Tag Archives: QPoC

Backlist Book of the Month: Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

This is another one of those titles I had to jump on covering as soon as it hit being just over a year old, because it’s got one of the most memorable heroines I’ve ever read, and it’s just a must-read for basically everyone. Plus, the next time you’ll be seeing Gabby Rivera, it’ll be in the America Chavez solo series! How cool is that??

28648863Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving the Bronx and headed to Portland, Oregon. She just came out to her family and isn’t sure if her mom will ever speak to her again. But Juliet has a plan, sort of, one that’s going to help her figure out this whole “Puerto Rican lesbian” thing. She’s interning with the author of her favorite book: Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women’s bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff.

Will Juliet be able to figure out her life over the course of one magical summer? Is that even possible? Or is she running away from all the problems that seem too big to handle?

With more questions than answers, Juliet takes on Portland, Harlowe, and most importantly, herself.

Buy It: Amazon * B&N * Indiebound

Fave Five: Interracial Contemporary LGBTQA Romances

These are Adult Contemporary Romances; for NA, check here!

Sutphin Boulevard by Santino Hassell (m/m)

A Gentleman in the Street by Alisha Rai (m/f, B)

Finding Your Feet by Cass Lennox (m/f, A, T)

Such a Pretty Face by Gabrielle Goldsby (f/f)

The Queer and the Restless by Kris Ripper (m/f, T)

Bonus: On the more erotic front, there’s The Fling by Rebekah Weatherspoon (f/f), whose Sated and So Sweet also fit the list as m/f bisexual interracial romances!

Double Bonus: For Historical, check out Wanted, a Gentleman by KJ Charles (m/m)

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12 LGBTQ Contemporary Romance Novellas

All links are Amazon Affiliate links; proceeds go back into LGBTQReads.com. All works on this list are from 25-150 pages, for your quick-reading pleasure! (With thanks to the Tumblr Asker who inspired this post and the SFF novella post to come!)

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Fearless by Shira Glassman ($1.29, f/f, 30 pp)

Long Macchiatos and Monsters by Alison Evans ($1.99, m/nb, 44 pp)

What Happens in Berlin by Jen McConnell ($1.99, f/f, 100 pp)

Spice and Smoke by Suleikha Snyder ($2.66, m/m+, 114 pp)

The Belle vs. the BDoC by Amy Jo Cousins ($2.99, f/f, 89 pp)

The Melody of You and Me by M. Hollis ($2.99, f/f, 104 pp)

Second Kiss by Chelsea M. Cameron ($2.99, f/f, 59 pp)

Defying Convention by Cecil Wilde ($2.99, m/nb, 65 pp)

Sated by Rebekah Weatherspoon ($2.99, m/f, 100 pp)

Full Exposure by Amy Jo Cousins ($2.99, m/m, 97 pp)

Whiskey Business by Avon Gale ($3.52, m/m, 117 pp)

Coffee Boy by Austin Chant ($3.99, m/m, 89 pp)

Backlist Book of the Month: Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis

Badass premise, a standalone fantasy (so no waiting for sequels!), a bi main character, disability rep, PoC rep, and a great intro to an author you definitely wanna watch. What more could you ask for?
16081758Amara is never alone. Not when she’s protecting the cursed princess she unwillingly serves. Not when they’re fleeing across dunes and islands and seas to stay alive. Not when she’s punished, ordered around, or neglected.

She can’t be alone, because a boy from another world experiences all that alongside her, looking through her eyes.

Nolan longs for a life uninterrupted. Every time he blinks, he’s yanked from his Arizona town into Amara’s mind, a world away, which makes even simple things like hobbies and homework impossible. He’s spent years as a powerless observer of Amara’s life. Amara has no idea . . . until he learns to control her, and they communicate for the first time. Amara is terrified. Then, she’s furious.

All Amara and Nolan want is to be free of each other. But Nolan’s breakthrough has dangerous consequences. Now, they’ll have to work together to survive–and discover the truth about their connection.

