#How To Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok

[slashingdisneypasta]

(For context, Stella is one of the missing girls in this book)

Maybe it's just wishful thinking but THAT. SEEMS. SUS. DOESNT IT???

[theforbiddentower]

"Playing games with me, Iris?" Collin purrs. "How interesting. You're less like your sister than I thought. You know, she was still alive after she fell over that banister. She begged me to call an ambulance, but of course I couldn't do that, because then I'd have to explain what she was doing at my house in the first place. So I put her out of her misery instead."

- How To Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok

[the-final-sentence]

And neither will we.

Victoria Wlosok, from How to Find a Missing Girl

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💜 Queer Book Releases Coming Out September 2023

🦇 Trying to read queer all year? Make sure to check out these queer September releases!

❤️ Forget I Told You This by Hilary Zaid 🧡 The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans 💛 The Lonely Book by Meg Grehan 💚 Every Star That Falls by Michael Thomas Ford 💙 Fly With Me by Andie Burke 💜 Wound by Oksana Vasyakina 🖤 Into the Bright Open by Cherie Dimaline ❤️ A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee 🧡 Straight Expectations by Callum McSwiggan 💛 Herc by Phoenicia Rogerson 💚 Deephaven by Ethan M. Aldridge 💙 The Mossheart’s Promise by Rebecca Mix

💜 Those Pink Mountain Nights by Jen Ferguson 🖤 The Borrow a Boyfriend Club by Page Powars ❤️ Ryan and Avery by David Levithan 🧡 What Stalks Among Us by Sarah Hollowell 💛 Your Lonely Nights Are Over by Adam Sass 💚 The Meadows by Stephanie Oakes 💙 A Hundred Vicious Turns by Lee Paige O’Brien 💜 Monstrous by Jessica Lewis 🖤 OKPsyche by Anya Johanna DeNiro ❤️ Cursebreakers by Madeleine Nakamura 🧡 The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu 💛 Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz

💚 You, Again by Kate Goldbeck 💙 Godkiller by Hannah Kaner 💜 The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven 🖤 Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo ❤️ A Market of Dreams and Destiny by Trip Galey 🧡 A Crown So Cursed by L.L. McKinney 💛 In the Ring by Sierra Isley 💚 How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok 💙 This Spells Disaster by Tori Anne Martin 💜 The Free People’s Village by Sim Kern 🖤 Idlewild by James Frankie Thomas ❤️ Glitter and Concrete: A Cultural History of Drag in NYC by Elyssa Maxx Goodman

🧡 Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner 💛 Mall Goth by Kate Leth 💚 The Siren, the Song, and the Spy by Maggie Tokuda Hall 💙 This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson 💜 A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles 🖤 The Problem with Gravity by Michelle Mohrweis ❤️ Alex Wise vs. the End of the World by Terry J. Benton-Walker

[the-forest-library]

December 2023 Reads

The Witchwood Knot - Olivia Atwater

A Holiday by Gaslight - Mimi Matthews

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

The Good Part - Sophie Cousins

Faking Christmas - Kerry Winfrey

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love - Lex Croucher

Every Time You Go Away - Abigail Johnson

Second Chances in New Port Stephen - T.J. Alexander

The Spectacular - Fiona Davis

Below Zero - Ali Hazelwood

Happiness Falls - Angie Kim

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank - Elle Cosimano

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone - Benjamin Stevenson

How to Find a Missing Girl - Victoria Wlosok

What Lies in the Woods - Kate Alice Marshall

Thinking of You - Beth Evans

Seance Tea Party - Reimena Yee

I am Superman - Brad Meltzer

Making It So - Patrick Stewart

Happy People Are Annoying - Josh Peck

Gentle Chaos - Tyler Gaca

The Comfort of Crows - Margaret Renkl

Laid and Confused - Maria Yagoda

Butts - Heather Radke

Imposter No More - Jill A. Stoddard

A Life in Light - Mary Pipher

What the F - Benjamin K. Bergen

Seek - Scott Shigeoka

Nobody's Fool - Daniel Simons

Call You When I Land - Nikki Vargas

When the Game Was War - Rich Cohen

Mostly Veggies - Brittany Mullins

One-Pot Magic - Good Housekeeping

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts: 

If you liked Olivia Atwater's Regency Faerie Tales, definitely give The Witchwood Knot a try. It had a lot of the same magic.

