#i really thought it would be another heartstopper or red white and royal blue

[alliwantistowearcomfypants]

I fucking love that young royals really highlights the fact that no one can fix you but you. They have Wille and Simon trying to work around the horrible things going on together, and it doesn't really work because the biggest problem is that Wille is suffering so much under what the are trying to push through. At the beginning of s3 they have the "as long as I have you" kind of mentality and we see how quickly that falls apart. Having each other is not enough, and it shouldn't be. Wille needs to leave the life that is destroying him. Having simon in that life made it better, but it still was not enough. Simon recognizes that at the end of s3e5. Wille thought that all he needed was Simon because he has been so horribly mistreated by every adult in his life that the moment he is shown some unconditional love, he clings to it. Because, let me remind you, this kid is 17 years old. The ending is so incredibly impactful because Wille is finally choosing himself and his happiness. Not Simon's, not his moms. His. And that is beautiful.

[lady-stardust-incarnate]

Just finished watching the red white and royal blue movie, here are my immediate thoughts:

1. Omg this movie actually made me so emotional, I didn't expect to cry, I don't cry at movies much but this one, for many reasons, really made me feel a lot of things. I can already tell it will be a huge comfort movie for me going forward and this is simply because of the incredible story that Casey Mcquinston created, the directing of Matthew Lopez, and the acting of Taylor Zakhar Perez, Nicolas Galitzine and many more. (If ANYONE wants to say they have no chemistry I will fight you)

2. The way that the relationship between Henry and Alex is shown is incredibly well conveyed and in a way which could be realistic. We see that sweet sweet enemies to lovers but even after they get together it continues to develop and their connection grows stronger into a special bond which we see at the end of the movie (no not the post credit scene, that was a lil silly, nice touch though). Also going off on a slight tangent here, one of my main complaints about heartstopper season 2 was that Nick and Charlie are always kissing/making out, I was worried that this would also be the case for rwrb, but it definately wasn't. I read so many articles on how the intimacy coordinator directed the two actors and how much they themselves researched into the role to really deliver their best performences. It definately paid off. I felt that there was a really nice balance between the really intimate scenes which we see a lot of in the book and sweet tender moments where they really show that these two characters really love each other and aren't just super horny.

3. The sets and the way they filmed the whole thing. yes. The main one I want to comment on is the iconic cake scene, which as I said, I read a lot of interviews, and from those I know that Matthew Lopez had a vision for this scene which he worked really hard to get perfect, and it had a really good turnout (I know I already mentioned it but I love the post credit scene so much). One of my favourite things was Matthew Lopez revealing that the birds eye shot of cake falling onto Alex and Henry was him and another crew member dumping cake into them, this isn't that relevant to my thoughts but I just found that detail hilarious as Lopez said it was a "good way to let off steam." Other than that scene, which for me was a very important part of the film, I don't really know much about the technical side of a production like this, but as a viewer it all came together nicely and the sets were nice.

4. A reason I really connect with this film is the fact that I am a queer teenager who has learned to accept themself, gone through the coming out process (somewhat, we don't talk about extended family). I absolutely love the positive representation that this movie gives to the queer community. For people who have not read the book, it is an incredible story, and for a lot of people it shows for the first time in media that LGBTQ+ people can have their happy ending, it won't be easy to get there but it is worth it in the end. While in reality we see this with queer couples a lot, the community has had to fight for their rights and are still in that process, in countries where it is legal it is still very common to be judged, attacked and even killed for your self expression. So for me this was a very fresh (even though I read the book) story for the community, to show that the battles are worth fighting for your happiness. As I touched on before, I think a reason that this works so well is that the characters are so relatable to the average viewer, despite their positions. The are made to be comedic and actually have banter like you'd expect, it's not uptight and only about the romance and spicy scenes. This is really comforting to so many people out there and it feels very appropriate with the world we live in now. I would say my favourite scene in the entire film was the v&a scene, it's so cute I don't know how else to put it, literally a romance dream. Sorry if that was my worst tangent yet, you can tell I'm passionate on the subject.

