Please continue to work on being anti-racist and supporting movements to defund and abolish the police. A movement like this won’t be over in a month. We can’t go back to normal.
I didn’t make a proper TBR beyond my readaton TBR. My only goal last month was to actually read ownvoices works during Pride and to read books by and about queer people of color because if you remember my Pride wrap-up last year, I failed on both fronts, mostly on the latter. I didn’t make this public because this shouldn’t be a thing you make big.
Similarly, all my reviews I did this month were focused on books by Black queer books.
I read 14 books this month, so let’s start with my Queer Lit Readathon Round 5 Wrap-Up!
Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo – 4 stars
Technically, I read this in May, but it’s being included in this wrap-up due to it being part of a read-a-thon. This was a Southeast Asian inspired fantasy that read like a fairy tale. It had a unique style of writing, so I’m definitely going to reread in the future because I can see myself understanding more of this story.
Stage Dreams by Melanie Gillman – 3.5 stars
This graphic novel made me want to read more books that challenge how mainstream movies have colored Westerns. I just wanted more from the ending. I understand wanting an open ending, but this just felt it ended too soon.
Homie by Danez Smith – 5 stars
My favorite poet has done it again with this collection. Read my review here!
Naturally Tan by Tan France – 4 stars
This was a memoir from one of the Fab Five. I enjoyed it, especially Antoni joining Tan at two parts in the audiobook. I had some troubles straightening out the timeline in my head.
Timekeeper by Tara Sim – 3 stars
This one was rough, considering I thought this would be a 5-star read. It was slower than expected (which shocked me because usually I’m fine with slow books) and I wasn’t a fan of the relationship. The love interest was a weird mix of “looking 16 but being thousands of years old” and “naive to the point of somewhat childlike,” which I didn’t like from a love interest with how quickly the relationship moved. If the relationship was a slower burn, allowing the love interest to grow, I think this book would’ve improved for me.
And now the rest of the books I read!
Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey – 4.5 stars
Utterly wonderful mix of dystopian and the Wild West. Ueually I’m not a fan of homophobia in SFF, but this was handled well, I thought. It was mostly seen in internalized homophobia and it’s worked through int he course of the novella. Also the enby/f relationship was so sweet!
King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender – 4 stars
I definitely enjoyed this book of Callender’s more than the other I read last year. Read my review here!
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang – 3.75 stars
This was one of two rereads this month. I’m glad I did because I was reminded of all the good parts, but there are three forced outings.
You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson – 4 stars
A really sweet f/f YA contemporary! Read my full review here!
The Seven Husbands in Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – 5 stars
I mean, it was stunning, with such beautifully complex women. I’m astounded at how these characters felt like actual people and not characters in a book. This is the closest I’ve been to crying over a book in a while.
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson – 3.5 stars
I picked up this audiobook on a whim because I wanted to read something for the Queer Blackathon. The full cast helped separate each story line from each other. Another book I’m sure to reread in the future because my focus was off while listening to this.
Power & Magic: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology edited by Joamette Gil – 4 stars
My second reread of the month! I wanted to better appreciate all the comics in this collection. My favorites were Your Heart is an Apple, Fluid, The Shop That Never Stays, and Songbird for A Vulture.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde – 4 stars
The book itself isn’t gay, but it is by Wilde (and my first book by him) and I understand the themes of queerness you could read. This was way more fun and understandable than expected! It was ridiculous and fun. And the muffin bit? Like something out of modern TV!
Into the Gray by Margaret Killjoy – 3 stars
This is a short story you can read for free here! It was a cool short story, and if you’re looking for fantasy with trans women, I’d recommend this one. It just didn’t wow me, which is fine.
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin – 4.5 stars
This was my first N.K. Jemisin book and oh boy, was I missing out on a lot. Her prose is stand-still gorgeous. Like, I can’t put into words how her narration was. It was different from what I was expected and even halfway through the book, I had no idea what to expect. I can’t wait for the rest of the books to come out.
Kappa Reads 