#achillean book recs

[stormblessed95]

Hi Storm!

I'm obsessed with your book recommendations and just read aftg and loved them... do you know any other books like them?

Ah yes! I've recommended some of these before, but I'll include them anyway as "gives similar vibes but probably isn't as problematic/toxic as AFTG and yet still as wonderfully amazing and made me fall in love with it" list. Queer characters, character driven, slow burn, angsty at times, happy ending, achillean book recommendations....

(Andriel from AFTG in fanart above)

Icebreaker by A.L Graziadei

Seventeen-year-old Mickey James III is a college freshman, a brother to five sisters, and a hockey legacy. With a father and a grandfather who have gone down in NHL history, Mickey is almost guaranteed the league's top draft spot.

The only person standing in his way is Jaysen Caulfield, a contender for the #1 spot and Mickey's infuriating (and infuriatingly attractive) teammate. When rivalry turns to something more, Mickey will have to decide what he really wants, and what he's willing to risk for it.

This is a story about falling in love, finding your team (on and off the ice), and choosing your own path.

Tropes: Sports Romance, Rivals to Lovers, found family... I mean it's basically just reading about a depressed bisexual hockey prodigy in a Rivalry and romance with his teammate.

Content warnings: Abandonment, Anxiety, Depression, Tricholillomania, Alcohol consumption, Drug use mentioned, Suicidal Ideation

Quote I Love: "I hate you" "Prove it"

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Tropes: Paranormal Adventure novel, forbidden love, found family, high stakes, going on a quest, human sacrifice, tall dark and snarky (mlm side pairing)

Content Warnings: there is a lot, so here is a link to a detailed list

Quote I Love: “When Adam kissed him, it was every mile per hour Ronan had ever gone over the speed limit. It was every window-down, goose-bumps-on-skin, teeth-clattering-cold night drive. it was Adam’s ribs under Ronan’s hands and Adam’s mouth on his mouth, again and again and again.”

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

Ox was twelve when his daddy taught him a very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.

Ox was sixteen when he met the boy on the road, the boy who talked and talked and talked. Ox found out later the boy hadn’t spoken in almost two years before that day, and that the boy belonged to a family who had moved into the house at the end of the lane.

Ox was seventeen when he found out the boy’s secret, and it painted the world around him in colors of red and orange and violet, of Alpha and Beta and Omega.

Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his bloodred eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces.

It’s been three years since that fateful day—and the boy is back. Except now he’s a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

Tropes: Found Family, Alpha Male, jealousy, revenge, troubled pasts, Boy next door, Clumsy with a Crush, wait for me, own voices gay

Content Warnings: Abduction/hostage, Ableism, Age gap, Assault, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse (parental, past), SA (mentioned), Sex scenes (graphic), Torture, Violence

Quote I Love: "My future,” Joe said, “is Ox.” Ah god, that made me ache. “Is that so?” Mom asked. “How do you figure?” “He’s really nice,” Joe said seriously. “And smells good. And he makes me happy. And I want to do nothing more than put my mouth on him.”

Check, Please! By Ngozi Ukazu

Check, Please! is a comic about hockey, queer romance, and the frequent baking of pies. And you can read this one for free! It's online and free on the authors blog here, including a link to the where the start at the beginning of the story. It's super cute!

Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations. The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

Tropes: Forbidden Love, Enemies to lovers, royals, secret relationship, love letters, celebrity romance, heroes with titles

Content warnings: Addiction, Alcohol, Anxiety, Blackmail, Cancer (mentioned), Death (parental, mentioned), Drug abuse (mentioned), Forced outing, Grief, Homophobia, Invasion/violation of privacy, Neglect (parental), Panic attack, Politics, Racism, Sexual abuse, Sexual harassment (mentioned), Sexually explicit scenes

Quote I Love: "Should I tell you that when we're apart, your body comes back to me in dreams? That when I sleep, I see you, the dip of your waist, the freckle above your hip, and when I wake up in the morning, it feels like I've just been with you, the phantom touch of your hand on the back of my neck fresh and not imagined? That I can feel your skin against mine, and it makes every bone in my body ache? That, for a few moments, I can hold my breath and be back there with you, in a dream, in a thousand rooms, nowhere at all?"

