#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

[al-sapore-di-sigarette]

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

Finché non sei arrivato tu —T.J. Klune

[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

[lilaabard]

The third time you share tea, you become family.

[unckiescott]

Don't you wish you were here?

[booksbeyondimagining]

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

[ragazzoarcano]

“Non è stato facile.

Ma niente di ciò che più conta

lo è mai.”

— T.J. Klune

[haveyoureadthisfantasybook]

vote yes if you have finished the entire book.

vote no if you have not finished the entire book.

(faq · submit a book)

[lgbtqreads]

New Releases: September 10, 2024

Middle Grade Splinter & Ash by Marieke Nijkamp Ash—or Princess Adelisa—is the youngest child of the queen, recently returned to the city of Kestrel’s Haven after spending six years on the other side of the country. Ash was hoping for a joyous reunion, but the reality is far from it. Her mother is holding the kingdom together by a thread; her brother has only taunts and jibes for her; and court is…

[bangbangwhoa]

books I’ve read in 2024 📖 no. 011

Wolfsong by T.J. Klune

“You don’t get to decide what you’re worth because you obviously don’t know. You don’t get to decide that anymore because you have no fucking idea that you’re worth everything.”

[thereadersarchive]

"And I promise you, the thought of using you for anything has never crossed my mind. You're so 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, 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

[al-sapore-di-sigarette]

"Il tuo cervello per ora ti dice che non ci riuscirai, ma non devi sempre stare ad ascoltarlo. A volte dice delle bugie bianche."

Nella vita dei burattini - T.J. Klune

[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

[vanebookrecs]

(SPOILERS!) My simple review on "Somewhere Beyond the Sea" by T.J. Klune. Such a great read! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this too!

[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