#sarah gailey
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Another year, another absurd amount of books read (296, because if I wasn't reading or writing this year, my brain was on fire). I was asked again for my top books of the year, so here we go: 2023's top 10, in no particular order.
This was the first book I read of the year--literally, vacated the hangout with my wife and sibling-in-laws to sit on their couch upstairs and eat through it. Do you love The Fall of the House of Usher, but wish for a nonbinary protagonist and a lot more mushrooms? This is the book for you! (T. Kingfisher is fucking rad, I made a concerted effort to only list ONE of her books on here, but honorable mention goes to The Twisted Ones for fucking me upppp.)
A gay, post-apocolyptic Pinocchio retelling involving copious robots, found family elements, and a cool-ass treehouse. Klune always hits for me with his unrepentant queer family dynamics and sense of humor. Honorable mention to the first two in the Green Creek series (although that's got a lot more...adult elements in among the werewolves, you've been warned).
I thiiiink I found this through The Homo Schedule podcast (PSA: if you missed out on Jasmin Savoy Brown and Liv Hewson doing a podcast together, now you know better), and it wrecked my shit. Tons of trigger warnings, as this is a memoir about abuse within a queer relationship, but it's so beautifully written. I personally suggest listening to the audiobook first, then standing anxiously behind someone at a book warehouse sale, hoping they'll set down the only paperback copy so you can swipe it.
A fantastical-historical reimagining in which the KKK is filled with literal monsters, and Black women are resistance fighters armed to take them out. Visceral and intense, and truly an excellent horror story.
Just. Such a soft time travel story about a daughter and her father and cherishing the time you get with loved ones. I was thoroughly unprepared for how lovely I found this one. It's very kind.
Spooky house, take-no-shit redhead, protective sibling elements, bisexual recluse with a sword who really just needs a nap. I haven't found a Harrow book yet I haven't slapped five stars on. She's so good at character and atmosphere, and I'm always surprised at how fast her stories race by.
The whole Daevabad trilogy (of which this is the first book) is just magical. A girl from the mortal world finds herself embroiled with the centuries-long prejudices and wars of djinn in a fantastical city. It's one of the rare stories of its kind that does have a love triangle, but doesn't feel like a love triangle; it's far less interested in the insufferable "who gets picked" than it is in the actual horrors these people are both perpetrating and coping with. It's an intoxicating ride.
Fuck You, TERFS: the book. Given that fact, there's obviously quite a lot of transphobia to deal with, but it's very clear that those people are wrong, and it's a super-engaging (and super-oh-god-what-comes-next) witchy time populated with queer, protective, interesting characters I'm excited to see again in the follow-up.
Have you ever wanted a haunted house story with visceral imagery and a rather lovely twist? Gailey has you covered. As much as I enjoyed The Echo Wife, I think I actually loved this one more, and it makes me so excited to see what else they've got up their sleeve.
One of my final reads for the year, when I was just churning through hardcovers at the speed of sound. I love this book. I recognize it won't be for everyone, but it takes so much of what I love about IT (one of my all-time favorite books, despite its flaws) and twists it through the lens of an author who escaped the Mormon church. It's horrific, it's fantastically abstract in places, it explores childhood and memory, imagination and abuse, and almost every character is queer. It's a great "I simply cannot sleep until I've finished" read.
#long post#book recs#t kingfisher#tj klune#carmen maria machado#p djeli clark#emma straub#alix e harrow#s.a. chakraborty#juno dawson#sarah gailey#kiersten white#plenty of others could go on this list as well but i figured i'd keep it to ten this time around#still can't believe i read just shy of 300 books in a year#bonus shoutout to the animorphs series all of which is out on audiobook now (the main books anyway)#and which honestly really do hold up well
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Earlier today I got hit with a wave of pretty severe pain (my body does this from time to time) and I climbed into the bed and put a gravity blanket on and took a nap. It was incredibly deep and full of very vivid dreams. In one of the dreams, I was looking at an entire room filled with brightly-wrapped pieces of candy, just examining the quality of the foil.
