#Haley Jakobson

[lgbtqreads]

Happy Bi Visibility Day 2022!

Happy Bi Visibility Day 2022!

Please note that this post only includes titles etc. not included in earlier Bi Visibility Day posts. (Exception made for books posted without a cover last year or whose pub dates significantly changed since last posting.) For even more bi goodness, make sure to check earlier Bi Visibility Day posts!  Books to Buy Now Middle Grade The Trouble with Robots by Michelle Mohrweis Eighth-graders Evelyn…

[the-bi-library]

Bi books out in June!

This month we have 18 books!

Also, preorders help greatly, so preorder any book(s) that catch your interest 💕

Here is the goodreads list of these books.

Books listed

💕 Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler 💕 Old Enough by Haley Jakobson 💕 When It All Syncs Up by Maya Ameyaw 💕 By Your Side: A Queerplatonic Short Story by Margherita Scialla 💕 Of Knights and Books and Falling In Love by Rita A. Rubin 💕 Ode To My First Car by Robin Gow 💕 When the Stars Alight by Camilla Andrew 💕 Things I'll Never Say by Cassandra Newbould 💕 The Secret Summer Promise by Keah Brown 💕 Not Queer Enough by Madison Nicole 💕 The Surviving Sky (Rages, #1) by Kritika H. Rao 💕 The Longest Summer by Alexandrine Ogundimu 💕 Vivian Lantz's Second Chances by Kathryn Ormsbee 💕 Keep Your Witches Close by Colette Rivera 💕 Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier 💕 We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian 💕 The Good Ones by Polly Stewart 💕 The Last Drop of Hemlock by Katharine Schellman

[thatwasthenightthingschanged]

books I've read in 2023!

I love doing these (3rd year running!) so these are the books I've read this year! as always, the numbers in brackets indicate a ranking out of five points (with 5/5 being the highest ranking and 0/5 being the lowest)!

Delilah Green Doesn't Care - Ashley Herring Blake (3.5/5)

The Tower of Nero - Rick Riordan (4/5)

Never Ever Getting Back Together - Sophie Gonzales (4/5)

Solitaire - Alice Oseman (5/5)

Radio Silence - Alice Oseman (4/5)

Mrs Dalloway - Virginia Woolf (4/5)

Even Though I Knew the End - C. L. Polk (2/5)

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V. E. Schwab (2.5/5)

System Error - Solveig Engel (4/5)

Und ich leuchte mit den Wolken - Sophie Bichon (2/5)

Die Brandstiftung: Mythos Reichtagsbrand - Uwe Soukup (4/5)

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot - Marianne Cronin (4/5)

Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution- Kacen Callender (5/5)

Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier (3/5)

Ophelia After All - Racquel Marie (4/5)

Imogen, Obviously - Becky Albertalli (5/5)

Blood & Ash - Jennifer L. Armentrout (2/5)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky *re-read* (5/5)

Sorry, Bro - Taleen Voskuni (2/5)

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages - ed. Saundra Mitchell (4/5)

The House on the Cerulean Sea - T. J. Klune

Peter Pan - J. M. Barrie (3/5)

Girls Like Girls - Hayley Kiyoko (2/5)

Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Malinda Lo (4/5)

The Guest - Emma Cline (3/5)

The Gravity of Us - Philipp Stamper (3/5)

Under the Whispering Door - T. J. Klune (4/5)

A Scatter of Light - Malinda Lo (3/5)

Felix Ever After - Kacen Callender *re-read* (5/5)

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail - Ashley Herring Blake (4/5)

Wie Wellen im Sturm - Alicia Zett (3.5/5)

The Sun and the Star - Rick Riordan (4/5)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins *re-read* (5/5)

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins *re-read* (5/5)

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins *re-read* (5/5)

The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall - Ali Standish (4/5)

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins *re-read* (5/5)

Meet Cute Diary - Emery Lee (2/5)

Old Enough - Haley Jakobson (4/5)

The Chalice of the Gods - Rick Riordan (4/5)

Going Bicoastal - Dahlia Adler (2/5)

The Bones Beneath my Skin - T. J. Klune (3.5/5)

James - Percival Everett (2/5)

[lipslikethegardensofbabylon]

“Did you lose weight?”, she asked.

and I thought about all the other questions

she could have asked instead.

