Genre | Contemporary Fiction Page #s | 256 Publishing Date | July 2021
Gilda, a twenty-something lesbian, cannot stop ruminating about death. Desperate for relief from her panicky mind and alienated from her repressive family, she responds to a flyer for free therapy at a local Catholic church, and finds herself being greeted by Father Jeff, who assumes she’s there for a job interview. Too embarrassed to correct him, Gilda is abruptly hired to replace the recently deceased receptionist Grace.
In between trying to memorize the lines to Catholic mass, hiding the fact that she has a new girlfriend, and erecting a dirty dish tower in her crumbling apartment, Gilda strikes up an email correspondence with Grace’s old friend. She can’t bear to ignore the kindly old woman, who has been trying to reach her friend through the church inbox, but she also can’t bring herself to break the bad news. Desperate, she begins impersonating Grace via email. But when the police discover suspicious circumstances surrounding Grace’s death, Gilda may have to finally reveal the truth of her mortifying existence.
Goodreads
I ADORED this book. It isn’t your stereotypical page turner, since it is about the deteriorating mental health of a young woman, but I couldn’t put it down and finished it in two days. It’s written with such honesty that I was entirely won over; the hope and heart that we finally get to enjoy feels well-earned and so satisfying.
Gilda is depressed, and as a result has no sense of self. She accepts what the people around her decide is true for her, which leads her (an atheist lesbian) to working at a church and dating a man. I’m finding it so hard to describe this book – it sounds like it would either lean into a wacky comedy vibe or else be a tranwreck. It’s neither of those things. Gilda is entirely sympathetic and relatable, and with every step she takes into losing herself, we as the readers are desperate to see her find and stand up for herself.
This is honestly going to be such a terrible review. I don’t know how to talk about this book! All I know is that I felt like it was written just for me, and I loved it. It isn’t about religion saving someone; instead, by working at the church and chatting with parishioners, Gilda realizes that everyone struggles, no matter what defenses they seem to have. It also isn’t about love saving someone, though the sweet moments with her girlfriend are bright spots in narrative. Instead, it’s about the slow slog toward health, and that might not sound intriguing but I have to say again that I loved it!!
Who Would I Recommend This Book To?
Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead is the perfect book for someone who appreciates the perspective one can get from staring into the darkest parts of our psyche.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!
It was a clean shaven Tom Brady who lead the Silky Smooth Super Seacows to best the Busted Bushy Beards ‘R Us. “The Beards need another week to grow in,” according to Jayse after recording the week’s lowest score. Next week they will try to avoid getting scorched by the Fire Pandas.
Purple Moose vs The Replacements
The league’s two newest teams went head to head this week. The Replacements got a strong start on Thursday night, but it seems every Purple Moose player showed up on Sunday, securing the top score of the week.
Fire Pandas vs Team Sorto
After Thursday night, where these teams played Cowboys WRs against each other, Tricia was in full sulk mode until we got off the plane in Vancouver on Sunday and it turned out she had won. She had this to say about it: “Never underestimate the🔥🐼 ! We’re blazing our way out of (projected) last place with Patty Mahomes leading the way.” It might be an expensive season for the McAdams household as Tricia is now insisting on being airborne while her team plays.
Real Slim Brady vs Bad News Bears
It was a bad week for Jonathan, falling foul of a dismal performance from Aaron Rodgers and getting no help from the rest of the team. Will they bounce back? Or will it be more bad news, Bears? They play the Seacows in week 2. Real Slim Brady on the other hand had some huge stand out performances and will be a team to beat in the weeks to come.
Eurasia Collared Doves vs Battling Finger Puppets
Easily the game of the week, Carrie and John decided to battle it out on Monday night. 3.46 points decided this one with Waller and Jacobs facing off against Jackson and Brown, and it came down to the wire. But when the dust settled, there was only the sound of: Coo! Victorious Coo!
Standings After Week 1
At this point in the season, point differential matters. Outstanding performances from Real Slim Brady and the Purple Moose see those teams leading their respective divisions.
Projections aka The Chart of Lies
There has been a lot of movement on the chart. That convincing win has pushed the Purple Moose into first place. Real Slim Brady also received a bump up as did the previously last place Fire Pandas. After a brief moment at the top, The Replacements have been displaced down to third. But don’t worry Amy, it’s a chart of lies, just look at the Seacows, a week one win resulted in a demotion from 8th to 9th, this chart is clearly flawed.
Preview of this week’s games
Super Seacows vs Bad News Bears
Possibly a revenge game for both Aaron Rodgers and Jonathan, can the Bad News Bears stall the Super Seacows this week?
Beards vs Fire Pandas
Jayse will be looking to bounce back this week against Tricia’s Fire Pandas while she’s still riding high on her victory from last week. GIFs have been thrown down in the group chat already, those Fire Pandas are going to adorably monch those Beards…
The Replacements vs Real Slim Brady
The Chart of Lies will be watching this game closely, the winner will surely be awarded a boost to their projected finish.
Purple Moose vs Euasian Collared Doves
The projected outcome favors the Purple Moose going into this match up, but the Doves are no stranger to being the underdog, lets see which of these teams end the week 2-0.
Team Sorto vs Battling Finger Puppets
These teams are fighting it out for their first win of the season. Battle for our amusement, Finger Puppets, it’s going to be Sorto great…except for the loser, who will go 0-2 and face the displeasure of The Chart.
Milo Applejohn (he/him, they/them) is a Métis graphic medicine and fiction illustrator. He is the author of graphic novel Fox on the Table: Broken Sun and novella Fox on the Table: The Princess and the Plague King, and he was most recently a story contributor to the North American Indigenous storytelling novel Cautionary Fables, now on Kickstarter. You can follow him on Twitter @bonmotmilo.
Milo, how did you get into playing D&D and when did it hook your interest?
I started playing in 2007 when I was invited to join a party. I thought it would be an actual party, but when I arrived, I realized it was a D&D party. I stayed anyway and played; I actually met my husband there! I had always been a nerd, but initially I wasn’t very interested in the game. That first group was very rules based, and I was pretty checked out. When the group fell apart, I didn’t play for a long time.
After I had my first baby, I really needed human interaction. My husband and I were friends with another pair of couples who had kids. We were this great mom/dad/nonbinary parenting group, and we all started playing D&D together at parent-convenient times. Unfortunately, that group dissolved when one of the couples divorced, but I joined other groups because by then, I was much more into the game. Most recently, I’ve been playing for a couple years with Jessy and Haley Boros and others.
It wasn’t until I tried DMing that I was really hooked. That’s when I could see D&D from a narrative experience rather than a mechanical experience. I introduced romance into the games, which was really fun and gave us opportunities to learn consent and boundaries.
I have had such great friends in my D&D groups, and what I love most about it all is giving my DMing to my friends. I’m a creative, academic person, and I can create a story and experience as a gift to the people I really care about.
Have roleplaying games helped you explore or express your queer identity?
I wish they had! Honestly, I’ve been struggling to play characters since coming out. I usually play masculine female characters, and I spent so long building my identity around female characters that I don’t know how to move forward. I will often play elves because they’re androgynous. There’s this idea in D&D that you should be playing an idealized version of yourself, like, “This is the man I ought to be.” But I don’t know who that is, and I always feel like I have to fight to present as masculine. I do want to play a trans character someday, but I feel like they would become a Mary Sue.
Getting deeply involved in a character feels too weird and personal right now, so I prefer to DM. That way I can play a lot of different characters, which feels more comfortable. It also lets me feel like I’m creating for others rather than for myself.
The most important thing D&D has helped me with was giving me a supportive community. When I came out two years ago, I lost the people who raised me to transphobia, which I wasn’t expecting. But my D&D community was right there, so happy for me, celebrating me. A little while before that, I was diagnosed with autism, and again, my group accepted me. That’s why I love creating things for them, whether that’s campaigns, graphic novels, or character drawings.
