#Lev A.C. Rosen

[lgbtqreads]

Happy LGBT History Month!

Happy LGBT History Month! We are, of course, celebrating as we celebrate everything over here – with books! Specifically, with both fiction and nonfiction that pay tribute to LGBT history. Fiction Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian It’s 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing. Reza is an Iranian boy who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his…

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

Review: The Bell in the Fog by Lev A.C. Rosen

Series: Andy Mills #2Author: Lev A.C. RosenPublisher: Forge BooksReleased: October 10, 2023Received: ARCFind it on Goodreads | More Mysteries Book Summary: Detective Evander “Andy” Mills once thought his life was over. While it has changed quite drastically from the life he once lived – he has started to find a place for himself. This is thanks largely to the community around him. Andy can…

[readingwithwrin]

Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen | Mystery and Historical Fiction Book Review

Title: Lavender House Author: Lev A.C. Rosen Publisher: Forge Books Published Date: October 18th, 2022 Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, LGTBQIA Source: Library Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Goodreads Summary: Lavender House, 1952: the family seat of recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Irene’s recipes for her signature scents are a well guarded…

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Lavender House | Author: Lev A.C. Rosen | Publisher: Forge Books (2022)

[readingaccountability]

the lavender house - lev a.c. rosen

finished early dec 22

easily one of my top books of the year. it was everything i was hoping for and more! a gorgeously queer take on the classic whodunit, the setting and characters were so perfect and complex. very nuanced re: the time period and the various backgrounds of all the characters. i really enjoyed the way the main character reassessed himself and where he stood after unfortunately being outed, and the way he ultimately found himself better able to look out for other queer people.

[fahye]

book recs: feb 2024

(disclaimer: I have spent nearly three months languishing and sullen with post-COVID symptoms and have read, over dec-feb, eighty-one books. this is a ruthlessly streamlined list of recs that does not include, uh, all the rereading of sarah maclean and charlie adhara and georgette heyer books.)

AT FIRST SPITE by olivia dade - what if I moved in next to the man who ruined my engagement to his younger brother, and tried to ruin his life by playing monsterfucking audiobooks really loudly?? a heartfelt and lovely romance that also expertly sets up a great small-town setting for an ongoing series.

THE REFORMATORY by tananarive due - historical horror based on the existence of a real school for boys, clear-eyed and brutal in showing the the effect of racist systems in the 1950s american south. compelling as hell. even if you're not usually into horror, I'd recommend this: the ghost aspect is light-handed and really not as important as the horror of what humans do to other humans.

SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL by anita kelly - this is a m/m romance about walking the pacific crest trail which made me see the appeal of very long walks. a miracle! it's gentle and emotional and well put together; the characters really grabbed me.

THE BELL IN THE FOG by lev a.c. rosen - the followup to 'lavender house', and somehow even better?? a historical mystery series featuring a queer private eye in 1950s san francisco who looks into crimes against other queer people. amazing queer history! ACAB! I hope there are fifty more books in this series.

FEAST WHILE YOU CAN* by mikaella clements & onjuli datta - beautiful, greedy, terrifying small-town horror that is also a fucking fantastic, gorgeously written sapphic love story. this one IS for the horror fans. it gave me the absolute creeps but I couldn't put it down.

LADY EVE'S LAST CON* by rebecca fraimow - I described this on bsky as 'if you like Leverage, space opera, old screwball comedies, and dashing sapphics who are at all times spiritually wearing a leather jacket: this one is for you' and I stand by that. huge amounts of fun.

LONG LIVE EVIL* by sarah rees brennan - I will be screaming from here until forever about SRB's first adult fantasy book. if you like the isekai'd-into-a-villain-character setup and want it to be hilarious, genre-savvy and wildly angry and clever, you will roll around in this like a blood-stained mud puddle and then beg for more.

THE LAST HOUR BETWEEN WORLDS* by melissa caruso - really clever and original fantasy about a woman on maternity leave who gets dragged into saving a cocktail party which is falling through increasingly murderous and bizarre dimensions. LISTEN, JUST GO WITH IT. it's a seriously cool adventure.

YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY* by cat sebastian - yes, it's another m/m romance about queer history in the mid 20th century, this one between a baseball player and the journalist assigned to write a story about his slump. made me care about baseball. cat is a genius.

*I read these as ARCs, they're not available yet but consider preordering or keep your eye out for them!

