#kai tesh

[chaoticly-shy-dragon]

besties snarking at one another-

(press the picture for better resolution)

[sapphicbookclub]

23 sapphic books in 2023

Here’s a list of 2023 book releases with f/f pairings that you can add to your TBR and you can preorder now to support the authors!  

Science Fiction / Fantasy books:

The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang

Ravensong by Cayla Fay

The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Lucha of the Night Forest Tehlor by Kay Mejia

The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero-Lacruz

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom by Nina Varela

Contemporary romance books: 

Life is Strange: Steph’s Story by Rosiee Thor

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Out of Character by Jenna Miller

What a Desi Girl Wants by Sabina Khan

The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

The Girl Next Door by Cecilia Vinesse

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni

The Rules of Us by Jennifer Nissley

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni

If Tomorrow Doesn't Come by Jen St. Jude

The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

May 2023 bring you even more sapphicness and books! 🎆🎇

[torpublishinggroup]

We're advertising Witch King by Martha Wells, a demon fantasy novel for fans of N.K. Jemisin, Emily Tesh, and The Untamed.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT

Waking in a watery tomb after untold years, Kai, a prince among demons, a king among witches, must solve a murder—his own. But first he must gather any allies that still live and navigate a changed landscape.

He should be a hero. After all, he helped save the world—but his void-black eyes and demonic powers have always made people hate and fear him. As Kai investigates, he discovers that the world that cost so much to save may just be in danger again.

[fandomtrumpshate]

Unlisted fandom challenge!

Since our numbers post earlier today, we've had more than 30 signups, including write-ins for 2 more fandoms, bringing the total of unlisted fandoms to 155 ... for now ...

At the top of the list we have a 3-way tie for 1st, a 5-way tie for 2nd, and a 6-way tie for third ...

5 Danny Phantom

5 For All Mankind

5 Yu Yu Hakusho

4 Ace Attorney

4 Ted Lasso

4 Goblin Emperor Series - Katherine Addison

4 Stanley Parable

4 Tortall

3 Greek Mythology/Religion

3 Bungo Stray Dogs

3 Call of Duty

3 Dragon Ball

3 Realm of the Elderlings - Robin Hobb

3 Mummy (1999 franchise)

A single sign up could change all that ...

The rest below a cut for length -

2 Alan Wake/Remedyverse

2 Ghosts (TV)

2 Buffyverse

2 Cosmere

2 CSI

2 Detective Conan

2 Dracula

2 Dune

2 Firefly

2 Formula 1 RPF

2 Glee

2 Guardian (2018)

2 HBO War

2 Hermitcraft/The Life Series SMP

2 Imperial Radch Series

2 Mob Psycho 100

2 Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury

2 Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

2 Persona Series: 3-5

2 Professional Wrestling

2 Riverdale

2 Saw

2 Shades of Magic - V. E. Schwab

2 Slow Horses

2 Stormlight Archive

2 Bear (TV)

2 Empyrean - Rebecca Yarros

2 Folk of the Air (Holly Black)

2 Radiant Emperor Series

2 Undertale

2 Venture Bros

2 Voltron

2 Wolf Pack

1 1670

1 a league of their own (TV series)