What kind of stories do you like to tell when you’re DMing?
I like to create stories that are in the grey space. There is so much there to be explored. I think D&D and tarot have a lot in common: I think of tarot as a psychological tool that shows you what you’re looking for. D&D can do the same thing.
I’ve always been a fan of complicating D&D stereotypes – give me a Drow charity worker! My villains aren’t evil, and my good guys aren’t perfect. In my stories, I always want my players to get past the automatic knee-jerk reaction of killing the character who betrays them. I’ve tried to lead them in that direction by dropping backstory about someone that they killed that leaves them thinking, “Oh, they were cool as heck!” Hopefully that makes them stop and think before killing the next NPC.
It’s not always easy telling stories in the grey space. We played a year long campaign where it began with your traditional behind the scenes quest giver, but because of the way this character was read in a setting where we were asking these questions about intent, the party ultimately changed sides! I hadn’t planned it this way, and it was fascinating to see the traditional ‘mysterious quest giver’ archetype processed through this lens where in the end, they found him manipulative.
What makes a D&D table feel safe to you? How do you create safe spaces for people playing with you?
I always do veils and lines with my players to establish boundaries: Something is a “veil” if it’s okay to happen in the story but not to my character, and a “line” is something they don’t want in the story at all. I also make sure they know that these are changeable at any time, and that we can have open communication. A horror campaign is challenging because it should be uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t negatively influence a person’s mental health.
Other than those boundaries, I think the most important thing is having safe players. I don’t want any gay jokes, no way. No racist comments. In the world we create, I never want someone’s identity to be a problem (“Everyone in this town hates elves”) unless they specifically write it into their character’s backstory.
However, I don’t think that “safe” means “not dangerous.” Danger can be a part of safety. I am definitely willing to explore messy themes with my players; if they have a dark, twisted backstory and we’re both comfortable working with it, we will. I’m not The Great DM Therapist, but there should be space for the uncomfortable, yucky things in D&D. We need that. A lot of female and queer authors write a lot of really messed up stuff because they’ve been denied expressing it for so long. So many people have traumatic histories that they feel they can’t present to the world. If we bring some of that into D&D, maybe people can see that the trauma can be ugly, but that doesn’t mean that you’re ugly.
You have written a graphic novel called Fox on the Table: Broken Sun that became quite a hit. What did you learn from that experience?
I wanted to make something for the first group that I DMed for. I was in a really low place, and this was something I could latch on and escape to. Drawing it for them… their joy gave me joy. I made it for fun, but it was received voraciously; I went to shows and toured the US with it.
At those shows, I got to meet the community. There was a lot of queer trauma there, and people who were drawing that. The indie community is a really safe space for disability and queer people. It’s becoming weaponized, though. These safe spaces started as an escape, but now we’re being confined to those spaces, like we’re not allowed to ask for more. When you leave indie spaces, you’re shocked by how little safety is out there.
I don’t think the answer is to stay in safe spaces, though. They can be addictive and dangerous in their own right. A lot of the time, expectations in queer spaces are unreasonable. People want things to be unproblematic, but that isn’t possible. It’s like rules lawyering real life. Like we talked about before, we have to be more comfortable in the grey space.
Do you have any recommendations of queer nerdy content that you would like people to know about?
RCR Charity Event – I love that you’re supporting Rainbow Refugee. (RCR note: This feels self-serving to include, but we’re grateful for the shoutout!)
Thank you Milo! If anyone would like to check out his biomedical portfolio, look here.
Flint stares down a charging horse, kneels, reloads his gun, and shoots Hornigold dead. This is just so perfectly symbolic of how unstoppable he is despite the odds being staked against him.
TODAY’S RUNNER UP
Anne! It is so satisfying to see her being her best piratey self, swimming with the vanguard to board an enemy ship. And SHE’S the one to call out the order for one English ship to fire on the others.
LOL MOMENT
Cannonfire hits Teach’s ship, who stands at the bow unmoved. Jack, meanwhile, ducks beside him, then quickly stands and glances at Teach to see if he noticed. I adore the big dog/little dog relationship these two have.
WELL-FORMED THOUGHTS
Season three spent a lot of time showing us varying styles of leadership as we watched Silver struggle with his newfound authority. We’ve seen him learn from both Flint and Madi, and in this episode, it seems clear that he has tried to carve out a path that incorporates the best of both of them. Essentially, if Flint is feared and Madi is liked, Silver believes (based on his interactions with Dobbs) that he is both feared and liked. Put this way, I almost believe that his leadership style is the most effective.
But there is another angle worth exploring. In his conversation with Flint, Silver explicitly states what emotions he and Flint inspire in the men, and I will add my own thoughts about Madi. Flint inspires resentment in his crew, likely because he withholds his intentions and affections. Silver inspires shame in his men, explicitly because they’re desperate to please him. Madi, I believe, inspires loyalty in her people, because they trust her family’s ruling ability. In this light, Madi’s leadership style clearly seems the best option. We’ve seen Flint lose and regain his position multiple times because of an ongoing cycle of silence and resentment. The shame that Silver inspires immediately sounds like civilization’s ploy of offering comfort with the threat of punishment looming overhead. Madi is the only one that seems even remotely healthy.
In summation, everyone should be like Madi. Obviously.
FRAGMENTED THOUGHTS
Flint/Silver/Jack is a great trio that I wish we could have more of.
“You [Silver] they trust above any of us not to betray for money. The irony wasn’t lost on either of us.”
Literally every line between Flint and Silver during these late night flashbacks deserves to be over-analyzed, but I’ll try to just pick and choose a few of the highlights.
Silver is having second thoughts as he thinks about the blood that’s about to be spilt. Flint sincerely but kind of carelessly says that he just wishes it weren’t necessary. This seems to me another example of Flint’s enormous experience with making life or death decisions, which just highlights Silver being new to the role. Or looked at another way, Flint is so focused on the big picture that he doesn’t see individual lives lost, while Silver can.
Indeed, Hornigold says much the same thing to the English officer who asks, “Am I to believe he sacrificed over fifty of his men, led them into a massacre deliberately, just to entice us to chase him?” “He’s quite capable of what you suggest and more.”
In another man, these decisions would seem reckless or evil, but Flint’s redeeming quality is that he never puts someone in danger without being in similar danger himself.
The partnership between Eleanor and Max is breaking down after the events of the last episode. Max doesn’t want to make enemies if she doesn’t have to, but Eleanor is buying into England’s belief that making concessions equals weakness.
“You have enemies here. Let them be my enemies as well.”
Okay, FINE, that was actually a really romantic scene between Eleanor and Woodes Rogers. He supports her, and I’m really glad she has that.
Jack is super smart for identifying the pirate fleet. Teach tells both him and Anne that Charles is dead. Teach joins the cause, saying, “The governor in Nassau hung him in the square. On the island I helped build, he thought he could do that and face no consequences. He failed to account for me.” *shivers* I love badass Teach! Not that there’s actually any other kind.
FLINT TELLS SILVER ABOUT THOMAS!!! My heart explodes from pride at my good boy being vulnerable and my other good boy listening and empathizing and there being no shame between the two of them!!!
Flint: So you see yourself as a potential fourth member of this class, concerned that your association with me will lead to your end. Silver: My association with you began out of necessity, but I’ve come to find a great deal of respect for you. Perhaps even friendship. Which is why I find myself unnerved by the thought that when this pattern applies itself to you and I that I will be the end of you. Flint: Is that so? Silver: Well, the three who preceded me all had one thing in common: they were vulnerable to you. Had more to lose than you, less means with which to protect themselves than you. Until recently, I thought that was me as well, but now I don’t know that it is anymore. Flint: It is natural for men new to power to assume that it has no limits. Trust me. It does.
God, I could watch entire seasons of these two talking to each other and engaging in sexy sexy power struggles.