[batboyblog]

My Super Gay/Queer Reading List

The Long Run by James Acker

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Another Dimension of Us by Mike Albo

Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak

Alan Cole Is Not a Coward by Eric Bell

Alan Cole Doesn’t Dance by Eric Bell

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

Felix Yz by Lisa Bunker

Last Bus to Everland by Sophie Cameron

Dragging Mason County by Curtis Campbell

The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara

Peter Darling by Austin Chant

Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich

Half Bad by Sally Green

Half Wild by Sally Green

Half Lost by Sally Green

Heartbreak Boys by Simon James Green

Gay Club by Simon James Green

You’re the One That I Want by Simon James Green

We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra

Totally Joe by James Howe

After School Activities by Dirk Hunter

At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson

The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson

A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson

The Boy Who Couldn’t Fly Straight by Jeff Jacobson

Haffling by Caleb James

The Lightning-Struck Heart by T.J. Klune

A Destiny of Dragons by T.J. Klune

The Consumption of Magic by T.J. Klune

A Wish Upon the Stars by T.J. Klune

The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune

Flash Fire by T.J. Klune

Heat Wave by T.J. Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

The Bridge by Bill Konigsberg

Destination Unknown by Bill Konigsberg

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Every Day by David Levithan

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Ryan and Avery by David Levithan

How to Repair a Mechanical Heart by J.C. Lillis

Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden

When Ryan Came Back by Devon McCormack

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Fraternity by Andy Mientus

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller

Hero by Perry Moore

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

More Than This by Patrick Ness

Junior Hero Blues by J.K. Pendragon

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros

When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid

Kens by Raziel Reid

Emmett by Lev A.C. Rosen

Jack of Hearts by Lev A.C. Rosen

Camp by Lev A.C. Rosen

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez

Rainbow Road by Alex Sanchez

So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez

The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers by Adam Sass

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

All Kinds of Other by James Sie

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

Freak Show by James St. James

Ray of Sunlight by Brynn Stein

The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis

366 Days by Kiyoshi Tanaka

The Language of Seabirds by Will Taylor

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas

Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes

Always the Almost by Edward Underhill

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Tumblr got rid of yellow so I couldn't do pride colors, sorry!

If you want help picking something out just send me an ask with what kind of thing you're looking for and I'll select something for you, and if you end up reading something because you saw this list, please let me know

[queerliblib]

Hey there! You've probably gotten asks for reccomendations like this before, but I was wondering if you had any queer detective (or detective-like) book recommendations? Preferably with like, PI stuff and not actually police detectives? if thats possible. because acab. like Sherlock Holmes vibes but. gay(er)

you know, we actually haven’t gotten that one before. acab my friend! but shit I’ll be honest, I’m not a mystery or detective reader at all so this is not my strong suit. howmstever I have solicited other folks on the QLL team to weigh in for this one.

we do have a mysteries list in our Genre Fiction Guide! so I’d absolutely recommend checking that out. for specific titles though:

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older. a "cozy holmsian murder mystery & sapphic romance set on jupiter"

The Undetectables by Courtney Smyth. “be gay, solve crime, take naps”

Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy. instead of a cop, the investigator is a chain-smoking, heavily tattooed, queer nun

The Adventures of Isabel Candas Jane Dorsey by features a queer, nameless, amateur detective

we also don’t have these two yet, but one member of our team recommends the Dave Brandstetter Series by Joseph Hanson, “old, cheesy, very fun”, and another the Evander Mills series by Lev A.C. Rosen

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Good morning and happy Wednesday, my bookish bats! You didn't think that tiny "queer books coming out this fall" guide was ALL there was, did you? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR this month. Happy reading!

❤️ A Vision of Air by Nicole Silver ���� Eli Over Easy by Phil Stamper 💛 How to Get Over the End of the World by Hal Schrieve 💚 Kween by Vichet Chum 💙 The Forest Demands its Due by Kosoko Jackson 💜 The B-Side of Daniel Garneau by David Kingston Yeh ❤️ Midnight Companion by Kit Barrie 🧡 Let the Waters Roars by Geonn Cannon 💛 Into the Glittering Dark by Kelley York 💙 When the Rain Begins to Burn by A.L. Davidson 💜 Been Outside by Amber Wendler & Shaz Zamore 🌈 The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson

