#queer adult lit | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mendingbone · 10 months

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i keep seeing people in their late teens/early twenties having a "[X] content intended for younger audiences does not feel satisfying to me anymore but i don't know where to start to branch out into adult fiction" moment and i thought i would give some recommendations for adult fiction for my fellow creepy crawly queer people. all or at least a LOT of it will be on the darker and more fucked up side bc i primarily engage with horror and thriller media personally but feel free to add on with more or recommendations from other genres :)

edit: i am continuing to add to this list so there might be new recs (highlighted in pink) in here every once in a while! also want to add that there's a variety of POC, queer, and disabled authors in here as well, i am also all of the above (asian, bi/aro, poly, disabled) and tried to incorporate as many of their wickedly talented, compelling narratives as possible. that's all, happy reading!

A Certain Hunger, Chelsea G. Summers

A Darker Shade of Magic, V. E Schwab*

A Dowry of Blood, S.G Gibson

Animal, Lisa Taddeo*

A Ripple of Power and Promise, Jordan A. Day*

Bunny, Mona Awad*

Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi*

Cursed Bread, Sophie Mackintosh*

Dark Places, Gillian Flynn

Dead Girls Don't Say Sorry, Alex Ritany*

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Olga Tokarczuk*

Eileen, Ottessa Moshfegh*

Fruiting Bodies, Kathryn Harlan*

Goddess of Filth, V. Castro*

Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn

House of Leaves, Mark Danielewski

If I Had Your Face, Frances Cha*

Iron Widow, Xiran Jay Zhao

Jackal, Erin E. Adams*

Juniper and Thorn, Ava Reid*

Kindred, Octavia Butler*

Manhunt, Gretchen Felker-Martin*

Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Ninefox Gambit, Yoon Ha Lee*

Rabbits, Terry Miles*

Scorched Grace, Margot Douaihy*

Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynn

She is a Haunting, Trang Thahn Tran

Slewfoot, Brom*

Sorrowland, Rivers Soloman

Summer Sons, Lee Mandelo

Supper Club, Lara Williams*

The Centre, Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi*

The Change, Kirsten Miller

The Death of Jane Lawrence, Caitlin Starling*

The Dreamer Trilogy, Maggie Stiefvater

The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson

The Hollow Places, T. Kingfisher*

The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter, Soraya Palmer*

The Jasmine Throne, Tasha Suri

The Locked Tomb, Tamsyn Muir

The Luminous Dead, Caitlin Starling*

The Red Tree, Caitlin Kiernan*

The Unfamiliar Garden, Benjamin Percy*

Vicious, V. E Shwab

Wake, Siren, Nina MacLaughlin*

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson

What Moves the Dead, T. Kingfisher*

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ninja-muse · 8 months

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A Half-Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys is exactly the sort of science fiction I go for. It's thoughtful and gentle, the world-building is rich and believable, and it focuses on people and culture over adventure, drama, or the explanation of scientific concepts. And, as usual, I've had the ARC in my house for a year and only picked it up this month. Entirely my fault, that, but also clearly the perfect time to pick it up because it hit the spot for me so hard.

So, plot? About 60 years from now, we've started getting a handle on climate change. It's not fixed, but it's definitely looking fixable. But then aliens arrive, convinced that we're in denial about our extinction and the whole planet needs to be evacuated immediately because technological societies can only thrive properly in space. And our protagonist, who's from a collectivist, planet-focused culture, says, "… You're making a lot of assumptions there, can we talk about this?"

Emrys uses the discussions, negotiations, and cultural exchanges to talk about family and community, to celebrate the best of humanity while acknowledging the worst and most complicated. It's hopeful, not only for how we're reversing the climate crisis but also for the casual inclusivity, the mutual aid, and the willingness of everyone to talk rather than use violence—but not so hopeful as to be unbelievable. There are still cultural differences, there are still prejudices, and few people are happy to let one overwhelmed new mom be the voice of her species. There were genuinely moments where my shoulders were around my ears.

Emrys has taken the time to think through some of her core world-building, and current human tech and societies, and build a cohesive whole. All the stuff around food, for instance: how you get it, how you make it, how you present it. And the stuff about gender? Folklore and history? Children? And then it was well-written and the characters all felt like people in all their complicated, contradictory glory and … yeah, there was so much of this I loved.