1 A Plague Tale (Videogame Series)

1 Adventure Zone: Balance

1 Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across 8th Dimension

1 Adventures of Tintin

1 American Gods

1 Among Us

1 Artful Dodger

1 Bendy (and The Ink Machine/Dark Revival)

1 Billabong - Mary Grant Bruce

1 Bioshock 1&2

1 Blue Beetle

1 Breakfast With Scot

1 Bunny - Mona Awad

1 Buzzfeed Unsolved/Watcher Entertainment RPF

1 Cabin Pressure

1 Cats the musical

1 Charlie's Angels (2019)

1 Cherry Magic

1 Chronicles of Narnia

1 Cobra Kai

1 Coffee Talk (Video Game)

1 Criminal Minds

1 Death Note

1 Dexter

1 Dice Punks (podcast)

1 Digimon

1 Dimension 20

1 Discworld - Terry Pratchett

1 Divergent

1 Donten ni Warau / Laughing Under the Clouds

1 Dungeons and Daddies (podcast)

1 Fallout Video Game (Bethesda)

1 Falsettos

1 Fargo FX

1 Farscape

1 Fire Emblem (4-10, 13, 14, 16)

1 Five Nights at Freddy's

1 Friends at the Table

1 Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid

1 Good Place

1 Grantchester

1 Green Creek

1 Greenhollow Series - Emily Tesh

1 Grey's Anatomy

1 Grimm

1 Gundam (see below for details)

1 Hatchetfield

1 Hawaii 5.0

1 Hello From The Hallowoods

1 Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

1 Hollows - Kim Harrison

1 Honkai Star Rail

1 Horizon Zero Dawn

1 Horror

1 Inception

1 Inspector Morse

1 IT (Movies - Muschietti)

1 Jeff Satur - music videos

1 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

1 Julie and the Phantoms

1 Last Kingdom

1 Law and Order

1 Left-Handed Booksellers of London - Garth Nix

1 Legend of the Galactic Heroes

1 Live Free or Die Hard (Die Hard 4)

1 London Spy

1 Lunar Chronicles

1 Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic

1 Magnificent Seven

1 Mechanisms

1 Mrs. Davis

1 My Little Pony

1 Nancy Drew (CW Series)

1 Narcos (TV)

1 Nine Worlds Series - Victoria Goddard

1 NU: Carnival

1 Omori

1 One Direction

1 Orphan Black

1 Outlast

1 Pacific Rim

1 Pairing (Casey McQuiston)

1 Re-Animator

1 Saint of Steel

1 Sex Education (TV)

1 Shadow Campaigns - Django Wexler

1 Simon Snow Series

1 Skins (UK)

1 Slam Dunk

1 South Park

1 Starry Musical

1 Succession

1 Super Sentai

1 Sweeney Todd

1 Team Starkid

1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

1 Terror (TV 2018)

1 Three of Hearts

1 Tin Can Bros

1 Tower of God

1 True Detective

1 Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold

1 Wayfarers (Becky Chambers)

1 Westworld (TV)

1 Yellowjackets

1 Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters

[autumnsaesthetics]

Cozy Queer Books 🍁

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldtree

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldtree

Can't Spell Treason Without tea by Rebecca Thorne

The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O'Neill

A Psalm For The Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Fried Green Tomatoes at The Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

Silver In The Wood by Emily Tesh

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz

The Remaking of Corbin Wale by Roan Parrish

The Watchmaker of Filligree Street by Natasha Pulley

[oflights]

2 & 26 for the bookish asks? 😊📚

hi!! thank you for these! 🥰

2. Favorite fantasy book(s).

oh man, i have a lot of favorites. i love Guy Gavriel Kay's books, even if i don't love him anymore. A Brightness Long Ago is still one of my all-time favorite books ever. i love Lent, by Jo Walton; i wish i could erase my memory and read that book for the first time over and over. for a recent one that i really, really loved, The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez absolutely blew me away, just rocked my world, cannot recommend it enough!

26. Favorite novella(s).

mmm i love novellas. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan absolutely crushed me, it was phenomenal. i also really loved the Silver in the Wood/Drowned Country duology (by Emily Tesh); i think i could read a ton of little bits and pieces in that world.

ask me book things! 📚

[traeumenvonbuechern]

My Queer Lit Readathon TBR

Banned Books: All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

Group Reads: Finna by Nino Cipri

Trans Joy: Joy, to the World by Kai Shappley and Lisa Bunker

??? (Choose Your Own Category): A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee (ARC)

M-spec: So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens

History: Before We Were Trans by Kit Heyam

Host rec: Tell Me How It Ends by Quinton Li

Memoir: Pageboy by Elliot Page

Crime: The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

Enby MC or Author: Dragonfall by L.R. Lam

Intersectional: Keep Me Close by R.M. Virtues

Folklore: Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Continued: Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi

Short Stories: At Midnight, edited by Dahlia Adler

Sapphic: She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

Queer Friends: Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie

[oldmancarrot]

Books I've read (2023) - 17

False Value, by Ben Aaronovitch

The Complete Robot, by Isaac Asimov

The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle

The High King’s Tomb (#3), by Kristen Britain

Blackveil (#4), by Kristen Britain

Mirror Sight (#5) by Kristen Britain

Firebrand (#6), by Kristen Britain

The Dream Gatherer (#6.5), by Kristen Britain

The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, by Michael Chabon

The Meiji Restoration: Japan as a Global Nation, by Robert Hellyer and Harald Fuess (Editors)

A Short History of Europe: From Pericles to Putin, by Simon Jenkins

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, by Shauna Lawless

Bring up the Bodies (#2), by Hilary Mantell

Empire of Silence (#1), by Christopher Ruocchio

The Way of Kings (#1), by Brandon Sanderson

The Terror, by Dan Simmons

Some Desperate Glory, by Emily Tesh

Currently Reading

Winterlight (#7), by Kristen Britain

I'll get to these someday

American Prometheus: Oppenheimer, by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

Against All Gods, by Miles Cameron

Rubicon, by J. S. Dewes

I, Claudius, by Robert Graves

Ship of Magic (#1), by Robin Hobb

The Mad Ship (#2), by Robin Hobb

Pax, by Tom Holland

Babel, by R. F. Kuang

The Rise of Kyoshi, by F. C. Lee

The Shadow of Kyoshi, by F. C. Lee

The Mirror and the Light (#3), by Hilary Mantel

Teixcalaan Duology: A Desolation Called Peace (#2), by Arkady Martine

The Deed of Paksenarrion, by Elizabeth Moon

Gideon the Ninth (#1), by Tamsyn Muir

Harrow the Ninth (#2), by Tamsyn Muir

Nona the Ninth (#3), by Tamsyn Muir

Saevus Corvax Deals with the Dead, by K. J. Parker

She Who Became The Sun, by Shelly Parker-Chan

Howling Dark (#2), by Christopher Ruocchio

Mistborn: The Lost Metal (#7), by Brandon Sanderson

Stormlight Archive: Word of Radiance (#2), by Brandon Sanderson

Stormlight Archive: Oathbringer (#3), by Brandon Sanderson

The Bone Season (#1), by Samantha Shannon

A Day of Fallen Night, by Samantha Shannon

The Bone Shard War (#3), by Andrea Stewart

City of Last Chances (#1), by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon, by Wole Talabi

Heroic Fantasy Short Stories (Anthology), by various authors

[mellifiedman]

Okay, I'm going to for-real take advantage of having unlimited characters again and tell you my very important thoughts on all the media I've consumed in the last month-ish. We're blogging! We love blogging, right?

