#under the radar lgbtq+ books | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lurkingshan · 3 months

Text

Anticipating the LITBC Adaptations

One of the questions @bengiyo asked us this week is what parts of the book we are most looking forward to seeing in the upcoming film and drama adaptations. I had a good convo with @doyou000me and @stuffnonsenseandotherthings in the comments here, and I wanted to talk a bit about why I am excited for these adaptations.

Most folks who watch a lot of South Korean media know that there is precious little LGBTQ+ representation in Korean dramas and film. In mainstream kdrama, we are lucky if we get a queer side character a couple times a year, and it's even more rare for those characters to get a romantic partner (but not unheard of, see Be Melodramatic my beloved). There has been a big uptick in Korean bl production over the last few years, but most of those projects are underfunded and fly under the radar (with notable exceptions like Semantic Error, The Eighth Sense, and Love for Love's Sake). So it is a very big deal to me to see two mainstream adaptations of Love in the Big City, a story that is undeniably centered on a queer lived experience.

Let's talk about the film first. When I first saw the announcement that we would get a film adaptation starring Kim Go Eun, Steve Noh, and Kang Ha Neul, I was ecstatic. These are huge names in Korean media, drama headliners and movie stars. Now, does the choice to focus only on part 1 and center the story on Jaehee mean this project likely won't feel fully rooted in Young's queer perspective? Absolutely, we should recognize that and manage our expectations accordingly. But there will be a mainstream film about the relationship between a woman and a gay man living together, and that is already a very big deal for South Korea. We have to look at this project from the context of Korean social politics and recognize that it signifies progress. And I am still hopeful that Young will feel like a fully realized character, even if we are unlikely to see the full extent of his depth and complexity represented in this film.

And that is where the drama comes in. Sang Young Park himself is the screenwriter for this adaptation, and based on the production photos @my-rose-tinted-glasses shared here, we are getting all four parts of the story in this version. The cast here is not as famous as the film headliners, but they are recognizable, solid actors who have had main roles in other dramas. I don't know how these two projects came to be made at the same time, so I can only say that having them premiere around the same time is genius, whether by intention or happenstance. Because I can easily imagine that people who are exposed to this story for the first time via the film might then go check out the drama, where they will see a much fuller picture of Young's life and an authentic queer experience. @archiveofmystuff shared that there has been some reporting about the long process to secure funding for this full novel adaptation, and I'm not surprised it was difficult. But with Sang Young Park attached I feel confident that we will get a solid version of this story, even if it can't get quite as explicit about all the gory details as the novel did. I can't wait to see Young, Jaehee, Umma, Hyung, and Gyu-ho on my screen, and I'll be so curious to see how he structures the show to fit the four parts of his novel into eight 50-minute episodes. There are so many exciting possibilities and I am feeling optimistic.

TL; DR: it's a big deal that these adaptations are being made, and it will surely result in more people seeing Young's story. It's a signal of positive progress in the Korean media landscape, and I welcome it.

#love in the big city #litbc book club #korean bl #kdrama #shan shouts into the void

30 notes · View notes

comeonamericawakeup · 5 months

Text

Musk grew up being bullied by his father and in school.

He is perhaps autistic and perhaps bipolar. Not within my abilities to diagnose. But he is often unable to control his emotions and has extremely poor impulse control

Scary for someone with his money and power.

His father is a very extreme hardright lunatic. He had two children with Elon's stepdaughter.

Elon was very unhappy about it but unable to stop it. His father's extremism has destroyed his economics. He has threatened suicide if Elon stops supporting him.

Elon is basically not a nice person.

He has no ability to express empathy. He treats anyone who opposes him harshly. He fired 75% of the Twitter workforce within 2 months of buying the company.

He expects all of his employees to put their guts on the table all of the time.

Elon's sense of humor apparently stopped evolving when he was in the 7th grade. Most of it appears to be of the "potty" variety. I think this speaks to his overall emotional maturity.

For Elon, it's always his way or the highway. He is an extreme adrenalin addict and it's a miracle that he is still alive and that his companies have survived his maniacal leadership. He likes to set impossible goals and drive employees to achieve them.

Elon can be extremely brilliant at times but his brilliance is always accompanied by a dark side that threatens to consume him and everyone around him.

He likes to put all his chips on the table and roll the dice. Reckless should be his middle name.

Elon worries about Al destroying humanity. But with his intelligence, money, power, and poor impulse control, he is a much larger and more immediate threat to humanity.

Elon thinks that he is a political moderate providing free speech to everyone. He is totally unable to recognize his own far-right extremism. Nor can he recognize his own racism or antisemitism or his anti-LGBTQ bias.

Elon worries about declining population growth and has kids at the drop of a hat. Of course, he never worries about kids dying from hunger or poverty. I guess he just thinks that affluent white people should have more kids.

Elon has no problems lying when it suits his purposes. He has lied constantly for the last 5 or 10 years about the arrival of Tesla self-driving cars. Every year he announces that this is the year.

Elon doesn't like radar or lidar. He therefore has insisted that his self-driving car capability rely totally on cameras.

Elon thinks colonizing Mars is the only way to save humanity. I sure hope not.

l am so glad to be done with this book. It is a necessary read but it is also very depressing and disturbing. So much intelligence and ability coupled with such dysfunctional, disturbing, and dangerous behavior. It's amazing that he and his businesses have not yet imploded.

I wish that I could root for some of Elon's ventures and projects. I really do. But he doesn't seem to be growing any less mega-maniacal. Further success would just be more dangerous to us all.

He is willing to throw far too many of us under the bus to achieve his worldview.

And finally, Elon has no use for democracy. He would prefer a good ole autocrat/plutocrat any day. He is a major opponent of anything referred to as "woke".

________________________________

I will never read or listen to the book. I appreciate the summary. It seems very consistent with what I have learned about Muskrat in the past year.