“how are you? and do you think about dying? do you wonder how many people you’ll love before the sun ends its fling with reflection? what venom did your mother feed to you? and what daisies did she wrap round your temples? how many homeless people do you actually give change to, do you think any orgasm is better than the first one you ever had, do you believe in heaven, ocean air or mountain air, isn’t it wild we can grow life inside of us, salty or savory or both, and who are you when you’re alone?

“I doubt it.” I said.

which was the first thing I could think of, instead of “I haven’t stepped on a scale in five years and I have spent so much time turning off pre-destined alerts telling me to look at my stomach in the mirror and do you know in the year since you’ve seen me my company became a non-profit and I found out I could fall in love with a woman and I wrote and published an entire book and spent 300 hours training to be a better yoga teacher and I am so tired and I am so happy and in a single instant you have reduced my drive to diet my fantastic to fitness and my brilliance to a body that serves no purpose to you except comparison.

“well, you look really skinny.”

and a world between that and my reply.

and every myspace picture every suck it in every boy poking my stomach every bloated period the time a copper IUD tricked my hips so much that a stranger congratulated me, the calorie counting app the five miles I ran every day for six months, skinny bitch, cosmo, low rise jeans, my prom dress, don’t tag me in that, no dessert for me, I worked out twice today, dressing on the side and dear god Haley you have moved mountains and if you say thank you they will bury you.

“oh.” I said.

and I walked out the door, grinning.

and I watched my thoughts with some kind of ancient wisdom I’ve worked so hard to find, and I saw all of the ways I could have combed my own flesh for answers of self-worth’s stupid questions, and instead I punched my fist into the air and cheered. because I did not say thank you.

because my gratitude is reserved for whatever miracle met me and gave me this impossible life of beauty.

and forgiveness must tell you that anger should never be wasted on another woman, when it is my privilege to proclaim my body as mine and not the medias. and I pray freedom finds you like it did me, but goodness life is long and lessons find us when it is time.

you can #summerbody all you like, but the only #goals the physical body really has is to decay. and yes, skeletons, are like, really skinny - but damn does my soul have curves.

- Haley Jakobson

[oretsev]

tagged by @wherepoetsdie to share my last, current, & next reads (tysm!) ✨

last read: i fear my pain interests you by stephanie lacava – she did not interest me! mostly kept going bc it was short ngl

current read: how far the light reaches: a life in ten sea creatures by sabrina imbler – just started a couple days ago but liking it so far! queer stories & funky sea creatures what more can you ask for

next read: babel by rf kuang & old enough by haley jakobson – finally got my holds from the library 😎

tagging: @malinaa @rosesau @devilsadvocactus @malyenss @vokrats @alinastracker & literally everyone i love seeing what y’all read

[libraryleopard]

December reads

asterisk = reread

Blood to Poison by Mary Watson

Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni

The Mossheart’s Promise by Rebecca Mix

The Body’s Question by Tracy K. Smith

Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV et al 

The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan

Something More by Jackie Khalilieh

The Tent Generations: Poems edited by Mohammad Sawaie

Domestic Work by Natasha Trethewey

Hijabi Butch Blues by Lamya H

Old Enough by Haley Jakobson

Prom and Other Hazards by Jamie Sullivan

Poems on Friendship by various authors

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Palestine, Ferguson, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis

Before the Next Bomb Drops by Remi Kanazi

A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee

Rosewater by Liv Little

Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Unraveller by Frances Harding

Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty

OKPsyche by Anya Johanna DeNiro

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue

Lesbian Love Story: A Memoir in Archives by Amelia Possanza

The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall

Arden Grey by Ray Stoeve

The Best American Poetry edited by Matthew Zapruder and David Lehman

The House in Poplar Wood by K.E. Ormsbee

How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft, Practice, and Skill edited by Jericho Brown

The Adam of Two Edens by Mahmoud Darwish

The Feast Makers by H.A. Clarke

Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao

Gay Club! by Simon James Green

Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min

The King’s Assassin: the Secret Plot to Murder King James I by Benjamin Woolley

All Systems Red by Martha Wells*

Judas & Suicide by Maya Williams

You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea

Currently reading

Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire edited by Jehad Abusalim, Jennifer Bing, and Mike Merryman-Lotze

Salt Houses by Hala Alyan

Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju

The Secret Life of Albert Entwhistle by Matt Cain

[qbdatabase]