Was it perfect? Honestly, no. Some parts of the resolution felt rushed, or repetitive from things that had come before. But it was darn good and had me not only hooked from the beginning, but adding this to my Best of 2023 list before I'd finished my first day's reading. If you're looking for a great first-contact book, a good climate-focused SF book, or sci-fi that's just a shade or two darker than "cozy", this is absolutely one to pick up!

#booklr #bookblr #science fiction #adult booklr #sff #first contact #book reviews #book recommendations #a half-built garden #ruthanna emrys #read in 2023 #queer lit

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elamimax · 1 year

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There's a lot of people who really, really love the "magical school" setting, but for obvious reasons don't want to support Jowling Kowling anymore.

So, I wrote a YA novel.

Jonathan Rosewood is, not to put too fine a point on it, dead. Well, almost dead. Like, basically dead. But he's being given a second chance: to become the familiar of a young witch-in-training. Luckily for him, that means a second lease on life, access to a magical world and incredible abilities, not to mention a whole host of new friends. Unluckily for him, he does still have to go to class, and occasionally giant monsters seem to try to kill him.

With a whole host of young characters, several of which are some form of queer, Jonathan has to figure out how to navigate his own burgeoning identity, the fact that he's a female cat sometimes, as well as the growing realization that there is more to this magical world than meets the eye.

Any Other Name is a queer reimagining of the genre, with a more anti-authoritarian, anti-status quo bent, and hey, this one is by a trans author! You can buy it on Amazon or wherever else you get your epubs :)

His hands in his pockets, shoulders squared and eyes to the ground, Jonathan crossed the road and tried to bury his face in the collar of his jacket. It was eerily quiet when he almost bumped into a chair he realised was in front of a table. Already strange to see these things outside, but on a zebra crossing? He looked up and saw a woman sitting behind the table. She looked a little bit like one of those well-meaning middle-school teachers, who rewarded thirteen-year-olds with stickers (who would pretend not to be proud of them), all rosy cheeks and smelling faintly of incense and a minimum of two cats. She was wearing what appeared to be a dress from the Fifties; the only thing ‘off’ about the presentation was a tattoo of an eye peeking out of her dress at her collarbone. She smiled at him, and indeed, her cheeks were rosy and round. “Hello,” she said. “Um,” Jonathan responded. “Please, sit down. My name is Charlie. Charlie Ferman.” The lady’s smile was unwavering and eerily genuine. It wasn’t predatory or scary, just… disarmingly honest. “You’re in the middle of the street,” Jonathan said. The lady giggled, a sound like sleighbells ringing through the air on a christmas morning. “I don’t think that will be a problem,” she said, and rolled her eyes at her surroundings in an exaggerated display. Jonathan looked. The world had stopped. Cars had all braked for some reason, he thought, until he realised that people, too, had frozen in place. A man was trying to get a pigeon from pecking at his hotdog, and it was hovering just a few feet from his face. “I don’t understand,” Jonathan said. He sat down out of shock, more than out of any obligation to do as the lady asked. “Gosh, I do so hate this part,” Charlie said. “You’re dead.” Jonathan looked at her. “No, I’m not,” he said. “I’d know if I was dead. I wouldn’t be talking to you.” “Well, you’re not wrong. But you also kind of are,” Charlie said with an apologetic little smile and then waved in the other direction. Jonathan only just now became aware of the fact that there was a sixteen-wheeler only a foot from the table. “You’re going to be dead,” Charlie said. “In just a few hundredths of a second. It’ll be fairly painless, if that helps. Would you like a sweet?” She produced a small piece of wrapped candy out of a little purse.

#trans literature #writblr #writing #writers on tumblr #queer lit #young adult #ya books #magical school #trans fiction #queer fiction #Trans protagonist

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interpretive-dance-off · 3 months

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IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Watercolor design. The front of a green station wagon driving through the bleak cold Appalachia mountains lined with naked trees, a portly pastor with red hair and beard at the wheel, a teenager with a pink pixie cut smoking a cigarette in the passenger seat, a male teen in the back looking anxious and a female teen with a unibrow scrolling through her phone. [END OF IMAGE DESCRIPTION]

AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you're a fellow bookworm, you know the story you live is extremely contingent on the stories you read. How often do queer/trans/nonbinary kids see themselves as the heroes in the stories they live, much less read? Recently, I put the finishing touches on my first ever manuscript, a young adult LGBTQIA+ mystery-thriller: MY TEETH BECOME WEAPONS. If you are an avid storyteller, chances are it's because you're an avid story reader. With my sights on LGBTQIA+ literature, I see tremendous benefits in stories that romanticize the mundane and the ordinary things in queer, trans, or nonbinary characters's lives and we have been gifted some remarkable stories in that regard.

