never worried about the Trials…or rather, he’s only worried for others.

But then, for the first time in over a century, Sol chooses a semidiós who isn’t a Gold. In fact, he chooses two. Now they must compete in five mysterious trials, against opponents who are both more powerful and better trained, for fame, glory, and their own survival.

A Dowry Of Blood, by S.T. Gibson

Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a medieval peasant into a bride fit for an undying king. But when Dracula draws a cunning aristocrat and a starving artist into his web of passion and deceit, Constanta realizes that her beloved is capable of terrible things.

Finding comfort in the arms of her rival consorts, she begins to unravel their husband's dark secrets. With the lives of everyone she loves on the line, Constanta will have to choose between her own freedom and her love for her husband. But bonds forged by blood can only be broken by death.

See below for bonus Ramsès content

[jenyifer]

I’ve read 10 more books let’s get a rec list here for future use for people to look up on my page or alone.

Disclaimer:I think reviews and opinions show a lot about who you are and your life exp so. I am a woman lover who is 30 with ADHD. I am cisgendered she/her. I like listening to books on my drive in and out of work. I’ve read and watched a lot of scifi and fantasy and these books reflect that too.

In order of most loved:

1. Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈⏳ Historical Romance. this beautifully crafted novel moved me to tears. Set in a historical, mundane world, it captures the essence of the original while offering a fresh perspective.

2. Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh 👯‍♀️🏳️‍🌈👽🚀now MC Romance very very low I like to think she’s a little bit some where in the ace spectrum but 🥹🥹 Avicenna gives you enough gay vibes trust me. It is a real journey. MC is broken out of her brainwashing and tries to save the Earth and Universe. It’s high Sci-fi fun. I really loved it.

3. The Last Binding Trilogy by Freya Marske 🏳️‍🌈👯‍♀️🏳️‍🌈🪄⏳🔎 Alright each book is from a different intertwined couple’s POV. Each book is very much historical wizard mystery’s found family. Each book has steamy interesting spicy scenes. I find this series more impressive now because I still think about the couples and its universe was fun. Side note the last couple is the best.

4. The Tithenai Chronicles by Foz Meadows 🏳️‍🌈⏳🪄🔎 it’s more historical than super magical but both books have decent mysteries. It’s about an arranged royal marriage one comes from a conservative country suffering from trauma which we get to see but is treated respectfully and not harped on and the other is a warrior who is a little neurospicy. So Velasin is so dear to me I forgive a lot because he’s baby and I love him. They have non binary characters and disabled characters in the story being treated like people. There is some very spicy scenes in these two books. The new character in the second book so amazing they reminds me of Tennal from Oceans Echo in spirit anyway. I liked them. But his spicy scenes had me blushing for days. A con of this book is it’s very emotional so depression trauma warnings.

5. Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🦹🦜 I can’t believe I forgot to do a review of this one considering I really enjoyed it. So it’s YA dystopian Latin America folklore kind of like superhero and god goddess. Really heart warming found family coming of age. Also in the vein of hunger games etc. I loved the universe and the structure of the world. Each character was well developed throughout the book. Main character is someone you want to see succeed. I’m so excited for book 2. Lots of neurospicy peeps represented in my opinion.

6. Simon Snow Trilogy by Rainbow Rowell🏳️‍🌈🪄🧛🏻🐲 Also YA feel book one has a lot of Harry Potter jabs but it’s not a direct parody. I also think in book 2 3 they take jabs at diff genres which was fun. The series is very funny has perspective from all the characters. The universe is interesting. Romance is decent. Lovable characters. It isn’t good to think too hard about anything.

7. The Unbroken by CL Clark 👯‍♀️⏳👑🪄 this book would be higher up if I wasn’t iffy on the main couple individually I’d rank both leads pretty high on best characters. It’s a book about colonialism political magic rebellion found family. It’s action packed it’s interesting with a good mystery. A disabled main character and a more male presenting lesbian with is something new. Touraine is going to do what Touraine thinks in her heart while Luca serves with her brain and wallet.

8. So this is ever after by f. t. Lukens 🏳️‍🌈👯‍♀️🪄👑⏳ Does what it says on the tin is YA. Medieval setting with standard fantasy quest group. Very easy read.

9. Out of the Blue by Jason June 🏳️‍🌈🧜🏻‍♂️🎬🎓very YA vibes. Very romance. About a nonbinary mer person on their journey out of the ocean to help a human and a film obsessed gay chubby human on his journey to get over a relationship. I would have this book ranked higher except for the ending and School vibes do kind of make me cringe.

10. Temperature of You and Me by Brain Zepka 🏳️‍🌈🦹🔎 about a boy whose skin is fire and human who works at a dairy queen. Mystery is weak some holes in the plot.Romance very immature. School age kids.

Okay so audible had a sale anddd I got a couple titles on there (if I have to spend a fortune on gas and tolls I’ll spend a small one on the books that keep me sane) and I have 4 Libby audiobooks checked out. I still have a hard time with wlw books. Or too much thinking. It needs to hit a sweet spot for me since I’m usually driving in hard conditions so can’t use the super brain on the story. Anyways any suggestions or recs would be welcomed!!!

[triviareads]

Could you recommend some historical novels with some kind of game involved? Idk chess, cards, etc

Yes! This is by no means a comprehensive list because there are a lot that are tangentially set in gambling hells and the like, but here are some of my favorites:

Convergence of Desire by Felicity Niven has a card game subplot; Harry is a savant and can easily count cards, and she realizes her and Thomas's houseguests are cheating them during cards so they devise a plan to win back their money. Tom's also a gambler and a high-stakes one from what I remember.

What I Did For The Duke by Julie Anne Long has a sexually tense game of blindman's bluff complete with not-very-discreet groping, and then a dramatic card game that finally makes Genevieve realize in a very roundabout way that the duke loves her and wants her to be happy unconditionally.

