#read: june 2022

[casswithmywholeheart]

Can't stop drawing golden guard as spiderman memes

Obligatory kiki in the bg:

[on-this-day-mcr]

On this day, June 2

In 2022: My Chemical Romance performed their twelfth show of the 2022-2023 Swarm tour in Rotterdam, Netherlands. This show was the only one of the tour to feature a short video of the band making pancakes, played immediately before "The Foundations of Decay". At this show, "HAPPY HALLOWEEN" was written on the drums. (🖤)

Watch the show here!

ᴘᴀᴜʟ ʙᴀʀᴇɴᴅʀᴇɢᴛ

[chungledown-bimothy]

We know they film a good while before airing, so.

EDIT: I misread the tweet and thought it was from 2022. For sure it was well after.

[mirohtron]

looked at the datvd tag again

[softlystarstruck]

✩ softly reading: june 2022 ✩

welcome to softly reading, in which i list every single drarry fic i’ve read this month in hopes that you, dear reader, find a fic you like too!

✩ - a fave | 🔥 - hot | 🌼 - gentle read | purple - reread

longer reads

✩ To Vanish Into Something Better by @m0srael [E, 35k]

Harry Potter thought he could outrun the burden of infamy by isolating himself in the Muggle world. Draco Malfoy hasn’t been seen or heard from since his trial. Will a top-secret Ministry project, a beautiful garden, and a little heat carry them both home? [H/D Erised 2021]

Dirty Little Secret by @writcraft [E, 22k] 🔥

When someone threatens Harry’s life, Kingsley decides to send him to a safe house with only Draco Malfoy for company. As the two men are forced together, memories of the past resurface and secrets are discovered. [Harry/Draco Erised]

The Seventh Life by @corvuscrowned [E, 18k] 🔥🏳️‍⚧️

If Draco had looked the other way, he may never have seen him again. But Draco turned, because he always would have turned. He found him, because he always would have found him - in life, in death, or in Paris. OR: Draco is an immortal vampire. Harry is trapped in eternal cycles of life, death, and reincarnation. They meet again in Paris, and the seventh life isn't any less complicated than the first. [HD Fangfest 2022]

✩ Where I see things right by InnerLilith [E, 15k]

When Harry finds himself unexpectedly pregnant after a one-off with Draco Malfoy, he knows he isn’t keeping it. But when actually getting the abortion turns out to be more complicated than Harry expected, he finds himself turning to Malfoy for help through the process. And that’s actually much less complicated than Harry expected.

✩ embrace the deception by @swoontodeath [M, 13k]

Draco Malfoy shouldn’t feel like the stable one, not when he spends his days pretending to have clairvoyant powers and solving mysteries with Neville Longbottom. Harry Potter, however, seems to be on the edge of a breakdown, and he’s growing increasingly obsessed with his former rival. [Lights Camera Drarry 2022]

Harry Potter: DILF Hunter by @vukovich [E, 11k] 🔥

Auror Potter doesn't know what a DILF is, but if Malfoy's one, then Harry's gonna be the Ministry's best DILF Hunter ever! Or, five times Harry heard Draco was a DILF, and one time he found it to be pleasantly true.

the complete idiot’s guide to losing your entire mind by @oknowkiss [E, 10k] 🔥

A primer, by Harry James Potter, age 34. Qualifications: lived experience. OR: Draco Malfoy, Ministry of Magic Being Resources representative, accidentally invents No Nut November.

shorter reads (< 10k)

✩ Glowing by @cavendishbutterfly [T, 9.7k] 🌼🏳️‍⚧️

Harry's lived alone and vampiric in his cottage for ages, until a long-lived Draco Malfoy suddenly shows up to answer an advertisement Harry had practically forgotten he'd put in the Prophet. Cue soft blood drinking, quiet nights of reading and crocheting, and Harry thinking that maybe--just maybe--he might not be so alone anymore. [HD Fangfest 2022]

Perfect for him by anxioussquirrel [T, 8.3k]

Draco Malfoy is getting married. In a turn of events he’d never have believed possible, he is getting married to a man who’s perfect for him. Absolutely perfect.