Versus! Old vs Grown

Old Enough Haley Jakobson • Adult Fiction / Romance, 2023, 336 pg• bisexual female MC x non-binary LI Savannah Sav Henry is almost the person she wants to be, or at least she’s getting closer. It’s the second semester of her sophomore year. She’s finally come out as bisexual, is making friends with the other queers in her dorm, and has just about recovered from her disastrous first queer…

[hydr0logicoutlook]

How many books did you read this year? not sure, I didn't keep track until like october unfortunately. But 70+

Did you reread anything? What? I reread Lirael/Sabriel/Abhorsen by Garth Nix which I've read like 4 or 5 times. my favorite YA fantasy of all time

What were your top five books of the year? Top 17 in no particular order:

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki Care Work by Leah Lakshmi Piepnzna-Samarasinha The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner Briefly, a Delicious Life by Nell Stevens The Electricity of Every Living Thing by Katherine May The Membranes by Chi Ta-wei All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Matthews Sterling Karat Gold by Isabel Waidner Old Enough by Haley Jakobson Chlorine by Jade Song The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez Extremely Online by Taylor Lorenz Love by Toni Morrison

Did you discover any new authors that you love this year? Yes I read two books by Ruth Ozeki and loved both. I also got more into David Graeber, I read Debt and Bullshit Jobs at the end of last year and really enjoyed The Dawn of Everything this year.

What genre did you read the most of? Hard to say since again I didn't keep track of everything and I haven't used goodreads in a couple years lol bc its owned by amazon but I would say leftist/leftist leaning nonfiction, contemporary fiction written by women and queer people, and fantasy/magical realism.

Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to? So much lol. But the oldest books on my tbr are No Touching by Ketty Rouf, Nature is a Human Right by Ellen Miles, Overtime by Will Stronge and Kyle Lewis, Ecrits by Jacques Lacan, and New Animal by Ella Baxter

Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones? Did not have any but I read way more than I have since I was in high school so I'm so happy about that!

Did you get into any new genres? I hadn't read a lot of magical realism (non heavy fantasy) that I'd really enjoyed before.

What was your favorite new release of the year? The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton, Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez, or All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Matthews

What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read? Geek Love by Katherine Dunn I think was the oldest book I read this year that I really liked. Or People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn is also a strong contender. Or Illness as Metaphor and AIDS and Its Metaphors by Susan Sontag. Or Love by Toni Morrison.

Any books that disappointed you? While I really enjoyed Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin and I would recommend it, I do think it has been somewhat overhyped and failed to live up to my expectations in some respects. I also did not enjoy Venco by Cherie Dimaline as much as I wanted to, given the premise is like a perfect intersection of things I enjoy in books. Try Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson instead, or the Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix for similar vibes but way more enjoyable.

What were your least favorite books of the year? I usually DNF books I don't like so hard to say for sure. Milk Fed by Melissa Broder was really not my vibe. I wasn't really surprised because I couldn't stand her previous book about the mermaid(?) but I did like her So Sad Today stuff. I also liked Norwegian Wood exactly as much as I was expecting to, which was, not very much. I've also decided I don't really enjoy reading short story collections.

What books do you want to finish before the year is over? I am currently reading My Tiny Life by Julian Dibbel and Fossil Capital by Andreas Malm, both of which are very dense and I have kind of been sloughing through. Both are super interesting though so hopefully I finish them by the end of the month instead of just reading fiction which I read way faster.

Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them? I just looked at the lists for all the awards listed here and literally the only book I read was Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldor which was nominated for best novel at this years Hugo awards LOL. I added some other ones to my tbr though. I thought it was fun but nothing incredible! I'll read the sequels (my standard of quality for fantasy is a lot lower than other genres lol)

What is the most over-hyped book you read this year? Def Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin even though it WAS really good!

Did any books surprise you with how good they were? Yes I was not expecting to enjoy Pageboy by Elliot Page as much as I did! Really well done celebrity memoir. Also I was worried that Extremely Online by Taylor Lorenz would just be about stuff I already knew but it was actually super interesting and went down a bunch of rabbit holes I didn't know a ton about and had great analysis.

How many books did you buy? Way too many. But mostly very cheap on Thriftbooks!

Did you use your library? Oh boy, you wouldn't even believe.

What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations? I was very excited for README.txt by Chelsea Manning and it did not disappoint (yes it came out in 2022 but I took a second to get to it okay). I also had The Free People's Village by Sim Kern on hold way before it came out and I really enjoyed it!

Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama? no lmao. i watched a couple youtube videos about tiktok book drama and it was the stupidest shit ive ever seen

What’s the longest book you read? Probably Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez. I did listen to it on audio which is the only way I am really able to get through books that long. The longest book I read with my eyes was probably The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki.

What’s the fastest time it took you to read a book? This is a silly question bc I read some pretty short books. Several books under two hundred pages only took me a few hours.

Did you DNF anything? Why? so much stuff i can't even explain

What reading goals do you have for next year? Keep reading at the pace I am now! and hopefully keep track of the books this time, but not feel pressured to share about books im reading if I don't want to

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: Literary Fiction About College Students

The Adult by Bronwyn Fischer Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever Old Enough by Haley Jakobson We Do What We Do in the Dark by Michelle Hart Bonus: Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah is about a college dropout

[hellomynameisbisexual]

When you first start to consider that you might be bisexual, a whole new world of possibilities suddenly opens up. Essentially, your personal dating pool just doubled in size at a time when you’re still trying to figure out your own identity. It can be a lot. Here’s how to explore your bisexuality without getting overwhelmed.

Feel out what this means for you, however you want

There’s a big misconception that goes along with coming out, so let’s dispel it right away: You don’t have to immediately start getting physical with people to prove to yourself or others that you “really” are bi.

Haley Jakobson, a writer based in Brooklyn, explained that there is a lot of pressure on newly-out people to “prove” their sexuality, but that pressure is unfairly and unequally applied to the LGBTQ+ community. She pointed out that it would be bizarre for an adult to tell a child they couldn’t possibly know they were straight until they kissed a classmate of the opposite gender, so it should be seen as equally inappropriate to say something like that to a newly-out bisexual adult.

Kissing and physical touch may not even be your primary objective in this journey, either, and that’s totally fine. Jakobson pointed out that engaging in community could be a priority that outweighs intimacy and suggested going to queer bars, posting on LGBTQ+ community-based apps and forums, and listening to podcasts and reading books about sexuality.

“These are all things you can do without actually, you know, smooching someone,” she said. “I think that when we say ‘explore sexuality,’ we kind of immediately think of getting intimate or fucking someone, and I think that’s not great because that’s a lot of pressure.”

She added that there is “trial and error” involved in finding compatibility and chemistry with anyone. Don’t rush into that. There is no right or wrong way to explore. Go as slowly as you need or want to. Spend some time messaging back and forth on a dating app. Flirt at a queer bookstore or club.

Be patient with yourself

Once someone begins identifying as bisexual, Jakobson said, there are plenty of potential issues to contend with. There can be feelings of imposter syndrome, internalized biphobia, and patriarchal expectations of what a bisexual person even is to deal with, she said.

There are stereotypes and stigmas associated with bisexual people, too, and that sort of external force can really wear you down. Bisexual people can be seen as promiscuous, unable to “just choose” a side, or interested in leading people on. It’s not wholly on you to shatter these misconceptions, so remember to do what is best for yourself and not shoulder the weight of society’s incorrect takes. There are people doing great work in the space—writing like Jakobson, or podcasting or posting or advocating in myriad ways for the community—but you don’t have to do that if you aren’t yet comfortable. Work on your own journey day by day.

Instead of focusing on any negativity, embrace the good and fun parts of your queerness, Jakobson said. She noted that she thinks about herself and her sexuality through a joyful frame: “I’m so valid and I’m hot and cool and sexy and just this endless container for love and that deserves to be celebrated.”

You’re not alone, so find your community

No matter how old you are, where you live, or what culture you were raised in, coming out can be a little hard—and acting on your newly-confirmed identity can be hard, too.

Jakobson recommended talking to other LGBTQ+ people online, finding a queer-friendly therapist, and “coming out to people who are just going to be absolutely overjoyed for you.”

“In the coming-out journey we can easily focus on the people who won’t get it but go first to the people who will feel so honored that you are able to express your identity to them,” she said, adding you should “lean into the joy or just kind of deal with the hardship as it comes.”

You can take small steps to feel more involved in the community, go at your own pace, and make friends as you do it all. Remember that you’re worthy of love, respect, and a welcoming attitude.

Sometimes, no matter how many how-to guides you read, this will be overwhelming, but with a little grounding and a group of supportive friends around you, you’ll be fine.

“I choose everyday to lean into the parts of my queerness that are just fun and light and easy,” said Jakobson, “and because I do that, I’m able to hold the parts that are overwhelming.”