When the Game Was War filled the void left by Winning Time. These tales of the magic of 80s basketball align with the one time in my life I had interest in the sport. It has been fun revisiting that time, and WTGWW provided a nice deep dive into elements and players that Winning Time was unable to explore in its short run.

Goodreads Goal: 432/400 

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads | 

2022 Reads | 2023 Reads

[morebedsidebooks]

12 Autumnal Reads With Pan Rep

As the days grow longer in the Northern hemisphere we don more layers, grab a hot drink, and say goodbye to summer. While maybe too cuddling up with a book. In similar fashion to the past for Pan Pride Day with wintry stories, and Pan Visibility Day for sunny reads, this time I’ve put together a list of examples offering pan rep set around the autumn season. Across demographics, several genres, and various lengths, the cozy to murderous, feasibly one will fit that next read. But no matter what may suit one’s tastes and whims, as always happy reading! (For content notes please see my reviews on Storygraph.)

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows, boasting a gorgeous autumn leaf themed cover, is a hefty first installment in the fantasy series the The Tithenai Chronicles. An unprecedented surprise diplomatic marriage between nobles Velasin vin Aro (gay) and Caethari Xai Aeduria, (bi/pan) sparks more than attraction. Violence, murder, and a hefty dose of intrigue swirl.

The Adventures of Isabel by Candas Jane Dorsey, the first in the Epitome Apartments Mystery series with a cast of colorful characters, is an offbeat mystery. Opening in September, at its center a coarse Canadian ex-social worker turned clueless amateur detective (bisexual/ambisexual/pansexual). Convinced to investigate the murder of a friend’s granddaughter, more than a case will end up cracking.

All the Things We Do in the Dark by Saundra Mitchell is a YA psychological thriller. Set in small-town Maine in October and told by Ava (pan), a 17-year-old with PTSD who stumbles on the body of a murdered teenage girl. Scared, haunted, and distrustful she’ll sleuth out a killer while trying to hold herself together. Author Saundra Mitchell is also pansexual. Note this is furthermore a title that has been banned in some libraries in the US.

Bride of the Corpse King by Emily Shore is a New Adult dark fantasy retelling of Hades and Persephone. Needing the winnings for her family, Isla Adayra (pansexual) enters the Bone Games. Further to escape a match with a dreadful lascivious Elder, she’ll offer herself to one more powerful the Corpse King. Allysteir accepted his duty of the gods’ Curse, but year after year the cost bearing the spirit of the God of Death weighs heavily. Allysteir doesn’t want another bride, but Isla just might be strong enough to tempt Death and even more.

The Ghosts of Halloweenby Ceillie Simkiss takes a light Christmas Carol vibe presenting three bite-sized Halloween short stories about couple Cora (panromantic asexual) and Elena (lesbian) from the Learning Curves series, I previously mentioned in my wintry post. Expect more of what makes this romance series a treat. Author Ceillie Simkiss is also panromantic asexual.

The Home I Find with You by Skye Kilaen is a hopepunk polyam romance set in the aftermath of a second civil war in the United States. Van (pan) the lead defender for a circuit of towns in rural Colorado with his girlfriend Hadas meet Clark (gay,) after Clark shows up unexpectedly in the aptly named Freshtown. As a previous threat and winter also approach, this is a hopeful title centered on people and kindness in spite of violence that may leave the reader feeling warm inside as well. Author Skye Kilaen is also bi/pan.

How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok, a fresh debut YA thriller, features an amateur teenage sleuth Iris Blackthorn (cis pansexual) with two of her friends, Sammy Valdez-Taylors (cis lesbian) and Imani Turner (non-binary lesbian). The trio forms a sapphic detective agency out to solve the disappearance of two people close to Iris as the clock ticks down during the Louisiana autumn. Author Victoria Wlosok is also pansexual.

Sweet to the Core by Amy Aislin set in a small seaside town in Maine is a romance novel between Dev (gay) who owns his own bakery and his cousin’s best friend Clark (pansexual) a wildlife biologist. Dev’s harbored a crush on Clark since childhood. Clark is usually a no-strings-attached guy. But set aside the pumpkin spice and enjoy another staple of the autumn season— apples. When the two team up entering an inaugural baking contest with a sizeable cash prize, mouthwatering baked goods aren’t the only thing that is very sweet.

