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carriagelamp · 1 year

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Coming in just under the wire... my top (...or well, in some cases the most distinctive) books I read in 2022!

You know, I was startled to realize that while I did read a rather nice collection of queer lit this year, I didn't read a single Canadian novel. This is the first year in a few I haven't been able to put at least one on my list... I'll have to remedy that next year.

I'll do a brief description of the books, for those who are curious, but my more robust summaries/reviews are in the monthly reviews.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson -- a story about an orphan who receives a birthday gift of sand from his presumably long dead parents and gets drawn into a strange, magical adventure by his mysterious grandfather

Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales -- a crime noir adventure comic featuring beautiful art and stunning scenery

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy -- a gentle collection of affirmations forming a loose, beautifully drawn narrative

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell -- a story about the chosen one attending a magical school and his rival - rather obviously a parody but it successfully creates characters, narrative, and romance that fully stands on its own

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming -- a story about a family who buy a very special car, one which seems to have a life of its own as it reveals a startling range of abilities and cunning that guide them through adventure

Dead Voices by Katherine Arden -- the sequel to Small Spaces, the children have survived their meeting with the Smiling Man and hope that life can return to normal... however when they get snowed in to a ski lodge it becomes quickly evident their holiday will be anything but that

Failed Princesses by Ajiichi -- a classic shoujo premise, in which a popular student and a nerd have a tumultuous first meeting but gradually find themselves warming to each other and slowly a romance begins to bloom... but now with lesbians!

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman -- the quirky explanation a father offers to his children, to justify why he was so late getting back from the shop with the milk...

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xui -- the powerful and feared Yiling Patriarch has been killed and the world is better for it... except years later he has found himself summoned back to the land of the living, his soul stuffed inside a body, and mysterious crimes of the past bubbling back up

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman -- a cute comic showing the developing friendships, relationships, identities, and mental health between Charlie Spring, Nick Nelson, and their collection of friends

Holes by Louis Sachar -- classic novel of Stanley Yelnats, a boy suffering under the curse of his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather, who has found himself wrongly accused of theft and now struggling to find his place and survive at the detention center Camp Green Lake

Icebreaker by A. L. Graziadei -- a story about hockey protege Mickey James III who has a heavy family legacy to live up to and is fighting desperately for the NHL top draft spot... except his top rival is attending the same college as him and isn't going to make things easy

In Deeper Waters by F. T. Luckens -- I'll be honest, I don't remember what this book is about besides pirates, magic, and queer characters... it was a fun enough read but obviously not overly memorable

The Iron Giant // The Iron Woman by Ted Hughes -- originally published as The Iron Man, this is a classic romp about a young boy who overcomes his community's fear and befriends a massive robot which appeared one day from the sea. I also read its sequel, The Iron Woman, which may be even better, and is about another massive robot who has bears the agonies of aquatic life being slowly poisoned and has now appeared to reap vengeance on those responsible for polluting the water

Kase-san and the Morning Glories by Hiromi Takashima -- an adorable series about shy, clumsy Yamada who becomes entranced by the beautiful, outgoing track star, Kase.

Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono -- the novel that inspired the Ghibli film; this book is about a young witch who has set off to spend a year on her own, developing her craft and earning her own way

Minecraft: The Mountain by Max Brooks -- I found the first book very intriguing, though this sequel was only middling. The character from the first book has left his island and has found a whole new world with whole new challenges, everything from new animals, a new friend, and a whole new deadly world to explore

Modelland by Tyra Banks -- my girlfriend read this together mostly as a joke, but my god what a wild ride I don't know if I've ever laughed so much at a book. This is Harry Potter but for a deranged magical modelling based society with the most insane strings of words you have ever seen in one place

Orphaned by Eliot Schrefer -- a book about a young gorilla who finds herself separated from her family and forced to take care of her little brother, all while being stalked by a strange new sort of creature in their jungle home...

