Hi there Disco Dancers!

I hope you’re surviving the heat. I’ve just realised we’re halfway through the year, madness! To mark the occasion I’ll be doing a TikTok about my top 10 reads so far this year. That’ll come out later this week, but wanted to give you folks first look and a handy list.

Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose

Food magic, queer normative, angry revolution, eat the rich!!

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

Cosy, cute, found family, zombie rooster!

Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove

Monsters in space, queer AI, more found family.

Songs for Ghosts by Clara Kumagai

Queer teenage angst, Madam Butterfly retelling, beautiful prose, family secrets

The Saint of Heartbreak by Morgan Dante

Judas x Lucifer love story, very sad bois, slowest of slow burns, literally thousands of years

Self Made Boys by Anne-Marie McLemore

The Great Gatsby but they’re both transmasc, the romance, oh the romance

(S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi

Poetry novel, Caribbean folklore, fire witches, I just want to be a normal girl

The Chromatic Fantasy by H.A.

Runaway nun becomes a transmasc highwayman, meets another transmasc highwayman, shenanigans

A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander

A transmasc Earl who doesn’t want a valet but gets a handsome valet and regrets everything (but not really)

Tradwife by TC Parker

Queer investigator looks into unsolved murders in a Tradwife community, everyone’s a suspect, fictional true crime

Special mention - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. I’m only halfway through this but it’s SO good so far.

All the best,

Disco

Hi there party people and disco dancers!

June is Caribbean Heritage Month, which is recent news to me (the UK only started celebrating it last year).

Since I’m half Trinidadian and lived there as a kid, I’m super happy to have a month dedicated to our beautiful islands and culture.

Here are 3 Caribbean books in 3 different genres that I really enjoyed:

The Haunting of Tyrese Walker by J.P. Rose

This is a YA horror book about a Jamaican-British boy who goes to spend the summer in Jamaica after his father passes away. His grandmother warns him to take care to avoid evil spirits, called duppies, on the island. At first he refuses to believe, but then sinister things begin to go bump in the night…

I’m a scaredy cat, and the creepy crawleys in this were terrifying! But I loved the sinister atmosphere, it’s a great book for horror fans. I also loved learning about Jamaican folklore, which is slightly different to Trinidad.

(S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi

In this beautiful poetry novel, two teenage girls in Brooklyn live two very different lives. One is a soucouyant, a Caribbean fire witch, seeking freedom from her controlling mother. The other is a mixed heritage girl with a hidden past. But their destinies soon entwine.

This was stunning! I felt like it was made just for me. And the Trinidadian folklore aspects were great.

Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass

In this Persuasion retelling, a teenage girl in Tobago working in her family’s resort is horrified when her now-famous ex comes to stay. She’s even more horrified when she’s asked to show him and his friends around the island.

This was super cute, and feels like a love letter to soca, Tobago and island life.

That’s all for now!

Much love,

Disco

Hi there party people and disco dancers,

Happy Juneteenth to those who celebrate! We don’t have this in the UK (I celebrate Trinidad Emancipation Day in August), but I wanted to share some books by Black American authors anyway.

Here are 3 Black US books I rarely see on social media:

Love in the Age of Dragons by Fatima R. Henson

In this YA post apocalyptic novel, the world has been overrun by dragons, and humans have fled underground. A Black teenage girl is determined to save her sick mentor, and so braves a trip to the surface to find medicine…

This is a lot more about survival and inter-personal drama than it is about dragons, as most of the action takes place underground, but it’s a great, tense read. Perfect for post-apocalyptic sci fi fans.

A Heart to Hold by Sula Sullivan

In this Snow White retelling, a curvy brewer with seven brothers meets and falls for a non-binary newcomer to the town, naked Apple. But they may be hiding a secret.

This is so sweet! A cosy fantasy novella set in an all-Black fantasy world with elements of the American South.

