Roar Cat Reads

Category: Book Review

  • We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker

    We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker

    Genre | Science Fiction
    Page #s | 378
    Publishing Date | May 2021

    From award-winning author Sarah Pinsker comes a novel about one family and the technology that divides them.

    Everybody’s getting one.

    Val and Julie just want what’s best for their kids, David and Sophie. So when teenage son David comes home one day asking for a Pilot, a new brain implant to help with school, they reluctantly agree. This is the future, after all.

    Soon, Julie feels mounting pressure at work to get a Pilot to keep pace with her colleagues, leaving Val and Sophie part of the shrinking minority of people without the device.

    Before long, the implications are clear, for the family and society: get a Pilot or get left behind. With government subsidies and no downside, why would anyone refuse? And how do you stop a technology once it’s everywhere? Those are the questions Sophie and her anti-Pilot movement rise up to answer, even if it puts them up against the Pilot’s powerful manufacturer and pits Sophie against the people she loves most. 

    Goodreads

    We Are Satellites is a realistic near-future science fiction novel that focuses on the cultural effects of a potentially exploitative tech advancement rather than the genre’s flashier explosions and chaos stories. As such, I found it to be a bit of a slower read, but one that resulted in a lot more consideration and long-term interest.

    Would you accept a brain alteration that allowed you to split your focus effectively? I definitely would, and so would nearly everyone in this novel. While that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Pinsker demands that we consider how such a tech revolution would expand the gap between the haves and have nots, leaving those with disabilities behind.

    The story follows a family of four, each of whom has a unique relationship to the Pilots that go from unique to ubiquitous over the years covered in the book. One mother gets a Pilot for work advancement, the second mother is against them, the daughter is not allowed to get one due to a history of seizures, and the son gets a Pilot but experiences debilitating side effects. Although I’m not often a fan of books that shift characters’ POVs, I thought this was done extremely well here. Changing perspectives is never done for the sake of a cliffhanger; they’re always to allow for deeper character and relationship exploration.

    I highly recommend We Are Satellites, and it was resoundingly enjoyed by my book club. If you, like me, find the beginning a little slow, take your time but please stick with it! You’ll be rewarding with a thoughtful and timely story.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    Give We Are Satellites to the sci-fi lover who is more interested in character development than fast-paced action sequences.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby

    Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby

    Genre | Memoir
    Page #s | 400
    Publishing Date | March 2022

    Multi-awardwinning Hannah Gadsby transformed comedy with her show Nanette, even as she declared that she was quitting stand-up. Now, she takes us through the defining moments in her life that led to the creation of Nanette and her powerful decision to tell the truth-no matter the cost.

    ‘There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself.’ -Hannah Gadsby, Nanette

    Gadsby’s unique stand-up special Nanette was a viral success that left audiences captivated by her blistering honesty and her ability to create both tension and laughter in a single moment. But while her worldwide fame might have looked like an overnight sensation, her path from open mic to the global stage was hard-fought and anything but linear.

    Ten Steps to Nanette traces Gadsby’s growth as a queer person from Tasmania-where homosexuality was illegal until 1997-to her ever-evolving relationship with comedy, to her struggle with late-in-life diagnoses of autism and ADHD, and finally to the backbone of Nanette – the renouncement of self-deprecation, the rejection of misogyny, and the moral significance of truth-telling.

    Equal parts harrowing and hilarious, Ten Steps to Nanette continues Gadsby’s tradition of confounding expectations and norms, properly introducing us to one of the most explosive, formative voices of our time. 

    Goodreads

    If you’re interested in reading Hannah Gadsby’s memoir, you’ve probably already seen and loved her stand up special(s) on Netflix: Nanette and Douglas. She wowed me with her humor, yes, but especially with her honest reflections on trauma and autism. All three of these qualities are very much in play in her memoir, which shares stories from each year of her life up to the release of the show that made her famous.

    She doesn’t share all of her stories, though. Much like the way Nanette dissected the art of comedy while being comedy, this memoir dissects the experience of trauma through its form. She explicitly states that a biographer would want to highlight those moments of abuse, violence, and trauma; as the person who lived through them, however, she emphatically does not. Instead, we learn about her trauma only when another story necessarily brings up feelings or people that were involved. It’s brought up almost against her will, and is not dwelt upon longer than necessary. It’s just like a real trigger; it’s a brilliant choice, and also really nice to read someone’s memoir who is not willing to share her trauma for an audience’s “entertainment.”