5. I just wanted to mention some of the other characters. Like a lot of people I was really disappointed to find out that characters such as June and Liam would not be in the movie, however I think this is made up for by the great portrayal of other characters, my favourite being Nora who, let's be real, is not only Alex and Henry's number 1 shipper, but also just gives the best advice. Everyone in this movie genuinely gave such a great performence and I can only thank the entire team for giving us the adaptation that the book deserves.

6. I'm giving the spicy scenes their own point to mainly say that they aren't even that spicy, I personally don't even see why this film was given an r rating and I believe, as many others have said, that if this film was a straight romcom then it wouldn't be given that rating. Yes you see them with clothes off, there's no dick, you only actually see them having sex once, the others are mainly foreplay, really nothing that explicit.

7. I thought I would also dedicate a point to the travesty that is certain quotes from the book that were not included, "you obtuse fucking asshole." "fucking eyelashes." and "Remus John Lupin is gay as the day is long." (ok they probably couldn't get copyright permission to add that one) "I'm gonna take your pants off now... yes good carry on." "for fucks sake man you just had my dick in your mouth, you can kiss me goodnight." and "what in the rich white people sex dungeon." I know that they probably didn't want the script to be a direct copy of this book but some of these quotes would've been nice, also I like that they atleast mentioned the PowerPoint, despite not having the actual PowerPoint.

I hope you enjoyed my overly formal review/thoughts on the rwrb movie which slowly got more deranged in the hour that I was writing this, I began writing this around 3:20am just after I finished the movie, and it's safe to say, I won't be coming back to this to correct any spelling or punctuation mistakes. Overall I love the film, as typical as it is for a romcom, I love the characters and I really like what they were able to do in the 2 hours of the film. Obviously it's never going to be a perfect adaptation but I loved every second of it nonetheless. It's cheesy, it's romantic, but that's what gives it it's charm and makes me love it so much. I'll be hoping for a series to futher explore the story but that'll probably stay in my delusions.

It is now 4:20am, goodnight (I'm not going to sleep, I'm just not being formal anymore)

[thestrangestthlng]

Red White and Royal Blue - The MOVIE

I have some (spoiler free) opinions and I'm ready to talk.

My thoughts on the Red White and Royal Blue movie starring Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Henry and Taylor Zakhar Perez as Alex Claremont-Diaz.

First and foremost, I think the cast did an amazing job. Taylor's Alex was the heart of the movie and Henry's Henry was absolutely the soul. Sarah Shahi?? Let's be honest, she's another reason we fell in love with the book! They filled the movie with emotionality that is what made us all fall in love with the book in the first place. I don't think there was one wrong casting here. 

It made great cinematic choices, imo. I loved the way they did the phone calls, and the lake scene - Nicholas gets a 15/5 for that scene. 

I am going to try to keep this as spoiler free as possible, that being said. As an adaptation I give it a 3/5. HOWEVER, as a standalone movie it's easily a 4-4.4/5. Maybe even a 5/5 depending on enjoyability. This is not a flaw, it just is what it is.

Big changes: No June - sorry y'all, but that's what happens often in adaptations, especially ones that don't HAVE HP budgets. It's going to be very rare to get those kind of adaptations. No Congressman Luna. We have another bad guy with different motives. But that's all I can really talk about without spoilers. 

Now, had this been able to be adapted to a limited series, it would have been a much better adaptation - look at Heartstopper. 

All of that being said, I don't really care to hear anyone complain that it's silly, or unrealistic, cheesy or any kind of negativity that you wouldn't give a straight comparable movie.

Queer folk are allowed to have a silly romcom, or a romcom without trauma porn. Queer folk are allowed to take up all the room at the table if they so choose. Audrey Plaza would have had justification if this was her story and that's the kind of content I want. (If you know you know).