27 notes · View notes

fairyphiliac · 2 years

Text

This ao3 thing devolving into a yes/no on censorship debate feels entirely like we’re dodging the real center of the problem. The need for censorship is just a symptom. If people aren’t able to post cp/blatant racism/etc. on ao3 anymore you can be damn sure they’ll post it elsewhere (not saying it’s not worth censoring, just that I want to address how these things got so deeply rooted into fandom in the first place.)

So let’s talk about it. (I’m mostly going to be talking about the production of cp/violent pornography/rape glorification, because that is what I know the most about, there are other facets of problematic media and in many instances racism and classism are mixed in with these things too).

I’ve worked in the adult retail industry for the last four years. I get a very unique and in depth perspective on the sexual habits of the general public. In a society where sex education usually stops at the bare minimum, and sex - especially kink - is not commonly talked about, you can be absolutely sure that kinks/fetishes will both develop and be expressed in extremely unhealthy or problematic ways. Especially with the internet, people - KIDS ESPECIALLY- are being exposed to sexual content that they are not mentally and emotionally mature enough for, and don’t fully know how to process. They develop sexual tastes without having a baseline understanding of healthy sex practices, consent, communication, and boundaries.

I did a report once on how media is effecting the sexual practices of the general public, especially the youth. (If anyone wants I can dig up my sources, they are in fact academic/ scientific journal articles, I’m sure I still have this report somewhere). Essentially the research shows this- the earlier/more frequently young people are exposed to extreme sexual media, especially violent pornography (which is INCREDIBLY easy for anyone to access), the more extreme their own sexual tastes become, frequently to the point that as a young adult they are unable to become sexually aroused unless violence/extreme and often risky behavior is occurring. For a lot of people who do not have proper kink education, or who lack maturity, or a whole slew of other reasons, this means that a perfect circumstance for real life sexual violence has just been created- and guess who usually suffers? The demographics most often portrayed as submissive or as objects of domination and violence in media (women, POC, LGBTQ+, even minors or minor-appearing…). So there you have it- unbridled access to problematic media contributes to real life sexual violence.

Kink is not inherently bad. For some it is an extremely healthy outlet, or even a way to process and cope with sexual trauma- if it is done by the book. By that, I mean following ALL of the rules that the true kink community is built on- safe, sane and sober, clear and informed consent, mature ADULTS only, established and clearly communicated boundaries, practical safety precautions, aftercare and emotional support. You can’t just skip all of that. Even if your involvement in kink is purely fictional/fantasized, you NEED to understand all of that because I am telling you, the media you expose yourself to can and will inform your own psychology.

So how does this all fit into fandom? Unfortunately fanfiction is a part of this cycle that flies way under the radar compared to traditional pornography. We cannot continue to have irresponsible fans writing irresponsible content. I am begging you to understand the full impact when I tell you that your fic sexualizing a minor, which is online for ANYONE to see, can be a building block for establishing pedophilic tendencies in readers. I need you to understand that your poorly informed and immature representation of BDSM is contributing to a growing taste for sexual violence among young people.

I am not “kink shaming” when I am telling you not to post harmful garbage. I am pleading for the sake of those who are already more susceptible to experiencing sexual violence. And if you feel like you have been a part of this cycle- exposed to sexual content too early, exposed to things too extreme, wondering if your own sexual tastes and habits are becoming unhealthy or if your “fantasies” are problematic or becoming too much for you to process comfortably- please PLEASE consider seeking professional psychiatric help instead of continuing the cycle by producing harmful media. Pedophilia is not acceptable. Degrading fetishization of POC or LGBTQ+ is not acceptable. I have a lot more to say about this but this post is already so long. Basically it comes down to this:

Take. Responsibility. For. The. Shit. You. Post.

#ao3 #Tiffany G #censorship #ao3 censorship #archive of our own #fanfic #smut

46 notes · View notes

stampstamp · 1 year

Text

Since I was thinking yesterday that my hometown's bookshops only stock mainstream shounen & shojo series, I went into town with my sibling this morning to see if the situation was still the same and it pretty much was 🥲 our high street is dying! But I checked out the comic shop/card & table game shop before I went home and they actually mostly had seinen and josei!!! They had a lot more GL and non-fiction manga about LGBTQ+ experiences than I expected. Maybe I don't need to be able to browse hundreds of manga on a dedicated floor, I just needed an opportunity to flip through titles that are totally my sort of thing, which somehow flew under my radar, like this one!!! 🥰

It's set in an unspecified western country and it's a one-volume slice of life manga with tips on working out!! 😍 The male main character feels self conscious about being feeble and has a crush on his gentle and buff neighbour, Ruby. Unfortunately, he's shy and blushes a lot, so he acts cool to hide his feelings 🤭

I loved it! It was expensive but it's a lovely edition, with some colour pages and an embossed title. Sadly, Ruby's abs aren't embossed too. 😂

My sibling saw it and went 'look, abs!' and I was sold 🤣 I spend longer deciding which toothpaste to buy.

Also the shop's manga range had a lot of these books that subvert traditional gender stereotypes - it reminded me of that greentext about the buff girl who defended a nerd at her school and opened his eyes to the beauty of strong, protective women, haha. I'd like to shake that shop's Buyer by the hand!

2 notes · View notes

tarraxahum-ish · 2 years

Note

🌈 - What's a Queer Identity, Experience or a piece of History you feel deserves more recognition?

LGBTQ+/Queer Themed Asks

...honestly and selfishly - butches and other forms of gender non-conforming masculinity? I mean, I curated my bubble here on tumblr well enough that there's no lack of recognition of the joys and issues of the topic, but if you step outside that bubble and especially if you look at the media... If I hadn't learned English and gone on the Internet and done my own research, there's a high chance I would still believe that women and people like me (or rather like what I always wanted to be) do not exist, or are just a topic of mockery and a magical girly makeover in the end. Which sucks. Masculinity has a right to exist and be acknowledged (celebrated even?) not only when it's done by men.

