Reviews as of July 26, 2026

Bone of my Bone by Johanna van Veen
I absolutely loved it! A sapphic folk-horror set during the Thirty Years' War, centered around a Protestant peasant girl and a Catholic nun trying to reuinite what they believe is a saint's skull with her body.

It did not hold back on describing the horrors that the common folk faced during a very violent time in history but the comfort and hope that Elsebeth and Ursula find in each other throughout offers light in an otherwise very bleak setting. The ending was great, give you more of that little ray of hope, even if it's very far from the usually happily ever after.

Very much recommend this book for anybody looking for sapphic horror!
~ Ivill

Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York by Ross Perlin
This book was really interesting, definitely recommend.
~ remreader (bluesky)

Unfit to Print by KJ Charles
Fun, fast-paced, very short novel (probably a novella actually) with two Victorian guys solving a missing-person case that hinges on a trove of inherited pornography. And falling in love, of course (it's a lovely second-chance romance with two characters who have Been Through It).
~ @alimasin.bsky.social

Call it Courage (1940) by Armstrong Sperry
This is just the sort of children’s book I might have read as a kid, an adventure about a kid needing to survive on his own for a while. I read the 50th anniversary edition filled with illustrations by the author (they look like woodcuts). I also watched a Disney film version. Its Polynesian island setting was a bit of a connection to some OFMD actors.

Keeping OFMD in mind as I read…

Moana is the sea god.
Matafu believes the sea god took his mother’s life and wants to take his, as well.
{Auntie in OFMD 2-02:
<<AUNTIE: Sea witch. I have looked for you far and wide. But then you probably know that.
BUTTONS: Best not assume we know anythin' at all, ma’am. >>}

“That is woman’s work.”
Matafu does more practical work than his peers, but being handy and resourceful becomes an important part of his story.
{Pete in OFMD 1-01:
<<PETE: I'm not fսckin' sewing. That's women's work.
STEDE: Oh, Black Pete, come on now. You know that's not true. How many of you sew? Be honest.
ROACH: Sewed my shoulder up once... after I'd been stabbed. (all gasp) >>}
~ cindyb5.bsky.social

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
a CLASSIC murder mystery starring my beloved Hercule Poirot. Twisty and fun with some genuinely interesting characters and a satisfying wrap-up. NB: this book was written by an English author in 1937 and takes place in Egypt, so there is some pretty jarring period-typical racism
~ alimasin.bsky.social

The October Man - Ben Aaronovitch
Back with the wizards but this time it’s German wizards and German river goddesses. This book is definitely signalling changes in the world of magic and international magic relations.

Unlike the previous book in the series set internationally this one was closer to the rest of series with the protagonist being the equivalent of main character in the London books. It was interesting to get a few snippets of events during the war from the other side and river goddesses no matter what country they live in having to deal with life amongst mortals.
~ Robotpinemarten

The Dogs of Venice (2025) by Steven Rowley
I saw this novella and grabbed it on my way home from the library yesterday. I loved Steven Rowley’s “The Guncle” and I think I’ll always enjoy what he writes.
Here, Paul’s husband ended their marriage before a trip abroad and Paul is learning to not only travel, but be, on his own.
The cover is of a man with light brown hair in a teal blue jacket with a red scarf fluttering in the wind. Very Stede-like, although the character holds the sadness of both Ed and Stede when they end up apart after forming such a close connection.
Short and sweet.

Keeping OFMD in mind as I read…

Paul’s ex said Paul was too needy.
{Fang asks Ed in OFMD 2-05:
<<Do you think you talk so much because you don't wanna know how to sit with yourself? >>}

‘Paul lingered in the candlelight, savoring each forkful with an appreciation for both ingredient and technique, unearthing the china pattern on the restaurant's dishes with the slow precision of an archaeologist.’
{Stede is teaching Ed about the rule with cutlery in OFMD 1-05:
<<STEDE: In we go with salad fork...
ED: I learn all of this just to fսcking eat?
STEDE: Yes, oh, but it's not just eating. We're dining. And remember, dining is...
ED: Pageantry.
STEDE: Pageantry. >>}