The whole “is Dobbs betraying them or not” thing is done Very Well.
Teach: You can count the things that Flint and I agree upon on one hand. But among them is the sincere confusion as to why Charles invested any time and energy in you. I suppose Flint’s come to see that there might be some capacity in you after all. Jack: And? Teach: And what? Jack: “And” as in it sounded as if there was more to that thought. That you might see yourself agreeing with him again about my capacity. There wasn’t any more to that thought, was there?
Jack’s fanboy adoration of Teach is SO CUTE.
And then we get his amazing, “To be underestimated is an incredible gift.” What a perfect pirate position, to use England’s prejudice against her. AND Jack gets the added bonus of acknowledging that Teach underestimates him, but that perhaps he shouldn’t.
Madi wants to be fighting beside her people, and when she appears next to Silver, he silently hands her a musket. No trying to protect her bullshit, just respect for her decision and confidence in her ability.
Similarly, Jack wishes Anne well as she leaves to take over an English ship. He knows she’s awesome, and his smile when she successfully uses one ship to attack another!! He loves his badass partner!
“See you on the other side.” “Always.”
Every time Silver talks about being liked and feared, I cannot help but think of Michael Scott’s “Would I rather be feared or loved? Umm…easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.”
Honestly, this whole conversation is Shark Date 2.0 in which Silver is desperate for Flint to take him seriously (much like Jack/Teach).
Anne defeats the English ships!! Flint defeats the English soldiers!! It’s all so amazing and well planned and I looooove it.
Flint kills Hornigold, and no one feels bad about it.
“Tell your governor – you tell him I’m coming!” Me: AHHHHH.
“In terms of our future and the danger that you believe you may pose to me, bear this in mind. I have survived starvation, a tempest, pirate hunters, jealous captains, mutinous crews, angry lords, a queen, a king, and the goddamn British navy. So to whatever extent you may be concerned that some day we will clash, worried that though today we be friends, some day you will have no choice but to be my end, I wouldn’t worry too much.”
Me, again: AHHHHH.
I know that Luke Arnold claimed this scene was two friends sincerely concerned for each other, but in context, the whole thing reads as rather sinister.
Billy creates the legend of Long John Silver because he doesn’t want to hand any more power to Flint. Interestingly, he seems to think the problem is Flint himself, when we have seen throughout this season that the problem is in the power itself, and how it forces men and women to make terrible decisions.
My bias is showing, but I can’t stop thinking that Silver’s legend is being built for him, whereas James fought to create his Flint persona all on his own.
“I was no one, and then you came, and my island fell, and I became something else. On the night I confiscated the pardon rolls, the night I started becoming, I made clear my position that there would be two sorts of men on the island going forward: those like Captain Vane, determined to stand by their oath to the very end. And those like Captain Throckmorton, happy to be the first to betray it. Captain Throckmorton’s black spot will not be the last. Ignore it, and join him. Heed it, and reclaim your place amongst us. Until then, I remain Long John Silver.”
THAT ROUND TABLE, with Flint, Silver, Teach, Jack, Anne, Madi, and the Queen standing together!!! Me, again and always: AHHHHH.
And that’s the end of season three! We started with the lonely Walrus crew trying to survive against the elements and ended with a united pirate alliance with former slaves, determined to defeat the British empire. THIS SHOW IS SO GOOD.
Not done reliving the episode? Listen to Daphne and Liz’s podcast at Fathoms Deep!
Genre | YA Contemporary Fiction Page #s | 352 Publishing Date | May 2021
Everyone likes Humaira “Hani” Khan—she’s easy going and one of the most popular girls at school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can’t be bi if she’s only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she’s in a relationship…with a girl her friends absolutely hate—Ishita “Ishu” Dey. Ishu is the complete opposite of Hani. She’s an academic overachiever who hopes that becoming head girl will set her on the right track for college. But Ishita agrees to help Hani, if Hani will help her become more popular so that she stands a chance of being elected head girl.
Despite their mutually beneficial pact, they start developing real feelings for each other. But relationships are complicated, and some people will do anything to stop two Bengali girls from achieving happily ever after.
Goodreads
I have been reading a surprising amount of fake dating books lately (yay!) and this is one of the best. Hani and Ishu get to know each other through pretending to date – before that, they were schoolmates with only one shared class, a cultural similarity that actually drove them away from each other, and a lack of awareness as to each other’s compatible sexuality. As they spend time together, they start to like each other, but they’re teenagers and it’s awkward! I loved every page of this quick read, and I highly recommend it to any other fans of the fake dating trope.
As I mentioned earlier, both Hani and Ishu live in Ireland, but their families moved there from India. When the book starts, they stayed away from each other to avoid the stereotype of “you go together.” But as they start to date, it is a joy to watch them realize how nice it is to be around someone who understands their culture, family, and values. Although Hani’s family are Muslims and Ishu’s family are non-religious, they get each other in a way their fellow classmates can’t (or don’t, since their classmates are racist little ****heads). And before I move on from this, it was so lovely to read about a queer affirming Muslim family; Hani is already out to her parents before the book begins, and they support her relationship with Ishu from start to finish.
The only thing that felt like a bit of stretch was just how horrible Hani’s friends are. They belittle her culture and her sexuality. In fact, their refusal to believe she is bisexual (“how do you know if you haven’t kissed a girl?” UGH) is what prompts her to claim she is dating Ishu. They are the worst! Although I am prepared to believe that teenagers can truly be that awful, I found it hard to stomach the thought that Hani could not see how terrible their treatment of her was. Regardless, it was a delight to watch her stand up for herself and finally put them in their place.
In addition to terrible friends, we get unhealthy families. Ishu’s parents live vicariously through their daughters’ success, and Ishu and her older sister have always been at each other’s throats for their approval. Until the book begins, anyway, when her older sister drops out of college and becomes the black sheep of the family. I really liked watching Ishu navigate this new relationship – first with suspicion, and then with gratitude.
Who Would I Recommend This Book To?
Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating is a cute, fast read that is perfect for anyone wanting a light-hearted, PG-rated sapphic romance.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!
My favorite kind of reading experience is a book that catches my attention and refuses to let it go, one that keeps me up late at night because I just have to know what’s going to happen next. These are 9 of the most captivating LGBTQ+ books I’ve read that I couldn’t put down!
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Every time I read this book, I find myself staying up late to read just one more page! It’s the perfect coming-of-age story, centering around two teenage boys who are figuring out who they are individually and together. Thoughtful, sweet, and dramatic, this is one of the first books I recommend to friends.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
An absolutely engrossing story about an opinionated, passionate, aged Hollywood superstar telling her story while slowly revealing multiple mysteries – some of them queer! Give me more stories of feminist bisexual older women!
This one is a little niche, but this queer retelling of the story of Noah’s ark focused on his wife (here named Naamah) hit my exact intersection of interests. If you’ve got a religious past (or present, I suppose) and want to interrogate some God feelings with a queer-positive protagonist, I highly recommend!
There is perhaps no better medium for gay stories than Greek myths, and this retelling of Achilles and Patroclus is perfection. I swooned, I cried, I left convinced that this was the correct version of the tale.
Like Crazy: Life With My Mother and Her Invisible Friends by Dan Mathews
Surprisingly uplifting for such a heavy subject, this memoir of a gay man bringing his aging mother to his home to be diagnosed with schizophrenia and then die peacefully is lovely, true, and often pretty hilarious. A perfect book is one that makes me both laugh out loud and cry, and I closed this book with such emotional catharsis.
The cutest of books, I didn’t want this one to end even though I couldn’t slow myself down while reading it! When a magical social worker investigates an orphanage for adorably dangerous magical children, he falls in love with the man who runs the place, and my heart exploded at least twenty times.
Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality by Sarah McBride
I would never have guessed that a memoir about US state politics would have had me desperately turning the pages to see what would happen next, but McBride tells her story of coming out, falling in love, fighting for trans rights, and losing her love with perfection.
