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Showing posts with label book recs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book recs. Show all posts

Friday, June 23, 2023

Pride Month Book Recommendations Part 3


Here is a roundup of the third set of days of queer book recommendations that I have! This post covers days 17 through 23. These are, mostly, books or authors that I've read and loved! The Goodreads page for the book is included and purchase links are attached to the covers if you want to buy the book yourself.



Day 17



Title: Love & Other Disasters

Author: Anita Kelly

Publication Date: April 26, 2022

Summary: Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying—not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she's focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money.

After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them. They’re there to prove the trolls—including a fellow contestant and their dad—wrong, and falling in love was never part of the plan.

As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London’s steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen—and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after.


Day 18



Title: Great Bones

Author: Lynn Ames

Publication Date: March 27, 2018

Summary: Rachel Wallach has a great life—on paper. Millions of people fall in love with her words every day. Her greeting card sentiments are the stuff of legend in the industry. And yet ... and yet she couldn’t find the right girl if you stuffed her into a Subaru full of lesbians.

Her overbearing mother and obnoxiously perfect siblings, with whom she shares Shabbat dinner every Friday, only want to know when she's going to get a "real" job and a life. Then her elderly neighbor suffers a catastrophic health crisis, leaving canine-phobic Rachel holding the leash.

Julia Spielman's grandmother, Ida, a matchmaker descended from a long line of matchmakers, has just moved into the Shady Acres Assisted Living Community where she happily renews her friendship with Rachel's Grandma Goldie. When Goldie learns that Julia runs a successful online dating service, it seems too good to be true.

So, let’s see. We have Rachel's deaf-as-a-post grandmother, her grandmother’s clever, scheming match-making friend, and a mutt named Freud, all hell-bent on "helping" Rachel with her love life—what could possibly go wrong?


Day 19



Title: The Dawnhounds

Author: Sascha Stronach

Publication Date: June 14, 2022

Summary: The port city of Hainak is alive: its buildings, its fashion, even its weapons. But, after a devastating war and a sweeping biotech revolution, all its inhabitants want is peace, no one more so than Yat Jyn-Hok a reformed-thief-turned-cop who patrols the streets at night.

Yat has recently been demoted on the force due to “lifestyle choices” after being caught at a gay club. She’s barely holding it together, haunted by memories of a lover who vanished and voices that float in and out of her head like radio signals. When she stumbles across a dead body on her patrol, two fellow officers gruesomely murder her and dump her into the harbor. Unfortunately for them, she wakes up.

Resurrected by an ancient power, she finds herself with the new ability to manipulate life force. Quickly falling in with the pirate crew who has found her, she must race against time to stop a plague from being unleashed by the evil that has taken root in Hainak.


Day 20



Title: Outsiders

Author: Lynn Ames, Georgia Beers, J.D. Glass, Susan X Meagher, Susan Smith

Publication Date: November 10, 2009

Summary: Brisk Press presents Lynn Ames, Georgia Beers, JD Glass, Susan X. Meagher and Susan Smith, all together under the same cover with the aim to satisfy your every literary taste. This incredible combination offers something for everyone — a smorgasbord of fiction unlike anything you’ll find anywhere else.

A Native American raised on the Reservation ventures outside the comfort and familiarity of her own world to help a lost soul embrace the gifts that set her apart.

A reluctantly wealthy woman uses all of her resources anonymously to help those who cannot help themselves.

Three individuals, three aspects of the self, combine to create balance and harmony at last for a popular trio of characters.

Two nomadic women from very different walks of life discover common ground — and a lot more — during a blackout in New York City.

A traditional, old school butch must confront her community and her own belief system when she falls for a much younger transman.

Five authors — five novellas. Outsiders — one remarkable book.


Day 21



Title: Pack of Her Own

Author: Elena Abbott

Publication Date: March 14, 2023

Summary: Natalie Donovan jumps at a friend’s offer to stay in the family cabin for a month—she desperately needs the chance to get away from, and get over, her messy breakup. She doesn’t count on the owner of the local diner making her heart pound and her body desperate to be touched.