Outbursts of Everett True by A. D. Condo and J. W. Raped -- an old newspaper comic about the Everett True, a man who goes about his life giving rude, nasty, and generally unpleasant jerks the walloping we all secretly wish we could unleash

Prince of Song and Sea by Linsey Miller -- a Little Mermaid story, told through the eyes of Prince Eric, with a whole new cast of characters, lore, curses, and exciting worldbuilding

Queer Ducks by Eliot Schrefer -- a well-researched and very readable nonfiction popsci book that explores the complexity of sex and gender in the animal world

Touching Spirit Bear // Ghost of Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen -- a childhood classic about Cole Matthew who, after beating a child badly enough to cause permanent injury, has to come to terms with his anger through a form of restorative justice that sees him on a lonely island and in the path of a majestic and dangerous white bear

Witch Week // Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones -- two different novels by Diana Wynne Jokes, first a reread, second a new one for me. Witch Week is a favourite, about witch orphans living at a bording school in which a note warns that someone in the class is a witch. The second is about orphan Earwig and her battle against the witch who adopted her with the intention to use her as a slave.

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redmrmcid · 4 months

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the little mermaid (2023)

up the stairs, to the stars

prince eric’s pov

by yours truly

after eric’s plea to be found in wild uncharted waters.

“My breath hitches at the memory of her, her voice, her touch. My body notices her absence, craving every inch of me to be explored by her and only her. I end my agony as I bring a lingering finger after another across my wet chest, mirroring the trail of her warm touch, up to my cheek. I feel her so vividly, her voice so clearly echoing within me, as if she was here, sharing this bath with me…

“Come find me” I exhale softly, my eyes going shut as I brush a finger against my lips.”

#jonah hauer king #the little mermaid #prince eric #halle bailey #disney #halle and jonah #jonah andre hauer king #princess ariel #the little mermaid live action #disney100 #prince eric pov #the little mermaid 2023 #ao3 writer #the little mermaid one shot #the little mermaid edit #the little mermaid prince eric pov #the prince of song and sea

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happypeachsludgeflower · 1 year

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The true blasphemy of literature is the romanticization of romance. They make it beautiful—all soft words, and elegant lines—and enchanting, with magic sparkling in the margins.

And you can feel it in the depths of your soul, an unexplored ocean of laughter and tears and dreams all melded together.

The yearning of a kiss that brushes against the steady and so so warm pulsing beat of life—against the smooth skin of a lovers neck. The desperation to touch another being and feel that they’re alive, right there next to you—right there, and never leaving.

To love and be loved is a jewel among treasures and all that we each seek—all that we each desire.

It burns and it burns and it burns.

“I would know him in death, at the end of the world.”

“Come home and break my heart, if you must.”

“Occasionally, Fate pulls itself together again and Time is always waiting.”

“And perhaps it is the greatest grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone.”

“By you, I am forever undone.”

“One word from you shall silence me forever.”

“A heart’s a heavy burden.”

“My sweet nemesis.”

“If you have to go, you know I will go with you.”

and then?

and then.

The book is over.

And you remember that love like that doesn't exist.

Not in the real world.

And all you can do is cry.

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its-to-the-death · 2 months

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Villain Song Showdown Bracket A Round 5 (Finals)

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The Plagues (The Prince of Egypt) - Villain: Ramses

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Poor Unfortunate Souls (The Little Mermaid) - Villain: Ursula

Mod comment: I think they're both really good for different reasons

#villain song showdown #villain song showdown round 5 #vss bracket a #the prince of egypt #the little mermaid #ursula the sea witch #tournament poll #Youtube

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lorlyn-the-demon · 1 year

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Decided to try my hand at those mermaid edits people are doing these days… with lesser known/popular characters. As you can see, they’re pretty clumsy but I’m still new at this.

#mermaids #sea prince and the fire child #jack and the cuckoo clock heart #corpse bride #hotel transylvania #secret of kells #thief and the cobbler #song of the sea #last unicorn #dragon’s lair #a monster in paris #little mermaid #peter pan #mermaids on mars #sailor’s delight #mermaid high #barbie mermaid power

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akasanata · 1 year

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Best animated movie!

Classification round

#The Secret of Kells #The Breadwinner #Song of the Sea #Persepolis #Treasure Planet #The Prince of Egypt #Loving Vincent #How to Train Your Dragon 2 #Ice Age #Lilo & Stitch #polls #my polls #best animated movie #animation #animated movies #y

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rogersstevie · 2 months

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The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien / "Where You Lead", Carole King / "If You Go, I'll Follow You", Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton / "Wherever You Will Go", The Calling / "A Thousand Miles", Vanessa Carlton / "I Will Follow You Into The Dark", Death Cab for Cutie / The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller / Captain America: The First Avenger dir. Joe Johnston / "I Don't Wanna Break", Christina Perri / "Sea of Lovers", Christina Perri / Prince's Gambit, C.S. Pacat / "Cold Water", Major Lazer, Justin Bieber & MØ / "Lucky Strike", Troye Sivan / "Lover", Taylor Swift / Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia / "Catch Fire", The Veronicas / "TAIL LIGHTS', Macklemore feat. Morray / "II Hands II Heaven", Beyonce

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thelostgirl21 · 8 months

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So, apparently, there's an actual short story called "A Little Sacrifice" where a Prince falls in love with a real mermaid in The Witcher's universe...

