reading-while-queer

[reading-while-queer]

Ninth House, Leigh Bardugo

Rating: Mixed Review Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Dark Academia Representation: -Bi/pan protagonist -Jewish protagonist -Latina mixed race protagonist Trigger warnings: Sexual assault (in scene), rape (in scene), CSA (in scene), graphic violence, murder, drug use, drug abuse, drugging of another person, overdose, domestic abuse, medical abuse, violence by dogs Note: Not YA

Why is it that every time I read Leigh Bardugo, I love the book with a passion...except for one thing that makes me want to tear my hair out?

Here’s what seriously impressed me about Ninth House, Bardugo’s entry into New Adult. The pacing was phenomenal. The measured, perfectly timed revelations of information had me finding excuses to listen to the audiobook - taking extra neighborhood walks, doing extra loads of laundry - because I was so hooked. Then, there’s the worldbuilding. Bardugo managed to walk a delicate line, successfully suspending disbelief while still asserting that eight Yale secret societies do secret magic rituals to the benefit of the oligarchical capitalist machine (we all kind of suspected this was the case, right?). But the best part of the book, the part that had me recommending Ninth House in more than one group chat, was, of all things, the point-of-view jumps.

Rarely are point-of-view switches the star of the show, but I was so excited to see a genuinely original, intrinsic-to-the-heart-of-the-whole-novel use of that technical tool. The point of view jumps crank the volume up on the theme of the whole book. We start with the main character, Galaxy “Alex” Stern; she is the point-of-view character for the present semester during which the principal action of the novel takes place. Her upperclassman and mentor Daniel Arlington (or “Darlington”) is the point-of-view character for the semester before - all because something happened to Darlington. Alex is telling people he’s doing a “semester in Spain,” and all the reader knows is that her explanation isn’t strictly true. The point-of-view jumps being so strict (there is never an Alex perspective chapter during last semester, and never a Darlington perspective in the present) serves to separate the two characters from each other with a really incredible emotional effectiveness. The heart of the novel, for me as a reader, was yearning for these two to be reunited - and all because Bardugo holds the two character points-of-view separate across an unbreachable temporal divide. It’s a powerfully effective technique.

But let’s backtrack. Alex is a 20-year-old high school dropout from the west coast. As the story progresses, we learn that Alex can see ghosts, which is why, despite never finishing high school or getting her GED - or even applying - Alex is a freshman at Yale - contingent on her joining the secret society called “Lethe House” as apprentice (“Dante”) to the current leader of the society, Darlington (the “Virgil”). Lethe House is the governing body of the eight Yale secret societies that practice the magic that keeps the elite in power. These secret societies make books sell, make T.V. anchors charming and compelling, and open portals to other parts of the world - when they aren’t throwing over the top Halloween parties with magic designed to alter one’s perception of reality.

Darlington, by contrast to Alex, seems to belong at Yale. He’s from an old family, and he’s preppy and well-read. Most of all, he loves Lethe House and its history of keeping the secret societies from harming people in their pursuit of magic and power. That is, until he disappears just in time for Alex, only half-trained, to investigate the murder of a girl on campus.

The first three quarters of the novel are fantastic for the reasons stated above. Bardugo’s approach to mystery writing is effective. We have half a dozen suspects, most of whom, as elite ivy league magicians, are at least guilty of some misdeed. Having all your red herrings end up somewhat culpable anyway is a good way to keep your mystery difficult to solve until the end. We were off to a good start.

Unfortunately, in the end, Bardugo made the all-too-common choice to value “surprise” over the most compelling, satisfying solution. So while the reader doesn’t see the ending coming, that is at the steep cost of the ending not being justified by the rest of the book. Bardugo even has to invent new rules of magic off the cuff to justify the ending. When the rest of the book so painstakingly developed the rules of magic in a way that made sense and never felt overly expository, undoing all that effort feels like a monumental waste. And for what did Bardugo undermine all her hard work? A mystery that the reader won’t have all the clues to solve? It’s really okay - in fact, good - if the reader can puzzle out your story. It means your story has symmetry, internal logic, or perhaps, some sort of message.

This is what had me tearing my hair out. I know exactly how I would have written the ending of Ninth House to be the perfect conclusion to a stunning book. I know exactly what the message should have been. Is it somewhat ridiculous to say that Bardugo misinterpreted the message of her own book? Perhaps. But given the out-of-left-field-ending, the theme of the book ends up being a rather cheaply bought “No matter how traumatized you are, you can be a girlboss” instead of the message that the very structure of the novel itself was pointing to since page one: one of companionship, trust, and restoration (frankly, a better message for a novel with a main character who suffers so much loss and trauma. But, sure, “girl power” is a theme...I guess...)