The Design of Dukes by Kathleen Ayers has a way-too-sexually-tense game of lawn bowling. The hero later admits he wanted to tug the heroine's skirts up on the lawn and take her then and there.

Prince of Broadway by Joanna Shupe has a heroine who wants to start a gambling hell for ladies so she asks big bad casino owner Clay Madden for lessons.

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean: There's a really hot card game scene at the end where Ralston is basically Done and ready to get this seduction started after Callie is all "hm I wonder what it would be like to be a courtesan".

The Awakening of Ivy Leavold by Sierra Simone: this is a historical erotic romance; There's a game of blind-man's bluff that turns into an orgy by the end.

All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue by Sophie Jordan: Aurelia likes to sneak out and go to a pleasure club dressed as a courtesan and play cards and at one point I believe the hero has to pay a forfeit where he strips naked in front of everyone.

The Viscount Always Knocks Twice by Grace Callaway: It's a house party so there's lots of games; I remember hide and seek which ended with Violet and Carlisle making out in a Priest Hole, and Carlisle also gifts Violet with a handmade bow and arrows during their courtship because she likes those kids of games/sports.

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas: Derek Craven owns a gambling hell, there's a GREAT scene where Sara is disguised by a mask and she's playing cards and all them men can't help but he drawn to her including, of course, Derek Craven. This is actually suuuch a romantic part of the book, at least until he finds out it's Sara under the mask and then it descends into (horny) farce.

Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas: Lily agrees to a high-stakes card game and if she loses she has to sleep with the hero Alex; obviously she loses, there's this really interesting bit where Derek Craven half-assedly protects her honor in that he tells Alex to be gentle with her, but also, says she needs to honor her debts and basically shoves her into a private room to await Alex lolol.

Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas: Annabelle and Hunt play a lot of chess while she's recovering from a snake bite and it does get to the point where she's having sex dreams about it. Both this book and It Happened One Autumn have scenes where the wallflowers are playing rounders (kind of like baseball?), most notably in SoSN where they're playing in their underwear and Simon Hunt and Westcliff happen upon them.

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn has a pall-mall scene where Kate and Anthony are super competitive and Kate ends the game by whacking Anthony's ball into the lake.

Gavin Hunt from Her Wanton Wager by Grace Callaway, Cross from One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean, and Aiden Trewlove from The Duchess in his Bed by Lorraine Heath are some of my favorite gambling hell heroes except I can't quite remember how much gaming there is in their books, but I strongly recommend them.

[guardian-angle22]

Nine ten books

thank you to @rmd-writes who tagged me (ages ago) in this... not sure you knew what you were going to unleash when you did that but here we are. 😅

I think the prompt for this is just list nine favorite books, but because I can't be normal about books and my taurus energy is strong today... I'm breaking up these book recs into categories, adding visuals, and also adding a tenth book to make it an even number. Cheers!

Books #1 & #2 (Nonfiction)

Ace by Angela Chen - Hello! Your friendly neighborhood asexual over here recommending that everybody read this book! It's such a good exploration of what it's like to navigate the world as an ace person and also the vast spectrum involved within asexuality.

Yoke by Jessamyn Stanley - Even if you've never done a single yoga pose in your life, I think you can gain something from this book. It's not a how-to yoga guide, but instead essays about her relationship to yoga, cultural appropriation within the community, fatness, colonization, capitalism, etc. It's fantastic and funny!

Books #3 & #4 (Excellent on Audio)

Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski - This fiction book (and the following books in the series) follows an investigative journalist who has a true crime podcast. The audiobook is full cast and it feels like you're following along to an actual podcast, but one you know you'll get a conclusion to. Highly recommend all of the books in this series on audio if you enjoy mystery/thrillers.

Where to Begin by Cleo Wade - The author narrates the audio version of this and her voice is like a balm to the soul. It feels a little bit like she’s a counselor guiding you through a thoughtful meditation. It’s short but it packs a punch.

Books #5 & #6 (Seasonally Appropriate)

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas - This is a YA book following a young trans boy, Yadiel, who wants to prove to his family that he's truly a brujo and attempts to summon the ghost of a murdered family member. Except he accidentally summons a classmate who has no idea how he died. Adventure and mystery ensues!

The Changeling by Victor Lavalle - I've always loved the folklore surrounding changelings, but Lavalle's writing just takes this to another level. This is set in NYC and he somehow managed to make the city feel like a character in itself. Super chilling, creepy read.

Books #7 & 8 (Graphic Novels)

I Hate Fairyland by Skottie Young - This is a 4 volume series about a little girl named Gertrude who is whisked away to Fairyland, where she's told she must go on a quest to find the key to unlock the door back to her world. Turns out she sucks at quests and 30 years pass and she still hasn't found the key. Now she's stuck in the body of a six year old and just murders everything she comes across. The contrast of bright, happy colors vs. the murderous, jaded Gertrude is hilarious and wonderful.

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen - This is a standalone graphic novel following Tien, the son of Vietnamese immigrants, as he navigates how to come out to his parents. The art in this is wonderful and the use of color to define when we're in the past, the present, or a fairy tale was done so beautifully. A gorgeous read!

Books #9 & #10 (Books from Favorite Authors I Will Read Anything From)

A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers - This book/series follows a tea monk who encounters a robot looking for the answer to the question, "what do people need?" It's cozy and comforting. I've read every Becky Chambers book published and will continue to do so. The way she weaves hope into everything she writes is phenomenal.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater - This series owns my soul. I don't even know how to pitch this other than it has a magical forest, a found family, the slowest of slow burn queer love, and Maggie Steifvater's atmospheric writing. Maggie is another author that I will read pretty much anything from (the werewolves weren't my cup of tea so I can't claim to have read all her books).

OPEN TAG to anyone who wants to list off some book recs/fave books. Tag me so I can get some new recs!! also no pressure tagging: @lemonlyman-dotcom @mikibwrites @alrightbuckaroo @reasonandfaithinharmony

[geode-crystal]

11. What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

17. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

18. How many books did you buy?

Thanks for the ask! This is going to be fun!