Running with Lions by Julian Winters

I haven't read this one yet, but it's on my TBR as a gay sports Romance that sounded really cute!

Also, ao3 is a goldmine of amazing fics for the AFTG fandom. Like top tier beautifully done fics. AFTG is a great sandbox for fandom honestly. So definitely check that site out if you want more too.

[queerbookmasterlist]

what was your favorite queer book you read last year?

This is a great question! Really hard to pick just one so I'm going to break them up by genre/age group. I do mainly read Fantasy or Contemporary Romance though

YA Fantasy

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas (achillean, gay trans boy mc, not finished but I'm guessing we will have a mlm romance)

NA Fantasy

A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair (sapphic, bisexual mc, wlm romance)

Adult Fantasy

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (sapphic, wlw romance)

YA Contemporary

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales (sapphic, bisexual mc, wlw romance)

NA Contemporary

Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun (sapphic, lesbian mc, bi/demisexual mc, wlw romance)

Adult Contemporary

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring-Blake (sapphic, lesbian mc & bisexual mc, wlw romance)

I read a lot of fantastic books last year but those are the ones that have stuck with me!

[starrlikesbooks]

HELLO

Can I tell you about a book with

art heists entirely fueled by spite and complicated father/son dynamics

soft gay touch starved yearning

teens who want to save each other, who are inherently good and full of love

tragic yet hopeful love that you have to believe will be enough

a Greek mythology inspired plot because it's GAY ICARUS

remember this poem that went around tumblr?

it's basically this vibe but for a FULL NOVEL and you will feel so many things

[booksbybrennon]

looking to read more diversely in 2024? i’m the author for you! whether it’s coming of age or romance with a sci-fi twist—my books are always cast with poc, queer mcs, trans rep, aro/ace rep and other under-repped identities! pls reblog not only to support me but to help put this book in the hands of people who need it <3

[criticalmalefailure]

Cute fairytale t4c mlm polyamory!!

Set in the modern day, this short fantasy features a transgender witch as the protagnist, living his life on a quaint coastal town with his sailor husband. As they struggle to concieve, their marriage becomes strained. However, after encountering a wounded selkie out at sea, the two test their marriage as they nurse it back to health.

Recommending for it's snappy writing, likeable main character, and just generally good character diversity, Three Kings is a fairly short story with cozy cottage core vibes that I believe depicts a genuinely sweet mlm marriage, as well as a healthy polyamorous one (which is rare). If you like quick, short, lighthearted but well written reads, and are looking for mlm/polyam, you'll probably love this!

CW: fertility issues, drugged on aphrodisiacs scene, marriage problems, problematic author*

*Freydís Moon has been exposed to pretending to be a POC (iirc) and has controversy surrounding that, however this book is still good so I just pirated it lol

[bnrusso]

annotating and doodling 📖

Solomon’s Crown - a gorgeous, tragic, historically inspired romance for fans of The Song of Achilles looking for another heartbreak 🥲

[stardustandrockets]

Did you love The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun?

Did you wish there was more Daphne content?

Then might I suggest Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales for your consideration?

Video features the @/dazzlingbookishshop (insta) edition of Charm and the @rainbowcrate edition of NEGBT

Music: upbeat ukulele and electronics

CC: Yes, you... you... you stole my heart

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxLrO1trM-i/?igshid=NmQ4MjZlMjE5YQ==

[hiddenbookcasepodcast]

In February, we're reading graphic novels at The Hidden Bookcase! Our first read will be @haridraws' Finding Home, chosen by Morgan.

You can expect this episode in your feed at 5PM UST on the 6th of February. In the meantime, you're always welcome through the bookcase!