    I also loved her decision to share her personal history alongside Tasmania’s homophobic history. Even when she is too young to remember the specific events, they inform the world in which she grows up. It’s also an incredible reminder of just how openly and violently homophobic governments and people were just a decade or two ago. We shouldn’t take our current experience for granted; nor should we assume it will always be this way (as is all too obvious in anti-trans laws and opinions today).

    All of this sounds quite dour! Just like her comedy shows, it’s hard to describe how something so affecting and heavy can also be funny and charming. But it is! Hannah is a master of comedy, knowing how to guide her audience (whether audience or reader) through a story with a deft touch. You’re in good hands here, folks.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    Ten Steps to Nanette is essential reading for lovers of memoirs, and it’s especially valuable as an honest reflection on life as a queer autistic person.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • The Midnight Lie and The Hollow Heart by Marie Rutkoski

    The Midnight Lie and The Hollow Heart by Marie Rutkoski

    Genre | YA Fantasy
    Page #s | 358 and 384
    Publishing Date | March 2020 and September 2021

    Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.

    Nirrim keeps her head down and a dangerous secret close to her chest.

    But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumors that the High Caste possesses magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.

    Set in the world of the New York Times–bestselling Winner’s Trilogy, beloved author Marie Rutkoski returns with an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us—and the lies we tell ourselves.

    Goodreads

    I fell in love with Rutkoski when I read The Kronos Chronicles years ago, and it was such a fun experience to rediscover her and find that her writing has become super queer! The Midnight Lie and The Hollow Heart are a fantasy duology about magic, oppression, and revenge with a lot to say about how people respond to abuse.

    I have very mixed feelings about these books. On one hand, I tore through them both; the dialogue sparkles (particularly in the first book), the worldbuilding is engaging, and the plot advances quickly (too quickly in the second book). On the other hand, plot twists hinge on my pet peeve, miscommunication, and the second book introduces an entirely new world that only gets half the book’s attention but was fully more interesting to me.

    Some of the broader strokes aren’t tight or clean enough, but it’s the details in which Rutkoski excels. Nirrim’s character development is compelling as she resists seeing and then realizes her abuse (both personally and systemically). Her reactions felt very human, by which I mean they are often messy and not “correct.” Sid has shades of manic pixie in the first book, but she is fully fleshed out in the second. Her rebellion against her parents without actually talking to them about what they want for her was excruciating but very teenager. And her parents! Where is THEIR story? I want it.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    The Midnight Lie and The Hollow Heart are perfect books to read if you want a quick, queer, fantasy palate cleanser.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • People Change by Vivek Shraya

    People Change by Vivek Shraya

    Genre | Nonfiction
    Page #s | 112
    Publishing Date | January 2022

    Vivek Shraya knows this to be true: people change. We change our haircuts and our outfits and our minds. We change names, titles, labels. We attempt to blend in or to stand out. We outgrow relationships, we abandon dreams for new ones, we start fresh. We seize control of our stories. We make resolutions.

    In fact, nobody knows this better than Vivek, who’s made a career of embracing many roles: artist, performer, musician, writer, model, teacher. In People Change, she reflects on the origins of this impulse, tracing it to childhood influences from Hinduism to Madonna. What emerges is a meditation on change itself: why we fear it, why we’re drawn to it, what motivates us to change, and what traps us in place.

    At a time when we’re especially contemplating who we want to be, this slim and stylish handbook is an essential companion–a guide to celebrating our many selves and the inspiration to discover who we’ll become next.

    Goodreads

    You know when you read a book that summarizes your disparate thoughts and feelings into a new life philosophy? People Change was that for me, and I think it’s incredibly useful in this age where we are realizing that identity, personality, and sexual orientation are more fluid than previously recognized.

    “I don’t believe in a single, stable, true self,” Shraya says, and in the distance, you can hear me cheering. This little novella is an emphatic assertion that it is okay to change – creatively, queerly, personally. As someone who has gone through profound shifts in identity in the last five years, I resonated with this so deeply. I see this very often in queer communities specifically; someone comes out, then retroactively finds evidence for being queer all along. This might be true, but often it feels like shoehorning new discoveries where they don’t belong. What if we just allowed ourselves to be capable of growth and change?