Trick or Treat by Sydney Blackburn is good if you’re in the festive mood for a sweet little, short story Halloween treat featuring Drew (genderfluid pansexual) and David (cis bisexual) meeting on All Hallows’ Eve. 

Vampirella from horror host to heroinesince 1969 has become a sensual pansexual icon enthralling comic readers across the globe. Including me with Vampi having the honour of being the first pan character I knew of. If you need some direction on what to read, SYFY has a Pull List for the Legacy of Vampirella. (Though I’d skip anything by Warren Ellis.)

Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas has Kalyn and Gus two teenagers that become unlikely friends despite a decades old murder that connects them. Set in small-town lush Kentucky autumn with a smell “like sticky cinnamon”, the slow burn here isn’t romance— but a mystery. There’s abundant queerness: Kalyn likes girls. Gus questions and is regarded as pansexual by many readers and critics to quote “When it comes to people, I care about personality before anything else, and gender’s another characteristic that factors into that. Maybe that does land me in one queer realm or another”. Plus, his mother has a female partner. Too note, garnering young adult award nominations, this is another title that has been listed among book challenges.

The Witches of Portland series by T. Thorn Coyle brings readers an urban fantasy with a social justice basis and dash of romance. Each installment focuses on different members of the Arrow and Crescent coven in Portland, Oregon. If you’re intimidated by the full nine-volume set don’t worry, the books also can be read as standalones. Author T. Thorn Coyle is also bi/pan/queer.

By Dusk (Book 7) set around the autumn equinox features coven member Moss (pansexual) an environmental activist working to prevent pollution of the Willamette. And new to Portland, the rich, on the surface carefree party girl Shaggy. The two previously hooked up at a festival but might have more.

By Dark (Book 8) set in the last week of October thru Dia de Los Muertos features coven member Alejandro (bisexual/pansexual) an IT consultant entering a midlife crisis and his likewise polyamorous partner Shekinah (queer) a graphic designer and Kundalini yoga devotee. But when a friend of Shekinah’s starts having terrifying visions that also besiege Alejandro, it’s an interfaith all-hands-on-deck to uncover dark secrets and affect something terrible afoot in Portland.

[lunasbookshelf4]

My TBR for 2024 till now (goal is to read 30 books):

1. This lie will kill you - Chelsea Pitcher

2. Sense and sensibility - Jane Austen

3. The summer she went missing - Chelsea Ichaso

4. Little women (currently reading) - Louisa May Alcott

5. All the hunger games books - Suzanne Collins

6. We were liars - E. Lockhart

7. Five survive - Holly jackson

8. The picture of dorian gray - Oscar Wilde

9. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

10. This book kills - Ravena Guron

11. Catch your death - Ravena Guron

12. Emma - Jane Austen

13. How to find a missing girl - Victoria Wlosok

14. Once upon a broken heart - Stephanie Garber

15. The seven husbands of evelyn hugo - Taylor Jenkins reid

16. The silent patient - Alex Michaelides

17. The perks of being a wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

18. The secret history - Donna Tartt

Feel free to comment recommendations <3

[bookaddict24-7]

New Young Adult Releases! (September 19th, 2023)

___

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

___

New Standalones/First in a Series:

Nightbreaker by Coco Ma

When A Brown Girl Flees by Aamna Qureshi

How to Find A Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok

A Prayer for Vengeance by Leanne Schwartz

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

Of Dreams & Destiny by Sandhya Menon

All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake

The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven

The Only Girl in Town by Ally Condie

The Collectors by Various

Running Past Dark by Han Nolan

Archives of Despair by Caleb Finn

New Sequels:

Shadow Coven (The Witchery #2) by S. Isabelle

A Crown So Cursed (The Nightmare-Verse #3) by L.L. McKinney

___

Happy reading!

[lesbereading]

books i read in 2023

I completely forgot to make a post like this. Then again, I forgot I had this blog. So here it is now

In 2023, I managed to read 55 books in total!