Queer people deserve to have a million movies where they get their happy ever after without the trauma of existence. The fact that so many people (usually those who aren't LGBTQ+) want queer media that is full of trauma p*rn and y'all that's real fucking weird.

Queer people deserve movies and shows where they have wonderful supportive parents who love them and only want what's best for them, and yes talks to them about needing the HPV vaccines and PrEP. Queer people deserve media where they get to do all the things that opposite sex couples get to do without it being taboo - sex in a supply room, stolen kisses in front of Alexander Hamilton, slow dancing in a closed museum, words and affirmations for their eyes and ears only. 

So, this went on way too long, but enjoy it for what it is. And what i is is two young men falling in love, hooking up whenever they can, and existing in this world that so often doesn't want queer folk existing at all. 

Excuse me while I go watch it a third time. kthxbyyeeee

(Also, the movie was dedicated to Taylor's sister, Kristy, who unfortunately passed away from a courageous battle with stage IV cancer a few months ago. Taylor said in an interview that she was looking for to it and let's all send him some love. Especially given that they are on strike and he's not able to share this with the world as much.)

[pelicantoes]

I just watched red, white and royal blue at hmm, let's see. 3:24 am it is currently. I swear vacation has wrecked my sleep schedule but whatever.

But what I do know is that there's zero chance I will fall asleep now, because the movie is spinning around in my head.

I fucking loved it though, granted I didn't read the book recently, so I'm a little fuzzy on what's different. But the fucking turkey mate, funny as hell. And Henry's sweetheart when they were still hating eachother. It was so perfect. And like it was such a wholesome movie. I was smiling all the time. Every little interaction. From their sneaky insults to the witty banter to the sweetness at the end. It we all so good.

I did kinda miss Nora in there a little bit. Like I had hoped she would make more of an appearance, same with Bea honestly. But I did absolutely love one of the first scenes where Henry just fully skips Alex. Like the way they mirrorred eachother, that was so funny. And also generally the interactions between both sibling pairs I loved that.

And Zahra, I absolutely love that woman. Especially when she let Alex call Henry. I loved her. She was amazing. And the pillow fight. So good xDD

Okay, but Nora needs to get another shout out, also with the talk with Alex like I loved that so much. She's insultively supportive, which is probably normal sibling behaviourl but I fucking loved her.

The grandpa was kinda iffy to be fair, but like idk, the actor looks so kind. I just can't help it. Like I knew that guy wasn't all bad. He wasn't all sharp angles like Philip. He had his own ideas about what Henry should do, but ultimately he did let Henry choose his own path.

Honestly. The conclusion to Henry's arc kinda made me tear up. To see queer characters be so massively supported always breaks my heart, in a good way. Especially because you could feel how scared Henry was, he wasn't ready at all. I had the same thing with Nimona. They both felt/thought that the world (would) hate them for their queerness. But it takes sometimes one, sometimes many people to show that they can be accepted. And I guess it's something I relate to too, even as somebody who is out and has a supportive family. There's still always that voice in my head telling me how dangerous it is to be openly queer, so to see characters receiving that sense of safety and acceptance feels liberating.

I was also really glad they brought attention to Alex being bisexual. And that that was accepted as well, same with Nick in Heartstopper. Like it's important to have characters be like that and change the narrative around it. I used to identify as bisexual, I do feel attraction to all genders, but I don't really do labels anymore. But like, when I identified as bi I erased my attraction to men a lot, as an afab person. There's just this joke that bisexual people, especially women I think, kinda hide that attraction to men. At least I saw a lot of memes like that back then. So I am really glad that bisexual characters emphasize it more now. That they aren't gay or straight. Younger me would have really benefitted from seeing something like that.

So in conclusion, I really really loved it. And like, you should definitely watch it if you haven't yet.