Wren Carne is a lone wolf. As an Alpha shifter, she has no pack and maintains her territory without causing drama, just the way she likes it. When she checks on the girl staying in a local cabin, she’s not expecting her wolf to identify the human as her One True Mate.

As fallout from their pasts encroaches upon the sleepy town of Terabend, Wren must decide if she wants a pack of her own, while Natalie worries that her secret—she’s transgender—might be too much for Wren.


Day 22



Title: Love Letters for Joy

Author: Melissa See

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

Summary: Less than a year away from graduation, seventeen-year-old Joy is too busy overachieving to be worried about relationships. She’s determined to be Caldwell Prep’s first disabled valedictorian. And she only has one person to beat, her academic rival Nathaniel.

But it’s senior year and everyone seems to be obsessed with pairing up. One of her best friends may be developing feelings for her and the other uses Caldwell’s anonymous love-letter writer to snag the girl of her dreams. Joy starts to wonder if she has missed out on a quintessential high school experience. She is asexual, but that’s no reason she can’t experience first love, right?

She writes to Caldwell Cupid to help her sort out these new feelings and, over time, finds herself falling for the mysterious voice behind the letters. But falling in love might mean risking what she wants most, especially when the letter-writer turns out to be the last person she would ever expect.


Day 23



Title: Of Iron and Gold

Author: Lexa Luthor

Publication Date: July 23, 2020

Summary: Princess Kinsey has been given four Alpha slaves, and she must choose one to impregnate her.

Aubrey, a She-Alpha, was sold into slavery at an early age due to her misunderstood "degenerate" nature. Trapped in the Tharnstone Castle, Aubrey has a chance to win her freedom, if she can show her Alpha's worthiness and be chosen to impregnate the princess. But when she learns the Alpha will be forbidden to see the child, she considers the real cost of freedom.

Kinsey will one day be the Omega queen of her father's kingdom, but first she must provide an heir for the House of Wymarc. All she must do is pick an Alpha, despite her aversion towards them. But she soon discovers there's more to some Alphas, than the volatile, dull beasts she's used to. Now, the choice isn't so simple.





Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Pride Month Book Recommendations Part 2


Here is a roundup of the second set of days of queer book recommendations that I have! This post covers days 10 through 16. These are, mostly, books or authors that I've read and loved! The Goodreads page for the book is included and purchase links are attached to the covers if you want to buy the book yourself.



Day 10



Title: Can't Take That Away

Author: Steven Salvatore

Publication Date: March 9, 2021

Summary: Carey Parker dreams of being a diva, and bringing the house down with song. But despite their talent, emotional scars from an incident with a homophobic classmate and their grandmother's spiraling dementia make it harder and harder for Carey to find their voice.

Then Carey meets Cris, a singer/guitarist who makes Carey feel seen for the first time in their life. With the rush of a promising new romantic relationship, Carey finds the confidence to audition for the role of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the school musical, setting off a chain reaction of prejudice by Carey's tormentor and others in the school. It's up to Carey, Cris, and their friends to defend their rights--and they refuse to be silenced.

Told in alternating chapters with identifying pronouns, debut author Steven Salvatore's Can't Take That Away is both a romance, and an affirmation of self-identity.


Day 11



Title: Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything

Author: Justine Pucella Winans

Publication Date: April 11, 2023

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Bianca Torre is an avid birder undergoing a gender identity crisis and grappling with an ever-growing list of fears. Some, like Fear #6: Initiating Conversation, keep them constrained, forcing them to watch birds from the telescope in their bedroom. And, occasionally, their neighbors. When their gaze wanders from the birds to one particular window across the street, Bianca witnesses a creepy plague-masked murderer take their neighbor’s life. Worse, the death is ruled a suicide, forcing Bianca to make a choice—succumb to their long list of fears (including #3: Murder and #55: Breaking into a Dead Guy’s Apartment) or investigate what happened.

Bianca enlists the help of their friend Anderson Coleman, but the two have more knowledge of anime than true crime. As Bianca and Anderson dig deeper into the murder with a little help from Bianca’s crush and fellow birding aficionado, Elaine Yee (#13: Beautiful People, #11: Parents Discovering They’re A Raging Lesbian), the trio uncovers a conspiracy much larger—and weirder—than imagined. But when the killer catches wind of the investigation, Bianca’s #1 fear of public speaking doesn’t sound so bad compared to the threat of being silenced for good.

