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jadedbirch · 11 months

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Louis and Claudia’s Blackness alienates them from Lestat, while deepening their bond to each other. Louis’s newfound power as a vampire directly informs the way he pushes back to racism. This isn’t the “colorblind casting” that has become so popular within recent “diverse” works—this is an adaptation that genuinely wants to explore the Black queer experience, adding a new complexity to the power struggles between the trio that makes up this strange, toxic vampire family.

- Ashia Monet

A great article by a Black queer writer who is also a fan of the Anne Rice novel.

#amc interview with the vampire #interview with the vampire #ashia monet

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whitesapphicfave · 2 years

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let’s do a callout post with links like it’s 2015

yfip, rebecca mix: super famous on twitter, keeps going viral, has a tumblr @rebeccamix. her dad got hired as a stock guy at costco because she went viral.

what’s the problem? reverse racism fantasy book. first called out in a viral way here, on ashia monet’s twitter.

who is ashia monet? published YA writer, in the anthology all these sunken souls (not out yet) and the novel the black veins (linked is the carrd, including to the anniversary edition with a really nice cover). her agent is Emily Forney of Book Ends Lit. she also offers sensitivity reading (reading a book before it’s published to make sure there isn’t offensive content in it). you can book her here.

ashia writes (via twitter): I can’t wait for y’all to read your white sapphic fave’s upcoming book and realize she wrote a reverse racism fantasy in which the Black siblings in power are oppressing poor, helpless white ppl (because said fave has no understanding of how to write QPOC)[.] Is this intentional? No, I don’t think so. But it proves this author didn’t bother with the basic research needed to realize the crux of her book is a white supremacist fantasy—and how can I believe any nuance or research is involved when such a huge step is missed? The thing that saddens about this situation is that the most this author will offer us is an apology tweet, after which everyone will forget. Meanwhile authors of color will struggle to sell books based on their own identities and experiences.

further comments on this thread:

ashia: I just think books by white queers featuring QPOC need to go through a mandatory sensitivity read pre-publication for this EXACT reason

jake maia arlow: this is also how i feel about the fact that it’s about a blood-witch. like do i think it’s purposefully anti-semitic? no. is it about a powerful witch who gains magic from blood and is persecuted for that a la literally every blood libel stereotype leveled at jews? yes

who is jake maia arlow? published YA and MG writer; MG novel is almost flying and YA novel is how to excavate a heart. she also wrote a musical about a gay demon competing in a reality show.

that’s all i’ve got time for tonight. further planned posts: reactions to this information, the fallout, reviews from people who have read the book, and of course, excerpts from the book itself.

#the ones we burn #rebecca mix #ashia monet #jake maia arlow #callout post

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stardustandrockets · 10 months

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What are your road trip essentials?

I always ALWAYS have podcasts downloaded if it's a solo trip. Snacks are also a must regardless of if it's solo or not. I also usually pack more books than I'm going to read, but you never know when photo inspo will strike.

This toiletry case was inspired by The Black Veins by Ashia Monet and was part of the March Protect Your Own box from Rainbow Crate.

#rcmarch23 #rcmar23 #rainbow crate #rainbow crate book box #protect your own #the black veins #ashia monet #road trip book #road trip essentials #lgbtq reads #queer book recs #read with pride #read queer all year #stardustandrockets #backlog from april #april 25

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battyaboutbooksreviews · 2 months

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🖤 Black History Month ❤️

💛 Queer Books by Black Authors 💚

[ List Under the Cut ]

🖤 Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender ❤️ Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta 💛 Warrior of the Wind by Suyi Davies Okungbowa 💚 I'm a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De La Cruz 🖤 Real Life by Brandon Taylor ❤️ Ruthless Pamela Jean by Carol Denise Mitchell 💛 The Unbroken by C.L. Clark 💚 Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova 🖤 Skin Deep Magic by Craig Laurance Gidney ❤️ The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi 💛 That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole 💚Work for It by Talia Hibbert