✩ First Week of Eternity by InnerLilith [E, 7.8k] 🔥

In which Draco tries desperately to hide that he’s recently become a vampire, and Harry tries desperately to feed him. [HD Fangfest 2022]

let me be your sun by @owl-of-fandom [M, 7.8k]

“Tell me you love me.” / “Oh, darling.” The endearment falls from Harry’s lips as if the affection was his own. As if it wasn’t planted in his mind, in his heart, by me. / “I love you." [HD Fangfest 2022]

Sweet Like Candy in my Veins by @shah-writes [M, 7.6k]

In which Harry is a magical theorist with a penchant for catching vampires for the Aurors and Draco is the vampire who’s in love with him. [HD Fangfest 2022]

The First Taste by @maraudersaffair [E, 7.1k] 🔥

After being ostracized by nearly everyone after the war, Draco says yes when Harry offers him a place to stay. Perhaps he should have looked the gift horse in the mouth, however, when he discovers Harry is not all he seems. [HD Fangfest 2022]

Conversation In Café Cygnus by @ladderofyears [M, 6k]

Draco falls pregnant unexpectedly and breaks off the secret love affair that he's been having with Harry Potter. When Draco decides to keep the baby, Harry and he spend the remaining months of the pregnancy getting to know one another.

light as the sky above by @candybarrnerd [E, 5.6k] 🔥

Harry notices Draco leave. Harry’s always had one eye watching Draco, and old habits die hard. [H/D Erised 2021]

Harry Potter and the Half-Guard Prince by @swoontodeath [M, 4.4k]

Banished to the Muggle world by the conditions of his parole, Draco Malfoy is forced to learn how to protect himself without magic. The Half-Guard Prince might never show his face in his videos, but that low, seductive voice is strangely familiar… [Quidditch Fest 2022]

✩ Catch Midnight by @tackytigerfic [E, 4k] 🔥

They're the Auror/ Unspeakable team of Robards' nightmares. They're madly in love with each other, but also blindly oblivious to the fact. They can feel each other's magic. They jump out of windows. And Malfoy does a lot of watching Harry wank.

✩ Take You Made by @tackytigerfic [E, 3.9k] 🔥

"Draco didn’t believe in soulmates, but Harry Potter was the closest thing he had to one, so he was just going to keep pushing those inconvenient loving thoughts aside until one day he could learn how to get rid of them for good."

✩ Let Me Count the Ways by @thebooktopus [E, 3.5k] 🌼

Intimacy comes in many forms. Draco wants to explore them all with Harry. [HP Pride Secret Santa 2022]

Di sotto in sù by @vivantesopales [E, 3.4k] 🔥

Draco thinks it's best they stop seeing each other. Harry disagrees. [HD Fangfest 2022]

Harry’s Flower by @potteresque-ire [M, 3.2k]

Draco had always received one flower—no more, no less—from Harry every day. He never thought the flowers would run out, until Harry was critically wounded… [Harry/Draco Owlpost 2016]

Face Me (And I’ll be There to Hold You) by bluemermaid54 [E, 2.2k] 🔥🌼

They only have sex facing away from each other. Tonight, Harry wants to change that.

✩ Willing Blood by @lqtraintracks & @the-starryknight [E, 2.1k] 🔥

Seven days together, years ago; seventy-four hours and thirty-eight minutes trapped in this house alone; and now one chance to stop himself from draining Potter dry. Will Draco take it? Will Harry let him? [HD Fangfest 2022]

✩ all the small things by @tryslora [E, 2k] 🔥

Harry is not hung and Draco loves giving him head because of that. If it happens to be a way to silently say I love you that’s just a coincidence.

Fanged Delight by DrWhoIsGinnyHolmes [E, 2k]

Recently turned vampire Draco just developed his special vampiric skill: mind reading. It was now time to discover everyone's dirty little secrets, starting with Harry Potter himself. It just wasn't what Draco expected and now he has to deal with the consequences. [HD Fangfest 2022]

Painted Me Golden by @purplehotmess [M, 1.4k]

Each time I was with you, though, the chasm of yearning widened like a maw of a predator ready to chomp on my bleeding heart.