Buy it:

ABRAMS
IndieBound • Barnes & Noble
ABC.nl • Waterstones
Amazon • Book Depository

Ten Intersectional Anthologies and Essay Collections

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Queer and Trans Artists of Color: Stories of Some of Our Lives ed. by Nia King

Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in the Jewish Community ed. by Noach Dzmura

Queer Brown Voices: Personal Narratives of Latina/o LGBT Activism ed. by Uriel Quesada, Letitia Gomez, and Salvador Vidal-Ortiz

Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time: an LGBT and Two Spirit Sci-Fi Anthology ed. by Hope Nicholson

Black Queer Studies: a Critical Anthology ed. by E. Patrick Johnson and Mae G. Henderson

Prime by L. Lamar Wilson, Ricky Laurentiis, Darrel Alejandro Holnes, Saeed Jones, and Phillip B. Williams

Living Out Islam: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Muslims ed. by Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle

Lez Talk: A Collection of Black Lesbian Short Fiction ed. by S. Andrea Allen and Lauren Cherelle

Moving Truth(s): Queer and Transgender Desi Writings on Family by Aparajeeta Duttchoudhury and Rukie Hartman

QDA: Queer Disability Anthology ed. by Raymond Luczak

Fave Five: Contemporary Queer YA/NA with Black MCs

Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon (NA)

37 Things I Love (in No Particular Order) by Kekla Magoon (YA)

The House You Pass on the Way by Jacqueline Woodson (YA)

F*ths by G.L. Thomas (NA)

A Hundred Thousand Words by Nyrae Dawn (NA)

Bonus: Coming in 2017, Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert (YA)

Double Bonus: For a Sci-Fi NA, check out To Terminator, With Love by Wes Kennedy (NA)

Note: All of the above are by Black authors as well. To add a more titles to your list, a couple that aren’t: Out of Frame by Megan Erickson (NA) and Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley (YA)

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TBRainbow Alert #8!

We Are Okay (February 14)
Author: Nina LaCour
Genre/Category: Contemporary YA
Rainbow details: lesbian MC, major bi secondary
Why put it on your radar? Because everything Nina LaCour touches turns to gold and this isn’t remotely an exception. I cried like a freaking baby after reading this one.

Wanted: A Gentleman (January 9)
Author: KJ Charles
Genre/Category: Historical Romance
Rainbow details: Gay MC
Why put it on your radar? Let’s be real: if you’re into queer historical romance at all, anything by KJ Charles is already on your radar.

A Good Idea (February 28)
Author: Cristina Moracho
Genre/Category: Contemporary YA
Rainbow details: Bi MC
Why put it on your radar? Those looking for more queer YA in which sexuality/coming out aren’t “issues” will find a perfect match in this twisty noir about friendship and betrayal

Perfect Ten (June 6)
Author: L. Philips
Genre/Category: Contemporary YA
Rainbow details: Gay MC
Why put it on your radar? Because it’s cute as helllll but also does a really nice job capturing why monogamy can feel especially difficult for queer kids who suddenly have options for the first time in their lives

Meg & Linus (April 18)
Author:
Hanna Nowinski
Genre/Category:
Contemporary YA
Rainbow details:
Gay MC, Lesbian MC
Why put it on your radar?
Gay and lesbian MCs who are BFFs? Two main characters who are already out? Relatively low angst? Nerds? Come on.

 

Fave Five: Bi Girls in YA Fantasy

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

Ash and Huntress by Malinda Lo

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis

The Impostor Queen and The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine

Bonus: I’m never really sure what genre A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith is, but Fantasy’s one of the ones I juggle, so, let’s put that here

Double Bonus: Coming in 2018, Garden of Blood and Dust by K.K. Pérez

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Fave Five: Bi/Pan Guys in SFF YA/NA

To Terminator, With Love by Wes Kennedy

Seven Tears at High Tide by C.B. Lee

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

Climbing the Date Palm by Shira Glassman

Gold Runner by Tessa Gratton

Bonus: Coming in 2017, 27 Hours by Tristina Wright

Bonus #2: They’re not POV characters, but Timekeeper by Tara Sim and Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee both have bi/pan love interests

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Fave Five: Queer BFF YAs

These are all dual-POV books in which at least one POV belongs to a queer character and the other belongs to a close friend, not a love interest.

Run by Kody Keplinger

You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan

Under the Lights by Dahlia Adler

Meg & Linus by Hanna Nowinski

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Bonus: Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa is tri-POV, and two of those POVs belong to BFFs who are a gay guy and a straight girl;

Bonus #2: Radio Silence by Alice Oseman is single POV, but the BFFship is the core relationship of the story, and both BFFs are queer (bi and demi, respectively)

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