#l. d. lapinski

[ghost-of-books]

[bookyeahqueerlit]

Endless List of Queer Book Recs part 1/?

If you've ever thought your nonbinary friends or family are making too big a fuss about gender stuff, read Jamie by L. D. Lapinski. I felt so much catharsis for every time I've contacted customer service, every time I've corrected someone who probably didn't care or understand, every time I've insisted that yes, my identity is valid and it matters.

The target audience is kids 8-12, if not younger, so it isn't exactly subtle with its points, but that doesn't lessen the effectiveness or charm. Great for readers of all ages and all genders!

[ijustkindalikebooks]

I've been listening to a lot of middle grade, but the kids are getting so many good books these days.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

International Non-Binary People's Day

🦇 Good morning, bookish bats! It's International Non-Binary People's Day! Looking to add some great non-binary books to your ever-growing TBR? Here are books from authors who publicly identify as non-binary, starring characters that are non-binary, too! Which are you reading first?

✨ Fiction ✨ 💛 She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan 🤍 Loveless by Alice Oseman 💜 Nettleblack by Nat Reeve 🖤 Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor 💛 Truth & Dare by So Mayer 🤍 X by Davey Davis 💜 Chlorine by Jade Song 🖤 Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee 💛 I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver 🤍 On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden 💜 Pet by Akwaeke Emezi 🖤 The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld 💛 The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey 🤍 The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang 💜 Outlawed by Anna North 🖤 An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon 💛 The Heartbreak Bakery by A. R. Capetta 🤍 Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans 💜 Jamie by L. D. Lapinski 🖤 Mordew by Alex Pheby

✨ Non-Fiction ✨ 💛 In Their Shoes by Jamie Windust 🤍 Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon 💜 Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe 🖤 Gender Euphoria by Laura Kate Dale 💛 A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns by Archie Bongiovanni and Tristan Jimerson 🤍 What’s the T? The No-nonsense Guide to All Things Trans And/or Non-binary for Teens by Juno Dawson 💜 Life Isn’t Binary: On Being Both, Beyond, and In-Between by Alex Iantaffi and Meg-John Barker

[booksartanddragons]

REVIEW: The Strangeworlds Travel Agency

Little Wyverns seems a wholly unremarkable and dull place to have moved to until Flick discovers The Strangeworlds Travel Agency and its young apparent proprietor Jonathan Mercator. The revelation that this travel agency, with its stacks of strange bartered suitcases, is full of doorways to marvellous other worlds turns Flick’s quiet world upside down. She is soon a part of marvellous adventures with Jonathan, to worlds full of  strange and wonderful things and magic. 

But Jonathan’s father is missing and there is something very wrong beneath the surface of these worlds and perhaps Flick might just be the person to help figure out these mysteries.

This book is a whirlwind of charming imagination and delightfully strange characters in whose pages I was delighted to get lost. The pages teem with Neverland-esque forests of strange children, snowy mountains with Yetis and zany places where the very ground makes you bounce! The story is a Far Away Tree for older readers, imaginative, spellbindingly exciting and leaving me sat at the end desperately excited for another world to explore. I would highly recommend for kids and kids at heart, Lapinski has written a real gem!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.

[cloudyappleart]

Happy 6months to my absolute favourite book, The Strangeworlds Travel Agency!! Here’s Flick and Jonathan having an adventure and a half with the Doctor!

[hermitknut]

[ID: Cover of ‘The Strangeworlds Travel Agency’ by L. D. Lapinski, which features an illustration of all sorts of items coming out of a trunk (tentacles, a tree with vines, birds and books and crystals and a globe, a hot air balloon, a plane, etc). Near the bottom of the image, a girl is hanging on to one strap of a rucksack which appears to be being pulled into a suitcase by another arm.]

Can’t find anything to reblog about this, so I shall just have to yell excitedly myself!!.

‘The Strangeworlds Travel Agency’ by L. D. Lapinski is a portal-fantasy adventure story for 9-13s (and older, honestly, I’m 29 and I loved it) with a central trans character. 

Flick has moved to a new town, and she discovers this strange old travel agency. When she investigates, she finds out it’s run by Jonathan, who is surprisingly young for the job. It turns out that The Strangeworlds Travel Agency uses suitcases like portals - step through one and you step into a whole other world! Though of course, there is a catch or two...

