#m.k. england

[mkengland]

As the D20 fam takes Madison Square Garden by storm tonight and my FOMO reaches new heights, I figured I’d share this little snippet from the acknowledgments section in ROLL FOR LOVE. Maybe it is weird to shout out your faves, but whatthefuckever, Dimension 20 and Worlds Beyond Number are treasured parts of my life and huge creative inspirations. I’m so glad they’re in my life.

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: Queer Firefighter Romances

Cinders by Cara Malone (f/f) After by E. Davies (m/m series) Firestorm by Radclyffe (f/f) Hotshots by Annabeth Albert (m/m series) Unbelievable You by Chelsea M. Cameron (f/f) Bonus: Coming in 2025, All Fired Up by M.K. England (f/f) Double Bonus: The firefighter hero of Burning it Down by C. Koehler (m/m) is sidelined for the book, so it’s not exactly a firefighter romance in the traditional…

[bookaddict24-7]

(New Young Adult Releases Coming Out Today! (April 8th, 2025)

___

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

___

New Releases:

Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell

Playin' Hard by Whitney D. Grandison

I Love You S'more by Auriane Desombre

Roll for Love by M.K. England

New Sequels:

Fearless (The Powerless Trilogy #3) by Lauren Roberts

___

Happy reading!

[slaughter-books]

Day 25: JOMPBPC: Book Pile

A beautiful pile of fantasy and contemporary books! 📚💛

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Book names + authors under the cut

Nasir Alexander "Nax" Hall/Rion William Kwesi Turner- The Disasters by M.K. England

Linus Baker/Arthur Parnassus- The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Baru Cormorant/Tain Hu- The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

Imogen Scott/Tessa Minsky- Imogen Obviously by Becky Albertelli

[pickledfingers]

So I just finished a book called Spellhacker and it was a very good queer fantasy YA book. I've been on a ya kick while I'm working because it's easier to keep up if I need to zone out for a bit.

That said, when I started reading the book. I noticed a not insignificant number of the reviews said that the book's villain was cartoonishly evil with poorly defined motives. I went into the book a little weary, because I don't like when villains are just evil cackling people. Give me motive, you know?

Spoiler below:

The book's villain is a corporation who has been irresponsibly mining a powerful resource leading to pollution, sickness, and earthquakes. All for the sake of money.

Like, are you kidding? That's not cartoonishly evil, that's literally exactly how fracking works.

[daniellesreadingnook]

"A Twisted Tale Anthology" edited by Elizabeth Lim

Book Title: "A Twisted Tale Anthology"

Author(s): Elizabeth Lim, Livia Blackburne, Liz Braswell, Jen Calonita, M.K. England, Micol Ostow, Kristina Perez, Farrah Rochon

Edited by Elizabeth Lim

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Published in: 2023

Short story titles (what movie they are based on:)

"Cast Out"-- what if Snow White learned magic? by Livia Blackburne (Snow White)

"A First Mission"--what if Mulan became the Emperor's Advisor? by Elizabeth Lim (Mulan)

"Et Voila"--what if Remy had met Colette first? by Liz Braswell (Ratatouille)

"The Envelope"--what if Anastasia had a change of heart by Jen Calonita (Cinderella)

"A New Dawn)--what if Mufasa gave up his throne? by Farrah Rochon (The Lion King)

"Rattle The Stars"--what if Jim Hawkins joined the pirates? by M.K. England (Treasure Planet)

"A Royal Game of Chess"--what if history wasn't quite right about the legend of Robin Hood? by Liz Braswell (Robin Hood)

"The Secret Exhange"--what if Eric met Ariel after she rescued him? by Elizabeth Lim (The Little Mermaid)

"Dust to Dust"--what if Tinker Bell was working for Capitan Hook? by Micol Ostow (Peter Pan)

"Gonna Take You There"--what if Naveen had to get home to Maldonia? by Farrah Rochon (The Princess and the Frog)

"Fates, Three"--what if the triplets visited the witch by Jen Calonita (Brave)

"A Dragon In The Snow"--what if madam Mim and Merlin went to school together? by Kristina Perez (Sword in the Stone)

"The Journey Home"--what if Belle had to take her father's place at the fair? by Farrah Rochon (Beauty and the Beast)

"Call It A Hunch"--what if Hercules's first day as a god didn't go as planned? by Jen Calonita (Hercules)

The Reluctant Prince"--what if Bambi didn't want to be the next Great Prince of the Forest? by Liz Braswell (Bambi)

"The Rose and the Thorns"--what if Aurora knew the truth about her curse by Elizabeth Lim (Sleeping Beauty)

Summary: I actually liked this anthology. Seeing various Disney movies in a way that I never thought of. I wished that some of these short stories were actual novels. I took my time with this book because I am a slow reader. But once I got into the book, I could not put it down!! The stories vary in length; and they are fast paced. I am just slow at reading. It should take the average reader about a week or so; give or take a few days and how busy they are. However, this book is very easy to read. The reader will love the short stories and wish they were part of the story; or at least the story was a bit longer.