Ask list here :)

11. What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

A lot of the books I read this year that came out "a while" ago were rereads, but my top two new reads this year were both over a year old, so we'll take it!

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas (published 2022) and The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune (published 2020) were both absolutely fantastic reads for totally different reasons.

Sunbearer Trials is an action-packed YA novel with incredible (queernormative!) worldbuilding and characters that just felt real. I love our main characters so much. The main squad all had very cool and very well thought out magical powers, and I did not see the plot twist at the end coming!

(Also. The sequel that just came out this year has literally all of my favorite whump tropes in it!)

Huge shout out to my sibling for lending me the book lol.

Cerulean Sea is a very cozy fantasy novel that is the epitome of Found Family and a great version of the tumblr definition of Old Man Yaoi. The writing style is so clever, there are a bunch of lines that made me laugh out loud. Plus, again, I just adore the characters!

16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

I guess we could count both Book of Bill and the two new "Percy Jackson tries to get into college" books pretty hyped? I wouldn't call them over-hyped, though. Mostly because Book of Bill 100% deserved all of the hype it got. There is a reason that Gravity Falls was trending for weeks after that came out.

17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

Honestly, gotta say Sunbearer Trials again! I had heard of it before and seen it in shops so it was kind of vaguely on my radar, but I had never seen anything about it besides "Hey look! It's got LGBTQ stuff!" which, yeah, that's awesome, but that isn't exactly a plot synopsis. Then my sibling told me it was amazing and I needed to read it.

And my sibling was right! It's amazing!

The world is fascinating, I wound up looking a lot of stuff about a culture I'm not a part of thanks to the setting, and I cannot stress enough how fantastic all of the characters are. I mean. Look at this guy. Look at him he's wonderful and he's such a dork and he's hilarious and I love his sass so much and his slow-burn relationship with his boyfriend is so insanely cute

I basically devoured the second book once I was done with the first one lol. Both books are so much fun.

18. How many books did you buy?

Only six, actually! Considering I read over 40 books this year, that's not that many lol.

The others were ones I already owned or were gifted to me :)

[bookworm-1196]

Part 3 of my yearly wrapup : top 10 favorite books of the year !

1. The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan - I just love PJO so so much and it felt so special to read this book

2. As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson (A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder 3) - I usually try and preserve my sleep schedule but this book made me throw that New Year’s resolution out the window by keeping me up until I finished the book at around 1:58 in the morning. I just love Pop and Ravi so so much (as a couple and as individual characters and as a team for fighting crime)

3. The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas - unfortunately didn’t make it to my favorite book series of the year bc I loved the first one way more than the second book. I didn’t hate it but Celestial Monsters just didn’t have the same… idk, vibe? spark? energy? that book 1 has.

4. The Pairing by Casey McQuiston - super fun and it made me want to go on a trip around Europe so badly (but without all the hooking up since I’m ace and, since I don’t have a childhood best friend to lovers to estranged exes to bring with me on the trip also no romantic tension in afraid which was half the appeal)

5. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare - is it an unpopular opinion to say that this is perhaps my favorite TMI book ?

6. Circe by Madeline Miller - I really enjoyed this book and it made me want to read more Greek myths retellings centered around women. But also the ending was… not what I expected or wanted.

7. Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare - comfort book !! It seems that “queer ship goes on a trip to Europe” is a favored trope of mine if you know any books with this trope you think I’d enjoy please recommend!!

8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - one of the most popular books ever for a reason and I’m convinced it’s going to be a classic.

9. The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud - “Come off it you know I’d die for you” *cue me screaming internally for the next 10-15 days even though I’d seen that quote on Pinterest beforehand*

10.Loveless by Alice Oseman - the beginning was depressing and made me have an existential crisis but the ending was so heartwarming. Also not me quoting the wlw quote from this book in my sad sapphic poem I wrote abt a crush only to realise months later I might actually be aro and I didn’t love the girl I just thought she was beautiful and effortlessly confident and wanted her approval so badly (the foreshadowing in my own life is insane)

Consider this a book recommendation list if you haven’t read any of these books/series !

[solreads]

The Sunbearer Trials

Title: The Sunbearer Trials

  Series: The Sunbearer Duology #1

Author: Aiden Thomas

Genre: Fantasy

Audience: Young Adult

Format: Novel

Representation: Trans boy POV character

    Trans and nonbinary supporting characters

Summary: Every decade, ten semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are selected by the primordial deity, Sol, to compete in The Sunbearer Trials and renew the Sun’s power. The victor becomes a champion showered in fame and wealth, while the loser is sacrificed to fuel the Sun Stones that keep the land safe from the evil Obsidian gods. 

For Teo, the seventeen-year-old son of the goddess of birds, the trials seem like some distant game. He is a Jade – the son of a lesser goddess. The Trials and the fame they bring have always been the domain of the Golds – the children of the first and most powerful deities created by Sol – who are trained and practiced at using their godly powers. Teo was never even allowed into their Academy. So it seems impossible when, on selection day, a sunburst crown appears on his head marking him for the Trials. 

Against all odds, Sol chooses not one, but two Jades – Teo and Xio, the child of the god of bad luck. Untrained and unprepared, they are thrust into a competition they are all but doomed to lose. At Teo’s side is Niya, the daughter of the earth god and Teo’s best friend, who is determined to get both of them out of this alive. Against them are Aurelio – Teo’s former friend – and his sister Auristela, two of the most powerful children of the fire goddess, Ocelo, the vicious child of the war deity, and four more of the most promising Golds. 

However, something strange is happening to the competitors and the stakes of this year's Trials may be higher than any of them know. 

Reflections: I had high hopes for this book -- Percy Jackson meets the Hunger Games, but with a unique Mexican-mythology-inspired fantasy world and prominent queer/trans representation, what's not to like?  Unfortunately, it didn't quite meet my expectations.