Here’s what I mean by the structure of the novel itself pointing to a different theme. (Spoiler warning for the rest of this paragraph). Because the point-of-view switches in the first two thirds of the novel were used by Bardugo like two magnets being held apart, the only way to create a feeling of resolution was, so to speak, putting the magnets back together: getting Darlington back into the “present.” The degree of disconnect between reader expectations and the reality of the book is comparable to picking up a romance novel only to have the two leads decide to just be friends at the end. Bardugo set expectations - akin to genre expectations - but unfortunately Bardugo kneecapped her first book in the service of the sequel.

And then there’s the trauma. Alex’s backstory wouldn’t be the same without some level of trauma; it’s an important part of her character arc. Even the explicit presence of sexual assault on the page was justified in the case of Alex’s backstory - and I think that is rarely true. But when it came to a side character’s explicit in-scene rape, which was used as a clue in the broader murder mystery rather than treated as a crime in its own right, that tipped me over into feeling the trauma in Ninth House was more excessive than necessary for character development. The resolution to that side character’s rape is oddly cartoonish - like an over-the-top prank rather than justice - and again, the only reason the rape happens to the character is to give Alex more information she needs to solve the plot. Maybe that wouldn’t bother some readers, but for me, a book has to bend over backwards to justify showing me a character being raped. Bardugo does well earlier in the book when depicting Alex’s assault; the assault is the explanation for why Alex doesn’t view magic with the same childish excitement as the rest of Yale, and it’s part of what holds her apart from the entitled secret societies. It needed to be in the book. Everything else was gratuitous.

That said, there’s one thing still to address in this roller coaster of a review, and that is: wait, is this a queer book? I had gone into it assuming that it would be, mostly because all my queer friends were reading it. And the answer is….kind of? Knowing Bardugo’s history with putting queer characters in her books, I’m going to assume she wasn’t baiting when she had Alex claim to have loved a girl in her backstory. Which, in the context of the rest of the novel, would make Alex bi or pan. As a book that a lot of queer fans of Bardugo’s YA have read, or will read, it feels appropriate to review it here.

This was a mixed review from start to finish, but to finish up: if you are thinking about reading Ninth House, go for it! There is so much to like about this book. Take to heart that if you read and liked Bardugo’s handling of sexual assault in her YA titles, you should be prepared to be surprised by Ninth House. It is not the same. I would not have called her handling of sexual assault in Six of Crows, for instance, restrained - but compared to Ninth House, it absolutely is. Despite my strongly worded feelings about the ending, Bardugo left room to redeem herself in the sequel (which, if you ask me, is why the ending was so bad in the first place...). I for one will definitely be reading the sequel the second it comes out.

#leigh bardugo #ninth house #fantasy #mystery #dark academia #not ya #mixed review #bi #reviews only #protagonist of color #jewish protagonist

[reading-while-queer]

Hi! I just read the all for the game series and i absolutely loved it. If you haven't read it - its a ya book it includes serious issues (rape, figts, drugs, self harm...) there's action and mafia stuff and so on...obviously its also gay - i liked it bc bing gay wasn't the main plot of the book -- the main character just fell in love with a guy and that's something i would love to see more off. So if you have any recomendations of similar books - so action, serious drama, and queer representation i would love to read it

I asked a friend who has read and enjoyed All for the Game (and who has their finger to the pulse of YA) and they came up with some comps!

The Friend Scheme by Cael Dietrich (storygraph) High schooler Matt's father is rich, powerful, and seemingly untouchable—a criminal with high hopes that his son will follow in his footsteps. Matt's older brother Luke seems poised to do just that, with a bevy of hot girls in tow. But Matt has other ambitions—and attractions.And attraction sometimes doesn't allow for good judgement. Matt wouldn't have guessed that when he makes a new friend, one who is also carrying a secret. The boys' connection turns romantic, a first for both. Now Matt must decide if he can ever do the impossible and come clean about who he really is, and who he is meant to love. via The Storygraph

Once and Future by Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta (storygraph) When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind. No pressure. via The Storygraph

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (storygraph) Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him. When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave. via The Storygraph

The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune (storygraph) Nick Bell? Not extraordinary. But being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right?After a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City’s mightiest hero (and Nick’s biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he’ll do it with or without the reluctant help of Seth Gray, Nick's best friend (and maybe the love of his life). via The Storygraph

Wolfsong by T.J. Klune (storygraph) Like All for the Game, this series deals with heavy topics, which has led to a lot of fan crossover - but be forewarned, this series is not YA! I advise checking out a list of content warnings in advance.