In this absurdist, bizarrely comical YA thriller that is at turns a deceptively deep exploration of anxiety and identity, perhaps the real murder investigation is the friends we make along the way.


Day 12



Title: Grandad's Pride

Author: Harry Woodgate

Publication Date: April 25, 2023

Summary: Grandad and Milly are back for another adventure, this time honoring the past and celebrating the future with a pride parade. This heartwarming tale continues to wonderful journey that began with the Stonewall Honoree, British Book Award winner, and Waterstones Best Illustrated Book, Grandad's Camper.

Grandad and Milly are back for another adventure, this time honoring the past and celebrating the future with a pride parade. This heartwarming tale continues to wonderful journey that began with the Stonewall Honoree, British Book Award winner, and Waterstones Best Illustrated Book, Grandad's Camper.


Day 13



Title: Ellen Outside the Lines

Author: A.J. Sass

Publication Date: March 22, 2022

Summary: Thirteen-year-old Ellen Katz feels most comfortable when her life is well planned out and people fit neatly into her predefined categories. She attends temple with Abba and Mom every Friday and Saturday. Ellen only gets crushes on girls, never boys, and she knows she can always rely on her best-and-only friend, Laurel, to help navigate social situations at their private Georgia middle school.

Laurel has always made Ellen feel like being autistic is no big deal. But lately, Laurel has started making more friends, and cancelling more weekend plans with Ellen than she keeps. A school trip to Barcelona seems like the perfect place for Ellen to get their friendship back on track. Except it doesn't.

Toss in a new nonbinary classmate whose identity has Ellen questioning her very binary way of seeing the world, homesickness, a scavenger hunt-style team project that takes the students through Barcelona to learn about Spanish culture and this trip is anything but what Ellen planned.

Making new friends and letting go of old ones is never easy, but Ellen might just find a comfortable new place for herself if she can learn to embrace the fact that life doesn't always stick to a planned itinerary.


Day 14



Title: Chef's Choice

Author: TJ Alexander

Publication Date: May 30, 2023

Summary: When Luna O’Shea is unceremoniously fired from her frustrating office job, she tries to count her blessings: she’s a proud trans woman who has plenty of friends, a wonderful roommate, and a good life in New York City. But blessings don’t pay the bills.

Enter Jean-Pierre, a laissez-faire trans man and the heir to a huge culinary empire—which he’ll only inherit if he can jump through all the hoops his celebrity chef grandfather has placed in his path. First hoop: he needs a girlfriend, a role that Luna is happy to play…for the right price. She’s got rent to pay, after all! Second hoop: they both need to learn how to cook a series of elaborate, world-renowned family recipes to prove that Jean-Pierre is a worthy heir. Admittedly, Luna doesn’t even know how to crack an egg, but she’s not going to let that—or any pesky feelings for Jean-Pierre—stop her.

Another swoon-worthy and heartwarming queer love story from a charming new voice in romance.


Day 15



Title: The Heartbreak Bakery

Author: A.R. Capetta

Publication Date: October 12, 2021

Summary: Syd (no pronouns, please) has always dealt with big, hard-to-talk-about things by baking. Being dumped is no different, except now Syd is baking at the Proud Muffin, a queer bakery and community space in Austin. And everyone who eats Syd’s breakup brownies . . . breaks up. Even Vin and Alec, who own the Proud Muffin. And their breakup might take the bakery down with it. Being dumped is one thing; causing ripples of queer heartbreak through the community is another. But the cute bike delivery person, Harley (he or they, check the pronoun pin, it’s probably on the messenger bag), believes Syd about the magic baking. And Harley believes Syd’s magical baking can fix things, too—one recipe at a time.