And Netflix is supposed to release an anime called "Sirens of the Deep", where Geralt and Jaskier get involved in the situation.

My question is: will this be happening before or after the events of Season 3?!

Because having a freaking Prince (Radovid) hearing Jaskier's songs, finding them "irresistible", and becoming heavily drawn to him as a result gives off crazy strong Prince/Siren vibes.

And metaphorically speaking, the whole song follows their story arc in Season 3 right down to the "twilit red horizon" (Redania's color is red, so is obviously blood and its association with death and murder...) and the Prince sadly immediately "sinking to darkest night" on his very first attempt to swim.

So, if Jaskier and Geralt had already met a mermaid and a Prince that had fallen in love with each other before the events of Season 3, and Jaskier had already written a whole ballad about it (that Ciri ended up learning) before he met Radovid, I'm thinking his own situation would have felt like such an insanely strong case of déjà vu!

[Note: In the short story, it's the Siren that swaps fin for foot, not the Prince. If the song is about "Sirens of the Deep", this means that either the ending of the short story has been changed...

... or something bad happened as a result of the mermaid's choice, and Jaskier decided to give them a different ending where the Prince attempts to become a mermaid, but finds himself sinking and needing the Siren's help (to embrace him and the choice he made, regardless of its consequences)?]

Otherwise, that means Jaskier composed that ballad with Radovid in mind in Season 3.

And then, on his travels with Geralt, winds up meeting an actual mermaid that fell in love with a freaking Prince - essentially facing the same dilemma he's been going through with Radovid - and probably would be going "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! Is the world trying to fucking tell me something?! Unbelievable!"

I can already imagine the conversations...

Sh'eenaz: You couldn't possibly understand what it's like to -

Jaskier: Save it! I wrote a fucking song about it! And you know what? It was a pretty good one, too! Filled with plenty of symbolism and poetry... But you two just had to show up and turn it into a literal thing, didn't you? Now, each time people will be singing my song, they'll just believe it's all about Prince Aglobal -

Sh'eenaz: Agloval

Jaskier: Whatever! And forget I had already seduced a Prince with my songs, and been offered to go live with him in a castle before you two even met! Oh! And by the way, my Prince is now the King of Redania - the most powerful nation of the Northern Kingdoms - the only one that might be able to stop the Nilfgaardians! He's way more important than -

Sh'eenaz: So, did you accept?

Jaskier: Accept what?

Sh'eenaz: To give up the life you had before to be with him?

Jaskier: *Forgets all about his rant and lets out a heavy sigh.*. It's complicated... *Hesitates* I think I might have? Especially if Ciri had decided she wanted to go to Redania to unite it with Cintra, and become the Queen she'd always dreamed of becoming... But then, Ciri went missing, the Second War began, he actually did offer to come with me instead, but then his brother was brutally murdered and he was crowned King instead...

Sh'eenaz: So, he was willing to sacrifice his world for you?

Jaskier: I guess... I mean, I think he meant it...

Sh'eenaz: Well, at least you two breathe the same air, and you can both walk... And Geralt's mate, from what I've heard, is a powerful sorceress that knows how to create portals. It's not like you can't quickly travel between your two worlds when you miss your family, thanks to her, and he can't accompany you on those visits at times, too...

Jaskier: ...

Sh'eenaz: ...

Jaskier: Yeah, I think your Prince should definitely follow you at sea. Humans are idiots.

Sh'eenaz: Well, if he does, maybe you could write a ballad about us; make it one where a Prince falls in love with a dashing travelling bard, then chooses to renounce his throne to accompany him on his travels?

Jaskier: Yeah, you wait right here in your *motions at the bay surrounding them* little pond; I'll go see your Prince and either convince him to come here and join you, or grab and throw him right into the sea myself! After that, I've got a King to catch...