The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez

This is a lesbian novel about a woman who escapes slavery, gets turned into a vampire and then lives the next 200 years determined to build lasting friendships and safe Black, queer communities amidst the turmoil of a changing world. Written in the 80s, it’s a brilliant book that swept me away when I read it a few years ago.

With love,

Disco x

Hi there Disco Dancers!

I hope you’re having a good Pride reading month! If you’re looking for a few short novellas to squeeze in to your TBRs, here are 3 queer conceptual sci fi novellas that I don’t see talked about enough:

30 by Clinton W. Waters

In the future, on their 30th birthday, everyone has a 50/50 chance of blinking out of existence. A gay man hires an escort (a very normalised profession) to spend his potential last day with him, musing on love, life, regret and connection.

This is such a beautiful book that really stayed with me.

In the Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu

This is a Chinese-inspired bio-cyberpunk story by a human who is plugged into a biological surveillance system in a totalitarian city cut off from the rest of the universe. When a story collector somehow finds ser way into ae’s pod, everything ae knows is challenged.

Both characters have neopronouns, and there are also elements of historical fiction. I always struggle to describe this one but I love it, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever read!

Wild by Joma West

In a future, people go to libraries to plug into books and experience the stories. A curious teenager plugs into a dictionary, looks up the word ‘wild’ and goes on a crazy experiential journey through all of the definitions, finding clues to another story hidden within.

This won the MMU novella award in 2016, and I’m extra excited about it because Joma is my sibling! They’ve since had 2 books published by Tor. This early novella is a real intense, fun journey, I love it so much.

Wishing you all great reading!

Disco x

Happy Pride Month party people and disco dancers!

I’m having an amazing reading month so far, I’ve read 2 new favourites and my current read is shaping up to be top 10 of this year too. Here’s what I’ve been reading:

Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose

This is a queer anti-establishment fantasy about a young butcher who becomes a rebel figurehead in an unequal world full of food-based magic.

It’s action packed, brutal and emotional, and I stayed up way too late finishing it! The food descriptions are incredible and made me so hungry (even though I don’t eat meat). It’s book 1 in a series but I felt satisfied at the end, you could totally stop there. I have rave review on TikTok. This is out in July.

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

The Very Secret Society for Irregular Witches is one of my absolute favourite books, and this follow up is, I think, even better.

It follows an Indian-Icelandic innkeeper witch who’s lost her magic, who lives with a hectic, brilliant found family in Lancashire with her disabled Indian great-aunt, a zombie chicken, her magical Icelandic cousin, a chivalrous knight, and a hilarious Black gardener/goat enthusiast. If that’s not enough, then a quiet, handsome Scottish magical scholar and his autistic little sister come to stay.

This book felt like a tender, understanding hug, I loved it. Out in July!

Current reads

Right now I’m loving When the Tides Held the Moon by Vanessa Vida Kelly, an mm merman romance based in 1910s New York. The human MMC is a Puerto Rican asthmatic blacksmith, and there’s a beautiful found family (you can tell it’s my favourite trope) of carnival performers. It’s also illustrated and stunning! Out now.

I’ve also started a sapphic horror, Feast While You Can by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta. I’m only a few pages in but the writing is already luscious and creepy, I can’t wait to see where it goes.

On my radar

I just got the proof for Human Rites by Juno Dawson! This is book 3 in the Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series, and I feel so grateful to get it. I’ll be reading it ASAP.

Do share what you’re reading in the comments and on the Discord!

Be excellent to each other,

Love,

Disco

Hey there party people and disco dancers, happy Pride Month!

I usually have a stacked TBR for this month but I want to keep things simple for myself as I’ve got a lot on, so I just have 3 books that I HAVE to get to. No excuses! They are:

Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose

A queer fantasy about an unequal world where the rich amass power through eating magic recipes, and an oppressed butcher who rises up against them. I’m a quarter into this already and I’m obsessed. The writing is so gripping and incredible. And the food descriptions are mouth watering. Warning - a lot of it is about meat, butchery etc, which I thought would put me off (I didn’t eat meat for over 20 years and now only eat it very very rarely, like, 3 times a year), but it’s written so well I’m too engrossed to care. This is out in July.