THE TOLL by Neil Shusterman [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER by Holly Jackson [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

GOOD GIRL, BAD BLOOD by Holly Jackson [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

AS GOOD AS DEAD by Holly Jackson [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

KILLJOY by Holly Jackson [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

DOROTHY MUST DIE by Danielle Page [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens [⭐️/5]

WHITE SMOKE by Tiffany D. Jackson [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

HOUSE OF HOLLOW by Krystal Sutherland [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

WILDER GIRLS by Rory Power [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

LOCKWOOD&CO: THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE by Jonathan Stroud [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

HORRID by Katrina Leno [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

THEY'LL NEVER CATCH US by Jessica Goodman [⭐️⭐️/5]

SHE WHO RIDES THE STORM by Catherine Sangster [⭐️⭐️/5]

ONE OF US IS LYING by Karen M. McManus [⭐️⭐️/5]

GIRL IN PIECES by Kathleen Glasgow [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

EMILY WILDE'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES by Heather Fawcett [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

FAKING REALITY by Sara Fujimura [⭐️/5]

A SEMI-DEFINITIVE LIST OF WORST NIGHTMARES by Krystal Sutherland [⭐️/5]

AURORA RISING by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff [⭐️⭐️/5]

AURORA BURNING by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

AURORA'S END by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff [⭐️/5]

SIEGE & STORM by Leigh Bardugo [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

HOLLOW CITY by Ransom Riggs [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE by Samantha Shannon [⭐️/5]

SERPENT & DOVE by Shelby Mahurin [⭐️/5]

BLOOD & HONEY by Shelby Mahurin [⭐️/5]

A THOUSAND BOY KISSES by Tillie Cole [⭐️⭐️/5]

SHE GETS THE GIRL by Rachael Lippincott, Alyson Derrick [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

GOOD GIRLS DIE FIRST by Kathryn Foxfield [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

THE IVIES by Alexa Donne [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

THE HEADMASTER'S LIST by Melissa de la Cruz [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

BURN OUR BODIES DOWN by Rory Power [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

WHAT WE ALL SAW by Mike Lucas [⭐️/5]

6 TIMES WE ALMOST KISSED (AND ONE TIME WE DID) by Tess Sharpe [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

CINDERELLA IS DEAD by Kalynn Bayron [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

ROYALS by Tegan Bennet Daylight [⭐️⭐️/5]

THE PRISON HEALER by Lynette Noni [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

THE GILDED CAGE by Lynette Noni [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

THE BLOOD TRAITOR by Lynette Noni [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

KILLER CONTENT by Kiley Roache [⭐️⭐️/5]

EXTASIA by Claire Legrand [⭐️/5]

THE CHEERLEADERS by Kara Thomas [⭐️⭐️/5]

FIVE SURVIVE by Holly Jackson [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND THE CITY by Rachael Lippincott [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

IMOGEN, OBVIOUSLY by Becky Albertalli [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

THE WICKED KING by Holly Black [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

THE QUEEN OF NOTHING by Holly Black [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

LOVE IS FOR LOSERS by Wibke Brueggemann [⭐️/5]

THE GIRLS I'VE BEEN by Tess Sharpe [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

HOW TO FIND A MISSING GIRL by Victoria Wlosok [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5)

WHEN GHOSTS CALL US HOME by Katya de Becerra [⭐️⭐️/5]

THE STOLEN HEIR by Holly Black [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

SHE IS A HAUNTING by Trang Thanh Tran [⭐️⭐️⭐️/5]

[sapphiccore]

Hi :) I love books where there's a mismatched group of people running around, trying to solve a murder or just mystery in general. 'Clue: The movie's is the general vibe, if you have seen that film. Do you have any recommendations for books like this? I'm constantly looking for books similar to that. Thanks have a nice day 😘

ahh yay!! well I have indeed seen Clue so obviously you should check out some Agatha Christie. my favourite is actually Crooked House.

of course this blog is about wlw stuff so i recommend How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok, which has really fun characterisation and is about a woman trying to find her missing ex

ooh and The Trees by Percival Everett is a really funny, moving account of racially motivated murders in the Deep South. It sounds depressing - which obviously it is, on most levels - but the characters are literally hilarious and it definitely has the rag-tag bunch of misfits vibe you’re after. it’s very different to the movie Clue (a bit less mysterious and more character-driven) but i think you’d like it

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz has that cosy mystery vibe that sounds right up your street, though. I’d actually start w this!