It’s such a great book? I love Flick, I love Jonathan, and all of the worlds that they visit feel like you could have a whole book set just there. Plus, the central mystery is really well done! And it’s part of a series, with the next one coming out next April, and I’ve already preordered it because I’m that excited :D

TL;DR: portal fantasy series, adventure, middle grade, trans central character, and iirc the author’s non-binary - definitely check it out!

[alexsfictionaddiction]

Review: The Strangeworlds Travel Agency by L. D. Lapinski

I’ve been on a bit of a middle-grade kick recently and I’ve been hearing buzz about this one for a while. As we’re not allowed to physically travel at the moment, this magical debut is the perfect passport to a whimsical adventure.

Flick Hudson and her family are new in the village of Little Wyverns. While out exploring, she stumbles across the weird and wonderful Strangeworlds Travel Agency and its eccentric proprietor Jonathan Mercator. Inside she discovers walls of suitcases, each containing a different magical world. To travel to one of them, she must join the secret Strangeworlds society. But one of the worlds is in mortal danger, Jonathan has a mystery to solve and Flick is about to learn how very special she is...

Magic is very much a precious and elusive commodity, which creates the familiar warm glow that I love in middle-grade fantasy. The reader is let in on the secret of magic’s existence from the very beginning, which immediately draws you in like an invitation to a special club. This inclusivity wraps itself around the reader and gives them a lovely welcoming cuddle.

‘If she’d had to describe it, she would have said it was curiosity mixed with oranges.’

The above line comes from a very early scene where Flick is sussing out the situation at Strangeworlds. I had to mention it in this review because I’ve never heard of such a wonderfully strange description of a feeling that somehow still makes sense. Lapinski has a few of these little nuggets, glittering away in the narrative that show off a unique quirky style.

There is a lot of lovely messaging to take into reality, while we’re learning the secrets of world-travelling. The above quote alludes to the detrimental effect that being in a world where you don’t belong can have. It made me appreciate all of the people and places that mean home for me. They do quite literally give me life, so I was able to fully relate to the idea of always returning home after an adventure.

There’s also an eco-message that talks about the importance of looking after the world you inhabit. Of course, there has never been a better time for children to grow up being aware of their own carbon footprints and coming up with ideas for how to protect the planet. The existence of our world is magic in its most organic form and much like the worlds contained in the suitcases, it needs to be cared for.

My only real niggle about this book is that Flick reads quite a bit older than 12 to me. Having said that, I don’t know any 12-year-olds so maybe they are as quick-thinking and daring as she is but I had to keep reminding myself that she wasn’t at least 15. I also wasn’t sure that a 12-year-old would be as relaxed and confident about spending a night away from home without parental permission in a village that they’re new to. At the very end, we learn that her parents had been very worried about her which obviously clears up the usual ‘but where are the parents in all this?’ question that so often comes with middle-grade and YA fiction. However, I couldn’t help wondering if the concern was reciprocated at all. I don’t remember Flick worrying about her parents until she was about to go home and I know that at 12, I’d have been unable to think of anything else. Perhaps I’d have behaved a bit more inconsiderately as a teen, which is maybe why I thought Flick seemed to read a little bit older than she was.

Lapinski is fantastic at creating immersive, detailed worlds. The city of Five Lights was so well-written that I could almost smell and taste everything while wandering around the mystical, Spanish-style streets. It has definitely been a while since I experienced a fictional place so vividly and I loved it!

The Strangeworlds Travel Agency is the first in a new middle-grade fantasy series that is charmingly unique and so much fun. Each of these worlds have so much potential, so I can’t wait to revisit them and discover where else the Travel Agency can take me. There are also some fantastic side characters, who I suspect may show up again and a mystery that hasn’t been cleared up, so I’m definitely ready to keep reading any sequels! Big thank you to L. D. Lapinski for giving me the opportunity to visit a plethora of new worlds while being stuck inside!

The Strangeworlds Travel Agency by L. D. Lapinski will be published by Orion Children’s Books on 30th April 2020.

[calmgrove]

Open and shut case?

Open and shut case?