[all-drarry-to-me]

Could you do a queer literatur recommendation post with your experience so far? I would love that! All the best, Emi P.s. I recommend comicwise: Heartstopper (print+tumblr), Always human, Aerial magic (webtoon)

Thank you for the recommendations! I love “Heartstopper” and will definitely check out the others. (:

And yes — I would LOVE to! I feel like most of the ones I've read have been fairly mainstream (and many have come from Tumblr recommendations), but I hope there's a few on my list you haven't heard of:

1. “How to Be a Normal Person” by TJ Klune: This is the first book I read that related to asexuality and it really helped to change my perspective on my own identity. It shows a healthy, beautiful, thriving ace relationship and just healed my heart a little. I fell in love with the setting and with the characters, then the story is so sweet, and honest, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with that, too. It’s focused on two men in the little town of Abby, Oregon  — with an incredible side cast featuring an all-female biker gang trio (maybe sisters, maybe lesbians in a poly relationship), a ferret named after a president and a lot of weed. It’s focused on Gus and his attempt to woo Casey and it’s HILARIOUS. The sequel (”How to Be a Movie Star”) is almost as good — it follows one of the side characters, who’s also ace (but in a different way, showing the spectrum of asexuality). That one features California hipsters, strong male friendships and a mention or two of monster porn. It makes sense in the book, I swear.

2. The Captive Prince trilogy by C.S. Pacat: I fell HARD into this fandom. I binge read the books during a long weekend and was immediately obsessed. The plot is intricate and compelling, and I could write pages about my love for the characters. (Literal pages; I’m not joking.) There’s politics and corruption, betrayal and love; I’ve read all three multiple times now. Do be warned — the books get heavy; there’s war, sexual assault and a host of other things that could potentially be triggering. High-key recommend, but do be cognizant of the subject matter before choosing them. And perhaps don’t read them in public, like I made the mistake of doing.

3. “Radio Silence” by Alice Oseman: A hint of mystery, a relatable struggle of college applications — this book revolves around a podcast inspired by “Welcome to Night Vale” and is a really unique read. It’s been a while since I read it, but I remember really connecting with the characters. Oseman is active here on Tumblr, and as Anon mentioned, does a lovely comic called “Heartstopper.”

4. “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz: This one, too, I read in a weekend. It’s as much a queer love story as a coming-of-age novel, focused on two boys in their late teens as they struggle with their identity — in this case, both their sexuality and their race (both are Mexican-American). The story is heart-breaking and beautiful and I absolutely loved it.

5. “Red, White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston: A co-worker of mine read this and told me it was “basically just porn” and that’s NOT at all what it is! It’s so much more than smut, and so much more than a love story. I finished this one like a week ago and I’m still in awe of all the things McQuiston made me feel. By having a female president and a scandal revolving around an email server, it brought back all the feelings I had post-2016 U.S. election. That hurt. More than I thought it would. But it’s also about living life for you and the main character’s bisexuality crisis is one of the most relatable things I’ve ever read. I swear I don’t cry easily — but I definitely cried a few times reading this one.

6. “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller: Like Captive Prince and RWRB, this is another one I saw raved about on Tumblr — and potentially unpopular opinion here, but it didn’t quite do it for me. It’s still going on the recommendation list because I know so many other people who list this book among their favorites, but it didn’t hit me in the same way. The Greek mythology is definitely interesting and Miller’s an obviously talented writer, but I had a hard time getting into it. Still, worth checking out and deciding for yourself!

7. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky: If you haven’t read it, then read it. This isn’t one that initially comes to mind when thinking about queer literature — for some reason, it exists in a separate space in my brain — but one of the main characters (played by Ezra Miller in the movie version) is gay and there’s a whole conflict about being gay and coming out, which I think is even more well-done in the book. It’s been one of my favorites for YEARS, though this one does have some heavy themes, too, many of which are more of a focus in the book than the queer character and his experiences. High-key recommend this one, too — don’t let the fact that it’s last on the list fool you for a second.

There you have it: Those are my top ones thus far, but I’ll keep y’all updated if anyone’s interested! I just ordered the Foxhole Court trilogy and have a few others on my to-read list . . .

