LGBT Lit Recs: ROANNA SYLVER

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 month I am so, so happy to have RoAnna Sylver, author of Chameleon Moon (which relaunches super soon!! Be excited!) on Words From Saruuh. Here's RoAnna's recommended books:

The Second Mango (Mangoverse Series) - Shira Glassman

Probably the warmest, most welcoming, most delicious LGBT fantasy I've read in a long time. Contrary to popular fairy tale belief, the adventure doesn't end when you win the throne. Especially when you don't feel quite ready, and you're feeling like the only girl who likes girls in the entire kingdom. Personally, I really can't say enough good things about the Mangoverse - it's where I want to go when I'm sad, stressed, scared; even when I've got too much pain and too few spoons for reading, I want to read these. Finally, the entire series is being re-released under the author's total rights with gorgeous new covers. If your heart is tired (I'm sure it is) and you need some good news, start here.

Daybreak Rising - Kiran Oliver

A hot new release I've been so excited to watch light up the skies. A once-failed, twice-wise rebel leading a revolution, wielding magic and technology to overthrow an oppressive empire, with a slow-burn (ha) F/F romance at the center - this is pretty much everything I want to see in my fantasy action, and I'm sure I'm not alone. It saw an impressive release, and I'm sure Daybreak is just the start of something amazing.

Viral Airwaves - Claudie Arseneault

A dystopian, virus-ravaged landscape, rogue rebel radio stations, and hot air balloon journeys. The future could be bleak, but the aim is the opposite: community, hope, and rebellious optimism brighter than the promise of a of brand new day. Solarpunk. This is my literary aesthetic, and it might be yours too. Combine it with easy gay, bi, ace and nonbinary rep, and you've got something really special going on here. Check it out. Make it go viral. This book deserves it.

Ariah - B. R. Sanders

Elegant, sweeping, multilayered and intricate. If you like your fantasy high, but a lot more colorful, diverse and inclusive than what you'll see on the big screen (sadly), might I suggest? I do. I speak of elves. Bisexual elves, genderqueer elves, polyamorous elves with all their magic and history and lovely we already dig, and a lot more Super Interesting, Important Good Things (racial/social level interaction! Culture clash! Gender, sexuality - ahh, real life stuff!) that need to be included a lot more. Also, it's just a beautiful work-of-art book. 

(A Word And A Bullet) The Planetary Tarantella  - Rachel Sharp

Came for the asexual representation (hi, Ace Book Club! , stayed for the dynamite apocalyptic storyline, Oregon setting, tense pacing, Nerds Saving The Day... and Mab. Oh, Mab. Fast-talking, no-crap-taking smart-as-a-whip and twice-as-crackin' lady with a dog. Mab, you know where to find me. Over here, with my nose in your book. (ProTip: 'Bullet' is actually Book 2; you want The Big Book of Post-Collapse Fun if you want to see how it all began. But if you're like me and - what's 'in order,' I can't read suddenly, I don't know - in this case it's really not going to be... the end of the world. Or will it? Read and find out!)

About RoAnna

RoAnna Sylver is passionate about stories that give hope, healing and even fun for LGBT, disabled and other marginalized people, and thinks we need a lot more. Aside from writing oddly hopeful dystopia books, RoAnna is a blogger, artist, singer and voice actor. She lives with family and a small snorking dog, and probably spends too much time playing videogames.

RoAnna has worked as a contributing fiction writer, concept artist and voice actor for videogame company Phoenix Online Studios, appeared on several episodes of NBC's Grimm and The Librarians, and now writes for entertainment news website Moviepilot.com. 

https://twitter.com/RoAnnaSylver

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00OI321DO

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7351298.RoAnna_Sylver

Chameleon Moon: 2nd Edition releases October 11th! 

https://www.amazon.com/Chameleon-Moon-RoAnna-Sylver-ebook/dp/B01LW0O7KJ/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

LGBT Lit Recs: CLAUDIE ARSENEAULT

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 month I am super, super excited to have Claudie Arseneault, author of a whole bunch of queer-inclusive books, on Words From Saruuh. Here's Claudie's recommended reads:

A Timeline of LGBTQIAP+ SFF

Hey, wonderful strangers! It is my great pleasure to occupy this space today, and do one of my favourite things of all: sneeze great SFF recs written by LGBTQIAP+ authors, and featuring those characters, and infect everyone with them!