BOOKS

Priory of the Orange Tree, Samantha Shannon: have you ever wished for a Guy Gavriel Kay novel that was way queerer, but also worse? Boy, have I got the book for you! It's clear that a lot of careful historical research went into this book, which I appreciate, but it doesn't make up for the fact that this book is an incredibly long exercise in writing multiple POVs that all kind of feel like the same boring, namby-pamby character, despite some surface-level angst (except for the scheming gay alchemist, who actually got to have some real moral conflict a few times). It's very clear early on that all of these little dweebs are going to make the most selfless and heroic choices possible at the end of the book, and they spend many hundreds and hundreds of pages riding a rail to just that conclusion. That being said, I can see this author writing an actual fantasy masterpiece in another 10 years, maybe?

The Luminous Dead, Caitlin Starling: this felt less like a real book and more like one of those extremely involved and gritty AU fanfics that people used to write for, like, Death Note. What if this couple you should hopefully already care a LOT about is in, uh...a cave? In space? A space cave? And they hate each other at first, but then they fall in love, and also only one of them is technically in the cave (the stronger one with the weirder hair color, still all according to anime plan [keikaku]). Also, it's psychological. The thing is, I don't actually care about these characters from a pre-existing media property, so I just thought this was an incoherent mess that didn't deliver on pretty much any count. If you want an actually good version of what this book was going for, just read a Patricia Highsmith novel with Alien on in the background or something.

Some Desperate Glory, Emily Tesh: man, this one slapped. You could definitely come up with some cringey booktok-style "what if Ender's Game was ~sapphic~" pitch for this one, but thankfully it's also just a really good, crunchy, humanist sci-fi book. Honestly, my main issue with this one is that I read it so obscenely quickly that I'm not sure I absorbed everything. There are some little flaws I could complain about if I really wanted to, but this book nails what I'm looking for in this contemporary crop of queerer, more diverse, etc etc genre fiction, which is that it's a good fucking book first, and not just an affirmation of my own personal laundry list of moral beliefs (which, hey! It totally is that, too!). Thank you @storywonker for the rec - you're at the top of the genre fiction friendship pile right now! Feel free to look down and grind your heel into the necks of those below you! It's what I would do.

Cradle series, Will Wight: these books are sooooo dumb. I've read ten of them and loved every second. Cradle 4 life!!

[flame-shadow]

Yes I would like to hear about your characters !

Lol, OCs are my favorite subject

I have many, so I should probably make a list or something alskfdsa.. uhhh i'll do that here! Going off memory, so I might miss some.

Hollow Knight: Cyra, Jerome, Bronson, Candy, Calcenda, Charon, Chalice, Murmur, Zaldon, Babao, Mossy Fool, Jynx, Koretta, Phthalo, Rose, Bannoch, Hyacinth, Leisken, Chartreuse, Fraught, Scholar, Knox, Gus, Tiny, The Venge, Ixodium, Mosskid, Zip

Bug Fables: Aesa, Lorlei, Gina, Besar, Magnolia, Terimere, unnamed madesphy, Hessi, Tree, Pepsi, Jim, Brine, Barky

Pokemon: Drei, Flick, Tredinick, Killian, Kai, Chel, Styx, Arturo, Zech, Tesh, Alec, Rasha, Hale, Koiku, Jazz, Roxx, Kinch, Flare, Matilda, Grylls

Misc Fandoms: Labradorite, Canyon, Thrushfur

Original: Jaundice, Fornax, Gossamer, The Overgrown God, Pluto, Spur, Hadda, unnamed wasp, unnamed snail

[nevinslibrary]

Weird & Wonderful Wednesday

In a lot of these fantasy sorts of books the guards (guarding the castle or as in this one a caravan or such) don’t get a lot of time, they’re just the steel to protect the main characters. But, in this book, Demane, one of the guards, as well as Captain Isa, are the main characters.

Demane is a demi-god, a product of the gods, who then retreated to heaven. He has quite the healing powers, and, is often labelled as a sorcerer. He uses them to protect the merchant caravan that he's travelling with. Between the two of them, can they keep those in the caravan alive?

There’s a ton of mythical-ness in here, as well as romance, and, the coolest part, just a hint of science fiction too. It’s very much a character driven novel, but that's okay because the characters were all totally amazing. A really fun read.

You may like this book If you Liked: Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James, Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh, or The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante

[chaoticly-shy-dragon]

Do I have an unhealthy obsession with badly sketching my Jedi ocs...

...yeah you could say that.

they are from my new fic where Vader is a bit nicer and doesn't kill the younglings.