I highly recommend to anyone who loves Disney movies and wants to see a spin on some Disney classics.

Rating: 8.5/10

[cartoonfangirl1218]

A Twisted Tale Anathology Review

This anathology of sixteen short stories take new twists on tales already done in the series and new ones from the Pixar and Disney animal catalogue. In the limited space, the authors manage to pack in heartfelt and fun adventures that may make you see the story in a new way.

It's always hard to do an anathology review so I'll do my best to summarize each story and what I enjoyed from it.

Cast Out: What if Snow White learned magic? Blackthorne's Twisted Tale debut has Snow White incidentally taking charge of her fate. During her cleaning of the castle, she finds the magic mirror and her stepmother's evil magic lair. Once she realizes the danger (and the potential excitment to her dreary scullary maid life), she starts reading her spellbooks and is able to change her fate. I enjoyed this twist in how Blackthorne ably retains Snow White's sweet personality and love for animals with a stronger intention in her actions as she takes up spells to protect herself and her animal friends.

A First Mission: What if Mulan became the Emperor's advisor? After returning home, Mulan decides to accept the Emperor's offer to become his advisor so she can serve her country and become a role model to the women of China. Let's face it, after defeating the Huns going back to chores or marriage question wasn't her style. Unfortunately, the other advisors aren't thrilled a woman is among them especially Chi Fu. He schemes to get her kicked out by pointing out her lack of experience. Mulan knows what he is trying to do but she also knows he's right that she doesn't having the training or education so she accepts his challenge to save China's imperial silkworms. This was like a classic Disney short film with Mulan saving the day and making Chi Fu see her in a new light. Just very light and filled with warm-hearted characterization that epitomizes the kind of woman Mulan is. She may not be traditional, but her compassion and ability to see what's really important make her shine. Also I enjoyed Lim's MulanxShang dynamic.

Et Voila: What if Remy had met Colette first? Braswell did a great job on this Pixar classic! Colette's struggles as the only woman in a male-dominated chef industry was steller as she balances Colette's exhaustion of the daily grind, how dishartened she is that she has no more passion for her work yet her technical expertise can't make up for the fact she doesn't have the creativity of master chef. That is until she meets Remy. He has the vision, she has the human hands for knives and together, they make their own pop-up resturaunt in an alleyway. I loved the humorous realism of Colette doubting her sanity as she bonds with the rat and the quiet friendship that springs up between them. Remy finds someone who understands him and Colette loves cooking again. One of my favorites in the anathology.

The Envelope: What if Anastasia had a change of heart? Calonita finally gets to do a story with her favorite Disney tale, and I think it's clear she's a Cinderella fan as this slightly copies Cinderella 2 and 3 by depicting Anastasia's redemption. Yes, Anastasia realizes she did Cinderella wrong, yes, she's treated harshly by her mother and Drizella for her idealism, yes, she gets a cute love interest. But unlike other tales, her redemption is primarily her own and inspired by her late father's belongings that make her realize she has gone far from who he would have wanted her to be. It's a nice tale, but skippable if you're already familiar with other Cinderella movies.

A New Dawn: What if Mufasa gave up his throne? Rochon saves all of us from childhood trauma by having Mufasa live through his fall off the cliff. Permenantly handicapped, he is forced to step down from leadership and Simba becomes king. Rochon creates an interesting conflict as Simba struggles to lead with his father undermining his commands to the pride. He can effectively protect them if Mufasa is sending him one way and the elders don't respect him. The hashing out between father and son is only heightened by Mufasa's choice to blindly ignore Scar's betrayal and believe his lies, plunging them to more danger from internal divisions. Rochon does an excellent job in showing a layered father-son bond as Simba shows that he's ready to lead on his own and Mufasa acknowledge his own resentments while strengthening there is much for them to still learn from each other. Plus the lion fight scenes were truly raw and primal.