✩ What You’ve Come For by @nv-md [E, 1.3k] 🔥

It doesn't matter that Draco's a bloodthirsty vampire, Harry can't stay away from him, and they come together night after night in the Astronomy Tower. [HD Fangfest 2022]

✩ Serenity by Rasborealis [E, 953 words] 🔥🌼

After the war, Draco is broken. Harry attempts to fix him any way he can.

art gallery

✩ The flames are part of us by @pato-roldnart [G, digital art]

Harry has never had any doubt to stop and extinguish the flames and their fire wielders. After his first encounter with their leader Draco Malfoy, Harry is starting to get suspicious of the Ministry and their intentions to catch every witch and wizard that can control fire. [LCDrarry 2022]

Hidden Away by @celilasart [T, art & poem]

Your sweet blood on my red lips, / your soft skin under my fingertips. [HD Fangfest 2022]

non-drarry

✩ Best in Blue by @cavendishbutterfly [Teddy/James Sirius, E, 11k] 🏳️‍⚧️🔥

James shouldn't have messed up his knee in a Quidditch game. And he shouldn't have come back to London before it healed. He also definitely shouldn't be wandering around Teddy's flat looking that fucking attractive and lovely, but that's a different problem entirely.

previous softly reading lists

[medieval-canadian]

welp, i tested positive for covid this morning, lmao. i had to cancel class tomorrow.

hopefully i can gather the energy to record a little lecture or something so that students get some of the background they're hoping for (basically this week was the "how to read middle english" primer/refresher course). overall it's fairly mild, so as long as i don't have a fever on friday, i'm going to go to class (masked, of course) and we can talk about the poems i'm having them read. i'm gonna struggle to be heard through the mask, but alas. we'll have to make do.

other than that, i have two students from my summer course who didn't submit their work by the extended deadline (last friday), which was the very last day i'm technically allowed to accept late work. one of them might?? maybe???? be submitting something by tonight?? she emailed at like 3 in the morning on saturday asking for a couple of extra days. i answered yesterday telling her that if she got something to me by 10pm tonight, then i would make it work (grades are due tomorrow lol), but if not, then she would have to file a petition for a term work extension with the registrar. the other one is... i think?? in the process of submitting such a petition.

i'm just here sitting on my couch surrounded by tissues and trying to get some of my shit together, lol.

[baishouqijia]

i am desperately trying to be more active but i'm experiencing mental burnout. just want to say thank you for the interactions even when i'm only checking in here now and again - i'll respond when i'm feeling better! <3

[blondiest]

morgan lore btw. everyone say "yay morgan we're so glad you had an accident with a mandoline slicer in february 2021 🥰"

(meme credit to the delightful @ourflagmeansdeathnote 😌)

[miodiodavinci]

MR. DAVINKY I KNOW YOU DONT KNOW ME BUT YOU RESPONDED TO MY BF ABOUT SALVADOR ON YT. HES RIGHT.

You have no idea how much Salvador means to us we NEED more salva-lore ASAP I'm clawing at the door I'm making loud animal noise RHARATARRAH

AKJDHLAJDHLKAJDHLKAJD I'M LOSING MY MIND YOU'RE TOO KIND A A A A A

as a thank you i want to offer you legitimately All The Lore I Have on post-lychgate salvador—please do with this what you will KJADLAHJ

GENERAL WORLD BUILDING

“Garage kit idols” are a semi-independent response to the international phenomenon that is H○○○○○○ M○○○ and company.

Almost all formal “garage kit” talent begins at one of the many production, distribution, and management offices spread across the country. These offices provide approved talent agencies with the development kits necessary to “scout” new idols.

Of these development kits, there are several packages available (each being more expensive and in-depth than the last), most of which include a rudimentary neural net, a foundational chassis, an instructional guide, and the software required to “train” the net.

The lowest end packages include only the fundamental elements necessary for a functional idol, such as the capacity for CV voice synthesis, basic dance coordination, and a semi-life-like “face,” while more expensive and in-depth packages support multiple vocal libraries, more life-like bodies, additional personality modules, added expressive bonuses, and more.

To prevent damages to the office’s reputation, however, most offices require that an agency aiming to “scout” a new idol must first submit an application stating—among other things—their project plans and a three year timeline of what they hope to accomplish with their idol. If approved, this plan becomes a three year contract, at the end of which the agency and idol will be evaluated and potentially brought on for a full seven year office-endorsed contract.

While some “garage kit idols” have achieved near legendary status (such as K○○○○○ T○○○), many of these idols do not survive their three year trial period. Those who do not have their license and warranty revoked (the consequences of which depend on the office), and often are encouraged to be decommissioned and recycled to make way for a new, hopefully more successful generation. In years pasts, some idols have even forcibly decommissioned following grave transgressions or scandals.