Nicola says:
‘"Do you know your way at night? Streets in Venice are full of dark. Dark that can be too dark."
{Stede calls to Ed in 2-04:
<<Ed. Hey, um, can you come with? It's getting a bit dark, and I-I can't, actually... I can't find my way back to the ship. >>}
~ cindyb5.bsky.social

We Burned So Bright, TJ Klune
Oh boy mind the tags on this one, folks. I didn't and assumed it would be another Klune Feelings book that's ultimately hopeful and it is *not*. It gave me a night of nightmares when I fell asleep reading and I sobbed silently at the end cuddling my kid to sleep. It's good but it is Rough and you really need to be in a good headspace for it, which I very much wasn't as the apocalyptic wildfire smoke engulfed my house. Beautifully written except for a really clunky chapter that read like an LGBT history lesson weirdly and it just didn't work for me. Read it (if you can handle a study on grief and love at the end of the world) but don't expect the Cerulean Sea or even Under the Whispering Door. There are moments of joy but that's not what it is about.
~ michellethestan

1776 by David McCullough
Pretty straightforward history book, but well-written.
~ remreader (bluesky)

Reviews as of July 19, 2026

Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow
Oh my God. I need the sequel IMMEDIATELY. This was so good and so fun!! My god, I am enamored.
~ lem0mb0iii

Maggie Nelson "The Argonauts"
the “problem” with this book is that it’s incredibly theoretically dense but written in a way that makes you fly through. which, on one hand, makes the theory fun and accessible but i also probably missed a lot of it. you could spend a day meditating on every single paragraph. i think my favourite parts are the ones about art and about applying theoretical concepts to her own life, or choosing to reject or rework them based on her own experiences. overall, a really fun and thought-provoking book.
~ @florenceafter12.bsky.social

Francesco Petrarca "Die Besteigung des Mont Ventoux"
einer der schönsten texte der literaturgeschichte <3
~ florenceafter12.bsky.social

Phaswane Mpe "Welcome to our Hillbrow"
unfortunately i didn’t like this at all. more an outline instead of a book, very tell-don’t-show, superficial about all the big topics it attempts to talk about, confusing and somehow manages to be repetitive in under 150 pages.
~ @florenceafter12.bsky.social

John Berger "Ways of Seeing"
a bit too absolute at times, but offers fantastic ideas of thinking about art and images that will definitely shape my own perspective and research in the future.
~ @florenceafter12.bsky.social

"A Marriage At Sea" by Sophie Elmhirst
Great book, especially for fans of survival stories. My favorite part was that (unsurprisingly) the wife was the one never giving up and keeping them alive.
~ SpaceCadetGlow

"Captain's Dinner" by Adam Cohen
CW cannibalism

This book is about the wreck of the Mignonette, which is known as the case that put an end to the tacit condoning of "the custom of the sea" (i.e. drawing lots to determine which of a wrecked/stranded group would be killed to feed the others). Before this case it was understood that what happened on a ship was the captain's domain, and somewhat removed from laws on land. Authorities would generally turn a blind eye to people doing what they needed to do to survive, recognizing the extraordinary circumstances. However, documented cases of "the custom of the sea" often conveniently resulted in a person with the least power, or a person from an out-group, being chosen. Such was the case with the Mignonette crew too, and this time they were put on trial for murder. The book delves heavily into the legal and ethical battle, and how it related to Victorian reforms to protect the vulnerable. Highly recommended!
~ SpaceCadetGlow

A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman
The latest in the series (2 books to go), I spent most of it like this: O_O

Everything has been building up to this and it didn’t disappoint.
~ killerweasel

Lies Sleeping - Ben Aaronovitch
The end of a multi story arc or at least a partial end. The death of the bad guy wasn’t a surprising conclusion, a bad guy with the ability to use magic to bring about chaos and harm greater than the London terror attacks is not the sort of person you can just throw into a cell.

The mix of history, mythology and author embellishments is enjoyable and sends me down various rabbit holes afterwards.
~ Robotpinemarten

Winters gifts - Ben Aaronovitch
I think the fact that I enjoyed this book less than the others in the series was more on me than the book. This is the first one see outside of London focussing on a side character rather than the main characters.