In my own digging, I happened upon Tom Ryan, who might be an author to look into. His books, such as I Hope You’re Listening and Keep This to Yourself seem to have dark themes and high tension. The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe also looks promising.

If you don’t mind fantasy elements, there’s also Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan, We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry, and The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater - which I know has some crossover fandom with All for the Game.

#unabasheddiplomatflapwobbler #asks only

[reading-while-queer]

Hi there! I was wondering if you have any good suggestions for fiction or non-fiction/literature pieces on bi/pan-sexual identities. Also content that talks about non-binary and/or non gender conforming identities.

I did some digging to answer this question, so take these recommendations with a grain of salt - but I do already have a few reviews for bi/pan and nonbinary books! You can find them by exploring my bi and nb tags!

Bi/pan Adult:

If you’re interested in the classics, James Baldwin is an author to explore! Especially Giovanni’s Room and Another Country. A few more titles:

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (storygraph) Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander by Ann Herendeen (storygraph) Slugger by Martin Holmen (storygraph)

Bi/pan YA:

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli (storygraph) Ida by Alison Evans (storygraph) Hild by Nicola Griffith (storygraph) We Are Okay by Nina LaCour (storygraph) They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (storygraph)

Nonbinary/GNC Nonfiction:

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg (storygraph) Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe (storygraph)

Nonbinary/GNC Adult:

Grease Bats by Archie Bongiovanni (storygraph) Love after the end: an anthology of Two-spirit and Indigiqueer speculative fiction (storygraph) The Love Study by Kris Ripper (storygraph) Vanishing Monuments by John Elizabeth Stintzi (storygraph) The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang (storygraph)

Nonbinary/GNC YA:

Zenobia July by Lisa Bunker (storygraph) As the crow flies by Melanie Gillman (storygraph) Under Shifting Stars by Alexandra Latos (storygraph) Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkam (storygraph) Out of Salem by Hal Schrieve (storygraph)

#queerinquiresonly #asks only #bi #nb

[reading-while-queer]

Hi! I was wondering if you'd be interested in sharing my book, Mirrored in Evergreen? It is NA, not YA, but I thought I'd ask anyway :) My pinned post has more info & the link to buy it, but in short it's a character-driven low-fantasy queer romance; the protagonists are both queer POC (one of them uses they/them pronouns). I'm a new gay, trans POC writer and would really appreciate the boost! Thank you so much!

I would be happy to! I am always looking for new books to add to the to-read pile! 

For anyone interested, here is a link to Mirrored in Evergreen on goodreads.

[reading-while-queer]

Hey! Do you know any gay novels of enemies to lovers? I tried to find a few and got recommended a book called The Captive Prince (I think that is what it’s called?) but my sister said it’s not all that good, so I wanted to ask here if you had any recommendations and perhaps, ur own opinion on if The Captive Prince is a good read?

Hey thanks for sending this question in! I never read The Captive Prince, so I can’t say much either way. As far as my personal taste goes, I’m not interested in reading books with a slave/master romance, even if it is divorced in setting from real history, or executed well - I think it’s worthwhile to question why that dynamic is considered sexy, and certainly to listen to the thoughts of Black writers and reviewers on the subject. Same goes for Nazi romances.

As far as my own recommendations go:

Peter Darling by Austin Chant (A steamy spin on Peter Pan where Peter, a trans man, goes back to Neverland as an adult and things have changed, especially vis a vis Captain Hook)

Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly (This one is an interesting spin on ‘enemies to lovers’...more like lovers who should be enemies because one is a government agent and the other is a smuggler, but then things happen, and to say anymore would get into spoiler territory. In short, it holds a lot of the same ‘lovers in opposition’ appeal as ‘enemies to lovers’ but it doesnt take the direct route)

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (A romance between the U.S. president’s son and a literal prince! Fun and silly rather than dark and edgy, but still enemies to lovers)

And I happened upon this Goodreads list as well, which might help!