A complex story told beautifully, this graphic novel tells the story of royal twins who escape a coup to hide in a magical nunnery. One wants to leave and be a hero, and the other feels surprisingly at home as a girl. It makes world building and trans-positive stories look easy!
Roadqueen: Eternal Roadtrip to Love by Mira Ong Chua
I called this “the best thing I’ve ever read” when I reviewed it, and I stand by this hyperbole. It’s a ridiculous story about fake dating and manipulating someone into being a “decent lesbian,” and I tore through every page while shrieking with laughter.
Genre | Science Fiction Novella Page #s | 160 Publishing Date | July 2021
Hugo Award-winner Becky Chambers’s delightful new series gives us hope for the future.
It’s been centuries since the robots of Earth gained self-awareness and laid down their tools. Centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again. Centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend.
One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of “what do people need?” is answered.
But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how. They’re going to need to ask it a lot.
Becky Chambers’ new series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?
Goodreads
A cozy novella about discontent and discovery, Psalm for the Wild-Built is comforting and inspiring. Set in a rich world that had me eager for further exploration in the (hopefully inevitable) sequels, I adored learning about the unexpected robot consciousness event and how the world reacted in the best possible way – by dividing the world in half and letting robots roam free in the wild.
Sibling Dex, a non-binary tea monk, travels the world as a barista/counselor on their bike-powered tiny house. If that sentence doesn’t make you want to read the book, then our brains work in very different ways. Despite living in supportive, meaningful environments, Dex can’t help but want more. This drive leads them into the wild, where they come across Mosscap, a robot whose curiosity has led them seek out a human, hoping to discover what it is that humans need. Together they journey, talk, and learn from each other. There’s not really a plot, and one isn’t necessary. It’s perfect exactly as it is.
There are a few things that I especially love about this novella. The first is the titular concept of “wild-built” – the original robots decided not to live forever but to remake themselves, combining pieces of themselves with other robots to create a new generation. However, the phrase also evokes the feeling that drives Dex – a restless need to wander and discover that the civilized world doesn’t understand or feel.
I also adored the naming convention for robots, the easy way gender and sexuality is portrayed, and the vision of a future in which the right ecological and social decisions were made. It’s a wholly lovely book, and I very much recommend it.
Who Would I Recommend This Book To?
Perfect for anyone who wants a short and sweet science fiction story.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!
Draft day! It’s the best day of the year, according to the canned Mathew Berry that spoke to me as I logged in to the draft lobby. That’s perhaps a little hyperbolic, but it was pretty great to see everyone logged in (although Jonathan cut it rather close) and ready to choose their team for the coming season.
Everyone has their own way of preparing (or not) for the draft. When asked on the group chat only one player shared their strategy:
A good tactic, let the computer do the hard work!
Others took a more last minute cram approach:
Is John trying to make us all think he hadn’t prepared while secretly surrounded by mountains of research? Probably not, as John also asked for a reminder about when draft day was.
On to the Draft!
Starting at the top, it’s app suggestion and name recognition hard at work for Real Slim Brady taking CMC followed by a questionable pick for the Beards – is the beard covering Dalvin Cook’s face enough to count?
The Eurasian Collared Doves let out an emphatic “Noooo” when Alvin ‘Koo’mara was picked 2 spots before him, so John chooses to take the first wide receiver of the draft.
The Fire Panda’s pick seems to value name recognition over app suggestion, but perhaps Tricia knows something we don’t?
Purple Moose takes the best of the tight ends and one of the most reliable players in fantasy football: Travis Kelce.
The Replacements pick up Kelce’s teammate Tyreek Hill. Hopefully Kansas City has a good year, or three teams are going to be disappointed with their picks.
This round’s Beard:
There is some belief in Buffalo in this round with Battling Finger Puppets taking the 4th WR Stefon Diggs and Team Sorto taking Josh Allen.
Double running backs in the early rounds for the Seacows. Heft first, that’s the manatee way.
Eurasia Collared Doves pick up Russell Wilson, and Bad News Bears believe he will be passing the ball to DK Metcalf over Tyler Lockett.
This round’s Beard:
The Fire Pandas are hoping Jonathan is wrong about Metcalf and pick up Lockett. Purple Moose is hoping they’re both wrong and picks up Carson, the Seahawks’ lead running back.
Carrie picks up her QB in round 3, and there is evidence to suggest she has a lot of faith in Jackson this year.
This round’s Beard:
Eurasia Collared Doves are showing the 70 min cram session paid off by picking up one of the top tier TEs with Darren Waller.
Both Minnesota WRs went this round: Purple Moose has their money on Thielen whereas the Bad News Bears like Jefferson. Jefferson has the higher target share but Thielen got all the TDs last year, and the two teams will face off in week 8.
Back to back ‘Robinsons’ for Finger Puppets and Seacows.
This round’s Beard:
Exhibit #1: Real Slim Brady drafts Seacow favorite Robert Woods.
Eurasia Collared Doves finally secured a Koo.
Dak is back and on The Replacements; let’s hope he doesn’t need replacing this year.
This round’s Beard:
The word on the street is Detroit is going to have a tough year, but that didn’t put the Purple Moose and Battling Finger Puppets off – Swift and Hockenson are off the board!
Seacows draft a fellow sea mammal – Dolphins’ running back Myles Gaskin.
Fire Pandas add some orange to their line up with Jerry Jeudy.
Exhibit #2: Chase Edmonds is drafted by Real Slim Brady.
This round’s Beard:
Tight ends for Bad News Bears and Team Sorto.
Tricia’s cat Rory jumped up on the table during round 7, drafting Damien Harris for the Fire Pandas.
Name recognition strategy coming into play for The Replacements?
This round’s Beard:
We’re in to the bench players now.
In the first of the spite picks, Tom Brady goes to the Seacows. Gotta change that team name now, Krista!
Coutland Sutton is a very dove name. I can just imagine John’s face as he welcomes the Broncos’ wide receiver to the team.
Bad News Bears also want a piece of the KC action, taking the second kicker Butker.
This round’s Beard:
Another controversial beard choice this round, or so I thought until Jayse clarified:
Exhibit 3: Melvin Gordon drafted by Real Slim Brady.
The Eurasian Collared Doves spite pick Ryan Fitzpatrick, the best beard in football denied to the Beards.
By this point, there’s not much going on other than…
This round’s Beard:
This round’s Beard:
This round’s Beard:
This round’s Beard:
This round’s Beard:
This round’s Beard:
Beards
No spreadsheet will be needed this year. Beards ‘R Us drafted only bearded players. Should Jasyse walk away with the trophy this year, we will know why.
Shenanigans!
On August 29th I excitedly shared the results of a draft I participated in with Krista of team ‘Real Slim Brady,’ the same Krista who last year claimed all her picks were stolen by team Sorto! It seems she learned a thing or two from that experience and this year decided to pilfer from the Seacows…
Evidence:
Exhibit 1 – Robert Woods 5th round
Exhibit 2 – Chase Edmonds 6th round
Exhibit 3 – Melvin Gordon 10th round
Does Real Slim Brady have impeccable taste? Possibly. I will concede that a Robert Woods, Matthew Stafford stack does have a certain (but unproven) appeal, however! One pick is a coincidence, two picks is bad luck, but three picks…I call shenanigans!
How’d It Go?
This is the second draft for several of our new players and Adriana had this to say about her experience:
“No matter how prepared you are, you’ve got to be prepare for the unexpected 😆 which I wasn’t! I had my list of all positions, but it stopped around #26ish on all of them…. So after that, I had no clue who to draft! The draft process was going so fast that I barely had time to keep up with all my lists lol. It was exciting but nerve wracking!
I learned to not get attached to players because there’s no guarantee you’ll get them again 😭 It’s so good to read the updates about injuries and when big names are out, rookies (or not too famous players) will get to step in.”
