Ew, It's Beautiful: A False Knees Comic Collection by Joshua Barkman
I was already a big fan of the False Knee webcomic (https://falseknees.com) and this collection of 120+ single-page or two-page comics about the inner lives and existential absurdities of birds didn't disappoint. Barkman reliably has me laughing out loud, quietly contemplating the awesomeness of nature, and having tender feelings about the way living creatures try to understand each other and the world around them, often within the same handful of panels.
~ Delphi
Kidnapped by the Pirate Keira Andrews
A thrilling, brooding pirate out for revenge and a sweet twink longing for love, with plenty of swashbuckling and sexytimes. Swooooooon.
~ silvergoldsea
BL Metamorphosis by Kaori Tsurutani
Haven't been reading manga as consistently as I used to, but I finally picked up BL Metamorphosis. It's cozy, full of heart, and all about connecting with (sometimes unexpected) friends over a shared love of stories. Will definitely be checking out the rest.
~ acesaru
Shakespeare's Sisters: Four Women Who Wrote the Renassiance by Ramie Targoff
My therapist once looked me dead in the eye and said "you look like a person who had a Tudor England hyperfixation." I don't know if that was a compliment or not, but damn were they right. This book starts in the Tudor period and stretches into the Stuarts, but regardless, I loved it. It follows four female writers, the majority of which have been mostly forgotten (until recently), who defied the expectations of their time by becoming playwrights, poets, authors, and diarists. Three of the four came from tremendous privilege, so you can't quite call it a history from the bottom up book, but it did open a window into a Renaissance story I had not heard before.
~ Lindsay (wildflowerstede)
A Gentleman's Gentleman by TJ Alexander
A must read for any OFMD fan. The main character, Christopher, is so Stede coded. It's a queer historical romance and it's so delightful. 5 stars!
~ wannabewesley (bsky, x)
The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters, and Our Obsession with the Unexplained
I thought this was a solid intro/overview if you have a skeptical interest in cryptids, UFOs, etc. Listeners of the Cryptid Factor will find a lot of familiar names and stories throughout.
~ remreader
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Kline
I’d love to write a really thorough review, but I’m still sobbing from this book. 10/10 would recommend
~ Lindsay (wildflowerstede)
System Collapse by Martha Wells
MURDERBOT MY BELOVED. System Collapse was a delightful return to the Murderbot Diaries universe with characters I love. I enjoyed watching Murderbot figure out more of the tricky things about being a person (emotions! who invented those, anyway!) and how actions it has taken in previous novels are starting to ripple into something larger and more far-reaching than Murderbot considered.
~ Cap / gentleranium
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
There’s obviously a lot to be horrified by in this book. One thing that immediately struck me is how easily the religious speak and ideas can come across as wildly over the top. Unfortunately, having grown up in a rural, red flat area of this country, I can assure you, they’re not.
~ FelinePharma
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker
I will be thinking about this book for a long time, would definitely recommend it (but heed trigger warnings). Cora is a crime scene cleaner during the pandemic, dealing with a tragic personal loss. Soon Cora must discern whether the ghost she's seeing is real, unraveling a mystery and exposing the real horrors of humankind.
This book is a journey of grief, loneliness, self-reflection, anxiety, and identity, cleverly explored through a blend of supernatural and horror genres. The real horror here is the reality of anti-Asian racism and violence, especially within the context of the pandemic.
Cora's internal monologue was so well captured with a very distinct voice; she's the kind of character you want to protect at all costs.
5⭐
~ Bookloverstede@bsky.social
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
It was so funny. I always love Martha Wells’s writing and I’d been meaning to get to this one for a long time. The world building is interesting and fun to piece together along the way, and Murderbot’s internal monologue is so fun.
~ zoestertoaster
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
This was a neat continuation of the story in book one, Murderbot makes new friends and finds out more about its past. I liked that it still missed Mensah but I’m glad it is learning how to be on its own. I also loved its friendship with ART the ship.
~ zoestertoaster
A Gentleman’s Gentleman, by TJ Alexander
A fun gay regency era romcom with an extremely Stede coded main character. t4t (but really idiot4idiot /aff)
~ Stacy / @aceofstace (Bsky)
The Sicilian Inheritance, by Jo Piazza
It was solidly okay. Split POV with modern day woman solving a family mystery in Sicily and her great-grandmother as a young woman in Sicily. I liked the historical portions more than the modern day.
~ Stacy / @aceofstace (Bsky)
Chilling Effect, by Valerie Valdes
A fun space romp with more action than A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, but I did get similar chosen family vibes
~ Stacy / @aceofstace (Bsky)
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, by Molly X Chang
An interesting interpretation of adding elements of magic vs technology to the issue of colonizers coming in to forcibly take over a people/land. I thought the central conflict was really good (girl struggling with wanting to protect her family, so she works with colonizers, but can she really trust their promises), but the writing is very flowery, which was tough to get through.