Rattle the Stars: What if Jim Hawkins joined the pirates? It's everyone's favorite cult classic! I was so excited for this and England didn't disappoint as they have Jim overhear Silver's betrayal and decide to join the pirate side. She does a good job illustrating Jim's insecurity and hurt over Silver's words and his constant questioning of his sincerity afterwards. Even though he doubts Silver's genuineness, his 'rattle the stars" speech still inspires Jim to take up the pirate mutiny so he'll be able to get the treasure to his mother faster. England makes it clear that this decision will leave Jim with moral ambiguity for the rest of his journey, disappointing Captain Amelia and Dobbler and following in the footsteps of his dead-beat father. But it also feels right for him at this moment, and perhaps he'll be able to finally feel free without the baggage of other's disappoints. It made me want to see more of the story and how Jim the pirate would go, if he'd find his way back home or if he'll further cross all his moral lines.

A Royal Game of Chess: What if history wasn't quite right about the legend of Robin Hood? Braswell takes on the classic trope of what if Robin Hood was a girl. In this case, what if Robin Hood was actually Maid Marian and Red was just her carefree boyfriend and image so King John wouldn't know of the infiltraitor under his roof? Braswell clearly has a lot of fun highlighting the characters' animal characteristics and descriptors and does a nice job of showing Marian's frustration that she is better serving the people inside King John's castle rather than spending it full time in Robin Hood gear as she desires. Even if it means letting Red take all the credit. It was fine, a bit bland as I've seen the trope before though.

The Secret Exchange: What if Eric met Ariel after she rescued him? Here, we get full view of Ariel and Eric's relationship where both can speak their minds and share each other's worlds. Every day, Eric rows out and explains the things about the human world that Ariel always longed to know and Ariel tells him all about under the sea. It's adorable and I love how Lim shows how alike they are in their curisoity and love of adventure and bashfulness of their true feelings. Still, there's plenty of action as Ursula conspires to use their attraction to each other to sow discord in the sea and steal Triton's crown. I really enjoyed this take on the story that has Ariel and Eric teaming up to work together against Ursula and expands the idea of Ariel and Eric being the bridge between sky and sea.

Dust to Dust: What if Tinkerbell was working for Captain Hook? Tinkerbell goes the way of Vidia when she irresponsibly uses her dust to finish her work and gets kicked out of Pixie Hollow. Her magic is tainted and she's soon lured by Hook's worldview that the other fairies are too snooty and judgy, that he gets her and that he needs her help to save Neverland from the dastardly Peter Pan. Ostow perfectly depicts Hook's pompous ego and Tinkerbell's mercurial feelings as they team up to take down Pan by Tinerkbell falls for him instead until that Wendy creature comes along. This time she's not completely motivated by jealousy but also by a fear of abandonment yet the rescue is a wonderful scene of imagination and magical awesomenesss. I just wished there had been more Hook and Tink interactions that was promised from the title.

Gonna Take You There: What if Naveen had to get home to Maldonia? It's road trip time! Tiana quits her job in a huff but before she can go beg for it back, she sees Naveen helpless on the dock after his valet quit on him. She can't leave a man in need and the fact that he's willing to pay her anything to help him get to the docks seals the deal. With Lottie in tow, they had to Alabama and Rochon illustrates the sweetest road trip fluttering crush feelings in a matter of hours. Maybe it's unrealistic but I found it sweet how Tiana talked Naveen into realizing what his future profession could be so he wouldn't have to be a professional moocher and Naveen was able to make Tiana able to appreciate the present and enjoy life. It shows even without the magical circumstances and forced frog bonding, Naveen and Tiana have a chance after all, they just fit.

Fates, Three: What if the triplets visited the witch? The triplets of Dun Broch are fifteen years old and still incorrigable rascals. Well, Hamish is. His other brothers have been preoccupied with their own interest and loves and he's beginning to feel left behind. When he ropes them into another prank that goes disasterously wrong, they secretly sneak out to the witch to change their fates even though Merida would have their hides if they found out. Calonita always has the right touch when depicting familial relationships and it's no different here as she has the brothers reaffirm their bond and communicate their insecurities all while annoying the heck out of the witch.