[chaosgirlinformer31]

How to Find a Missing Girl By Victoria Wlosok

Summary:

For fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and Veronica Mars, this whip-smart thriller follows a sapphic detective agency as they seek the truth behind a growing trail of missing girls in small-town Louisiana. 

A year ago, beloved cheerleader Stella Blackthorn vanished without a trace. Devastated, her younger sister, Iris, launched her own investigation, but all she managed to do was scare off the police’s only lead and earn a stern warning: Once she turns eighteen, more meddling means prison-level consequences. Then, a year later, the unthinkable happens. Iris’s ex-girlfriend, Heather, goes missing, too—just after dropping the polarizing last episode of her true crime podcast all about Iris’s sister. This time, nothing will stop Iris and her amateur sleuthing agency from solving these disappearances. But with a suspicious detective watching her every move, an enemy-turned-friend-turned-maybe-more to contend with, and only thirty days until she turns eighteen, it’s a race against the clock for Iris to solve the most dangerous case of her life.

----

I recently brought this book yesterday and I thought it would be interesting to read... I love crime novels or any other book that is interesting to me, I have full of books that I haven't read or read over the years. I decided to go back to reading since I've been working and didn't have enough time.

[slashingdisneypasta]

My suspects for this Missing Girl Case in How to Find a Missing Girl (Victoria Wlosok):

Mr Cooper -> I'm sorry, I know the young male (not always male, but mostly) teacher is not always the killer, he's sometimes there to throw your scent off the real killer, but I can't help it. I mean?? He went on a podcast to talk about the missing girl. That is HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOUR, to me, even if other teachers (and friends) did as well.

Arden Blake: I dunno what she has to do with it but she is NOT INNOCENT! I swear. She looks just like the missing girl!! And the missing girl has an awol father who the missing girl is said to l o o k j u s t l i k e? At this point I'm thinking they could be half sister's or something.

I will be back when I'm finished with the book to say how wrong I got it 😅😅😅😆

[lovelyloveday]

How to Find a Missing Girl is a heart-pounding story that is riddled with twists and turns. This refreshingly snappy, quick, and all-consuming read had me hooked from start to finish. I simply couldn't put it down. The characters in this well-written book are intriguing and captivating.

How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok   https://bit.ly/3OWl4qM

[lainahastoomuchsparetime]

Can’t Wait Wednesday (219): Has anyone said Veronica Mars meets Sadie but sapphic? Because that.

Can’t Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa of Wishful Endings. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, which was created by Jill of Breaking the Spine. How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok Release date: September 19th, 2023 Summary (from goodreads): A year ago, beloved cheerleader Stella Blackthorn vanished without a trace. Devastated, her younger sister, Iris, launched her own…

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

Pansexual & Panromantic Pride

✨💖💛💙✨

💖 Happy belated Panromantic & Pansexual Pride Day (December 8)! To all my pan bookish bats, I see you. 💛 As always, I can't stress the importance of having these books on our shelves, to boost awareness and support for our queer community. Here are a few books featuring pansexual and panromantic characters! 💙

✨ What’s your favorite pan book? Share the title and tag the author in the comments!

💖 Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer 💛 In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland 💙 Scoreless Game by Anna Zabo and L.A. Witt 💖 Soft on Soft by Mina Waheed 💛 Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min 💙 Bad at Love by Gabriela Martins 💖 A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth 💛 Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore 💙 The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli 💖 Final Draft by Riley Redgate 💛 Get It Right by Skye Kilaen 💙 The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore

💖 Chef’s Choice by TJ Alexander 💛 How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok 💙 For Never & Always by Helena Greer 💖 In the City of Time by Gwendolyn Clare 💛 Ship It by Britta Lundin 💙 It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland 💖 Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur 💛 Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly 💙 Man O’ War by Cory McCarthy 💖 The (Un)popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez 💛 Loveless by Alice Oseman 💙 A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

💖 The Library of the Unwritten by AJ Hackwith 💛 Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan 💙 One Step at a Time by Lily Seabrooke 💖 For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes 💛 Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas 💙 Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta 💖 This Rebel Heart by Katherine Locke 💛 Pyre at the Eyreholme Trust by Lin Darrow 💙 Drag Me Up by R.M. Virtues 💖 Extra Witchy by Ann Aguirre 💛 Ben and Beatriz by Katalina Gamarra 💙 The Adventures of Isabel by Candas Jane Dorsey

[thegirlwiththelantern]

When I write book release posts on my book blog, China Sorrows, it's books I'm excited about. But in looking for 2023 releases I came across quite a few books I don't want to read but which would probably be really exciting to other people, so here some are.

