Did I combine my love of book recs and my appreciation of LGBTQIA authors? Heck yes, I did. LGBT Lit Recs is a monthly series of guest posts where LGBT+ authors recommend their favourite queer books! There'll be a post every last Wednesday of each month.
This first week I'm thrilled to have Kiran Oliver, author of the super awesome f/f fantasy DAYBREAK RISING, on Words From Saruuh. Here's Kiran's recommended reads:
Firstly, a huge thank you to Saruuh for including me in
this! Talking about the QUILTBAG books I love? Sounds like a plan.
OK. My favorite series of 2016 is hands-down no-questions-asked the Mangoverse by Shira Glassman. It’s actually edged out Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar novels and Green Rider as some of my favorite books of all time. It’s seriously that good. I’d go so far as to put it above Harry Potter for me at this point in my life.
I’m not just being nice. Really. Not only is Shira a wonderful friend and all around human being, she writes some of the best F/F, trans guys, M/M, and...OK. Look, the Mangoverse series is wonderful. Queer Jewish bookworm queen meeting the adorable palace cook and falling in love? Check. Badass warrior that in no way needs people to rescue her/”break down her walls” but is still so freaking adorable when...OK, GO READ THE BOOKS. That’s a huge spoiler, so I’m just not going to tell you. Check on that. No damsel in distress/women-in-peril waiting for a strong man to rescue them tropes here.
I recently discovered I’m of Sephardic Jewish descent, and you’d better believe I plan on re-reading the Mangoverse series to really experience that part of the universe Shira has created. The latest book, The Olive Conspiracy has just released, and you can get a copy on Toquere’s website that includes some shorts which feature one of the most well-written trans men I’ve seen in 2016.
Shira writes with such detail you can crawl into the pages. Food, landscapes, love, it’s all there. You won’t regret checking this book and its corresponding series out.
Next up, I’d have to say The Mark of Noba and its corresponding series by G. L. Tomas. Both protagonists are actually canonically pansexual, which is amazing. I really, really enjoyed this novel. There’s an F/F debut on the way from Guinevere and Libertad as well, though it’s not a YA.
I enjoyed the characterization of Sterling, and of how Tetra interacted with the strange customs of Geo. There’s nothing I didn’t like about this book. It’s a long read, so be prepared for curling up on the couch with this one and a cup of tea. It’s seriously a really enjoyable series, and one I hope to see continue to explore sexuality and gender identity as its continues.
Bee Sriduangkaew’s Beneath Ceaseless Skies is a short story, but was still a very enjoyable read with an asexual protagonist. Something that I greatly appreciated as someone that’s gray ace and demi, myself.
In my TBR pile, I have a lot of wonderful QUILTBAG reads as well:
OK. My favorite series of 2016 is hands-down no-questions-asked the Mangoverse by Shira Glassman. It’s actually edged out Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar novels and Green Rider as some of my favorite books of all time. It’s seriously that good. I’d go so far as to put it above Harry Potter for me at this point in my life.
I’m not just being nice. Really. Not only is Shira a wonderful friend and all around human being, she writes some of the best F/F, trans guys, M/M, and...OK. Look, the Mangoverse series is wonderful. Queer Jewish bookworm queen meeting the adorable palace cook and falling in love? Check. Badass warrior that in no way needs people to rescue her/”break down her walls” but is still so freaking adorable when...OK, GO READ THE BOOKS. That’s a huge spoiler, so I’m just not going to tell you. Check on that. No damsel in distress/women-in-peril waiting for a strong man to rescue them tropes here.
I recently discovered I’m of Sephardic Jewish descent, and you’d better believe I plan on re-reading the Mangoverse series to really experience that part of the universe Shira has created. The latest book, The Olive Conspiracy has just released, and you can get a copy on Toquere’s website that includes some shorts which feature one of the most well-written trans men I’ve seen in 2016.
Shira writes with such detail you can crawl into the pages. Food, landscapes, love, it’s all there. You won’t regret checking this book and its corresponding series out.
Next up, I’d have to say The Mark of Noba and its corresponding series by G. L. Tomas. Both protagonists are actually canonically pansexual, which is amazing. I really, really enjoyed this novel. There’s an F/F debut on the way from Guinevere and Libertad as well, though it’s not a YA.
I enjoyed the characterization of Sterling, and of how Tetra interacted with the strange customs of Geo. There’s nothing I didn’t like about this book. It’s a long read, so be prepared for curling up on the couch with this one and a cup of tea. It’s seriously a really enjoyable series, and one I hope to see continue to explore sexuality and gender identity as its continues.
Bee Sriduangkaew’s Beneath Ceaseless Skies is a short story, but was still a very enjoyable read with an asexual protagonist. Something that I greatly appreciated as someone that’s gray ace and demi, myself.
In my TBR pile, I have a lot of wonderful QUILTBAG reads as well:
Kayla Bashe’s Screaming Down Splitsville is by all accounts fantastic and so is she. You won’t regret reading this one. It’s wonderful from what I (and many others) have heard.
The Chameleon Moon series by RoAnna Sylver is one I’ve had on my Kindle for a while, but I have yet to get to because of IRL being a bit hectic. That being said, it’s amazing from what I hear, and I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend it.
Viral Airwaves by Claudie Arseneault is another in my TBR stack I have heard is fantastic. Not an HEA though, just for warning!
There’s a lot more...Basically anything on the upcoming F/F of 2016 list Shira was kind enough to put together. I have 10 or 11 books I bought I have yet to get to.
Lastly, for a shameless plug, my own novel DAYBREAK RISING has an F/F romance at its core, with a variety of QUILTBAG characters as well. It’s coming out on Sept. 21, 2016 from Torquere Press, if you’d like to check it out.