    Shraya allows for the confusion that comes with change, but makes a compelling case for embracing it all the same. In fact, she reframes “confusion” and “curiosity” and encourages readers to pursue a life open to change rather than living so “authentically” that we are stuck with outdated labels. Instead of trying to be a single cohesive self, Shraya suggests that we “be yourselves” – across time, across communities, and across experiences. We are complex creatures, and that’s not only okay. It is good.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    Give People Change to the thoughtful reader who likes for their books to challenge their thinking and promote deep compassion for self.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

    Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

    Genre | YA Contemporary Fiction
    Page #s | 276
    Publishing Date | January 2016

    Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving the Bronx and headed to Portland, Oregon. She just came out to her family and isn’t sure if her mom will ever speak to her again. But Juliet has a plan, sort of, one that’s going to help her figure out this whole “Puerto Rican lesbian” thing. She’s interning with the author of her favorite book: Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women’s bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff.

    Will Juliet be able to figure out her life over the course of one magical summer? Is that even possible? Or is she running away from all the problems that seem too big to handle?

    With more questions than answers, Juliet takes on Portland, Harlowe, and most importantly, herself. 

    Goodreads

    One of my friends said this is her favorite book, and I totally see why! Juliet Takes a Breath is an excellent novel/primer about queerness, West Coast liberalism, and the perils of white feminism. When a Puerto Rican young woman from New York moves to Portland to intern with a feminist author, she learns a lot about the world and herself.

    This is an educational book, in that Juliet is absorbing feminist and womanist culture with wide eyes and lots of details. But the lessons portrayed are wonderfully written with either poignancy or humor (or both). I laughed so much at Juliet listening with awe and confusion to the world’s most polite argument between polyamorous lesbians.

    For being a fairly overt book in terms of showcasing queer feminist ideas, it’s also wonderfully nuanced. Juliet’s friends and family urge her to be careful in idolizing a white woman, and they urge her to dig into black and brown queer feminist spaces. I won’t give away what happens, but I thought her experience was so honest. There aren’t easy answers given, and there are no villains, even if Juliet does realize that some changes are necessary moving forward.

    As a Great Plains kid who moved to Vancouver as an adult, I was delighted by the wonderful and wacky Pacific Northwest represented here. I can only imagine that a Latinx person in a similar situation would feel even more seen and understood, and for that I adore this book.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    Juliet Takes a Breath is the book for you if you want to see intersectional feminism flawlessly portrayed within a sweet coming-of-age lesbian story.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta

    The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta

    Genre | YA Contemporary Fiction
    Page #s | 352
    Publishing Date | October 2021

    Syd (no pronouns, please) has always dealt with big, hard-to-talk-about things by baking. Being dumped is no different, except now Syd is baking at the Proud Muffin, a queer bakery and community space in Austin. And everyone who eats Syd’s breakup brownies . . . breaks up. Even Vin and Alec, who own the Proud Muffin. And their breakup might take the bakery down with it. Being dumped is one thing; causing ripples of queer heartbreak through the community is another. But the cute bike delivery person, Harley (he or they, check the pronoun pin, it’s probably on the messenger bag), believes Syd about the magic baking. And Harley believes Syd’s magical baking can fix things, too—one recipe at a time.

    Goodreads

    I did not expect to be emotionally moved by magical baked goods, but here we are! The Heartbreak Bakery celebrates love, whether romantic, communal, or sugar, and it’s the perfect quick read to satisfy a readers’ sweet tooth.

    Syd works at a queer bakery in Austin, TX, and literally everything about this sentence makes me happy. Austin is one of my favorite cities, and its awesomeness (as well as it’s flaws) is captured here so personally. If this is based on an actual queer bakery in Austin, someone please let me know because I want to go there immediately. The Proud Muffin is the queer community we all long for – diverse, inclusive, and full of activities and free desserts.

    Anyway, Syd works there, and accidentally bakes a batch of breakup brownies by pouring heartbreak into them. The rest of the book is a falling-in-love montage while Syd and coworker Harley scramble to reunite couples through even more magical baked goods. I honestly thought this would all turn out to be a “we were reading too much into this and thought magic but it was mundane” situation, but instead the reveal at the end turned out to be thematic and poignant.