When the Tides Held the Moon by  Venessa Vida Kelley

This is a gorgeously illustrated mm human x merman romance that I’m so excited for. I was sent the hardback copy by the publisher and it looks amazing.

Ascension by S.T. Gibson

This is the sequel to Evocation, a poly romance with a sorcerer, a medium and a witch trying to break a curse. The first book was very much witchy/romantic vibes over plot so some people didn’t love it, but I was hooked. I can’t wait to see what happens with my magical disaster queers.

I’ll be doing a bunch more updates throughout the month, but for now, happy reading!

Love,

Disc

Hi there party people and disco dancers!

May is almost over, so I wanted to get my Mental Health Awareness recs in before we start focusing on Pride.

I wanted to highlight some books that have really stuck with me in recent years, as great rep for various mental health issues.

Depression:

The Saint of Heartbreak by Morgan Dante

This is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year! Judas is sent to hell after betraying Jesus and is taken in by Lucifer. As Judas suffers from centuries of guilt and shame, the two slowly fall for each other. It’s tender, gorgeous and gut-wrenching, and I thought the depression was written honestly and beautifully.

Anxiety:

A Little Luck by JA Collignon

In this sapphic cosy fantasy, a bard with anxiety falls for a retired thief as they plan a village festival together. I particularly loved the fact that the bard’s siblings also suffered from anxiety, and there was a lot of understanding and support.

Addiction:

The Final Strife by Saara el-Arifi

This is book 1 in an incredible queer fantasy series inspired by African and Arabian mythology, set in a world where the colour of your blood determines your status. The MC has a drug addiction, and struggles throughout the series. I like that there was no magical cure, but the addiction storyline also didn’t get too overly dark. It was treated sensitively and added a lot to the character.

Grief

Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass

This is a wonderful YA Persuasion retelling set in Tobago. A teenage girl mourning the loss of her mother is working in her family resort when her ex comes to stay. The grief isn’t a central theme, but there are some beautiful and very real moments where it crops up almost out of nowhere. There’s also a connection between music and memory that felt very true and tender.

PTSD

Into the Light by Mark Oshiro

A homeless, drifting queer Latino teenage boy tries to survive on the road, running from his experiences in a scary cult. This is a really emotional book that focuses on the MCs hopes, dreams and ever-constant fears. While the PTSD is not named, there is a mystery that unfolds regarding his past experiences at the cult, and his response to those memories throughout the book are intense, honest and very well written.

OCD

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

This is a dark romantasy that I absolutely adored, about a medium with a dark force inside her, who follows her sister into a mysterious demon-filled mansion to take part in deadly magical games. The dark force is a representation of OCD, which the author has. This was my first time reading a fantasy version of this condition and it gave me an insight into how intense and debilitating it can be.

If you have your own fave recs, please do drop them in the comments!

Much love,

Disco

Hi there Disco Dancers!

I’ve collaborated with Becklovesbooks/Bookasaurusbex to provide books recs for her June Prideopoly challenge.

I’ll be sharing these to social media later this week, but wanted to give you first look!

I tried to go with books that matched both the prompt and the flag for each square, and chose indie books as much as possible. I have read and highly recommend all of these. 

Full list below images!