Day 16



Title: The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Author: Deya Muniz

Publication Date: May 9, 2023

Summary: Lady Camembert wants to live life on her own terms, without marriage. Well, without marrying a man, that is. But the law of the land is that women cannot inherit. So when her father passes away, she does the only thing she can: She disguises herself as a man and moves to the capital city of the Kingdom of Fromage to start over as Count Camembert.

But it’s hard to keep a low profile when the beautiful Princess Brie, with her fierce activism and great sense of fashion, catches her attention. Camembert can’t resist getting to know the princess, but as the two grow closer, will she able to keep her secret?

A romantic comedy about mistaken identity, true love, and lots of grilled cheese.


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Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Pride Month: Queer Books that Feature Food


Here is a list of 15 queer books that feature food in a main capacity, somehow. I've not read all of these but I have read most of them. There are links to purchase the books connected to the covers, just click and you'll head over there.



Chef's Kiss



Author: TJ Alexander

Publication Date: May 3, 2022

Summary: Simone Larkspur is a perfectionist pastry expert with a dream job at The Discerning Chef, a venerable cookbook publisher in New York City. All she wants to do is create the perfect loaf of sourdough and develop recipes, but when The Discerning Chef decides to bring their brand into the 21st century by pivoting to video, Simone is thrust into the spotlight and finds herself failing at something for the first time in her life.

To make matters worse, Simone has to deal with Ray Lyton, the new test kitchen manager, whose obnoxious cheer and outgoing personality are like oil to Simone’s water. When Ray accidentally becomes a viral YouTube sensation with a series of homebrewing videos, their eccentric editor in chief forces Simone to work alongside the chipper upstart or else risk her beloved job. But the more they work together, the more Simone realizes her heart may be softening like butter for Ray.

Things get even more complicated when Ray comes out at work as nonbinary to mixed reactions—and Simone must choose between the career she fought so hard for and the person who just might take the cake (and her heart).


Chef's Choice



Author: TJ Alexander

Publication Date: May 30, 2023

Summary: When Luna O’Shea is unceremoniously fired from her frustrating office job, she tries to count her blessings: she’s a proud trans woman who has plenty of friends, a wonderful roommate, and a good life in New York City. But blessings don’t pay the bills.

Enter Jean-Pierre, a laissez-faire trans man and the heir to a huge culinary empire—which he’ll only inherit if he can jump through all the hoops his celebrity chef grandfather has placed in his path. First hoop: he needs a girlfriend, a role that Luna is happy to play…for the right price. She’s got rent to pay, after all! Second hoop: they both need to learn how to cook a series of elaborate, world-renowned family recipes to prove that Jean-Pierre is a worthy heir. Admittedly, Luna doesn’t even know how to crack an egg, but she’s not going to let that—or any pesky feelings for Jean-Pierre—stop her.


Chef's Kiss



Author: Jarrett Melendez

Publication Date: April 12, 2022

Summary: Now that college is over, English graduate Ben Cook is on the job hunt looking for something…anything…related to his passion for reading and writing. But interview after interview, hiring committee after hiring committee, Ben soon learns getting the dream job won’t be as easy as he thought. Proofreading? Journalism? Copywriting? Not enough experience. It turns out he doesn’t even have enough experience to be a garbage collector! But when Ben stumbles upon a “Now Hiring—No Experience Necessary” sign outside a restaurant, he jumps at the chance to land his first job. Plus, he can keep looking for a writing job in the meantime. He’s actually not so bad in the kitchen, but he will have to pass a series of cooking tests to prove he’s got the culinary skills to stay on full-time. But it’s only temporary…right?

When Ben begins developing a crush on Liam, one of the other super dreamy chefs at the restaurant, and when he starts ditching his old college friends and his old writing job plans, his career path starts to become much less clear.


Chef's Kiss



Author: Stephanie Shea

Publication Date: July 2, 2021

Summary: Valentina Rosas has always known what she wants. Mostly. Sort of. At least, she does now. And what she wants is the coveted staging role at Gia, San Francisco. With four years at the top of her class in culinary school and enough tenacity to fuel the entire Mission, no one doubts she is about to land the job of her dreams—including the three-person cheer squad made up of her best friend and adorably overbearing parents.