Wise words from team Sorto. And remember, the league isn’t won at the draft. There’s still a lot of football to be played between now and championship week, and anything can happen!
…That’s right, anything can happen and computers don’t know anything about fantasy football! Just look at this projection:
The computer has no faith in the Beards’ strategy and expects the Fire Pandas to fall from finishing first in their division last year to last overall this year.
Time will tell…and so will our weekly fantasy football updates! Tune in next Friday to see how the season starts!
Nate, how long have you been playing D&D? What has your experience in the TTRPG world been like?
It wasn’t that long ago; I got into my first D&D game at the end of August 2017. A close friend of ours (Nate’s partner is Cayla) started a game online. It was a learning curve figure out both Roll20 and the rules of D&D at the same time. In fact, we spent the first two sessions just figuring out our characters and Roll20. I really enjoyed the social aspect of it, but I didn’t really connect with the characters until the DM stepped down. I don’t want the game to go away, so I stepped in to DM – that was Christmas of 2017.
When I started DMing, I spent a month going through the DM’s Guide to learn about the barbarian, rogue, and ranger classes so I could flesh out the game to make my players feel like they were using their characters in a way that was meaningful to them. I think the hardest thing when I started was that at that point, we were running with three players and I was DMPCing. I can separate what my character does from me telling the story, but I’ve found that it’s hard as a DM to play a really fleshed out PC and DM at same time.
My favorite part of DMing is the ridiculous shenanigans that people throw at you. You have an idea of where you think the story might go, but it never happens. The plan never survives the first encounter. Now I am about 95% No Plan when it comes to DMing; I just have story beats that I want to hit to give them lore and get them involved in the world. I lay those out a bit in advance, but how they get there is up to them. Sometimes I will make up encounters for different scenarios, but most of the time I’ll make up encounters on the fly. If players show special interest in a particular aspect of the world, then I’ll plan ahead to give them the lore dump and a scenario for a certain area.
I understand that you have recently come out as bisexual. Have roleplaying games helped you explore or express your queer identity?
I don’t know. Honestly, probably not a whole lot. For a long time, I wasn’t verbally out, but I was never shy about my actions or how I treated my friends or what I said. A lot of people were like, “Yeah, that tracks” when I came out. A lot of the characters that I play are more fluid in what they’re open to. My first character was a bard, but there was no idea that they could have a romantic interest in the world. The character was ostracized from his family and trying to figure out where they fit into the world in general rather than pursuing a romance.
I tend to play females more often in games that give me the opportunity. In video games like Dragon Age, where the option to romance men and women is there, I’ll figure out which character is most interesting to me and I’ll romance them.
Who did you romance in Dragon Age?
I’ve only played Dragon Age: Inquisition, and I romanced Sera. At first, I couldn’t stand her character, but the more characters you add to your party, the more interesting her interactions become. Her character is similar to my D&D characters – pretty chaotic. When I realized that, I thought I’d give it a try to romance her! A lot of it is “What can we do to prank these people all of the time.” She’s not what you stereotypically expect an elf to be, which I like, and she had a fun story. She hides things because she feels like she doesn’t fit in anywhere; her attitude is “If I’m having fun, I don’t have to think about anything else!” Being able to draw that out of her was really satisfying.
You have told me a little about some creative and detailed worlds that you are building for D&D. What interests you most about the worldbuilding process? What part is the hardest?
When I build a world, it’s usually built around an event of some kind. The game that we’re playing now for DMTK, I built in 2018. It all started around a plague… Before that, everything in the Overworld was prosperous. There was peace, technology, and all sorts of things. Then a plague ravaged everything and everyone went underground. In the campaign, all of the players start in the Underdark, where there are huge mountains in a massively cavernous space, including an ocean with multiple coasts. The whole idea was that it’s been 200 years since everyone went Under. I want the characters to figure out what has happened to the Overworld, and will it be safe to go up and check it out?
I have a really hard time with continuity and figuring out what’s going on in the world when the players are doing one thing but there’s stuff happening elsewhere. I always have things going on in the back of my head about what’s going on on the other side of the continent, but I struggle with figuring out how do those move forward when players aren’t interacting with them.
I’ve recently tried to finish campaign 2 of Critical Role – I’m on episode 120. One of the really interesting things I’ve been trying to glean from Matt’s DMing (spoilers) happened when they all ended up back where Sam’s character lived with her husband and kid. The town was ravaged, and they were like “Oh, what happened?” and Matt responded, “If you decided to come back two weeks earlier, you might have been able to stop it.” Whoa!
Once, I had a group that talked their way out of a whole dungeon. The idea was that there was a sleeping dragon under the mountain that had been sleeping long enough that it was covered in rock. The kobolds who worshipped it built a temple around the dragon. My group went to the temple, got some lore, and said, “No, we don’t want to deal with this.” They handed over a bunch of really expensive spell components and magic items to the kobolds in return for the thing they were looking for in the temple. Instead of waking the dragon by taking the stone like I planned, the kobold shaman finished his ritual, absorbed the dragon, and turned into a giant kaiju. But the group just took off in their airship and said “Nope! Goodbye!”
What advice do you have for GMs who want to get better at worldbuilding?
The biggest thing is focus on a city or a place that is important to your world first, then figure out how that place interacts with other things. Think about how cities interact with each other. What does each city look like? Are there specific regions that people live within? Is it all just one area with self-governing cities? Then figure out the land around the cities and how the cities impact the land around them. How does trade work between cities that are more advanced with smaller communities that are less advanced?
What nerdy interests are you most excited about right now?
Up until a month ago, I was playing a lot of FF14, and I feel like I need to get back in, especially because a new expansion in November. I’m part of a ridiculous guild with a bunch of anime nerds that are on all of the time. They do a lot of events, like playing hide and seek every night.
I also really like anime; it’s my weekend guilty pleasure. I’m watching My Hero Academia right now, and one of my favorite shows is Restaurant to Another World. It’s about a Japanese café where every Saturday, a door shows up in the fantasy world side and wizards and dragon folk show up to this regular guy’s restaurant to eat.
Do you have any recommendations of queer nerdy content that you would like people to know about?
Ice Cream Dice – Marc is an absolute gem. He does great work, and has a lot of fun with his unique dice brand. Bonus points: he is Canadian and from Edmonton.
If people are interested in the weird shit people do – Cayla, Halli and I are going hard on The Human Exception podcast. This project has been a lot of fun, and we get into some really weird stuff. In one episode, we talk about Mount Rushmore and how behind Lincoln’s head there is a time capsule with a tunnel and everything. We also cover the weird conspiracy theories that people have about the place. Our second episode might be more interesting to Roar Cat Reads readers – we talk about the origins of the word “homosexual” in the Bible. Eventually, there will be episodes coming about how I was raised, so stay tuned!
Thank you, Nate!
Are you an Adventure Queer? Do you love to play D&D? Email us at roarcatreads@gmail.com to let us know you would like to be interviewed!
Flint parallel parks a ship incredibly close to shore by delivering calm orders to fearful men, then stares down Hornigold with the most badass “you could never” look.
TODAY’S RUNNER UP
RIP Vane.
Although he went from selfish bastard to martyr for the cause, Vane never lost who he truly is: a badass. Who else would say, “Get on with it, motherfucker,” and then walk off the cart to hang himself faster, insisting on being executed on his own terms.
Oh, Vane. I didn’t always love you, but when I did, I loved you DEEPLY.
LOL MOMENT
Flint and Silver are officially old marrieds.
Silver: If you have something to add, you should just fucking say it. Flint: That’s not why you did it. Silver: Really? Would you like to tell me why I did it, then?
WELL-FORMED THOUGHTS
We’ve been circling themes of leadership and darkness this whole season (and series, honestly), and in Flint’s warning/welcome to Silver, we are explicitly told the connection between the two.