But MY TEETH BECOME WEAPONS is anything but mundane as the circumstances currently befalling queer and trans kids in our country are anything but. The story involves a pan teen boy living in rural Tennessee named Ilya slowly learning the reality of bigotry and corruption in his environment, and he must decide if taking a stand in the face of adversity and status quo is worth risking not only his safety, but the safety of his family and friends. The story takes a white-knuckled and unapologetic byway through themes of queerness, gender, conversion therapy, religion, politics, mental health, and friendship. In the wake of countless anti-LGBTQIA+ and book-banning bills, MY TEETH BECOME WEAPONS is just as unwavering in its stance on LGBTQIA+/BIPOC empowerment as the adolescent and immature characters it tells the pulse-pounding tale of. Until it's ready to hit the shelves, I'll keep you posted on its journey to your hands.

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stuff-diary · 2 months

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I'll Give You The Sun changed my life in ways I can't even begin to describe, so imagine how excited I am about Jandy Nelson's new book. Her first in 10 years! It has been such a long wait, but I'm certain it will be worth it.

#i can't wait to get my hands on it #but six more months is nothing after ten years #jandy nelson #when the world tips over #i'll give you the sun #the sky is everywhere #books #young adult #ya books #reading #books and reading #queer lit #drama #romance

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unicornofthemidwest · 6 months

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Not to be transgender on main but. Jo March being so opposed to marriage of her sisters because it means growing up, and childhood is the last way that Jo can just be Jo. Jo March and tying being a woman to her hair, and then cutting her hair off. Jo March marrying someone from far away so that she can create a different life. Jo March saying she wishes she’d been born a boy. Not to be transgender on main but Jo March.

#Little women #louisa may alcott #arghhh there’s this fantastic nyt article positing that Alcott was trans #American classics kid to queer adult pipeline #Not okay about Louisa May alcott #And like obviously we’ll never actually “know��#But there is trans meaning in little women even if it wasn’t intentional #Or even if Alcott wasn’t aware of it #They didn’t have words for it etc you know the spiel #Lit #Jo march #transgender

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sharry-arry-odd · 2 months

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People are who they are. There was never going to be a last minute transformation. My mother was never gonna sit at my graduation, and break down to reveal: she was hard all this time just to save her soft heart. All the horrible things she said were just a shield; she made me drive to my own appointments because she couldn't bear to see me suffer. Et cetera, et cetera, infinity. People want families to fit together perfectly, no matter what, but sometimes they don't. It's when we keep trying to force them together that we get hurt.

Looking for Group, by Rory Harrison

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qbdatabase · 2 months

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Femme Like Her by Fiona Zedde Nailah only dates studs, races her Camaro for therapy, and leaves her exes in the past. But, with a layoff looming and her retired parents about to take a life-changing step Nailah isn’t ready for, her world becomes far from stable. Enter Scottie, the only femme she’s ever allowed close enough to touch her heart. View the full summary and rep info on wordpress!

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bookishlyvintage · 1 month

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A Strange and Stubborn Endurance, Foz Meadows [x]

#book review #a strange and stubborn endurance #foz meadows #fantasy #lgbtq #queer lit #lgbtq fantasy #queer fantasy #new adult #romantasy #romance #bookblr #booklr #books #reading

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sapphicbookoftheday · 2 years

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The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

Today's sapphic book of the day is The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag!

Summary: "Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can't wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She's desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends...who don't understand Morgan at all. Because really, Morgan's biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl.

Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn't seem so stifling anymore.

But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they're each trying to hide will find its way to the surface...whether Morgan is ready or not."

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mccoppinscrapyard · 1 year

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Read in 2022 (7/?)

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

❝ I don't believe in fairy tales and love at first sight and all that, but for just a second, I think this girl and those eyes and the way her freckles dot the entire expanse of her face are cute enough to make a believer out of me. ❞

#read in 2022 #you should see me in a crown #leah johnson #litedit #yalitedit #young adult literature #lgbt literature #lgbt books #queer lit #diverse books #book aesthetic #realistic fiction #ya romance #liz lighty #amanda mccarthy #mystuff #my edit #books2022

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left-handlibrary · 1 year

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She’s picked up a book!