Renowned chef Jenn Coleman is not a people person. Her rise to the top of the culinary industry stems from a cultivated blend of top-tier schooling—from her nonna—and bouts of carefully managed misanthropy. Owning and operating two Michelin starred restaurants doesn’t leave time for much else anyway. Just ask her ex.

When the new stage at her restaurant trips into her with all the grace of a baby giraffe, it’s a sure recipe for disaster. But for all of Jenn’s reserve, Valentina has twice the allure, and the chemistry between them is just… chef’s kiss.

If only Jenn wasn’t Valentina’s boss with nearly ten years between them.


Love & Other Disasters



Author: Anita Kelly

Publication Date: January 18, 2022

Summary: Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying—not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she's focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money.

After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them. They’re there to prove the trolls—including a fellow contestant and their dad—wrong, and falling in love was never part of the plan.

As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London’s steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen—and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after.


Melt with You



Author: Jennifer Dugan

Publication Date: May 17, 2022

Summary: Fallon and Chloe used to be best friends, but last summer they hooked up right before Chloe left for college, and after a series of misunderstandings they are now not speaking to one another. A year later, Chloe’s back home from school, and Fallon is doing everything in her power to avoid her--which is especially difficult because their moms own a business together, a gourmet ice cream truck where both girls work.

When their moms have the opportunity to make a presentation to some venture capitalists in Texas--something that could seriously expand their business and solve all their money problems to boot--it's up to Fallon to work a series of food truck festivals across the country. But she can't do it alone, and Chloe is the only one available to help. As tensions heat up again between the two, will Fallon be able to keep her cool?


Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble



Author: Alexis Hall

Publication Date: November 1, 2022

Summary: Paris Daillencourt is a recipe for disaster. Despite his passion for baking, his cat, and his classics degree, constant self-doubt and second-guessing have left him a curdled, directionless mess. So when his roommate enters him in Bake Expectations, the nation’s favourite baking show, Paris is sure he’ll be the first one sent home.

But not only does he win week one’s challenge—he meets fellow contestant Tariq Hassan. Sure, he’s the competition, but he’s also cute and kind, with more confidence than Paris could ever hope to have. Still, neither his growing romance with Tariq nor his own impressive bakes can keep Paris’s fear of failure from spoiling his happiness. And when the show’s vicious fanbase confirms his worst anxieties, Paris’s confidence is torn apart quicker than tear-and-share bread.

But if Paris can find the strength to face his past, his future, and the chorus of hecklers that live in his brain, he’ll realize it’s the sweet things in life that he really deserves.


Playing with Fire



Author: Lesley Davis

Publication Date: June 1, 2019

Summary: Takira Lathan’s life revolves around her restaurant. She owns it, cooks in it, and is one hundred percent dedicated to its success. Her life starts to veer off course when money goes missing and so does her restaurant manager, leaving her in the lurch. Most importantly, raising her young nephew was never anywhere in her plans.

Dante Groves could be the answer to Takira’s prayers. She’s an excellent manager and is totally at ease with children. She’s also mature, kind, and unashamedly butch. Takira can’t help being attracted, but Dante’s emotional baggage from her last relationship has left her way too wary of romance.

Betrayed by those they trusted, Takira and Dante must rely on each other to create a recipe for success, both in business and in love.


Recipe for Love



Author: Aurora Rey

Publication Date: April 16, 2019

Summary: A recipe for love:
One cup of homespun country farmer
Two dollops of hotshot city chef
A sprinkle of funky little restaurant
Increase the heat until romance sizzles.

Hannah Little doesn’t have much use for fancy chefs or fancy restaurants, but that’s exactly what Three Willows Farm needs to survive. When a local restaurant wants to feature her produce, she’s thrilled. But the contract means working with an egotistical, and (let’s face it) drop-dead-gorgeous head chef from New York City.

Chef Drew Davis can’t wait to run her own kitchen. If taking a job at some trendy farm-to-table restaurant in the middle of nowheresville will get her there faster, she’s on board. She has no intention of staying though, and that means the feisty farmer who keeps trying to tell her how to do her job can’t be anything more than a pleasant distraction.


