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tinathedragon · 4 months ago

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BOOK RECS!🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

I requested book recs on January 10th because my LGBTQ+ Romance🩷 shelf was lacking. I asked for pairings I do not have (butch/butch, femme/butch, and most importantly TRANS LESBIANS)

I looked at all the recs and links to other rec lists to make this list.

THANK YOU! @profiterole-reads @battyaboutbooksreviews @lpetersonwrites @sweeter-demeter for replying to my post.

TBR Pile:📚 OWN✓ Read but don't own⁕

(not all of these are romance books)

B= Butch Character T= Trans Character (only marking these because these are the books I need more of)

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli 📚

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

The Upside Of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Dulhaniyaa by Talia Bhatt T

The Fiance Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

Bespoke by L.M. Bennett B

Fall for Him by Andie Burke

Fly with Me by Andie Burke

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

It's a Love/Skate Relationship by Carli J. Corson

The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher

Dreadnought by April Daniels T

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor T

Acting the Part by Z.R. Ellor T

No Better Than Beasts by Z.R. Ellor

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier

Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei

Welcome to Dorley Hall by Alyson Greaves T

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall T

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Husband Material by Alexis Hall

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Godslayers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Off With Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper

Hockey Bois by A.L. Heard

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly

The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy T

Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner T

Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala

Read Between the Lines by Rachel Lacey

No Rings Attached by Rachel Lacey

Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey

The View from the Top by Rachel Lacey

AutoBoyography by Christina Lauren

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao BT

Like Real People Do by E.L. Massey

Like You've Nothing Left to Prove by E.L. Massey

All Hail the Underdogs by E.L. Massey

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston 📚

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Welcome to Boy.net by Lyda Morehouse T

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan

Girls of Fate and Fury by Natasha Ngan

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa T

The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl

Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion by Bushra Rehman

Book Boyfriend by Kris Ripper

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi

Can't Take That Away by Steven Salvatore T

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

Check, Please! By Ngozi Ukazu (Graphic Novels)

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

The Upside Of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Dulhaniyaa by Talia Bhatt T

The Fiance Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

Bespoke by L.M. Bennett B

Fall for Him by Andie Burke

Fly with Me by Andie Burke

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

It's a Love/Skate Relationship by Carli J. Corson

The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor T

Acting the Part by Z.R. Ellor T

No Better Than Beasts by Z.R. Ellor

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier

Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei

Welcome to Dorley Hall by Alyson Greaves T

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall T

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Husband Material by Alexis Hall

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Godslayers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Off With Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper

Hockey Bois by A.L. Heard

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly

The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy T

Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner T

Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala

Read Between the Lines by Rachel Lacey

No Rings Attached by Rachel Lacey

Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey

The View from the Top by Rachel Lacey

AutoBoyography by Christina Lauren

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao BT

Like Real People Do by E.L. Massey

Like You've Nothing Left to Prove by E.L. Massey

All Hail the Underdogs by E.L. Massey

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston 📚

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Welcome to Boy.net by Lyda Morehouse T

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan

Girls of Fate and Fury by Natasha Ngan

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa T

The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl

Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion by Bushra Rehman

Book Boyfriend by Kris Ripper

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi

Can't Take That Away by Steven Salvatore T

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

Check, Please! By Ngozi Ukazu (Graphic Novels)

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters

HUGE SHOUT OUT TO @thetransfemininereview and their 2024 Reader's Choice Awards

#lgbtq #book recs #queer books #I have already picked out my next 5 books #I won't buy anything until my TBR pile is less that 15 books

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authorsshipzutara · 11 months ago

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Z.R. Ellor ships Zutara.

Explore his works on Goodreads and Storygraph.

Website: https://zrellorbooks.com/

#zutara #authors who ship zutara #z r ellor

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girlwholikestoread · 1 year ago

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My least favorite to My favorite books I read in 2023

24. May The Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor: I wanted to like this book so badly, I really did but this is probably the only book I read this year that I didn’t like. The story is about Jeremy Harkisis who is a transgender cheerleader and his ex-boyfriend Lukas who is the all-star football player; the two exes are both trying to earn the title of Homecoming King. Honestly I loved the idea of this story just wasn’t a fan of the direction. First I did like Jeremy for most of the book, honestly his attitude towards Lukas in the beginning of the book made me not want to root for them and he just seems so mean and selfish, I understand that was the point and usually I don’t mind reading about characters who are mean and selfish but learns their lesson at the end but, Jermey was just so unnecessary cruel to his friends despite all of them showing him support and kindness. I liked Lukas a lot and honestly he was the only reason I had any motivation to finish this book and I thought the ending was cute. Overall a big let down and Lukas deserve so much better.