A Dragon in the Snow: What if Madam Mim and Merlin went to school together? Who doesn't love a good school AU and Perez delivers a bittersweet tale of romance and insecurity. Mim has always been an outcast, her lavender hair a bright sign that she's infected with shadow magic. She's been building herself up to become a royal mage, so to prove to everyone she is good and no one can dismiss her again. In fact, Merlin is one of the few who always treats her with respect and soon their friendship turns to a romance. But when the trial comes down to the two of them, Mim loses and lashes out at Merlin for all his privileges and his romance which broke her concentration. Perez kept Mim's bitterness ever present so even though it's sad when Mim realizes it doesn't matter how hard she works, political connections and lineage rule the day, it also feels inevitable that she'd turn evil. A tragic tale that adds extra depth to the movie if you choose to believe they did have a romance.

The Journey Home: What if Belle had to take her father's place at the fair? Once again, Rochon takes a realistic approch to this Disney tale by bypassing the original story entirely. Belle never goes to the castle or meets the Beast or anything. Instead she ventures to the snow, excited to finally get an adventure only to get stuck in a snowstorm. The only person who could help her transport her father's invention-Gaston. Rochon hilariously writes Belle's disgust with Gaston and her painful choice to ask for his help. Her Gaston is perfectly, smugly in character too, I could hear his voice. But Belle ultimately rescues herself using her own ineguinty, showing that Belle is amazing all by herself with an epilogue that gives her the happy ending she never knew she wanted.

Call it a Hunch: What if Hercules' first day as a god didn't go as planned? Calonita did such a great job in Go the Distance so this story also becomes my immediate fav. Her characterization of Hercules and Meg is amazing from Hercules' sweetness and readiness to start helping others (even though he's unsure how) and Meg trying to start her detective agency. The dialogue is snappy, the dynamic is wonderful, and I enjoyed the inclusion of the gods. It made me smile the whole time. Of course, I'm biased. I just wished there had been more from Hercules' POV but it is inevitable Meg steals the show so I can't really blame Calonita.

The Reluctant Prince: What if Bambi didn't want to be the next Great Prince of the Forest? Braswell's nature imagery instantly brought to mind this soothing film though Bambi's troubles were less so as his father informs him he'll be Prince next season. Bambi is unsure of the responsibilities, he doesn't want to be the aloof leader his father is. He wants to be with his kids that will be born soon, he wants enjoy spring with his friends. The trio of Bambi, Thumper and Flower was nicely done, showing their steadfast friendship, best part of the story. But Bambi's talk with Faline does show human-depth to the character as she makes him see that he's confusing the role of the Great Prince with his resentment of his father and that he doesn't have to follow his footsteps. It was cool that one of the underrated films had one of the most interesting food for thought in giving Bambi more characterization. Although, this may have been based on Bambi 2, it's been awhile but I think the plot/conflict was similar.

The Rose and the Thorns: What if Aurora knew the truth about her curse? Lim closes out the novel by having Aurora take charge of her story too. Knowing about the curse, she has grown up in the castle with her fairy godmothers preparing her with magic and fencing to defend herself against Maleficent's arrival on the chance she doesn't prick her finger. The effect has made her wish for a quiet life in the woods so she doesn't have to deal with the anticipation/overprotectiveness/countdown of the curse controlling everything around her. Luckily, she has Prince Phillip, her best friend and her crush though she's unsure how to convey her feelings with the whole "True love's kiss" thing hanging over them. Lim does good job in keeping them in character and expanding their relationship while presenting a new tale where Aurora and Phillip ambush Maleficent first so they could put the curse to rest once and for all.

This was a fun anathology that any Disney fan would love! I'd recommend reading it all the way through though I'm sure others would skip around to their favorites. Mine were A First Mission, Et Voila, A New Dawn, Rattle the Stars, Gonna Take You There, Fates Three, Call It a Hunch and The Reluctant Prince.

[read-this-now]

What starts as a simple rescue mission for a crew of teen aliens to recover one of their own soon becomes an interstellar encounter no one will forget.

Captain Iona is organizing an impromptu retrieval for her brother, an undercover alien posing as a movie star. But her efforts go awry when a technical malfunction turns her heroic rescue into an unintentional invasion. With tales of disguised extraterrestrials stuck in theme parks, starship engineers hitchhiking to get home, and myth-inspired intergalactic sibling reunions, each story in this multi-author anthology explores the universal desire to be loved and understood, no matter where you come from. After all...aliens are just like us.

[zoanzon]

On one hand, my new job being downtown means I need to bus in even when I have a car because there's no good cheap parking. On the other hand, guess who's decided to use this as an opportunity to get myself to read real books on the way to/from work?