Anyway I woke up from the nap feeling A Bit Off and came back to the computer intending to try to force myself to get a little work done - hard to do when Body Hurts, also hard to do when one knows that ones job COULD be Brightly Colored Foil Inspector - and then I saw this
Apparently, today, JUST LIKE HOME won a BRITISH FANTASY AWARD for Best Horror Novel!! I am totally floored and so honored!!
Thank you so, so much to everyone who nominated, voted, and clapped when my name was announced. I am deeply touched and honored to have won this award. I promise to try to continue making upsetting works of fiction for as long as you'll all have me.
--gailey
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Have you ever wondered what an alternate America would be like if Hippos ruled the Mississippi River?
Well, I’m about to find out.
📖 American Hippo by Sarah Gailey
#godzilla reads#american hippo#Sarah gailey#river of teeth#taste of marrow#book blog#reading#bookish#bookworm#booklr
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Are you writing this month, Wrimo? Check out our “I wrote a novel… now what?” resources over on the NaNoWriMo website for tips on choosing your next writing adventure: whether that’s finishing a story you’ve been working on for a while, editing and revising, pursuing publishing... or something completely different! For some extra inspiration, author Sarah Gailey’s Pep Talk from this past November reminds you to find joy in the reasons you write. Read the full Pep Talk here!
Image description: A blue background with illustrated red flowers, with text that reads: “The worst part of not writing is that writing always lingers at the edges of it. There’s a prickle on the back of my neck when I’m not writing, an unanswered-message feeling. Because the story is waiting.” —Sarah Gailey”
#nanowrimo#writing#writing inspiration#writing quote#why we write#pep talk#by pep talker#sarah gailey
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The Echo Wife and Just Like Home by sarah gailey are some excellent and eerie reads 😈
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I got through a book for the first time since I was a teenager!!! nearly 10 years, maybe? i'm really happy and proud. I used to read so much, then I just.. stopped.
"The Echo Wife" by Sarah Gailey, thriller science fiction. I have no idea what kinda reception this book has gotten, i didnt look up ratings, and my mind was so fresh to prose that I just took it in. I enjoyed it vry much, and drew this while listening.
#the echo wife#Sarah Gailey#lesbian artist#queer artist#hm idk how to tag book fanart??? lol#bennizone-art
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The Vampire Slayer #16
Publication date: July 19, 2023
In a bloody ritual involving Willow and Buffy, Drusilla's portal puts everyone in peril, with only Buffy having the Slayer chops to stop her!
But with the Baby Crab hungry for portal-energy... his true monstrous form might be something unstoppable to behold!
Script: Sarah Gailey; illustration: Kath Lobo; colors: Valentina Pinto; covers: Skylar Patridge, Yoshi Yoshitani.
#buffy comics#comic covers#boom! studios#the vampire slayer#buffy summers#willow rosenberg#rupert giles#xander harris#spike#skylar patridge#yoshi yoshitani#sarah gailey#kath lobo#the vampire slayer 16
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booklr, arise!! the porch light is lit, a writer calls for aid!!
i need your best ~haunted house~ book recs, please! adult books only (no YA or middle grade), the weirder and more fucked up the better, bonus points for funny, more bonus points for queer. super niche bonus points if haunted house in space or with weird aliens and/or fungus involved somehow (haunted spaceships/stations probably count).
i've already got THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE and JUST LIKE HOME on my list, and i'm throwing LEECH on there for good measure! i've read MEXICAN GOTHIC, too.
thanks for playing!! looking forward to your recs!!
#text#personal#writing#books#haunted house#book recs#book recommendations#leech#hiron ennes#the haunting of hill house#shirley jackson#just like home#sarah gailey#mexican gothic#silvia moreno garcia#y'all see the Themes here right#weird#fucked up#tbf im not sure that any of these quite hit my Funny buttons#but hilarious is also very appreciated#nano2024#yeah this is writing prep yeah im excited VERY early in the year lll#*lol#hit me with your best stuff!!
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I just made the french onion baked lentils and farro from Smitten Kitchen and man, what a home run.
Good prompt to share my online sources that I return to time and time again!