Flint: I’d hazard the guess that you learned of what had happened, told him how fucking stupid he was, and in that moment, he gave you a look that amounted to something less than contrite. And in that moment, you felt it. Silver: Felt what? Flint: Darkness. Hate. Showing indifference to the authority that you sacrificed so much to acquire, disdain for refusing to acknowledge that his actions, had you not intervened, would have led to an outcome that he would have held you responsible for reversing. Pride. Questioning what kind of man you are if you don’t seek retribution for the offense.
This sounds a lot like Madi’s analogy of the heavy crown. Flint knows about the crown, but in contrast to Madi, who has been supported by family and community, Flint knows what it is to bear that crown alone. He knows what it is to carry an enormous weight, and to resent everyone around him for not seeing it, respecting it, acknowledging it. And he knows that in his worst moments, he can act out of that resentment.
Flint believes that the darkness isn’t inherently wrong, but he knows that one must have control over it, and not the other way around. This is where Madi’s analogy of the tether is so important. In order to endure the darkness, it is essential to have someone with you, supporting you, aware of the heavy crown and its costs.
This whole show is about the power of partnerships, huh? God, it’s so beautiful.
FRAGMENTED THOUGHTS
“It is not the treasure that concerns me most. Charles Vane’s sacrifice is in that box. If your man is unsuccessful in seeing to his rescue, Charles Vane’s death is inside that box. Along with my good name. Along with her lost love. Along with your late quartermaster’s life. All the awful sacrifices made to assemble that box are now part of its contents, and those things are sacred things that I trust in no man’s hands.”
The weight of what they’ve all done is settling in on everyone, and that’s before one of our major characters is executed.
The scene between Eleanor and Vane is so good because these two know exactly how best to hurt each other. Eleanor calls Vane a coward, and Vane tells Eleanor she isn’t loved. As has always been the case, they’re simultaneously so wrong and so right. They see some things about each other so clearly, but they are utterly blind to other things. As they began, so they end: as a tragedy.
Eleanor’s speech to Vane is the perfect summation of how civilization justifies their demeaning hatred of pirates.
“You’re not a man. You’re deformed. Unformed. Flesh, bone, and bile, and missing all that which takes shape through a mother’s love. You cannot comprehend what you took from me or why it was good, because there is no goodness in you. There is no humanity in you, no capacity for compromise, nor instinct toward repair, nor progress, nor forgiveness. You are an animal.”
Woodes Rogers is bedridden with the Nassau disease that is taking down his soldiers, which is a very reminder that even the island itself is trying to expel the English.
Eleanor is motivated by revenge, but I believe she also genuinely wants to move beyond both Vane and her hatred of him. “There is no leaving it behind, but I’m ready to move forward.”
Featherstone and Idelle riding in a carriage together makes me very happy.
Billy’s job is to make people give a shit, but am I alone in thinking this is a very weird job for him to latch onto? He’s never been good at convincing anyone of anything, as Flint and Silver consistently and effectively walk all over his concerns. Am I not giving our tall boy enough credit?
I LOVE seeing the reunion of families on Maroon Island. It’s no wonder Flint regained his desire to live and fight after meeting them – this is the homeland he’s so long envisioned creating.
Madi: I stood in Nassau, and I realized when this war begins, it will have many different meanings. But to you this war is a civil war between two cities you held together for so long with unseen bonds. You will have people on both sides of it. You will have daughters on both sides of it. And I want you to know– Mr. Scott: Only you.
This is SO SWEET and makes me cry, but I can’t help but feel sorry for Eleanor. Vane’s accusations of no one really loving her are not untrue. She’s never felt secure in anyone’s love, because everyone who has loved her has had multiple obligations. But I’m making this lovely scene into a white woman’s pain. More importantly: How wonderful for Madi to have her father’s full support, and for them to have this moment together before he died.
Mrs. Mapleton tells Max that Idelle is the spy, but she won’t tell Eleanor because she believes Eleanor is self-destructive, implying Max is not. “Some people can only understand themselves through the eyes of those who hate them.” God, this episode is really making me feel sad for Eleanor.
Eleanor says she doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her except for Woodes Rogers, which begs the question: why him? She barely knows him. But I think that’s exactly the reason. She has idealized him to the point that she subconsciously believes he represents everything: civilization, stability, hope. If she can earn his approval, then she will feel that everything she has done has been worth it.
Flint: The more you deny its [darkness] presence, the more powerful it gets, and the more likely it is to consume you entirely without you ever even knowing it was there. Now, if you and I are to lead these men together, you must learn to know its presence well so that you may use it rather than it use you. Silver: You have some experience with this, I imagine, living in fear of such a thing within you? Flint: Yeah, I do. Silver: I can’t tell if this was a warning or a welcome.
It’s BOTH, because that’s what a partnership is: Thank God there’s someone here with me, now let’s help each other get out.
Silver comforting Madi after Mr. Scott’s death is very sweet.
Max tries very hard to caution Eleanor that the people of Nassau tolerate England’s presence because they’re given security and order. The second she takes away that order, people will question why they should keep England around. But Eleanor just wants this all DONE, blinding herself to the possible consequences.
Lambrick visits Vane, which will be an entire post for my theology section soon!
Vane refuses to be enslaved, even to fear of death.
“These men who brought me here today do not fear me. They brought me here today because they fear you. Because they know that my voice, a voice that refuses to be enslaved, once lived in you. And may yet still. They brought me here today to show you death and use it to frighten you into ignoring that voice. But know this: We are many. They are few. To fear death is a choice, and they can’t hang us all. Get on with it, motherfucker.”
Wow. Just, wow. I hate that Vane died, but what a way to die.
Vane looks into Eleanor’s eyes and walks off the cart to his death. Even in death, they are playing a game of who wins, and clearly Eleanor’s “victory” doesn’t feel very sweet.
Mr. Scott also dies, though in contrast to Vane, he is surrounded by people who love and honor him. …Also Jack, who takes the opportunity to further his ambitions by requesting command of the ship Vane would have led in the upcoming battle.
Flint snarkily saying, “All struggles are uphill, that’s why they’re called struggles” gives me life!
Other people talking about Flint’s brilliance is my kink.
“He wants the force you bring to bear, he wants it. I know this enemy, Commodore. I know his mind. He took that cache with the express purpose of compelling us to commit your force to a battlefield of his choosing. Your force is factored into his thinking. He has planned for it. And I assure, you, if you allow him to dictate the terms of battle, you court a disastrous outcome.”
My heart continues to break at shots of Eleanor and Flint staring across the sea at each other, enemies now instead of partners.
And then Teach finds out that Vane is dead, and my heart officially shatters.
Not done reliving the episode? Listen to Daphne and Liz’s podcast at Fathoms Deep!
Genre | Contemporary Fiction Page #s | 241 Publishing Date | February 2021
With her newly completed PhD in astronomy in hand, twenty-eight-year-old Grace Porter goes on a girls’ trip to Vegas to celebrate. She is not the kind of person who goes to Vegas and gets drunkenly married to a woman whose name she doesn’t know…until she does exactly that.
This one moment of departure from her stern ex-military father’s plans for her life has Grace wondering why she doesn’t feel more fulfilled from completing her degree. Staggering under the weight of her father’s expectations, a struggling job market and feelings of burnout, Grace flees her home in Portland for a summer in New York with the wife she barely knows.
When reality comes crashing in, Grace must face what she’s been running from all along—the fears that make us human, the family scars that need to heal and the longing for connection, especially when navigating the messiness of adulthood.
Goodreads
Honey Girl is a book about letting go of your control-freak plans and accepting the goodness that sometimes comes from the least expected places. Grace is a high achiever with a military father and a PhD in astronomy she has worked 11 years to earn. When she is kept out of jobs because of her race and sexuality, she and her friends take a holiday in Las Vegas…where she wakes one morning with a picture of her new wife. She is surprised to realize that this drunken mistake might actually be the best thing happening for her; but this book isn’t pure romance. Grace has to deal with her depression, fear, and immanent adulthood with the help of her friends and family.
