Roar Cat Reads

Tag: lesbian

  • 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!

  • 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!

  • 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!

  • With Teeth by Kristen Arnett

    With Teeth by Kristen Arnett

    Genre | Contemporary Fiction
    Page #s | 304
    Publishing Date | June 2021

    From the author of the New York Times-bestselling sensation Mostly Dead Things a surprising and moving story of two mothers, one difficult son, and the limitations of marriage, parenthood, and love

    If she’s being honest, Sammie Lucas is scared of her son. Working from home in the close quarters of their Florida house, she lives with one wary eye peeled on Samson, a sullen, unknowable boy who resists her every attempt to bond with him. Uncertain in her own feelings about motherhood, she tries her best–driving, cleaning, cooking, prodding him to finish projects for school–while growing increasingly resentful of Monika, her confident but absent wife. As Samson grows from feral toddler to surly teenager, Sammie’s life begins to deteriorate into a mess of unruly behavior, and her struggle to create a picture-perfect queer family unravels. When her son’s hostility finally spills over into physical aggression, Sammie must confront her role in the mess–and the possibility that it will never be clean again.

    Blending the warmth and wit of Arnett’s breakout hit, Mostly Dead Things, with a candid take on queer family dynamics, With Teeth is a thought-provoking portrait of the delicate fabric of family–and the many ways it can be torn apart.

    Goodreads

    With Teeth portrays motherhood from an almost horror novel perspective, and I don’t know about you, but I am here for it! There is such a sense of dread throughout, but – spoilers! – for any of my fellow hypersensitive scaredy cats out there….It doesn’t get as dark as I feared it was going to. It’s just deliciously head-twisty and absolutely f***ed.

    I love a book a with an unreliable narrator, and Sammie is unreliable to the extreme. Her POV is aggressively claustrophobic, which makes the short scenes from other characters that are sprinkled between chapters so valuable. We are primed to see the world through Sammie’s eyes, and it is a shock to see how wrong she is about how people see her or what is true about her son. It’s great storytelling and an indictment on how we all can view our own situation so inaccurately.

    This is a story about motherhood generally, but it’s also specifically about queer motherhood. Sammie and Monika feel pressure to be the queer parents with a model family, and ironically, it is this imposed pressure that creates many of the problems they seek to avoid. Relatable. Much like Detransition, Baby, I am so excited to see more books about queer people and relationships that are messy and unhealthy. And boy, are Sammie and Monika unhealthy. Their relationship is painfully realistic, from the small habits that grow increasingly intolerable over time to the solutions that are bandaids over unaddressed gaping wounds.

    This is a small thing, but another realistic plot that I really enjoyed was seeing Sammie date while going through a separation. Her affections are split, and she never knows what she really wants, but it is acknowledged that love can develop slowly even in these conditions.

    I’ve talked a lot about the queer relationship in the book rather than the mothering relationship between Sammie and Samson, which is pretty on brand for me. The thing is – it’s so twisted and earnest and painful and complicated! Sammie’s life is consumed by her son, and she hates him for it while being unwilling to make changes that could help. She’s a terrible mother, and he’s an ambiguous kid, but their story is incredibly compelling and distressingly recognizable.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    Give With Teeth to someone who loves books that dissect culturally untouchable topics with honesty and incredible writing.

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

  • Loveless by Alice Oseman

    Loveless by Alice Oseman

    Genre | YA Contemporary Fiction
    Page #s | 433
    Publishing Date | July 2020

    The fourth novel from the phenomenally talented Alice Oseman – one of the most authentic and talked-about voices in contemporary YA.

    It was all sinking in. I’d never had a crush on anyone. No boys, no girls, not a single person I had ever met. What did that mean?

    Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush – but as a fanfic-obsessed romantic she’s sure she’ll find her person one day.

    As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a whole new town far from home, Georgia’s ready to find romance, and with her outgoing roommate on her side and a place in the Shakespeare Society, her ‘teenage dream’ is in sight.

    But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends, Georgia ends up in her own comedy of errors, and she starts to question why love seems so easy for other people but not for her. With new terms thrown at her – asexual, aromantic – Georgia is more uncertain about her feelings than ever.

    Is she destined to remain loveless? Or has she been looking for the wrong thing all along?

    This wise, warm and witty story of identity and self-acceptance sees Alice Oseman on towering form as Georgia and her friends discover that true love isn’t limited to romance.