[cashmere-sweatsuit]

Being a Comprehensive* List of Science Fiction and Fantasy Books for Adults about Gay Men

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley (bloody Napoleonic time travel, highly recommended)

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell (excellent lighthearted scifi, highly recommended)

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley (Victorian London and causality problems, highly recommended)

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley (Meiji Japan and more causality problems, highly recommended)

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh (beautiful fairy story, highly recommended)

The Drowned Country by Emily Tesh (sequel to Silver in the Wood, also beautiful, highly recommended)

Paladin's Hope by T. Kingfisher (love in a fantasy death trap. It's sweeter than it sounds. explicit. highly recommended.)

Widdershins by Jordan Hawk (bloody, explicit, yet somehow delightful lovecraftian murder mystery, highly recommended)

Dragon's Winter by Elizabeth A. Lynn (dark high fantasy, absolutely gorgeous)

Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling (old-fashioned high fantasy, gets very dark but ends well)

Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling (sequel to Luck in the Shadows, this one has the romance in it)

Seducing the Sorcerer by Lee Welch (delightful, funny, explicit, fantasy romance. Highly recommend)

Spectred Isle by K. J. Charles (explicit, very funny romance, highly recommended)

The Magpie Lord by K. J. Charles (explicit, funny and highly recommended)

Sword Dance by A. J. Demas (explicit, not really fantasy but ancient Greece with the serial numbers removed, delightful, highly recommended)

Saffron Alley by A. J. Demas (sequel to Sword Dance, explicit, delightful, highly recommended)

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune (sweet and innocent modern fantasy, highly recommended)

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (explicit, fun, magic in the pre-WWI English aristocracy)

Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen (weird west, main character is a bisexual trans man who doesn't figure that last part out until the second book, very bloody but very good, would recommend)

Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison (extremely well-written fantasy in an extremely homophobic setting, recommended for its beauty nevertheless)

The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison (sequel to Witness for the Dead, excellent)

Spellbound by Allie Therin (magic oldtimey London. Cute! Would recommend)

Water Horse by Melissa Scott (very slow moving but beautiful fantasy, bisexual king defends his people from religious fanatics, would recommend)

Peter Darling by Austin Chant (gay trans Peter Pan with an interesting take on Neverland, would recommend)

Witchmark by C. L. Polk (WWI-inspired fantasy, interesting plot and sympathetic hero, would recommend)

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall (Sherlock Holmes homage, wild and hilarious, only incidentally gay but lots of fun, would recommend)

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell (telepathic space soldiers, lightweight entertainment, would recommend)

The Half Life of Valery K (historical fiction, not spec fic, God help us all. Devastating. Beautiful.)

A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson (beautiful but tragic but then not tragic? guardedly recommended)

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson (also beautiful but actually tragic, guardedly recommended)

Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi (brutal, smart post apocalyptic sci-fi, guardedly recommended)

The Fire's Stone by Tanya Huff (sword-and-sorcery, falls into some exotic east tropes, guardedly recommended)

Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi (extremely well-written dreamlike modern fantasy that will likely frustrate people who want a straightforward narrative, guardedly recommended)

Under the Whispering Door by T. J. Klune (emotionally draining but not tragic, guardedly recommend)

Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand by Samuel R. Delany (extremely strange scifi, tragic, only recommended if you want to stretch your brain or if you are dedicated to reading the classics)

Of Dragons, Feasts, and Murders by Aliette de Bodard (fine little book, doesn’t stand alone, one of the gay boys is evil, meh.)

Smoke and Shadows by Tanya Huff (workaday urban fantasy, somewhat dull, solid meh)

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (a bit of a mess, straight couples get all the screentime, but ends happily. Meh.)

The Door into Fire by Diane Duane (like the Morgaine saga but cozy. Not the most compelling plot, but the gay couple is cute. Meh.)

Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly (the plot is driven by homophobia, doesn't stand alone, bloody. Meh.)

City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault (diverse cast but boring, doesn't stand alone. Meh.)

The Dancers of Arun by Elizabeth A. Lynn (very strange book, thin plot, hero ends up with his brother, would not recommend)

The Root by Na'amen Gobert Tilahun (bury your gays. Very bloody. Would not recommend)

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows (Dull fantasy romance. Explicit. Might improve eventually. Did not finish it.)

The Heart of the Lost Star by Megan Derr (secondary world with no magic, decent story with terrible writing. Would not recommend)

The Last Sun by K. D. Edwards (bad writing, thin plot, too much rape, would not recommend)

Cagebird by Karin Lowachee (longer than it should be. Too much rape. Would not recommend)

Lava Red Feather Blue by Molly Ringle (no Pacific Islanders on a Pacific island, but the bad fairies have Hawaiian names and the heroes are Welsh. Would not recommend)

The Widening Gyre by Michael R. Johnston (like trying to read a videogame, very dull, would not recommend)

Not yet reviewed:

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

Best Foot Forward by Celia Lake

Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale

Asterius & Thesius Walk into the Light by Aaron Fown

The God Eaters by Jesse Hajicek

Ferry of Bones and Blood by Hailey Turner

Returning Heroes by Harry F. Rey

Blood Legacy by Tej Turner

The Magic Between by Stephanie Hoyt

Vows of Empire by Emily Skrutskie

August Kitko and the Mechas from Space by Alex White

Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans

Deadbeat Druid by David R. Slayton

Climbing the Date Palm by Shira Glassman

Lord of the White Hell by Ginn Hale

Potato Surprise by Angel Martinez

The Forgotten Dead by Jordan Hawk

The God Key by Simone King 

* If a book is missing from this list, kindly let us know, but remember that it must be: science fiction or fantasy, for adults, about a gay man. Bisexual men are included. Works in translation are included; however, please do not submit works that are only available via fan translation.