This guy~

I read The Disasters - just over 350 pages - over the last three days over a combination of '50~min bus-trips' and '20min work-breaks'. Not too bad for someone who's been subsiding mostly off fanfiction for the last few years months, in my opinion.

All in all, it's a fun-enough romp: after a terrorist attack hits the 'pilot and exocolonist school' the MC and three other students just washed out of (for reasons you learn over the book), they flee in a shuttle and try to let people know what's happened and-- what do you mean they are getting blamed for the attack?!

One review I've seen described the book as "The Breakfast Club meets Guardians of the Galaxy", which...I dunno if I'd say it's right, but it's not outright wrong? Definitely a mixture of 'people with different experiences bonding' and 'goofy heist shenanigans to try and save people who don't know they are in danger', so I can see where the review is coming from.

TBH, I would've enjoyed a bit more fleshing-out of the antagonists, and I can't say I was ever really scared for the protagonists, but at the same time M.K. England set out to tell a story and she told it. The book runs from the story's inception to its conclusion with aplomb, and knows exactly how it wants to move itself forward.

Lastly, I'll give a shout-out for how she wove some of her setting's scifi-jargon into the dialogue without having to pull an "As you know..." or otherwise having the MC ruminate for 2-4 paragraphs about something they already knew. I still have a bookmark on the scene where the characters vaguely brush over three types of habitable colonies, and the terms used are both immediately intuitive and also then make contextual sense as they characters keep going on with their discussion of what to do next. Genuinely something I need to keep in mind for my own writings lol...

Books finished in 2024 so far: 002

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌙 Eid Mubarak! 36 Queer Muslim Books for Your TBR

✨ Eid Mubarak, my loves! Eid isn't just a celebration for the end of Ramadan; it's a time to connect with friends and family, to share stories, and for some, to have a few sweet treats (we always deserve a little treat). To extend that celebration, here are 36 books by or about queer Muslims.

❓Which of these is catching your eye?

🌙 We Have Always Been Here - Samra Habib 🌙 The Henna Wars - Adiba Jaigirdar 🌙 Queer Jihad: LGBT Muslims on Coming Out, Activism, and the Faith - Afdhere Jama 🌙 Tell Me How It Really Feels - Aminah Mae Safi 🌙 Darius the Great Is Not Okay - Adib Khorram 🌙 Zara Hossain was Here - Sabina Khan 🌙 God in Pink - Hasan Namir 🌙 Hani & Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating - Adiba Jaigirdar 🌙 If They Come For Us - Fatima Ashgar

🌙 Life as a Unicorn - Amrou Al-Kadhi 🌙 How it All Blew Up - Arvin Ahmadi 🌙 Halal If You Hear Me - Various 🌙 Guapa - Saleem Haddad 🌙 A Map of Home - Randa Jarrar 🌙 This is All Your Fault - Aminah Mae Safi 🌙 If You Could Be Mine - Sara Farizan 🌙 The Disasters - M.K. England 🌙 Bright Lines - Tanwi Nandini Islam

🌙 Living Out Islam: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Muslims - Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle 🌙 Tell Me How You Really Feel - Aminah Mae Safi 🌙 The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali - Sabina Khan 🌙 Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble - Alexis Hall 🌙 Hijab Butch Blues - Lamya H 🌙 A Sinner in Mecca: A Gay Muslim's Hajj of Defiance - Parvez Sharma 🌙 You Exist Too Much - Zaina Arafat 🌙 How It All Blew Up - Arvin Ahmadi 🌙 Zachary Ying & the Dragon Emperor - Xiran Jay Zhao

🌙 Like a Love Story - Abdi Nazemian 🌙 The Walk-In Closet - Abdi Nazemian 🌙 A Guide to the Dark - Meriam Metoui 🌙 In Sensorium: Notes for My People - Tanaïs 🌙 Blood Orange - Yaffa 🌙 No Time Like Now - Naz Kutub 🌙 Naturally Tan - Tan France 🌙 This Arab is Queer - An Anthology by LGBTQ+ Arab Writers 🌙 Love is an Ex Country - Randa Jarrar

[the-bi-library]

Happy April! Here are bi books out in April.

This is not an exhaustive list.