Also idk how much this is still on topic, but I think it'd be good to remember that queer experiences and identities exist outside American and British history. I don't mean that in a hostile way, I just recently came to a realization that no amount of 'learning the history' through resources generally provided in online LGBTQ+ spaces brings me any closer to the community in my own country. Because we never had Stonewall, or the whole police war on gay bars thing, or ballroom culture, etc, and at this point if I try to explain myself to anyone but a similar English-speaking enthusiast I simply won't be understood correctly. (And I know that my education is my responsibility, but there's not a lot of record left to turn to but biased medical books written by cishet men, or so I found this far). While this is no one's fault and it's pointless to blame English-speaking Web for being English-experiences-centric, I just think that maybe it deserves to be recognized that sometimes what "learn your history" really means is "learn our history", and there are surely other cultural queer experiences that go under the radar because of that. Just a general recognition that a lot of experiences are not universal, you know, I'm not asking anyone to go and learn LGBTQ+ history of some other country right away. Altho that may be fun, provided there are surviving sources available.

#welp that's a lot of text #but I had some thoughts #thank you for the ask anon and happy pride to ya

3 notes · View notes

nerds-in-wonderland · 6 months

Text

❄☕🌈LGBTQ+ BOOKS TO CURL UP WITH🌈☕❄

AS FAR AS YOU'LL TAKE ME

By: Phil Stamper

"Marty arrives in London with nothing but his oboe and some savings from his summer job, but he's excited to start his new life--where he's no longer the closeted, shy kid who slips under the radar and is free to explore his sexuality without his parents' disapproval.

From the outside, Marty's life looks like a perfect fantasy: in the span of a few weeks, he's made new friends, he's getting closer with his first ever boyfriend, and he's even traveling around Europe. But Marty knows he can't keep up the facade. He hasn't spoken to his parents since he arrived, he's tearing through his meager savings, his homesickness and anxiety are getting worse and worse, and he hasn't even come close to landing the job of his dreams. Will Marty be able to find a place that feels like home?"

#nerd humor #nerdy memes #nerd #d&d memes #classical art memes #classic art #bookblr #nerd moodboards #nerd aesthetic

0 notes

thebookdragon217 · 2 years

Photo

This nice breeze outside has me thinking it's already spooky season. Although it's never too early or late for spooky reads. If you're already in a Halloween mood and love 80's and 90's inspired reads, then Dead Flip by Sara Farizan. I can't wait to cozy up with this one and feel all the nostalgia of Stranger Things, Jumanji and more. Thanks to @algonquinyr for the gifted copy. QOTD: What spooky reads are on your radar? 🎃 SYNOPSIS 🎃 Growing up, Cori, Maz, and Sam were inseparable best friends, sharing their love for Halloween, arcade games, and one another. Now it’s 1992, Sam has been missing for five years, and Cori and Maz aren’t speaking anymore. How could they be, when Cori is sure Sam is dead and Maz thinks he may have been kidnapped by a supernatural pinball machine? These days, all Maz wants to do is party, buy CDs at Sam Goody, and run away from his past. Meanwhile, Cori is a homecoming queen, hiding her abiding love of horror movies and her queer self under the bubblegum veneer of a high school queen bee. But when Sam returns—still twelve years old while his best friends are now seventeen—Maz and Cori are thrown back together to solve the mystery of what really happened to Sam the night he went missing. Beneath the surface of that mystery lurk secrets the friends never told one another, then and now. And Sam’s is the darkest of all . . . #DeadFlip #SaraFarizan #bookish #bookphotos #bookstagram #tbr #middlegrade #reading #books #bookcommunity #Ilovebooks #bookaholic #Halloween #libros #spookybooks #spookyseason #Iranianauthors #books books books #readersofinstagram #asianauthors #bookstagrammer #AAPIbooks #BIPOCBookstagram #spooky #mystery #secrets #friendship #lgbtq #bubblegumhorror #horror (at The Bushwick Collective) https://www.instagram.com/p/CiWO1Ydr2Z1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

0 notes

greenzaku · 2 years

Text

This isn’t meant to call out or vaguely refer to anyone in particular - just a trend I want to be cautious about.

Sometimes I see on here calls to cancel this or that media or fandom that contains positive or neutral LGBTQ+ representation because it wasn’t good, significant, unstereotyped, intersectional, numerous, etc; or has unrelated problematic characters/cast/crew etc; and I need to say - I’m an old enough transgender person to remember when imperfect was still better than nothing, and nothing better than condemnation.

I saw Brokeback Mountain and Priscilla Queen of the Desert when both were highly restricted in cinemas, and gaped when the first Queer Eye was on TV. In front of *everyone*. I remember when the LGBTQ+ student group had people assigned to guard and watch all entrances of the super secret room we had commandeered to watch a super secret (but bland by todays’ standards) film that contained a gay character super secretly, because there were people actively trying to out us or vandalise anything the group had - we went through so many chairs because the seats got slashed. I was there when Pride Flags had to be handpainted, because the only affordable colour-printing service within an hour’s drive was in a place that was too visible with employees that may or may not be accepting.

And it was heavenly for me because I came from a country that still has ‘gay propaganda’ laws and sodomy as a crime on the books, let alone any legal recognition of equality. I discovered that some local TV shows were even simply bootleg local productions copying the cast and themes of LGBTQ+ media in the US and Europe because they were successful and to distract citizens from looking for the originals.

I’m not saying that we should settle for less now or stop criticising this or that representation or visibility for its flaws, but for everyone who has been born in a country where a person can see others like themselves in movies, TV, games etc, so easily available, there is someone else in another part of the world, in a hidden room of their parent’s house, in a back alley without security cameras, looking at a tiny rainbow on the corner of a box or a pixelated drag queen, and they *know* that somewhere a place in the world exists for them.