    This book does gender non-conforming so well! Syd is agender and wrestles with what this means throughout the book, while Harley is confidently gender fluid and signals their pronouns by pin on any given day. While there is some coming out themes where Syd is concerned, it’s very much about personal understanding rather than societal acceptance. I loved it.

    For a book about falling in and out of love, I only fell in! The Heartbreak Bakery is so much fun.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    Want a fun summer read to read at a (literal or imaginative) coffee shop? The Heartbreak Bakery is for you!

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti

    Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti

    Genre | Science Fiction Graphic Novel
    Page #s | 352
    Publishing Date | February 2022

    When they were kids, Fassen’s fighter spaceship crash-landed on a planet that Lu’s survey force was exploring. It was a forbidden meeting between a kid from a war-focused resistance movement and a kid whose community and planet are dedicated to peace and secrecy.

    Lu and Fassen are from different worlds and separate solar systems. But their friendship keeps them in each other’s orbit as they grow up. They stay in contact in secret as their communities are increasingly threatened by the omnipresent, ever-expanding empire.

    As the empire begins a new attack against Fassen’s people–and discovers Lu’s in the process–the two of them have the chance to reunite at last. They finally are able to be together…but at what cost? 

    This beautifully illustrated graphic novel is an epic science fiction romance between two non-binary characters as they find one another through time, distance, and war.

    Goodreads

    Across a Field of Starlight is a creative sci-fi graphic novel about two non-binary kids developing a long distance friendship while surviving a revolution against an evil empire. Lu is part of a separatist faction that avoids the fighting altogether while Fassen is rising in the revolutionary ranks; they each have to figure out how to resist an empire without losing their soul in the process. Along the way, the uncover hard lines they will not cross, but no easy answers.

    For me, the highlight of this book was seeing the beautiful diversity of trans and non-binary characters drawn on the page. There is a woman rocking a beard and body hair who is badass and lovely, and she stole the show for me! Additionally, because there are so many trans characters, some of them get to be bad guys, which was also so much fun!

    I really enjoyed this quick read, but I did feel that it didn’t QUITE reach the heights to which it could have aspired. The empire was not fully developed, so it was never very clear why it was so important to resist them. I mostly came away thinking their robots and flower-shaped space ships were pretty rad, which did not help me empathize with the revolutionaries. Still, it’s lovely to see a queer-heavy cast of characters in unique sci-fi settings!

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    If you ever wished Star Wars was more queer, you’ll enjoy Across a Field of Starlight!

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi

    Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi

    Genre | YA Fantasy
    Page #s | 272
    Publishing Date | February 2022

    Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the town of Lucille. Bitter’s instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus . . . but her friends aren’t willing to settle for a world that the adults say is “just the way things are.

    Pulled between old friendships, her creative passion, and a new romance, Bitter isn’t sure where she belongs – in the art studio or in the streets. And if she does find a way to help the revolution while being true to who she is, she must also ask: at what cost?

    Goodreads

    The prequel to Pet (one of my favorite reads last year), I had high expectations for Bitter, and I would say they were mostly met. The world of Pet was one in which monsters were eradicated and people had stopped being vigilant. Bitter is the story of Pet’s mother and how she played a role in the eradication of monsters. It’s worth noting that here, monsters mean people, and this is the strongest facet of both books. Throughout the early chapters, we hear about billionaires who exploit their workers, police who shoot protesters, and they are described in such a way that I kept thinking, “MONSTERS! Oh, wait, whoa, these are everyday occurrences in real life… How have I become so desensitized to how terrible this is??”

    In opposition to the terrible (real) world, two factions have arisen. There is a group of protesters and a school of artists; Bitter is in the latter, and she feels real and self-imposed judgement for not wanting to join the protesters. I really enjoyed the way the book explored art as protest and how not everyone needs to take to the streets…but that also, maybe you should sometimes.

    All of this combined with a cast of queer characters living messy lives means I should have loved it from the start, but I found that the first half of the book read as a little slow to me. It wasn’t until Bitter raised an angel from her artwork that I was hooked. The way Emezi depicts angels is exactly the kind of terrifying Old Testament too-many-eyes creature that I am Here For! At one point an angel basically says, “Why do you think angels are always saying, ‘Do not be afraid’ when they appear?” and I nearly fell over from Oh Snap-ing so hard. This is liberal areligious theology nerdom at its best.