[reading-while-queer]

Hey - My 12-year-old nephew just came out as bisexual and would like to get him some books to read -- something age appropriate. I'm gay myself, so know a number of books, but ideally would like one that has a good amount of bisexual representation and is also age appropriate. Ideally kissing, not sex, for example. :) Any ideas? Thank you so much. Elliot

Hi! Thanks for sending this question, it was fun to investigate! I found some possibilities for you:

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan: Despite his aversion to war, work, and most people (human or otherwise), teenaged [13 year old] Elliott, a human transported to a fantasy world where he attends a school for warriors and diplomatic advisers, finds that two unlikely ideas, friendship and world peace, may actually be possbile. 7th Grade and up. (Description from NoveList)

The Trials of Apollo (series) by Rick Riordan: How do you punish an immortal? By making him human. After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disoriented, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus’s favor. But Apollo has many enemies—gods, monsters, and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.  Grades 4-6. (Description from rickriordan.com) Riordan is a very safe bet for quality, as he is a well-known name in Middle Grade and his LGBT characters have been positively received. The Trials of Apollo is a sequel series about a new main character in an established universe.

The Backstagers (comic series) by James Tynion IV et al: Created by bi writer James Tynion IV and trans artist Rian Sygh, The Backstagers is an all-ages story about the behind-the-scenes adventures of a high school stage crew.The comic book series is unabashedly queer, filled with gay, bi, and trans characters. It's also magical, with a doorway to another world. And it's completely and totally delightful. It’s a book that gives a positive voice to both “the weirdos” found in a high school drama club as well as those with alternative sexualities and identities. Ages 9-12. (Description from The Advocate; age range from NoveList)

#asks only #anon #bi

[reading-while-queer]

If you had to pick something to be someone’s first queer book, which would you pick?

Depends on the age and tastes of the reader! I think the best first queer book is going to be something in the reader’s favorite genre. Here are the “best of” that I’ve read - maybe one of these is the one!

Adult If you’re an adult and you’d already be interested in a steamy spy thriller about queer men taking place in a 1930s-inspired original setting, you’ll probably like my favorite series of all time, The Amberlough Dossier.

Or, an adult looking for a sugary-but-also-sexy straight up romance between early-twenties queer men would probably like Red, White, and Royal Blue.

Sexy trans mlm retelling of Peter Pan? Peter Darling.

Or someone who likes literary style and memoir and doesn’t mind being upset might be totally into Fun Home or Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?, two memoirs by prolific lesbian writers.

YA Younger YA reader (13-15?) looking for trans/mlm stories, with an interest in the supernatural - Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Older YA reader who perhaps identifies with “dark academia” - Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas, The Raven Cycle, or Six of Crows.

And If I had to pick a book that was an all-around safe bet with mass appeal across age groups and genre preferences, I’d go with Laura Dean Keeps Breaking up with Me, Taproot, or The Prince and the Dressmaker. All three are graphic novels, YA-appropriate, but had a lot to offer me as an adult reader as well!

#asks only #lochneassamonster

[reading-while-queer]

I'm not sure if this account is still active, but I hope so! My best friends little sister (21 y/o) just came out to us as trans and she loves comics - this has been a thing we've shared for many years and I've gifted her various comics in the past. Wondering if you have any suggestions for your favorite comics that feature trans characters & are respectful? Thank you!!

I’d love to help! (This account has been on a pretty long accidental hiatus while life took precedence, but hopefully I’ll be back in earnest soon!)

Trans books can be tricky as gifts, as many of those I would recommend also have some pretty heavy content. If your friend’s sister reads manga, Wandering Son by Shimura Takako (link to review) is one such “heavy” series about grade school children, one transfeminine and one transmasculine, who find each other. Another manga series I recommend is Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani (link to Goodreads) - the main character is a gay high school boy, but there is a positive transfeminine character in his life. Again, this one is pretty heavy subject matter-wise.

As for American comics, I’ve heard good things about The Woods by James Tynion IV et al (link to Goodreads), which has transgender representation amid the ensemble cast. 

As far as comics written by trans authors/artists, I’ve also heard good things about Melanie Gillman’s Stage Dreams (link to Goodreads) and As the Crow Flies (link to Goodreads). Also, Kim & Kim by Magdalene Visaggio, Eva Cabrera, and Imogen Binnie (link to Goodreads).

And a couple of autobiographical comics I’ve heard good things about: Spellbound by Bishakh Som (link to Goodreads) and Super Late Bloomer by Julia Kaye (link to Goodreads).

In my experience, transgender rep tends to shine brightly in webcomics as well, where there is less barrier to entry. Webcomics I’ve enjoyed by trans authors about trans characters include Never Satisfied (link to comic) and Goodbye to Halos (link to comic)

#asks only #anon

[reading-while-queer]

hey there! just curious, when you were reviewing the song of achilles, did your review cover the entire story (since you mentioned that you stopped a third of the way through)? Not trying to send hate, just asking for clarification. I just read the book without context from the illiad, and i'm trying to look at it more critically. Thanks!