Tumblr seems to fly under the radar of a lot of repressive country's’ censorship and many of these people are on here. If someone has the courage to come out on Tumblr and gushes over something that has helped affirm them in their journey, I’d rather they be left in peace in what might be their only safe space.

#LGBTQ+#personal

1 note · View note

franticvampirereads · 2 years

Text

This was such a lovely read! I really loved the art style and the story telling. Lora and Alexa were so sweet and so alike, but also completely different. I loved that they both didn’t want to grow up for different reasons and I felt that. I was one of those kids that didn’t want to grow up either. I also loved that they both realized they needed to grow up. And they had to do it in their own ways. It was just a lovely read all around and it’s getting a four out of five stars.

Reading Challenge Prompt Fills:

PopSugar 2022: a book you can read in one sitting

Urban Fantasy Readathon: a book by a bipoc or aapi author

Urban Fantasy Readathon: a book about ghosts, hauntings, or the afterlife

Urban Fantasy Readathon: read a cozy urban fantasy

42 notes · View notes

redgoldsparks · 2 years

Photo

March Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Full reviews below the cut.

Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles read by Cornell Collins

Like many WWI vets, Will Darling struggles to find any kind of employment in England after he gets back from the war. In desperation he writes to a long estranged uncle and reconnects to him just before the man's death. Will inherits a used bookstore which harbors a dangerous secret. The recipe for a weapon even more deadly than gas is hidden somewhere among the 40,000 books and many boxes of papers his uncle left behind-- or so Will must assume, when he begins to receive threatening visits from both the War Office and also a violent anarchist organization. Seemingly by chance, a charming man named Kim Secretan shows up at just the right moment to offer Will his friendship, his help, and maybe more. There's an undeniable sexual attraction between them from the start, but Kim is full of his own secrets, and before long Will isn't sure if he's an ally or an enemy. This is a pulp romance with a satisfying amount of twists and turns. There were a few times in which I think Will fell into slightly obvious traps or showed less agency than he could have; but the high-tension ending gave him time to shine, and show off his own bravery and skill. I've been meaning to start this series forever and I'm pleased I finally made time for the audiobook. I definitely plan to keep reading the series!

The Secret Garden on 81st Street by Ivy Noelle Weir and Amber Padilla

A really delightful retelling of "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett, but set in the modern day. The 1993 movie was one of my absolute favorites as a child, and this book hits all of the important emotional notes. I really liked the adaption of Colin's illness into anxiety, and the conversations about how Colin and Mary process their respective grief differently. Martha and Dickon are as cheerful and supportive as always, and Mary and Dickon's friendship feels genuine. The secret garden is as beautiful and healing on a rooftop in New York as in the English countryside.

Love Beyond the Body, Space and Time: An Indigenous LGBTQ Sci-Fi anthology edited by Hope Nicholson

This is a very short anthology, just 120 pages, which I think flew under the radar when it came out in 2016. It contains short stories from some very well known Indigenous authors, including Cherie Dimaline (The Marrow Thieves, Empire of Wild), Daniel Heath Justice (Why Indigenous Literatures Matter), and Darcie Little Badger (Elatsoe, A Snake Falls to Earth) among others. For me, the stand out was Darcie Little Badger's story about a Lipan Apache veterinarian on a spaceship to Mars, who has to be woken out of stasis sleep because of an emergency, and builds a friendship (or something more) with the Diné pilot. But all of the stories are very good, and I hope people still continue to find this collection even thought the indie publisher has now folded.

Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes

June, a 12 year old bookworm, brings home a book with the word "witch" in the title and her very strict parents freak out, confiscate it and all other books in her room, and the bring up the issue to the principle of her middle school. June got the book from the middle school library, and very shortly the librarian is suspended and nearly all books have been removed from the shelves to be reviewed by a panel. Teachers are told they cannot assign any reading outside of the approved curriculum, and students are threatened with detention if they are caught with an unassigned book. June loves book too much to roll over- she starts lending books to fellow students out of an empty locker, dubbing herself 'The Rebel Librarian'. This is a quick and easy read, which I would have enjoyed a lot at age 12. However, I checked it out because I am a trans author of a book which had been facing a series of bans and challenges all around the country. The patterns that I am seeing in the current wave of book challenges is this: books with queer themes, books on the history of racism, books by POC authors, and books about sexual health, sex ed, and abortion are the books being hit the hardest. None of those topics ever come up in Property of the Rebel Librarian, and June's parents don't seem to have any particular political or religious stand point- their only motivation is an intense, manic desire to control their child for her "safety". Making the book bans in this middle grade novel more explicitly about queer books, trans books, books by POC authors etc would have made this narrative much more political- and possible made the book itself more vulnerable to the exact kind of book challenges that it talks about! I can see why the author chose to tell a simpler, smaller story. But I do think a lot of depth was lost to me, an adult reader, by making the logic behind the bans apolitical and rather tame.

The Magical Language of Others by E. J. Koh, read by the author

The author and narrator, Eun Ji, was born in the US to Korean parents. When she was 15 and her brother 18, her parents decided to move back to Korea for a temporary job which was only meant to last three years. They left Eun Ji behind in California with her brother. Instead of three years, her parents were gone for seven years and Eun Ji struggled with anger, isolation, and loneliness through her teenage years. This pain sent her searching for family stories: of her grandmother Kumiko who survived WWII and the Jeju Island Massacre; of her grandmother Jun who survived years of her husband's infidelities until she died seemingly of a broken heart. Of her own mother, orphaned early, and her decisions to be present for siblings rather than her children. Eun Ji moved through identities-- a student, a traveler, a dancer, a poet-- and through languages-- Korean, English and Japanese-- trying to find her place in the world and a way to forgive her parents for leaving her. There's a lot of pain in this story, but the ultimate message seems to be that the only way to move past it is to face it and name it.