    In contrast to Pet‘s focus on the individual, Bitter focuses on group responsibility, asking questions like: What is allowable in a revolution? Is bloodshed necessary? If so, how much? There aren’t easy answers, but it’s asking the questions that matters most.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    Give Bitter alongside Pet; these books go together and will pack the most punch as a unit!

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • Roar Cat Reads Book Suggestions for Our 2022 LGBTQ+ Summer Book Bingo

    Roar Cat Reads Book Suggestions for Our 2022 LGBTQ+ Summer Book Bingo

    Are you participating in our 2022 LGBTQ+ Summer Book Bingo? Maybe you need just one or two more boxes to complete your bingo; if so, check out our suggestions below! These are all books that have been read and reviewed on our blog, so click the links to read a full review and see if it is the right book for you!

    Roar Cat Reads Book Suggestions for Our 2022 LGBTQ+ Summer Book Bingo

    Queer Memoir

    Reviewed on Roar Cat Reads

    Check out any of our books in the LGBTQ+ Book Review list.

    African-Influenced Culture

    Red Cover

    Trans Protagonist

    2022 Release

    Fairy Tale Retelling

    Audiobook

    Orange Cover

    Mystery/Thriller

    Asian-Influenced Culture

    Award Winning

    Pet Akwaeke Emezi

    Yellow Cover

    European-Influenced Culture

    Nonfiction

    Released Before 2000

    Disabled Protagonist

    Green Cover

    Reread a Favorite

    Fanfic Tropes

    Indigenous-Influenced Culture

    Story About Siblings

    Blue Cover

    Want more recommendations? Try Halli and Lauren‘s Book Recommendations for our Summer Bingo. Then get reading and send in your completed Bingo sheet by August 31, 2022!

    Share what you’re reading with the hashtag #RCRBookBingo2022 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

    How to Play

    Entries must be received by August 31, 2022 to be considered for the drawing.

    If you have any questions, email roarcatreads@gmail.com.

    Happy reading!

  • The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth

    The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth

    Genre | YA Contemporary Fiction
    Page #s | 368
    Publishing Date | June 2020

    Saoirse doesn’t believe in love at first sight or happy endings. If they were real, her mother would still be able to remember her name and not in a care home with early onset dementia. A condition that Saoirse may one day turn out to have inherited. So she’s not looking for a relationship. She doesn’t see the point in igniting any romantic sparks if she’s bound to burn out.

    But after a chance encounter at an end-of-term house party, Saoirse is about to break her own rules. For a girl with one blue freckle, an irresistible sense of mischief, and a passion for rom-coms.

    Unbothered by Saoirse’s no-relationships rulebook, Ruby proposes a loophole: They don’t need true love to have one summer of fun, complete with every cliché, rom-com montage-worthy date they can dream up—and a binding agreement to end their romance come fall. It would be the perfect plan, if they weren’t forgetting one thing about the Falling in Love Montage: when it’s over, the characters actually fall in love… for real.

    Goodreads

    The Falling in Love Montage is a YA contemporary fiction sapphic love story that offers a realistic message about the worthiness of love despite its ephemerality. I have to admit that it took me a minute to get into the story, because Saoirse is a brat. She’s a cranky, moody teen, and I felt myself related more to her father than to her for a good portion of the story. However, more than most moody teens, Saoirse has good reason for her outbursts. In addition to the typical angst that comes from transitioning out of secondary school and coping with a breakup, her mom has been placed into a care home due to early-onset dementia and her dad is dating someone new.

    All of this has led Saoirse to attempt the classic “Avoid pain by avoiding intimacy” gambit. When she meets Ruby, who is visiting for the summer, they agree that they just want a romance that is light, fun, and totally on the surface. But feelings take hold, and Saoirse has to wrestle with whether or not it’s worth opening your heart when you know there is an end date to the experience.

    I really appreciated the nuance of this book. Both Saorise and her father are coping with the tragedy of her mother’s condition, and they help and hurt each other in realistic ways as a result. Love is allowed to be complicated, and it’s Chosen Love rather than True Love that is the star here.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    If you want a quick read with a lot to say, The Falling in Love Montage is for you!

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

    Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

    Genre | Fantasy
    Page #s | 318
    Publishing Date | February 2022

    Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.

    However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.

    A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.