#Radovid #Jaskier #Radskier #The Witcher #The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep #A Little Sacrifice #Princes can't resist a good song apparently!#They're all freaking drawn to Sirens...#Jaskier and his innate competitiveness #Freaking mermaid attempting to upstage him...#As if luring Princes at sea with the power of your songs was hard!#Been there done that wrote a ballad...#My posts #My thoughts

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killiansprincss · 11 months

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My only complaint about the new Little Mermaid is that it wasn’t 3 hours longer

#I loved it so much #I just wanted more of everything #like more into the Ursula and triton sibling lore #like what happened #was Ursula a mermaid and then triton made her a sea witch #that’s a prequel waiting to happen #and also I wanted more of the sisters #they should’ve had a song #and Eric remains my fave prince #he served #Halle was PERFECT #I loved it and I want the director #the little mermaid

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scotianostra · 1 year

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On March 5th 1790, Flora MacDonald, the Jacobite heroine, died.

Flora is still one of the most romanticise figures in Scottish history, much has been written about her helping Charles Edward Stuart after his escape from Culloden when he was the most hunted man in Scotland.

Flora Macdonald was born at Milton, on South Uist, where you can still see the ruins of her childhood home. She grew up in the household of the chief of the Macdonalds of Clanranald, who firmly supported the Jacobite cause. When Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped following the Battle of Culloden in 1746 he went into hiding, depending on supporters to shelter him and hide him from his Hanoverian pursuers led by the Duke of Cumberland. At length, he arrived on the island of Benbecula, where it was decided that he should move on to Skye.

The island was under travel restrictions, and the prince could not take the risk of being spotted. A Jacobite supporter and distant kinsman named Captain Conn O'Neill asked Flora to help Charles escape. Macdonald herself did not support the Jacobite cause, but she was moved by the plight of the Jacobites after the Battle of Culloden, and at length she agreed. She later said that she acted from charity, and would have helped the Duke of Cumberland had she found him in a similar situation.

She obtained permission from Hugh Macdonald, commander of the local militia and her stepfather, to leave Benbecula. She was allowed to take two servants, and a crew of six sailors. Bonnie Prince Charlie was dressed as an Irish spinning maid named Betty Burke, and in that guise he sailed with Flora to Skye on 27 June 1746.

Unlike the scene made famous in the popular ‘Skye Boat Song’, the Prince did not leave baffled foes standing on the shore, and managed to make the crossing unchallenged. From Skye, he made his way at length to Moidart, where he boarded a French ship and escaped to refuge in Europe.

When Flora Macdonald’s role in the escape came to light she was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Though she had committed treason by helping Bonnie Prince Charlie, the public, even staunch Hanoverians, regarded her as a heroic figure, primarily because she was a woman, I have little doubt if it had been a man that helped the Prince in a similar way, he would have been executed.

She was released from the Tower in 1747. She married Allan Macdonald of Kingsburgh in 1750 and settled at Flodigarry on Skye, where she raised a family. In 1774 the couple and their 5 children emigrated to North Carolina. Her husband Alexander joined a regiment of Royal Highland Emigrants in the American War of Independence, where he was captured. He was released in an exchange of prisoners and took up a command in Nova Scotia.

In 1779 Macdonald returned to Scotland, braving an attack by privateers on the way, and settled on Skye where her husband joined her after the war was over. She died in at Kingsburgh in 1790 and was buried in the graveyard beside the 16th-century church at Kilmuir. Tradition says that she was buried in a shroud made from a bed-sheet used by Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Given her popularity as a Jacobite heroine, it is not surprising that a large memorial was erected by her grave, which became a popular destination for tourists. The original monument to Macdonald was destroyed in a gale in 1871. It was replaced by a new memorial designed by Alexander Ross in 1880. Ross’s design includes a 28 foot high Celtic Cross of granite, rising above a slender rectangular chest tomb, also of granite. A marble plaque was added in 1922.

The epitaph reads, 'Her name will be mentioned in history and if courage and fidelity be virtues, mentioned with honour’. It was written by Dr Samuel Johnson of dictionary fame, who met her during his famous tour of the Hebrides with James Boswell.

In 1884, just 4 years after the monument was erected, the Skye Boat Song was published, and the popular ballad ensured that Macdonald’s fame would not fade.