No, I didn’t finish The Song of Achilles before I reviewed! That was one of the first books I reviewed waaaay back in 2015, and I hadn’t figured out the “rules” for this blog yet (I always finish books before reviewing these days, and don’t do “honorable mentions” for books about straight people that happen to have LGBT characters in them, for example).

#asks only #anon

[reading-while-queer]

What does the ending of Nevada say about the way Maria identifies transness in other people?

I’m sorry to say that it’s been several years since I’ve read Nevada, and so I no longer remember anything really specific! I’d love to hear your thoughts about it, that is such an interesting question - and I do wish I remembered the ending better!

[reading-while-queer]

Podcast News: Dead Letter Society

Hi readers! I keep this blog pretty focused on the reviews, but this is a teensy exception. My partner just launched her newest podcast on The Orange Groves network, and I’m her guest on episode one!

Dead Letter Society is a horror book club podcast where every episode Marn brings in a guest to talk about a horror novel.  In episode one, you can listen to the two of us talk about Stephen King’s IT - Topics of discussion include: queer readings of the text, bad dads, clowns with guns, repeating cycles of trauma, Jewish horror, fun narrative tricks, and why the new movies get it all so wrong.

Dead Letter Society is available through the usual means of listening to podcasts, or check it out on The Orange Groves here!

[reading-while-queer]

i just finished "on earth we're briefly gorgeous" and i highly recommend it! extremely lyrical prose, masterful use of metaphor, and i appreciated the nonlinear/dreamlike/epistolary form. for the person looking for audiobooks, i borrowed this audiobook from my library via an app. it's narrated by the author, who does an absolutely incredible job. lots of content warnings to be aware of - i can talk more about the ones that stood out to me if needed

Hi, thanks so much for the recommendation! I especially love recommendations for a good audiobook.  Ocean Vuong has been on my radar as a poet to read, clearly I need to check out his work! 

#asks only #anon

[reading-while-queer]

Confessions of the Fox, Jordy Rosenberg

Rating: Great Read Genre: Historical, Literary Representation: -Trans man protagonist(s) -Intersex protagonist(s) Trigger warnings: Murder, state violence, police, execution, graphic injury, surgery (graphic), slavery (not in scene), child abuse, self harm, plague Note: Not YA; features very graphic sexuality

I gasped in delight when I realized, several pages into Confessions of the Fox, what I was reading.  I had known beforehand that I was picking up a historical fiction story about the infamous 18th century London thief Jack Sheppard reimagined as a transgender man.  What delighted me was the frame story, which is what truly makes the novel something special.

The fictional Dr. Voss is a historian of the 18th century at an unnamed university; he stumbles across an old manuscript at his university library’s book sale, and the student running the sale gives it to him for free.  This manuscript touts itself as an extant narrative about Jack Sheppard, previously undiscovered.  Voss throws himself into the work of transcribing the document, increasingly fascinated as he discovers that this narrative is alone in several claims it makes about Jack and the characters of his life. First, that Jack is transgender and intersex, and second, that his lover, Elizabeth Lyon (Bess) is Southeast Asian, identifying herself as “Lascar” on her father’s side.

The enormity of this manuscript’s discovery is not lost on Voss’s university, who, holding Voss’s job hostage, demand he editorialize the manuscript so that it can be copyrighted and sold via partnership with a pharmaceutical company purporting to sell “organic” Testosterone.  Voss is transgender himself, and while the university doesn’t outright admit that they want his mark on the manuscript for that reason, it is implied.

Thus, Confessions of the Fox becomes two stories in one: the tale of Jack Sheppard and Bess, their jailbreaks, heists, love affair, and run-ins with pirates, mollies, and mutineers; but also the tale told through Dr. Voss’s footnotes on the manuscript, a convincing facsimile of academic commentary. That is, until Voss starts connecting the manuscript to his own life, going “rogue” as he realizes that the manuscript is not what he had first believed it to be (but no spoilers).

The framing, reminiscent of The Princess Bride, is convincing, well-executed, but not so entrenched in research as to be a slog.  In fact, I enjoyed the footnotes more than the Jack Sheppard story.  Voss’s ruminations on the manuscript, on transgender life in the 18th century, on real documents, such as Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and real historical events, such as the draining of the Fens, make this novel something really special.