    Goodreads

    I need there to be innumerable books like Legends & Latte, a cozy coffee shop AU set in a fantasy D&D setting. Viv the butch orc barbarian uses a magical item she got from her adventuring to start a new, peaceful life as a barista. Coffee is, you see, a mostly unknown gnomish invention, so her introduction of it (as well as sweet pastries) to a small fantasy town rocks the citizen’s minds and taste buds.

    The heart of this book is its characters and the simple but lovely relationships that develop between them. It’s slow burn sapphic love between coworkers, it’s old friends and rivals crashing into a new life, it’s mysterious mob bosses, it’s gruff construction workers turned friends.

    Honestly, if “D&D party runs a coffee shop” sounds appealing to you, then that’s all that’s needed. The only other thing worth saying is that the audiobook is read by author Travis Baldree, and I really enjoyed it!

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    Give Legends & Lattes to your D&D party member who just wants to start small business and romance friends in your game.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

    She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

    Genre | Fantasy
    Page #s | 416
    Publishing Date | July 2021

    Mulan meets The Song of Achilles; an accomplished, poetic debut of war and destiny, sweeping across an epic alternate China.

    “I refuse to be nothing…”

    In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness…

    In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.

    When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother’s identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.

    After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu uses takes the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother’s abandoned greatness.

    Goodreads

    She Who Became the Sun is a fantasy-lite historical fiction that centers gender and ambition against the backdrop of rebellions and war. It is utterly engrossing, drawing readers into the world’s poverty and desperation immediately. Zhu grows up as the only girl left in a starving peasant village, and her uselessness is shoved in her face by everyone all the time. When an opportunity to remake herself as her favored brother comes along, Zhu takes it, and all the world is affected.

    This is a book about gender that goes far deeper than the Mulan comparison frequently thrown around. Yes, Zhu pretends to be a man to enter a monastery and later join the army. But her relation to her femaleness and maleness is very fluid and is hugely impacted by situation. Similarly, another significant character is the eunuch Ouyang. He resents his forced gender presentation, the result of violence in his childhood, but it shapes who he is and how he moves through the world nonetheless. Zhu and Ouyang shatter the gender dichotomy and, while they’re at it, turn sexuality up and down and all around as well. I don’t think it would be incorrect to label Zhu as a sex-positive asexual, which was amazing to see!

    The story of She Who Became the Sun covers over a decade, so this is the kind of fantasy book that rewards investment and shows repercussions of long ago actions. I’m torn on using the label of fantasy, however. There are a couple fantastical elements – the reveal of the divine right to rule, ghosts – but they are very rare and would better be labeled fantasy-lite.

    Lastly, I adored the Buddhist influence on the book. Zhu spends her formative years as a monk and reckons with her growing ambition through that lens. It was fascinating to see the Chosen One narrative filtered through a perspective that desire creates suffering…so how much suffering is Zhu willing to create in her desire to be someone meaningful?

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    Give She Who Became the Sun to any reader who loves a deep, gritty dive into character studies and war, especially if they appreciate a uniquely gendered perspective.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen

    She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen

    Genre | YA contemporary fiction
    Page #s | 288
    Publishing Date | April 2021

    High school nemeses fall in love in this queer YA rom com perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Casey McQuiston.

    After losing spectacularly to her ex-girlfriend in their first game since their break up, Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with the worst possible person: her nemesis, the incredibly beautiful and incredibly mean Irene Abraham. Things only get worse when their nosey, do-gooder moms get involved and the girls are forced to carpool together until Irene’s car gets out of the shop.

    Their bumpy start only gets bumpier the more time they spend together. But when an opportunity presents itself for Scottie to get back at her toxic ex (and climb her school’s social ladder at the same time), she bribes Irene into playing along. Hijinks, heartbreak, and gay fake-dating scheme for the ages. From author Kelly Quindlen comes a new laugh-out-loud romp through the ups and downs of teen romance.

    Goodreads

    An enemies to lovers fake dating sapphic book, you say? She Drives Me Crazy was basically made for me! This is such a cute, fun read about a high school basketball player getting revenge on a toxic ex by pretending to date the cheerleader…until feelings develop. I will never get tired of this trope.