List:

Bi fantasy - The Final Strife by Saara el-Arifi

Bi disability rep - Godkiller by Hannah Kaner 

Book in bi colours - Deceived by the Gargoyles by Lillian Lark (bi poly monster romance)

Gay BIPOC MC/author -  The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta 

Gay romance - Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

Identity not a prompt - In the Care of Magic by Robin Jo Margaret (aro allo, spicy) Initiation by Alethea Faust (intersex SC, spicy)

Indigiqueer rep - Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (asexual Lipan Apache MC)

Asexual rep - The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz 

Asexual friends to Lovers - Must Love Cake by Azalea Crowley (novelette)

Non-binary (indie published) - A Heart to Hold by Sula Sullivan 

Non-binary sci fi - Hammajang Luck by Makama Yamamoto

Non-binary under 250 pages - The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

Pansexual with creatures - Deal with the Devil by Bex Deveau (spicy poly monster romance)

Pansexual rep - In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland 

Trans queer joy - Rainbow Islands by Devin Harnois 

Trans rights - Chef’s Kiss by T.J. Alexander

Trans poetry - Blood Orange by Mx Yaffa

Lesbian mental illness rep - A Little Luck by J.A. Collignon (anxiety)

Lesbian graphic novel - On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden 

Lesbian slow burn - The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar 

All the best,

Disco

Hey there party people and disco dancers!

This week I’ve been thinking about all the wonderful romance books I’ve read by AAPI authors, there are so many.

So this week’s Diverse Discoveries will have: AAPI romance recs, current reads/just finished, on my radar.

AAPI romance recs

No romance list of mine would be complete without Adiba Jaigirdar, I’ve read 4 of her 6 books and loved every one. She’s a queer Bangladeshi-Irish author and writes sapphic YA romance about Bengali-Irish girls.

The first one I read was Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating. In this one there’s a lovely scene where the girls go on a fake date, and one of them has compiled a list of Halal places so the Muslim girl can eat.

My favourite is The Dos and Donuts of Love, with a plus size Bengali-Irish girl going on a teen baking show with her ex. I’ve never watched The GBBO in my life but I still loved the reality TV show aspect of this!

One of my favourite books from the Trans Rights Readathon this year was Dulhaniyaa by Talia Bhatt. A young woman travels to India for an arranged marriage but gets distracted by her trans dance instructor. If you’re a Bollywood fan, or you want to try out a book with a Bollywood vibe, this novella is such a fun ride.

Another one for the foodies, I highly recommend Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee. This is another YA fake dating story, about a young chef fake dating a richer boy in the lead up to a Mooncake baking competition. It delves into the connections between Singaporean food, culture and family and it’s super sweet.

I yell about Azalea Crowley’s cozy horror romance books all the time, but they really are fantastic. The first book, Odd Blood, is about a 30-something Filipino-American woman with autism meeting a himbo vampire, and becoming a live-in caretaker for his elderly vampire roommate. It’s funny, ridiculous and oh so brilliant. There are 4 books in the series so far and a spin off novella. Azalea is Kanaka-Maoli.

Lastly, Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min. This is about between a Korean-Japanese trans boy and a Filipino-Latino boy bonding over music and anime while dealing with some sad events in their lives. It’s tender and honest and beautiful.

I’m realising I don’t read enough adult Asian romance, so do let me know if you have recs!

Current reads & just finished

I haven’t read a whole lot since last week because I’ve been busy, but I did start a new alien romance series that I’m now obsessed with!

The Clecanian series by Victoria Aveline is very popular but I’m only now getting into it. The first one, Choosing Theo, has a plus size white woman abducted from Earth, taken to a matriarchal alien planet, and told to choose a husband! It’s a great, fun, silly romance, with a little bit of spice.

I know I have way more books I should be reading, but my tired work brain is having a holiday I think, and I’m embracing it. And the alien world is very queer normative, which I appreciate.

I finished 100 Queer Poems as well. This was mostly good, but I find poetry anthologies difficult. Just like short story anthologies, I think I find the chop and change between styles too hard to sink into. But it had some great stand out poems and the selection is really diverse.

On my radar

Aside from trying to finish the Murderbot books (I LOVED the first 2 episodes of the Apple show), I’m still hoping to get to my previous AAPI picks, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, and Tokyo Ueno Station.

I also want to get a head start on my Pride Month ARCs, especially Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose, a queer fantasy about a chef using magic meat to rebel against tyranny. Eat the Rich!

That’s all for now, party on dudes!

Disco