#Eleanor Beresford

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: Queer MG/YA Set at Magic School

Gallowgate by K.R. Alexander (MG) It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts (YA) Scholars and Sorcery series by Eleanor Beresford (YA) A Hundred Vicious Turns by Lee Paige O’Brien (YA) My Name is Magic by Xan van Rooyen (YA) Bonus: These are all prose novels, but for a YA graphic novel set at a magical culinary school, check out Basil and Oregano by Melissa Capriglione Double Bonus: The anthology The…

[siiinfully]

sudden starter for @realmyths' penelope f. from lavinia b.

"...what's that, Pen? May I see?" Curiosity could kill a cat and an American socialite, but she was also half-teasing her as she tried peering over Penelope's shoulder, the colorful puffy sleeve brushing over her chin. "Is it from a man?"

[siiinfully]

She shook her head. What else could she say? Despite the way he was looking at her, she couldn't help the slight shudder that raced up and down her spine, the familiar longing of having him close settling deep in her gut. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her clit still tingling from all the rubbing it had done over the soft fabric.

Clearly, there was no way that she was going to be able to talk herself out of this. Steve clicked his tongue, shaking his head as he walked closer to her. "I'm very disappointed in you." He grabs the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and dropping it on the floor on his way to the bed. "You couldn't even wait five minutes for me?" His gaze was serious, scolding.

[53rdcenturyhero]

UK politics. Not available MP for next parliament, they're not standing for election. Source ITV 24 May 2024.

How I found out my own MP is going to not campaign. Some voices who speak up with relative sense will not be there in the next parliament.

Conservative

– Adam Afriyie, Windsor (MP since 2005; majority 20,079)

– Nickie Aiken, Cities of London & Westminster (MP since 2019; majority 3,953)

– Lucy Allan, Telford (MP since 2015; majority 10,941)

– Stuart Andrew, Pudsey (MP since 2010; majority 3,517)

– Richard Bacon, South Norfolk (MP since 2001; majority 21,275)

– John Baron, Basildon & Billericay (MP since 2001; majority 20,412)

– Sir Paul Beresford, Mole Valley (MP since 1997; majority 12,041)

– Sir Graham Brady, Altrincham & Sale West (MP since 1997; majority 6,139)

– Steve Brine, Winchester (MP since 2010; majority 985)

– Lisa Cameron, East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow (elected as SNP MP in 2015; majority 13,322; defected to Conservatives in 2023)

– Andy Carter, Warrington South (MP since 2019; majority 2,010)

– Sir Bill Cash, Stone (previously MP for Stafford 1984-97, then Stone since 1997; majority 19,945)

– Jo Churchill, Bury St Edmunds (MP since 2015; majority 24,988)

– Greg Clark, Tunbridge Wells (MP since 2005; majority 14,645)

– Chris Clarkson, Heywood & Middleton (MP since 2019; majority 663)

Dame Tracey Crouch, Chatham & Aylesford (MP since 2010; majority 18,540)

– Dehenna Davison, Bishop Auckland (MP since 2019; majority 7,962)

– Jonathan Djanogly, Huntingdon (MP since 2001; majority 19,383)

– Sir James Duddridge, Rochford & Southend East (MP since 2005; majority 12,286)

– Philip Dunne, Ludlow (MP since 2005; majority 23,648)

– Sir Michael Ellis, Northampton North (MP since 2010; majority 5,507)

– George Eustice, Camborne & Redruth (MP since 2010; majority 8,700)

– Sir David Evennett, Bexleyheath & Crayford (MP since 2005; majority 13,103)

Mike Freer, Finchley & Golders Green (MP since 2010; majority 6,562)

– Nick Gibb, Bognor Regis & Littlehampton (MP since 1997; majority 22,503)

– Jo Gideon, Stoke-on-Trent Central (MP since 2019; majority 670)

– Michael Gove, Surrey Health (MP since 2005; majority 18,349)

– Sir Robert Goodwill, Scarborough & Whitby (MP since 2005; majority 10,270)

– Chris Grayling, Epsom & Ewell (MP since 2001; majority 17,873)

– James Grundy, Leigh (MP since 2019; majority 1,965)

– Robert Halfon, Harlow (MP since 2010; majority 14,063)

– Stephen Hammond, Wimbledon (MP since 2005; majority 628)

majority 1,805)

– Sir Sajid Javid, Bromsgrove (MP since 2010; majority 23,106)

– David Jones, Clwyd West (MP since 2005; majority 6,747)

– Sir Greg Knight, East Yorkshire (previously MP for Derby North 1983-97, then East Yorkshire since 2001; majority 22,787)

– Kwasi Kwarteng, Spelthorne (MP since 2010; majority 18,393)

– Dame Eleanor Laing, Epping Forest (MP since 1997; majority 22,173)

