#this post is queer btw it's about me & mine boyfriend <3

[bardkin]

oh to lovingly hold your partner's arm with your teeth <3

[orlissa]

Books I’ve translated, ranked worst to best

(Note: in some cases I translated several books in a series, in that case I’m counting those as one)

13, Katy Evans: Mine -- The Book(TM). It was an actual nightmare. A book about a real toxic relationship sold as romance, spiced up with actual, harmful nonsense (e.g.: heroine is pregnant, almost miscarries, ordered to be on bedrest, NO SEX. So they guy fingers her instead).

12, J.A. Redmerski: Killing Sarai -- Also about a toxic romance (in this case of a contract killer and girl whom he liberates after she was basically the sex slave as a drug lord). Full of gratitious and sexualized violence, but it didn’t make me wanna throw my laptop out of the window.

11, K.A. Tucker: Ten Tiny Breaths/In Her Wake/One Tiny Lie -- Once again, kinda toxic NA story, but with psychological depth. Main Character lost her boyfriend, best friend, and parents in a horrific car accidents few years back, and now tries to start a new life with her little sister in Florida, falling for the guy next door--who then turns out to be the only survivor from the other car, who has actually been stalking her and moved there to get into contact with her. Would have been better if they didn’t end up together at the end, and if he was actually the one behind the wheel that night (he “just” let a drunken friend drive). Second book was about from his POV from the night of the accident till he meets the girl, and it was actually pretty decent? Third book is about main character’s little sister starting college, but honestly, I don’t even remember what happens there.

10, P.C. and Kristin Cast: Destined -- Look, I have a lot to thank this series (House of Night), because this series brought me into publishing, and this was the first book I’ve ever translated, but it doesn’t change the fact that it was like the 9th book of an originally decent-ish series, which should have ended at like book 5.

9, Amanda Joy: A River of Royal Blood -- My most recent (finished) one. Decent YA with interesting worldbuilding, but 1, it’s maddening that it being a duology, the book leaves every single question unanswered 2, has some typical YA quirks 3, would have needed a better editor, because damn, there was a lot of stuff I needed to correct. Like, add a sentence to introduce some information a hundred page earlier than the author did to avoid a plothole. (BTW, the publisher pretty much implied that they want me to do the second book, and hell yeah, I wanna see this story through.)

8, Jennifer A. Nielsen: The False Prince/The Runaway King/The Shadow Throne -- YA fantasy (without magical elements) about royal intrigue with a really great, smart, kinda morally grey protagonist. Look, the first book in this series is SPECTACULAR. I absolutely adored it, it had a great twist, and amazing attention to detail, but the quality of the subsequent volumes definitely dwindled.

7, Diana Gabaldon: Voyager -- It’s a good book, it was a challange, I kinda enjoyed working on it, but to be honest, I translated it during a very dark time in my life (when my grandmother was dying), and it left its mark on my memories about this book. (BTW: I hated the changes the show did in the story.)

6, Brit Bennett: The Mothers -- A touching tale of how a secret abortion (and the actions of the people involved in it) affects a small, black church community. It’s a great book, a well-crafted book, and I especially enjoyed the narrative voice (first person plural; the narrators are the old ladies attending the church).

5, Alayah Dawn Johnson: Summer Prince -- A really unique, post-apocalyptic, cyber-punk, queer, YA story set in a futuristic city based on Brasil.

4, Anthony Ryan: Pariah -- Medieval-based fantasy about an outlaw turned sribe, turned soldier. I’m putting it here somewhat reluctantly, because I haven’t finished it yet, but I can tell it’s a great book, with well-crafted and witty language and interesting, diverse characters.

3, Richard Castle: Frozen Heat -- I put this book here not only because it’s good, but also because my relationship to it. Okay, so I’m a big Castle fan. Used to be an even bigger when I was working on this book. And this was the case when I said “I’m the perfect person for this job.” Because, like, this book is continiously making references to the series-which I knew like the back of my hand, so I immediately knew that “yeah, this paragraph refers to this scene in this episode,” and so I could make sure the book used the same phrases as the dubbing of the show.

2, Jeff Zentner: The Serpent King -- Another YA book, but one of the more psychological kind, about three teenagers wanting to free themselves from their small southern town and its mentality. Dill is a musician, living in poverty after his father, a pentacostal preacher, is imprisoned for unspeakable crimes; Travis is a kind, fantasy-loving giant living in an abusive home; and the kinda-famous blogger Lydia is just simply too free-spirited for their hometown. Honestly, this is one of those book I’d make a required reading in school.

1, Morgan Matson: Second Chance Summer -- It’s kinda ironic that I’m putting this on top, because this is the one that has been in “production hell” for like... five years. Anyway, this is the story that made me cry while I was translating it. Taylor, the unremarkable middle child’s family owns a lakehouse, where they used to spend their summers--but a couple of years ago something happened that made Taylor burn some bridges, and she hasn’t been back since. But now her father is dying, so the family decides to spend one last summer together in the lakehouse. So now Taylor must try to amend the mistakes she made in the past, while grappling with the fact that she is about to lose her father.