Grace (attempts to) escape from her depression and professional disappointments by fleeing from Portland to New York to see her new wife. They fall in love very easily (she has good drunken taste) but ultimately realizes she needs to work on herself. She then goes to Florida to visit her mom and soon-to-be-stepdad, goes to counseling, and does some serious self-care. From there, well…you’ll have to read the book.
Although I liked that the book covered both romance and mental health, I sometimes felt like it might have flowed better if it had leaned more fully in one direction or the other. Perhaps that is just me desperate for a full on lesbian Las Vegas romance that starts with marriage and works backward to dating and falling in love.
What makes this book stand apart is the fact that it is about a queer biracial woman struggling and dealing with mental health issues while dating/married to a Japanese-American woman. More of this representation!
Who Would I Recommend This Book To?
This would be a great book for academics and new adults who need reminding that hard work ought to be balanced with serendipity.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!
“Two star-crossed lovers from feuding noble families have decided to get married. It won’t go smoothly.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
A DM’s Perspective
Highlight
This is one of my favorite one-shots to run; it is silly and romantic, which is me in a nutshell. In fact, I have run this adventure four times now! It’s a mark of how good the adventure is that with one page of information, I have had four very different experiences with different groups of people.
The story is simple: A group of characters has been hired to run interference for a wedding between two feuding families. The wedding takes place in the enclosed grounds of a fancy estate and has a schedule that is recognizable to anyone who has been to a wedding before. As the day (and the adventure) progresses, the players must try and thwart various attempts to keep the happy couple apart.
My favorite thing about this adventure is that it allows room for a lot of creativity and social interaction. I find this to be a perfect adventure to run for people new to D&D, since weddings are a familiar setting and they only have to worry about creating a character and some basic skill rolls. It’s also a lot of fun with experienced players. I just played through Feudal Attraction with a group (some of whom wrote their thoughts below) who brought a lot of roleplaying and creative character skills to the event. It was an absolute blast as they prevented kids from throwing eggs, found the lost ring and vows, and exchanged a rigged dowry with the correct chest of gems.
Changes Made
Other than the first time I ran this campaign, I never include the combat at the end (there is a demon in the wine barrels that can break out and cause a fight). All of the other mishaps are more petty than dangerous, so it feels out of sync with the rest of the experience. More than that, I just really like running an adventure that challenges the assumption that all D&D adventures must have a fight to be fun.
The other significant change is in how the wedded couple is decided. Sometimes I let the players decide the race/gender/names of the couple (most recently, a female tabaxi named Bella married a nonbinary dwarf named Chives). If I know the group needs something familiar to latch on to, I will run it as the wedding of Legolas and Gimli. This leads to some excellent comedy (Frodo the cursed ring bearer, Gandalf the “a wizard is never late, nor is he early” missing officiant, and Aragorn as the grieving ex) that works if your players are big LotR nerds.
What I Would Do Differently
One thing I always forget to mention at the beginning of the session is a warning along the lines of “I don’t know what you might find, so it’s best not to wander alone!” The wedding estate is pretty spacious, and players tend to spread out in 1s and 2s at the beginning. They do inevitably start to work together a bit more as the session goes on, and I’ve gotten better at shifting scenes more smoothly, but setting that expectation early might allow for more player interaction from the beginning.
Dungeons and Dragons is not normally a game that is built to reward completely non-combat related conflict. With the level system designed to dole out largely combat related abilities the natural progression is an almost natural shounen anime-like curve… But even in shounen anime sometimes you just need an episode where your characters go to the beach to relax.
Having a number of challenges social and mental this one shot gave a chance for cantrips, racial abilities and skills to shine. Keeping the players at level one was an incredibly savvy move as most of the flavour of a character is intact at the beginning of their arc and there is no backlog of non-combat skills that never see the light of day. It is also my belief that this particular one shot keeps the DM engaged with a lot of topical variability as at the outset we were given the choice to pick the families of the two persons getting married (We chose a Dwarf and Tabaxi) and their officiant was a party member who chose a cult of the apocalypse which stained upwards to colour the entire tale with the vibrant hues of a calico heat death of the universe which still managed to be endearing and romantic somehow.
Every character got a chance to shine and teamwork and colorful NPCs tugged at heartstrings and kept us laughing. After a solid three hours of lighthearted comedy, weird facts about doves/bees and bardic inspiration that seemed to affect the players more than the characters themselves I experienced a roleplaying high of the sort that refreshed me like a long rest. Solid 10/10.
Listen to two players relieve their experiences in character!
Allonté AKA Maester Diehart (Nihilist Cultist Cleric of Peace, Extoller of the Saint Mediggo’s teaching)
This the kind of adventure for those who either thirst for roleplay or perhaps may not know how. From the onset, our wonderful DM/GM asked us, the players, to decide whom shall be wed. I am glad our group was on board for the most unlikely of pairings as well as having the ability to remind each other that in a fantasy world, why cling to convention or norms? In that, it is easier to find the heartbeat of this adventure, giving two who love one another the best day possible.
Now this is an adventure of course, so there will be many obstacles in the way. If you are a completionist like me, you might miss a few things in the pursuit of a mini-quest and that’s….. Great! This is a hallmark of an adventure that you may want to experience again and again to see all the things you missed or to have differing experiences with different characters.
Be forewarned, this is an adventure made without combat. With that knowledge, if you have some murder hobo tendencies, think of the social interactions or obstacles as a form of combat and choose your spells and abilities somewhat wisely. Or just have fun justifying why or how something should work. If you are a GM/DM looking for something to get your experienced roleplayers on a high or getting those without much experience engaged, I would run this adventure! Moreover, this will test your DM/GM skills in switching between scenes. For once, this is a great time to split the party! 12/10 would play again!
Chad AKA Albert Corrian (Half-Elf Bard)
As an experienced and long time player, it was an excellent change of pace to play something that was pure roleplay. There’s more than enough hack and slash to go around so a session with zero combat and all skills and talking was engaging. It’s important to note this was a known element coming in. Had we not been told there would be zero combat, our character choices would likely have been considerably different. I could see a meat-and-potatoes Fighter not having a lot of fun.
Everyone got to do something, and everyone was involved. Playing a Bard, I focused more on my performing than my bevy of Charisma skills as our Warlock officiant had those in spades. I was ready to back him up but he handled everything well and rolled like a champ (once with a bit of help from Bardic Inspiration). I didn’t even have to sling any of the non-combat spells I selected, like Charm Person or Sleep, as ‘oh hell’ buttons. The atmosphere was calm and enjoyable, and we were able to inject some excellent comedy. Everyone left feeling energized and accomplished.
10/10 would recommend running this session as a nice break, especially to try and crack some non-roleplayers out of their shells.
Genre | Graphic Novel Page #s | 256 Publishing Date | June 2021
From the author of The Witch Boy trilogy comes a graphic novel about family, romance, and first love.
Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can’t wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She’s desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends…who don’t understand Morgan at all. Because really, Morgan’s biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl.
Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn’t seem so stifling anymore.
But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they’re each trying to hide will find its way to the surface…whether Morgan is ready or not.
Goodreads
I’ve been a fan of Noelle Stevenson for over a decade, but The Girl from the Sea is the first time I’ve experienced her wife, Molly Ostertag’s, work. When the story began with an ultra-romantic fairy tale kiss of true love (albeit between a teen girl and a female selkie-turned-human), I was tempted to write it off as cheesy. But the story that developed became very meaningful, addressing plans and fears and a love that changes you rather than lasts forever.