– Pauline Latham, Mid Derbyshire (MP since 2010; majority 15,385)

– Sir Brandon Lewis, Great Yarmouth (MP since 2010; majority 17,663)

– Tim Loughton, East Worthing & Shoreham (MP since 1997; majority 7,474)

– Craig Mackinlay, South Thanet (MP since 2015; majority 10,587)

– Theresa May, Maidenhead (MP since 1997; majority 18,846)

Stephen McPartland, Stevenage (MP since 2010; majority 8,562)

– Huw Merriman, Bexhill & Battle (MP since 2015; majority 26,059)

– Kieran Mullan, Crewe & Nantwich (MP since 2019; majority 8,508)

– Sir Bob Neill, Bromley & Chislehurst (MP since 2006; majority 10,891)

– Matthew Offord, Hendon (MP since 2010; majority 4,230)

– Mark Pawsey, Rugby (MP since 2010; majority 13,447)

– Sir Mike Penning, Hemel Hempstead (MP since 2005; majority 14,563)

– Andrew Percy, Brigg & Goole (MP since 2010; majority 21,941)

– Will Quince, Colchester (MP since 2015; majority 9,423)

– Dominic Raab, Esher & Walton (MP since 2010; majority 2,743)

– Sir John Redwood, Wokingham (MP since 1987; majority 7,383)

– Nicola Richards, West Bromwich East (MP since 2019; majority 1,593)

– Douglas Ross, Moray (MP since 2017; majority 513)

– Paul Scully, Sutton & Cheam (MP since 2015; majority 8,351)

– Sir Alok Sharma, Reading West (MP since 2010; majority 4,117)

– Chloe Smith, Norwich North (MP since 2009; majority 4,738)

– Henry Smith, Crawley (MP since 2010; majority 8,360)

– Royston Smith, Southampton Itchen (MP since 2015; majority 4,498)

– Bob Stewart, Beckenham (MP since 2010; majority 14,258)

- Sir Gary Streeter, Devon South West (previously MP for Plymouth Sutton 1992-97, then Devon South West since 1997; majority 21,430)

– Edward Timpson, Eddisbury (previously MP for Crewe & Nantwich 2008-2017, then Eddisbury since 2019; majority 18,443)

– Sir Charles Walker, Broxbourne (MP since 2005; majority 19,807)

– Robin Walker, Worcester (MP since 2010; majority 6,758)

– Ben Wallace, Wyre & Preston North (previously MP for Lancaster & Wyre 2005-10, then Wyre & Preston North since 2010; majority 16,781)

– Jamie Wallis, Bridgend (MP since 2019; majority 1,157)

– Craig Whittaker, Calder Valley (MP since 2010; majority 5,774)

– Nadhim Zahawi, Stratford-on-Avon (MP since 2010; majority 19,972)

Labour

– Dame Margaret Beckett, Derby South (previously MP for Lincoln 1974-79, then Derby South since 1983; majority 6,019)

– Paul Blomfield, Sheffield Central (MP since 2010; majority 27,273)

– Sir Ben Bradshaw, Exeter (MP since 1997; majority 10,403)

- Karen Buck, Westminster North (previously MP for Regent’s Park & Kensington North 1997-2010, then Westminster North since 2010; majority 10,759)

– Jon Cruddas, Dagenham & Rainham (previously MP for Dagenham 2001-10, then Dagenham & Rainham since 2010; majority 293)

– Alex Cunningham, Stockton North (MP since 2010; majority 1,027)

– Wayne David, Caerphilly (MP since 2001; majority 6,833)

– Natalie Elphicke, Dover (elected as Conservative MP in 2019; majority 12,278; defected to Labour in 2024)

- Colleen Fletcher, Coventry North East (MP since 2015; majority 7,692)

- Yvonne Fovargue, Makerfield (MP since 2010; majority 4,740)

– Margaret Greenwood, Wirral West (MP since 2015; majority 3,003)

– Harriet Harman, Camberwell & Peckham (previously MP for Peckham 1982-97, then Camberwell & Peckham since 1997; majority 33,780)

– Dame Margaret Hodge, Barking (MP since 1994; majority 15,427)

- Sir George Howarth, Knowsley (previously MP for Knowsley North 1986-97, then Knowsley North & Sefton East 1997-2010, then Knowsley since 2010; majority 39,942)

– Kevan Jones, North Durham (MP since 2001; majority 4,742)

– Holly Lynch, Halifax (MP since 2015; majority 2,569)

– Ian Mearns, Gateshead (MP since 2010; majority 7,200)

– Dan Poulter, Central Suffolk & North Ipswich (elected as Conservative MP in 2010; majority 23,391; defected to Labour in 2024)

– Christina Rees, Neath (MP since 2015; majority 5,637)

- Barry Sheerman, Huddersfield (previously MP for Huddersfield East 1979-83, then Huddersfield since 1983; majority 9,437)