~ Stacy / @aceofstace (Bsky)
The Incandescent, by Emily Tesh
I love Emily Tesh, so I was thrilled to read a new book by her. Dark academia magical boarding school, but focused on the head of magic instead of on the students. If you’re a fan of The Scholomance Trilogy, you’ll enjoy this.
~ Stacy / @aceofstace (Bsky)
Living on the Earth - Alicia Bay Laurel
This is a fascinating book written in the 70s about getting back to the land and making things yourself rather than buying them - very hippie spiritual stuff. It's got everything from sewing your own clothes, growing vegetables, basic carpentry, all the way to how to give birth at home and how to cremate a body in the woods. Unfortunately, almost none of it is actually useful since the author usually gives very brief descriptions and no followup detail (plant such-and-such many ounces of seed to harvest however many pounds of food! if you want to know how to actually grow any of it, buy an actual book on gardening). It's all handwritten in cursive and hand illustrated and extremely cool, but it's definitely more vibes-based than a guide that can actually be followed in the real world.
~ LarndeSolen
Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
Meh! It was fun bc Nathan reads it, but I'd probably give it like a 3.5. Too much info dump world building for me in the beginning, and the world itself felt played out. I kept thinking this is Gideon the Ninth on a boat and not done as well. The twist was nice, but there were a lot of moments that the main character was telling me what to think about the murders, and I probably wouldn't have drawn the same conclusions. Felt forced.
~ tightenupmate
Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown
A classic story of growing up queer and defiantly being yourself no matter how much the world tells you you're wrong
~ moderatecitrus
Orbital
Great at getting into the headspace/psychology and physicaluty of characters, the attempts at being profound fell very short for me. If you hint that you want to say something about society then say it or leave it out lmao.
~ highwaystars.bsky.social
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
An exciting mech story fully examining how women are raised to sacrifice themselves in nearly every way. Diverse and unique (love this take on the ideas from Darling in the Franxx). 4.5 stars due to a few portions that dragged or felt too tonally “on the nose.”
~ HipHopAnonymous
Girl Goddess Queen by Bea Fitzgerald
Absolutely spectacular retelling of the Abduction of Kore/Crowning of Persephone. Deals with themes regarding potential incest, patriarchal misogyny, War-induced PTSD etc as with many Greek stories, but nothing ever feels performative or objectifying. You can truly feel the background lore and knowledge regarding The Olympians, the Titans etc at play in the secondary conversations so you never truly feel lost, nor lost for a juicy morsel to contemplate for a future book release.
~ PomPomPastel
Between Two Rivers - Moudhy Al-Rashid
It's weird to say "this book is 80% about rocks" and not mean it in a bad way, but that is how I feel. It explores tablets, cuneiform, spreadsheets, clay seals, and laws carved by reeds or chiseled into stone.
How it influenced the way we use words today is interesting, but there is only so much that words can do to describe clay cylinders and notches. For once, a book on words could really do with some photography as illustrative of what it once was. All in all though, a fascinating read.
~ PomPomPastel
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
Beautiful and fucking devastating. I can’t recommend it enough. It seems daunting in its page count, but the chapters are condensed. It’s a lovely and painful story about grief, personal mythologies, and what happens when someone we love becomes unrecognizable.
~ Delaney @lavenderluxury
“It’s All Or Nothing, Vale” by Andrea Beatriz Arango
Fabulous read. I love Vico Ortiz’s narration style and it makes the book all the more wonderful. Arango’s books are staples in my classroom, so I was beyond jazzed to grab another text. This is the first time I’ve seen chronic pain as a disability depicted for young readers and is something that is so necessary to explore.
~ Delaney @lavenderluxury
The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara
A brilliantly written exploration of science, progress, life and love through the eyes of one of the worst kinds of people imaginable - yet still manages to evoke poignant empathy throughout.
~ HipHopAnonymous
I Hear the Sunspot: Four Seasons vol 3 by Yuki Fumino
I cannot scream about this series enough. This is the eighth book in a tirelessly entertaining series about young love blossoming under adversity on multiple levels. Each character is well defined, motivated, and driven; from the main queer leads to the ensemble cast. Nothing is wasted in this series. The interpersonal drama is believable and engaging, and add in societal constraints around ableism and homophobia and you’ve got this little masterpiece.
~ FrazzledWriter
Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell
Very campy and fun. This is definitely meant to be read as tongue in cheek and self aware. Taking it on face value is not the way to read it. But as someone who does enjoy true crime, I related to the self deprecation and enjoyed the caricature of it all. Recommended for other True Crime Girlies(GN).