🖤 All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson ❤️ The Deep by Rivers Solomon 💛 How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters 💚 Running With Lions by Julian Winters 🖤 Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters ❤️ This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender 💛 The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum 💚 This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow 🖤 Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa ❤️ Black Boy Joy by Kwame Mbalia 💛 Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 💚 The Wicker King by K. Ancrum

🖤 Pet by Akwaeke Emezi ❤️ You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson 💛 Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole 💚 Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron 🖤 Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann ❤️ A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney 💛 Power & Magic by Joamette Gil 💚 The Black Veins by Ashia Monet 🖤 Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon ❤️ The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow 💛 Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James �� Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

🖤 The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta ❤️ Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee 💛 A Phoenix First Must Burn (edited) by Patrice Caldwell 💚 Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson 🖤 Things We Couldn't Say by Jay Coles ❤️ Black Boy Out of Time by Hari Ziyad 💛 Darling by K. Ancrum 💚 The Secrets of Eden by Brandon Goode 🖤 Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé ❤️ Off the Record by Camryn Garrett 💛 Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers 💚 Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

🖤 How to Dispatch a Human by Stephanie Andrea Allen ❤️ Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans 💛 The Essential June Jordan (edited) by Jan Heller Levi and Christoph Keller 💚 A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark 🖤 A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney ❤️ Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo 💛 Dread Nation by Justina Ireland 💚 Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome 🖤 Masquerade by Anne Shade ❤️ One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite 💛 Soulstar by C.L. Polk 💚 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell

🖤 Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender ❤️ Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby 💛 Coffee Will Make You Black by April Sinclair 💚 The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi 🖤 If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann ❤️ Sweethand by N.G. Peltier 💛 This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron 💚 Better Off Red by Rebekah Weatherspoon 🖤 Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett ❤️ Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez 💛 Memorial by Bryan Washington 💚 Patsy by Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn

🖤 Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon ❤️ How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole 💛 Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackosn 💚 Mouths of Rain (edited) by Briona Simone Jones 🖤 Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia ❤️ Love's Divine by Ava Freeman 💛 The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr 💚 Odd One Out by Nic Stone 🖤 Symbiosis by Nicky Drayden ❤️ Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas 💛 The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons 💚 Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

🖤 Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert ❤️ My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson 💛 Pleasure and Spice by Fiona Zedde 💚 No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull 🖤 The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus ❤️ Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor 💛 The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin 💚 Peaces by Helen Oyeyem 🖤 The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk ❤️ Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh 💛 Bingo Love by Tee Franklin, Jenn St-Onge, Joy San 💚 The Heart Does Not Bend by Makeda Silvera

🖤 King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender ❤️ By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery 💛 Busy Ain't the Half of It by Frederick Smith & Chaz Lamar Cruz 💚 Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo 🖤 Sin Against the Race by Gar McVey-Russell ❤️ Trumpet by Jackie Kay 💛 Remembrance by Rita Woods 💚 Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo 🖤 You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour ❤️ The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters 💛 Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi 💚 Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyem

#black history month #queer romance #queer books #queer community #queer #book list #book blog #booklr #bookstagram #book lovers #book reader #book reading #books to read #reading #batty about books #battyaboutbooks

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the-bi-library · 5 months

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Here is the part two of my bisexual BIPOC books posts!

Part 1 here

Books listed:

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea The Relic Spell: Book 1 of the Phyrian War Chronicles by Jimena I. Novaro The Warlock Snare by Jimena I. Novaro Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert The Aurora Circus by Viano Oniomoh Rescues and the Rhyssa by T. S. Porter Far Sector by N. K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon Flip the Script by Lyla Lee A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson Shatterproof by Xen Sanders The Fall of Whit Rivera by Crystal Maldonado Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan When Tara Met Farah by Tara Pammi Royally Yours by Everly James For Sizakele by Yvonne Fly Onakeme Etaghene More To Love by Georgina Kiersten False Hearts by Laura Lam Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany Tim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues by H. S. Valley Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody Becoming Dinah by Kit de Waal Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose The Black Veins by Ashia Monet Hearton by Amy Jo Cousins

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richincolor · 7 months

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3 YA Black Horror Books for Spooky Season

Now that spooky season is in full swing all around me, it's time to turn to some spinechilling reads. It's been an amazing year for Black horror in YA, from an anthology (out October 17th!) to exciting new books that will keep you up all night long. Here are 3 YA horror books with Black protagonists for you to check out!