[thisisasideblogforbooks]

bi books for twenty-biteen!

so in honor of pride month in our blessed year of twenty-biteen, i wanted to recommend some books that feature prominent bisexual characters! most of these are already very well-known books and series, but i thought it’d be fun to honor my fellow bisexuals out there with a list! also, there is a shocking lack of bi females included on this list, and i am currently on the hunt for more if anyone wants to rec me some!

with that aside, lets get into the list!

i’m gonna start with series:

1. the six of crows duology by leigh bardugo: this action-packed duology contains two bi main characters, one of which is female and one who is male. they both own my heart, as well as the rest of the characters in this series. highly recommend!

2. the raven cycle by maggie stiefvater: this series revolves around a tight-knit group of friends (that you’ll wish you were a part of) searching for a dead welsh king. one of the main characters is bi, but what i like about this series is that its not a big deal. as important as stories of self-discovery are, it’s refreshing to see a character who is just bi, and no one cares at all.

3. shades of magic trilogy by v.e. schwab: this trilogy contains two bisexual guys, as well as some awesome world-building and a super cool take on magic! this is the most recently read series on my list, and i really enjoyed it!

4. openly straight and honestly ben by bill konigsberg: these books def have their flaws, but i’m putting them on this list because they were really important to me when i was figuring out my sexuality. the way the bi character in this series talks about his sexuality really spoke to me at a very important time in my life. warning for slight biphobia that i don’t think was handled amazingly, but still fun books! (NOTE: someone has added to this post that ben does not identify as bi. it’s been several years since i read the books, and i forgot that this is the case. i will leave this here, but just be aware that while he is in relationships with girls and a boy, he does not identify as bi and chooses not to use labels!!!)

5. i also want to mention the trials of apollo by rick riordan! it is far from my favorite series by rick, but the main character makes several references to his past relationships with both men and women, which i feel is super important to see in a middle grade series! (if you want a laugh, look at the one-star reviews on amazon. 99% are mad homophobic/biphobic parents)

and now onto stand-alones:

1. the gentleman’s guide to vice and virtue by mackenzi lee: the physical embodiment of disaster bi. the protagonist is a mess and i love him for it. this is also historical fiction with some magic! honestly what more could you ask for? (there’s also a sequel that i am planning to read as soon as i get my hands on it that centers around his ace younger sister!)

2. grasshopper jungle by andrew smith: next on the list is another disaster bi! let me tell you, this book is a TRIP. i couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks after i read it. the main character is bi and also in love with both his girlfriend and best friend (see what i mean by disaster?). is he an asshole? absolutely. but an undeniably entertaining one.

3. little and lion by brandy colbert: this book is so underrated, i swear. the main character is a black jewish bisexual girl and i related to her on SO many levels. this book focuses on her coming to terms with her sexuality, but also on the importance of family and it’s so good please pick it up!

4. autoboyography by christina lauren: this book centers around a bi teenage boy living in a very conservative mormon community. i’m not gonna lie, it’s definitely got its flaws, but i’m a sucker for romance what can i say? it’s no doubt a fun summer read.

5. running with lions by julian winters: like autoboyography, there were some things that irked me with the plot (one of these being the treatment of the only prominent female character). that being said, the book centers around a super accepting soccer team with kids of all sorts of sexualities, including our bisexual protagonist! there’s a refreshing lack of toxic masculinity that i am so here for. it’s a cute read!

6. leah on the offbeat by becky albertalli: the sequel to simon vs. the homo sapiens agenda, this book centers on the relationship between simon’s two bi female friends. although leah is not the most likable protagonist in my opinion, there were definitely moments i found myself relating to her. becky really said bi rights with this book.

7. carry on by rainbow rowell: this follows the story of the “chosen one” who has no idea wtf he’s doing. it’s got enemies to friends to lovers and magic, which are two of my favorite things. although he never states that he is bi in the book, i included carry on here because he has a relationship with both a girl and a boy and he appears to be attracted to both of them. (p.s. this won’t be a stand-alone for long as a sequel will be released later this year!)