❤️ A Necessary Chaos by Brent Lambert 🧡 The Spells We Cast by Jason June 💛 Pluralities by Avi Silver 💚 Salt the Water by Candice Iloh 💙 Beholder by Ryan La Sala 💜 This Pact is Not Ours by Zachary Sergi ❤️ Dragging Mason County by Curtis Campbell 🧡 Menewood by Nicola Griffith 💛 Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein by Anne Eekhout 💚 The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw & Richard Kadrey 💙 Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson 💜 Let Me Out by Emmett Nahil and George Williams

🌈 In the Form of a Question: the Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life by Amy Schneider ❤️ Songs of Irie by Asha Ashanti Bromfield 🧡 A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand 💛 Being Ace by Madeline Dyer 💚 Charming Young Man by Eliot Schrefer 💙 The Glass Scientists by S.H. Cotugno 💜 The Fall of Whit Rivera by Crystal Maldonado ❤️ By Any Other Name by Erin Cotter 🧡 Brooms by Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall 💛 Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender 💚 Shoot the Moon by Isa Arsen 💙 The Bell in the Fog by Lev A.C. Rosen

🌈 Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt ❤️ Family Meal by Bryan Washington 🧡 A Murder of Crows by Dharma Kelleher 💛 A Light Most Hateful by Hailey Piper 💚 Love at 350° by Lisa Peers 💙 Greasepaint by Hannah Levene 💜 The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels ❤️ Mate of Her Own by Elena Abbott 🧡 Mistletoe and Mishigas by M.A. Wardell 💛 Elle Campbell Wins Their Weekend by Ben Kahn 💚 All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters 💙 If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie

❤️ Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Lillah Lawson and Lauren Emily Whalen 🧡 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall 💛 It’s a Fabulous Life by Kelly Farmer 💚 Let the Dead Bury the Dead by Allison Epstein 💙 These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs 💜 The Goth House Experiment by SJ Sindu ❤️ Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant by Curtis Chin 🧡 Mudflowers by Aley Waterman 💛 Here Lies Olive by Kate Anderson 💚 Fire From the Sky by Moa Backe Åstot, trans. by Eva Apelqvist 💙 Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake 💜 On the Same Page by Haley Cass

❤️ A Dish Best Served Hot by Natalie Caña 🧡 Art of the Chase by Jennifer Giacalone 💛 The Haunting of Adrian Yates by Markus Harwood-Jones 💚 The Sword: Xcian by Elle Arroyo 💙 The Complete Carlisle Series by Roslyn Sinclair 💜 300,000 Kisses by Sean Hewitt and Luke Edward Hall ❤️ Just a Pinch of Magic by Alechia Dow 🧡 Blackouts by Justin Torres 💛 Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros 💚 Let the Woods Keep Our Bodies by E.M. Roy 💙 Everything Under the Moon: Fairy Tales in a Queerer Light edited by Michael Earp ❤️ Frost Bite by Angela Sylvaine

🧡 We Met in a Bar by Claire Forsythe 💛 Sweat Equity Aurora Rey 💚 Pumpkin Spice by Tagan Shepard 💙 The Misfit Mage & His Dashing Devil by M.N. Bennet 💜 Love and Other Risky Business by Sarah Brenton ❤️ Enough by Kimia Eslah 🧡 A Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard 💛 Twelve Bones by Rosie Talbot 💚 Wild Wishes and Windswept Kisses by Maya Prasad 💙 Dragged to the Wedding by Andrew Grey 💜 Fox Snare by Yoon Ha Lee ❤️ Murder and Manon by Mia P. Manansala

[itcameuponamidnightqueer]

okay so it only took me a month after the end date to finish the summer bingo card from @queerliblib! yes, i could have kept going to fill out the rest of the squares, but that would have taken me til the end of the year at least. i really appreciate this challenge for the way it required me to look for books beyond what i gravitate toward naturally (short stories: not usually my thing!)

full list of marked off squares under the cut:

genre fiction: hearts still beating, brooke archer (zombies) coming of age: last night at the telegraph club, malinda lo comfort read: everyone i kissed since you got famous, mae marvel comic, manga, or graphic novel: becoming who we are: real stories about growing up trans, various artists/authors (collected by sammy lisel) memoir: how far the light reaches, sabrina imbler

poetry: space struck, paige lewis queer pulp fiction: i am a woman, ann bannon short story anthology: love after the end: an anthology of two-spirit and indigiqueer speculative fiction (collected by joshua whitehead)

format swap: the story of silence, alex myers (read as an ebook instead of audio) indigenous author: love after the end

main character doesn't share your identity: red, white, & royal blue: casey mcquiston lambda award winner or nominee: lavender house, lev a.c. rosen set in the past: even though i knew the end, c.l. polk

book with a protagonist older than 40: something to talk about, meryl wilsner set in the future: the long way to a small, angry planet, becky chambers