23. Radiant Black, Vol. 3: Rogues’s Gallery: It was the first book I read this year because my brother insisted I read it. It was fine, I’m personally not a huge fan of the series but I think the story is pretty good. Overall I gave it 3 stars on GoodReads so not bad.

22. Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham: So this book was different…not in a bad way. I actually really liked this book but this went in a direction I did not expect. So the story about Tony Price who is a popular high school track star and a quiet boy named Eli Hirsch who has a chronic autoimmune disorder become unlikely friends. Seems like your standard romance, except it’s not. Eli has a special ability to see ghosts and most recently he’s been seeing a ghost of a fisherman, while that happens Tony gets bitten by a werewolf-like creator which turns him into one. The story was alright, I was a bit confused at times but I still mostly enjoyed it. The romance was also lacking. Tony and Eli have a few cute moments together but I wish there were more, and I wished there were more interactions between the side characters and the main character. Overall Loved the spooky art style, I would recommend this for Halloween.

21. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta: I Devoured this book, I couldn’t put this down because I was so invested. The story is about our main character Micheal who throughout the book will grow up and start questioning his sexuality, gender expression, and his relationships. The story is formatted like a poem which I really liked. Seeing Micheal throughout his life from his adolescent years to his adult years, seeing him grow and form meaningful relationships was such a great reading experience. Overall beautifully written story, I hope Micheal and Kieran ended up together.

20. Husband Material by Alexis Hall: This book was great. I loved Boyfriend Material and immediately bought Husband Material once I finished the first book because I needed to know what was next for Luc and Oliver. This book did great continuing the story of all the couples from the first book, and showing that Luc and Oliver were made for each other. I especially liked Luc's shitty ex-boyfriend from college. I really wanted more information about that relationship and seeing Oliver stand up for his parents was so satisfying…but then the ending happened. Honestly I liked the ending, I thought it fit Luc and Oliver who always has an unconventional relationship so them deciding marriage isn’t for them makes sense, I just wasn’t a fan of the execution of them making that decision. Overall much like Sherk 2 perfect squeal.

19. The Princess and the Grilled Sandwich by Deya Muniz: This book is so fucking cute! I loved the characters, I loved the artstyle, I loved the cheese pun, I loved everything! This book is about Lady Camembert and how her before she passed wanted her to marry so she can get her inheritance and rights to her father kingdom, which could only be given to a man and he only had one daughter; she decided to disguise herself as a man and inherent everything but is forced to live a low-profile in order to not lose everything. However she breaks this rule and goes to a ball hosted by Princess Bri, they form a friendship and slowly start falling for each other; the only issue is that Bri believes that Camembert is a man. This story was cute, fun, engaging, and the ending was perfect! Overall I devoured this book like a grilled cheese sandwich.

18. Sorry Bro by Taleen Voskuni: This book was so good! This book is about Nareh who after ending her relationship with her boyfriend who, while wasn’t a bad person just wasn’t for her, decided she wants to explore her options dating with both men and women. During this she meets Erebuni and she becomes her wingwoman and helps her find a new guy or girl. However during this they both start following each other, with Nareh falling hard first. The book was great, it was a bit slow and I personally didn’t find her issues at work a compelling subplot but thought everything else great. I loved Erebuni and thought she was so sweet and understanding and like Nareh and her mom talk after she came out. Overall Sweet and Sapphic

17. I wish you all the best by Mason Deaver: This was the first book I read with a Non-Binary MC. We follow Ben De Backer who on Christmas day decides to come out to their parents as Non-Binary, this however doesn’t go as planned and they end up kicked out of their home on Christmas and have to call their estranged sister Hannah and her husband Thomas who they haven’t met yet. This leads to them having to live with her and start a new school where they meet Nathan Allan and start a friendship. This book made me cry a few times. Ben goes through a lot in a short period of time. Building a relationship with their sister, trying to make new friends, and figure out how they feel about their parents. This book is amazing and Ben and Nathan's relationship is so pure and it’s hard to find sweet innocent romantic connections in books nowadays but Ben and Nathan were so sweet. Overall this book felt like a hug on paper.