Here is a less well known song about not just Flora by Brian McNeill, you can tell through the song that Brian has not got a high opinion of the Prince, but holds Flora in the highest esteem as a strong woman.

Pics are of Flora’s grave and the statue of the lady herself at Inverness Castle that I took in 2014.

There’s a moment of your story That has always haunted me When you set out in yon open boat To help the poor man flee Was Charlie Stuart’s future Already plain to see Did you know he’d be a waster on his days

If you did, I’d give the world to find A single tear you cried From the Cuillins tae the Carolinas You showed us one and all The courage you could call From the tears that would not fall From your eyes

And after thirty years After all that you’d been through us been marriede haven’ been a Just a memory to rue As you watched your husband putting on His coat of scarlet hue To go and fight for German Geordie’s crown

But you never tried to hide behind The dreams of days gone by From the Cuillins tae the Carolinas You showed us one and all The courage you could call From the tears that would not fall From your eyes

And there’s times I think I see you When I find that kind of face When a woman’s independence Has kept a woman’s grace Where confidence and pride Refuse to know their place Or hide behind the easy tricks of beauty

For to me your lights are like the chimes Across the stormy skies From the Cuillins tae the Carolinas You showed us one and all The courage you could call From the tears that would not fall From your eyes

From the Cuillins tae the Carolinas Strong women rule us all With the courage that they call When the tears refuse to fall From their eyes.

#scotland #scottish #hebridean #bonnie prince charlie #jacobites #history #over the sea to skye #skye boat song #daring escape #heroism #heroine #brave woman #strong woman

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whitneyavalon · 11 months

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GLORIOUS ALL NEW LITTLE MERMAID SONG with Garrett Clayton as a perfect Prince Eric!

#little mermaid #the little mermaid #ursula #vanessa #prince eric #song #garrett clayton #music video #comedy #sea witch

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catsbookreviews · 11 months

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Prince of Song & Sea - Linsey Miller

Even more Disney! Yay! (I think this should be the last one for a bit)

Story: A secondary plot to The Little Mermaid, that is technically canon compliant, but completely changes the way things are viewed. Essentially, Prince Eric is cursed so that if he kisses anyone but his true love, he will die.

Review: As I said, the story given in this book very much changes how things are viewed in the movie, not sure if that's a good thing or not. It's also interesting seeing this take on Prince Eric and giving him a life outside of what we saw in the movie.

Overall: 4/5 ⭐️

#fantasy #books #book review #fiction #fairytale retelling #romance #Prince of song & sea #linsey miller #the little mermaid #Prince eric

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girlwholikestoread · 1 year

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My least favorite to My favorite books I read in 2022

23: We are totally normal by Rahul Kanakia: Okay first thing first this book made me incredibly uncomfortable; however not because of the sex but because this book did an amazing job capturing how cringe,annoying, and mean highschool students can be which I enjoyed. When books have teenagers I feel a lot of stories feel the need to make them more mature to better fit the plot but in this book they felt like real people you probably went to high school with…take that as you will. Anyways the book is about Nandan who never before liked guys but hooked up with his friend Dave, Nandan starts his journey trying to understand his sexuality. I didn’t love this book but I didn't hate it. I was excited to give it a chance because it seemed pretty heavily disliked. I understand the hate because Nandan is incredibly unlikable at times and I do feel bad for Dave at times because Nandan's actions hurt him, however Nandan is written to be a confused teen and never doesn’t do anything bad on purpose. The ending for me wasn’t my cup of tea and personality. I didn't want Nandan and Dave to get together since I think them being friends works better but not horrible. Overall not my vibe, but it made me laugh at times and I liked the realistic portrayal of teenagers.

22: Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers: First this book cover is beautiful and I love the idea of an workaholic overachiever doing something crazy and reckless as they slowly find themselves and it was sapphic on paper this book sounds amazing…but it was just okay, the book was pretty boring and I practically had to force myself to finish it. Grace Porter, our main character, gets drunk and marries a woman she doesn’t know in Vegas and that sounds really cool but the execution was a huge disappointment. None of the people in Grace's life including her best friends/ roommates, her parents, or even her love interest are written to be very interesting and Grace herself is pretty boring. I did however like the writing style the author chose for this book and the way the author describes the characters, setting, and what and how they feel is written beautifully and I truly enjoyed that. Overall it was pretty mid, My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.

21. Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli: I bought this book to get a discount from Barens and Noble not because I wanted it. I haven’t read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda nor did I see Love Simon so I came into this not knowing anything about Leah or the other characters. Despite that I thought the book was alright, nothing too special and pretty predictable but fine. The book is about Leah who’s getting ready for Prom and preparing to head to college, she’s a plus sized bisexual girl which is great to see and all the side characters are pretty cool. I’m not a big fan of Leah’s personality at times and her romance with Abby is fine and at times really cute, I like Abby encouraging her to pursue art that was nice. I also liked seeing Leah bond with her mom’s boyfriend and find the perfect prom dress that was really nice. Overall cute story. fun characters, and a nice romance, Nick deserved better

20. Across a field of starlight by Blue Delliquanti: Fun space adventure and first graphic novel I’ve read with two non-binary characters as the main character. Fassen and Lu have had a long distance friendship. I loved the artstyle and the diversity but I found the storyline super hard to follow to the point I can’t even give a real description. Fassen and Lu are both cool and I liked the characters but the storyline wasn’t for me. Overall beautiful art but hectic plot.

19. The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang: Adorable and charming. I really liked the unique art style in this book and the relationship between Prince Sebastian and Frances is very sweet. The graphic novel is about Frances who is a talented seamstress who is secretly hired to make dresses for Prince Sebastian who enjoys wearing beautiful dresses but can’t let anyone including his parents know because of his royal status. Sebastian and Frances' friendship is sweet and I love how they treat each other. I felt like their falling out was forced and I didn’t really understand why Frances was upset, but the last two chapters made me so happy. Overall I loved the artstyle, loved Sebastian and Frances friendship, and loved chapter 11 & 12.

18: The girl from the sea by Molly Knox Ostertag: Morgan and Keltie are adorable and the art style was gorgeous. This sapphic graphic novel is about Morgan who lives on a small island with her mom, little brother, and has friends. After accidentally falling in the ocean she's met by a fish girl named Keltie who she once met when they were both children, after saving her they share a kiss, Keltie then comes into her life saying her love transformed her from a seal to a human girl. It’s cute, it’s silly, and it's sweet. Bittersweet ending but a fun read. Overall sweet sapphic love story, seal girls are better than mermaids.

17. The Gravity of us by Phil Stamper:It’s basically what would happen if the moon landing happened in modern day. We follow Cal, a 17 year old journalist who has to leave his life in Brooklyn to move to Houston when his dad gets a job working as an astronaut at NASA. Cal is probably the most unlikable protagonist I’ve read so far but he gets better as you read the book . The romance between Cal and Leon was really nice and I really like Leon as a character and found him the most relatable. Overall fun read, Leon should have his own book.

16. Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert: I love Geeks falling in love. It's my favorite holiday. This book is a duo POV with Alden and Conrad, while I didn’t see it as enemies to lovers as the book is advertised I still really enjoyed it regardless. We follow Alden and Conrad as they go on a road trip together to make content for a YouTube channel they both make appearances on called “Gamer Grandpa” which they play a card game named Odyssey also plan on playing at an tournament to win money and an opportunity to play the game professionally. Learning about both the characters' struggles, family lifes, and why they need to win the tournament all while becoming closer and closer was so fun to read. I really like Alden and Conrad and think they made a cute couple. I'll admit I knew who was gonna win barely half way through the story but that doesn’t matter to me. I liked the romance and where the characters ended up at the end. Overall this book was adorkable and I wished Odyssey was a real game.

15. Out of Characters by Annabeth Albert: More Geeks falling in love but now ex-friends to lovers version. This book is also a duo POV with Jasper and Milo, Jasper was a minor character in Conventionally Yours and in this one he gets his own story where his old childhood friend Milo comes to him needing help after he lost his older brother expensive Odyssey cards in a game. Seeing Jasper and Milo reconnect was adorable and their adventure was so much fun to read. I also loved reading about Milo getting out of his comfort zone, making new friends, and better coming to terms with his sexuality. It was so great and he and Jasper have amazing chemistry. Overall friends to lovers is underrated and I need more books with the characters cosplaying.

14. The darkness outside us by Eliot Schrefer: This book was a mindfuck and I loved every single page. This was one of my first Sci-fi books and it is amazing! Ambrose and Kodiak are both sent into space on a mission, they have no memory of the launch and the only company they have is each other and the ship’s operating system which tells them to do their tasks and encourages them to follow their mission to get on Titian. Since the book is mostly building suspense and leaving small clues leading to the plot twist the romance isn’t that developed but I still think Ambrose and Kodiak are good together and I really liked them. Overall a great book and the ending is so satisfying.