– Alan Whitehead, Southampton Test (MP since 1997; majority 6,213)

– Dame Rosie Winterton, Doncaster Central (MP since 1997; majority 2,278)

SNP

– Mhairi Black, Paisley & Renfrewshire South (MP since 2015; majority 10,679)

– Ian Blackford, Ross, Skye & Lochaber (MP since 2015; majority 9,443)

– Douglas Chapman, Dunfermline & West Fife (MP since 2015; majority 10,699)

– Angela Crawley, Lanark & Hamilton East (MP since 2015; majority 5,187)

– Patrick Grady, Glasgow North (MP since 2015; majority 5,601)

– Peter Grant, Glenrothes (MP since 2015; majority 11,757)

– Stewart Hosie, Dundee East (MP since 2005; majority 13,375)

– John McNally, Falkirk (MP since 2015; majority 14,948)

– Philippa Whitford, Central Ayrshire (MP since 2015; majority 5,304)

Sinn Fein

– Mickey Brady, Newry & Armagh (MP since 2015; majority 9,287)

– Michelle Gildernew, Fermanagh & South Tyrone (MP for seat from 2001-2015 and since 2017; majority 57)

– Francie Molloy, Mid Ulster (MP since 2013; majority 9,537)

Green

– Caroline Lucas, Brighton Pavilion (MP since 2010; majority 19,940)

Plaid Cymru - one

– Hywel Williams, Arfon (previously MP for Caernarfon 2001-10, then Arfon since 2010; majority 2,781)

Independent - seven

– Crispin Blunt, Reigate (MP since 1997; formerly Conservative; majority 18,310)

– Nick Brown, Newcastle upon Tyne East (MP since 1983; formerly Labour; majority 15,463)

– Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Lagan Valley (MP since 1997; formerly DUP; 2019 majority 6,499)

- Julian Knight, Solihull (MP since 2015; formerly Conservative; majority 21,273)

– Conor McGinn, St Helens North (MP since 2015; formerly Labour; majority 12,209)

– Mark Menzies, Fylde (MP since 2010; formerly Conservative; majority 16,611)

– William Wragg, Hazel Grove (MP since 2015; formerly Conservative; majority 4,423

[kanna-ophelia]

Hey, Eleanor Beresford is one of my pen names. I wrote this a few years ago. I’ve made it free for a few days. You can read it if you want to see some of my original stuff.

Don’t really know what else to say--I loved writing these books, they got me through some really hard times. Golden age boarding school stories are one of my other big fandoms, it’s set in Cornwall in the 1930s in an alternate history in which everyone has a certain amount of magic power and aristocracy is linked with elven descent and more magic power. It has flying horses and horsey lesbians and hockey and True Love. I kind of will always love you.

I haven’t released a new book in the series for a while, so it’s currently languishing deep down on Amazon’s ranking, but it was once #11 in  the very specific niche of YA Coming of Age LGBT Fantasy and they can’t take that memory from me. XD . There’s two novels about Charley and Rosalind and a novella about Kitty. 

Releasing it might give me a kick in the pants to release the book about Esther (my most beloved side character), Cecily and Kitty, which has been 90% complete for years. I suddenly lost all my confidence in my writing, but thank you, Good Omens fandom, for bringing it back.

[siiinfilled]

for @midnightsaboteur​‘s d.aemon from lavinia verse: g.ot

The low rumble of the sleeping dragons in the distance was now a common and familiar sound. It soothed her during those rare moments when she woke to find her husband absent from their bed, and despite the child growing in her belly ( kicking it being a more accurate description ) she rose and pulled on her favorite powder blue robe to seek him out. There was a tiny likelihood that he had gone to one of the brothels in town, but she chose to head down to his favorite spots in the Red Keep first, on the off-chance that he simply needed to escape and take in some fresh air. With one hand resting on the swell of her stomach, she exhaled a sigh of relief when she found him, her hand sliding on top of his and her lips pressing a kiss on the tip of his shoulder in greeting. “You and the child are of one mind, my love,” she murmured. “He woke me again to go and find you.”

[profiterole-reads]

HP-like LGBT Books (not written by a TERF)

In no particular order. These are only books I've read and enjoyed. There are more out there and I will add them to the list as I make my way through them.

1. The Grimoire of Grave Fates created by Hanna Alkaf & Margaret Owen and written by 18 diverse authors: several non-binary characters, a trans woman, two trans boys + some f/f and m/m. This is an incredible collaboration! The students investigate the murder of a close-minded professor at their magic school.

2. Simon Snow by Rainbow Rowell: m/m. This is the most famous one. I wouldn't mind a TV adaptation, or even movies, but that sounds less likely.

3. A Hero at the End of the World by Erin Claiborne: m/m. This one is cute and funny. It doesn't hurt that the cover art is gorgeous.