That being said, plenty of former “garage kit idols” merely slip under the radar once their time is up, and go on to become independent, non-idol performers, or even leave the music industry all together. Repairs, however, often become an issue after three to five years of unserviced use. Often, it is difficult to find a former “garage kit idol” who’s been out of warranty for more than five or so years.

All this being said, of course, this process only accounts for “formal Garage Kit talent.” There are plenty of independently developed vocal androids, though they’re not often seen beyond local and private performances. They’re definitely more resource intensive to produce, though many fans argue most have more heart in them than any “Garage Kit Idol” ever will.

SALVADOR’S PERSONAL TIMELINE

Originally created by a small team of five individuals as the “garage kit idol” M○○○○○ using a modest but lower-end dev kit, his agency’s plan was to—by the end of this three years—make him reasonably popular in a local area, book three sold out in-house performances, and sell at least 300 CDs across all three years. 

With spirits high and hope abound, he received a great deal of support and enthusiasm from his agency in the first year.

Though a lot of prospective fans at the time weren’t interested in getting emotionally invested in a “garage kit idol” (considering they’re a dime a dozen and probably wouldn’t last more than three years anyhow), by 8 months into his career, SALVADOR had developed a small, dedicated fan following that ensured that most street meets and housed performances drew in a crowd of at least 15 to 30 people. By 9 months in, they'd booked their first "sold-out" show in a small venue near his normal stomping grounds.

Hands were shaken, CDs were sold, and the numbers bolstered the spirit of the agency. It seemed like the dream would come true.

Side note: it's vaguely around in here that he first picked up his "rival," Ayano, who somehow kept setting up shop on the same street as him, much to his annoyance. His initial impression was that she was gruff, crude, and wholly unsuited for idol work, though over time he stopped looking down his nose at her and started finding a certain charm in how she'd unabashedly yell at people who didn't tip well, or leap off her stand to viciously beat up any critics.

... Unfortunately, however, the numbers plateaued and fell rather than climb. Dedicated fans would still roll up to the regular performances (and SALVADOR's popularity managed to just scrape in enough ticket sales for a second show), but the company was nowhere close to breaking 100 CDs, much less selling out another show. The company spirit dampened.

All the while, SALVADOR's feelings surrounding performing started to become muddled, leaving him frustrated and uneasy before shows and bordering on nauseous after. He slowly grew to resent the way his fans looked at him, and often lost himself in thought wishing that he could have any other idol's fans instead.

He really, honestly, truly looked to Ayano as a source of light during this time, and wished he could have the confidence she had to bite patrons who so much as looked at her funny. Unfortunately, she disappeared out of the blue one day, and never returned to idol work.

More than a few fans started to complain that SALVADOR seemed “insincere” and “curt” during fan meets and off-stage encounters, which the agency redirected unto SALVADOR swiftly. His attempts at confessing his problems and seeking support were met with pointed comments and implied blame for his lack of success, which all but turned the latch on his heart, causing him to bury his discontent in as deep a hole as he could muster.

By the midway point of year two, it was becoming clear the dream wasn’t panning out. His growing revulsion privately festering in his heart, SALVADOR poured every bit of himself into his idol persona, increasingly his workload exponentially in an attempt to get his agency back on his side. Most fans stopped coming after a while once the concerts started to feel more and more desperate.

The final months before the contract expired were spent in a pitiful, frantic haze saturated with self-advertisement, frantic CD sales, enlistment of what few agency members would call him back (though these dwindled by the day), and desperate attempts at avoiding his fate. Many who knew him at the time would remember seeing him overburdened with cheaply printed CDs, begging anyone who would listen (in perfect idol fashion, however), to “buy a CD and rescue a poor aspiring idol from her demise.” When merch ran out, he sold anything he could get his hands on (as long as it came with several CDs).

The final nail in the coffin was the first and only concert SALVADOR booked himself, which he spent months preparing and advertising for (in hopes of meeting the third successful performance goal), only to open for a practically empty house composed primarily of drifters and only half-interested strangers (their enthusiasm not at all helped by the physical damage he’d obtained only a few days prior). He went "home" to a warranty expiration warning pushed under the office door, and nothing but empty voicemails from the people who had brought him into the world.

The months following the contract’s expiration remain a dark, hazy blur. Lots of unanswered calls, heart-wrenching notices, and persistent harassment by representatives of the office that had originally leased out SALVADOR's dev kit to begin with. Of course, no one from his agency was around to answer calls, so SALVADOR was left alone to bare the brunt of the responsibility (another point that they leveraged against him in an attempt to get him to retire).