8. radio silence by alice oseman: this novel features a bisexual, half-ethiopian female protagonist and focuses on the pressure of school and the importance of friendship. also, there’s a podcast. the friendship between the two main characters was the sweetest thing and i loved this novel. (also want to give a shout-out to alice oseman’s webcomic heartstopper, which focuses on the relationship between nick and charlie, who are bi and gay respectively. these characters can also be found in her novel solitaire.)

9. ramona blue by julie murphy: this book centers around a girl who is convinced she only likes girls until she starts to fall for a boy. it is a sort of self-discovery that is not often found in literature, but i know several of my friends that went through a very similar path and this book means a lot to them. i loved seeing ramona’s journey, and enjoyed this book a lot!

10. red, white, and royal blue by casey mcquiston: this is the newest book on this list, and let me just tell you, the rep in this book is phenomenal. the main character is the bisexual, half-mexican first son of the first female president of the united states, and it tells this story of his relationship with the prince of england. honestly need i say more? cause i will. his best friend is also bi and i’m in love with her. this book has literally so many of my favorite things: royalty, enemies to friends to lovers, fake relationship (kind of), strong female characters, and so much more. definitely a quick, fun summer read to get in the spirit of pride month!

please add to this list with more books with bisexual rep that i missed! i would love to get more book recs :)

happy pride everyone!

[lizypeazy]

Inspiration can come from literally anything - life update #1

Sounds clichè, right?

But, I swear to God, there's nothing more true.

I've been stuck for days on the idea of writing a contemporary book, or finding a concept at least, but I couldn't think of anything that could satisfy me.

I mean, I never really cared about contemporary novels, I used to think they were nothing special, since they're set in the real world, there are no things such as superpowers, supernatural events and so on, so what was the point of reading them?

But then, as I was craving representation, I ended up looking for lgbtq+ novels and finally decided to pick up Heartstopper by Alice Oseman and Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston. Do I have to specify that these two managed to make me completely change my mind over the topic?

Another pro of writing a contemporary novel is that I live in Italy and I've not published a book yet, and, sad but true, fantasy and sci-fi novels don't really have any sort of impact here, especially if they're written by Italian authors: for what I have learnt, publishers here don't really consider investing their money in fantasy/sci-fi books, since they don't believe they'll sell many copies. In conclusion, starting with a contemporary novel is the best option - let's not talk about the fact that I'll write about a wlw relationship and Italy doesn't exactly vibe with lgbt literature (and lgbt representation is not something that I'm willing to give up anyways).

So, having accepted that my next wip would've been a contemporary novel, I asked myself: what the hell is the plot? And as I have already said, I could not think of a single story I liked.

I tried thinking of old prompts I could consider, I tried reading other contemporary books so that they could inspire me, as well as watching movies or even listening to music, but not a single new original character would pop up in my head to help me with the process of building their story.

That's when I gave up and simply decided to watch the new video of a booktuber I like.

In said video, he talks about cashiers at some point, and which their thoughts might be as he buies strange objects for his videos. A cashier then left a comment under the video, pointing out that actually, cashiers don't really care about what their costumers buy.

And that was it.

I suddenly had the story in mind, I had the protagonist and even a couple of side characters.

I remember when I was 15 or 16, watching a 5SOS interview and laughing when they said the inspiration to write Beside You (still one of their best songs to this day, you can't change my mind) came from a pair of cans of beans. They were at the supermarket, only two cans of beans were left on the shelf, until someone took one of them; that's when they thought "ugh, they must be really sad now, they must feel alone." Next thing we know, we have one of the best and angstiest love songs in history (yeah, yeah, I'm exaggerating, but that song made my teenage years, can you blame me?)

Moral of the story: 5SOS were right, inspiration can come from anywhere and anything and I think that's something that I really love about this job; you can't just stop thinking about potential stories to tell (or songs to write, for all it matters), all it takes sometimes is only taking a look around you and there it is, a starting point for a new book, a new videogame or a new movie.