Quick note- because I'm not covering them on my blog I didn't hunt through various sources and if the one I found doesn't list a synopsis I won't. I also don't list for sequels in case of spoilers.

How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok (sapphic)

In this YA thriller, 17-year-old amateur sleuth Iris and her sapphic detective agency decide to investigate when Iris's ex-girlfriend—notorious for creating a polarizing true-crime podcast about Iris's missing sister—disappears too.

Home by Cailean Steed (queer)

Someone has broken into Zoe's flat. A man she thought she'd never have to see again. They call him the Hand of God. He knows about her job in the cafe, her life in Dublin, her ex-girlfriend, even the knife she's hidden under the mattress. She thought she'd left him far behind, along with the cult of the Children and their isolated compound Home - but now he's found her, and she knows she must go back to rescue the sister who helped her escape all those years before. But returning to Home means going back to the enforced worship and strict gender roles Zoe has long since moved beyond; back to the abuse and indoctrination she's fought desperately to overcome. Going back will make her question everything she believed about her past - but could also risk her hard-won freedom. Can she break free a second time? One - My name is Zoe Two - I am here to rescue my sister Amy Three - Nothing anyone says here is true Four - Four - What is my fourth true thing?

Damned If You Do by Alex Brown (queer, filipino)

High school stage manager Cordelia Scott learns that she may have accidentally sold her soul to a demon, and now she must help him neutralize a demonic rival or risk spending eternity in Hell --all while navigating a disastrous Tech Week, her feelings for her best friend (who might be a monster), and way too many pop quizzes.

Biance Torre is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans (nonbinary)

Sixteen-year-old Bianca Torre is an avid birder undergoing a gender identity crisis and grappling with an ever-growing list of fears. Some, like Fear #6: Initiating Conversation, keep them constrained, forcing them to watch birds from the telescope in their bedroom. And, occasionally, their neighbors. When their gaze wanders from the birds to one particular window across the street, Bianca witnesses a creepy plague-masked murderer take their neighbor’s life. Worse, the death is ruled a suicide, forcing Bianca to make a choice—succumb to their long list of fears (including #3: Murder and #55: Breaking into a Dead Guy’s Apartment) or investigate what happened. Bianca enlists the help of their friend Anderson Coleman, but the two have more knowledge of anime than true crime. As Bianca and Anderson dig deeper into the murder with a little help from Bianca’s crush and fellow birding aficionado, Elaine Yee (#13: Beautiful People, #11: Parents Discovering They’re A Raging Lesbian), the trio uncovers a conspiracy much larger—and weirder—than imagined. But when the killer catches wind of the investigation, Bianca’s #1 fear of public speaking doesn’t sound so bad compared to the threat of being silenced for good.

Truly Wanted by J.J. Hale (sapphic)

After a chaotic childhood in a long line of foster homes, Sam McKenna found her version of serenity in her friendship with Brooke Fields. When tragedy forces Brooke to become a single mother, Sam is there for her. Sam ignores the crush she’s had on Brooke since college. Their relationship is too precious to risk. After the loss of her husband, Brooke finally dips her toes back into the dating world only to have each encounter end in disaster. If it wasn’t for Sam by her side picking her back up, she might give up on ever finding love again. After a night of unexpected passion when Brooke and Sam cross the line of friendship, Brooke can’t help but yearn for more with Sam. A chance encounter leads Brooke and Sam on a journey to Sam’s birth family, uncovering the ghosts of Sam’s past and revealing wounds that threaten the friendship both once believed to be indestructible, and any chance for something more.