In the midst of it all, SALVADOR started his transition. Months of harassment had brought his emotions to a boiling point (he all but marinated in an ever-constant stew of self-loathing, disgust, and frustration), and though it'd originally been in an attempt to escape the solicitation, cutting his hair ended up shedding some light on everything he’d felt before.

He slipped out of the office in the middle of the night and skipped town, ditching his uniform in favor of a pair of cheap coveralls and taking the first train that would have him. He still remembers staring into his reflection in the window, fans blasting hot air, terrified that he'd made some mistake (but also feeling a kind of lightness and euphoria he'd never felt before).

He ended up settling a couple cities away, far from the heart of the "garage kit idol" phenomenon. Unable to seek repairs for his last minute injuries (and finding that of the few android repair shops there were, none would take him without reassurance that he was still under warranty), he started researching mechanics on his own, patching himself up and offering some services to newfound acquaintances on the side.

In time, his skills had earned him some notoriety—at least to the point that his name had made it to the ears of some powerful friends, who were more than willing to lease him a workshop to continue his craft (the moment he first turned the lights on will remain burned in his memory forever).

And so the new SALVADOR began: a repair mechanic who’s first job was taking himself apart and rebuilding himself in a new image, completely separate from his idol past—a past he was certain would remained buried up until a certain former "rival" re-entered his life.

[crunchycrystals]

im rereading tlt for the 5th time and like every time annabeth says something and percy says something i just think "i missed them"

[pained-expression]

it's a dark room, the audience (you, dear reader) is silently waiting, very bored. most people have left, the others who sit amongst you scroll on their phones. Then, a light shoots down from the ceiling. i am stood center stage. i tap the microphone, which feedsback to show how nervous and awkward i am. "Is this thing still on?" i ask, to numerous boos. it is still on. "Yikes," i rub the back of my neck, to show i'm *very* nervous, "so it's been a while huh?" someone throws a tomato at me from the back of the crowd which splashes over my clothes, it's my ever patient beta reader who since november has listened to me complain about wanting to finish this fic but watched as i never actually work on it. they're holding up a sign now, i squint into the distance to read it. it's a text i sent them in november, which reads "I'll be lucky if i get chapter 5 done before the end of 2022." they hold up a calendar, which reads: April 2023. i pull at the collar of my shirt, again to show i am indeed very anxious. "anyway..." now is not the time for my tight five. a comical cane reaches out from stage left, it hooks around my neck and yanks me from the stage. the light goes off. blackness. a projector whirs to life, and the words you've all been waiting for appear in a large font on the screen.

"Day Five"

Chapters: 5/7 Fandom: Dungeons and Daddies (Podcast) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Nicolas Foster/Lark Oak Characters: Lark Oak, Nicolas Foster, Terry Jr. (Dungeons and Daddies), Sparrow Oak, Grant Wilson (Dungeons and Daddies) Additional Tags: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Friends With Benefits, Canon-Typical Violence, Recreational Drug Use, Fluff and Angst, Combat as Forplay, Mild Gore, They can be so soft with each other, but also so bad for each other, friends with benefits to more that that, Self-Harm Series: Part 2 of SongBirds Summary:

Lark gets compromised on a mission, and needs to be quarantined for a week to make sure he doesn't have the sauce. Nick's new mission: don't let him spiral.

[bonetrousledbones]

sigh. does anybody have any papyrus-centric fic recs,. i went into the papyrus tag for .6 seconds and did not want to go any further

[vitamin-zeeth]

stranger things has been making its way back to my reccomended on multiple socials and i am this close to diving back into the ao3 of it all cause jesus those fics were delicious but also i have an english exam tomorrow at like 9am. it would be so fucking funny tho hear me out-

[a-skirmish-of-wit-and-lit]

Book Review: Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

Emotional as well as suspenseful, Mad Honey is a buzzing beehive of a story with many separate yet interconnected pieces. Part teenage love story, part murder mystery, and part courtroom drama, it's a page-turner that swarms readers with compassion and empathy at the same time that it asks them to consider their own inner prejudices around a sensitive topic. Challenging them to learn to love people for who - instead of what - they are.