4. Tim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues by HS Valley: m/m (YA, but very sexual). Simon Snow meets Sex Education, with a fake baby assignment. Simply hilarious!

5. Branches of Past and Future by MN Bennet: m/m + a trans boy and an ace girl. This is a magic school adult book series, focused on a teacher, though the students are all very interesting too. I adore the magic system.

6. Gallowgate by KR Alexander: queer male protagonist (MG). This one is about learning how to hunt ghosts and has horror vibes.

7. Magic University by Cecilia Tan: m/f and m/m, as the protagonist is bisexual + some trans characters (erotica). This series is surprisingly my favourite, even though I'm very picky with erotica.

8. [Spanish] Prodigioso principio de amor by Silvia Aliaga: m/m. This one takes place at the University of Magic and Eloquence, in Florence, Italy, and the two leads are from Spain and the UK.

9. It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts: m/f and f/f, as the protagonist is bisexual + a non-binary minor character. This takes place in a heroic fantasy setting. I love the magic system.

10. Scholars and Sorcery by Eleanor Beresford: f/f (novellas). This short series is super sweet. It's mostly about life at the magic school.

11. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey: f/f-ish (content warning: murder mystery about a dead queer woman). If you're looking for something darker, go for this one.

12. [French] L'éveil des sorcières by Cordélia: lesbian major character (MG). This is another cute and funny one, with a lot of diversity. It hasn't been translated so far, but I'll keep you updated.

13. When the Letter Comes by Sara Fox: trans girl protagonist (short story). It's a little sad at first, but it gets better. You can read it legally and for free here.

14. DIY by John Wiswell: queerplatonic m/nb (short story). It's about climate change and capitalism and also has disability representation. You can read it legally and for free here.

15. My Name is Magic by Xan van Rooyen: f/nb + a major queer male character. I love that this story is inspired by Finnish folklore. There's a strong focus on protecting nature as magic is being consumed too fast.

16. Trans Wizard Harriet Porber by Chuck Tingle: trans woman protagonist (weird erotica for a laugh). This is the biggest crack I've ever read, as well as the biggest F*** You to transphobia.

17. This Is How We Fly by Anna Meriano: the protagonist is questioning her gender identity + some non-binary characters and some f/f (non-magical). This is a novel about muggle quidditch, a co-ed sport where "the gender that a player identifies as is considered to be that player's gender."

18. Brooms written by Jasmine Walls and illustrated by Teo DuVall: some f/f + a trans woman major character (graphic novel). A group of diverse women take part in unsanctioned team broom races.

[coochiequeens]

Men in dresses made it possible for other men to spy on women

A London Metropolitan police officer who secretly filmed a woman in a unisex Primark fitting room will not serve a prison sentence — despite also possessing hundreds of “disgusting and extremely distressing” pornographic images and videos of children and animals.

Former officer Swaleh Chaudhry, 36, pleaded guilty to to one count of voyeurism, one count of possession of extreme pornography, and three counts of making an indecent image of a child. He was handed a 10-month prison sentence at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, suspended for 18 months. 

In the United Kingdom, a suspended sentence indicates that the offender avoids jail completely and is instead released into the community and expected not to commit another offense within the timeframe of their conditions.

On March 30, Chaudhry was spotted recording video of a woman while she was changing at the Primark store in Wandsworth, South West London. Prosecutor Stephen Apted said that Chaudhry, who was off-duty at the time, had entered the gender-neutral changing rooms 15 minutes before the woman arrived. The woman, who was in her mid-twenties, noticed Chaudhry pointing his phone up at her from the next cubicle after she heard a “rustling” sound, the Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court heard in April.

The victim then shouted “Are you recording me?” and heard Chaudhry respond “No,” an interaction which was overheard by her boyfriend. Following a confrontation, Chaudhry was escorted to a separate room while the victim called the police.

Initially, Chaudhry had “continued to protest his innocence.” Yet Prosecutor Suleman Hussain said officers found “various videos of the defendant upskirting… and the videos actually show the defendant’s face.”

Following his arrest, an investigation of his Wandsworth home uncovered a collection of “horrific” pornography. More than 1,000 Category B and C indecent images and videos of children were uncovered on numerous devices, as well as at least 52 files of the most serious kind, the court heard.

In 2015, a trans-identified male named Joni Bendall shopping at a Primark in Suffolk was directed towards the men’s changing area by a sales associate “who was about sixteen years old.”

Bendall said: “I paused to take a breath and said: ‘I’m not a man.’ And the assistant turned around and kept folding clothes… It made me feel dysphoric.” Writing about the incident, Bendall described himself as “6 foot 1 and built like a refrigerator,” and compared himself to butch lesbians.

Additionally, in 2018, Primark was ordered to pay £47,000 to a trans-identifying male retail assistant who filed a lawsuit for harassment. The court found that Primark had conducted “very severe” injury to Alexandra de Souza E Souza’s feelings.