About the first half of it, in particular, was emotionally shallow and repetitive.  Despite the concept that someone must die by the end of the games as well as the interpersonal drama and personal struggles for the main character, the tone was oddly light, and very little seemed to matter - for the plot or to the characters.  Before the final trial, maybe the final two, the trials are all low-stakes and tread the same ground each time, following the same structure, with Teo going through the same cycle of thoughts and feelings.  None of these scenes fully pull their weight and I was left with the sense, for many of them, that they were only there because, well, something had to be.  

The main reason was that Teo's character arc was poorly paced and flat.  He has a lot he could be working through -- dysphoria, classic teen identity and self-esteem issues, social tension between Golds, Jades, and humans, tension and complex relationships with various other characters -- but those things are often more background than something the book explores in depth.  It makes the story less engaging and the characters feel more shallow than they are in concept.  

With all that said, there were aspects that I enjoyed about this book.  It picked up in the later trials, adding more tension and making the characters more human.  The world is intriguing and I'm interested to see it explored more.  All and all, The Sunbearer Trials was a mediocre start to the duology, but it set up enough potentially good things to come that I'm still looking forward to the sequel.

Warnings: Depictions of dysphoria.

Notes on Rep: MC identifies on-page as a trans boy. The world is queernormative.

[sophiesbookishthings]

June Reads 🌈

Hi! I've got a little preface before this month's list. Every June I like to try to exclusively read books with LGBTQ+ rep. I do tend to kind of do that throughout the year anyway since I'm queer (biromantic asexual and nonbinary) and that's just the type of books I naturally seek out. But in June I make a point of it and try to read books where they are specifically the main character. It's also preferable if the author is also LGBTQ+ in some way. I believe representation in the media is extremely important and I like to support that whenever I can. Anyway, buckle up, this one is gonna be long.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

This book has 3(!) asian bisexual polyamorous main characters by an asian nonbinary queer author. This book was like if ancient China met Pacific Rim, then make it queer and feminist. I was not in love with the first part of this book. The main character was (understandably) out for revenge but didn't seem to really think through her plans well. She was also really mean. It did make sense for the character at the time, though and it made sense, since she really didn't think she would live long enough to have further plans or for it to matter that she was mean. It was just a bit frustrating to read. She did have character development throughout the book and did ultimately turn her anger specifically back toward the oppressive government. I loved watching each dynamic of the romance develop throughout the book. I think it was really well done, and the three characters fit really well together. It was also a great contrast to the harrowing dark nature of the rest of the plot. Then the ending! The ending was such a great payoff from the rest of the book. The twist was foreshadowed so well, and I did pick up on it a bit. I knew something was up with the "aliens." The second book is supposed to be out later this year, I believe, and I can't wait to read it.

4.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

Leather and Lark by Brynn Weaver

Okay, this one isn't lgbt. Oops. I had it preordered and had to read it immediately. I do think I liked the first book in the series a bit more, but this one was still fun. It was kinda enemies to lovers and had a marriage of convenience. The fmc basically did arts and crafts with her victims (who were typically child abusers/molesters), and the mmc was a professional crime coverer. I really liked how hard the mmc worked throughout the book to be forgiven for things that happened when the 2 mcs first met and the gradual reveal of why it was so bad for the fmc in the first place. I'm excited to read the next book because I feel like the two main characters are going to be super interesting.

4.25/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

Edgedancer by Brandon Sanderson

.....Okay, I did another non-lgbt one. But it's Sanderson, and it's a novella okay. I don't really have much to say about this one except that Wyndle deserves financial compensation or something. That poor spren is going through it. I'm really intrigued to see how Lift is going to deal with being a Radiant and interacting with the others in Oathbringer after this book, though. I think she's gonna add a lot more chaos, and it's gonna be fun. Oh, and I still love Szeth, and someone needs to help him. I know he's a notorious assassin, but he is the saddest, wettest, most pathetic guy, and he's having a whole existential crisis.

4.25/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

This one was really good. I've had it on my shelf for a while. I get why everyone was talking about it a few years ago (when I should've read it lol oops). The main character is a gay transgender Latino (same as the author) boy whose family can summon spirits and heal. Powers which are unfortunately traditionally gender based. Through the book, he tries to prove to his family that he belongs with the men of the family while also helping a spirit he kinda accidentally raised. I really loved Julian, and the eventual relationship between him and Yadriel was really sweet. I listened to this one on audio, and I have to mention that I loved Avi Roque as the narrator. They did a great job. Then there were two twists at the end, one I saw coming, and one I didn't. The one I didn't see coming was really neat and made a lot of sense considering there is supposed to be a sequel.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loveless by Alice Oseman

I tried to read this book at least twice before I finally got through the whole thing. I had to get it in audiobook cause that is my trick to getting through books that are hard for me to get through for whatever reason. And it absolutely wasn't because I didn't like it. It was the exact opposite. Alice Oseman never fails to make me cry when she writes aro/ace characters. She herself is aro/ace, I believe, and the way she writes her aro/ace characters is the closest I think I've ever read/seen in media to my own experience. This book felt too much like looking into a mirror, and that made me have A Lot of Feelings. Even trying to read it this time was tough, and it took me a while. Georgia's experience navigating through the transition between college and high school felt a lot like mine. Though, her college experience ultimately went significantly better. Her desire for connections felt a lot like mine. Though she did achieve that in a way, I very much did not. I loved the various representation in this book. Sunil was a particular favorite of mine. And i loved that they were Shakespeare theatre kids. Very much like me lol. Ultimately, I really loved the conclusion that friendships can be just as important and fulfilling as romantic or sexual relationships.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I liked this book a lot. I love a good morally gray woman who won't apologize for her questionable choices. I also love a good queer period piece. And this book is mostly set in old Hollywood which fascinates me because of the contrast of how glamorous it looks versus how much of a nightmare it actually was for anyone who wasn't a straight cis white male in a position of power. There was also a really sweet found family element in this book, and I'm always a sucker for that. It also had an interesting narrative structure, which I enjoyed, because it was framed as an interview. So this book really checked a lot of boxes for me.