[portmanteaurian]

So this year I, like a lot of people, was going through some stuff. And the way I coped, particularly over the summer, was by reading. I read between 275 and 300 books this year (final count pending), which is certainly the most I’ve done in at least a decade. And a lot of them were very good! I narrowed myself down to a list of forty recommendations, with short write-ups of ten, and made a point of not repeating authors. You can see everything else on my StoryGraph account though.

YA/MG:

The Beast Player - Nahoko Uehashi trans. Cathy Hirano

Death Sets Sail - Robin Stevens

Echo After Echo - A.R. Capetta

Half World - Hiromi Goto

A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope - ed. Patrice Caldwell

Shadow of the Batgirl - Sarah Kuhn & Nicole Goux

A Song Below Water - Bethany C. Morrow

The Scapegracers - Hannah Abigail Clarke

YA contemporary fantasy is obviously a well-trodden genre, but this felt like a really fresh take. Sharp prose, interesting magic system, and a really fantastic and original-feeling POV character. I can’t wait for the sequel.

We Are Not Free - Traci Chee

This is a historical novel about residents of Japanese-American internment compounds during WWII, so it is not a light read. But it was powerfully emotionally affecting, and really compelling from a craft perspective as well; each chapter is narrated by a different character, and seeing how all the perspectives intersect is really remarkable.

ADULT FICTION (mostly spec):

A Choir of Lies - Alexandra Rowland

The City We Became - N.K. Jemisin

The Empress of Salt and Fortune - Nghi Vo

The Four Profound Weaves - R.B. Lemberg

Homesick: Stories - Nino Cipri

Master of Poisons - Andrea Hairston

Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water - Zen Cho

Phoenix Extravagant - Yoon Ha Lee

Piranesi - Susanna Clarke

The Seep - Chana Porter

Skin Deep Magic - Craig Laurance Gidney

Stormsong - C.L. Polk

Freshwater - Akwaeke Emezi

One hell of a debut novel. Emezi has said it’s largely autobiographical, which makes it one of two really unique takes on autobiography and memoir that I’ve read this year. It’s about trauma, immigration, queerness, disability...I really just recommend you read it, though perhaps after checking a summary, as it deals very frankly with some potentially triggering subjects.

Not So Stories - ed. David Thomas Moore

This year I spent a lot of time with short stories and novellas, which is a little unusual for me. Several collections made a strong impression (there’s a few others on this list), but I adore the conceit of this one, which features a group of authors of colour responding to Kipling’s intensely colonial “Just So Stories” by writing new fables of their own. Some directly riff on Kipling’s tales, others go in entirely new directions, but all are really effective.

The Raven and the Reindeer - T Kingfisher

Kingfisher is one of those authors I discovered this year who I am shocked I had never read earlier. She’s prolific, works in genres I like, and is beloved by several of my friends. Consider this book a stand-in for her catalogue in general on this list, although of all the books by her I read it’s the only direct fairy-tale retelling. Really great take on Andersen’s Snow Queen

The Unspoken Name - A.K. Larkwood

This was just a ton of fun. Very queer, frequently hilarious, in a totally bizarre fantasy world (worlds, even!) and with a great protagonist. Another really confident debut novel, and another one where I can’t wait to check out where the series goes from here.

NONFIC:

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma - Bessel van der Kolk

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories From the 21st Century - ed. Alice Wong

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space - Amanda Leduc

Distorted Descent: White Claims to Indigenous Identity - Darryl Leroux

In the Dream House - Carmen Maria Machado

The other unique memoir I alluded to above, Machado non-linearly unpacks an abusive relationship she experienced with incredible clarity and artfulness. As someone who’s experienced abuse, parts were very familiar, and Machado’s writing is very effective at laying a situation bare (a skill she uses to great effect in her short fiction as well). This book also has some of the most memorable and narratively impactful citations I have ever seen. Read it to understand how that’s the case.

The North-West is our Mother - Jean Teillet

This is straight-up a history book but it’s a very clear and engaging one. For people who’ve ever wanted to know more about Métis people and our history, particularly in the 19th and early-20th century, this is going to be one of my go-to recs. It’s a little sparser with the more recent stuff, but there are other books to fill that gap.

ROMANCE:

Band Sinister - K.J. Charles

The Doctor’s Discretion - E.E. Ottoman

Invitation to the Dance - Tamara Allen

Two Rogues Make a Right - Cat Sebastian

Silver in the Wood - Emily Tesh

A Taste of Honey - Kai Ashante Wilson

Behind These Doors - Jude Lucens

This year is really the first I’ve read romance in any serious way, but I did read a lot of it and learned a fair amount about what I like. This ticks a lot of those boxes (historical [Edwardian, in this case]! Gay! Engages honestly with social issues of the period!) while also being a story about people negotiating polyamory, with much of the conflict being rooted in how one effectively communicates with the people they care about. Really different from anything else I read, and really well-done.