Please note that we'll be covering the comic in its entirety: that's volumes one through four! You can find it, or more information on the series, on the author's website at hari-illustration.com.

[ninja-muse]

Last month I clearly posted my wrap-up a day too early because I ended up DNFing a book that same day and therefore starting another. I don't think that'll happen again, but I'm making sure to schedule this for the first just to be sure.

Anyway, this was an all right month of reading—some greats, some simple okays—and a very good month for not acquiring books. Only one ARC came home with me, I offloaded three, and I'm almost certainly not going to buy any books in the last day of the month, but I still have 12 hours. That might change, in which case this post will also and you'll never know what I originally typed. Yeah, that worked well. Darn used bookstores!

You already know how much I liked The Briar Club. My other top reads were A Desolation Called Peace (anyone surprised?), Wandering Stars (outside my wheelhouse but good), and Nicked, which is also out in the summer and was my solo ARC haul of the month. If anyone thinks "gay medieval heist novel" sounds like a good time, they should pick that up. Also, anyone who likes cats and picture books needs to pick up Floof.

And my lows might as well start with my DNF from last month, I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons. I was really hoping it would pick up and I could push through, but it was just the wrong sort of silly for me. (I ended up going home without a book, then binging Most Ardently over the next couple days after my Libby hold came early.)

I also found The Deerfield Massacre to be odd—less rigorous than I'd have liked, a little wobbly on its thesis, doing a poor job of balancing "this must have sucked for the survivors" with Indigenous perspectives and an awareness that the Europeans were, in fact, colonizers. And A Letter to the Luminous Deep sounded so good, but I found it slow and couldn't quite connect to the characters or world.

I don't know how May is going to go, in terms of reading, so this book might end up being my review of the month, but I'm enjoying it so am going to rec it now: Evelina! Frances Burney was one of Austen's favourite authors and I can absolutely see why, and how she influenced her. If you like Austen's novels, you should 110% pick this up, because it's got romantic troubles, a highly embarrassing family, a number of awkward balls and parties, and all manner of drama. Why hasn't this been adapted? It should have been years ago.

Lastly in bookish and/or life news, my store's latest Indie Bookstore Day party was a rousing success and I don't think my legs have recovered yet from all the walking. My ability to socialize almost certainly hasn't. (It's been three days.) Thank goodness for book lovers and my fellow booksellers. Couldn't have done it without all of them.

Click through to see everything I read this month, in the rough order of how glad I was to have read them.

A Desolation Called Peace - Arkady Martine

The war with the aliens is not going well and Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass are called on to help. Which won’t be easy, but it’s harder because politics.

8.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 main characters (bisexual, sapphic), 🏳️‍🌈 author

library book

Wandering Stars - Tommy Orange

150 years in the life of a Cheyenne family, before and after the events of There, There.

8/10

largely Cheyenne cast, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (multisexual, nonbinary), Cheyenne-Arapaho author

warning: genocide, alcoholism, addiction, drug use, self-harm

library book

The Briar Club - Kate Quinn

A new boarder moves into Briarwood house in Washington, D.C. in 1950, upending the dull day-to-day. Four years later, someone dies. Out in July.

8.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 POV character (bisexual), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (sapphic), Black secondary and minor characters

warning: domestic abuse, murder, race riot

reading copy

Nicked - M.T. Anderson Brother Nicephorus accompanies the saint hunter Tyun and his piratical crew on a mission to, erm, liberate the bones of St. Nicholas. Out in July.

8.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (Achillean), major 🏳️‍🌈 character (Achillean), major Central Asian character, Muslim secondary characters

reading copy

Nanny Ogg’s Cookbook - Terry Pratchett with Stephen Briggs and Paul Kidby (illustrator)

A collection of Nanny Ogg’s recipes and thoughts.

7.5/10

gifted/off my TBR shelves

Most Ardently - Gabe Cole Novoa

Oliver Bennett yearns to live on his own terms, under his real name, and kiss boys. Unfortunately, the first boy in question, one Fitzwilliam Darcy, might like him as Oliver but hates his “other self”.