Books listed:

Blood Cypress by Elizabeth Broadbent

Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell

Venom Bound (Blood Tethered #2) by I.S. Belle

Love, Unexpected by Shannon O'Connor

Steamy on Set by D.S. Walls

Iron Tongue of Midnight (The Forge & Fracture Saga #3) by Brittany N. Williams

Bone Dresser by Nico Vincenty

Fluid: A Guide for People with Flexible Sexuality by Mark Cusack

Girl Crush by C.H. Williams

A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan, #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett

Advocate (The Warden, #3) by Daniel M. Ford

The Coven Tendency by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Make the Play by Lucky Hart

Accidentally Joining His Cult by Lexi Amber

Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa

All Fired Up by M.K. England

Waiting for a Witch by Brigid Hunt

Once Upon You and Me by Timothy Janovsky

Nightingale by Frances M. Thompson

Roll for Love by M.K. England

Just a Peck by Chelsea Jean

Coded in Control by KL Hill

Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin

Into The Fiery Woods by Riley Taylor

Road Trip by Lisa Henry

A Ballad for Slayers & Monsters by Rita A. Rubin

The Assassin and the Sorceress by N.R.G. Selove

Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory

Penance Paid in Blood (The Blood of Tenazeryth Book 3) by Maria J. Hart

Love at First Spin by Lauren R. Stephens

Tonight, I Bleed (The Witches of Halstett, #2) by Katharine J. Adams

Faithbreaker (Fallen Gods, #3) by Hannah Kaner

The Raven Scholar (The Eternal Path, #1) by Antonia Hodgson

Resisting The Temptation by Daisy Wren

A Vow of Wrath and Ruin (The Mind Breaker, #2) by K.W. Foster

Vincent & Sivan by Cali Kitsu

[lgbtqreads]

New Releases: April 2025

Unboxing Libby by Steph Cherrywell (1st) AI meets American Girl Dolls in this quirky novel about a group of preteen androids who have been cast aside and have to make their own way in the world. Max isn’t always sweet and bubbly. That wouldn’t be an issue except for the fact that she’s programmed to be. “Max” isn’t even her real name. She’s a Libby– one of the most popular A.I.Cademy Girl social…

[starrlikesbooks]

Behold! The books I'm most excited to get to read in 2025!

Check for links and details under the cut!

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire is the newest Wayward Children book! This one takes place in a Drowned World, with giant turtles.

I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrews is a horror romance starring the signing interpreter of a selective mute who is also an heiress! I loved Andrews' last book, which hd lush folk horror vibes, and this one has a gorgeous cover and involves curses and a spiritual exorcism, so I'm IN.

Love Points to You by Alice Lin is about someone making a dating sim! And the MC being hired as character designer. This is an Asian-led sapphic romance, and as a dating sim fan, I'm super pumped.

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran is a horror novel full of mutated monsters, and a cult-ish submerged town where the MC and her mother are stuck, where the people believe their dead family have reincarnated as sea monsters. The summary also heavily implies the MC has monstrous qualities.

What Wakes the Bells by Elle Tesch involves malevolent souls trapped in bells and fighting gargoyles! This sounds like an exciting fantasy world with a really fun adventure.

I Am the Swarm by Hayley Chewins is a trauma-centric horror with a magical bloodline and the power/curse of summoning insects. This one really leans into female rage, and I'm really interested in the magic.

Holy Terrors by Margaret Owen is the third (and I think final!) book in the Little Thieves series! Fairytale-retelling fantasy with a snarky, morally gray, damaged MC (whom I love)

Roll for Love by M.K. England is one of my favorite kinds of books coming out lately- a D&D based romance! This one involves a new campaign & roleplaying group after a big move, and a no-dating rule giving some tension.

The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite is Haitian-American Hannibal story! It's also a zombie story.

The Floating World by Axie Oh was pitched as an amnesiac sword-for-hire teaming up with a theatre troupe performer with mysterious powers, and I don't need to know any more than that!

Don't Let Me Go by Kevin Christopher Snipes is Snipes' second book- and I was absolutely gut punched by the queer tenderness and mental revelations of his first book. This one will also break me, as it's about two boys trapped in a reincarnation cycle.

And They Were Roommates by Page Powars should need no further explanation than the title!! But in case it's not- this is an MLM story of a stealth trans boy coming to a new school, where- unbeknownst to the roommate- he's roomed with his former, pre-transition fling.

Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzales is a royalty romance at a boarding school, and it's sapphic! This has a disgraced princess falling for the new girl pianist 😍 As a big believer in Gonzales, I am lined up.