The Jack Sheppard story itself, meanwhile, is straightforward, well-written in its own right, but needs the scaffolding of Voss’s footnotes in order to stand.  I was somewhat disappointed by the shape of the plot, which unfolded all at once at the end.  There was little space for Jack or Bess to be more than reactive as the plot happened around them. The main reason for the disruption of the pacing was probably the slow on-ramp; Jack’s transition and how it is accomplished takes up the lion’s share of the beginning of the novel, only then moving into the plot with Jonathan Wild and the mutineers, which by comparison, moves much too quickly.

However, issues of pacing that would have made another novel unpleasant to read were ameliorated by the frame story’s focus on the active discoveries about the text Voss shares with the reader as the novel progresses.  The slow unravelling of Voss’s revelations about the manuscript, and his conflict with the university over it, keep the reader’s interest even while the “manuscript” itself drags or moves too quickly in parts.

I cannot recommend Confessions of the Fox enough, although there are parts that are very graphic, and might ruin someone else’s reading.  Though I wouldn’t necessarily list this as a trigger warning, discerning readers may want to be aware beforehand of the astounding prevalence of urine in the equally prevalent and graphic sexuality of the Jack Sheppard manuscript.  Confessions of the Fox is very squarely adult fiction, with little room to be enjoyed as a crossover with YA audiences.  I would even go so far to say that Confessions of the Fox has toed the line over into erotic fiction, though it has happily managed to secure its seat as a critical darling anyway, perhaps by nature of its literary qualities and truly thoughtful musings on gender, academia, capitalism, the over-policing of marginalized communities, and most of all, questions of who is permitted to author history, and who must be content to editorialize. 

For more from Jordy Rosenberg, visit his website here.

#confessions of the fox #jordy rosenberg #historical #literary #trans #great read #not ya #reviews only

[reading-while-queer]

Sugar Run, Mesha Maren

Rating: Great Read Genre: Realism, Literary Representation: -Lesbian main character -Bisexual supporting character Trigger warnings: Murder; Cheating; Drug abuse; Addiction; Guns; Human trafficking; Homophobic violence (extreme, not in scene); Threat of homophobic violence; CSA (in character backstory, not in scene); child abuse and neglect; infant death (in character backstory, not in scene) Note: Not YA; sexually explicit

Jodi McCarty was sentenced to life in prison in 1989, when she was only seventeen.  She suddenly finds herself free eighteen years later, and all she wants is to finish what she started eighteen years ago.  Back then, she and her girlfriend Paula had dreams to rescue Paula’s little brother from her abusive family.  Now that Jodi is out of prison, she picks up where she left off.  Only, Ricky is an adult, now.  And he isn’t the only person Jodi ends up rescuing.

Miranda Matheson Golden is a foil to Jodi, and Jodi’s lover. Miranda’s childhood was also abruptly severed at seventeen when the much older rock star Lee Golden, hired by her father to be her music teacher, got her pregnant. Her subsequent marriage to Lee was as much a prison sentence as Jodi’s. Years later, separated from Golden, Miranda lives out of a motel, her life split between providing for her sons, working at a bar, and vanishing into drugs and sex.

Jodi’s dream for eighteen years has been to return to her Grandma Effie’s land in the Appalachians - land that was willed to Jodi - and make something of it. But she finds, with Ricky, Miranda, and Miranda’s sons in tow, that it won’t be that easy. There is no such thing as picking up where you left off.

Sugar Run has a lot of moving parts, split across eighteen years.  It is a novel that offers stories piecemeal in service of creating a final patchwork, the pattern only clear after the pieces have been sewn in place. The pieces that take place in 1989 slowly tell the story of how Jodi ended up going to prison. Though we know her crime more or less from the beginning of the story, the reader doesn’t learn why she did it until the end. This approach, as we learn more about Jodi and her then-girlfriend Paula’s relationship, keeps the reader turning pages. The present day portions of the novel are equally tense. Rather than building up to an inevitable crime, however, the present day shows the juggling act of trying to survive while life throws one curveball after another. 

Sugar Run is a poignant portrayal of how poverty, drug abuse, and petty crime are inevitably linked in Appalachia - and without the condemning (nor clinical) gaze of an outsider writing a “study.” Above all, Sugar Run is a journey of self-discovery - a delayed bildungsroman for a woman whose coming of age was cut short. And in that self-discovery, Jodi discovers just what kind of net she finds herself trapped in on probation in Appalachia.