So, yeah, the fact that we never stop plotting really hypes me up.

-Lizy

PS. And of course I'm now finally writing a contemporary novel!! I can't wait to share the process here!

[sahibookworm]

For the past couple of days, all of us have seen various discussions about the first round of nominations for the Goodreads Choice Awards 2019 – how unfair it is to include books that released on the day the voting started, the complete invisibility of indie published titles, the very minimal representation of LGBT+ or POC authors/books and can we even do anything about it. I don’t think I have anything additional to add to the conversation because many amazing bloggers have articulated their thoughts in a very detailed manner.

In the previous years, I have always found that I had very very few books that I had read (let alone loved) or knew about in the award nominations, and I used to end up voting for something randomly. I also never had a lot of nominees on my TBR. This used to bum me out a bit because I thought I was reading the popular books, but I guess they are popular in my bubble and I also stuck to my YA fantasy and contemporary genre more often than not. This year however, I have tried to read a bit more outside my comfort zone while also sticking to my conviction that I will only read those which interest me (no succumbing to the hype if it’s not my kinda book). And very surprisingly, I apparently have quite a few books I know this time on the nominations list, and this makes me really happy.

So, I wanted to share with you all the details of the books on the list which I have read, which I plan to read and what I ultimately chose to vote for. Let’s get started…

FICTION

I have actually only read The Testaments among the complete list of fiction nominees, which is par for the course, and most of the time I don’t have any interest in these books. But I ended up voting for Red at the Bone because it’s on my highly anticipated TBR and I have heard great reviews about it from my friends…. and I also didn’t like Testaments much (not that my vote matters because it’s a Man Booker Prize winner and might as well win this easily).

MYSTERY & THRILLER

Not so surprisingly, I have read nothing on this list of nominees and I have no interest either. This is not a genre I read even infrequently, so I don’t really feel bad for not knowing most of these books.

HISTORICAL FICTION

It’s very rare that I read anything historical which is not a romance (even that is rare) and that’s why I just have one book on the list which I read – The Huntress – which I thought was brilliantly written and had amazing characters and voted for it very happily.

FANTASY

As a fantasy lover, it makes me happy that I have so many books on the fantasy list that I read or want to read. This usually doesn’t happen to me in the adult fantasy category because I’m more of a YA reader but looks like I surprised myself again.

While Gods of Jade and Shadow had a great mythology and interesting characters, I thought it was a little boring. I really enjoyed both Priory of an Orange Tree and Red Scrolls of Magic. The Dragon Republic is still on my TBR because I just couldn’t stomach reading it so soon after the first book. I had no interest in The Starless Sea until I saw reviews which call it “an ode to storytellers”, but I’m still skeptical if I’ll actually like it.

Despite so many choices available, I decided to write in Steel Crow Saga because I completely fell in love with the way the author discussed the themes of colonization, consequences of war and the amazing relationships we form in life.

ROMANCE

As a self-proclaimed romance genre lover, you would think I would have many books on the nominees list but my romance favorites usually aren’t the popular ones. However, four is not a bad number. And while I liked Ayesha at Last and The Unhoneymooners, didn’t enjoy Things You Save in a Fire at all (and I completely object to this book being on the romance list because the love story is just a subplot), it’s undeniable and I have been shouting this all over my blog since January that my favorite book of the year is Red, White and Royal Blue – so the voting choice for this category was the easiest.

SCIENCE FICTION

I’m not a sci-fi reader; I just find all the sciency stuff too complicated for me. But I have decided to try to read more, particularly due to encouragement from my dear friend Nandini, so I do have some very recently added books on my TBR. Imagine my surprise when all of them showed up on the nominations list – A Memory Called Empire, This is How You Lose the Time War and The Future of Another Timeline. However, the biggest surprise was finding the novella The Test on the list, because I read it just because I wanted something small and ended up marveling at how brilliant and brutal it was. So, obviously The Test got my vote.