    Goodreads

    This book was recommended by Chelsea in her Queer Books, Queer Readers interview, and I’m so glad I checked it out! Loveless is a YA contemporary fiction novel about growing up, going to college for the first time, and figuring out who you are. This includes many things, including navigating shifting friendships, new roommates, and hobbies, but for Georgia it also means coming to terms with her sexuality.

    I have never read a book that so effortlessly portrays asexual representation. I’m on the asexual spectrum (nearer demisexual), and I resonated so much with some of the thoughts Georgia had and laughed at her belief that everyone shared them. I used to believe everyone had the same perspective on sex and relationships that I did, and was shocked to find out I was in the minority! I also used to think that my obsession with fanfic and romance meant I was experiencing life the same way my peers did and was annoyed to realize that wasn’t the case!

    There were other elements of Georgia’s experience that I did not relate to, and honestly, some aspects of asexuality that I hadn’t quite understood on an emotional level. This book helped embody those experiences and gave me even greater understanding and empathy for my aroace friends.

    The beauty of Loveless is that it’s beautifully queer in myriad ways. Georgia’s acceptance of her asexuality is the heartbeat of the book, but we also get side characters who identify as lesbian, bisexual, gay, and nuanced subcategories of each. And like any good queer book, it’s all about community. Georgia finds acceptance through her friends and through her school’s Pride society, and it is such a joy to watch her flourish because of and alongside her people.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    Loveless is a heartwarming YA book that is a perfect comfort read with broad appeal.

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

  • Spinning by Tillie Walden

    Spinning by Tillie Walden

    Genre | Contemporary Fiction Graphic Novel
    Page #s | 400
    Publishing Date | September 2017

    Poignant and captivating, Ignatz Award winner Tillie Walden’s powerful graphic memoir, Spinning, captures what it’s like to come of age, come out, and come to terms with leaving behind everything you used to know.

    It was the same every morning. Wake up, grab the ice skates, and head to the rink while the world was still dark.

    Weekends were spent in glitter and tights at competitions. Perform. Smile. And do it again.

    She was good. She won. And she hated it.

    For ten years, figure skating was Tillie Walden’s life. She woke before dawn for morning lessons, went straight to group practice after school, and spent weekends competing at ice rinks across the state. It was a central piece of her identity, her safe haven from the stress of school, bullies, and family. But over time, as she switched schools, got into art, and fell in love with her first girlfriend, she began to question how the close-minded world of figure skating fit in with the rest of her life, and whether all the work was worth it given the reality: that she, and her friends on the figure skating team, were nowhere close to Olympic hopefuls. It all led to one question: What was the point? The more Tillie thought about it, the more Tillie realized she’d outgrown her passion–and she finally needed to find her own voice.

    Goodreads

    I fell in love with Tillie Waldon’s art style and storytelling ability when I read On a Sunbeam. Spinning is an entirely different story, but it retains the same self-reflective, honest heart. In this graphic novel, Waldon shares the story of her childhood; it centers on her experiences as an ice skater but includes much more.

    Walden was an anxious, perfectionistic kid, so this story is incredibly relatable! She is harder on herself than anyone else is (excluding the odd coach here and there), and she doggedly continues her ice skating career even though she doesn’t actually enjoy it very much. It’s heartbreaking, and such an accurate portrayal of the powerlessness and confusion of being a kid.

    In addition to ice skating, the major theme is Walden’s acceptance of her attraction to women, and the reactions of those around her. Her various comings out are drawn in a series of panels that capture the gamut of reactions you can expect, from positive to negative to those comments that you tell yourself are positive but still contain a kernel of judgment.

    Although it isn’t a dramatic book, necessarily, there is a slow empowerment that builds in Walden that is far more realistic than is portrayed in most books. It is the small moments when she stands up for herself and makes her own choices that resonate.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    Spinning is the book to give to your friend who doesn’t think graphic novels are books in order to prove them wrong.

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

  • Twelfth Moon by Halli Starling

    Twelfth Moon by Halli Starling

    Genre |Romance Novella
    Page #s | 134
    Publishing Date | December 2021

    Elsie’s a small town with a lot of heart. Isn’t that how most small town romance stories begin? But this isn’t any love story. These five stories cross paths and connections, age, gender, sexuality, and different kinds of relationships. Stories like that of Harriet, the owner of Twelfth Moon perfumery and adopted mother to her nephew, Nu. Harriet always figured she’d be single for the rest of her life, but Dela Atwater appearing in her shop one blustery autumn day sparks something within her. A bit of romance and longing she’d long thought buried. 