I’ve just started uni again with two fairly intense-feeling subjects so I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to keep up with personal reading. I am, however, really enjoying SPEAR by Nicola Griffith.

SPEAR is a queer retelling of the Arthurian legend. The writing has kept me rolling along. It’s both easy to read and engaging, which is the sort of thing I’m needing right now!

I also have plans to pick up a copy of Samantha Shannon’s latest book (just released yesterday!) and I’m hoping that I’ll keep finding time and brain space to dedicate to books.

Have you got any new releases on your radar for 2023??

#booklr #adult booklr #study #studyblr #queer lit #lgbt+ lit #my books #my photos

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11diabla11 · 3 days

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adhd-academia · 2 years

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The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

i finished my first magical realism book of the summer and jeeeeeez louise it took my breath away. it was an enchanting, delicate, cosmic, delicious read and i highly recommend it, especially if you liked The Night Circus. plus, i didn’t go into it knowing that it was queer literature so that was a major bonus 🐝🗝⚔️

#studyblr #adhd studyblr #grey academia #adult adhd #chaotic academia #college #academia aesthetic #liberal arts #adhd #adhd problems #bookblr #literature #the starless sea #erin morgenstern #bookish #bookworm #queer lit #queer literature #magical realism

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heathercauthor · 2 years

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TWO WEEKS until this upper YA survival novel launches!

Feng is both the hunter and the hunted, searching for his missing family in an apocalyptic world controlled by the alien intruders who are trying to get him to stop blowing their shit up.

Diem grew up on stories of monstrous human creatures, but never dreamt she’d get the chance to meet one. When she’s forced to forge an alliance with the worst of them all, she wishes she never had.

Be sure to follow for bonus content and updates!

Release date | October 26, 2022

Goodreads

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ahb-writes · 5 months

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Manga Review: 'Catch These Hands!' #3

Catch These Hands!, Vol. 3 by Murata

adulting

comedy

coming of age

queer comics

romance

yuri

Takebe is a terrible sort-of girlfriend, and she kind of knows it. The good news is that since she and Soramori aren't dating too seriously, the stakes are low. The bad news is that the longer these two adults hang out together, the more they rely on one another to get more out of life. So, what happens when they fight? What happens when a casual insult goes too far? What happens when a presumption of common domesticity doesn't sink in until it's too late?

CATCH THESE HANDS v3 hardens its gaze against the dimming sunset in hopes of poaching from this hour of pearl a glimpse romantic insight. By now, Takebe is boorish and listless, and Soramori is skittish like a puppy dog. The question of whether they take their relationship to the next level (whatever that level is), could be a recipe for more effective storytelling or doom the manga to its genre conventions. That is, will these two characters start acting like adults, or will they continue playing in the sandbox until the sun goes down?

The current volume makes a better attempt at maturing this struggling duo than the previous work. Takebe invites Soramori out for an evening dinner (Takebe: "We're having a grown-up date today."); there's talk about purchasing respectful, adult-focused birthday gifts; both women entreat Miharu and Maria, former biker gang members, for advice; and best of all, Takebe challenges Soramori to another fistfight. Such are the demands of stories whose emotional silhouettes are obvious from the outset.

The bittersweet nature of a manga whose characters are aware of the right thing to do, yet refuse to do it, rarely feels so profound as when characters knowingly threaten to break their mold. CATCH THESE HANDS v3 almost gets there. Not quite. But close. Takebe, for example, realizes that being in a relationship with another woman isn't what's holding her back from being the person she wants to be; what's holding her back is the cowardice that invariably surfaces when she refuses to challenge her anxiety over the matter. If being with Soramori gives her the fuzzies and gives her comfort, then why not pursue that relationship to its fullest extent?

CATCH THESE HANDS v3 exposes the musings of adults who are afraid of being adults. It's a simple and well-tread premise, but occasionally earns its context. The childish misgivings these two characters must expend before coming into their own are awkward and vapid, but shed them they must should they ever find what they seek in themselves or in each other.

❯ ❯ Manga Reviews || ahb writes on Good Reads

#writeblr #manga #yuri #review #goodreads #catch these hands #yuri manga #murata #watashi no kobushi wo uketomete #amanda haley #yen press #kirara soramori #ayako takebe #adulting manga #queer comics #queer lit #4 of 5 stars

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