[lgbtqreads]

Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Adult Fiction: July-December 2024

Peregrine Seas by R.C. Ballad (July 1st) Prince Peregrine couldn’t be happier to be kidnapped by pirates. Peregrine wasn’t cut out for the restrictive life of a nobleman – he’s hungry for adventure, prone to duelling, and his family refuse to believe he’s any kind of man at all. Despite his royal origins, he has more in common with the outcasts and rebels aboard the Cygnus that anyone onshore. He…

[daphneblakess]

books i read in 2023: lavender house by lev a.c. rosen

"Here was the only safe place. Here was the only place we could be a couple. Sometimes it feels more like a prison than paradise."

[janiemcpants]

2024 Reading Roundup, Part 1

Another year, another bunch of books!

I read A LOT of mysteries (all 30-something Patricia Wentworths, some Georgette Heyers, some Dorothy L. Sayers, plus caught up on a few current series). I also read more fantasy than usual, and I definitely want to keep doing that. More nonfiction than last year, too, including some great books about movies. 

There weren't quite as many 5-star books as there usually are, but the ones that were were REALLY good. Not sure if this was because of my own mind, or because my picker was less lucky, but there were still more fives than ones, so I'll take it! 

Stats:

Total books: 218 Total pages: 69,786 Average length: 320 pages Shortest book: The House on Abigail Lane by Kealan Patrick Burke (68 pgs) Longest book: Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson (1,088 pgs)

Three favorite books I read this year: 1. Paladin’s Faith by T. Kingfisher 2. The September House by Carissa Orlando 3. Hot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley

Three least favorite books I read this year: 1. Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera 2. A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant 3. The Summer Bride by Anne Gracie

Full list (with ratings!) below the cut.

Five stars: The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (1923) [reread] Very Good, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (1930) [reread] Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher (2020) Paladin’s Strength by T. Kingfisher (2021) Paladin’s Hope by T. Kingfisher (2021) Paladin’s Faith by T. Kingfisher (2023) What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher (2024) Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (2022) Starter Villain by John Scalzi (2023) The Bell in the Fog by Lev A.C. Rosen (2023) Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War by Mark Harris (2014) Death of an American Beauty by Mariah Fredericks (2020) His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik (2006) [reread] My Rogue to Ruin by Erica Ridley (2023) Hot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley (2024) Moving Pictures: Memories of a Hollywood Prince by Budd Schulberg (1981) The September House by Carissa Orlando (2023 Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears by Michael Schulman (2023) The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden (2024) Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis (2024) Lone Women by Victor LaValle (2023) Mrs. Porter Calling by A.J. Pearce (2023) The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (2024) The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery (1926) [reread] Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum (2024) The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (1820) The Phantom Patrol by James R. Benn (2024)