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea

There will be blood. Ace of Spades meets House of Hollow in this villain origin story. Laure Mesny is a perfectionist with an axe to grind. Despite being constantly overlooked in the elite and cutthroat world of the Parisian ballet, she will do anything to prove that a Black girl can take center stage.

To level the playing field, Laure ventures deep into the depths of the Catacombs and strikes a deal with a pulsating river of blood. The primordial power Laure gains promises influence and adoration, everything she’s dreamed of and worked toward. With retribution on her mind, she surpasses her bitter and privileged peers, leaving broken bodies behind her on her climb to stardom.

But even as undeniable as she is, Laure is not the only monster around. And her vicious desires make her a perfect target for slaughter. As she descends into madness and the mystifying underworld beneath her, she is faced with the ultimate choice: continue to break herself for scraps of validation or succumb to the darkness that wants her exactly as she is—monstrous heart and all. That is, if the god-killer doesn’t catch her first.

From debut author Jamison Shea comes I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me, a slow-burn horror that lifts a veil on the institutions that profit on exclusion and the toll of giving everything to a world that will never love you back.

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

At Camp Mirror Lake, terror is the name of the game . . . but can you survive the night? This heart-pounding slasher by New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is perfect for fans of Fear Street.

Charity Curtis has the summer job of her dreams, playing the “final girl” at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game, as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from a classic slasher film, Curse of Camp Mirror Lake. The more realistic the fear, the better for business.

But the last weekend of the season, Charity's co-workers begin disappearing. And when one ends up dead, Charity's role as the final girl suddenly becomes all too real. If Charity and her girlfriend Bezi hope to survive the night, they'll need figure out what this killer is after. Is there is more to the story of Mirror Lake and its dangerous past than Charity ever suspected?

All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology by Circe Moskowitz (Anthology editor) -- Out on October 17th!

Welcome to the Dark. We are all familiar with tropes of the horror genre: slasher and victims, demon and the possessed. Bloody screams, haunted visions, and the peddler of wares we aren’t sure we can trust. In this young adult horror anthology, fans of Jordan Peele, Lovecraft Country, and Horror Noire will get a little bit of everything they love—and a lot of what they fear—through a twisted blend of horror lenses, from the thoughtful to the terrifying.

From haunted, hungry Victorian mansions, temporal monster–infested asylums, and ravaging zombie apocalypses, to southern gothic hoodoo practitioners and cursed patriarchs in search of Black Excellence, All These Sunken Souls features the chilling creations of acclaimed bestsellers and hot new talents, with stories from Kalynn Bayron, Donyae Coles, Ryan Douglass, Sami Ellis, Brent Lambert, Ashia Monet, Circe Moskowitz, Joel Rochester, Liselle Sambury, and Joelle Wellington.

#i feed her to the beast and the beast is me #you're not supposed to die tonight #all these sunken souls #black horror #ya lit

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queerblue · 1 year

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And on that note here's some sapphic books too!

The Unbroken by C.L Clark (pending trilogy).

The Jasmine Throne and The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri (pending trilogy).

She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan (pending trilogy).

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

The Black Veins by Ashia Monet (unfinished series but the first book is good and I say still worth reading).

A Lesson In Vengeance by Victoria Lee

A Dowry Of Blood by S.T Gibson (4-person polycule, two women and two men all together).

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden (duology).

Stormsong by C.L Polk (second in a trilogy, first book is mlm, this one is the POV of the sister of the main character in book one).

One Last Stop and I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey Mcquiston

Cinderella Is Dead and This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron (This Poison Heart is a duology).

The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling

The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake (pending trilogy).

The Lesbiana's Guide To Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson

The Girl From The Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

Mooncakes by Wendy Zu & Suzanne Walker

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

Literally any book by Alexandria Bellefleur, she only writes sapphic books.

Crier's War by Nina Varela (duology).

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Ash by Malinda Lo

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veryqueermovies · 1 year

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My list of Queer books.