16. I’ll Be Home For Christmas by Mason Deaver: We loved a Christmas squeal! This takes place once Ben and Nathan have graduated and Nathan is attending college while Ben is taking time off school and living with roommates. Ben flys to Hannah house for Christmas Eve and plans to bring a surprise for Nathan by bringing his dog back home. Unfortunately their perfect gift plan ended up blowing up in their face when it snowed in and flights started being canceled. This short story is very sweet and does a great job showing us how Nathan and Ben are now. Ben’s determination to bring Nathan his beloved dog was so sweet and the ending was the perfect ending. Overall Ben and Nathan are a couple goals.

15. Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell: I loved space adventures with a hint of romance, it’s one of my favorite combos. This book was written by the same author of Winter Orbit and it takes place in the same universe, however this isn’t a sequel since Kiem and Jainan aren’t mentioned and we have new main characters. In this book we follow Tennal, an absolut flirt who is constantly getting himself in trouble and Surit a Lieutenant who is very by-the-book. After Tennal gets himself in trouble yet again he’s forced to join the military where he meets Surit and they are forced to work together and forced to sync; and syncing is a type of merging of the minds. However Surit doesn’t want to sync because Tennal has made it clear he doesn’t want to be controlled. This leads to them coming up with a plan to get Tennal out of the military while keeping Surit rank. While this is happening they start slowing noticing a power struggle within the military. This book had me on the edge of my seats and I couldn’t stop listening, the romance wasn’t much which is fine because the overall plot was so intriguing it made up for the lack of romance. Overall Space politics are confusing but in a fun way.

14. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall: This is the funniest book I read all year. Hands down. Boyfriend Material is about Luc O’Donnell who is the child of two retired rockstars and because of this he’s constantly in the spotlight and usually for all the wrong reasons. Wanting to clear his image he needs to find a perfect boyfriend, which he does with a successful educated man named Oliver Blackwood. They enter a fake dating situation which benefits them both. Luc and Oliver's relationship moved along so naturally and Luc is so funny. All the side characters were great too and while I knew what the ending was gonna be I was still surprised on how it ended. Overall UK comedy is undefeated.

13. She Gets the Girl by Racheal Lippincott, Alyson Derrick: Sapphic slow-burns are perfect for the summer. In this story we follow Alex Blackwood who has lots of issues both in her family and her dating life and Molly who has a close relationship with her family but never had a real date or relationship. The two are polar opposites but come together to help each other out, Alex helps Molly get with her long time crush Cora Myers and it helps Alex prove to her ex that she’s a better person. Molly and Alex are so cute together, Alex encouraging Molly to come out of her shell was really sweet, and I related to Molly a lot. Overall Sweet, Sapphic, and I want to learn how to roller skate

12. Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli: This book was so cute. In this we follow Imogen Scott who is a huge Ally and very involved in queer media. She visits her best friend Lili who’s thriving in college making new queer friends and everything is great…except Lili told a small lie saying that her and Imogen are ex’s and that Imogen is bi. Not wanting to make her friend seem like a liar she plays along, however while doing that she starts falling for Tessa, who is one of Lili's new friends. Imogen is such a sweetheart and one of my favorite main characters, The cover is also one of my favorites this year. Overall “I’m not homophobic, I’m an Ally”

11. A Mark on My Soul by Jordon Greene: This is the only book I read that didn’t have a happy ending. In this we follow Noah who decides to come out as gay to his friends, family, and publically online. When this happens he gets a message from a “secret admirer” which turns out to be his best friend Parker who’s in the closet. This book ripped my heart in half and ended up sobbing my eyes out. I already knew how Parker's story ended because I accidentally spoiled the ending for myself but despite that I grew so attached to Parker and wanted him to be happy. This book was a hard read for me but I loved it so much. Overall Parker deserves better!