Probably obviously, Smitten Kitchen! I've been following Deb for about 15 years and MANY of her recipes are in my regular rotation. When I have an ingredient I want to use up and am not sure what to do with it, I often search it up on her site for inspiration. That said, most of her recipes are rather complex and time-consuming, and I usually prefer her savory offerings over the sweets.
Sohla El-Waylly. Oh how I love her. She is not only a chef, but an educator. In addition to her newsletter that I linked to, her Off Script series on Food 52 (a reliable site in general in my experience) is an incredible resource, as is her new cookbook Start Here. Her recipes almost always include suggestions for ingredient substitutions that get you thinking about core concepts and techniques, not just following a rote list of steps every time.
Claire Saffitz is my go-to resource for baking. Like Sohla, she knows how to TEACH, which I value so highly. Her recipes are sometimes complex, but watching her videos makes even the most epic of bakes accessible.
Joe Rosenthal has a grand total of 5 recipes online, but they are wildly detailed and informative. I live by his advice regarding salting food - "do not be obscene, but do not fail through your own gutlessness." His recipes are essays you have to study and pore over, not something you pull up for a quick weeknight meal, but I've learned so much from him and have to shout him out at every opportunity.
Stone Soup Supper Club and the Personal Canons Cookbook by @sarahgailey! I found their newsletter at the start of the pandemic when they shared cooking inspiration for all of us stuck at home with limited grocery access. Since then, it's been a constant delight to have my horizons broadened by the diverse group of chefs that they feature from week to week.
It doesn't hurt that all of these folks are simply lovely as people as well. All a delight to follow, read, watch, and learn from!
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River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
In the early 20th Century, the United States government concocted a plan to import hippopotamuses into the marshlands of Louisiana to be bred and slaughtered as an alternative meat source. This is true.
Other true things about hippos: they are savage, they are fast, and their jaws can snap a man in two.
This was a terrible plan.
Contained within this volume is an 1890s America that might have been: a bayou overrun by feral hippos and mercenary hippo wranglers from around the globe. It is the story of Winslow Houndstooth and his crew. It is the story of their fortunes. It is the story of his revenge.
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Alright as it is Trans Day of Visibility (Hi still not cis, still here etc.) and the final day of the extended Trans Rights Readathon I thought I would post about a few more of my favorite books by trans authors because hopefully everyone will be reading books by trans authors and about trans characters/topics all year round. Because to me this day is about supporting others in the community as much as anything else. The world is pretty on fire right now so if you can support a trans creator, artist, organization or friend today (and beyond) then do it!
So here are a bunch of shorter reads: books, graphic novels, novellas etc. I didn't really notice how many novellas I had been reading recently till making this list, but there is something about a wel- written short book that just really works for me. Also a lot of these just have really creative or lovely concepts and I am a sucker for those. Plus the characters in these are soooo good! Also a lot of these have lovely audiobooks or e-books, hence me not having a physical copy (yet). Many of these have trans characters as well, but not all of them. Though most have some form of queer rep because I don't read much that doesn't. I included muliple by some of the authors, including sequels because... I just really like them and couldn't pick just one. Most of these authors have other books that are also wonderful. And these are just a handful of examples, there are so many fabuluous books by and about people who are trans.
Six Months, Three Days, Five Others by Charlie Jane Anders
Peter Darling by Austin Chant
The Companion by EE Ottoman
The Barrow Will Send What It May by Margaret Killjoy
Taste of Marrow and River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk
Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
Nimona by Nate Stevenson
Gender Queer by Mia Kobabe
The Seep by Chana Porter
Future Feelings by Joss Lake
Pet by Akwaeke Amezi
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
The Black Tides of Heaven; The Red Threads of Fortune; The Descent of Monsters; The Ascent to Godhood by Neon Yang
Finna and Defekt by Nino Cipri Coffee Boy and Caroline's Heart by Austin Chant
ID: Slide one has a stack of 10 books on a teal background. Slides two through four have a white background and four book covers and a boarder of books in the trans flag colors.