13. You should see me in a crown by Leah Johnson: This book makes me so happy! We follow Liz an black gay teenage girl living in a primarily white and rich neighborhood. She has no interest in popularity but when she finds out the winner of prom queen gets scholarship money that can help her pay for her dream school she starts running and works hard to get votes. I related to Liz so much when it came to friends, her family, and feeling like she needs to protect the people around her. Seeing Liz reconnect with her old friend, make new friends, and her relationship with Mack is just so wholesome. Overall great book and I wish Liz was real so we could be friends.

12. Infinity Reaper by Adam Silvera: This seems hit or miss with some people but I loved it! This is the second book in the Infinity series. It’s hard to explain the plot without spoiling anything from the first book but I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next one. Overall Ness is my favorite character and I hope Adam Silvera doesn't kill him.

11. Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: The Hype is real. It’s the story of Achilles' life Achilles told by his lover Patroclus. The two meet after Patroclus accidentally kills another boy over dice and his father Menoetius banishes him away. The two become friends and later start a romantic relationship. We see Achilles' life from childhood to when he fights in the Trojan war. It's written beautifully and it’s truly heartbreaking. Overall terrific book, Achilles and Patroculs are the best historical gays.

Honorable mention. Rogue Sun volume one: Cataclysm: Okay so this was a book my brother really wanted me to read so I gave it a chance and it was really good. We follow Dylan who is a regular highschool student who recently finds out his father passed away, when going to the reading of his fathers will he finds out his dad was the town's hero named Rogue Sun and he passed down his powers to him. I liked it, I thought it was a good mix of action and real life emotions and Dylan was a great main character and really grew on me, I also thought it had a nice twist. Overall not my usual vibe but I enjoyed it nonetheless

10. I kissed Sara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston: Casey McQuiston has never written a bad book in their life and I kissed Sara Wheeler is great, We follow Chloe green who goes on an adventure to find her academic rival and most popular girl in school Sara Wheeler after she kissed her on prom night then completely disappeared she has the help of Sara’s boyfriend Smith, and another character named Rory who Sara also kissed on prom night. Sara leaves small clues for them to follow to help find where she is. My only real issues is while I like Sara and Chloe I liked the side characters even more and wanted to see more of them, I wanted to see more of Smith’s exploring his identity and his relationship with Rory, other characters like Ash, Benjy, Georgia, and more seem like interesting characters who could’ve been so fun to read if given more attention. Overall fun mystery and I need a second book about Smith and Rory.

9. Red, White, and Royal blue by Casey McQuiston: I’m a basic bitch I know but I really did love this book.This book is about the first son Alex falling in love with the Prince of Wales Prince Henry. I really don’t know what to say about this book that hasn’t already been said but I loved it. This book is super funny and Alex and Henry had immediate chemistry which was so much fun to read. I wish the side characters like Pez, Nora, and June got more attention but since this is a romance I understand why they were sidelined. Overall sweet political romance and obtuse fucking asshole is the most romatic line in any book ever.

8. One last stop by Casey McQuiston: It’s probably slightly controversial having One Last Stop ranked higher than Red, White, and Royal blue but the main reason I ranked it higher is because I loved every single character and felt like everyone one had a nice conclusion unlike Red, white, and Royal blue and I kissed Sara Wheeler where I wanted more attention on the side characters. I also loved seeing August and Jane's relationship build while also trying to help Jane understand what happened to her and seeing August find herself on the way was great. Overall another great mystery by Casey MCQuiston, I’m a sucker for sapphic romances

7. Extraordinaries by T.J.Klune: This book is the reason I downloaded back Tumblr it fucking amazing! Gay superheroes, fanfiction, and a main protagonist who is hilarious and relatable this book is fucking awsome. We follow Nick Bell who is the biggest fan of a neighborhood superhero named Shadow Storm who fights his arch rival Pyro Storm. In this world people who have super powers are called Extraordinaries and Nick desperately wants to be extraordinary and to make his fanfiction come true by being with the super hero of his dreams. I’ll admit I didn’t love Nick much at first but she really grew on me. Not only is the book great but it also has great ADHD rep and LGBTQ rep. Overall my favorite superhero novel better than marvel movies