10. The Long Run by James Acker: Ngl I almost DNF this book. I didn’t like the first 3 chapters and since I was listening to this book on audible I also wasn’t a big fan of Sandro’s VA, but chapter 4 is where I truly got invested and I’m so glad I keep reading because I ended up loving this book. In this story we follow Bash and Sandro, who are both finishing their last year of High School and after kissing at a Party they form a friendship. This is a true slowburn because even though they kissed in the beginning they stay mostly platonic and do “dude-bro” stuff. I also love that Bash never makes the fact he’s Bi a big deal, he just accepts that he fell for a guy and doesn’t care. Sandro and Bash are so cute together and I loved them so much. Overall Bash the Flash and the Italian Yeti are my OTP

9. Time Out by Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, Carlyn Greenwald: I found out a lot of people don’t like this book and it honestly breaks my heart. In this we follow Barclay who's basically a sport legend in his school, at least he was until he decided to come out very publicly and the reception wasn’t what he was anticipating, because of this he leaves the Basketball team and help his friend Amy with school related politics where he also meets Christopher and together they help the voiceless have a voice. Barclay and Christopher's relationship is so sweet and wholesome I loved reading about them watching movies and kissing goodnight. I love non-sexual intimacy. Barclay is also great, he’s really kind and understanding given the circumstances of everything that happened to him. Overall everyone on GoodReads is wrong.

8. Snowflake Kisses by Jordon Greenee, Yayira Dzames: Skylar and Jacob are back! In this book we follow Skylar and Jacob who are spending their first Christmas together. Honestly this book is just vibes, no big conflicts, no third act breakup, no Jacbo’s dad, just pure sugary vibes. Seeing Skylar and Jacob have snowfighters, cuddle in the car, and get each other thoughtful gifts, everything was just so nice. Skylar's parents were also great and seeing them treat Jacob like family made my heart skip a beat. Plus I loved art. Yayira Dzames did an amazing job capturing the characters. Overall My favorite Christmas comic.

7. Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake: Small confession, I wasn’t a big fan of Iris in the first two books (Delilah Green Doesn’t Care and Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail). However I ended up liking her a lot at the end of this book. In this we follow Iris who has given up on dating and sticking to casual hook-ups after her two failed relationships. Unfortunately for Iris who’s a romance author she suffered from writer's block and needed to find inspiration. We also follow Stevie, a struggling actress with anxiety issues trying to get her big break while helping her ex keep her community theater studio open. When Stevie finds herself in a web of lies her and Iris start a fake relationship, this helps Stevie prove to her friends that she doesn’t need her feeling protected and helps Iris find inspiration for her needed book; they of course start actually falling for each other. Iris and Stevie have amazing chemistry throughout the book and I loved how patient Iris is with Stevie when it comes to sex and intimacy. The consent checks and making sure they both enjoyed each other was so hot. Stevie such as sweetheart and I related to her when it comes to how she views sex and her anxiety and Iris is great too. Overall Stevie has my whole heart.

6. The Sun and Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure by Rick Riordan, Mark Oshiro: Fun fact I didn’t read any Percy Jackson books before this but I liked this anyways. We follow Nico di Angelo the son of Hades and his boyfriend Will Solace the son of Apollo as they travel through the underworld to find their friend Bob who was left behind in Hades Realm. Despite not reading anything Percy Jackson related I loved his adventure, Nico and Will bounce off each other perfectly and I wish there were more books where the main couple are already together because seeing these boyfriends act like boyfriends made my heart flutter. It was such a fun ride from beginning to end and I enjoyed it so much. Overall I should read Percy Jackson.

5. The First to Die at the End by Adam Slivera: This book destroyed me…so 5 stars. This is a prequel of They Both Die at the End, in this book we follow the first ever Decker and see Death-Cast go live for the first time. In this we follow Orion Pagan who lost his parents young and suffers from a deadly heart condition and while he has big dreams for his future he doesn’t see himself living long enough to achieve those dreams and we also follow Valentino Prince who moves to New York with his twin sister to start his molding career, however that’s cut short when he gets the call at midnight. I cried like 4 times reading this book, it was amazing. All the side characters were great and I love multiple POV’s in books. Overall I need more Death-Cast books.

4. Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake: Jordan Everwood is hands down my favorite character. This is the second book in the Bright Falls series and I couldn’t wait to read this one. We follow Astrid who just ended her engagement and is trying to focus on work, we also follow Jordan who helps her grandmother renovate her inn to avoid having to sell. After a not so great first interaction they find themselves working together to fix the inn for a reality tv show. As they work together they start to get to know each other and open up to each other about their family, relationships, and jobs. I loved Astrid in the first book and was so excited to see her story continue and I loved her and Jordan's connection. Overall “You deserve a destiny Jordan Everwood”.