~ Wesley (wannabewesley)
Visitations by Corey Egbert
Wonderfully illustrated and interesting read. Certain elements I didn’t necessarily connect to, if only because I’m not as connected to religious faith. However, as a graphic memoir exploring the complexities of loving a family member with a mental illness, it was great.
~ Delaney @lavenderluxury
Peter Darling - S A Chant
This is my second time reading this book, and it's one of my favourites. It's a queer adventure romance with some of the most interesting treatment of dysphoria, unlearning toxic masculinity and finding love as a trans person that I've ever read. I love it. Great swashbuckling, enemies-to-lovers plotline with richer queer themes beneath. It's a really quick read, so if you like OFMD I think you'll dig this story.
~ Tristan
Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle
I didn't like this one nearly as much as the other horror books from Chuck Tingle, but there were some great, gorey, horrifying moments.
~ Step
Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen
Liked this one a lot! A takedown of the kind of heteronormative relationships displayed on dating shows with some horror in the third act (that I do wish had started earlier). Overall really enjoyable, funny read.
~ Step
My Contract with the Apothecary Monster Vol 2 by Ino Manmaru and Ayaka Sakuraze
It’s heavy on the world building and some people might get turned off by the amount of information dumped onto the reader, but I like a complex world with unusual rules and settings and this… well, it’s not entirely out of the ordinary but it IS fun. Called from another world, the story revolves around a young woman who ends up getting a contract with a powerful monster that want her to… punish him? Yeah, it’s weird. I’m here for it though. The art is gorgeous, the world is fascinating, and it makes me turn my brain off just enough for me to keep wanting more.
~ FrazzledWriter
The Skeleton Key - Erin Kelly
I INHALED the first few parts of this book, unfortunately the twists twisted in a way I wasn't a fan of and it was more family drama than mystery but still, well written and compelling enough that I stayed interested for 500+ pages.
~ rueforyou
Everybody wants to rule the world except me by Django Wexler
Really loved it! It’s the second book in a duology, it’s such a fun story. Set in a fantasy world of time loops, fox people, talking rocks and sexy orcs and the fundamental message of what it means to be human.
~ Laura (watchtheflow on bsky)
Educating Esmé by Esmé Raji Codell
Wonderful exploration of a first year of teaching. I admit it was a bit wishful at times, and may have even veered into mild white savior territory in the author’s explanation of being a white educator in a predominantly Black school. But Codell’s prose is always so rich and the love she has for her students bursts off of the pages in a way I wish to have for my students.
~ Delaney @lavenderluxury
Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett
Overall, very enjoyable! A flawed (and definitely neurodivergent) narrator, interesting narrative voice, and lots of little mini-plots within the greater plot. I'll definitely be reading the sequel.
Mildly annoyed that the character who for most of the world was clearly aspec apparently isn't by the end, but what else is new? At least we got a sapphic couple and NO ONE in the story seemed to think that was even vaguely an issue.
~ AceofGames
The Rushworth Family Plot by Claudia Gray
4th book of a series, so I'm pretty locked in now. I enjoy the setting (Austen's England) and the narrative voices (19 year old girl and 23 year old neurodivergent guy who is clearly demisexual), and the mysteries are really solid. Good re-readability. By book 4, though, I'm getting a little tired of the star-crossed lovers and just wish the author would give them a break already... That said, I'll almost certainly read book 5.
~ AceofGames
The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley
You ever feel like a book was written for you specifically? I devoured this and immediately started reading it again. They really got me with that voicey prose and copious amounts of yearning. Plus Dionysus is my favorite Greek god, and Pulley really digs deep into his lore in a way that is INCREDIBLY satisfying. There were so many little details I’ve never seen explored before in fiction. Plenty here for mythology fans.
~ acesaru
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
It was a slow start - I didn't really get into it until halfway in. But then I LOVED it after that!
~ Aletea
Persuasion by Jane Austen
This is maybe my third or fourth reread of Persuasion. I love a second chance romance (and I YEARN for an OFMD au with Stede as Anne and Ed as Captain Wentworth)
~ Lindsay (wildflowerstede)
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
This is next month’s pick for my in person book club. I skipped this month’s cause it was making everyone sad & angry-thought I would read something lighter. Turns out the MC’s trauma is similar to my own 30yo trauma so I ended up sobbing instead. A lot.
Hilarious and heartfelt look at grief, family, childhood, aging. Loved the old Hollywood references. I’ve already picked up the sequel!
5/5⭐️
~ FelinePharma
Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood
It’s my second time reading this book. The first was years ago when I couldn’t get it out of my head. While Atwood is more known for The Handmaid’s Tale , I feel like this frightening look at the worst of humanity is just as meaningful. CWs: plague/pandemic, child sexual abuse and CSA materials.