Labour MP Rosie Duffield responded to news of Chaudhry’s sentencing by highlighting the necessity of preserving safeguarding measures for women and girls. “Women need safe, single-sex spaces,” Duffield tweeted.

Yet the issue of mixed-sex spaces has been controversial in recent years, with supporters framing opposition as intolerant or transphobic.

Discussing the policy in March 2019, novelist and broadcaster Lucy Beresford told Good Morning Britainhosts, “My worry is that there’s too much segregation in society… We should break away from this idea of segregation because that sets up this idea that there is something very hostile about somebody who is different to you.”

Beresford went on to say that she believed gender-neutral facilities ought to have cubicles. At the time of Chaudhry’s voyeurism offense, Primark’s changing area had single-stall cubicles in place.

Journalist Eleanor Mills hit back by saying “This is the transgender lobby [pushing] really hard against companies to try and get them to change these policies. The vast majority of the public do not want this.”

Numerous studies have found that unisex changing areas are more dangerous for women and girls than single-sex spaces. Research conducted by The Sunday Times in 2018found that nearly 90% of sexual assaults, harassment and voyeurism reported in locker rooms and changing rooms occurred in unisex facilities.

According to Nicola Williams, spokeswoman for women’s rights organization Fair Play for Women, “spaces where women are undressed should be single-sex as a matter of course. This is obvious, elementary safeguarding.”

By Genevieve Gluck Genevieve is the Co-Founder of Reduxx, and the outlet's Chief Investigative Journalist with a focused interest in pornography, sexual predators, and fetish subcultures. She is the creator of the podcast Women's Voices, which features news commentary and interviews regarding women's rights.

[starry-sky-stuff]

Name Meanings

Jumping on @zmwrites tag

Rules: Search and post the meaning of your OCs’ names (if you made their name up or they go by a nickname, post an explanation of how it came to you)! Bonus if you can find something for their last name too.

Cecily Montgomery:

Cecily: blind

Montgomery: mountain

Laurence Fairchild:

Laurence: laurel

Fairchild: beautiful child

Nellie Stalworth:

Eleanor: ancient north

Edward Pemberton:

Edward: rich guard

Pemberton: barley hill

Isobel Steele:

Isobel: pledged to God

Steele: steelworker

Dominic Beresford:

Dominic: belonging to the Lord

Beresford: beaver ford

Tagging: @aninkwellofnectar, @laufire-writes, @missbrunettebarbie-writer

[siiinfully]

He wasn't the first person in the Ton to mistake her for a Miss Bridgerton. Rather than be irritated, however, she smiled kindly at him and shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Lady Lavinia Beresford. It's also a pleasure to meet you, my lord." She curtsied and looked up to meet his gaze as she stood up straight. "May I ask why you mistook me for this Miss Bridgerton? Do we really look that much alike?"

A part of her wondered if her parents had another daughter that they put up for adoption, but she knew that her grandfather would never lie to her about something as important as that.

@siiinfully liked here for a starter from a Bridgerton muse.

Simon walks into the ball, looking around for Daphne. It hasn't been long since this ruse of theirs has started, so he's feeling a bit apprehensive. Will it work? He walks around only to run right into Daphne? Or is it her? "Miss Bridgerton?" He asks, unsure if it's actually her or just someone with an uncanny resemblance.

After a few moments, he bows. "Apologies, Miss.....I thought you were someone I knew. Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. A pleasure to meet you...."

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: Queer Boarding School YAs

Fave Five: Queer Boarding School YAs

 Without Annette by Jane B. Mason Openly Straight and Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsburg The Scholars and Sorcery series by Eleanor Beresford As I Descended by Robin Talley Girlhood by Cat Clarke Bonus: Complementary and Acute by Ella Lyons is another one, separated out simply because it’s a novella under 50 pages Double bonus: Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert isn’t set at boarding school, but does…

[siiinfully]

starter for @kingdom-of-vanity’s doyle from: lavinia verse: main

It came as almost a shock to everyone when she revealed who her fiancé was. Many expected her to go for the heir of the railroad fortune or maybe the shipping magnate’s son, not some up-and-coming Captain poised to be the next Commissioner. Now, almost everyone in her social circle wondered if that promotion came because of the backing of the Beresford name and not because of his skill.

However, all the vapid whispers that surrounded them as she pulled her fiancé through the crowd of guests faded in the background, and she was giggling as she finally had him in a more private hallway and into her study. “Alone at last,” she murmured, kissing Doyle heatedly, her fingers feverishly working the buttons of his shirt open. One might think that he hadn’t touched her intimately for years with the way she was behaving, but she found that she could no longer wait until their wedding night to have him again.

This might be viewed as inappropriate, but when did a Beresford ever do something that society expected of them?