3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: This book was so good! In this we follow Monique who has just been assigned to write the autobiography about famous Hollywood Icon Evelyn Hugo and her glamorous and scandalous life. Evelyn is probably the most complex character I’ve read this year, out of all the characters she felt the most human, she made mistakes and did things she regretted but also had moments of kindness and had to make really tough choices. I liked Monique however if I had to change anything I wish we focused on her more, but what we have is great. Overall I need this to be a movie.

2. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: This book has amazing writing, I stayed engaged the whole time and couldn’t stop listening. We follow Lily Hu who is a seventeen year old Chinese American living in ChinaTown. This story takes place in 1954 when the red-scare was a big threat for Chinese Americans. Due to this Lily faces many problems, her father may be deported, her friend group is changing, and she starts developing feelings for other women especially her friend Kath. She and Kath start going to an underground lesbian club called the Telegraph Club. This book was so good, I can barely put it into words. Overall Speechless

1. The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas: I loved this book! I knew this was gonna be number one because this was the only book I’ve ever dreamt about after reading. In this we follow Teo, a seventeen year old trans son of Quetzal who finds himself in a century old battle to the death. Teo has no training and is convinced he will not make it out alive. I adore everything about this book, the comedy, the characters, the world building, and the plot twist left me speechless. I cannot wait for part 2! Overall I already miss Teo, Niya, Sol, and Aurelio.

#queer books #astrid parker doesn't fail #i wish you all the best #imogen obviously #jordon greene #ashley herring blake #james acker #the long run #becky albertalli #May the best man win #the sunbearer trials #adam silvera #aiden thomas #book ratings

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the-lincyclopedia · 2 years ago

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Nine Books

Thanks for the tag, @cricketnationrise! My methodology for narrowing down my nine favorite books was basically to just list nine books I like a lot, as quickly as possible, while trying not to overthink the whole thing. This is not necessarily my nine absolute favorite books, and it's obviously far from exhaustive when it comes to my favorite books overall. Also, I followed cricket's lead in considering series to count for one slot each. Here goes:

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Queen's Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner

Boyfriend Material duology by Alexis Hall

Protector of the Small Quartet by Tamora Pierce

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo

Tagging @sadkazoosolo, @doggernaut, @jonsaremembers, @polestarneighbor, @newtsoftheworldunite, @khashanakalashtar, and @the-knights-who-say-book, plus whoever feels like playing!

#a lin original #books

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nothingbutloveforyou · 2 years ago

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May the best man win by Z.R. Ellor

just read a synopsis!! sounds so cute :')

QUICK SEND ME AN ASK!! what made u believe in love ?? (or again)situtions/gestures/quotes/people/movies/poems/songs/i wanna hear it all

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sams-special-space · 2 years ago

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2023 Reads!

Here's my list of everything I've read for 2023! I'll be updating it regularly as the year goes on.

I'm currently in the middle of going through my backlog of books I've read and posting reviews, which will then be linked on the list! If you see a book on the list you're interested in hearing my thoughts on, shoot me an ask or a DM and I'll respond asap.

The list is under the read more since it's pretty long! A few notes: - Bolded titles are favorites - Blue-colored titles are non-fiction