#transrightsreadathon#trans books#queer books#book recs#booklr#trans day of visibility#Six Months Three Days Five Others#trans authors#charlie jane anders#peter darling#austin chant#s.a. chant#the barrow will send what it may#Margert Killjoy#taste of marrow#river of teeth#sarah gailey#Even though I knew the end#c l polk#Upwright Women Wanted#nimona#gender queer#Mia Kobabe#the seep#chana porter#Future feelings#Joss lake#Pet#akwaeke amezi#nate stevenson
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Have You Eaten?
A novella in four parts
(Surprise!)
Have You Eaten? is out this week!
If you’re thinking “what do you mean, you have a new project out? I haven’t heard of this!” don’t worry – you’re not alone. Have You Eaten? is a project that has been years in the making, under cover of darkness, and now I finally get to tell you about it!
In a near-future world where you can't trust anyone but your closest companions, nothing matters as much as the family you choose. Have You Eaten? is a serialized novella about queer dirtbags on the run, searching for their missing best friend. It's the story of how they nurture and nourish each other with their limited emotional and material resources. The entire novella is out this week over at Reactor, with sections going up each day between now and Thursday. You can read Part 1 now.
Each installment of Have You Eaten? is accompanied by an original recipe from my recipe box. You'll also find stunning original art from friend of my heart and genuine superstar, Shing Yin Khor. Thank you so much to the whole team at Reactor for getting behind this wild-ass project–I am so proud of what we've made together!
-gailey
#Have You Eaten#Sarah Gailey#shing yin khor#Novella#Queer stories#Queer community#Recipe#Recipes#SURPRISE LMAO
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“Crypt of Shadows” Returns for 2023
Crypt of Shadows is a one-shot of scary stories for Halloween.
In addition to a framing story hosted by Victor Strange, the younger brother of Doctor Strange, from writer Al Ewing and artist Paul Davidson, stories in the 2023 edition of Crypt of Shadows are:
a Deadpool story featuring the Living Mummy from writer Cavan Scott and artist Devmalya Pramanik,
a Scarlet Witch tale featuring a new villain called the Bricklayer from writer Steve Orlando and artist Paul Azaceta,
a Werewolf by Night and the Hulk story from writer Sarah Gailey and artist Eder Messias, and
a Daredevil and Man-Thing team-up from writer Declan Shalvey and artist Alex Lins.
Crypt of Shadows #1, featuring a cover by Leinil Francis Yu, goes on sale on October 18, 2023.
(Image via Marvel Comics - Leinil Francis Yu’s Cover of Crypt of Shadows #1)
#crypt of shadows#marvel comics#victor strange#deadpool#living mummy#scarlet witch#bricklayer#werewolf by night#hulk#daredevil#man-thing#leinil francis yu#al ewing#paul davidson#cavan scott#devmalya pramanik#steve orlando#paul azaceta#sarah gailey#eder massias#declan shalvey#alex lins#TGCLiz
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there is no gut-punch like reading a book that is Shirley Jackson as hell (Just Like Home, by Sarah Gailey)
and then reading on the book jacket "perfect for fans of Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House!!!!"
like no fuck off this is for people who really really needed to know What If Merricat Was Kind Of Normal But Also The Daughter Of A Serial Killer Instead Of A Self-Made Orphan, And Also Mrs. Montague And Arthur Were There, And ALSO Also Mrs. Montague Was Nell Vance's Mother Too
(Vera reminds me of Connie from the Physick World series, as well, but somehow with an even less healthy family dynamic than "we're all witches and because of that our partners die tragic early deaths unless we magically worsen climate change about it")
#books#the jacket blurb also mentions a true crime documentary. which. I feel like the main character would hate that#sarah gailey#it's been compared to the NOVEL HoHH (aka the only real HoHH besides the 1963 movie IMO)#in interviews and such#but for some reason the publishers wanted to compare it to that Netflix non-adaptation#argh#(personally I find it closer to We Have Always Lived In The Castle but that's just me)
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happy halloween from tor publishing group!
hope everyone's got a good book and lots of candy for tonight!
#halloween#tor books#just like home#sarah gailey#book of night#holly black#masters of death#olivie blake#the invisible life of addie larue#v. e. schwab
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