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows - Olivia Waite

This is probably my favourite romance novel of the year. It’s a slow-burn Regency story about the relationship between two middle-aged working women, a beekeeper and a bookseller. It’s also a story about prejudice, mob mentality, and the intense class divide in Regency England -- the Peterloo massacre is a significant element, and the way that opposition to it brought together a coalition of different social groups that ultimately could not hold due to other prejudices dividing them. It’s really nuanced, and really effective. Also, I am assured by a lesbian friend that the sex scenes are very hot.

SO ANYWAY. A lot of recommendations, and more detail about some of the ones I most encourage people to pick up. Really in my opinion you can’t go wrong with any of these, though, and I hope you take a look at some next time you’re searching for something to read!

What a year, huh?

[princelymlm]

Gotta Be LGBT+

This is a list of just some of the LGBT+ content out there. Anything on this list was contains LGBT+ characters or was made by LGBT+ creators. All entries on this list were sent in by followers and have not been confirmed by the mod. (Entries with ‘rep not given’ next to them mean that the suggestion did not include what kind of representation is in the content)

Put everything under the cut since this list started getting really long

Books/Comics

They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera (mlm)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire-Saénz (mlm)

Symptoms of Being Human (genderfluid)

Lily and Dunkin - Donna Gephart (trans/trans woman)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid (wlw/bi)

The Gentleman’s Guide To Vice and Virtue - Mackenzie Lee (mlm/gay/bi)

Been Here All Along - Sandy Hall (gay/bi)

History Is All You Left Me - Adam Silvera (mlm/gay)

Blue Is The Warmest Color - Julie Maroh (wlw/bi/lesbian)

Mask of Shadows - Linsey Miller (bi/genderfluid)

Once and Future - Cori McCarthy (wlw/mlm/gay/bi/nonbinary)

Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda - Beck Albertalli (mlm/gay)

Leah on the Offbeat - Becky Albertalli (wlw/bi)

Grasshopper Jungle - Andrew Smith (questioning/mlm)

The Rest of Us Just Live Here - Patrick Ness (mlm/gay)

Flying Tips For Flightless Birds - Kelly McCaughrain (mlm/gay)

I’ll Give You The Sun - Jandy Nelson (mlm)

Point Pleasant - Jen Archer Wood (mlm) 

True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - Gerard Way (mlm/wlw)

The Wayfarers Series - Becky Chambers (wlw/aro/trans man/nonbinary/genderfluid)

Vesuvius Club - Mark Gatiss (bi)

The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller (mlm)

Radio Silence - Alice Oseman (bi/mlm/demi/gay/pan/wlw/lesbian)

Of Fire and Stars - Audrey Coulthurst (wlw/lesbian)

Magnus Chase Series - Rick Riordan (genderfluid)

Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan (gay)

This Is Kind of An Epic Love Story - Kheyrn Callender (mlm/wlw)

Gracefully Grayson - Ami Polonsky (trans woman)

If I Was Your Girl - Meredith Russon (trans woman)

Call Me By Your Name - Andre Aciman (mlm)

Red, White, and Royal Blue - Casey McQuinston (mlm)

I Wish You All The Best - Mason Deaver (nonbinary)

Dreadnaught + Sovereign - April Daniels (wlw/trans woman)

The Art of Being Normal - Lisa Williamson (trans)

The Gone Series - Michael Grant (mlm/wlw)

One Of Us Is Lying - Karen McManus (mlm)

Six Of Crows - Leigh Bardugo (mlm)

Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo (rep not given)

The Last Sun - Author Not Provided (rep not given)

Romeo and/or Juliet - Ryan North (rep not given)

American Gods - Neil Gaiman (mlm/gay/bi) 

The Mage Wars Series - Mercedes Lackey (gay)

Scott Pilgrim vs The World - Bryan Lee O’Malley (mlm/gay/wlw)

Boyfriends With Girlfriends - Alex Sánchez (mlm/wlw/bi/gay)

Will Grayson, Will Grayson - David Levithan & John Green (mlm)

This Is Where It Ends -Marieke Nijkamp (lesbian/wlw)

Carry On - Rainbow Rowell (mlm)

Stranger Than Fanfiction - Chris Colfer (mlm/trans man/gay)

The Reader Trilogy (The Reader, The Speaker, The Storyteller) - Traci Chee (mlm/wlw/nonbinary)

I Was Born For This - Alice Oseman (trans)

Heartstopper - Alice Oseman (mlm)

The Broken Earth Trilogy - MK Jemisin (trans woman/poly/pan/mlm

A Boy Worth Knowing - Jennifer Cosgrove (mlm/bi/gay)

The Rifter - Author Not Provided (mlm)

Snapdragon - Author Not Provided (wlw/ trans woman)

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon (wlw/lesbian/mlm/gay)

Tipping the Velvet - Sarah Waters (wlw/lesbian)

Fingersmith - Sarah Waters (wlw/lesbian)

The Paying Guests - Sarah Waters (wlw/lesbian)

I Am J - Cris Beam (trans man)

Little And Lion - Brandy Colbert (bi)

Autoboyography - Christina Lauren (bi)

Felix Ever After - Kacen Callender (trans)