In this book the vengeful spirit of dead explorers creates adverse weather and more fucked up magical creatures, this time some kind of yeti type monsters. The book took a while to get to the ‘weird shit’ and was a little rushed towards the end.
~ Robotpinemarten

The Big Short by Michael Lewis
Held my attention surprisingly well for a book about economics and I do actually think I understand what happened in the 2008 crash (slightly) better now.
~ remreader (bluesky)

Reviews as of July 12, 2026

Stupid Cupid by Maeve Black
Was a pretty decent monster-fucking story. it’s technically a second book in the series and even though it’s not necessary i did read it ahead of time. reading it helped with the world and the characters but idk its a story about straight people and just was not for me. stupid cupid a m/m romance between a cupid and a dragon (that is a santa claus 🧍) and if you love stupid hot things it’s short enough to not take up too much time.
~ gentlebeard

After the Fall, Edward Ashton
This was a pick my speculative fiction library book club, but based on the summary I would have picked it up for myself. It was another solid meh. Loved the idea, not so wild about the execution. Slow to start and too fast to finish, left me wanting more information and not in a good way.

I judge a 4-12 speculative fiction writing contest I used to do in school. I give a lot of feedback basically that you can leave your reader with questions but it should be strategic. Mystery and ambiguity are good, but you need to know the answers & don't annoy your reader. In this book I was frustrated because characters knew more than I did and never shared it. What's the point of that? Build me your world! And also if one of your main characters is an alien actually describe what he looks like. It was funny and the idea of the plot was good but I feel like it needed someone to sit down and be like, ok, what's happening here. Why are we here. What are you trying to say.

Fingers crossed the two dads that comprise the book club agree with me because I'm still very new and it'll be awkward if they loved it.
~ Michellethestan

The Sugared Game by KJ Charles
The second in the Will Darling Adventures series. Loved it! I’ve never considered myself a big fan of mysteries, but every time I read one by KJ Charles, I’m obsessed, so I dunno if it’s just that I need them to also be queer romances or if she’s just that good.
~ unfunpleasures

Subtle Blood by KJ Charles
The final book in the Will Darling Adventures series. I’m going to miss these guys! The audiobooks for this series are fantastic, as well.
~ unfunpleasures

A Good Puck by Rochelle Wolf
Oh man. This book has EVERYTHING. Egg cracks, the PWHL, Canada, and two lil sapphic cuties. 🥰🥰
~ lem0nb0iii

The Demon of Beausoleil by Mari Costa
If everyone keeps telling you that you’re cursed, that you’re evil, that you’re an incubus, then it has to be true, right? Helianthes, a half-demon, has to figure it out before it is too late.
~ Killerweasel

Wild Dark Shore (2025) by Charlotte McConaghy
This was filled with sadness and the feeling of potential disaster all along the way. I may not have chosen it on my own, but it was a book discussion choice. I’ll always find something good in a book, and I like how strong the family is.

Keeping OFMD in mind as I read…

-OFMD - ‘Orly tells Rowan, “I’m here, I won’t leave you”’
{Mer!STEDE to ED in 2-03: Ed, wake up! Come on! I'm here. I'll never leave you. I'll never leave again.”

-OFMD - ‘We hear the sound before the lighthouse appears. The long, slightly mournful notes of a violin drifting through the fog to us.’
{Opening scene of 2-06: Inside, Ned Low with a violin}

-OFMD - ‘Eight years is too long to expect a child's friendships to hold on, so she has no real friends waiting for her.’
{ED in 2-03: “I don’t think anyone’s waiting for me.”

-OFMD - Rowan thinks, ‘I am returned to the sea.’
{BUTTONS in 2-01: “We are returned, my love. My ocean deep”
~  cindyb5

Bloom - Delilah S Dawson
Sapphic cottage core with a slow burn horror twist. A little too slow burn for me, the build up to pay off ratio was way off imo. The last few pages were horrible and I woke up in the night thinking about them but the journey to get there was a little frustrating at times. Inspired by Hannibal, no where near as suave.
~ rueforyou

The Correspondent (2025) by Virginia Evans
All letters, with different storylines occurring. There are holes, but they seem resolved by a subsequent letter. As a work friend said, the correspondent was opinionated, but she meant well and apologized when wrong.