Told in dual perspective, the book follows Lily Campanello, an 18-year-old-girl who is navigating her first brush with love while also tackling her own sense of personal identity, and Olivia McAfee, a mother, a beekeeper, and a domestic abuse survivor whose son, Asher, has been arrested, accused of murdering his girlfriend. The narrative flits back and forth between the past and present, giving rise to a bevy of real world issues, obstacles, and complications. Not only are there delicate secrets revealed about the characters, but there are also poignant themes about depression, abuse, abandonment, judgment, and acceptance.

I was drawn in by the plot, by the characters. They were well-developed and dimensional, making it easy for me to connect to them. Whenever Lily was toiling over who she was, over whether or not she could share the most private personal parts of herself with Asher, so was I. Whenever Olivia was questioning her own son's guilt or innocence, terrified that he might be violent like his father, I was right there with her. I cannot count the number of times I was suspicious, skeptical, surprised. I cannot tell you how overcome I was with curiosity, with emotion.

There were so many times when all I could do was hold my breath...and wait. Just wait for whatever was going to unfold next.

This is absolutely a story designed to give readers pause, make them think. Force them to ask questions. It's tragic in a lot of ways, upsetting, too, but also moving. The twists are the sort that surprise, perhaps even astonish because of the way they come together one single thread at a time, but I have to admit I liked the sense of trepidation, doubt, and worry I carried with me the entire time I was reading. I didn't know where I was being lead but I knew I wanted to follow. I didn't know how the story would end, if things would conclude the way that I hoped or anticipated, only that I wouldn't put the book down until I finished--heart torn, still sticky with tension, from my chest.

A soul-stirring read, indeed! Seamless collaboration. Great social and psychological insight into difficult topics, too.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Random House, and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for my review.

4/5 stars

**Follow me on Goodreads

[ikeasharksss]

chap 10 of 1987 runaways is UP!

[linus-wickworth]

June 2022 Reading Wrap-Up

1. Here's to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Ben has spent his first year of college working on his fantasy manuscript with his writing partner Mario, who is a great Spanish tutor, and an even better kisser. So why can’t he stop thinking about the fact that Arthur’s back in town two years after they called it quits?

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Most people think 15-year-old Charlie is a freak. The only friend he had killed himself, forcing him to face high school alone. But then seniors Patrick and his beautiful stepsister Sam take Charlie under their wings and introduce him to their eclectic, open-minded, hard-partying friends. It is from these older kids that Charlie learns to live and love, until a repressed secret from his past threatens to destroy his newfound happiness.

3. The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Convinced he should have died in the accident that killed his parents and sister, sixteen-year-old Drew lives in a hospital, hiding from employees and his past, until Rusty, set on fire for being gay, turns his life around.

4. I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When eighteen-year-old Ben De Backer tells their parents that they are non-binary they are immediately thrown out of their home, without even time to put on a coat or shoes, despite the cold January North Carolina weather; Ben is rescued by Hannah, their estranged older sister and her husband Thomas, and desperately hopes to finish the last half of senior year while dealing with an anxiety disorder and without calling attention to themselves--a plan that goes awry when they meet Nathan Allan, a charismatic student, and start to fall in love.

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

Fifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before.

6. This Winter by Alice Oseman. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

The festive season isn't always happy for Tori Spring and her brother Charlie. And this year's going to be harder than most.

7. Golden Boys by Phil Stamper. ⭐⭐⭐

Gabriel, Reese, Sal and Heath are best friends, bonded in their small rural town by their queerness, their good grades and their big dreams. But now it's the summer before their last year of high school, and each of them is going on a huge new adventure. What will this summer of new experiences and world-expanding travel mean for each of them - and for their friendship?

8. Hunger by Michael Grant. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Conditions worsen for the remaining young residents of a small California coastal town isolated by supernatural events when their food supplies dwindle and the Darkness underground awakens.

9. Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When his aunt's illness keeps Ollie in North Carolina, he hopes his summer fling with Will can grow into something more, but at school Will proves to be a completely different--and firmly closeted--man.

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

High school seniors Aristotle and Dante find ways to spend time together despite being at different schools, having to keep their love secret, and nightly news of gay men dying from AIDS.

11. Been Here All Along by Sandy Hall. ⭐⭐

Gideon always has a plan. His plans include running for class president, leading the yearbook committee, and having his choice of colleges. They do NOT include falling head over heels for his best friend and neighbor, Kyle. It's a distraction. It's pointless, as Kyle is already dating the gorgeous and popular head cheerleader, Ruby. And Gideon doesn't know what to do...