You Can't Say That! Thirteen Authors of Banned Books Talk about Freedom, Censorship, and the Power of Words edited by Leonard S Marcus

An excellent series of interviews with authors who have faced book bans and challenges in the past. In the current surge of book censorship, it was helpful to remember that waves of book challenges arise up every few years, and authors and librarians continue to face them and in the majority of cases, the books are returned to the shelves. The editor, Leonard S Marcus, is a skillful and well-researched interviewer who draws out stories of the authors own childhoods, their inspirations, and what actions they decided to take when their works were challenged. These actions varied greatly: some authors wrote letters of support for every community facing a challenge and traveled and spoke widely. Others chose to do nothing, deciding that the defending of books was not the business of a writer of books. RL Stein in particular states "Early on, I learned that the number one rule is: never defend yourself. I was taught that lesson by a media coach when I was getting ready for an interview with the Today show." Angie Thomas best summarized the feelings I have been having as I see Gender Queer banned and challenged: "When you ban a book, what you are essentially doing is telling the kids who see themselves in that book that their story makes you uncomfortable. That they make you uncomfortable... you're saying I don't want to know more about you. I don't want to know you. That is the message that censorship sends."

Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti

Lu is a happy, cheerful child of the Field Commune, a utopian community of scientists and artists who travel around the edges of the universe to avoid the massive conflict in the center- a war between the Ever-Blossoming Empire and the Firebreak rebels. Lu encounters Fassen, a war orphan, on a neutral planet on the wreck of a cruiser, helps them summon a rebel ship, and gives them a communication device which allows them to stay in touch. As young adults, Lu conducts solo scientific surveys, while Fassen trains as a soldier in the rebel army. The second meeting of their life occurs when Fassen flees with stolen technology, and brings the war right to Lu's doorstep. This is a rich, diverse, and extremely queer sci-fi story which I’ve been highly anticipating! In an interview, I heard the author call this the story of "a long distance friendship between a kid from a Star Trek world and a kid from a Star Wars world" and that summary does capture some of the book's flavor. I loved the extreme contrast of the two societies, and how clearly they shape the choices each teen makes, and the things they are capable of imagining. The art is gorgeous, full of beautiful and thoughtful colors, and the characters and ships are all grounded in solid design up satisfyingly unique. Definitely recommend.

The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle

Winifred is a talented artist, a lover of comics and fantasy, who struggles with loneliness, low-self esteem, a borderline eating disorder, insomnia, and depression. Her two closest friends both left her high school at the end of the previous year, and she starts sophomore year with a sense of dread. Luckily, a friend she had drifted apart from in middle school takes Winifred under her wing, and she also makes two new friends in her creative independent study class. Rich, rebellious April is always ready to pull people into her orbit and her projects; quiet, queer Oscar is her willing sidekick. Together, the three begin working on a fairytale zine series in which Winifred finds a powerful outlet for the emotions she feels unable to share. But her secrets begin to separate her from her friends, who in turn don't share the real depths of their own struggles. This is a soft, slow, gentle story of a queer fat artist slowly coming out of her shell and into the power of her own creative voice. I really enjoyed the nuanced portrayals of friendships, and watching Winifred grow. Some of the information at the start of the book was revealed in a slightly awkward order, which made the first 1/3 a bit choppy; however, the story settled down by the middle and finished strong.

Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman

Welcome to the book I will be shouting about all year!! I read this book in two days and I loved it! The main character, Sol Katz, is trans, and Jewish, and works in archives. He also happens to be a vampire. In this book, vampirism is like a chronic illness, and indeed, Sol didn't become a vampire via a bite but via a medial intervention when he was dying of tetanus. Throughout the story he has to regularly visit a blood clinic to get transfusions, and it is as underfunded and grim as any part of the US healthcare system. Sol is also a fan; he was an active member of the fandom for a 90s sci-fi TV show called Feet of Clay, a kind of X-Files/Star Trek/Twilight Zone mix. When the lesbian showrunner of Feet of Clay passes away her widow donates all of her papers to the historical society where Sol works. He is very excited get to read drafts of an unfinished novel included among them. He also has an immediate spark of attraction with the widow and they develop a deeply trans and queer relationship that is so satisfying. It hits so hard. And also... the papers might be haunted? I don't want to say anything else about the plot because this is quite a short book actually, with TV scripts, email threads, and text messages mixed in with the prose making it read even faster. I can't recommend it more highly. Everyone go read it!

These Are Love(d) Letters by Ames Hawkins

A literary exploration which mixes nonfiction and memoir surrounding the theme of love letters. The author's parents met, fell in love, and then courted through a series of letters all in one whirlwind summer of 1966. Years later- after her parents divorced, after her father came out as gay, and contracted HIV- the author's mother passed on the series of 20 letters from 1966. The author, who also grew up to be queer and an artist, weaves in memories, quotes, and research to build a story of a relationship beginning and ending, of her father's illness and eventual death, and his creative and destructive impulses. Many other famous love letters are discussed including those written by Emily Dickenson, Radclyffe Hall, Janet Flanner, Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West. The book itself is full of collage elements and interesting use of handwriting and ephemera in the design. It made me want to re-read Nigel Nicholson's Portrait of a Marriage, another book written by the child of queer artists (Vita Sackville-West's son) and also catch up on my correspondence.