[thatwasthenightthingschanged]

my favorite reads of 2023!

as you may or may not know, I've been making a yearly list for the books I've read for three years now & I've also been summing up my favorite reads of the year in a post at the end of the year, which is what this post is all about! here are my favorite books I read this year:

Lark and Kasim Start a Revolution - Kacen Callender: I think I already rambled on about how much I adored this book too much on here (as well as in a lengthy review on goodreads oops) but I still genuinely think everyone should read this book at least once in their life, and I'm not saying that light-heartedly. also I would die for Kacen Callender's books in general, but we been knew I guess oops

Solitaire - Alice Oseman: I read up on the rest of Alice's books I hadn't read yet this year and Solitaire was a standout one for me (although I like them all)! I just think that the book handles topics like mental health and sexuality so well and I'm SO excited for the next season of Heartstopper in which Michael will appear ah!

Imogen, Obviously - Beky Albertalli: it also comes as no surprise to anyone, ever, that Becky's latest book is on that list BUT I do have to say that this the release of hers that was published post-Love, Simon that I connected with the most! it really hits the head on the struggles of discovering your own bisexuality & I'm always here for a bi mc!

Old Enough - Haley Jakobson: speaking of bi mcs, I think I also need to mention this book! I get that for a lot of people the plot is messy/all over the place but I just personally really enjoyed how unapologetically bi the protagonist are & this was just a really refreshing read for me. it certainly might not be for everyone but it definitely was a book for me!

[90stvqueen]

got my headshots taken yesterday ladies

they/them/she/her | photographer: haley jakobson

[thatsyourgold]

I have lived in my body long enough to know the compass always points inward.

Haley Jakobson

[herlittlehideaway]

my sweet human mentors and trains volunteers at The Trevor Project to become crisis callers for their suicide lifeline. I am listening to them (if there is anything i'm better at than writing, it is eavesdropping) give the most kind and genuine feedback after a really hard role-play and I cannot believe how lucky I am to be in love with someone who is quite literally the most car(o)ing person I have ever met.  on our first date they told me about the work they do for Trevor my heart absolutely stopped. had I really worked so hard in my life to make my way to this human? could I truly stand up and be the partner they deserved? I am many incredible things and I am also impatient and judgmental and have a huge writer's ego. meeting Caro was an offering from whatever is greater than all of us - one that said everything you have claimed you want to be: good and kind and patient, alive and awake, you will see that every day in this person. my writing mentor @nancyjillaronie talks about our teachers. the ones that god picks for us, scratching their heads and rubbing their hands together as they scheme. nancy says that god claps and shouts when they know they've found the right match.  so here I am, interrupting my selfie-taking and tik-tok scrolling, to eavesdrop and cry and remind myself that the lesson is only as far as the next room.

Haley Jakobson

[lettersforyoulettersforme]

March 24, 2020

What brings me joy?

- Movies, “The Office,” seeing Val asleep on the couch, coming home to Stephen, folded laundry, a clean kitchen, a full fridge, frozen pizza and ice cream, a great gin and tonic with St. Germaine, a full schedule, nothing to do that Saturday and no guilt about it, calls with Hayley on the drive home, therapy sessions that feel affirming, essential oils, the smell of pine, hikes, particularly after I’ve passed that first mile, a new Haley Jakobson post, when the Bachelor is on, water colors, deep conversations, smiles from strangers, driving without any traffic, hitting all the green lights, my thank you note from my former patients, coffee with hazelnut creamer, texts from friends, when it’s sunny but not too hot

How am I showing up?

- I’m coming to work. I got on my yoga mat this morning. I feel so worn down right now though, it’s not even funny. Like I genuinely feel like I won’t make it through the day and will need to leave early. 

- I have two groups with patients today - one at 11 and one at 1 and then a call with parents at 12. That’s what I have for today and I’m going to do my best to show up as genuinely and with as much energy as I can muster. Perhaps those are contradictory, but 

What am I feeling?

- Worn down, like I’m faking it, emotional, exhausted, empty

What offers me comfort?

- Knowing that I get to go home soon and that I can hopefully go home early

- Knowing that I don’t have to do any of this alone

- Knowing we have a full fridge 

- Therapy at 5 today

What gives me hope?

- Not the news... though hopefully about this relief bill that is in the process of being passed

- Stephen at home

- My books that are on their way to me!