Birthday - Meredith Russo (trans)

Stay Gold - Tobly McSmith (trans)

You Should See Me In A Crown - Leah Johnson (lesbian)

Girls of Paper and Fire - Natasha Ngan (lesbian)

The Henna Wars - Adiba Jaigirdar (lesbian)

Let's Talk About Love - Claire Kann (ace)

The Lady's Guide To Petticoats and Piracy - Mackenzi Lee (ace/aro)

The Vanishers' Place - Aliette De Bodard (wlw)

Ash - Malinda Lo (wlw/bi)

The Little Homo Sapiens Scientist - S. L. Huang (wlw)

Everfair - Nisi Shawl (wlw)

Dread Nation: Risse Up - Justina Ireland (wlw/bi/ace)

The Gilda Stories - Jewelle Gomez (wlw/lesbian)

The True Queen - Zen Cho (wlw)

The Devourers - Indra Das (genderfluid/bi)

We Set The Dark On Fire - Tehlor Kay Mejia (wlw)

Smoketown - Tenea D. Johnson (wlw/lesbian)

Falling In Love With Hominids - Nalo Hopkinson (wlw)

The Fox’s Tower and Other Tales - Yoon Ha Lee (nonbinary)

Her Body and Other Parties - Carmen Maria Machado (wlw)

Beneath the Citadel - Destiny Soria (mlm/gay/bi/ace)

Witchmark - C.L Polk (mlm/gay)

The Prey of Gods - Nicky Drayden (trans/bi)

An Unkindness of Ghosts - Rivers Solomon (wlw/trans/nonbinary/intersex)

The Root - Na’amen Gobert Tilahun (mlm/gay)

Gods & Monsters: Snake Eyes - Hillary Monohan (wlw)

Labyrinth Lost - Zoraida Cordova (wlw/bi)

The Winged Histories - Sofia Samatar (wlw)

The Weight of Stars - K. Ancrum (wlw)

Huntress - Malinda Lo (wlw)

Will Do Magic For Small Change - Andrea Hairston (bi/pan/nonbinary)

The Last Chronomancer - Reilyn J Hardy (aro/ace/genderfluid/lesbian)

A Taste of Honey - Kai Ashante Wilson (mlm/bi)

Deadline - Stephanie Ahn (wlw/lesbian)

The Read Threads of Fortune - JY Yang (wlw/bi)

Not Your Sidekick - C.B. Lee (wlw/bi)

Timekeeper - Tara Sim (mlm)

Ascension - Jacqueline Koyangi (wlw)

When The Moon Was Ours - Anna-Marie McLemore (trans)

Amberlough - Lara Elena Donnelly (mlm/gay)

The Perfect Assassin - K.A Doore (gay/ace/mlm)

Afterparty - Daryl Gregory (wlw/lesbian)

Borderline - Mishell Baker (wlw/bi)

The Cloud Roads - Martha Wells (bi)

An Accident of Stars - Foz Meadows (wlw/bi/aro/trans)

The Last 8 - Laura Pohl (aro/bi)

Failure to Communicate - Kaia Sonderby (wlw/bi)

The Luminous Dead - Caitlin Starling (wlw)

The Wrong Stars - Tim Pratt (wlw)

Full Fathom Five - Max Gladstone (trans)

A Memory Called Empire - Arkady Martine (wlw)

Silver In the Wood - Emily Tesh (mlm)

The Raven Tower - Ann Leckie (mlm/bi/trans)

Ariah - B.R. Sanders (mlm/bi/nonbinary)

The Raven and the Reindeer - T. Kingfisher (wlw)

Planetfall - Emma Newman (bi)

Black Wings Beating - Alex London (ace/gay/mlm)

The Scorpion Rule - Erin Bow (bi)

Inkmistress - Audrey Coulthurst (bi)

Into the Drowning Deep - Mira Grant (wlw/bi/lesbian)

Vengeful - V.E Schwab (ace)

Blackfish City - Sam J Miller (nonbinary)

Daughter of Mystery - Heather Rose Jones (wlw/lesbian)

Stranger Grace - Tessa Gratton (bi/pan)

The Brilliant Death - Amy Rose Capetta (nonbinary)

Chameleon Moon - RoAnna Sylver (wlw/trans/ace)

19 Love Stories - David Levithan (trans/queer)

It’s Not Like It’s A Secret - Author Not Given (wlw)

Picture Us In The Light - Author Not Given (mlm)

Two Can Keep A Secret - Author Not Given (mlm/bi)

Death Sets Sail - Author Not Given (wlw)

Becoming Dinah - Author Not Given (rep not provided)

Witch Wolf series - Winter Pennington (wlw, lesbian, bisexual)

Underrealm series - Garrett Robinson (wlw, mlm, nonbinary, trans man trans woman, trans, pansexual, bisexual)

A Cloak of Red - Brenna Gawain (wlw, lesbian)

 Blood Canticles - Naomi Clark (wlw)

Podcasts

Welcome to Night Vale (mlm/gay/wlw/nonbinary)

Dreamboy (mlm/gay)

Alice Isn’t Dead (wlw/lesbian)

The Penumbra Podcast (mlm/bi/genderfluid/nonbinary)

My Favorite Podcast (trans men)