L D Lapinski: The Strangeworlds Travel Agency Orion Children’s Books 2020

Felicity Hudson may only be twelve, but a family house move from a city to a village, combined with the scary prospect of a new school after the summer, means Flick has to grab chances to explore whenever she can. And what she comes across wandering down a Victorian arcade is a shabby shopfront:

Beside the church, leaning…

[semper-legens]

71. Jamie, by L. D. Lapinski

Owned: No, library Page count: 260 My summary: Jamie Rambeau is just trying to live their life - but that’s hard when you’re a nonbinary kid, and your school options are severely limited. Torn between two bad choices, Jamie decides to take matters into their own hands and raise awareness of their identity. They don’t expect what happens along the way... My rating: 3/5 My commentary:

Well. This arrived on the shelves at work and I had to do a double take. Look, I know I picked one of the most common nonbinary names, and that (when I had shorter hair and could pass for male more often) I had the same default Mii aesthetic of the kid on the cover here. But still. I've encountered Lapinski's work before, as a friend leant me her copy of the first Strangeworlds Travel Agency book, so I thought why not check this out, since it seems to be about me. Like, it's not (I didn't know I was nonbinary until the age of 17 at least) but look, let me have this, okay? Maybe if this book had existed when I was eleven, I would have figured myself out a lot sooner.

So what's the story? Jamie Rambeau is an eleven year old nonbinary kid from Nottingham, who has to choose which high school they go to. Unfortunately, there's only two options - a school for boys, and a school for girls. One of their best friends is going to the girls' school, the other to the boys' school. But either choice would entail Jamie misgendering themself, something they don't want to do. Jamie's a pretty good character for this kind of middle-grade fiction. They're brave enough to stand up for themself and start campaigning against institutionalised transphobia, but still have their insecurities and can be bullheaded and single-minded, not thinking about their friends' needs as well as their own. They're plucky, but not annoying with it or anything. It's a good balance!

What's less of a good balance, however, is the story of this book. I get it. This is Baby's First Trans in quite a literal way, being that it's intended for children and all. But that doesn't mean the one-dimensional side characters and plot convenience that abounds are particularly interesting reading. All of the characters seem to be either Cartoonishly Bigoted or Supportive, ironically in a binary. The only possible exceptions are Jamie's parents, who are introduced as being supportive but are clearly uncomfortable with Jamie's identity and want them to stop making a fuss. They come around over the course of the story, but that's the only nuance here. All of Jamie's school is on board with Jamie's identity bar a few teachers, and the headteacher of the boys' school even brings his students to Jamie's Pride at the end, which...I dunno, I've never met a secondary school student who would willingly hang out with a bunch of primary school kids, you know?

I'm not saying the book was bad. Far from it. I very much acknowledge that I am not the target audience for this thing - I'm over twice the age of the target audience, in fact! And as I alluded to in the intro, I'm really pleased that a book with this subject matter exists for kids, either to introduce them to trans and nonbinary identities, to help them if they're not cis, or to broaden their horizons a bit. It just...didn't blow me away, I'm sad to say.

Next up, adventurers retire to run a coffee shop.

[franticvampirereads]

Fantasy book recommendations: Wonderscape by Jennifer Bell, Pages and Co series by Anna James, Malamander series by Thomas Taylor, The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle, Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend, Rumaysa by Radiya Hafiza, The Strangeworlds Travel Agency trilogy by L D Lapinski, Orphans of the Tide by Struan Murray, The Vanishing Trick by Jenni Spangler!

Thank you! I will add these to the list I’ve got going!

[jesusandthequeers-blog]

LGBT Christians: An Introduction (one/five)

It is a common belief that Christian religious identity and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) identity are at odds and it is not difficult to look around and substantiate that claim with plentiful evidence. From the protests and demonstrations of the Westboro Baptist Church, “God Hates Fags” posters in hand (Gee), to the Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple on grounds of his Christian faith (Associated Press), conflict between Christians and LGBT people is frequently plastered in news media. This conflict has played out in Hollywood as well, with films released in the past year, like Boy Erased and The Miseducation of Cameron Post, both of which portray the stories of sexual orientation change efforts for LGBT youth at the hands of the Christian church (Montepre & Akhavan; Edgerton & Edgerton). These stories both truthful and fictional support a narrative of warring communities, the Christian church against the LGBT community, each side a completely separate entity. These stories shed a light on real pain, harm, and homophobia and are important and vital stories to tell, but they should not be the only ones. This single narrative of the relationship between the Christian church and the LGBT community as mutually exclusive obscures the individuals for which faith and sexuality cannot be untangled but are equally important intrinsic parts of their identity.