Four stars: The Perfect Rake by Anne Gracie (2005) The Winter Bride by Anne Gracie (2014) Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher (2017) Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher (2023) Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher (2013) The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles (2023) A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by K.J. Charles (2023) A Gentleman Fallen on Hard Times by Grace Burrowes (2023) A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation by Grace Burrowes (2023) A Gentleman in Challenging Circumstances by Grace Burrowes (2023) A Gentleman in Pursuit of Truth by Grace Burrowes (2024) A Gentleman of Unreliable Honor by Grace Burrowes (2024) A Gentleman Under the Mistletoe by Grace Burrowes (2024) Lady Violet Investigates by Grace Burrowes (2021) Lady Violet Attends a Wedding by Grace Burrowes (2021) The Refusal Camp by James R. Benn (2023) Proud Sorrows by James R. Benn (2023) Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson (2021) Miss Percy's Travel Guide to Welsh Moors and Feral Dragons by Quenby Olson (2022) Cold-Blooded Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce (2021) In Myrtle Peril by Elizabeth C. Bunce (2022) Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity by Elizabeth C. Bunce (2023) The Marquis Who Mustn’t by Courtney Milan (2023) The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley (2019) What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley (2024) An Infamous Betrayal by Lynn Messina (2018) How to Be Eaten by Maria Adelmann (2022) Street of the Five Moons by Elizabeth Peters (1978) [reread] Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters (1973) [reread] Superfluous Women by Carola Dunn (2015) The Corpse at the Crystal Palace by Carola Dunn (2019) The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman (2023) Circles of Stone: Weird Tales of Pagan Sites and Ancient Rites edited by Katy Soar (2023) A Fire at the Exhibition by T.E. Kinsey (2023) An Assassination on the Agenda by T.E. Kinsey (2024) Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items by J.W. Ocker (2020) The Lawrence Browne Affair by Cat Sebastian (2017) The Ruin of a Rake by Cat Sebastian (2017) A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian (2019) The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis (2023) The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older (2023) The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham (1952) Forgotten Murder by Dolores Gordon-Smith (2018) The Chapel in the Woods by Dolores Gordon-Smith (2022) I Do, I Do, I Do by Maggie Osborne (2000) The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste (2018) Holy Ghosts: Classic Tales of the Ecclesiastical Uncanny edited by Fiona Snailham (2023) A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas (2016) A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas (2017) The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas (2018) The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas (2019) Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas (2020) Miss Moriarty, I Presume? by Sherry Thomas (2021) A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas (2023) A Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas (2024) Beheld by TaraShea Nesbit (2020) The Archive of Alternate Endings by Lindsey Drager (2019) Death of a Showman by Mariah Fredericks (2021) The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews (2024) Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik (2006) [reread] A Light Most Hateful by Hailey Piper (2023) Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart (1997) The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett (2020) The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh (1997) The Lord I Left by Scarlett Peckham (2020) The Mistress Experience by Scarlett Peckham (2024) The Witches: Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem by Stacy Schiff (2015) Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology edited by Shane Hawk (2023) Girl A by Abigail Dean (2021) Leave It to Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse (1923) [reread] Twice as Wicked by Elizabeth Bright (2017) Wicked With the Scoundrel by Elizabeth Bright (2019) The Duke’s Wicked Wife by Elizabeth Bright (2020) Mystique by Amanda Quick (1995) The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (2010) Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson (2014) Snuff by Terry Pratchett (2011) Vermilion: The Adventures of Lou Merriwether, Psychopomp by Molly Tanzer (2015)

[mediawhorefics]

hiii, hope you're fine, was wondering if you have any recommendations for murder mystery books? idealy sapphic

hiiii i've been fine (pretty atrocious actually my entire life is falling apart hence why i haven't been able to maintain this second blog) i'm always here for book recs tho !!!!

this is actually a bit of a tricky one for me because i'm a big mystery fan, but i'm not huge on murder mysteries in general. i do love a challenge tho, so i'll see what i can find for you!

the last binding trilogy (freya marske) -> not quite murder mystery but a historical fantasy series ft. some murders and some mysteries. each book focuses on a queer couple and the second one ft. sapphics trying to solve a magical murder on a cruise ship. its mainly a romance series with a great magical mystery overarching plot. 10/10

i kissed shara wheeler (casey mcquiston) -> again a general mystery rather than a murder mystery but it's a sapphic ya romance about a prom queen disappearing after kissing her academic rival and said academic rival's obsession with finding her.

bury the lede (gaby dune) -> graphic novel about an intern at a newspaper stumbling upon a gruesome crime scene. (full disclosure, i dont remember anything about this one... i read it ages ago rip)

sadie (courtney summers) -> ya mystery novel. after her sister's murder, sadie, disappointed by the official investigation, skips town in pursuit of the murderer and justice for her sibling. meanwhile a radio personality overhears sadie's story at a gas station and becomes obsessed with finding her, starting a podcast to track his progress. not sapphic particularly and tw applies. it's a pretty harrowing book, but keeps you on the edge of your seat. apparently the audiobook is amazing.

big bad wolf series (charlie adhara) -> okay it's mlm and it's technically werewolf porn, but the mysteries in this ex-fbi agent partnered with a werewolf to solve werewolf crimes series are actually good and engaging and keep you on your toes. no one was more surprised than me.

the will darling adventures trilogy (kj charles) -> again mlm and more general mysteries than murder mystery specifically, but it's so good and there is a sapphic side pairing later in the series. it's set in the 1920s... will darling is a wwi vet who just inherited his uncle's second hand's bookshop which lands him in a world of trouble when both a gang of criminal and the war office end up on his doorstep looking for the same information. which he's pretty sure he doesn't have.

hither page (cat sebastian) -> sorry this one is mlm too rip. post wwii. a gruesome murder shocks a small community with a sprinkle of romance between the village's doctor and the spy sent undercover to solve the crime.