Roux for Two



Author: Aurora Rey

Publication Date: May 16, 2023

Summary: When her celebrity chef boss is taken down in a sexual harassment scandal, Chelsea Boudreaux's dream of getting her own cooking show comes true. Her hometown of Duchesne, Louisiana, provides the perfect backdrop for her modern takes on traditional Cajun fare. Vindicating herself to the mother who never believed in her is icing on the cake.

Bryce Cormier never left Duchesne and has no regrets, except that falling in love as a trans guy in a tiny town is easier said than done. When Chelsea comes home after more than a decade away, Bryce thinks he may have found the perfect woman. At least until Chelsea's burgeoning celebrity spills over and turns his world upside down.

It turns out love is like a good gumbo--what seems simple is complex, and the best results require a bit of courage. And like all the recipes say... First, you make a roux.


The Dos and Donuts of Love



Author: Adiba Jaigirdar

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

Summary: “Welcome to the first ever Junior Irish Baking Show!”

Shireen Malik is still reeling from the breakup with her ex-girlfriend, Chris, when she receives news that she’s been accepted as a contestant on a new televised baking competition show. This is Shireen’s dream come true! Because winning will not only mean prize money, but it will also bring some much-needed attention to You Drive Me Glazy, her parents’ beloved donut shop.

Things get complicated, though, because Chris is also a contestant on the show. Then there’s the very outgoing Niamh, a fellow contestant who is becoming fast friends with Shireen. Things are heating up between them, and not just in the kitchen.

As the competition intensifies , Shireen will have to ignore all these factors and more― including potential sabotage―if she wants a sweet victory!


The Heartbreak Bakery



Author: A.R. Capetta

Publication Date: October 12, 2021

Summary: “What’s done is done.”
Unless, of course, it was done by my brownies. Then it’s getting
undone.

Syd (no pronouns, please) has always dealt with big, hard-to-talk-about things by baking. Being dumped is no different, except now Syd is baking at the Proud Muffin, a queer bakery and community space in Austin. And everyone who eats Syd’s breakup brownies . . . breaks up. Even Vin and Alec, who own the Proud Muffin. And their breakup might take the bakery down with it. Being dumped is one thing; causing ripples of queer heartbreak through the community is another. But the cute bike delivery person, Harley (he or they, check the pronoun pin, it’s probably on the messenger bag), believes Syd about the magic baking. And Harley believes Syd’s magical baking can fix things, too—one recipe at a time.


The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich



Author: Deya Muniz

Publication Date: May 9, 2023

Summary: Lady Camembert wants to live life on her own terms, without marriage. Well, without marrying a man, that is. But the law of the land is that women cannot inherit. So when her father passes away, she does the only thing she can: She disguises herself as a man and moves to the capital city of the Kingdom of Fromage to start over as Count Camembert.

But it’s hard to keep a low profile when the beautiful Princess Brie, with her fierce activism and great sense of fashion, catches her attention. Camembert can’t resist getting to know the princess, but as the two grow closer, will she able to keep her secret?

A romantic comedy about mistaken identity, true love, and lots of grilled cheese.


Two Grooms on a Cake



Author: Rob Sanders

Publication Date: May 4, 2021

Summary: This is the story of Jack Baker and Michael McConnell and their inspiring story becoming the first married gay couple in the US fifty years ago.

Long before marriage equality was the law of the land, two grooms stood on a wedding cake with their feet firmly planted in fluffy white frosting. That cake belonged to Jack Baker and Michael McConnell, who were wed on September 3, 1971, becoming the first same-sex couple in America to be legally married. Their struggle to obtain a marriage license in Minnesota and their subsequent appeals to the Minnesota Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the United States is an under-told story of LGBT history. This beautiful book celebrates the love story of two pioneers of marriage equality for all through the baking of their wedding cake!


Wooing the Farmer



Author: Jenny Frame

Publication Date: March 12, 2019

Summary: Penelope Huntingdon-Stewart, highly successful clean-eating food vlogger and owner of the website Penny’s Kitchen, is looking for a new direction for her brand. At least that’s what she tells herself when she retreats to Axedale to record a new web series and write a cookbook. That sounds so much better than damage control after her only live, on-screen interview ends in an oh-so-public epileptic seizure.