HORROR

Nah… I would never willingly read a horror novel.

HUMOR

I guess I’m just not that into humor books. I have never even heard of most of the books on this list.

NONFICTION

I have been on quite a nonfiction kick for the past couple of months, so I ended up with more than a couple favorites on this list and had a hard time choosing my vote. The Witches are Coming is my latest read and I thought it was passionately written and narrated. She Said and Catch and Kill both deal with the investigation and reporting of the Harvery Weinstein sexual harassment scandal and the impact of the #MeToo movement, and they are brilliant while also dealing with many other important themes. I have only heart great things about Trick Mirror but haven’t read it yet because there is a 12 week waitlist at the library. So… that was tough… But I ended up voting for Catch and Kill because along with being a great investigative journalism piece, it’s written in a very enjoyable manner.

MEMOIR & AUTOBIOGRAPHY

I actually have read a few memoirs this year but none made the list. The ones that did, like Over the Top and How We Fight for Our Lives are on my TBR. So, I ended up choosing We Fight for our Lives because I have heard some wonderful things about it.

HISTORY & BIOGRAPHY

I never would have thought that there would be a single nominee here that I even know…. but voila…. the book that I’m currently reading How to Hide an Empire is here and while I’ve only read about 15% of it, I like it enough that I voted for it.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Another category where I would never expect to know any book – but Invisible Women has been on my TBR for a while and I’m very very excited to read it soon and I hope it wins.

FOOD & COOKBOOKS

I do cook basics but it’s not a particularly enjoyable activity for me. And while I do enjoy binging the Great British Baking show, cookbooks have never been my thing. However, for unknown reasons, Indian-ish has been on my wishlist for a while and I guess it just feels interesting. So, I voted for it even though tbh I don’t know if it’s actually very good.

GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS

Book Love was an adotable little comic about all the quirks of us booklovers and I resonated with it so much. Bloom was a nice teen love story too, but I guess I found it to be just okay in terms of story (great artwork though). Heartstopper vol 2 is on my TBR and I hope I’ll get to read it soon. But undoubtedly, my vote goes for Good Talk because it’s one of my favorite books of the year and it really personally resonated with me a lot.

POETRY

I have exactly one read poetry book on the nominees list and I voted for Shout immediately because it’s a very well written, powerful and thought provoking memoir-in-verse and it totally deserves the accolades.

DEBUT NOVEL

I have a huge list (in my notebook) of my favorite debuts of the year but apparently none were popular enough to make the list except Red, White and Royal Blue. And I guess that’s okay because I would choose it anyway.

YOUNG ADULT FICTION

I’ve only read two of the books which surprised me (I guess I’m reading less YA contemporary this year) – Frankly in Love was beautiful and I kinda hated American Royals. But I decided to vote for Internment which is on my TBR because I feel it’s an important book and deserves more accolades.

YOUNG ADULT FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION

I had three 5-star reads in the list – which I should have expected – I loved Queen of Air and Darkness, King of Scars and the absolutely delightful Sorcery of Thorns. The Wicked King is also here but it was just an okay read for me. A Curse So Dark and Lonely is on my TBR. But I still decided to write in A House of Rage and Sorrow because I love that book with all my heart and it always saddens me that it’s not more popular.

MIDDLE GRADE & CHILDREN’S

Another category where I wouldn’t have expected to know any book but I read Aru Shah and the Song of Death and really loved it a lot, so I was very happy to be able to vote for it.

PICTURE BOOKS

Picture books are definitely not for me, so no voting here.

What do you think of my choices? Do we have any favorites in common? What books would you love to see win? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below…

Goodreads Choice Awards: Book I Voted For, Read and On my TBR For the past couple of days, all of us have seen various discussions about the first round of nominations for the Goodreads Choice Awards 2019 - how unfair it is to include books that released on the day the voting started, the complete invisibility of indie published titles, the very minimal representation of LGBT+ or POC authors/books and can we even do anything about it.