River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

The Obesity Myth by Paul Campos

This is Our Rainbow edited by Katherine Locke

Too Bright To See by Kyle Lukoff

Ellen Outside The Lines by A.J. Sass

The Insiders by Mark Oshiro

The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean

The Thread That Binds by Cedar McCloud

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold

This Common Secret by Susan Wicklund

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert

May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff

We Cast A Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

The Glass Castle Jeannette Walls

Out In America edited by Michael Goff

The Golden Hour by Niki Smith

Every Body Shines edited by Cassandra Newbould

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch

The Bride was A Boy by Chii

Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa

Counting By 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

In The Shadow of the Throne by Kate Sheridan

Act Cool by Toby McSmith

Embrace Your Size by Hara

The Third Person by Emma Grove

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

You’re The Only One I’ve Told by Meera Shah

The Land of Stories #1: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

A Boy and His Bot by Daniel H. Wilson

Alone by Megan E. Freeman

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

That Sky Blue Feeling Vol. 1 by Okura

If I See You Again Tomorrow by Robbie Couch

What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon

Our Dreams at Dust Vol. 1 by Yuhki Kamatani

Our Dreams at Dust Vol. 2 by Yuhki Kamatani

Our Dreams at Dust Vol. 3 by Yuhki Kamatani

Our Dreams at Dust Vol. 4 by Yuhki Kamatani

Other Boys by Damian Alexander

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki

On A Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

Below the Belt edited by Trystan T. Cotten

Amelia Gray is Almost Okay

Unbound by Arlene Stein

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

Our Dining Table by Mita Ori

I Think Our Son Is Gay Vol. 1 by Okura

I Think Our Son Is Gay Vol. 2 by Okura

Are You Listening by Tillie Walden

I Think Our Son Is Gay Vol. 3 by Okura

The Talk by Darrin Bell

I Think Our Son Is Gay Vol. 4 by Okura

Wake Up Little Susie by Rickie Solinger

New Kid by Jerry Craft

Junior High by Sara & Tegan Quin, Illustrated by Tillie Walden

Fat Talk by Virginia Sole-Smith

#2023 reading list #booklr #booklist

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blurrypetals · 7 months ago

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Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White - blurrypetals review

originally posted nov. 15, 2024 - ★★☆☆☆

[read for my book club, Prose and Cons]

This book was not an enjoyable experience, but for once, I don't mean that entirely as an insult...but I don't mean it exactly as the most glowing praise, either.

I'm feeling firmly in the middle about this book. The concept is incredibly interesting. It reminded me at first of Angelfall by Susan Ee, which is one of my favorite series with its angelcore body horror and post-apocalyptic setting, but I think where the two differed greatly was both in execution and characters.

I simply never grew attached to any of the characters in this book, not even Benji, who we spend the most of the book with. It felt like, beyond killing the people responsible for infecting him, he doesn't have much direction as a character, and this applies to the whole novel, really. What's the goal? What's the direction?

I don't know anything about any of the other characters besides that they're here, they're queer, and neurospicy. I am not queer, I am not autistic, but I do have queer friends and autistic friends, some who are both. Their queerness and autism defines them, yes, there is so much more to them as people as well as that. I feel like all I know about any of the side characters (and even Benji, too) is that they are queer or autistic or both. I was really excited to read a book with a character who used neopronouns, but I didn't know anything else about zem by the end of the book.

We sat with Benji for several hundred pages and I don't know a damn thing about him other than that he's gay and trans. Does he like like to read? Does he enjoy music? At least Nick had a hobby, even though it wasn't the most interesting or fleshed-out hobby with his beads, but Benji didn't have any interests or really even a personality. It brought me straight back to May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor where the trans main character there was just an angry trans man and basically nothing else.

That all said, since I'm not queer or autistic, this book was not written for me, and I do understand that. I do, in fact, find the trans and autistic aspects of the novel to be some of the most interesting and well-written parts of the whole thing.

I really thought the idea of turning into a diseased monster as a metaphor for growing up in the wrong body was awesome. Living without the hormones you need, with your body actively fighting against you with the wrong hormones...I think this was easily the strongest aspect of the whole novel. As much as the gore itself bothered me, it was very well-written and I think this whole aspect is why this book is so highly rated.

I thought the imagery itself was kind of weak, however. I had an extremely hard time picturing things, even when the gore was described in truly excruciating detail, I always felt like Benji was fully transformed...but he wasn't. More skin and sinew would fall off and he still would be...human enough to get laid? I don't get it! I'm so lost as to what Benji looks like at any given time and I had no clue what the Graces were supposed to look like until I saw the Italian cover on here.

Also...how in the literal hell did this get marketed as YA? Beyond the basic, predictable plot, this has gore and body horror more extreme than most horror movies I've watched, but it's still marketed toward folks under eighteen? Make that make sense.

I didn't care for the romance, either. I can't say I felt like Benji and Nick have any chemistry beyond the scene with the bead lizards, so when Benji admits to having feelings for Nick, it really hit me like a freight train, feeling like the admission came completely out of nowhere.

In the end, this book simply wasn't written for me, nor was it impactful for me regardless. I think there is a lot of good writing here and just as much poor writing. I really wish I'd enjoyed this more, but it missed the mark for me in the end. I'll still probably read The Spirit Bares Its Teeth but with my expectations better tempered this time.

#hell followed with us #andrew joseph white #2024 #blurrypetals #goodreads mirror

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