Now my labeling only has to do with the main protagonist, except for the books labeled "Queer" some of those the main protagonist is not Queer but the book has lots of Queer main and side characters. I only included the first books to make it easier but some of these are series.

The problem with making lists for books is that there's So. Goddamn. Many! New ones are being released every single day so all I can really do is add as I go. I also take recommendations so let me know of books I missed (specify what category they go in please 😊). I could also add specific Sexualities and Genders but right now I'm just doing basic categories because this is going to take time.

MLM:

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell

In Deeper Waters by F.T Lukans

So This Is Ever After by F.T Lukans

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

The Gentleman's Guide To Vice And Virtue by Mackenzie Lee

The Fever King by Victoria Lee

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey Mcquiston

The Taking Of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice

Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Call Down The Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater

Zachary Ying and The Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

The Disasters by M.K England

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

And They Lived... by Steven Salvatore

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzalez and Cale Dietrich

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

The Song Of Achilles by Madeleine Miller

WLW:

A Lesson In Vengeance by Victoria Lee

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

The Unbroken by C.L Clark

The Black Veins by Ashia Monet

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling

The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Deliah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

The Lesbiana's Guide To Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

She's Too Pretty To Burn by Wendy Heard

You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson

One Last Stop by Casey Mcquiston

The Girl From The Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker Chan

Polyamorous:

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (F/M/M)

The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare (F/M/M)

A Dowry Of Blood by S.T Gibson (F/F/M/M)

The Fifth Season by N.K Jemisin (F/M/M)

Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton (M/F/M)

She Whom I Love by Tess Bowery (F/F/M)

Knell, Mr. President by Lauren Gallagher (F/M/M)

Chameleon Moon by RoAnna Sylvester (F/F/F)

Midnight At The Orpheus by Alyssa Linn Palmer (F/M/F Poly V)

Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi (Multiple Interlinked Poly V's)

The Fell Of Dark by Caleb Roehrig (M/M/M)

Books Of Raksura by Martha Wells

Lifelode by Jo Walton (M/M/F/F)

The Elemental Logic by Laurie Mark (6 person polycule)

The Tale Of The Five by Diane Duane (Group Polycule)

In The Ravenous Dark by A.M Strickland

Lead Me Astray by Sondi Warner

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Queer (Books that have characters of many different identities):

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

A Song Of Wraiths And Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown

Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

The Fifth Season by N.K Jemisin

The City We Became by N.K Jemisin

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (everything written by them is Queer)

Chef's Kiss by T.J Alexander

The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu

The Backstagers and The Ghost Light by Andy Mientus and Ryan Sygh

Once & Future by A.R Capetta and Cory McCarthy

Nimona by N.D Stevenson

Trans/Non-Binary/GNC:

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow

Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore

The One True Me And You by Remi K. England

All Boys Aren't Blue by George M Johnson

When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callander

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore

Aro/Ace Spectrum:

Loveless by Alice Oseman

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Bardger

Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire l

Tarnished By The Stars by Rosiee Thorr

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow

The Sound Of Stars by Alechia Dow

Thaw by Elyse Springer

The Ladies Guide To Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzie Lee

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bookcub · 1 year

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23 Books for 2023

every time i do this, i lose my list from the previous year. so i am gonna pin it to my blog in the meantime

my general goal is to read more some more classics and more diversely and more nonfiction

took this from @ninja-muse 😘

kindred by octavia butler

and then there were none by agatha christie

giovanni's room by james baldwin

emma by jane austen

the bluest eye by toni morrison

the ashfire king by chelsea abdullah

these infinite threads by tahereh mafi

highly suspicious and unfairly cute by talia hibbert

the last tale of the flower bride by roshani chokshi

planning perfect by haley neil

iris kelly doesn't date by ashley herring blake

lost in the moment and found by seanan mcguire

the fire rose by mercedes lackey

white rage: the unspoken truth of our racial divide by carol anderson

refusing compulsory sexuality: a black asexual lens on our sex obsessed culture by sherronda j. brown

dread nation by justina ireland

girl, serpent, thorn by bashardoust

seven days in june by tia williams

that time i got drunk and saved a demon by kimberly lemming

legends and lattes by travis baldree

babel by rf kuang

the black veins by ashia monet

ship wrecked by olivia dade

tagging anyone who wants to play

#if you are like #wow there arent many classics or nonfiction on here #its cause i dont read many in the first place #and i cant go from like 1 to 15 #unrealistic you know?