Farmer Sam McQuade is immediately attracted to Penelope, but the ultra femme and high maintenance city girl seems way out of her league. When Penelope struggles to get her health on track, Quade insists on being her knight in shining armor, much to Penelope’s displeasure. Quade is annoyingly good-looking, not to mention kindhearted, and falling for her would be so easy. If only it didn’t force Penelope to face the secrets she’s hidden from everyone. Can love alone bring a complex city girl and a simple rural farmer together?







Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page.

Friday, June 9, 2023

Pride Month Book Recommendations


Here is a roundup of the first 9 days of queer book recommendations that I have! These are, mostly, books or authors that I've read and loved! The Goodreads page for the book is included and purchase links are attached to the covers if you want to buy the book yourself.



Day One



Title: Dragonfall

Author: L.R. Lam

Publication Date: May 2, 2023

Summary: Long-banished dragons, revered as gods, return to the mortal realm in the first in this magical new epic fantasy trilogy from a bestselling author.

Long ago, humans betrayed dragons, stealing their magic and banishing them to a dying world. Centuries later, their descendants worship dragons as gods. But the gods remember, and they do not forgive.

Thief Arcady scrapes a living on the streets of Vatra. Desperate, Arcady steals a powerful artifact from the bones of the Plaguebringer, the most hated person in Lumet history. Only Arcady knows the artifact's magic holds the key to a new life among the nobles at court and a chance for revenge.

The spell connects to Everen, the last male dragon foretold to save his kind, dragging him through the Veil. Disguised as a human, Everen soon learns that to regain his true power and form and fulfil his destiny, he only needs to convince one little thief to trust him enough to bond completely--body, mind, and soul--and then kill them.

Yet the closer the two become, the greater the risk both their worlds will shatter.


Day Two



Title: The Hills We Run From

Author: Ellis Mae

Publication Date: February 8, 2023

Summary: Edinburgh has always seemed like a magical place; with its rolling hills and towering abodes, everything seems possible. Perhaps, its just magical enough that Saatchi, illustrious marathon runner and notorious college student, can finally leave her past grievances beneath her thrumming feet. Even newcomer Emmylou, running away from an oppressive past, may be able to find exactly what she's been missing out on in from under her mother's heel. But, is it magic enough for the both of them? Or are they destined to trip before the finish line? Saatchi just wants to run. It's all she's ever known and it's all she's ever loved. The cobblestones of Edinburgh thrumming below her feet are her only peace of mind as she grieves her past self. But she's lost all of the freedom with the mounting pressure to make her once adored hobby a career. Emmylou is on the run. She's finally put herself first and decided to take a leap of faith that's led her to a country she's never even visited, all to escape a controlling mother. The problem is, she thought it'd be easy once she made that leap but, instead, it's only made her realize she's just as lost as before.


Day Three



Title: They Ain't Proper

Author: MB Guel

Publication Date: May 18, 2023

Summary: 1880s, The Wild West.

An easy, solitary life on the outskirts of Ghosthallow is all Lou Ramirez wants. They want to buy their house plans and live their quiet life far from townsfolk’s prying eyes. That plan, however, hits a bump when instead of house plans, a house wife is delivered to their door instead.

Clementine Castellanos desperately needs a way out from under her family debt, and it seems as though selling her services as a wife is the only way to do it. Expecting a rough, harsh man to be her new husband, Clementine is pleasantly surprised to instead be dropped off at the ranch of an equally surprised Lou.

Lou would rather Clementine leave them to their lonely existence, but Clementine is too charmed by the quiet and mysterious rancher to give up. She may have come into Lou’s life easily, but she certainly isn’t planning to leave that way. Undeterred by Lou’s prickly demeanor, Clementine is determined to get her reluctant spouse to open up to her.

When the past comes back to haunt the pair, the fight for their independence—and their love—may become more deadly than either of them ever expected.