here are some books that fit the vibe that are on my to read and i'm excited to pick up, but obvs can't vouch for yet

last night at the telegraph club (malinda lo) -> sapphic love story set in 1950s san francisco chinatown

lavender house (lev a.c. rosen) -> described as knives out with a queer historical twist. set in the 1950s.

even though i knew the end (cl polk) -> historical fantasy murder mystery ft. a sapphic detective trying to catch a notorious serial killer to ensure she can have a future with the woman she loves.

a million to one (adiba jaigirdar) -> girl gang heist on the titanic. historical ya and sapphic.

meddling kids (edgar cantero) -> paranormal/horror/mystery grown up teen detectives reunite to solve a paranormal mystery fro their past. also queer.

the dead and the dark (courtney gould) -> paranormal/horror/mystery/ya/sapphic. logan, daughter of two ghosthunters, is determined to solve the mysteries of snakebite, oregon where weather patterns are odd and teenagers keep disappearing/showing up dead.

alright, i think that's all i can think of for now ??? i'll add to the list if something pops in my head, but hopefully that covers what you were looking for, at least a little? sorry i didn't 100% follow the brief for some of these haha.

[arwainian]

Reading This Week 2024 #49

Hello hello. Update from last week: I wrote a conclusion to my big paper, and will be discussing it with my advisor tomorrow

also today has the record from my first week of participating in @/thetransfemininereview's December Trans-Authored Readathon. Which I've been sticking with mostly by reading comics from trans authors that I'm familiar with already who have some of their work on itch.io. If y'all have any recs of stuff to check out, I'd love to hear them

Finished:

Rough Pages by Lev A.C. Rosen, narrated by Vikas Adams third book in an ongoing queer murder mystery series I've been reading. this was definitely written in response to contemporary book bannings. I am without a doubt a Read Queer Books guy & advocate but the book did come across as more than a little preachy to me, and I think part of it was the reveal that "oh YEAH like almost all of our major characters from previous stories are queer book readers, except for our protagonist, and now he's going to learn the Power of Literature!" and also it had a pretty didactic "white bf learns to let non-white bf handle the racism he experiences without flying in to save him" b-plot

The Scales of Seduction by Rien Gray snesbian (snake lesbian) erotica set in ancient greece which rules

"Origin Story" by Saundra Mitchell in Transmorgrify! *sighs heavily* once again I try YA and it just doesn't work for me, so I wont be reading the rest of this anthology

Full of Shit by Max Graves short comic from the artist/writer/cartoonist behind What Happens Next, which is a great webcomic serial you should check out

Wee Wandering: My Solo Trip in Scotland by Cynthia Yuan Cheng a really cute little travelogue. I read Cheng's original fantasy romance comic a little bit earlier this year when it came out and gushed about it here. they have a really charming and expressive art style

I am of Two Hearts by Val Wise i absolutely adore Val Wise's work, and I've been meaning to read this comic forever. really worth it

Started/Ongoing:

Assassin's Fate by Robin Hobb, narrated by Elliot Hill okay Bee has achieved some minor lasting wins but is still going fucking through it. I've stalled out right where some interpersonal conflicts are flaring in the rescue team that I need to brace myself to push through.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 9 written by Kanehito Yamada, art by Tsukasa Abe reading this one like chapter by chapter, i think my frieren interest in waning

Blood & Flowers by Mars Adler vampire stuff, fun time so far

[bookaddict24-7]

New Young Adult Releases! (May 2nd, 2023)

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Have I missed any new Young Adult releases? Have you added any of these books to your TBR? Let me know!

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New Standalones/First in a Series:

Chasing Pacquiao by Rod Pulido

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

I Like Me Better by Robby Weber 

We Don’t Swim Here by Vincent Tirado

The Unstoppable Bridget Bloom by Allison L. Bitz

Lose You to Find Me by Erik J. Brown

Liar’s Beach by Katie Cotugno

Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl by Brianna R. Shrum & Sara Waxelbaum

Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley by Melissa Marr

Lion’s Legacy by Lev A.C. Rosen

The Isles of the Gods by Amie Kaufman

Solitaire by Alice Oseman (This is a new cover reprint)

Your Plantation Prom Is Not Okay by Kelly McWilliams

The Weight of Everything by Marcia Argueta Mickelson

Time Out by Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner & Carlyn Greenwald

When Death is Coming by Jen Woodrum

Stranger Danger by Maren Stoffels

New Sequels: 

Path of Vengeance (Star Wars: The High Republic) by Cavan Scott

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Happy reading!