[poemsforpersephone]

The third and final book rec list for fans of The Last Sun!

The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen has really cool empathy powers which, although not the two way bond Brand and Rune share, does remind me of the emotion reading aspect in TLS. The m/m relationship in it is also super sweet. 

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee. This one I’m recommending because the protagonist is a snarky asshole just like Rune, and the writing style is so well done. It’s m/m and genuinely such a fun and quirky book. Also the cover art is gorgeous!

Silver in the wood by Emily Tesh. This is an LGBT novella where a wild man called Tobias lives in a place called “Greenhollow,” , where, and I quote, “Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past—both the green magic of the woods, and the dark things that rest in its heart.” So im recommending this one simply because of the involvement of secrets and troubled pasts haha. 

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. The front cover of this one gives me The Hanged Man vibes like, all the way to the bone, which is initially what prompted me to rec it on this list. But also: “Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.” Idk about the dirty magazines but the rest of it scREAMS Rune. and the main character is a lesbian!!! yay!! 

The Black Veins by Ashia Monet. “In a world where magic thrives in secret city corners, a group of magicians embark on a road trip���and it’s the "no-love-interest", found family adventure you’ve been searching for.” It’s like someone looked into my heart and picked out my deepest desire and then wrote it and gave it life. This book is super diverse and super awesome. 

The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave is a f/f take on Dracula basically. I’m recommending it because the main character and her sister go through a traumatic event similar to the loss of the sun court, when men come and burn their home to the ground along with their people and they’re captured and taken as slaves. It’s about family, friendship and survival, and it’s beautiful. 

The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco. An LGBT book where climate change deniers are the villains? ... you have my atttention. 

Prosper’s Demon by K.J. Parker. This is about a morally questionable exorcist!  It’s a satirical, interesting take on the topic of possession with a kick ass cover. 

The Wishing Heart by J.C Welker. An LGBT fantasy novel where our protag, Rebel, finds a jinni’s vessel and is thus thrust into a whole new world of trying to keep said jinni from everyone else and find a way to free her! The world building is awesome and so are the characters.

Tarnished are the Stars by Rosiee Thor. “A secret beats inside Anna Thatcher's chest: an illegal clockwork heart. Anna works cog by cog -- donning the moniker Technician -- to supply black market medical technology to the sick and injured, against the Commissioner's tyrannical laws.” i have the hardbook version of this and the cover??? is so?? beautiful.

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum. TALKING OF PRETTY COVERS. “Ryann Bird dreams of traveling across the stars. But a career in space isn’t an option for a girl who lives in a trailer park on the wrong side of town. So Ryann becomes her circumstances and settles for acting out and skipping school to hang out with her delinquent friends.”

Predatory by Brooklyn Ray. WERELEOPARDS FRIENDS!!!! god damn wereleopards im?? so happy. m/m 

The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta. FOUND FAMILY QUEER WITCHES. need i say more. 

Portraits of a Faerie Queen by Tay LaRoi. The fey run amok in this one! f/f with a gorgeous front cover.

Unbroken by Brooklyn Ray. step 1: rent haunted house. step 2: fall in love with witch-turned-demon who inhabits it. step 3: profit???

The High King’s Golden Tongue by Megan Derr. This one is lovely! Nice world building with an emphasis on languages and kingdoms, and a lovely m/m romance that builds from kind-of-enemies-but-not-really to lovers. the audiobook of this is great. 

Salt Magic, Skin Magic by Lee Welch. SORRY YOUR BOOK IS SET WHERE? MY HOMELAND? MY COUNTRY MY COUNTY MY HEART? we never get any attention imma go cry in the corner. its a historical fantasy m/m romance in YORKSHIRE gosh im here for it. And let me tell you... this is one fantastic book. I really, really enjoyed it.

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner. fantasy, m/m, lotsa swords!

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst. f/f fantasy with a princess who has fire magic in a kingdom where magic is forbidden! 

Freedom’s Fate by Jennie Taylor. SPAAAAAAACE i love books in space.

Pegasi and Prefects by Eleanor Beresford. “Charley's final year at Fernleigh Manor is complicated by a runaway pegasus, unwanted Games Captainship, a dangerous new rival and, most of all, falling head over heels in love with another girl. What is a reluctant Senior Prefect to do?” catch me while i swoon.

The Necromancers Dance by SJ Himes. m/m vampire/necromancer romance, urban magic and fantasy, very fun and smooth read, a little bit insta love but not totally. 

The Star Host by F.T. Lukens. “Ren grew up listening to his mother tell stories about the Star Hosts – a mythical group of people possessed by the power of the stars.” a m/m fantasy book set to a sci fi fantasy background.