Day Four



Title: Breakthrough

Author: Kris Bryant

Publication Date: May 1, 2018

Summary: Kennedy Wells is desperate to get back her dream job writing for Mainstream, Waters Publishing’s celebrity magazine. She’s worked too hard over the years to have it snatched away because of one tiny indiscretion that ended with a giant lawsuit. After five months of writing mind-numbing articles about current events, her boss agrees to let her get back to reporting on the rich and famous after one last story.

A born and bred city girl, Kennedy is sent to cover fishing in Alaska, which has her feeling just like a fish out of water. When Brynn Coleman, director of Alaska’s Wildlife Rescue and Sanctuary, comes to her rescue time after time, Kennedy can’t help but lower her guard and open herself up to Brynn’s standoffish charm. Falling for the sexy ranger is one thing, but is the possibility of love worth giving up a career she’s always dreamed of?


Day Five



Title: LGBTQ Youth and Education

Author: Cris Mayo

Publication Date: December 13, 2013

Summary: Based on the diverse experiences of LGBTQ students and their allies, this essential volume brings together in one resource the major issues that schools must address to improve the educational outcomes for gender and sexual minority students--as well as all students. Many of these issues involve negative school-based experiences that teachers and administrators need to be aware of as they interact with students on a daily basis, including those that encourage dropping out, substance abuse, and disproportionate thoughts of suicide. This insightful work not only examines the challenges of discrimination, harassment, and alienation that LGBTQ youth face, but it also captures students' resilience and creativity in organizing against those challenges. The text includes teaching strategies, innovative projects, curricular revisions, and policy initiatives that have had positive effects on LGBTQ learning, aspirations, and school climate.

Book Features:

Offers a nuanced portrait of students, showing how issues of race, gender, gender identity, and class shape and complicate their experience. Examines the history and contemporary movements for LGBTQ rights. Describes a variety of discipline-based approaches to teaching students to think about LGBTQ-related concerns. Shows examples of youth organizing into extracurricular groups or creating school- and community-based interventions. Highlights the role of online communities and web-based resources.


Day Six



Title: Backwards to Oregon

Author: Jae

Publication Date: January 1, 2007

Summary: “Luke” Hamilton has always been sure that she’d never marry. She accepted that she would spend her life alone when she chose to live her life disguised as a man.

After working in a brothel for three years, Nora Macauley has lost all illusions about love. She no longer hopes for a man who will sweep her off her feet and take her away to begin a new, respectable life.

But now they find themselves married and on the way to Oregon in a covered wagon, with two thousand miles ahead of them.


Day Seven



Title: Magical Boy Vol. 1

Author: The Kao

Publication Date: February 1, 2022

Summary: Although he was assigned female at birth, Max is your average trans man trying to get through high school as himself. But on top of classes, crushes, and coming out, Max's life is turned upside down when his mom reveals an eons old family secret: he's descended from a long line of Magical Girls tasked with defending humanity from a dark, ancient evil! With a sassy feline sidekick and loyal gang of friends by his side, can Max take on his destiny, save the world, and become the next Magical Boy? A hilarious and heartfelt riff on the magical girl genre made popular by teen manga series, Magical Boy is a one-of-a-kind fantasy series that comic readers of all ages will love.


Day Eight



Title: Flamer

Author: Mike Curato

Publication Date: September 1, 2020

Summary: I know I’m not gay. Gay boys like other boys. I hate boys. They’re mean, and scary, and they’re always destroying something or saying something dumb or both.

I hate that word. Gay. It makes me feel . . . unsafe.

It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes—but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.


Day Nine



Title: Until I Love Myself, Vol. 1

Author: Poppy Pesuyama

Publication Date: June 20, 2023

Summary: A bravely blunt autobiography about confronting the tangled traumas of gender dysphoria and workplace sexual harassment.

Nonbinary manga artist Poppy Pesuyama is excited when forms offer the option to choose “neither” for gender and thrilled about their new job working as an assistant for mangaka X! But then he sexually harasses them, treating them first like a girl and then like something less than human. It only lasts a few months, but in some ways it never ends.

Born into a body they hate and still reeling from the abuse they faced seven years ago, Pesuyama begins to rail at their past, their friends, and even their mother as they try to come to terms with who they are and what happened to them.


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