Morgan is a closeted teenager who just wants to get out of her small town so that she can start living her life. When she kisses a mythological kelpie into human form, she is suddenly confronted with the opportunity to change her plan and be fully herself now. Cue coming out scenes with her family and friends (her mom’s “coming out of the closet” joke made me literally laugh out loud in both delight and tearful joy). Her friends take a bit more convincing, but that’s less about Keltie being female than about her awkwardness as a new human who loves gaudy dolphin-printed t-shirts.
Just as they are set to enjoy a young gay relationship, Keltie’s ecological goal to save the seals results in a chain of events that once again necessitates a change of plans. It is bittersweet, but absolutely the ending that I wanted. I love a good romance that shows how important it is to be with someone even if it doesn’t last forever.
The story is excellent, and the drawings that make up the graphic novel are similarly wonderful. I especially liked the way Ostertag represented text conversations. She’s a great creator, and I’ll have to check out more of her stuff!
Who Would I Recommend This Book To?
Anyone who likes a sweet-to-bittersweet romance about growing up and accepting who you are.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!
Nicholas Turcan (he/him), is a professional quilter who owns Mystery Stitch Design on Granville Island.
How did you become a professional quilter?
It was serendipity. When I came from Manitoba to Vancouver and moved in with my partner Trevor, it was rainy and miserable that first winter. We had two little blankets and needed something bigger to cuddle under. I watched a YouTube tutorial on how to quilt and fell in love. I loved every step of the process: the math skills, the precision, the meticulousness.
When I became a professional quilter, I started by providing quilting services for other quilters; they would piece together a quilt top and I would stitch through the top, batting, and backing to create a finished quilt. Eventually I bought a longarm quilting machine, which can create things more beautiful than what is manageable on a domestic machine. It’s unwieldy to sew through multiple layers on a sewing machine. Straight line quilting is manageable, but anything with more fanciful designs is very difficult.
How many quilts would you say you’ve made?
I’ve lost track! In the first year when it was just a hobby, I made 12 quilts. Before the longarm machine, when I was just making personal quilts, it was upwards of 100. Professionally, I’ve made 1500 or more.
The length of time varies on the pattern and size of quilt. For a baby quilt, it takes about 45 minutes. More complicated quilts can take multiple 8-hour days.
I’m happy to say that most of my customers come back a second time or more. In fact, I would say 90% of people who come to me are repeat customers. Of course, sometimes there is a 1-3 year gap between their first and second quilt. Some people bring in 6-12 quilts per year, but most people finish 1-2 quilts per year with me.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The creativity; I know what it takes to make a quilt sing. Half of my customers don’t know what they want. They bring the quilt and say, “I trust your judgment.” I have to think about finding the correct theme, the scale of design, the texture and the right thread colour. It’s a lot of pressure. They’ve already invested a lot of time and money in piecing the top before they hand it off to me. It’s like asking someone to finish the last 10% of a painting you’ve spent time and love on.
A lot of people don’t realize how diverse quilting can be. Quilts can be anything you want, as simple or intricate as you can imagine. I have seen silk quilts with over 1,000 pieces in a 14 inch square. It’s a work of art. On the opposite end of things, you can also make a queen-size quilt with one piece of fabric – it’s the quilting itself that matters. There is an unimaginable combination of things in between with thousands of techniques like hand paint, hand dye, appliqué, hand piecing, and more.
Before the pandemic, you traveled for speaking engagements at quilting guilds. What was that like?
When I speak at a guild, they want to hear my story; how I got into quilting and what inspires me. I usually take twenty or so of my quilts to show work spanning my career. I also travel to teach free-motion quilting. Even though I have a longarm machine, you can teach the same techniques on a regular size sewing machine. At a class, there are things you can do that you’re afraid to try on your own. People want to try, but they need permission to make mistakes. I teach them how to either fix or hide their mistakes.
You started renting retail space on Granville Island recently. How are you enjoying being a small business owner?
I bought my longarm seven years ago. For the first year, I didn’t do any customer work on it. When I started quilting professionally, I kept a part time job because I kept worrying: What if I hit a dry spell? What if I don’t have enough customers? Then I was laid off because of the pandemic, and I saw it as an opportunity. I took the gamble to be a full-time professional quilter. It really took off; I flourished.
In January 2021, I found out about some available retail space, and I thought, “Oh my gosh, this is my dream.” I took the chance, and moved operations out of my West End apartment into a wonderful retail space on Granville Island. I still struggle with what I want it to be; originally it functioned as a studio space where I could expand into new techniques with a door open to the public so they can ask questions and talk to me. Now I’m expanding in a couple new directions.
What has your experience been as a queer quilter/ business owner in Vancouver?
I’ve only been a business owner for the last six months, and in that time, I have only felt supported by the other business owners on Granville Island. I think they just see a young, ambitious person who wants to be successful.
As a queer quilter, I have met some wonderful queer people without a community who want to carve out space for other queer crafters. It’s not always easy. The quilting community is dominated by a certain sort of population, and being a man (gay or straight) in these spaces comes with a set of challenges. On the positive side, you stand out, so it’s easier to get noticed and get famous. However, you also get judged as being not technically capable because people assume you’re there because of your token status. That is very frustrating. I’ve been dismissed when walking into a quilt store and an employee asks, “Are you lost? Are you here to buy something for your mom?”
When I’m at guild talks and quilt shows, I always tell my origin story. When I say, “my partner, he,” some people flinch, turn away, or dismiss me. Then I know that there are some homophobes in the crowd. I’ve never felt severely put down or harrassed, but I have felt that icy coldness. I’m equipped to deal with that, because I know there are going to be those people no matter where you go. Still, it’s disheartening, because you know…there are going to be those people no matter where you go.
What is next for Mystery Stitch Designs?
When I first took this space, I moved in to use it as a studio. Now that I’ve been there for a while, I realize I have the potential to do whatever I want. I struggle to know exactly what that is, but every day I see that potential changing and growing. I have started to sell readymade items, including Mini Monstrosities from Roar Cat Reads. I am also transforming it into a classroom so it will be a social environment to learn, buy, and socialize. I’m currently developing the schedules, so check my website for updates. I will likely have beginner sewing and beginner quilting classes, as well as a more advanced freeform quilting class. I will have a couple machines available to rent; otherwise, people can bring their own machine, and I will show you what it is capable of!
I want my store to be a safe space for crafty people. I want people like me to feel comfortable there. I started quilting as a 24 year old gay man; I am not a stereotypical quilter. If I can make a safe space for someone else who feel like they don’t fit in to traditional quilting/crafting community, I will be happy.
Follow Nicholas and Mystery Stitch Designs on Instagram @MysteryStitchDesigns and check his website for updates on class information! Reach out with any questions to nicholas@mysterystitch.com.
School is starting, the weather is turning, and Roar Cat Reads’ first annual LGBTQ+ Book Bingo has concluded! That means it’s time to announce our winner…
Congratulations Chelsea!
Chelsea is a book blogger at Spotlight on Stories, and she read a lot this summer! Check out the books that made her a winner:
Set in a different country – Black Water Sister by Zen Cho (set in Malaysia)
Includes magic – The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
Award winning – Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (Won the 2021 Locus Award for First Novel)
Historical novel – A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (set in 1912, Cairo)
Set on a beach – The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
The other squares I’ve completed are:
Cleared out your TBR – Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
Reread a favourite – The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
Free – The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
Gender nonconforming protagonist – The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang
Graphic Novel – Heartstopper volume 3 by Alice Oseman
Science-fiction – The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
A genre you don’t normally read – Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
Bisexual protagonist – Subtle Blood by K.J. Charles
Story about friendship – The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya
Novella – The Red Threads of Fate by Neon Yang
As the winner of this year’s BINGO drawing, Chelsea has won a $10 gift card to the book store of her choice.
Congratulations again, Chelsea! We hope to see you again for next year’s 2022 LGBTQ+ Summer Book Bingo!
Roar Cat Reads 