While some LGBT individuals raised in a Christian environment may choose to stop identifying as a Christian or reject LGBT identity, many seek to integrate the two. The stories of Christian LGBT activists like Justin Lee, B.T. Harman, and Matthew Vines show an alternative to the ultimatum of the single narrative surrounding Christian faith and non-heteronormative sexuality. Reconciliation of Christian faith identity and LGBT identity is possible and therefore living as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender Christian is possible. The process of reconciliation of identity can be tumultuous (Levy & Reeves 59), involves confronting internalized homophobia ingrained from negative messages heard from Christian church spaces, and requires personalization of faith to include acceptance of LGBT identity (Lapinsky & McKirnan 854; Walton 5).

Reference

Associated Press. (2018, December 29). Colorado baker back in court over second LGBTQ bias allegation. NBC News. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/colorado-baker-back-court-over-second-lgbtq-bias-allegation-n949836

Edgerton, N. (Producer), & Edgerton, J. (Director). (2018). Boy erased[Motion Picture]. United States: Focus Features.

Lapinski, J. & McKirnan, D. (2013). Forgive me father for I have sinned: The role of a Christian upbringing on lesbian, gay, and bisexual identity development. Journal of Homosexuality, 60, 853-872. Doi: 10.1080/00918369.2013.774844

Levy, D.L. & Reeves, P. (2011). Resolving identity conflict: Gay, lesbian, and queer individuals with a Christian upbringing. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 23(1), 53-68. doi:10.1080/10538720.2010.530193

Montepre, L. (Producer), & Akhavan, D. (Director). (2018). The miseducation of Cameron Post [Motion Picture]. United States: Beachside Films.

Walton, G. (2006). “Fag church”: Men who integrate gay and Christian identities. Journal of Homosexuality, 51(2), 1-17. Doi:10.1300/J082v51n02_01

[fayereadsblog]

January 2020; Books I Read This Month

January 2020; Books I Read This Month

Hi All!

Today I am here to list the books that I read and/or started this month. This is going to include that ones I started and DNF’d and the ones I started but just didn’t get around to finishing.

Enjoy!

The Strangeworld’s Travel Agency by L. D. Lapinski My first book of 2020 and it turned out to be an absolute stellar read! I absolutely loved this…

[hermitknut]

Flick waited a few seconds before shrugging. 'You know, if you'd just told me that I'm different I probably would have helped you anyway.' 'Really? But why?' 'Because that's what people do for their friends,' she said. 'They help them. And they tell them what it is that makes them special. Even if what makes them special is their ability to drive you absolutely mad.'

The Strangeworlds Travel Agency by L. D. Lapinski

Jonathan’s little ‘But why?’ line kills me here, honestly. Jonathan, please let Flick teach you how to have friends :(

[alexsfictionaddiction]

8 Fantastic Middle-Grade and YA LGBTQ+ Titles For 2021

I’m sure you know that June is Pride Month and I always like to mark it with some new book recommendations because we are blessed with a wealth of amazing new LGBTQ+ reads every year. 

When I find a well-written, heartfelt, queer book that falls within the middle-grade or YA umbrella, it fills me with joy because it means that more young people have the opportunity to see themselves within the pages of beautiful stories. Being young and queer often is incredibly tough, so anything that gives LGBTQ+ kids some hope for the future should be shouted about from every rooftop in the world.

Here are 8 middle-grade and YA books, released this year, that you definitely need to pick up this Pride month. Pick them up and let your heart fly!

-Love, Alex x

1. Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea by Ashley Herring Blake.

Hazel used to live with her family in California but when her mum dies, her other Mama moves Hazel and her little sister Peach from town to town, seeking a fresh start. When they settle in a mystical town in Maine, Mama meets an old friend and Hazel meets Lemon, who is obsessed with a local mermaid myth. To deal with her grief, Hazel must find the power within herself to step into the light again. As well as the fact that Hazel was raised by two women, there is also a nonbinary character named Jules. The characters are so imperfect and real and I think that’s what gives it a lot of its charm. This is a beautifully written story that is tinged with heartache and struggle but also a huge amount of hope.