Keeping OFMD in mind as I read…

-OFMD - ‘My brother suffered at the hands of sadistic classmates for years.’
{NIGEL BADMINTON in 1-01: We were rowdy school chums. Always playing pranks on one another. Hmm? Do you remember the day with the rowboat? 
STEDE: The rowboat? 
NIGEL: Oh, come on now. 
STEDE: No, I can't. 
NIGEL: The rowboat. (laughs) It was hysterical!
[Stede’s bad memory - Look! It's Baby Bonnet! Get him! Bonnet! (all yelling, throwing rocks, while Stede is tied to the oars) Oh! Row, Baby Bonnet! Row!]
NIGEL (chuckling): Oh, it was all in good fun, of course. An initiation of sorts. 
STEDE: Yes, funny, I don't recall it happening to anyone else.}
~ cindyb5

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
4* - This is a short story collection and they're always hard to rate in my opinion. I loved the first two stories and the last two, and could barely put the book down. The other four weren't quite to my tastes, even though I can't really figure out why. Still, I did overall enjoy them. Genuinely enjoyed the body horror aspects of it all, how womanhood/female bodies were part of the horror and horrific aspects, how sex could also be horrible. And how much trauma is in this. A very good collection.
~ fpwoper

Dolly Parton: Star of the Show by Dolly Parton
I love Dolly. She’s amazing. This massive autobiography starts off with her childhood and goes to now, full of stories and so many pictures. I’d love to get a copy for myself.
~ Killerweasel

The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal by KJ Charles
Loved the format of this one - a novel in stories, each covering a different case. Ghosts and smut and unconventional true love.
~ alimasin

The Confessional by Paige Hender
Newly turned vampire is with her maker and an assortment of interesting vampires at a whore house in New Orleans. She falls for a priest. Is it love or does the priest have nefarious plans in mind?
~ Killerweasel

In Case You Read This by Edward Underhill
When I first heard about this book, I thought the premise was very sweet and fun, so I added it to my TBR. In truth, I had a hard time reading it. I don’t think it’s a bad book at all— I’m just not the target audience (it’s a YA title), and I didn’t even read YA when I was at the right age for it. While it wasn’t for me, I think it’s super cool that books like this exist for young queer kids— especially young trans guys in small towns who may not always have the luxury of feeling safe or seen. As for me, though, if this had been a fic, I’d have loved it, but as a book? Eh, not quite my cup of tea.
~ unfunpleasures

Reviews as of July 5, 2026

Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles
I’ve heard such good things about the Will Darling series and was excited to have a good reason to start it! Super enjoyable, and I’m already a good way into the second book. KJ Charles does period M/M romance so well.
~ unfunpleasures 

Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon by Jeffrey Kluger
The book was a pretty straightforward "here's what happened" of the Apollo 8 mission and everything leading up to it without much in the way of critical discussion but I did have a good time reading it; the writing style was solidly engaging throughout without feeling like it was being padded with fictionalized pieces or anything.
~ remreader 

"What Ever Happened to Eddy Crane? A Memoir and a Murder Investigation" by Kate Crane
Not something I necessarily would have found on my own, but I saw this on a book rec thread on bluesky and was intrigued. The author writes about how her father's death affected her and her family, and traces the path she took as an adult to find out more about what happened. NB: there is not a super satisfying "wrapped up with a bow" ending regarding either the murder or the author's life/relationships, but it's a compelling and intimate read.
~ @alimasin.bsky.social

Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 7: This Inevitable Ruin by Matt Dinnimin
Quite possibly the most important book of the series so far, Carl, Donut, and their friends take on Faction Wars, doing battle with the universe’s most powerful people.

Hopeful about the books being turned into a tv series too.
~ killerweasel

The Disaster Gay Detective Agency (2026) by Lev AC Rosen
This was a lot of fun, with a small friend group who are so there for each other. I envy that.

I kept thinking of OFMD as I read…

-OFMD - ‘So Brandon needs to rescue Jon, right? That's what Prince Charming does. Destiny. It never runs smoothly. Maybe this is all just a trial for true love.’

-OFMD - [Brandon says,] "I'm so sorry we're all mixed up in this."
"Are you kidding?" Ollie says, taking Brandon's arm and squeezing. "This is the most exciting thing to happen to us in ages."