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onlymurdersintheafterparty · 4 months

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Mystery/Thriller Books I Read This Year with LGBTQ+ Main & Side Characters 🏳️‍🌈

This year I read so many interesting mystery and thriller books and wanted to make this list because I didn't even know that there were that many mystery/thriller books that featured LGBTQ+ characters until this year. These books were all a joy to read and I hope that you'll enjoy them as well. I don't want to mislead anyone so I'll put the pairings in parentheses and let you decide which ones speak to you or not.

Ace of Spades - Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Main Characters)

Students Chiamaka "Chi" and Devon are tormented by an anonymous gossip account that is hellbent on ruining their senior year. If you like Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars you'll love it.

All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology - Edited by Circe Moskowitz (Various Characters) and features the following authors:

Kalynn Bayron, Ashia Monet, Liselle Sambury, Sami Ellis, Joel Rochester, Joelle Wellington, Brent C. Lambert, Donyae Coles, Ryan Douglass, Circe Moskowitz

I'm not a big fan of horror novels but I found all of these short stories to be really interesting. They range from confusing to mildly unsettling to very creepy so there is something for everyone. Just a heads up there's a bit of gore but that's something to be expected in a horror novel.

And Don’t Look Back - Rebecca Barrow (Main Characters)

Harlow Ford is a teenager who has bounced from place to place her whole life due to her mother Cora attempting to outrun something or someone. While attempting to flee their current location, Harlow and her mother get into a car accident and her mother dies from her injuries. Before she dies, Cora instructs Harlow to take a key and find a safety deposit box and to "Keep running, and don't stop". In this box Harlow discovers money and new identities as well as a deed to a house and pictures of aunts she never knew existed. Harlow then has to decide if she wants to run forever or solve the mystery to her past. Nearly everyone in this book is sapphic except for a few characters.

Black Cake - Charmaine Wilkerson (Main & Side Characters)

Estranged siblings Byron and Benny Bennett, affectionately called B&B by their mother Eleanor, have to put aside their differences after her sudden death. The family lawyer reveals that Eleanor left behind various tapes detailing her life and that the last Black cake she made is in the freezer but cannot be cut until the time is right. Told in two timelines, we learn about Eleanor's life and how she came to be her mother and it's a tale of loss, heartbreak, and perseverance. If you haven't already seen it, Hulu has adapted it into a tv series and all episodes are available to watch.

Cutting Teeth - Chandler Baker (Side Characters)

The book's selling point is vampire preschoolers, but it's mainly about three mothers Rhea, Mary Beth, and Darby and their struggles with motherhood. When their children's teacher Ms. Ollie is found dead, cracks form in their friendships and personal lives as they struggle to manage their children's thirst for blood. There are two lesbian moms of one of the preschoolers that are mentioned here and there but they don't play a big part in the story.

The Golden Spoon - Jessa Maxwell (Side Character)

Six amateur bakers are invited to compete on The Golden Spoon, a baking competition hosted by a famous baker Betsy Martin. They're all whisked away to Grafton manor, Betsy's family home. The competition starts off with undetectable acts of sabotage and ends in a shocking murder. One of the reviews compared it to Only Murders in the Building because of some amateur sleuthing done by middle aged tech guru bachelor Pradyumna and retired nurse Lottie, but I don't think they're similar at all just because of the age gap. One of the contestants Peter is gay and has a husband and daughter but he is not a major player in this book. Hulu got the rights to adapt this book into a series so I can't wait to see it in the next year or two.