    And what about Nu, Harriet’s nephew? He’s quickly falling for Miles, who works in the coffee shop next door to Twelfth Moon. The shop is owned by Miles’s brother, Jones, who has his own ideas about sex and lust and romance (or lack thereof). Across town, Maeve is learning how to exist as a widower but when they meet Evie, a spark is lit. And Yuri, Nu’s best friend, is anxiously awaiting the holidays so he can see his girlfriend, Beckett, once more. 

    It’s about hope and joy and queer love in so many shapes and forms, from the author of the dark fantasy/romance novel Wilderwood (“…will shatter readers’ expectations with its bewitching complexities…” – The BookLife Prize).

    Goodreads

    Twelfth Moon is a novella of five intersecting romances set in a small town queer utopia. It is a quintessential comfort read with a handy table of contents that informs readers what pairings to expect as well as where a story falls on a “sweet to smut” scale. Starling shines in her diverse characters and diverse relationships, and I especially loved how often the romantic stars were older women.

    Every shade of the rainbow is represented here! I was most surprised to see a polyamorous non-monogomous pairing celebrated; because this is a romance novel, I was cringing, half expecting them to realize their love for each other would make them want to be only with each other. No! They stay true to their values and preferences while having a great time together.

    Undoubtedly my favorite story was of a widow grieving her dead partner and connecting with someone and feeling romantic sparks for the first time in years. It is a sweet story that acknowledges the importance of honoring relationships while also being open to something new. It also doesn’t push characters into situations that wouldn’t make sense outside of a romance novel. Instead, we get to see a connection form and be happy for her to have found someone else that GETS her in the same way her partner once did.

    Basically, we should all be so lucky as to live in Elsie. Starling has said we might get more from this setting, and I am ready for it!

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    Gift Twelfth Moon to your friend who wants a queer pick-me-up that can be read during their commute.

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

  • The Better to Kiss You With by Michelle Osgood

    The Better to Kiss You With by Michelle Osgood

    Genre | Fantasy Romance
    Page #s | 182
    Publishing Date | April 2016

    In the rare moments when Deanna Scott isn’t working as the moderator for Wolf’s Run, an online werewolf role-playing game, she wanders the local forest trails with her golden retriever, Arthur, and daydreams about Jaime, the attractive, enigmatic woman who lives upstairs. As Wolf Run’s ‘den mother,’ Deanna is accustomed to petty online drama. But when threats from an antagonistic player escalate, Deanna wonders if her awesome online job could be riskier than she d ever imagined and if her new girlfriend knows more about this community than she had realized.

    Goodreads

    The Better to Kiss You With is a fun lesbian romance with great characters and exactly the right amount of “Yes, there are werewolves, but it isn’t melodramatic.” Let’s be honest, it’s hard to begin anywhere other than werewolves, once you know they’re going to be in a romance novel. For starters, and this would have been very important information to me before reading – there is no sex between human and werewolf!

    Instead, we get a really cute story of two lesbians meeting in their building’s hallway, going on sweet dates and having hot sex. There are semi-dramatic, semi-tongue in cheek hints that one of them may be a werewolf, but the actual reveal leans much more into a protective metaphor than a sexy metaphor. And I cannot stress this enough – the characters are all a little embarrassed to find themselves in a werewolf story. Like, they realize it’s weird, and they’re going to talk about all of the repercussions that would naturally come up, but it’s going to be with humor and teasing.

    The other aspect of the werewolf thing is that Deanna runs a role-playing game server based on werewolves in Vancouver (sign me up!), and she winds up dealing with an internet troll – er, werewolf – who is an online predator AND actual predator. This metaphor worked for me so well! I also loved Osgood’s takedown of this guy, as she refuses to give him the dignity of being hot or skillful. He’s just a violent a$$hole that needs to be taken care of.

    I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I loved Deanna’s relationships outside of girlfriend Jaime, by which I mean with her dog and her best friend. They are fully realized characters who are equally meaningful to her safety and well-being. While I love a good all-encompassing romance, I worry about characters whose sense of self wholly depends on a significant other.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    The Better to Kiss You With is the book to give to your sapphic friend who wants a fun, quick, sexy read!