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater is not my normal kind of read! This is historical fiction, taking place at a hotel/spa in the 1940s- but Stiefvater wrote one of my favorite series, The Rave Boys (and The Dreamer Trilogy!), and she'd super excited about it, so I'm just looking forward to seeing her spectacular writing coming at a new angle.

Love Misha by Jam Aden has been on my list for a LONG TIME. Why? Because it's promoted as A Goofy Movie meets Spirited Away with a nonbinary main character. SAY NO MORE.

If We Survive This by Racquel Marie is a apoclaypse survival horror. Lesbian zombie stories are surprisingly not that hard t find right now, but I'm definitely interested in seeing more of them!

Predatory Natures by Amy Goldsmith has one of my favorite things- TRAIN SETTINGS. The MC is working on a luxury train during her gap year, but the trip is derailed by the arrival of a mysterious greenhouse and a pair of odd, enigmatic siblings. This is fantasy horror.

Evil-ish by Kennedy Tarrell is about disillusioned teen trying to become a supervillain. I love supervillain fiction, and this one sounds really fun and with surprising characters!

Villain by Natalie Zina Walschots is the very longwaited (for me, at least) sequel to the wonderful villain-led, radicalization story Hench. I'm so looking forward to seeing Anna as a full supervillain!

Mistress of Bones by Maria Z. Medina stars a necromancer trying to resurrect her sister, and getting caught in a game of cat and mouse with the Emissary of Death. This one sounds really magical.

Hollow by Taylor Grothe is YA horror with an autistic (and trying to deny her diagnosis) teen in Upstate New York. I, personally, seeing book in Upstate NY and love autism rep, and this is queer!

The Cuffing Game by Lyla Lee has one of my favorite fluffy queer romanc writers tacking reality show romance by the way of Pride & Prejudice! There's also (no surprise) going to be K-drama vibes.

For No Mortal Man by Keshe Chow stars a girl who can resurrect herself, traveling the Underworld to find her grandmother, and being haunted by a former betrayer.

We Were Never Here by Sophie Hannan is a heist story! This is about ghost hunters being blackmailed to do a heist, stealing a haunted painting. I love weird heists, I really do.

You Weren't Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White is probably my most anticipated release of 2025! I love AJW's autistic, trans horror, and this one has aliens and pregnancy horror. I see no way this won't be weird as hell, and therefore no way this isn't gonna be amazing.

[slaughter-books]

Day 15: JOMPBPC: Unique Cover

[accidentalspaceexplorer]

September Monthly Recap

I read so many books in September, entirely because of Magical Readathon - it's so fun and motivating! Total I ended up with 27 books read, 1 of which was a DNF. My favorite this month was 100% Long Live Evil, which I'm still vibrating about two weeks later.

Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch: 4.5/5

The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch: 4.5/5

Paladin's Faith by T. Kingfisher: 5/5

Fence, Vol. 1 by C.S. Pacat & others: 4/5

Fence, Vol. 2 by C.S. Pacat & others: 4/5

Fence, Vol. 3 by C.S. Pacat & others: 4/5

Fence, Vol. 4 by C.S. Pacat & others: 4/5

The View from Rainshadow Bay by Colleen Coble: 2.5/5

Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean: 4/5

The 5th Gender by Gail Carriger: 2/5

The Element of Fire by Martha Wells: 4.5/5

King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair: 4.25/5

Fence, Vol. 5 by C.S. Pacat & others: 4/5

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan: 5/5

Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch: 4.75/5

Friends Without Benefits by Penny Reid: 2/5

The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei: 4.5/5

Flying Witch, Vol. 1 by Chihiro Itazuki: 3/5

A Line in the World by Dorthe Nors: 4/5

Reverb by Anna Zabo: 3.5/5

Lady Eve's Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow: 4.75/5

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan: 5/5

Fence, Vol. 6 by C.S. Pacat & others: 4/5

Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott: 3.5/5

The Disasters by M.K. England: 3/5

The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge: 3.75/5

The Social Animal by David Brooks: 1.5/5, dnf very early on

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst: 4/5

Goals under cut:

Complete series: -1 for the year (+1)

Catch up on backlists: 29 (+2)

Read FIYAH/Nebula/Hugo finalists & awards: 10 books (+1)

Read down TBR: at end of September it’s 1549 (+3 is not too bad!)

Read old top-of-TBR list: 5 (+1)