4.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

I really liked the premise of this book. Two men meet in ancient China, fall in love, and meet over and over again throughout various lifetimes. The endless palace concept intrigued me as well. Unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me. I wanted this to be a love story, and I think it was supposed to be, but it felt like more of a lust story. And there's nothing wrong with that, but it felt weird to me when it was framed as a love story and then barely delivered. It didn't feel like the two protagonists actually got time to get to know each other and fall in love before they were declaring that they were in love, especially in the lives they live after the first. And this declaration happened later in the book as well. There was very little romantic development. It would have been more interesting to me if they had to make the effort to fall in love in each life, but it never seemed like they did. Even in the first lifetime, it seemed like their love was orchestrated. It also never explained why they were reincarnating. I think the jade thing was supposed to be the reason, but it wasn't explained well at all. And, considering the title, I thought the endless palace would come into play a bit more. It didn't. It was mentioned briefly that the palace was seemingly endless, and that was about it. Ultimately, the ending failed to pull the whole story together like I hoped it would. I basically got 0 emotional effect from this. I felt like basically nothing happened and that there were so many loose ends that were just left unexplained. And if you do choose to read this tw for sexual assault/coercion.

The First Bright Thing by J. R. Dawson

2.5/5 ⭐️⭐️✨️

When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill

This book was weird. But I kinda loved it, I think. The two girls the story centers on, Marie Antoine and Sadie Arnett, are based on Marie Antoinette and the Marquis de Sade (which is directly referenced in the book and it made me laugh). It follows them through years of both their friendship and rivalry and how Maire's privilege and Sadie's libertinism impact their relationship (both platonic and romantic). It has very heavy themes of 19th-century feminism which can seem very harsh at times when read through a lense of modern feminism, but I do think it was ultimately executed well. It also had themes of classism and the privileges that come with being in the highest upper class and how that can affect ones beliefs. It's also very queer. I was a little worried about the way it was queer at first because it seemed pretty heavy on hating men but i think that was very much due to the time period and the extreme amount of priveledge men had in the lives these women were living in. This book also had a few twists that, even though I picked up on a little early, still made me gasp when it was revealed. And every character in this book is flawed and kinda awful in some way, which was part of what made it such a fascinating book to me. Like I said, I love morally questionable women.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I kept seeing and almost picking this book up at the bookstore until I finally just got it on audio from the library. This book had found family and a magic circus. But it also had a pretty prevalent theme of the effects of an abusive relationship that kinda caught me off guard because that wasn't necessarily stated in the description of this book. It was actually one of the strongest elements of this book, I thought, so it seems odd to me that it wasn't one of the main points of the description. Then there is a plot point in which they try to stop WWII. I think this book could have been just as good or even better if that had been excluded because it didn't really seem to go anywhere. But also upon reflection, I believe the point of it was to show that even though terrible things may happen in the future you can't necessarily change them and have to live in and make the most of the present. And I kind of love that as a concept. I really liked the relationship between the ringmaster and her wife. They were really sweet and another one of the strongest parts of the book as well as the friendship between them and their other friend who helps them run the circus. I think I still have more thoughts about this book, but this is already long, and I'm not coherent enough to articulate them lol

3.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

[aurorawest]

Reading update!

So as you'll see below I've read a lot of books since the last time I did one of these. I'm not going to write a little blurb for all of them, only the ones I feel strongly about. But I'm going to start including my ratings.

Arctic Sun by Annabeth Albert. 4.25/5 stars

Where We Left Off by Roan Parrish. 5/5 stars

Peter Cabot Gets Lost by Cat Sebastian. 5/5 stars

This book was just. So lovely. Short and fast-paced, but I loved Peter and Caleb so much. I love the time period too. I know this is me being toxic and problematic and showing my internalized homophobia or whatever but I actually really like books set in places and time periods where homophobia is a real and present danger. I think it's because I'm totally a Love Conquers All romantic, so the fact that people dgaf and make a go of being together anyway scratches that itch.

Anyway, good book. I picked up the other two in the series but haven't read them yet.

Let's Get Back to the Party by Zak Salih. 4/5 stars

Literature. Good but pretty sad.

No Gods For Drowning by Hailey Piper. 3/5 stars

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas. DNF

I got 50 pages in before I gave into my hate and DNFed this.

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley. 5/5 stars

I find it genuinely upsetting that Natasha Pulley isn't a household name, because she writes the most beautiful, gutting books that I have maybe ever read. I don't understand how she's able to write what is, on the surface, a completely mundane sentence, and yet there's this roiling sea of heartbreak underneath it.

This is the sequel to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, easily one of the best books I've ever read, and this one is at least as good.

Natural Enemies by Roan Parrish. 4/5 stars

Us by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. 3.75/5 stars

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh. 5/5 stars

Lovely little novella that read like a fairy tale.

The Prince's Poisoned Vow by Hailey Turner. 4.25/5 stars

At first I despaired of ever learning who all the characters were in this book because the first like, 10 chapters were all from a different POV, but I got a handle on all of them and liked it a lot.

Spectred Isle by KJ Charles. 4.75/5 stars

Un Lun Dun by China Miéville. DNF

This is the book that made me realize I hate whimsical books.

Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins. 4/5 stars

The Lightning-Struck Heart by TJ Klune. 3/5 stars

I ranted about this one already but Jesus, Klune. This straight up reads like the kind of stuff I wrote when I was like, 14, and I don't mean that as a compliment to my 14 year old self.