Empty Vessels by Nicholas Williams. “Lucas Mahler babysits clones all day, but he's trapped under the legacy of his body-builder father and his genius girlfriend. When Lucas tries to rise above, he's murdered. Waking up in the body of a clone, Lucas embarks on a mystery full of blood, old friends and lost loves.” idk the whole clone thing in this just always reminds me of lord tower making all the different fake versions of people he knows lmao. 

BOOKS NOT YET OUT

So, the thing is. 2020 is very close friends, and some awesome books are even closer. These below are books I’ve not read yet, since they’re not out and I am a poor ARCless girl, but they’re books you definitely want to keep an eye on.

Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer. Bisexual OCD protagonist who is a witch D: its everything i could want. 

Wild Sky by Zaya Feli. LGBT fantasy with dragons! It sounds so, so fun.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust. “A captivating and utterly original fairy tale about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch, and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse...”

The Fascinators by Andrew Eliopulos. “The Raven Boys meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, about an openly gay high school senior in small-town Georgia.” m/m fantasy which looks super sweet.

Cemetery Boys by Auden Thomas. “Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.” THIS SOUNDS SO COOL oh my god. Yes PLEASE. 

When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey. “A sly, witchy dark comedy about four teens whose magic goes wildly awry.” Magic, darkness, comedy, what’s not to love for fans of the tarot sequence??

The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune. I absolutely love T.J.  Klune’s writing so I can’t wait to get my hands on this. m/m superheros!! friends!!! get excited!! I think anyone who likes how witty K.D. is will enjoy this writing style. 

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. YES ANOTHER ONE this looks so good too we are BLESSED. “A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.”

Fragile Remedy by Maria Ingrande Mora. “Sixteen-year-old Nate is a GEM—Genetically Engineered Medi-tissue created by the scientists of Gathos City as a cure for the elite from the fatal lung rot ravaging the population. As a child, he was smuggled out of the laboratory where he was held captive and into the Withers—a quarantined, lawless region.” The idea of the Withers kind of reminds me of the westlands.

The Fell of Dark by Caleb Roehrig. UHM im always here for lgbt vampires in young adult fantasy fiction. The author says that “this book is gay and filled with monsters” which also fits the last sun so i figured it belongs on the list lmao. 

Ruinsong by Julia Ember. “In a world where magic is sung, a powerful mage named Cadence is forced to use her power to torture her country’s disgraced nobility at her ruthless queen’s bidding.”

[petalpetal]

Artist I Like Series

Eleanor Vere Boyle 1825-1916 an artist of the Victorian era whose work consisted mainly of watercolor illustrations in children’s books. 

[biandlesbianliterature]

Do you by any chance know of wlw books and boarding schools?! I’ve already read People Like Us and immediately fell in love with it!! Even anything similar to it would be amazing

Yes! I haven’t read People Like Us, so I don’t know how the tone compares, but here are the wlw boarding book stories I know.

The only ones I have read and can recommend are: 

As I Descended by Robin Talley (Macbeth retelling--dark and creepy) 

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert has some (flashback) boarding school scenes

Miss Timmins’ School for Girls by Nayana Currimbhoy (as a teacher)

SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki (Comics. Many characters, at least one of whom is a wlw—I would say she’s the main character, but her story isn’t the majority of the book)

Ones that I haven’t read:

Without Annette by Jane B. Mason

Girlhood by Cat Clarke

Bluebell Hall by Kayla Bashe

Pegasi and Prefects (Scholars and Sorcery #1) by Eleanor Beresford

Carry The Sky by Kate Gray (as a teacher)

Crush by Jane Futcher (this book and onward look like they’re depressing/tragic, just to warn you)

The Chinese Garden by Rosemary Manning

Claudine at School by Colette

The Child Manuela by Christa Winsloe

I also made a Goodreads list, if you want to add more or vote for your favourites!

[papercats]

Here’s some good lgbt (again with a focus on lesbian books bc I’m a lesbian so if i dont say anything specific about it in the list assume its f/f) books I read this year Ver 2.0  this time on my book blog...Previous years post (x)

I actually read a lot of lesbian fiction this year, I will try to include only stuff that I absolutely loved and/or I don’t see talked about in these kind of lists! Also, if you want content warnings about any of the books dm me. 

-The Crimson Empire Series by Alex Marshall: Okay this is the real reason I’m bothering to make this write up I’ll own up to it! It’s so GOOD. I think its the first really successful casual no misogyny/heteronormativity fantasy setting I read. Most stuff I read that tried this ends up just adding in some strong female character(tm) and a blink-and-you-missed-it mention of some side character being gay. But not here. Most of the main characters in this are women...and most of the cast is also lgbt. The man character is a bi woman who also happens to be a 60 year old badass and I love her. There are other characters that are bi lesbian or gay of varying importance (there are a million pov characters and some of them are spoilers so im being vague here). And also there are trans characters. I literally never seen trans characters in fantasy except in indie lgbt publications. AND beyond that its just such a good series, its incredibly fun. There is a lot of political intrigue and a lot of action and a lot of weird dark magic. It's also hilarious and made me laugh out loud multiple times which is very rare for books! Also, it’s a trilogy and it gets gayer each book. Like, the gay content is growing geometrically by the page count, trust me. 