[xyloophones]

hi! :) music anon here - i just read your reply and pls give me allllll the (gay) music recs!!

this is gonna be a long list anon pls buckle up. also note that im not gonna link anything bc theres a lot but all of these songs are on youtube/spotify 

🌈 xylo’s super gay, super incoherent music rec list 🌈

the basics / the popular ones

troye sivan. i know. I KNOW. half the playlist was already him but listen ive been a troye fan since he put out happy little pill & let me tell u all his songs have such a VIBE. blue neighborhood???? an iconic album. got me thru my last 2 years of high school. to this DAY i cannot listen to suburbia without thinking about driving to watch the sunrise on my first day of senior year w my best friend, sitting in the parking lot in her car n holding hands over the center console bc we were so scared of growing up. he just EVOKES that kind of MOOD u know??

listen to: fools–– talk me down–– heaven 

frank ocean !!!! a bi ICON. i waited so long for new music n he blessed us with TWO ALBUMS. not only is his music spectacular and literally lyrically genius (”see both sides like chanel?? c on both sides like chanel???“ as a metaphor for bisexuality???? BEAUTIFUL. INCREDIBLE. LITERALLY AMAZING.) but he also just has sUCH an aesthetic. 

listen to: thinkin bout you if ur feelin soft;  ivy ––chanel–– nights if u want his newer stuff

lesbian jesus herself hayley kiyoko. anon. ANON. listen to me when i tell u that her music will change ur life. she is so RELATABLE and her songs are SO CATCHY. the girls like girls music video single handedly raised my gpa and cleared my acne. 

listen to: everything uhh girls like girls–– palace–– gravel to the tempo

kehlani. im literally so obsessed. shes again another #bi icon. her gf is really cute. im in luv w her. sweetsexysavage is her latest album n its honestly??? driving my life force???? her voice is also just so lush & smooth while also bein slightly gravely in a way that makes me blush in public a lot like how can i be so gay for just her voice??? shes also just so charming n has the cutest smile and, again, i’m gay

listen to: honey is my fav song bc it reminds me of my gf (AGAIN: IM GAY) but distraction is v cute n flirty n a longtime fav. listen to in my feelings if ur ex is awful. also: keep on –– piece of mind –– the way feat. chance are all really good. just listen to her entire discography honestly

DODIE. ive been a dodie fan since i, a repressed baby gay, stumbled upon “she” on youtube and was filled with such immense love that i immediately stanned and here we are, 2 EPs later. nothing more relatable than pining for ur str8 best friend. pls listen to “she” it literally kickstarted my gay awakening

listen to: ill say it again, she –– also sick of losing soulmates–– her cover of somebody else by the 1975 

against me. i dont know if ur into punk anon but even if ur not, consider checking out against me. lead singer laura jane grace is a super badass trans woman & trans dysphoria blues is an album with. suCH EMOTION. 

listen to: black me out , a song to plan a revolution to. im here, im queer, im angry and its a midterm election year #registertovote 

lesser known artists + singles + lgbtq+ artists that i know but am not a big fan of under the cut

let me go by tunde olaniran. i regularly cried listening to this song after a break up. if u wanna be emotional n gay this is a good one. 

somebody loves you by betty who. ok not specifically gay (i dont think???) but it was used in a rlly cute gay marriage proposal (look it up on youtube im begging i guarantee u will be smiling for the rest of the day) and they are. ALWAYS. playing this one at pride. a bop. 

boyfriend by tegan and sara. ok i know theyre technically popular but no one talks about their last album and boyfriend is a good song ok?? ok.

jenny by studio killers. another song about pining after ur best friend. can u tell i went THRU SOME STUFF in high school 

ok aGAIN i know that halsey is also technically mainstream but i didnt wanna write a whole paragraph about her. listen to strangers feat. lauren jauregui. #unpopularopinion but her last album was just “ok” dont @ me

HEART ATTACK BY LOONA. do u like k pop??? do u like gay girls???? do u like cute music videos???? my friend do i have the song for u

mary lambert. she did the hook in that macklemore song. pls listen to her other stuff its so good n soft n  “i cant think straight / im so gay / sometimes i cry the whole day” #relataBLE

everyone knows who sam smith is right?? anyway prayers is good. his entire last album is honestly so good but hes not a particular fav of mine.

elton john. a LEGEND. he’s like 150 years old but im hoping the sheer love of the gay community will keep him alive for another 150 years

ANGEL HAZE. ive been a long time fan.  v emotional n the lyrics r heavy but honestly?? so important??? one of my fav rap artists

i know a place by muna. i listened to this on the way to pride n almost cried in front of my mom, my friends, and an entire BART station full of pride goers. its a v upbeat song, im just emotional 

zolita. uhh not a big fan tbh, just not my musical style

girls/girls/boys by p!atd. ok also not technically gay (?? maybe??? there are some Bi Rumors but thats not my place to say) but anyways def a bi anthem. dont watch the music video its very “lets have two girls kiss for views” which is like. not the msg of the song but whatever i aired my salt about that in 2013 n im not going back now

idk what kina grannis’s sexuality is (again, not my business) but she does a lot of good covers and never changes pronouns. i like sweater weather and shut up and dance with me a lot. 

oh !! ben j pierce !! 2 v good songs about how gender roles r bullshit n heteronormativity is awful. hes also like my exact age n i luv his makeup tutorials. 

there are honestly so many more. also a lot im forgetting. im so sorry you had to read thru this long incoherent post w my awful typing 

anyway if u want my full gay playlist on spotify just msg me off anon and ill give u a link (this goes for anyone btw !!) im currently adding + taking things out n its a constant work in progress but u know, its at least not the same 8 songs over and over again (no shade at 8tracks tho….ha …)