Book Reflections

Content Tags: Murder, Fantasy, Trauma, LGBTQIA+, Transphobia, Disordered Eating* Description from  Storygraph : Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children No Solicitations No Visitors No Quests Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else. But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children. Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world. But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter. No matter the cost. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Welcome to the world of Wayward Children! In the world of the...

Content Tags: Abuse, Murder, Fantasy, Trauma, LGBTQIA+ Description from  Storygraph : Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. This is the story of what happened first… Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline. Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tomboy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got. They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted. They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you for a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Down Among the Sticks and Bones is the second boo...

Content Tags: LGBTQIA+, Transphobia, Abandonment, Emotional, Young Adult Description from  Storygraph : From Stonewall and Lambda Award–winning author Kacen Callender comes a revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time. Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after. When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle.... But as he navigates his com...

Content Tags: Supernatural, Police Brutality, Protests/Riots, LGBTQIA+, Childhood Trauma, Death, Anxiety Description from  Storygraph : From the critically acclaimed author of Pet and The Death of Vivek Oji, Bitter, a companion novel to Pet, takes a timely and riveting look at the power of youth, protest and art. Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the town of Lucille. Bitter's instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus . . . but her friends aren't willing to settle for a world that the adults say is "just the way things are." Pulled between old friendships, her creative passion, and a new a romance, Bitter isn't sure where she belongs - in the art studio or in the streets. And if she does find a way to help the revolution while being true to...

Content Tags: LGBTQIA+, Blasphemy, Religious Trauma, Self-Harm, War, Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse Description from  Storygraph : A queer interpretation for Satan's fall that's part cozy coming of age and part fast-paced tragedy, with a little love story in between – In an eternal paradise, the most beautiful angel, Lucifer, struggles with shame, identity, and timidity, with little more than the desire to worship his creator. It isn't until the strongest angel, Michael, comes into his life that Lucifer learns to love himself. Along the way, their friendship begins to bloom into something else. Maybe the first romance in the history of everything. But this God is a jealous one, and maybe paradise is not paradise.  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I read this book based on a recommendation from TikTok that said if you have religious trauma, this book is for you. So, I was very excited to read a queer retelling of the fall of Satan. Unfortunately, I don't think the book met my expect...

Content Tags: Non-Fiction, LGBTQIA+, Self Help, Reflective Description from  Storygraph : Too short. Too weird. Too quiet. Not true. Let Internet superstar Jeffrey Marsh help you end those negative thoughts and discover how wonderful you are. An interactive experience, How to Be You invites you to make the book your own through activities such as coloring in charts, answering questions about how you do the things you do, and discovering patterns in your lives that may be holding you back. Through Jeffrey's own story of growing up fabulous in a small farming town--along with the stories of hero/ines who have transcended the stereotypes of race, age, and gender--you will discover that you are not alone. Learn to deepen your relationship with yourself, boost your self-esteem and self-worth, and find the courage to take a leap that will change your life. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Two reviews in one day??? Unheard of! I read one chapter a night for this book and happened to finish the last ch...

Content Tags: Horror, LGBTQIA+, Descriptive Sex Scenes, Murder, Post-Apocalyptic, Violence, Sexual Assault, Rape, Torture, Self-Harm, Trauma, Transphobia, Bigotry Description from  Storygraph : Beth and Fran spend their days traveling the ravaged New England coast, hunting feral men and harvesting their organs in a gruesome effort to ensure they’ll never face the same fate. Robbie lives by his gun and one hard-learned motto: other people aren’t safe. After a brutal accident entwines the three of them, this found family of survivors must navigate murderous TERFs, a sociopathic billionaire bunker brat, and awkward relationship dynamics—all while outrunning packs of feral men, and their own demons. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Horror is not my usual go-to genre for any media consumption. Life is horrific enough. But the cover of this book showed up a few times on my social media feeds, and I could not resist. That's my kind of book cover. (Yes, I know... "don't judge a book by its cov...