Their Vicious Games - Joelle Wellington (Side Characters)

After getting into a fight with a classmate, Edgewater Academy student Adina Walker loses her spot at her dream college. In hopes of reclaiming her future, she charms her way into getting accepted into a competition called The Finish. Held at the estate of the Remington family, the founders of the Edgewater Academy itself, The Finish is an intense competition that consists of three challenges: a Ride, a Raid, and a Royale. Competing along 11 other girls, many of which are bloodthirsty for victory, Adina tries to keep her humanity intact to not only win but stay alive. If you like The Hunger Games I think you'll enjoy this book. While their sexual identities aren't clearly defined, two of the female characters are in a queerplatonic relationship that at times seems more romantic than platonic. The Gotham Group has acquired the rights to a live adaptation but I'm unsure of whether or not this book will become a tv series or a movie.

Books that are part of a series are mentioned below. Struck titles are the books that were read in previous years.

Andy Mills Series - Lev A.C. Rosen (Main Characters)

Evander "Andy" Mills is a gay cop who was fired after being caught in a raid at a gay club and is now a private investigator for the LGBTQ+ community in 1950s San Francisco. I can't say too much about the series without spoiling the contents of either book so be sure to check out the goodreads pages for the summaries of the books.

TW: because of the time period there are a lot of homophobic slurs, graphic or off-page police brutality, and some violence in general

Lavender House

The Bell in the Fog

Secret Staircase Mystery Series - Gigi Pandian (Side Characters)

Tempest Raj, a former magician, joins her father's Secret Staircase Construction company that specializes in creating secret rooms for clients. In each book she encounters seemingly impossible locked in mysteries that occur in the homes of their clients while also trying to figure out the mystery behind a family curse that claimed the life of her aunt and possibly her mother who disappeared several years ago. Dahlia, a true crime writer is the older sister of Tempest's best friend Ivy is married to Vanessa, a criminal defense attorney. They along with their young daughter Natalie often end up providing advice or clues needed to help solve the mysteries.

Under Lock & Skeleton Key

The Raven Thief

Thursday Murder Club Series - Richard Osman (One of the main characters but not revealed/confirmed until Book 4)

In the Coopers Chase Retirement Village, four retirees get together every Thursday to solve a murder: Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Ron, and Joyce the newcomer. With the help of their friends Chris and Donna on the police force as well as handyman with a shady past Bogdan, there's no case this crew can't solve. The books are full of charm, wittiness, and excitement and I can't wait for book number five. Not much is known yet, but there is going to be a movie! Filming is supposed to start next year but I don't think they have released the casting information yet but I hope that they choose their cast well.

The Thursday Murder Club

The Man Who Died Twice

The Bullet that Missed

The Last Devil to Die

#mystery books #mystery/thriller books #queer mystery books #lgbtq mystery books #lgbtq thriller books #books #lgbtq #book tumblr

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psyche-reads · 2 years

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Alright, we’re over halfway through the year now, which means we’re FINALLY getting close to my most anticipated book releases of the year!

My first is Youngblood by Sasha Laurens, a YA lesbian vampire boarding school romance. The author said she took inspiration from Gideon the Ninth, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, and Carry On which are probably the most influential queer books for me personally, so I’m REALLY hoping I’ll like this! It comes out July 19th.

Next is Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, book 3 in the Locked Tomb series, aka my FAVORITE series ever! I KNOW that this will be incredible. It comes out September 13th.

Finally, we’ve got When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb. This one’s a historical fantasy following an angel and a demon as they emigrate to America from a small Jewish village in Europe, along with two girls with a complicated history together. This one sounds absolutely fascinating; I LOVE historical fiction, and I’ve always been interested in stories about immigrants, so adding to that a story of a non-binary angel and demon in love and a troubled and secret queer romance, I am SO excited for this book! It comes out on October 18th.

This list used to include The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix because it was supposed to include an angsty forbidden love story with a himbo lesbian witch and fantasy court politics, and everyone on booktok was going nuts over it, but a few people recently came out saying that it is actually VERY racist. It was probably not intentional but it’s apparently QUITE blatant (which makes me a bit miffed about all the TikTok hype it got, but at least we’ve been warned before its release date). Anyway, check out Ashia Monet in Twitter, she’s the one who broke the story. Her already-released book The Black Veins has been on my radar for a while, so now sounds like a good time to pick that up.