2. Proud Of Me by Sarah Hagger-Holt.

Becky and Josh were born just 12 days apart to different mums via the same donor father. While Becky finds herself developing feelings for Carli, the new girl at school, Josh has to find out who his dad is. Both siblings just want their mums to be proud of them. Proud Of Me is about cherishing the love that you have in your life and discovering how special you really are, no matter how big the holes left by missing parts may seem to be. It is also a wonderful friendship story of acceptance with a fantastic cast of queer characters. Your heart will soar on finishing this one!

3. Cool For The Summer by Dahlia Adler.

Lara has had a crush on hot, popular boy Chase for years and he is finally starting to flirt with her. She can’t believe her luck and decides to roll with this crazy development. But then Jasmine turns up at school. Jasmine, the girl who Lara had a wonderful, romantic summer with and suddenly Lara has no idea why she can’t stop thinking about Jasmine especially when she finally has Chase. This is the perfect book for anyone who is trying to figure out their sexuality. It captures the intensity of teen infatuation so well and also explores issues of identity and self-growth. There is also ace representation in the fantastic cast of side characters. An all-round, fun, romantic read for this summer.

4. The Strangeworlds Travel Agency: The Edge of the Ocean by L. D. Lapinski.

At The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, every suitcase is a door to a different world. Flick is now a certified member of the Agency who joins Strangeworlds guardian Jonathan on an adventure to a land full of magic and pirates. This is the sequel to The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, so you should of course read that one first. One of my favourite things about this series is Jonathan who has such a wonderfully warm aura and who provides a lot of the humour. In the new instalment, we meet a new character named Avery and she and Flick have a beautiful sparky friendship. Whimsical and compelling, this unique fantasy series is the perfect escape this Pride month.

5. Love Is For Losers by Wibke Brueggemann.

Phoebe’s best friend Polly has completely lost her mind and fallen in love with a boy. With her mum in Syria doing fantastic humanitarian work, Phoebe feels lonely. When she begins volunteering at a local charity shop, she makes some unlikely friends and an intriguing girl captures Phoebe’s attention. Will Phoebe finally learn what all the fuss about love is? With fantastic wit, Love Is For Losers charts the coming-of-age of a young lesbian alongside a cast of adorable, small town characters. I laughed out loud at several points, so get ready for an authentic, feel-good read with a VERY slow-burn romance.

6. Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow by Benjamin Dean.

Archie Albright’s parents are acting strangely and they don’t live together anymore. Archie just wants things to go back to the way they were. Then he notices a colourful flyer fall out of his dad’s pocket and he and his best friends Seb and Bell go on an adventure to find out what’s really going on in Archie’s family but discover so much more. This vibrant, hopeful book has so much heart and life in it. Despite our protagonists being young and naive, they’re so full of kindness and empathy and that alone is so uplifting to read. There are so many amazing queer characters in this book and it’s the perfect gateway to the LGBTQ+ community for young readers.

7. Both Can Be True by Jules Machias.

Sometimes Ash feels like a girl but sometimes Ash feels like a boy. Daniel has been labelled over-sensitive more times than he can count and struggles to regulate his emotions. When Daniel hears that a little dog named Chewbarka is about to be put to sleep, he knows that he has to rescue him and he’s delighted when Ash is willing to help. But when sparks appear between them, Ash isn’t sure how to tell Daniel the whole story. Genderqueer and nonbinary stories are still very rare within children’s fiction but this very recently released book is a gorgeous example of how gender issues can be handled with utmost care and sensitivity. It’s incredibly emotional with a tremendous amount of heart and a great insight into how damaging gender norms can be, not only for transgender and genderfluid people but for everyone.

8. You’re The One That I Want by Simon James Green.

For too long, Freddie has been the nice guy but it has got him nowhere so far. So, he decides to change everything about himself and ends up falling in with the popular drama kids. The beautiful Zach is also starting to pay attention to him and Freddie can’t believe his luck but he’s about to discover that a complete personality transformation isn’t necessarily the key to finding true love and happiness. As well as being wonderfully funny, You’re The One That I Want touches on the struggles of having low self-worth and toxic relationships. However, it is bursting with hope and is a true celebration of flaws and being true to who you are. This fun, relatable rom-com is a must-read this summer!

[hermitknut]

'Freddy?' 'My baby brother.' 'Oh, so you're not an only child,' Jonathan said. 'Well, that's good. For your parents, I mean.'

The Strangeworlds Travel Agency by L. D. Lapinski

Reassuring, Jonathan. Really reassuring...