6.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 main character (trans man), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (gay, bisexual women), 🏳️‍🌈 author

warning: deadnaming, misgendering

library ebook

Slippery Creatures - KJ Charles

When various threatening men appear in Will Darling’s bookshop seeking information he doesn’t have, Will turns to the first helpful person he meets—an aristocrat named Kim.

6.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonists (bisexual man, achillean), Black Welsh secondary character

library ebook

A Letter to the Luminous Deep - Sylvie Cathrall

In 1002, E. and Henerey begin a correspondence. In 1003, her sister and his brother begin to piece together what might have happened to them.

6.5/10

POV character with anxiety disorder, 🏳️‍🌈 POV characters (lesbian, bi man), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (sapphic, achillean), brown-skinned secondary character

reading copy

Hansel and Gretel - Neil Gaiman with Lorenzo Mattotti (illustrator)

An illustrated retelling.

7/10

off my TBR shelves

The Deerfield Massacre - James L. Swanson

The story of an infamous raid in 1704 New England, and the way it’s been mythologized since.

5/10

warning: racism, violence, murder, murder of children

library book

Picture Books

The Pie Reports - Hayley Lowe

Noor and Granddad love pie, but there’s an ocean between them, so they meet every week to eat pie on video chat. Then one day, Granddad doesn’t log on—he’s having a blue day.

🇨🇦

Floof - Heidi McKinnon

A day in the life of Floof the cat.

DNF

I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons - Peter S. Beagle

Robert doesn’t want to be the country’s dragon exterminator on the best of days, but then Princess Cerise meets Prince Reginald. Out in May.

Currently reading

Evelina - Frances Burney

Evelina travels to London and learns that the only thing more distressing than suitors is her newly discovered family. Inspired Austen.

off my TBR shelves

The Demon of Unrest - Erik Larson

The story of the six months leading up to the American Civil War.

warning: racism, slavery

reading copy

Music from the Earliest Notations to the Sixteenth Century - Richard Taruskin

A history of early written European music, in its social and political contexts.

The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle

Victorian detective stories

disabled POV character (limb injury), occasional Indian secondary characters

warning: racism, colonialism

Monthly total: 10 + 2 Yearly total: 42 Queer books: 5 Authors of colour: 2 Books by women: 4 Authors outside the binary: 0 Canadian authors: 0 Classics: 0 Off the TBR shelves: 2 Books hauled: 4 ARCs acquired: 1 ARCs unhauled: 4 DNFs: 1

January February March

[thatlovequeervigilante]

Extensive Queer Book Rec List

This is going to be an extensive masterlist of books representing every Queer Identity I can find. I'm going to try to be as thorough as possible and I will be consistantly updating it. If you know of any, especially indie authors, feel free to recommend some in my dms, the comments, or my askbox! Created: 5/10/24 Last Updated: 5/15/24

Achillean: Cemetery Boys We contain Multitudes The Sun and The Star The Taking of Jake Livingston Proxy Bloodraven Red, White and Royal Blue Hell Followed With Us Aristotle and Dante Simon Vs The Homosapien Agenda Coffee Cake House in the cerulean sea History is all you left me They both die at the end

Sapphic: Faeblood Unbroken Radio Apocalypse This Gilded Abyss Crier's War Malice The Jasmine Throne She Drives Me Crazy She gets the girl Delilah Green Doesn't Care Imogen, Obviously The Stars and the Blackness between them Last night at the Telegraph club Gearbreakers Contract bound The Truthspoken Heir The Honey Witch Aromantic Spectrum: Baker Thief The Last Chronomancer Dread Nation Asexual Spectrum: Where the River Meets the Soul This Golden Flame The Sound Of Stars (Demisexual) Love letters for joy Let's Talk about love Transgender: Stay Gold (FTM) Melissa (MTF) Lily and Dunkin (MTF) Gracefully Grayson (MTF) Symptoms of Being Human (Genderfluid) Good King Lyr (Genderfluid) Mask Of Shadows (Genderfluid) The Sunbearer Trials (FTM) Zenobia July (MTF and also Neopronouns rep) The Spirit Bares Its Teeth (FTM) Most Ardently (FTM) Felix Ever After (FTM) If I was your girl (MTF) Magical boy (FTM) Look Past (FTM) Polyamorous*: Iron Widow Ariah MOGAI: Smogg: Origins (Side character that uses it/its) Objectum: Viscera Objectica The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Traveller's Gate Hitty, Her First Hundred Years Christine