As Jodi is increasingly boxed in by compounding limitations of poverty, homophobia, misogyny, and the fact that she’s marked as an ex-con, the novel shows the lengths she must go to just to live. While much of the novel is about Jodi’s internal world, external factors are the lion’s share of Jodi’s problems. She doesn’t have the luxury of dwelling on guilt, for example, when she has to worry about the safety of her chosen family first. And that danger escalates in extreme measure before the novel ends.  In Jodi’s world, violence isn’t something a person can say “no” to just because one is on probation. Looking the other way rather than fighting back means allowing that violence to happen to someone else - either way, while you may not be culpable with the law, you’re culpable to yourself.

I have been chewing over the ending of the novel for several weeks in preparation for this review. Sugar Run doesn’t have a traditional plot, being a character-driven novel, and so doesn’t fulfill a traditional resolution.  Yet for a character-driven novel, escalating external factors give Jodi’s arc the ending one would expect from a Western. Sugar Run holds itself up as realism, but there is something cowboy-ish about this novel. Murder, shoot-outs, rescue missions, armed robbery, and extortion are all presented as if they are as inevitable to Appalachian life as going out for a beer. Perhaps this is part of the point of the novel - Jodi’s Romantic vision of herself as one of the old guard, her dream of living off her grandmother’s land in the traditional way, is, like the ending of the novel, more genre fiction than reality. Or, interpretted another way, Jodi cannot have one without the other. Living off the land, being a cowboy, comes hand in hand with the brutal, larger than life consequences of living outside of the bounds of the modern world.  

I recommend Sugar Run. It has the lilting, introspective tone of a literary novel, but unpretentiously in service of a character and story which have earned the elevated treatment - especially considering there is no lack of external conflict to move the story along.  It’s a rough read, about characters who lead tangled, painful lives, and who struggle to see themselves as more than victims, as bad circumstances compound into worse ones.  The list of trigger warnings may be lengthy, but never give a sour, hopeless taste to the book.  For lovers of deep character study and richly realized settings, you couldn’t do better than Sugar Run.

For more from Mesha Maren, visit her website here.

#sugar run #mesha maren #lesbian #great read #literary #realism #reviews only #not ya

[reading-while-queer]

I live off of audiobooks lately, and I've been slogging through "This is a great book!" lists to find good (hopefully LGBT inclusive) media. I've found some winners but I've run into more than a few walls. You may have saved me a day throwing my headphones with your Song of Achilles review. Now I'm gonna have to go through all of your recommendations and see what I can find. Thanks for all you do!

Thanks for your kind comment! Good luck in the search - I read almost exclusively with audiobooks, and it can be a struggle!

#asks only #xandamonium

[reading-while-queer]

I know it was a while ago, but I just wanted to thank you for your Song of Achilles review. I disliked that novel for the same reasons you did and I’ve had trouble finding people who felt the same way. I just hate how it ignores the real picture of sexuality in Ancient Greece (which is so interesting! I’m currently reading a nonfiction book called Bisexuality in the Ancient World that really gets into it), not to mention all the weird fetishization.

Thank you! I wish I knew more about the subject myself. I know some people are very passionate about that book, but I did think that Miller failed to challenge herself, which especially shows with a premise that was always going to be difficult to do justice! (not to mention all the weird fetishization)

#asks only #anon

[reading-while-queer]

Hi, I was wondering if you could recommend any LGBT fantasy that isn’t based in a highschool? Thanks

Hi! Thanks for sending in this question, I would be glad to!

Books I recommend: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (Review) Ensemble cast of criminals pull off a heist in a magical original setting, during the rise of a fascist regime. YA.

With Roses in Their Hair by Ennis Bashe (Review) (Read Here) Lesbian retelling of Tam Lin in a fantasy/dystopian setting. Adult short story.

Peter Darling by Austin Chant (Review) A trans and gay reimagining of Peter Pan. Adult.

Quoria by Calhoun Crimin (Read Here) An early 20th century-inspired fantasy setting starring a con man-turned-detective who gets in way over his head solving magical crimes. YA appropriate.

Amberlough Dossier by Lara Elena Donnelly (Review) Speculative rather than strictly fantasy (it takes place in a non-magical original 30s-inspired setting), the series is about spies and revolutionaries facing the rise of fascism. Adult.

Heartwood ed. Joamette Gil (Review) A collection of non-binary comics from various authors, all with fae inspiration. YA appropriate.

Huntress by Malinda Lo (Review) Two girls must go on a journey to the city of the fairy queen to restore the balance of nature. YA.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (Review) A fantasy comic about a shapeshifter, and the villainous Lord Blackheart she works for. YA appropriate.