#books #comics #reading #book reviews #comic book reviews

21 notes · View notes

lgbtqreads · 3 years

Note

Can i ask what are your personal top 5 fav lgbtq books of all times

Oh God, it changes all the time. If I were picking a fave from five different categories, genres, and pairings, I'd probably say:

Adult Fantasy: The Unspoken Name by AK Larkwood (or Gideon - I'm not sure which I loved more tbh, so I might just instinctively go to the one that's a little more under the radar)

YA Sci-Fi: Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer or The Disasters by MK England (I'm allowed to say both because I love very similar things about them, and I think of them as buddies - like the series opener partner to the standalone)

Contemporary Adult F/F Romance: I think right now that's Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur, though it was Casting Lacey by Elle Spencer before that

Contemporary F/F YA: Maaaybe The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake? I don't know that I can be official about it but it's definitely up there, though for rom-coms I'm pretty confident on Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan

YA Thriller: Sadie by Courtney Summers, which feels like an unfair pick because she's my favorite author, so I will also mention Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig, and for a mystery that's not a thriller, Echo After Echo by AR Capetta

oh wait I will also answer for YA Fantasy, since I'm pretty firm on that, but also am gonna give three answers:

*Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (standalone)

*Black Wings Beating by Alex London (m/m fantasy series)

*The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski (f/f fantasy series)

Okay, I'll stop now, except to also mention that my favorite Adult standalone thriller is Temper by Layne Fargo and Adult mystery series is Kristen Lepionka's Roxane Weary.

#LGBTQReads

96 notes · View notes

beneathcandycoatedclouds · 2 years

Text

hi I am fiRED UP!

I cannot. Believe my eyes. Idaho people and tbh every people. This is an ongoing problem that honestly feels like it goes under the radar because things happening in "libraries aren't a big deal" and don't seem to affect the rights of people in the country but it absolutely negatively impacts so many types of people. Please let's care about this and do something, the link above has a cool link to a "ways to help" section and also why we shouldn't celebrate banned books week but rebrand to intellectual freedom and focus on highlighting banned books more often.

Some notable quotes from the first article:

In her opening remarks, Scott called for people to band together like they did in post-9/11 America in order to take back libraries. “The war is also demonstrated by non-gendered bathrooms, drag queen storytime, use of hormone blockers, and boys with ear piercings and painted fingernails,” she said, mentioning that after abortion, the rise of “smut in the library” was the most disturbing thing she’s seen in eight years as a legislator.

Like these are not Parks and Rec jokes. This is real.

Whether you’re in Idaho or not, it’s vital to understand that the fight for the freedom to read and access books is not happening in a vacuum. This is one branch of a big tree growing under the work of dark money and dark politics, particularly those on the far right. In this instance, a state representative is encouraging citizens to disregard the First Amendment and doing so not only with her professional credentials behind her, but through the state’s legislative communication itself. She’s working on a singular agenda, rooted in Christian fundamentalism, and she’s firing up supporters in state and beyond to forge ahead on what they believe is a necessary crusade.

It is impossible to overstate that this is not about the books. The books are one of the tools right now, but this has been bubbling for nearly a decade. Unfortunately, as more educators and library workers call it quits for a variety of reasons, including poor pay, unsatisfactory work conditions, and harassment, these groups will succeed in their big campaign of killing public eduction.

Even if you never go to your local library. This legal action would disproportionately affect poc, LGBTQ+ folk, the disabled, the economically struggling, and more. And that's the fucking point of this nonsense. We don't have to care because it's a building of books but because free information and minorities are under attack and we have to protect those things

#plz be angry with me guys #like this and everything thats happening with abortion rights?#just cause a dem is in office doesnt mean everything is ok #like we actually if anything should listen closer and hold our elected leaders a countable and yank out the guillotine i am not kidding #eff moderates #libraries #book bans #banned books #idaho #library book bans #library books #political #reading #race #gender #important #important!#lgbtq #lgbtq+

3 notes · View notes

queer-and-dear-books · 2 years

Photo

Title: The (Un)Popular Vote

Author: Jasper Sanchez

Genre: YA Fiction | Friendship | Political | Drama | LGBTQ+

Content Warnings: Transphobia | Homophobia | Deadnaming | Bullying

Overall Rating: 9.2/10

Personal Opinion: In this microcosm of today’s society, we witness the political landscape of high school. Except, instead of a popularity contest, there are real stakes involved. Mark is trans and going stealth, he has been going under the radar ever since transitioning. However, after a homophobic bullying incident not only goes unpunished but the victim got suspended, Mark decides to run for president so he can change the school. With his wonderful found family and a whole diverse student body behind him, will Mark be able to win against his opponents? Read it to find out and see because I guarantee the results won’t disappoint.

Do I Own This Book? Nope.

Spoilers Below For My Likes & Dislikes:

Likes:

- First of all, praise to all of the diversity in this group of friends here. Mark is pansexual and trans. His love interest, Ralph, is Jewish and has severe anxiety. Ralph’s twin sister is dating a demigirl, Nadia, who happens to be Muslim. The best friends are Jenny Chu (Chinese and aro) and Pablo Navarro (Hispanic and ace). Their underclassman Benji is a high-femme gay who lives with unabashed pride in himself that he may be the coolest guy ever. We have Christian and Luis who are freshmen gays with a robot baby. Beatriz, the Latina captain of the girl’s champion soccer team. Vinh is an Asian American influencer and Kai is an indigenous dude on the wrestling team. There’s even a Korean teacher, ZP (short for Zielinski-Pak). There is such a variety of different voices and faces that it just felt so refreshing to read.

- Second of all, the intelligence of these characters is beyond incredible. Even with people like Henry McIver and Clary Cassandra. They discuss all sorts of talking points such as philosophy, theology, politics, and more. And the debates are so well thought out that even the nonsensical cringey ones rooted in white supremacy feels just so authentically real. It’s crazy that all of these characters just know so much and it’s clear that their school is for nerds but since the main characters are on the IB track, they’re like the cream of the crop.