6. Every word you never said by Jordon Greene: This wins for having the prettiest cover I currently own. This book is also a duo POV following Skyler Grey an nonverbal boy who was just recently adopted and enjoys wearing skirts and dresses and Jacob Walters who recently came out and dealing with shitheads because of it including his own father. The book is about Skyler fighting for his right to express himself when Jacbo’s own father tries to make rules to stop him from doing so. Skyler and Jacob are adorable and seeing them get closer and closer was heartwarming. However the book does talk a lot about politics and the ugly side of christianity which made me feel uneasy at times but the romance and message was so strong I couldn’t help but love it. Overall clothes have no gender!

5. Winter Orbit by Everina Maxwell: To be completely honest this is probably the best written book I’ve read all year. The writing, story building, character building, and explaining of the politics of the world was written, in my opinion of course almost perfectly.The book is about Kiem and Jainan who are forced to marry to seal an alliance between their respective empires after Jainan pervouse partener was killed suddenly. However it becomes more complicated when a Jainan becomes a person in interest in his death. Admittedly the romance in this book is pretty secondary in the story and is mostly about Jainan and Kiem trying to prove Jainan is innocent, I still liked the romance tho and seeing Kiem being sweet and patient with Jainan who has a lot of unresolved trauma was nice. My only issue is that the book felt kinda slow at times but the end result is totally worth it. Overall I felt smart reading this book. Kiem is a sweet cinnamon roll who deserves the world.

4. Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake: I don’t usually like adult books but this is a huge expectation. This book is a romance between Claire Sutherland who is a single mom with an eleven-year-old daughter dealing with an undependable ex-boyfriend and Delilah Green who is hired to be her estranged step sister Astrid photographer at her wedding. Delilah had it tough growing up with losing her mom, dad, and living with her uncaring step mother and Claire had her own issues with being a single mom and dating. Delilah and Claire are sweet together and I really liked their relationship and it was a nice story. My only issues is that there is a side plot where Claire and another mutual friend of her and Astrid wants to stop her from marrying her dick head fiance and that pretty much goes nowhere in favor of the romance, I love Delilah and Claire’s romance but I would’ve liked to see more of then trying to talk sense into Astrid. Overall Cute and spicy sapphic romance can’t wait to read Astrid Parker doesn’t fail next year.

3. Heat Wave by T.J. Klune: FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC ending to the extraordinaries, The dad squad had my entire heart, seeing everyone work together to stop Simion evil plan of taking over Nova city was epic and the epilogue at the end its probably the best epilogue I’ve ever read in a book. However I wasn’t a big fan of the ending and what they decided to do to Owen and I hated how they kept talking about how “You shouldn’t see things as Evil vs. Good because things are more complicated than that” when Simion was very clearly evil and had only bad intentions but with the great plot twist, sweet moments, and of course the amazing epilogue I was able to get past it and enjoy a great conclusion to a great series. Overall this series was extraordinary and Jazz is a badass.

2. Flash Fire by T.J. Klune: This is more just me. I tend to like the second book in trilogies the most and this wasn’t any different. Seth is my favorite character and in Flash fire he gets more attention and I loved that. This is also when we learn more about Nick’s mom Jenny who passed away 3 years ago and Nick learns more about himself, in this we learn more about Simion’s plans, we also meet new characters like Mateo/ Miss Conduct, Jerry the burrito guy, and T.K who are all introduced in a cool and funny way. Overall Second time is always the best and Pyro Storm is bae.

1. Cinderella is dead by Kalynn Bayron: Words can’t describe how much I love this book but I will try. This new dark retelling of Cinderella's story takes an unique and cool spin on a classic. We follow Sophia who lives in a world 200 years after Cinderella found her prince charming and “Lived happily ever after” Ever since the king forces the people in the village to live their lives following Cinderall’s story. Sophia has no interest in marrying a man and would rather marry her childhood friend Erin but is forced to go to an annual ball and find a husband or else. I love this fast paced story about fighting the patriarchy and learning the real story of Cinderella. Sophia and Constance bounce off each other perfectly and I love their chemistry, not much romance but the book was so good it honestly doesn’t bother me. I loved this book so much and it’s my absolutely favorite book in 2022. Overall I loved a dark retelling and Sophia is a girlboss.

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