Bleeding Heart (Cardplay #2) by Brittany M. Willows (ace, pan, queerplatonic)

Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H. (memoir)

When fourteen-year-old Lamya H realizes she has a crush on her teacher—her female teacher—she covers up her attraction, an attraction she can’t yet name, by playing up her roles as overachiever and class clown. Born in South Asia, she moved to the Middle East at a young age and has spent years feeling out of place, like her own desires and dreams don’t matter, and it’s easier to hide in plain sight. To disappear. But one day in Quran class, she reads a passage about Maryam that changes everything: when Maryam learned that she was pregnant, she insisted no man had touched her. Could Maryam, uninterested in men, be . . . like Lamya?  From that moment on, Lamya makes sense of her struggles and triumphs by comparing her experiences with some of the most famous stories in the Quran. She juxtaposes her coming out with Musa liberating his people from the pharoah; asks if Allah, who is neither male nor female, might instead be nonbinary; and, drawing on the faith and hope Nuh needed to construct his ark, begins to build a life of her own—ultimately finding that the answer to her lifelong quest for community and belonging lies in owning her identity as a queer, devout Muslim immigrant.

Citizens of Shadow: A Vampire Tale by Nicole Eigener (queer)

BEGUILED BY NIGHT: BOOK TWO. In which the vampire Vauquelin's tale continues. A queer dark fantasy of vampires, time travel, and sinister secrets that threaten to unravel an eternal existence.

Dragonfall by L.R. Lam (queer, nonbinary)

Long ago, humans betrayed dragons, stealing their magic and banishing them to a dying world. Centuries later, their descendants worship dragons as gods. But the 'gods' remember, and they do not forgive. Thief Arcady scrapes a living on the streets of Vatra. Desperate, Arcady steals a powerful artifact from the bones of the Plaguebringer, the most hated person in Lumet history. Only Arcady knows the artifact's magic holds the key to a new life among the nobles at court and a chance for revenge. The spell connects to Everen, the last male dragon foretold to save his kind, dragging him through the Veil. Disguised as a human, Everen soon learns that to regain his true power and form and fulfil his destiny, he only needs to convince one little thief to trust him enough to bond completel - -body, mind, and soul - and then kill them. Yet the closer the two become, the greater the risk both their worlds will shatter.

Tears in the Water by Margherita Scialla (queer, pan, gender questioning)

Spell Binder by F.T. Lukens

Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed. Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, and Rook minds less and less. But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.

Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni (queer)

Best friends and chosen family Chris, Elise, Jo, and Alex work hard to keep themselves afloat. Their regular brunches hold them together even as the rest of their lives threaten to fall apart. In an effort to avoid being the oldest gays at the party, the crew decides to put on a new queer event called Grind–specifically for homos in their dirty thirties. Grind is a welcome distraction from their real problems: after a messy divorce, Chris adjusts to being a single parent while struggling to reconnect to their queer community. Elise is caught between feelings for her boss and the career of her dreams. Jo tries to navigate the murky boundaries of being a supportive friend and taking care of her own needs. And Alex is guarding a secret that might change his friendships forever. While navigating exes at work, physical and mental exhaustion, and drinking way, way too much on weekdays, this chosen family proves that being messy doesn’t always go away with age.

Jamie by L.D. Lapinski (nonbinary)

Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who likes nothing better than hanging out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash. But when the trio find out that in Year Seven they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk. And when Jamie realises no one has thought about where they are going to go, they decide to take matters into their own hands, and sort it all out once and for all. As the friends' efforts to raise awareness eventually become a rooftop protest against the binary rules for the local schools, Jamie realises that if they don't figure out a way forwards, they might be at risk of losing both their friends forever.

Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric Larocca (queer)

Evil waits for the unsuspecting in the small town of Henley's Edge, Connecticut after a recent string of unexplained disappearances. Lives are interwoven and transformed forever when pacts are drawn, deals are made, and when hatred is left unrestrained. Some will succumb to the darkness that lurks in the cellar of Mr. Heart Crowley's home, others will resist, and some will face a truly remarkable being--creator of tides, vessel of infinity, eater of darkness.

Now She Is Witch by Kirsty Logan (queer)

She dug her mother's grave in the poison garden so it would stay hidden... Lux has lost everything when Else finds her, alone in the woods. Her family, her lover, her home - all burned. The world is suspicious of women like her, neither maiden nor mother. But Lux is cunning; she knows how to exploit people's expectations, how to blend into the background. And she knows a lot about poisons. Else has not found Lux by accident. She needs her help to seek revenge against the man who wronged her, and together they pursue him north. But on their hunt they will uncover dark secrets that entangle them with dangerous adversaries.

