#T.J. Klune

[kamy-wang]

"The House In The Cerulean Sea" Quote Art

"You're too precious to put into words. I think...it's like one of Theodore's buttons. If you asked him why he cared about them so, he would tell you it's because they exist at all." -The House In The Cerulean Sea By T.J. Klune The year has been heavy with so much uncertainty and fear, and drawing has always been my way of sharing love. As we step onto a new one, let’s embrace kindness. No matter what lies ahead, remember we can always choose to love and share small moments of happiness.

[al-sapore-di-sigarette]

"«Va tutto bene? Oggi sei stato silenzioso.»

«È tutto a posto. Sono solo pensieroso.»

«Pensieri belli o brutti?»

«Pensieri.»"

Da qualche parte al di là del mare — T.J. Klune

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket: Round 2

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune (The Cerulean Chronicles)

Endorsements from submitter: "Utterly delightful book about found family and queerness and building community and questioning authority."

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

Fantasy, romance, series, adult

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (The Space Between Worlds series)

Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total.

On this Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands. Now she has a nice apartment on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. She works—and shamelessly flirts—with her enticing yet aloof handler, Dell, as the two women collect off-world data for the Eldridge Institute. She even occasionally leaves the city to visit her family in the wastes, though she struggles to feel at home in either place. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, Cara is on a sure path to citizenship and security.

But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and her future in ways she could have never imagined—and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world, but the entire multiverse.

Science fiction, multiverse, politics, mystery, series, adult

[sharry-arry-odd]

"And what if the treasure was the friendships we solidified along the way?" Arthur asked. Lucy pulled a face. "That's the worst treasure in the world. They already were my friends. I want rubies."

The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune

[lilaabard]

The third time you share tea, you become family.

[rxdscarf]

i just finished the bones beneath my skin by t.j. klune in 2 days and!!! I'm obsessed??

evil government organisations, aliens, found family, queer love, the question on what humanity is.... 10/10

[silbrith]

For Dragon Lovers

National Appreciate a Dragon Day on January 16 is for the dragon lovers of the world. Count me as one of them! I've written about dragons in three of my fanfic series—Six-Crossed Knot, Tales from the Library, and Arkham Files—and even managed to sneak them into Caffrey Conversation. My preference is for lovable dragons with plenty of personality. I have no interest in reading about such magnificent creatures being killed. You won't be surprised that The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman and All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness rank high in my story recommendations. True, the dragon in All Souls Trilogy is actually a firedrake, but that's close enough.

Other recs:

Tales from Verania (5-book series) by T.J. Klune

Guards! Guards! (Discworld) by Terry Pratchett

Champion of the Scarlet Wolf (2-book series) by Ginn Hale

Dragon's Egg Blue by @penna-nomen. In my post about werewolves, I'd already recommended this gem of a Discworld fanfic. It's a must-read for dragon lovers too!

Smaug in The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien gets an honorable mention since he has personality in spades. I do wish he'd turned over a new leaf. Couldn't Gandalf have gotten to him before he became such a destroyer?

Who are your favorite dragons?

A special shout-out to @penna-nomen on her birthday! May all the dragons in your life be as adorable as Bonnie!

[adhd-pixie-nightmare-girl]

“I'm afraid I don't have magic." "You do, Mr. Baker. Arthur told me that there can be magic in the ordinary.” ― T.J. Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea

[gayantlers]

Getting some love for the tj klune addition on the last post so I want to add:

Read klune! All of his characters are queer. His books have mostly gay/bi/pan men but not exclusively. TJ Klune himself is gay. The tales of verania series is very silly and light-hearted and great when you just want a fun fantasy saga with lots of homos. He wrote it to heal after his partner died. He wanted to do something fun and joyful instead of dwelling on sad emotions and loss.

On a different side of the same coin is under the whispering door. It's a modern fantasy dealing with life after death. Literally. The mc is a ghost and the side character is a psychopomp. It's a beautiful look at moving on and change. I reread it after my best friend died and I ugly sobbed at the end. In a good way.

There's also the house on the cerulean sea which is one of my favorite books ever. Modern look at a world with known fantasy creatures. Main character observes orphanages with magical children. His latest assignment is a magical difficult orphanage (complete with a young antichrist). It's truly heartwarming and if you ever have felt othered this book will speak to you. There's a follow up coming out later this summer and I'm very excited.

He also has a ya gay werewolf series where every book is from a different character's perspective but they're all part of the same pack. Kind of. One's a human warlock. But he's in the pack.

The bones beneath my skin is a fun scifi mystery and and being on the run from the government with a weird special little girl.

Another series (The Extraordinaries) about teen superheroes. I've not read this but I'm sure it's enjoyable.

He also has a series about gay dad's and their kid. Not fantasy. Also haven't read these.

And more.

All of the books I read are full of gay and no homophobia. None of these books will change your life but they'll entertain you to no end. They might even have you kicking your legs behind you while giggling.

[booksbeyondimagining]

I can't begin to describe how long I just spent wheezing in laughter over this

[ragazzoarcano]

"Non aveva idea di cosa significasse, con esattezza, che "il tempo guarisce tutte le ferite", quel noto detto che gli ronzava nelle orecchie. Ma di certo era una menzogna. Lo scorrere del tempo poteva attenuare il dolore, ma non era una panacea. No, ci voleva di più. Molto di più."

— T.J. Klune - Da qualche parte al di là del mare

[unckiescott]

Don't you wish you were here?

[al-sapore-di-sigarette]

"E io... non lo ero. Non ero una priorità. Per nessuno."

Finché non sei arrivato tu —T.J. Klune

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket: Round 1

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune (The Cerulean Chronicles)

Endorsements from submitter: "Utterly delightful book about found family and queerness and building community and questioning authority."

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

Fantasy, romance, series, adult

A Half-Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys

Endorsement from submitter: "Excellent first-contact book that really delves into the personal as political and centers around a queer family."

On a warm March night in 2083, Judy Wallach-Stevens wakes to a warning of unknown pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay. She heads out to check what she expects to be a false alarm--and stumbles upon the first alien visitors to Earth. These aliens have crossed the galaxy to save humanity, convinced that the people of Earth must leave their ecologically-ravaged planet behind and join them among the stars. And if humanity doesn't agree, they may need to be saved by force.

The watershed networks aren't ready to give up on Earth. Decades ago, they rose up to exile the last corporations to a few artificial islands, escape the dominance of nation-states, and reorganize humanity around the hope of keeping their world liveable. By sharing the burden of decision-making, they've started to heal the wounded planet.

But now corporations, nation-states, and networks all vie to represent humanity to these powerful new beings, and if any one accepts the aliens' offer, Earth may be lost. With everyone’s eyes turned skyward, everything hinges on the success of Judy's effort to create understanding, both within and beyond her own species.

Science fiction, first contact, climate fiction, family, adult

[sharry-arry-odd]

"We all have our issues. I have a spare tire around my middle. His father is Satan. Nothing that can't be worked out if we try hard enough."

The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune

[haveyoureadthisfantasybook]

vote yes if you have finished the entire book.

vote no if you have not finished the entire book.

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