- Mark is a good person. He struggles a lot with that view of himself as Ralph claims. And likewise, Ralph struggles to see himself as good too. But that’s probably why they have such good chemistry together. They can see past the faults and the ways they try to hide, digging deeper and holding each other’s hands through all the tough parts. They’re cute together and I love that.

- Going back to Mark, he cares so much about other people. And he believes that the world can be better if they just work toward that. So it pissed me off when his dad and Henry just claimed it was for his vanity. They made their assumptions about him because their own worldview is twisted into the mindset that people are always selfish. So I get why they acted the way they did in that sense when they called out Mark on his so-called hypocrisy. But it is just wild that they couldn’t even begin to recognize that the people they were describing were themselves, not Mark. At the end of the day, even if he chose to ran for less than selfless reasons, he is still the best presidential candidate of the three choices. Because he’s aware of his shortcomings and wants to do what’s best for others in the end. Even if he is a privileged rich white kid. He understands that everyone, no matter the differences, deserve to be treated with respect.

- Nadia is such a cool person. She kept assuring Mark that the numbers were there when the votes were coming in. She really did have her finger on the pulse of their school. She knew everyone. And she also did great convincing Mark to participate with the stoners to get their vote. His speech to them was truly something else.

- Amber Carr is an enigma for me but I respect the fuck out of her. She’s so passionate about journalism. She also doesn’t out people for a juicy headline. What she did to Jenny was so awful though and I’m glad that Mark questioned her ethics on that but I respect her because she truly does want what’s best for the school in the end and she clearly respects Mark a lot. When he was about to come out to her and she shut off the camera, my heart went out to her. I think she’s also black? Not sure but if she is, it is another check in the diverse column for this book.

- The speech Mark gave was honestly inspiring. I would’ve definitely voted for him had I heard it. About how no one should vote for him unless they believe in him, truly. I wish we got to see Henry’s smug face fall when the gym applauded for him.

- Pablo is so cool too. He’s so chill and knows how to stay in his lane and also knows how to be present for his friends when they need him. And his parents are cool too. The way they’re okay with the kids drinking as long as they stay under their roof. That’s how you raise a kid properly. I see where Pablo gets it from. I hope he finds the perfect partner for him in the future, the Swiftie sap.

- Love and respect Mark’s mom though. She really was a queen in this. Supporting and choosing her son without hesitation. And encouraging him to run. Staying in touch with the father because she knew that’s what Mark had wanted at the time. And saying Mark reminds her of the man his father once was, the kindhearted and down-to-earth politician that he used to be.

- Anyway, Mark Adams for prez of the United States of America: 2048.

Dislikes:

- Henry McIver is an enigma to me. He’s clearly not phobic in any sense of the word. He didn’t participate in verbally assaulting Benji like his teammates did. And he apologized to Mark once he found out that Mark was not, in fact, a cisgendered man. But his rhetoric is so similar to white supremacists that it makes me cringe. And he was still a bystander when Trevor and Kevin were bullying Benji. But his fanbase worships him, how can he not stop them? Is he that afraid of ruining his own popularity? I get that he’s dirt poor and doesn't have the “privilege” to be himself but I don’t get it. I don’t get why he “has to” do some of the things he does to survive in this school. If he’s queer in some aspect and Benji knows because they went out or hooked up or something, then maybe that’s it? He’s scared of the guys on his team turning on him? And maybe his parent(s) are super homophobic. Who the fuck knows. But I wish we had more perspective on him since I do not get him.

- Fuck Kevin Guo. I know Trevor is the one who punched Benji and fuck him too, but it bothers me that one of the biggest bigots in the school is an Asian dude. And the fact that h shares my name bugs me so much. How dare he! This complaint is personal and has no bearing on the overall rating of this book. I just gotta voice it.

- I mentioned that I don’t get why Amber slut-shamed Jenny like that. Is it just a commentary on the inherent sexism? How Jenny got villified while Dante Gomez, the guy she slept with and also a political candidate, continued running unaffected? If that’s it, I do think it needs to be a bit more heavyhanded in its execution.

- Jenny being all moody and mad toward Mark for like a whole week bugs me a lot too. I mean, I get it on some level and I’m glad she still cares so much for him when he wanted to quit. But girl, you need to do some actual communicating. Life is not like a television show. You told him to remove you from the ticket so he wouldn’t lose and he did! She should have been proud of him for winning, not sulking in her corner.

- I also think Ralph’s reaction to Mark revealing his father’s still alive was way overblown. Mark was clearly in distress so obviously his dad is not a good person even though Mark said he used to look up to him. Like, it should’ve been much more obvious that Mark’s whole relationship with his dad sucked but Ralph didn’t listen. I’m glad he acknowledged it though and also apologized. Plus, given his own relationship with his deceased father, I do think his reaction was somewhat justified. He’s human.

- Fuck Mark’s dad. I’m glad we know the author is transmasc but holy shit, every time Mark’s dad uttered that deadname, I actually physically cringed. It was just so bad. And overall he’s just such an entitled asshole who doesn’t get that Mark’s life doesn't revolve around him. If he had accepted his son for who he is in the first place, his campaign for governor would’ve been fine. I know it. I don’t care what he thinks. The fact that he said Mark was just playacting his gender is just so gross too. I’m glad Mark gave him a real verbal dressing down at his hotel. He deserved it. Fuck that guy to high heaven.

#Booklr #Booksbooksbooks #Book Blog #Book Review #Book Recs #The (Un)Popular Vote #Jasper Sanchez #LGBTQ #Queer Books #Queer Lit #Queer Representation

5 notes · View notes

thirdhandidiot · 3 years

Text

Trans obey me hours bitches

(Main Post) If you were fortunate enough to avoid the first one, I recommend reading it first, but you don’t need to dw! guys keep hitting me up with obey me stuff in my inbox– I just wanted to finish this before I started anything else, but I love seeing your sexuality HC‘s amd can’t wait to talk Abt it!