Rest under the cut!

-Last Words from Montmartre by Qiu Miaojin translated by  Ari Larissa Heinrich this is very different and much more literary than the rest of the list. It’s a Taiwanese classic from what I understand, and it’s also the authors suicide note. I won’t pretend to understand this book, it’s written in letters which the author tells us can be read in any order. The author is a lesbian, and the story is said to be semi-autobiographic, but I can’t say this is lesbian fiction exactly. Not even who the narrator is is quite clear, as they seem to change gender from one letter to the next, sometimes being called by a different name. I don’t think I can do it justice in a few lines so I suggest if you’re interested you do your own research on it. It’s fascinating book, but it’s not something that everyone will enjoy, if enjoyment is even the right word for the experience of reading this book.

-When Women Were Warriors series by Catherine M Wilson: Okay I recommended it in the last years post but I read the last book this year and it was actually my favorite among the trilogy. And honestly , it deserves a second mention, it’s that good. It’s historical fantasy, magic exists but in a more mythical sense than throwing fireballs around (I’ve seen someone call it celtic fantasy, which might be more accurate). It follows the story of a young apprentice trying to become a warrior. There is a lesbian romance, but the overall plot is more about this apprentices coming of age, though the scale of the story expands widely as the books go on. 

-Letters Never Sent by Sandra Moran. This is historical fiction  very reminiscent of Sarah Waters, if you like her definitely check this out. It follows a young woman finding old letters of her death mother and learning about a side of her she never knew. It’s a dual perspective story with one for the daughter, and one for the mother in her youth. Both dealing with their own drama, though the focus is more on the mother. The story unravels slowly and though it’s not necessarily unpredictable it’s still a great read if you like historical fiction. 

-Amatka by Karin Tidbeck this is a swedish dystopian sci-fi story where words quite literally shape reality, reminscent of classics like 1984, not necessarily in content but the general feeling it gives, I’m not sure whether it’t the themes or the writing but it feels more like an old book. And I mean that in the best way possible. The main character is a lesbian, she gets into a relationship during the story, but this is very much not a romance book, it’s more about the main character slowly questioning the world she is in, and asking too many questions. I highly reccomend this one if you’re a fan of sci-fi dystopians, or want to see an unique take on the genre in a world filled with hunger games rip offs. (I was a bit confused that I couldn’t find the translator of this book, until I realized the author translated it herself. Just an interesting tidbit!)

-Pegasi And Prefects Series by Eleanor Beresford: light  board school books with just a little magic and lesbians. I found these short books to be surprisingly good and well written (sadly this is rare in lesbian fiction in my experience). The author described is as a slice of life harry potter which is pretty much it. Though there is some homophobia in these books, so be warned. The main story is concluded, and although the author teased more books in the setting there don’t seem to be updates in some time.

-The Mermaids Daughter by Ann Claycomb: This was a weird kind of melancholy book about a woman who only is relieved of her pain when she’s in the water. As were all her female predecessors, who all died young, by suicide. Her girlfriend delves into her family history in hopes to prevent her having the same fate. It’s a little mermaid retelling but that might be misleading, the main character is not the little mermaid, she’s her great great great grandaughter, or something like that. There is also the constant theme of Opera, which serves as a way to tell the story too, which sort of flew over my head. But it was still very much enjoyable. 

Short Stories and Novella

Undertow by Jordan L. Hawk : So this is a f/f novella in a long running m/m series. I can’t speak for the main series but this novella was good for its length. The setting is lovecraftian, but not quite so dark. I originally picked this up because one of the reviewers were complaining the love interests, who is some sort of mermaid-esque sea creature, had shark teeth. She’s great by the way, and so are her teeth. 

The Terracotta Bride by Zen Cho: This is a novella set in the Chinese afterlife. More specifically Malayan. The people in the afterlife receive money and items when living people burn things for them. The story explores the main character who is married to the richest man in afterlife life, and her relationship with her husbands second bride, who is not a human but a terracotta wife who her husbands relatives have burned for him.

The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz: A very simple straightforward story about an old model robot girl who owns a tea shop and a mechanic. It has a great atmosphere and I love the image of the old tea shop owned by a robot whos slowly breaking down. 

The Ape’s Wife and Other Stories by Caitlín R. Kiernan: This is a collection of excellent weird fiction short stories. I have a book by her in all my recommendation posts by this point, and I hesitated before adding this. Not all stories feaure any lgbt content, but enough of them do that it’s not out of place in this list. Though all of the stories in it are fully worth reading. My personal favorite of this collection is Galapagos, a rather disturbing story about space.