Love, Hate & Clickbait by Liz Bowery. 5/5 stars

!!!!! This book was so good!!!! I picked it up way back when it came out but it only surfaced in the TBR pile in March, and it did not let me down. Thom and Clay are SO unlikable, but you start to like them in a way that's practically insidious because you don't see it coming. By the end, I was totally rooting for them and loved them both. And this is a romcom with a truly great villain, too, which definitely isn't standard in romances.

Red Skies Falling by Alex London. 5/5 stars

Second book in a series that revolves around a culture where falconry is hugely important. If you want fantasy that doesn't take place in fantasy England, check this series out. It has an A+ sibling relationship, a lovely romance, and high stakes. But this one was saaaaad ugh so sad.

Less by Andrew Sean Greer. 3.75/5 stars

I hated this book until about 80% through, and then it subverted all my expectations and I ended up liking it okay. I thought it was just about a pathetic middle aged gay white man (I know I know, that's my type, what's the problem?) feeling sorry for himself, but it was deeper than that. And it had a nice ending.

Invitation to the Blues by Roan Parrish. 4/5 stars

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. 5/5 stars (reread)

Bought this edition for the bonus chapter from Henry's POV and for @vkelleyart's end pages. Totally worth it. I love this book just as much as I did the first time.

Threshold by Jordan L Hawk. 4.25/5 stars

So this is a series with like, 11 books? I read the first one and was kind of eh on it. Good enough to buy the second, not enough to buy all 11 or whatever. But the second one was substantially better, so now I've acquired like 5 more of them. I continue to be a sucker for late 19th century/early 20th century settings.

Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen. 4.5/5 stars

Is gay noir a thing? Because that's what I'm calling this book. Gay noir. I loved the main character and I'm really excited this is going to be a series (I've already preordered the second one). The only reason I knocked off half a star is because some of the side characters were irritating. And as a mystery, it wasn't great, so I wouldn't read this one if you're looking for a really good mystery. It's definitely more about the character development and the relationships.

Though possibly one reason I didn't think the mystery was that good is because it got spoiled for me on tumblr by someone who imo had a pretty shallow read on the book. Honestly not sure if they actually read it or they just skimmed it.

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly. 5/5 stars

AHHH. THIS BOOK!! This book was so good. So I've been making fun of it for a while because if you look at the cover, it looks like a Stucky AU. And you know what, maybe it was, but at least it didn't read that way, lol. It was really lovely and I'll be using it as a comp for the manuscript I finished last week.

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley. 5/5 stars

I don't even have anything else to say except that you need to read Natasha Pulley's books. Please. If you're reading this post, go get her books. Buy them, take them out of the library, whatever. Do it.

Work for It by Talia Hibbert. 4.25/5 stars

A Tree of Bones by Gemma Files. 4.5/5 stars

Any Old Diamonds by KJ Charles. 5/5 stars

Something happened in this book that made me close it and stare into the middle distance, then put it aside until I could process.

Anyway you should definitely read it.

Farview by Kim Fielding. 4/5 stars

Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen. 4.25/5 stars

Currently reading The Restless Dark by Erica Waters

Which I'm enjoying more than I thought I would!

[lizziethereader]

I last read...

'Cemetery Boys' by Aiden Thomas

what I wanted: this was everywhere for a while, so I wanted to know what the fuss was about

what I got: a cute but sometimes too convenient story

what I thought: This was a fun one! I enjoyed getting a glimpse into a culture different from mine and liked the main characters (and their relationships). It definitely has some very convenient twists (almost too much so in the end) but it's still a lovely read. Unfortunately the end does feel very fanfiction-y, but by that point I was rooting so much for the main characters that I (almost) didn't mind the obvious tropes. (Not that I don't enjoy good fancition, but it feels different in a book somehow). I rate this 3.5 out of 5 candles for various rituals.

[ritzcrackee]

may tbr post yayy

rereads are marked by a ☆, new reads are marked by a ♡, and new acquisitions are bolded

physical tbr: 15

more letters from a nut - ted l. nancy ♡

fahrenheit 451 - ray bradbury ♡

little (grrl) lost - charles de lint ♡

dracula - bram stoker ♡

dune - frank herbert ♡

dune messiah - frank herbert ♡

frankenstein - mary shelley ♡

juilet takes a breath - gabby rivera ♡

sense and sensibility - jane austen ♡

stories of people and civilization, greek ancient

origins - lindsay powell, j. k. jackson ♡

the silent stars go by - dan abbet ♡

touched by an angel - johnathan morris ♡

the handmaids tale - margaret atwood ✩

the testaments - margaret atwood ♡

aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the

universe - benjamin alire sáenz ✩

digital tbr: 4

pandora's jar: women in the greek myths - natalie haynes ♡

providence girls - morgan dante ♡

cemetery boys - aiden thomas ♡

if you could see the sun - ann liang ♡

read: 11

an education in malice - s. t. gibson - 3.5/5

i have,,, conflicted feelings on this book. it was good, the action was interesting, the characters were complex, the vibes were impeccable, but,,,,, idkkk.... i can't even verbalize it but there was something about this that just made it a slog to get through.

i can't help myself from comparing it to a dowry of blood, which i feel had a much cleaner execution of very similar themes. dracula felt charasmatic, he felt gravitational, he felt like a person you would give up humanity for. de lafontaine felt,,,, like a mean professor. carmilla and laura constantly wax on about how brilliant and intoxicating she is, but i never felt that. s.t. gibson can write an obsessive, imbalanced, interesting relationship! they can write it very well! so i don't understand why this fell flat for me.

overall, i think this book was disjointed. it felt like a collection of vibey scenes and quotes to put on your instagram. (which, to be fair, the quotes are banger. and the vibes are so so vibes.) i liked it, but i don't know how long it'll stay on my shelf.

maneater - emily antoinette - 2.5/5

tbh i don't have much to say abt this 👍 it was an ok book 👍

hot button issue - catrina bell - 2.5/5

i liked seeing more of this world! the couple wasn't really my thing but thats more of a me issue (get it? no? ok) i do wish there was a little more roller derbying but overall this was cool.