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

  • Bruised by Tanya Boteju

    Bruised by Tanya Boteju

    Genre | YA Contemporary Fiction
    Page #s | 336
    Publishing Date | March 2021

    To Daya Wijesinghe, a bruise is a mixture of comfort and control. Since her parents died in an accident she survived, bruises have become a way to keep her pain on the surface of her skin so she doesn’t need to deal with the ache deep in her heart.

    So when chance and circumstances bring her to a roller derby bout, Daya is hooked. Yes, the rules are confusing and the sport seems to require the kind of teamwork and human interaction Daya generally avoids. But the opportunities to bruise are countless, and Daya realizes that if she’s going to keep her emotional pain at bay, she’ll need all the opportunities she can get.

    The deeper Daya immerses herself into the world of roller derby, though, the more she realizes it’s not the simple physical pain-fest she was hoping for. Her rough-and-tumble teammates and their fans push her limits in ways she never imagined, bringing Daya to big truths about love, loss, strength, and healing.

    Goodreads

    A story of loss, trauma, and identity that centers on roller derby and found family (both queer and otherwise), Bruised was a sure-fire win in my books. I loved Daya’s fierce exterior, her self-awareness that she protects herself by keeping other out, and her slow acceptance that perhaps it is worth risking potential hurt for the sake of connection and joy.

    The foundation of Daya’s story is made of some pretty heavy content (death, self-harm), but the book captures the seriousness of her situation without reveling in the trauma-porn aspect. I was also very impressed by Boteju’s skill at depicting self-harm (intentional bruising, in Daya’s case) with realism and understanding, but without ever glorifying the practice.

    This isn’t a book about trauma, though; it’s about learning to live again after experiencing trauma. Daya’s friend introduces her to roller derby, and although she is initially attracted to its violent aspects, she quickly learns that she has to be strong not just for herself, but for her team. Add in a love interest who is a sweet soft nerd, and Daya doesn’t stand a chance. Despite her fear, she starts to open herself up to vulnerability and connection.

    My favorite thing about the book is undoubtedly the found families that welcome Daya in the wake of her loss. Her roller derby family expands to include a beautifully intergenerational queer family, and her initial resistance to her aunt and uncle (who have taken her in) warms in the face of their overwhelming love, joy, and acceptance. I have never read a coming out scene that is more hilarious and lovely than this book.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    Bruised will especially appeal to those who already love roller derby, but if you’re like me and know very little about the sport, it’s still an excellent book about accepting the start a new phase of life after a previous phase ends abruptly.

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

  • On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

    On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

    Genre | Science Fiction Graphic Novel
    Page #s | 533
    Publishing Date | May 2018

    Throughout the deepest reaches of space, a crew rebuilds beautiful and broken-down structures, painstakingly putting the past together. As new member Mia gets to know her team, the story flashes back to her pivotal year in boarding school, where she fell in love with a mysterious new student. Soon, though, Mia reveals her true purpose for joining their ship—to track down her long-lost love.

    An inventive world, a breathtaking love story, and stunning art come together in this new work by award-winning artist Tillie Walden.

    Goodreads

    Do you remember the moment when you realized that there are no women in The Hobbit? It was strange, right, because the story felt so natural and complete. Well, I’m here to offer you the exact opposite: On a Sunbeam, a science fiction graphic novel in which there are absolutely no men. It took me awhile to realize, since I assumed the story was simply focused on a queer group of construction workers, one of whom had flashbacks to her time at an all-female boarding school. But as we see more of the world, I’m pretty sure there are just…no men. Only women and nonbinary people allowed!

    It’s awesome, especially since the story revolves around the aforementioned construction crew (that works on giant floating buildings in a glorious tribute to “my sci-fi is cool rather than realistic”) and a mob boss family that protects an isolated planet of magical healing energy. Traditionally male playgrounds, but they aren’t missed here. Instead, we get to explore sisterhood, both biologically and found. The families here are hard won and well deserved, and I loved reading every page.

    What Makes This Book Queer?

    There are multiple sapphic romances in this book, from the lesbians who run the construction crew and must re-evaluate how they want to spend their lives together after an excitingly dangerous phase of getting to know each other. There’s a nonbinary character on the crew, and interestingly, the lack of men in this world doesn’t mean a lack of discrimination. Elliot’s pronouns are defended in a stand-up-and-clap scene that is a lesson to all feminists. And at the heart of the story is the slow burn / cut short / reunion romance between our protagonist Mia and the girl who got away back in school.

    Who Do I Recommend This Book To?