Taproot by Keezy Young (Review) A gardener who can see ghosts gets involved with something bigger when his ghost friends find themselves transported to a creepy forest on another plane of existence. YA appropriate.

Books I’m excited about (but haven’t read): Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron (Goodreads) It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again. Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew… YA. (Blurb from Goodreads)

Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden (Goodreads) By night, Razia Khan is one of the most sought-after dancing girls in the desert city of Bikampur. Later in the night, she is its most elusive thief. When Razia finds herself dancing for the maharaja's son, the handsome prince Arjun, she knows that she's playing with fire. As a trans girl, known as a hijra, she can never be a wife to any man, and as the former crown prince of the Sultanate of Nizam, she guards her identity carefully, lest her father's assassins find her. But in the dragon-riding prince of Bikampur, Razia sees not just a ticket out of the gutter, but a kindred spirit. (Quoted from NoveList)

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta (Goodreads) When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. YA. (Quoted from Goodreads)

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst (Goodreads) Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile lands. But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire—a dangerous gift for the future queen of a kingdom where magic is forbidden. YA. (Quoted from Goodreads)

Pet by Akweke Emezi (Goodreads) In a near-future society that claims to have gotten rid of all monstrous people, a creature emerges from a painting seventeen-year-old Jam's mother created, a hunter from another world seeking a real-life monster. YA. (quoted from NoveList)

Spellhacker by M.K. England (Goodreads) Magic was a natural resource until a corporation used a magical earthquake as an excuse to make magic a controlled substance - and an outrageously expensive one. Diz and her friends run an illegal magic-siphoning operation, and are about to pull their last heist. YA. (Paraphrased from Goodreads)

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James (Goodreads) A mix of fantasy and African history and myth. Tracker is sent to track down a boy who disappeared three years ago, and must break his rule of working alone, joined by a shapeshifting man/leopard, and other strange characters. Adult. (paraphrased from Goodreads).

The City We Became by N. K. Jemison (Goodreads) An evil stirs in the underbelly of NYC, threatening to destroy the city and her 6 avatars. Adult. (paraphrased from NoveList)

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune (Goodreads) Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. Adult. (Quoted from Goodreads)

Ash by Malinda Lo (Goodreads) In this variation on the Cinderella story, Ash grows up believing in the fairy realm that the king and his philosophers have sought to suppress, until one day she must choose between a handsome fairy cursed to love her and the King's Huntress whom she loves. YA. (Quoted from NoveList)

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan (Goodreads) Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It's the highest honor they could hope for...and the most demeaning. This year, there's a ninth. And instead of paper, she's made of fire. YA. (Quoted from Goodreads)

Shark by Kevaughn Ryder (Goodreads) Silver Shark, youngest of the royal family of Near Shallows, has been having strange dreams for many nights. He barely remembers them, except for a handsome man with a beautiful smile.On his first trip to the surface, Shark is horrified to discover that the man is human; a creature feared and hated by those of his underwater kingdom. In his confusion, Shark commits unspeakable treachery: he saves this human from drowning. Age range unknown. (Quoted from Ryderworlds.wordpress.com)

Everfair by Nisi Shawl (Goodreads) Everfair is a wonderful Neo-Victorian alternate history novel that explores the question of what might have come of Belgium's disastrous colonization of the Congo if the native populations had learned about steam technology a bit earlier. Fabian Socialists from Great Britian join forces with African-American missionaries to purchase land from the Belgian Congo's "owner," King Leopold II. This land, named Everfair, is set aside as a safe haven, an imaginary Utopia for native populations of the Congo as well as escaped slaves returning from America and other places where African natives were being mistreated. Adult. (Blurb from Goodreads).

The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith (Goodreads) After a terrible political coup usurps their noble house, Hawke and Grayson flee to stay alive and assume new identities, Hanna and Grayce. Desperation and chance lead them to the Communion of Blue, an order of magical women who spin the threads of reality to their will. Middle Grade. (Quoted from Goodreads)

The Deep by Rivers Solomon (Goodreads) Yetu holds the memories for her people—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners—who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one—the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu. Adult. (Quoted from Goodreads)

Crier's War by Nina Varela (Goodreads) After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, Designed to be the playthings of royals, took over the estates of their owners and bent the human race to their will. YA. (Quoted from Goodreads)

A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson (Goodreads) After meeting a handsome Dalucan soldier, Aqib bmg Sadiqi, a fourth cousin to the royal family and son of the Master of Beasts, struggles with his family's expectations and the love he feels for Lucrio. Adult. (Blurb from NoveList).

#asks only #miscalculated-obsessions #fantasy