-OFMD - "Well, I'm glad you're coming with me anyway," Brandon says.
"I mean, if we are going to"—he leans in again-"die, then at least I'll be with a friend." He straightens up, spinning back a little on the pole. "And it'll be for love."
"For love," Ollie says with a nod.

-OFMD - ‘Victor smiles a little. Ian loves his smiles. He goes from this slab of muscle and fire to something so soft, and every smile feels like it's just for lan.’
~ cindyb5.bsky.social

The Picture of Dorian Gray (uncensored version)
still not gay enough
~ Feña - moonysmith81

As I Dream of You by Jennifer Lee
Modern retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice which asks, ‘What if Orpheus did what he did not out of love, but because he was selfish and didn’t want to be alone?’.
~ killerweasel

The Extended Universe: How Disney Killed the Movies and Took Over the World by Vicky Osterweil
I found the book/topic very interesting overall but one of the things I initially really liked about the book was the structure of each chapter analyzing one movie and connecting it to the chapter's theme and in the end I wished the author had done more with that; a lot of the movies were only briefly/superficially touched on or sort of felt like an afterthought to the arguments being made.
~ remreader 

Night witch - Ben Aaronovitch
What I like about the Rivers of London graphic novels is they are separate short stories but still fit into the overall series.

Each graphic novel is a nice length for reading during a spare hour. It’s always good to see recurring characters and stories that don’t fit into the main novels and novellas and in this we got more of a back story for the Russian ‘night witch’ and some amusing scenes with a river goddess and Russian mafia.
~ Robotpinemarten

I Who Have Never Known Men - Jacqueline Harpman
This is one of those books that my friends have been telling me to read for ages and the time finally felt right to listen to them. What a book! I love a short horrible novel, I love a world that refuses to tell you things and instead just takes you along for the ride. Phenomenally written/translated, disquieting and hopeful at the same time, a little gem!
~ rueforyou

The Blanket Cats - Kiyoshi Shigematsu
The Man At Work Who Occasionally Gives Me Books gave me this because I told him I had a cat.

'Healing Fiction' isn't a genre I had heard of before and, to be honest, the name alone put me off (I want my fiction to hurt me not heal me!) but I didn't hate this. It's hard to review a short story collection and some of the stories I just let wash over me as small little cozy bursts but I really enjoyed two (The Cat in the Passenger Seat and The Cat Who Went on A Journey) and didn't resent any of the time spent reading this so yeah, a fine book!
~ rueforyou

A Plague upon your family by Mark Tufo
The continuing adventures of Michael Talbot pick up where Zombie Fallout leaves off and chronicles Michael Talbot and his family and their group of comrades in arms in their struggle to survive the hordes of the undead and their decision for the group to split up and go their separate ways in order to find missing family members unfortunately those decisions have far reaching consequences that threaten to end their tenuous grip on survival as old enemies rear their heads
~ bonnietylerfan

Full Shift by Jennifer Dugan
Lesbian werewolf tries to figure out where she belongs while falling for a friend. Throw in werewolf hunters, family fights, and pack dynamics for more drama.
~ killerweasel

Black mould - Ben Aaronovitch
Evil sentient black mould that wants people dead, sounds familiar. A tale of scumlords, hazards come to life and naturally some magic.
~ robotpinemarten

Mahommad Gardo Baquaqua: An Enslaved Muslim of the Black Atlantic by Paul E. Lovejoy & Nielson Bezerra
A strong analysis of the life and autobiography of Baquaqua. The authors discuss the uniqueness of his story as an enslaved Muslim taken captive to Brazil, fleeing to freedom in New York, then working among abolitionist circles in the US, Haiti, Canada & Great Britain before returning to West Africa. A fascinating look at identity formation, resistance, and resilience.
~ Kim (bonnetsbookshelf)

Song of Ancient Lovers by Laura Restrepo
This book was so romantic and heart wrenching and very, very well written. The translation work was also very well done.
~ lem0nb0iio

Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang
Fuck Nate, all my homies hate Nate. But for real, this book is so good. I definitely plan on reading more from Jenny in the future.
~ lem0nb0iii