~ Ironstrangle
Pedro Lemebel “My Tender Matador”
this was so lovely. i adore books that interweave real history with a fictional story, and this one did it so well. made me angry, made me laugh and made me cry. the language is beautiful, and i love how decadent all the emotion is. highly recommend!
~ Florence, @florenceafter12.bsky.social
Your Money Playbook: How to Earn More, Build Wealth, and Win at Life, by Brandon Copeland
This one’s a keeper - and works surprisingly well as an audiobook. I tend to roll my eyes at the mention of most personal finance books - they’re usually written by people who lived most of their lives in a different era, and the entire frame of reference is so different from today’s economy that it’s like decoding a historical document. And they’re generally either religious or based on some highly moralistic secular belief system. This one, however, is different.
Here we have someone who has been all over the economic map in his relatively young life - he grew up around normal working class people, but then through playing football in the Ivy League and then the NFL has seen how stupidly rich people manage their money - for better or worse. Because he’s not beholden to any kind of financial tradition, he’s seen money do great things and terrible things to people, and he’s really good at breaking those things down into understandable processes.
Using the football framework is helpful, since most of us have probably spent far more of our time thinking about football than finance, so it takes it out of the mysterious realm of formulas and symbols and breaks down action steps.
Normally, something like this would work better in a visually readable format - but the author is so good at laying out the steps that the audio is the way to go here- especially for couples or families that may want to experience it together as part of a shared financial plan. It would also make the perfect gift for a high school or college graduate- but I’m far beyond those years and I learned quite a bit, so don’t skip listening to it yourself if you’re gifting.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
~ meganreal
Moonleapers, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
I love this book. I just finished it, and all I want to do is pick it back up and start again from the beginning. I am several decades beyond the intended audience, and I have read several timeline-change type books written for adults, and none of them did the concept justice like Moonleapers. You'll love it as much as I did if you....
*Enjoy puzzle mysteries like The Westing Game, Artemis Fowl, etc.
*Like a main character who is focused on the core plot point instead of interpersonal relationships
*Can handle an imperfect family dynamic without drama
*Appreciate little pieces of actual history scattered intelligently through your fiction
*Are looking for a series starter that wraps up the immediate plot while still leaving breadcrumbs of things to come
I hope this one finds its audience so it can continue for many installments to come!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
~ meganreal
Steel Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Man
Solid thriller with more of an emphasis on lost memories than military nuts and bolts. *****
~ meganreal
Shogun, Part One, by James Clavell
I’m the age when everyone had a copy of Shogun in their house and their parents had seen the miniseries when we were kids - but not old enough to have read it myself when it was new. I vaguely wondered what it was about - something Japanese, obviously, but was it fiction? History? Romance? Fighting?
I can see now why it was so popular - there’s something for everyone, with the huge cast of characters but surprisingly straightforward story. Yes, there are many twists and turns, and it can be a bit of a challenge to keep track of the shifting alliances and plots - but by keeping the focus on the central character’s impressions of Japan as a European who starts out completely ignorant of Asian cultures there are plenty of opportunities for repetition and explanation. Are there sections that could probably be shorter? Yes. But it’s such a crazy ride that you can overlook them.
The narrator of the audio edition generally does a competent job of using accents to convey who is speaking without completely falling into stereotypes. However, when he is narrating action or exposition rather than dialogue, he has a tendency to trail off a bit at the ends of sentences. This could also be a microphone or mixing issue, but it is frustrating at times to have to guess at the last word of each phrase.
Breaking the book up into two parts was a good choice - after nearly 20 hours of part one, most of us are ready for a break no matter how compelling and suspenseful the story might be.
Overall, this has aged surprisingly well. The current edition presented with the TV show poster art on the cover was recorded in 2015 but presumably rereleased to coincide with the show’s debut - so don’t expect any TV-related extras, but if you’re intrigued enough to want the full story, this is a convenient way to do it.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
~ meganreal
The Floating World by Axie Oh
This is definitely one of those love it or hate it books. I enjoyed it for what it is, with the caveat that there are a few too many characters and plot points for the length of the story (even though it will presumably be a series - some of them would have been better served by waiting for their own spotlight).
Here's the test: If I mention the Grishaverse, the Rey/Kylo Ren era of Star Wars, Sarah J. Maas, etc., do you:
A) Shudder slightly and unfollow me; or
B) Get out your fan art and start comparing your favorite relationships.
Group B is the target audience for this story - you will recognize many moments from similar works, which is not a criticism - you know what you like, and this is designed to give you more of it.
I listened to the audiobook, and it did, at times, seem like the narrator was from Group A - her voice is very clear and easy to understand, but she did not seem to be having a particularly good time, which was unfortunate.
But setting that aside, this is a great (and very G-rated, by the way) addition to that particular subset of romantasy.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
~ meganreal
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