Court of the Undying Seasons by A.M. Strickland (queer)

In becoming a vampire, I’m less than a girl. And more. Or maybe I’m becoming what I always have been, deep inside. A blade. When nineteen-year-old Fin volunteers to take her secret love's place in their village's Finding, she is terrified. Those who are chosen at the Finding are whisked away to Castle Courtsheart, a vampire school where human students either succeed and become vampires, fail and spend the rest of their lives as human thralls...or they don't survive long enough to become either. Fin is determined to forge a different path: learn how to kill the undead and get revenge for her mother, who was taken by the vampires years ago. But Courtsheart is as captivating as it is deadly, and Fin is quickly swept up in her new world and its inhabitants - particularly Gavron, her handsome and hostile vampire maker, whose blood is nothing short of intoxicating. As Fin begins to discover new aspects of her own identity and test her newfound powers, she stumbles across a string of murders that may be connected to a larger ritual - one with potentially lethal consequences for vampires and humans alike. Fin must uncover the truth and find the killer before she loses her life...or betrays her own heart.

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler (bi)

A queer Sliding Doors rom-com in which a girl must choose between summer in NYC with her dad (and the girl she's always wanted) or LA with her estranged mom (and the guy she never saw coming). Natalya Fox has twenty-hours to make the biggest choice of her life: stay home in NYC for the summer with her dad (and finally screw up the courage to talk to the girl she's been crushing on), or spend it with her basically estranged mom in LA (knowing this is the best chance she has to fix their relationship, if she even wants to.) (Does she want to?) How's a girl supposed to choose? She can't, and so both summers play out in alternating timelines - one in which Natalya explores the city, tries to repair things with her mom, works on figuring out her future, and goes for the girl she's always wanted. And one in which Natalya explores the city, tries to repair things with her mom, works on figuring out her future, and goes for the guy she never saw coming.

The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio (gay)

Domenic Marino has become an expert at code-switching between the hypermasculine and ultrafeminine worlds of his two soon-to-be-wed best friends. But this summer―reeling from his own failed engagement and tasked with attending their bachelor and bachelorette parties―he’s anxious over having to play both sides. The pressure is on. The bride wants Dom to keep things clean. The groom wants Dom to “let loose” with the guys. And Dom just wants to get out of this whole mess with his friendships intact. But once the rowdy groomsmen show up at the beach house―including a surprise visit from the groom’s old frat brother, handsome and charming PGA star Bucky Graham―chaos (and unexpected romance) quickly ensues. By the time Dom returns for the bachelorette party, he’s accumulated a laundry list of secrets that threaten to destroy everything―from the wedding, to Bucky’s career, to the one thing Dom hasn’t been paying nearly enough attention to lately: his own life.

Black Sails to Sunward by Sheila Jenné (queer)

In a world of frock coats, solar sails, and rigid class boundaries, Lucy joins the Martian Imperial Navy as a midshipman. Mars and Earth are at war, and Lucy hopes for quick promotion. But when she arrives aboard ship, she finds her childhood ex-friend, Moira, already there. Class differences got in the way of their budding romance five years ago, and both of them are nursing grudges. Those same class differences are threatening the ship, as the enlisted spacers threaten a mutiny and Lucy is forced to support the abusive officers. When Moira becomes a pirate, taking Lucy captive, the tables are turned. Lucy now has to rely on her enemy for her life. Her oath as an officer forbids her from helping the pirates, but it’s becoming obvious that the Martian Empire doesn’t deserve her loyalty. If she throws in her lot with the pirates, her family is doomed to poverty, but it could give her a chance to reconcile with Moira and claim the love she rejected so long ago.

Child of the Crystal Planet by Ennis Rook Bashe (nonbinary, queer, disability)

A runaway trans kid with uncontrolled psychic powers and secret trauma. An impulsive teenager whose psychic powers have forced her to become an intergalactic celebrity. No one on their home planets understands them. What if they could be the perfect team? From fighting an evil ghost preying on an exoplanet’s queer population, to freeing the captive population of an orbiting sweatshop, no mission is too dangerous for this badass pair. But what happens when, as adults, their feelings for each other change?