wild is the witch - rachel griffin - dnf

cool concept but the writing style was too repetitive for my taste 👍

luxuria - colette rhodes - dnf

i didn't like this book whoopsies. i wanted to actually try fantasy romance instead dismissing the entire genre but ummm. yeah no i don't like fantasy romance. not my thing. paranormal besties please take me back ill never stray again 🙏

garron park - nordika night - 1/5

ok so. well. where do i even start with this book. extremely silly to, at 25 years of age, call someone your enemy. are you five? are you five years old? everyone certainly swears like a five year old. tiny baby writing tip: maybe keep the word fuck to, like, once a paragraph.

additionally, you can create tension without violence sometimes! if your main characters have confessed their undying love to each other, probably they can talk to eachother for four seconds! probably they don't need to punch eachother as much! probably, a change in their actions and words would show the audience how much their relationship has grown.

i also wasn't super into how many times the main characters brothers brought up how sexy they were? kind of a weird move. certainly not something i would choose to say about my own brother, nor my best friends brother! maybe thats just me though who knows

it was genuinely just edgy k-pop wattpad poverty-porn yaoi but? i did read 300 pages in one sitting so? points for that? you get 1 point for that.

rebel girls - elizabeth keenan - 2.5/5

second pro-choice book i've read this month so thats cool! guess we have a theme going. tbh i don't have much to say about this. the characters were interesting, if lacking in depth. the plot was fine, if lacking in depth. the messaging was good, if lacking in depth. i guess this book was overall, lacking in depth. i'm sure my local free little library will appreciate it. 👍

undergrounders - j. e. glass - 2.5/5

this is just the month of the perfectly average books huh? everybody's getting 2.5 stars skdisjdj.

anyways, i wanted to see if my issue with luxuria was actually its genre, or if it was the overwhelming hetero of it all. so i read a queer fantasy romance! with all of the tropes i like! and i still didn't enjoy it :(. i am glad that i tried this, but i can say with absolute certainty now that fantasy romance is not for me.

the main couple was sooooo cutes though and the side characters were sooooo cutes and the worldbuilding was v v v cool! if you like sapphic fantasy romance? absolutely reccomend this book!

the ballad of songbirds and snakes - suzanne collins - 3/5

girl this is why u reread books bcus i used to tell people that this was my favorite book ever. it is not. idk why i thought that.

ANYWAYS this was alright. i liked how easy the themes were to pick up on, the ambiguous ending, and listening to coriolanus justify his weird evil behavior. that was cool. i didn't like um lucy gray. not because she was bad, but because she felt like a non-character yk? i thought she had some pretty cool characterization in the beginning, especially surrounding her being a performer (being a parallel to coriolanus) but then she kind of fell off and just became a stock Trusting Girlfriend. which was meh. i'm excited to watch the movie, snow lands on top or whatever 👍

cultish: the language of fanaticism - amanda montell - 4/5

this was very cool to learn about and easy to digest 👍. not a full 5/5 because it was nonfiction so i wasn't obsessed with it, but definitely more engaging than most other nonfiction books I've read.

fox court - nora sakavic - 1/5

started reading this because i heard that it was like,,, bad but addictive? like full wattpad nonesense but u look up and you've finished the whole series in one sitting yk? it was,,, not that way for me. i thought it was boring, confusing, and the characters were sooo unlikable. ik this has a pretty big fandom on here please don't come for me sowwyy um. yeah

last months goal: finish a reread

WOO HOO i did it this time! gold star for me, best reader in the whole world. this was really easy, because i genuinely couldn't remember a single thing about a ballad of songbirds and snakes, so it felt like i was reading a brand new book. i also said that i wanted to carve away a more sizable chunk of my tbr this month, which i kind of did? i only read 3 physical books, but i got rid of almost an entire shelfs worth because my family was having a yard sale! so yk. vibes.

this months goal: ... finish dune

LOOK LOOOK STOP THROWING TOMATOES AT ME LOOK ok. last time this was a lofty goal filled with folly and big dreams and it was stupid. THIS TIME i literally only have 257 pages left. which is actually so reasonable. if i read 50 pages a night before bed that's only 5 days of reading. i can straight up do this one this time I PROMISE.

[griffsursparker]

books tag from @morethanfantasy <3 i've actually read things lately so i have stuff to say for once ghdsghds

book that pleasantly surprised you - i don't really like?? read things i don't expect to love anymore? except for books for class! so uh i really enjoyed Endgame by Samuel Beckett, which was like almost two years ago now but it's the last thing i read that i wasn't expecting to like that i actually ended up really loving (i credit most of the enjoyment i got from it to my prof, who had lots of cool thoughts on it, but even before we discussed it in class, it was just really weird and compelling)

book that disappointed you - i guess Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur? i didn't have like super high expectations, and it wasn't bad, but i enjoyed the first book and then this one just sorta. felt like i was reading a slightly less good version of the same book

current read - rereading The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli by audiobook, and then reading Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas! Lost in the Never Woods has actually been a pleasant surprise so far, bc i'd heard mediocre things but it's actually so fun so far and like unnerving and weird and it's a great time tbh. and then Upside of Unrequited is just fun, i'm always a Becky Albertalli fan and i forgot everything about this one, so i'm enjoying revisting it!!

top 2 books on your tbr - are both rereads tbh—A Conjuring of Light be V.E. Schwab and Flamefall by Rosaria Munda. i've been audiobooking both series and i'm having so much fun. that said i'm really looking forward to Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake, when it releases! and the sequel to the Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

rec a book to the person who tagged you - lmao sorry mora you don't get a rec because you've read all my favourites. i recommend you go reread fireborne because you should always be rereading fireborne i think.

tagging: @ginwicche @ad15124 @hahaha-darn-it and @freakwiththeknifecollection if y'all want, but no pressure!