I recon that it’s difficult for certain characters to go ‘unnoticed’ as trans for whatever reason, so here’s my thought, ask box is always open for obey me thoughts, especially if you think I’m representing anyone incorrectly or get anything wrong xx

•Lucifer would be one of the only brothers to go completely under the radar. Very few would ever imagine that he isn’t infact a cis male, and none would dare mention it to him. It’s a known fact that it’s practically impossible to catch lucifer in any state of undress, and whilst he’s unhappy with the attention thats brought towards it, he’s glad that no one has succeeded. Lucifer has scars on his chest, and whilst he’s taken good care of them to ensure optimal healing, they never completely left, the discoloured strip lighting up his already porcelain skin. Most days he’s able to completely forget about them, but occasionally he’ll see himself in the mirror and it’s stings, the reminder that hell never truly be what he considers perfect. On particularly bad days he will shut himself into his study only leaving for meal times (setting a good example to the others of course) and for classes, which isn’t too different from usually, but he shouts less, and the others can’t help but feel bad for taking advantage of Lucifers bad days, instead opting to maybe just, leave the fight for tomorrow yea?

•Mammon probably suffers pretty badly from dysphoria. His demon form requires him to expose the scars across his chest and as a result, quite a lot of people have a hunch. Anytime anyone asks he laughs it of with another story ‚attacked by huge bears!‘ ‚human witch tried ta kill me!‘ ,I battled diavolo and won!‘ but no one really believes his stories and he knows it. He appreciates that no one bothers him about it too much, but he doesn’t really like people knowing, it feels like they have something over him, like black mail, and we know how often mammon is blackmailed. Despite that he’s a successful model, having done plenty of shirtless shoots, and he’s noticed that the scars are never in the final picture, edited out in favour of flawlessly smooth skin, amd whilst he wishes he looked that way, it still feels wrong to see himself without them, especially when no ones brought it up to him.

•Levi absolutly has the worst dysphoria– due to his lungs being unlike any other demons (his demon form seems to have gills?) it’s dangerous for him to get surgery (not to mention he’s probably terrified of the prospect). As a result he just accepted a long time ago that he’d always have to bind. Considering how he’s almost always in his room, it’s not like many people know, but sometimes he’ll be in a raid and his voice will crack just one too many times when he’s mad, or he’ll get too defensive over someone else being attacked for being LGBT that there’s a few rumours online that he might be trans. He ignores them solidly in hope they go away but on bad days he can’t help but read them all– see complete strangers pick him apart and it hurts. Unable to bind for too long (for the fear of his brothers wrath) Levi often opts to wear huge clothes when in his room, which is part of the reason he makes people wait before entering, quickly changing into a binder, regardless of who’s at the door.

•Being neither Male nor female, it’s obviously impossible for Satan to go under the radar. Using they/them pronouns means that they’re often made to come out to people pretty soon after meeting them, given that they didn’t already know. Sometimes they just don’t have the energy to go through the gruelling task of listening to people stumble whilst trying to talk to them and will just leave, but being the avatar of wrath apparently has some advantages as very rarely does anyone try stop them. No one deliberately misgenders Satan twice, often meeting their timely end as they won’t hesitate to tear into anyone who has the disrespect to purposefully try hurt someone that way. Satan probably keeps an updated ‚LGBTQ+‘ book directory for any younger students, and has become something of a rolemodel completely unbeknownst to them, just for being an openly queer student (probably has a few admirers too).

•Asmo has a complicated, yet perfectly simple relationship with gender, whatever’s right is right. Usually using any pronouns, but occasionally making a request usually in the form of ‚I’m a princess tonight‘ or ‚i think I’m Daddy, don’t you?‘ and whilst the Brothers find it somewhat strange, theyre supportive and accustomed to the avatar of lusts mannerisms. Usually unbothered by strangers critiques, asmo is no stranger to being the centre of attention, be it a party, shoot or gossip blog. However this doesn’t mean that sometimes their body just feels wrong, like they can’t quite be comfortable whilst everyone’s talking to or about them, however sometimes fearing speaking up, feeling that they might be cut down for being over dramatic or fragile, which usually wouldn’t bother them, but in a more personal matter, it doesn’t always work out that way. Asmo is treated very much like any other human world celebrity that comes out as gender queer, often ignored by the press unless it’s relevant to the story

•Beel Is one of the brothers who passed stealth almost immediatly, having always been more muscular, much taller, and with a more subdued personality that no one questioned. Despite that, at first there was a fear that eating so much would cause him to gain weight on his hips or thighs, but he quickly found a love for working out that he hasn’t shaken since. Members of Beels gym are mostly aware that he’s trans, he doesn’t have a problem with people knowing, as long as they continue to show the same respect for him. He probably continues to post shirtless pics, not caring about what people think of him, and a lot of young queer people look up to him. He’s always happy to talk to anyone who comes up to him and asks for help, always willing to help others feel more comfortable, to give them that little boost.

•Belphie always struggled next to Beel. Of course they never told him that, and to this day belphie feels bad about keeping it a secret, but it’s better than upsetting Beel, right? Belphie didn’t really feel like anything. Definitely not a woman, but not a man? Non binary and gender queer never felt right, more like wearying a sticky name tag with your name spelt backwards where everyone pretends to understand it, when you know it’s wrong. Belphie took hormone replacements for a few years, wanting to remove the association with their birth assigned gender, but after a while, that started to feel wrong too, it was too much. A lot of people ask Beel ‚what Belphie is?‘ and when he told Belphie, they just told him to shrug. If Belphie doesn’t know, why would they? But a lot of people think they know, telling them ‚oh you must be agender!‘ ‚oh so youre Demi gendered?‘ but why would they know? Why do they feel entitled to their indentity? It’s draining.

109 notes · View notes