Within the Wires (wlw)

The Adventure Zone (mlm/wlw/trans/gnc/nonbinary)

Limetown (wlw/lesbian)

Getting Curious With Jonathan Van Ness (nblm/nonbinary)

Friends at the Table (mlm/wlw/nonbinary)

LezHangOut (wlw)

Bright Sessions (mlm/demi/ace)

Queer As Fact (historical lgbt)

History Is Gay (historical lgbt)

Always Here (historical lgbt)

And That’s Why We Drink (nonbinary)

Magnus Archives (mlm/ace)

The Two Princes (mlm/gay/bi)

Girl-ish (trans women)

The Bright Sessions (gay/ace)

TV Shows/Movies/ETC

One Day At A Time (Remake) (wlw/lesbian/nonbinary)

Love, Simon (mlm/gay)

A Single Man (mlm/gay)

Brokeback Mountain (mlm/gay)

In The Flesh (mlm/gay)

Weekend (mlm)

RWBY (wlw/trans)

Jessica Jones (wlw/lesbian)

Critical Role (mlm/gay/bi/wlw/lesbian/nonbinary/genderfluid)

Pose (trans women/gay)

Schitt’s Creek (pan/mlm)

White Collar (wlw)

Lucifer (bi)

Umbrella Academy (mlm/wlw)

Call Me By Your Name (mlm)

Brooklyn Nine Nine (mlm/gay/bi)

Steven Universe (nonbinary)

Sailor Moon (wlw)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (wlw)

Sense8 (mlm/gay/wlw/lesbian/trans woman)

Doom Patrol (?/rep not given)

Good Omens (nonbinary)

Gentleman Jack (wlw)

American Gods (mlm/gay/bi/two-spirit)

Orange Is The New Black (wlw/trans)

Blue Is The Warmest Color (wlw)

Shameless (mlm/trans)

Euphoria (wlw/trans woman)

Modern Family (mlm/gay)

Daisy Brown ARG (wlw/lesbian)

Deadpool (pan)

Deadpool 2 (pan/wlw)

Alex Strangelove (mlm/gay)

Wynonna Earp (lesbian/gay/wlw)

She-Ra (wlw/mlm/gay/bi/lesbian/nonbinary/trans man)

SKAM (rep not provided)

Gotham (bi)

The Haunting of Hill House (wlw)

The Haunting of Bly Manor (wlw)

Kipo and the Wonderbeasts (mlm/gay/nonbinary)

Billie and Emma (wlw)

Carmen & Lola (wlw)

Carol (wlw)

Disobedience (wlw)

Elisa & Marcela (wlw)

Good Manners (wlw)

The Handmaiden (wlw)

Heart Beat Loud (wlw)

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (wlw)

Rafiki (wlw)

Stranger Things (wlw)

Handsome Devil (mlm)

Pride (wlw/mlm)

Musicals

The Prom (wlw/lesbian)

Be More Chill (mlm/bi)

Fun Home (wlw)

Spring Awakening (mlm)

A New Brain (mlm)

Falsettos (mlm/wlw)

Rent (mlm/wlw)

Firebringer (wlw/bi)

A Very Potter Musical (mlm/gay)

The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals (wlw)

Bare: A Pop Opera (mlm)

Everybody’s Talking About Jaime (mlm/gay)

Yank! The Musical (mlm)

Octet (wlw)

Ghost Quartet (wlw)

Spies Are Forever (mlm/gay)

Willow: A New Musical (wlw)

Over And Out: A New Musical (nblw/nonbinary)

Video Games

Fallout: New Vegas (mlm/gay/wlw/lesbian)

When The Night Comes (mlm/nonbinary)

The Arcana (nonbinary)

Dream Daddy (mlm/gay/bi/pan/trans)

Dragon Age (mlm/wlw/gay/lesbian/trans/pan/bi)

Smile For Me (wlw)

Undertale (trans/nonbinary/wlw/mlm)

Monster Prom (nonbinary)

Cookie Run (nonbinary/mlm/wlw/bi/pan)

The Missing (wlw/trans woman)

Fable 2 & 3 (wlw/mlm)

Borderlands 2 (mlm/wlw/bi/gay/lesbian)

Gone Home (wlw)

Prey (wlw)

Dishonored 2 (nonbinary/wlw)

Deus Ex Mankind Divided System Rift (rep not given)

Assassins Creed Series (mlm/wlw/gay/lesbian/trans)

The Last of Us (wlw/lesbian) 

Mass Effect Series (mlm/wlw/gay/lesbian/bi)

Life Is Strange (wlw)

Overwatch (mlm/gay/wlw/lesbian)

Animal Crossing (pan)

Night In The Woods (pan/mlm/trans woman)

The Elder Scrolls (trans/wlw/lesbian)

Dreamfall Chapters (mlm/gay)

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (wlw)

In the Outer Worlds (wlw/ace)

Elder Scrolls: Skyrim (mlm/wlw)

Fallout 4 (wlw/mlm)

Hades (mlm/bi)

Obviously this list is far from complete so feel free to add to it or let me know of anything else and I’ll edit the post to add it as long as you include the category it belongs to! Be sure to include what representation it has though otherwise I can’t add it!