[olivers-cocoapuffs]

hello.

I am in a good mood because I just took two books from my brother's room (long story, he won't mind) (probably) (I'll give them back if he asks, okay?)

therefore my question is book related for today-

What is your favourite book, favourite author, current book and latest read book?

an eye for an eye- The perks of being a wallflower and Coraline, Marissa Meyer and Aiden Thomas (special mention with Rick Castle but he's "fictional") and I'm half way through rereading both Coraline and the perks of being a wallflower and I don't remember the last book I finished. which is concerning.

have a good day :)

I couldn’t find your question in my notifs then I got kinda sad cause I thought you forgot but then I found it (obviously) so I’m fine now.

you have a brother?? (Idk how that’s the only thing I got out of that)

Favourite book is probably Red, White and Royal blue (the show finally has a premiere date!!), favourite author is definitely Rick Riodan, current book is none (but I do have a few in the mail) and last book I read was the Lost Stories by John Flannigan (don’t judge me)

Enjoy your night!!

[aplpaca]

Hey hi howdy hi if you have like a list of queer fantasy books you liked would it be alright if you shared them? i’m so low on spoons but would love to read some happy stuff if you’ve got any recs, all good if not! was just curious!

OK so I've got a couple things, but depending on what you mean by "happy", some might count and some might not, so I'm gonna group them by like "Happy/Feelgood" for the really sweet stuff vs "I wouldn't say they're "Feelgood' kind of warm-fuzzy, or at least they aren't entirely that, but they're def Hopeful at their core". (i tend to lean more towards things that have Angst even if the core is hopeful. i could list a lot more in the Mixed But Hopeful section, but i tried to stick to ones that felt more 'energetic' in tone, if that makes sense)

Feelgood

House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. Lonely man gets assigned to assess the "safety" of a boarding house for kids with supernatural powers and learns to enjoy life along the way.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. Trans latino boy performs a magic ritual to prove himself to his family and ends up having to help a ghost move to the afterlife. This one is YA, so might not be your thing but I thought it was really cute and fun. Does include some elements of transphobia, but the overall tone of the story is cute and heartfelt, and the transphobia bits are resolved positively. Lots of emphasis on self acceptance and family.

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. Orc woman retires from fighting and opens a coffeeshop. This one didn't particularly do it for me, but I know a lot of people like it so you might also.

Hopeful at their Core

Witchmark by CL Polk. Mage who works as a doctor meets a mysterious man and ends up investigating a murder while trying to help his patients suffering from a mysterious illness. Deals with abusive family backgrounds but is overall pretty lighthearted/energetic.

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell. Arranged marriage in an intergalactic empire gets complicated when half of the pair's previous relationships and potential criminal activity come to light. Feels pretty fanfic-y (i say as someone who doesnt really read fanfic, so take with a grain of salt) in a fun way. Deals with past relationship abuse, but isnt graphic and is overall pretty lighthearted and fun

The Last Sun by KD Edwards. Disgraced Atlantean noble and his life companion/best friend/bodyguard get hired to search for a missing person, only to get entangled with a legendary monster connected to the fall of said noble's court 15 years prior. YMMV with this one cause it deals with a lot of heavy stuff like abuse and sexual assault and gets pretty dark at points, but at the same time the series is really funny, the banter is so good, and it has some of the best and most fun found family dynamics going on in like anything I've read or watched. Like those 2012 avengers fanfics where all the characters live in the same house and do shenanigans except its actually canon and also they can say the fuck word.

True Love Bites by Joy Demorra. Disabled werewolf captain takes a job on an island and grows close to a vampire nobleman. Things get complicated when a mysterious woman shows up with news that the world's magical wells are dying. There's an explicit version and a fade to black version depending on which youd prefer. Explicit version has a red cover and the fade to black has a blue cover (I personally read the blue cover version). I want to gnaw on the characters (esp vlad) like a dog with a cocaine chew toy

[lavendershowcase]

If you haven’t heard of The Lavender Book Club yet then oh boy! I have a very appealing club you might want to join.

The Lavender Book Club has one major goal for all of us: to read more books written by and about LGBT writers. Right now, the club is pretty small and all conversations have been very chill. It is a discourse-free zone. If I see people getting too rowdy over anything that isn’t related to the book, they will immediately be kicked out of the server. Any attacks on anyone else’s identity or labels or experiences will not be tolerated.

If you would like to check out our Discord server, you can join here.

Transcript under cut:

An Introduction to the Lavender Book Club: a queer book club hosted by The Lavender Showcase, a blog dedicated to sharing and spreading works by LGBT writers

What Does the Book Club Read?

The Lavender Book Club reads books written by/about queer people. The books currently on our list vary. We have sci-fan, fantasy, YA, contemporary literature, romance, and non-fiction.

Every month, we try following a theme. Every theme is a bit vague. It could be just classics, YA, or non-fiction. There is quite an impressive spreadsheet, so we're currently not looking for any new suggestions. We're trying to pick through the books we've already been recommended.

When Does the Book Club Meet?

The book club "meets" every third Sunday of the month. It's 100% text-based meetings.

Most of the conversation happens in our Discord server, but anyone is also welcome to have conversations on Tumblr. You can send in asks or tag us if you would like to have us engage with your thoughts. You could also use the hastag #lavender book club and see who else is following the tag!

What Have We Read So Far?

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuin. Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu.

How to Join Our Club

Anyone can join any way they want!

The invite link is posted [above]. Meetings are chill so there is no need to worry about how much you're talking. You don't even have to finish the book! A lot of times, in meetings, a good number of us haven't finished the book. Those who have, though, usually use spoilers to black out their text.

You can also just hop on Tumblr when the meeting day comes and chat however you like with other people who have read the book.

There's no pressure to read every book every month. If you just want to join because you think our current read looks interesting, that's fine! If you want to sit out some months because you can't find the books or aren't interested, that's fine too!