    In addition to the tropey fun, there are some slightly heavier themes that are handled well. Scottie is still hung up on her ex-girlfriend despite knowing she was unhealthy. It’s a realistic response to first love that I appreciated seeing represented, though I was also very glad when she finally gets over the relationship! Additionally, there is a lot of talk about assumptions, especially where Irene is concerned. As a Homecoming Queen cheerleader, she seems to have it all, but she is very aware of the stereotypes she faces as a Desi woman, a queer woman, and a cheerleader who believes in the skill and athleticism of her sport.

    This is a small thing, but I find it so nice that YA books are trending toward stories of “my family knows I’m queer, and they’re supportive.” The drama comes from more universal experiences of love, growth, and high school rather than coming out. I don’t want books where families struggle with a child coming out to disappear, but I’m glad we’re also normalizing healthy, supportive families!

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    She Drives Me Crazy is the sapphic high school rom com that you’ve been waiting for!

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • My 5-Star LGBTQ+ Books for Pride

    My 5-Star LGBTQ+ Books for Pride

    Celebrate Pride by reading an LGBTQ+ book! Start with something excellent, like one of the 5-star books that I’ve read and reviewed.

    My 5-Star LGBTQ+ Books for Pride

    Contemporary Fiction

    YA Contemporary Fiction

    Fantasy

    QUEER BINGO RULES

    Science Fiction

    Nonfiction

    Share what you’re reading with the hashtag #RCRBookBingo2022 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

    How to Play

    Entries must be received by August 31, 2022 to be considered for the drawing.

    If you have any questions, email roarcatreads@gmail.com.

    Happy reading!

  • The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood

    The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood

    Genre | Fantasy
    Page #s | 385
    Publishing Date | February 2022

    The sequel to A. K. Larkwood’s stunning debut fantasy, The Unspoken Name, The Thousand Eyes continues The Serpent Gates series–perfect for fans of Jenn Lyons, Joe Abercrombie, and Ursula K. Le Guin.

    Two years ago, Csorwe and Shuthmili defied the wizard Belthandros Sethennai and stole his gauntlets. The gauntlets have made Shuthmili extraordinarily powerful, but they’re beginning to take a sinister toll on her. She and Csorwe travel to a distant world to discover how to use the gauntlets safely, but when an old enemy arrives on the scene, Shuthmili finds herself torn between clinging to her humanity and embracing eldritch power.

    Meanwhile, Tal Charossa returns to Tlaanthothe to find that Sethennai has gone missing. As well as being a wizard of unimaginable power, Sethennai is Tal’s old boss and former lover, and Tal wants nothing to do with him. When a magical catastrophe befalls the city, Tal tries to run rather than face his past, but soon learns that something even worse may lurk in the future. Throughout the worlds of the Echo Maze, fragments of an undead goddess begin to awaken, and not all confrontations can be put off forever…

    Goodreads

    The Unspoken Name is one of my favorite fantasy novels (my review is here), and I was so excited that its sequel, The Thousand Eyes, was just as good! A.K. Larkwood guides readers back into the world with ease, reminding us of important people and places very organically. This time around, the secondary characters are front and center; we get several POVs, most notably from Tal and Shuthmili. While part of me missed the focus on Csorwe, I also enjoyed getting into the heads of her friends and partners, and it was very satisfying to see her through their eyes.

    While the first book is about resisting enforced sacrifice, this sequel is about embracing sacrifice on your own terms. It seems like nearly everyone is (or wants to be) a vessel for a deity, and there are innumerable bargains made along the lines of, “Take my body so long as XXX lives!” It’s a nice balance to the previous book, and it’s lovely to watch characters wrestle with the question of what is worth sacrificing themselves for.

    Speaking of deities! There are so many, and it is so much fun to see the various iterations, the various interactions they have with their vessels, and how their universal thirst for power is actually quite diverse in scope. It was like watching a D&D party full of warlocks navigate their patron bargains in more or less disastrous ways.

    The heart of these books is the characters, though, and especially the sheer number of queer characters. Tal gets fleshed out more, and I adore him. Shuthmili and Csorwe have such a great romance that is somehow sweet and simple whilst enmeshed in gigantically dramatic plots. Sethannai is a wonderful antagonist who I never want to truly die, and Oranna is a complex delight. We also get a new character this time around: the nonbinary teen Tsereg, who is a breath of fresh air. I would read an endless series about these six.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    If you’re on the hunt for a unique fantasy series with a majority queer cast and a plot that twists and turns over decades…The Unspoken Name and The Thousand Eyes for you!

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!