[stormblessed95]

Storm's Recommendations

Posts about things other than BTS and my Recommendations or reviews or general fangirl posts for them. Could be for shows, animes, books, movies, mangas, fics or whatever else shows up on here. Lol

Books/Fics

Top Reads of 2022 / Book Recommendations

YA Fantasy Recs / YA Fantasy & SciFi Recs

Sapphic Book Recs / Achillean Book Recs

Disability Book Recs / A-spec Book Recs

Tress of the Emerald Sea Review / Cosmere Art

Cosmere Quotes / Mistborn Era 1 Rec

Percabeth/Solangelo Quotes / Bitten Rec

Red Rising-Dark Age Review

Heaven's Official Blessings Vol 1 Review

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation V.1 Review

AFTG Quotes / AFTG 3 Airport Photo Scene

AFTG Enemies To Lovers Arc / AFTG Memes

AFTG TikTok / Andriel Tweets

Alpha Book BFs

RW&RB Memes / Book & BTS Random Q&A

BTS as Book Characters / BTS Characters Pt 2

Bookish OTPs / Favorite OTPs / Favorite Ships

Favorite Characters / Wangxian MDZS Angst

Ao3 Fic Recs / Fourth Wing

Animes/Shows

Fav ATLA episodes / BTS as ATLA Elements

Yuri On Ice Thoughts / Naruto / Itachi Uchiha

Sasaki & Miyano Rec / Sasaki & Miyano Movie

Given / Nimona Movie / Buddy Daddies Rec

Your Name / Demon Slayer / Haikyuu: Yachi

Sk8 the Infinity / Matchablossom / No. 6 Anime

Magical revolution of the Reincarnated Princess

[possession1981]

idk there’s this booktuber i sometimes watch bc she talks trash about some authors and books sometimes and it’s kinda fun for me HOWEVER she just introduced this one book as queer horror and said she has lots of recs for queer horror but it’s mostly sapphic and she doesn’t really have any achillean book recs. and she said all this with a straight face she was serious. she used ACHILLEAN seriously.

[tboytantrum]

Does anyone have any recs for stories/books of achillean romance? I’m in such a mood for ftm4amab pair right now 😫

I swear my bottom growth is responsible for this need

[astreiants-archive]

hi, charlotte! can you give me any recs for books in the vein of the scottish boy, solomon's crown, in memorian, the song of achilies pls. Not necessarily achillean recs.

hopefully some of these will suit!

at swim, two boys by jamie o'neill

these days by lucy caldwell

the pull of the stars by emma donoghue

wild with all regrets by emma deards

the kingdoms by natasha pulley

devotion by hannah kent

the history of sound by ben shattuck

my brother and his brother by håkan lindquist

a place called winter by patrick gale

the great mistake by jonathan lee

the charioteer by mary renault

cinnamon gardens by shyam selvadurai

the lie by helen dunmore

swimming in the dark by tomasz jedrowski

mother's boy by patrick gale

lie with me by philippe besson

[alistairlowes]

speaking of books. if you liked tlou ep3 i have a rec!! it's an achillean ya set in post apocalypse. and happy ending!! also one of my favs from the last year. i'll reread that soon too.

[dykeredhood]

> any achillean or sapphic book recs?

Please… love yourself and look for books outside the YA genre