Anyway, those are my most anticipated books of the year! I didn’t really have any earlier this year (I got hyped for I Kissed Shara Wheeler and Misrule, but those were… disappointing, though I shouldn’t be surprised). The whole controversy isn’t the best sign, but I have high hopes for the rest of the year! This is the first time I’ve been really excited for a book release in YEARS, let alone three!

#now that we’ve gotten over the spring-summer romcom hill it’s FANTASY TIME #queer books #sapphic books #nona the ninth #when the angels left the old country #youngblood

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teenageread · 6 months

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Review: The Black Veins

Synopsis:

In a world where magic thrives in secret city corners, a group of magicians embark on a road trip—and it’s the "no-love-interest", found family adventure you’ve been searching for.

Sixteen-year-old Blythe is one of seven Guardians: magicians powerful enough to cause worldwide panic with a snap of their fingers. But Blythe spends her days pouring latte art at her family’s coffee shop, so why should she care about having apocalyptic abilities?

She’s given a reason when magician anarchists crash into said coffee shop and kidnap her family.

Heartbroken but determined, Blythe knows she can’t save them alone. A war is brewing between two magician governments and tensions are too high. So, she packs up her family’s bright yellow Volkswagen, puts on a playlist, and embarks on a road trip across the United States to enlist the help of six strangers whose abilities are unparalleled—the other Guardians.

Plot:

Blythe had her family, and that's all she needed. Her mother Amber, father Jamal, and little sisters Lily and Lena, along with her family's magical coffee shop, Full Cup; Blythe's life were full of happiness. Until she tried walking off the roof. In the dead of night, Blythe’s bodily controls were taken from her and forced her to walk off the roof of her house. This magical control would have worked if her father did not stop Blythe in time. Fear was that the Trident Republic, the group of rebels opposing the Black Veins, the magical government, was getting powerful and targeting the Guardians. Which is why they went to Blythe, one of the seven Guardians, to kill herself. The Guardians were children of magicians chosen to hold the magical powers of the universe until they were old enough to learn how to use their powers for good and to help the general public. With three of the seven guardians attempting roof walks that night, Black Veins decide to whisk all seven of them to the capital, Frost Glade, for their protection. Upset that she will be separated from her family for an unknown amount of time, Blythe was district when her family was taken from her. As the Trident Republic breaks into their coffee shop and kidnaps her family in front of her, there is no way Blythe is going with Katia to Frost Glade with the hope that their government can rescue her parents. Forming a plan, Blythe needs to convince the six other guardians that they need to work together to save her family by infiltrating Trident Republic headquarters in Electric City. Yet for this plan to work, Blythe needs to find them all first. Packing up her family’s yellow Volkswagon van, Blythe sets off on a cross-country road trip where she finds not only the other guardians but an unexpected family and a whole lot of truth along the way.

Thoughts:

Ashia Monet writes this tale of modern-day magicians, cross-country road trips, and everyone’s favorite trope of found family. The story is taken from the first-person perspective of sixteen-year-old Blythe, a bi-black teen who loves her family so much that she is willing to risk it all to get them back. Along with Blythe, we have the other six guardians who are a cast of racially LGBTQIA+ diverse characters, each with their own personality and background to add to the development of the story. As this story has such a large cast of characters, Monet spends a lot of time developing each character, so none seem any flatter than another. As Blythe spends the majority of the novel getting to these characters, we spend a lot of time seeing how they fit the group dynamic, before a new character is added. Which is one of the main problems I have with Monet’s story is that it is so long, and it feels long reading it. As this is a road trip novel, there is a lot of traveling and little action throughout the majority of the story, and where Monet tries to space it out, the novel just feels long and for the majority boring. Also for a book of “no-romance”, there seems to be a lot of flirting among all members of the Guardians, From Blythe, Antonio, Jay, Cordelia, and even Caspian at parts. An odd thing for Monet to claim about their novel is when flirting appears almost once in every chapter. Yet, the found family aspect of this novel is through the roofs, with enough drama to keep it going, Monet writes a truly spectacular story of urban magic, diverse characters, and what it means to be part of a family.