    On a Sunbeam is perfect for anyone who likes a found family narrative set in a gorgeously realized fantasy sci-fi world.

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

  • Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole

    Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole

    Genre | Contemporary Romance
    Page #s | 106
    Publishing Date | January 2019

    Alyssa Cole returns with a fun, sexy romance novella in the Reluctant Royals series!

    While her boss the prince was busy wooing his betrothed, Likotsi had her own love affair after swiping right on a dating app. But her romance had ended in heartbreak, and now, back in NYC again, she’s determined to rediscover her joy–so of course she runs into the woman who broke her heart.

    When Likotsi and Fabiola meet again on a stalled subway train months later, Fab asks for just one cup of tea. Likotsi, hoping to know why she was unceremoniously dumped, agrees. Tea and food soon leads to them exploring the city together, and their past, with Fab slowly revealing why she let Likotsi go, and both of them wondering if they can turn this second chance into a happily ever after.

    Goodreads

    Once Ghosted, Twice Shy is the bite-sized romance you want to sink into on a rainy day. It’s a sweet story about two women who are given a second chance to get things right, told in present day with flashbacks to their initial meeting. There isn’t much of a mystery here, but it’s satisfying to learn what happened and how they got to the place of hurt in which we first find them.

    Likotsi and Fabiola are queer black women who are on opposite ends of the class spectrum. While Likotsi works for the prince of a Wakanda-esque country, while Fabiola dreams of being a jewelry entrepreneur and deals with the repercussions of the American immigrant system. They come from different perspectives but share a love of fashion, exploration, and each other.

    I’m a sucker for this kind of story. They originally met with the explicit intention of hooking up, but couldn’t resist Their Feelings and the desire for a deeper connection. There is a lot of unnecessary miscommunication (or actual lack of communication entirely), but they get there in the end.

    Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

    Once Ghost, Twice Shy is a great little romance to boost spirits on a boring afternoon.

    Rating: 3 out of 5.

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

  • I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee

    I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee

    Genre | YA Contemporary Fiction
    Page #s | 328
    Publishing Date | June 2020

    The world of K-Pop has never met a star like this. Debut author Lyla Lee delivers a deliciously fun, thoughtful rom-com celebrating confidence and body positivity—perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Julie Murphy.

    Skye Shin has heard it all. Fat girls shouldn’t dance. Wear bright colors. Shouldn’t call attention to themselves. But Skye dreams of joining the glittering world of K-Pop, and to do that, she’s about to break all the rules that society, the media, and even her own mother, have set for girls like her.

    She’ll challenge thousands of other performers in an internationally televised competition looking for the next K-pop star, and she’ll do it better than anyone else.

    When Skye nails her audition, she’s immediately swept into a whirlwind of countless practices, shocking performances, and the drama that comes with reality TV. What she doesn’t count on are the highly fat-phobic beauty standards of the Korean pop entertainment industry, her sudden media fame and scrutiny, or the sparks that soon fly with her fellow competitor, Henry Cho.

    But Skye has her sights on becoming the world’s first plus-sized K-pop star, and that means winning the competition—without losing herself.

    Goodreads

    I am not (yet) into K-Pop, but I am very much into empowered teens chasing their dreams (and their crushes) while crushing their haters. I’ll Be the One is a super cute book about challenging fatphobia in Korean American culture, family support, and some good ol’ fashioned YA romance.

    Skye is one of my favorite protagonists. She is the exact opposite of me, since she uses people’s verbal and nonverbal judgements as fuel for her own awesomeness. She’s a size 16 in a culture that thinks size 2 is too big, but she’s an amazing dancer and singer, so she auditions for a TV idol competition. The female judge constantly gives her a hard time about her weight (it feels like a meaningful acknowledgement of how women often police ourselves to a higher standard), but Skye continues to outperform her contestants and stands up for herself on national television in some really triumphal fist-to-the-sky moments.

    Along the way, Skye becomes friends with a lesbian couple, cutely acknowledges her bisexuality because she was checking one of them out, and then falls in love with Instagram star Henry Cho. You know how YA romances are so often ridiculous, but some of them are unbelievable in just the right way? This is one of the good ones! I loved watching them become friends, flirt, and evolve into something more. Bonus points for a double-bisexual couple!

    This is a purely fun, delightful, inspiring book, and I hope everyone reads it!

    Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

    I’ll Be the One is the perfect weekend read for when you want to tear through a story with a grin on your face.

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

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