And because I can, these will be presented not in order of my favourite (I could never pick), but in “chronological” order. Not that they’re in the same world. Or on a clear Earth-like timeline in relation to one another… but hey. It’s a thing! *throws confettis* Let’s get to the fun part right away.

1. DAUGHTER OF MYSTERY, by Heather Rose Jones

First of a historical fantasy novel featuring two amazing women unraveling mysteries, falling in love, and carving their place into the high society and politics of Alpennia. It is a-ma-zing. The prose fits the period, the characters are deep, with complex and often conflicting relationships, the plot builds and flows and captivates.

2. ARIAH, by B.R. Sanders

I always have a hard time describing this novel. ARIAH is not an adventure novel. The story follows the eponymous character throughout formative years of his life, as he learns to master and understand his magical gift. It’s an exploration—of cultural shock, of friendship and love, of the mutual influence people have on each other. ARIAH is intense and captivating, somehow feeling both slow and inexorable. Perhaps it’s its depth, perhaps it’s the subjects touched upon. Whichever the case, this is one of my favourite recent reads.

3. CHAMELEON MOON, by RoAnna Sylver

Aaah, this book. I will never make a LGBTQIAP+ recs without a mention for the Chameleon Moon series. I cannot. Set in Parole, a city barely holding above a lava lake and threatening to sink in, contained by a force field and filled with people wielding superhero-like powers, CHAMELEON MOON features an amazingly diverse cast and tells a story of friendship and love and hope in the face of overwhelming odds. A dys-hope-ia, as RoAnna loves to call it (and I like to parrot). Get this book. Now. And keep an eye out for the second in the series, coming out this fall!

4. FOURTH WORLD, by Lyssa Chiavari

Who’s up for an archeological mystery on Mars? Not one, but two ace spectrum protagonists? Reading this book has given me some of the most amazing “it me” feels, and considering how far you sometimes have to dig for good ace rep by ace writers? Yes yes yes. But don’t be fooled, it has a thrilling plot, great characters, solid and sometimes gorgeous prose, and an amazing worldbuilding to go with it. Plus if you fall in love with the novel, a sequel novella (DIFFERENT WORLDS) is coming out this fall!

5. ASCENSION, by Jacqueline Koyanagi

From semi-near future sci-fi, we jump into starships and space opera. ASCENCION is a masterful novel, led by a black lesbian with chronic pain who stows away on a ship. It’s intense, both in action and emotion, and it has one of my favourite tropes: Crew Before All. I love stories with group of friends who stick together above all else. It also explore complex sibling relationships, and grief, and disability, all of it while taking you on a non-stop ride of events. I devoured this book and highly recommend it to, well, anyone.

There are, of course, many others. Kiran Oliver was here last month and you should definitely watch for his, DAYBREAK RISING. And he mentioned Shira Glassman’s Mangoverse, another eternal source of joy for me. But five sounds like a good number, doesn’t it? And if you want more, you can always check out my own stuff! I have a political fantasy with a friendship focus lined up for publication with a large and almost exclusively LGBTQIAP+ cast, and I’m really excited about it. Add it on Goodreads if that’s your jam, or take a look at my sci-fi adventure novel, already on the shelves!

About Claudie:

Stories have always been an important part of Claudie's life. From reading to roleplaying to writing, characters have lived in her head for years, growing and evolving with her. Proud québécoise, asexual, and lover of squids and hot air balloon, she aims to provide awesome LGBTQIAP+ science fiction and fantasy. Her next novel, the first of a political fantasy trilogy, CITY OF STRIFE, comes out this Fall 2016.

LGBT Lit Recs: KIRAN OLIVER

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:

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.

6 Queer Books & Why You Should Read Them!

In an effort to cultivate some actual content for this blog, I give you: A BUNCH OF QUEER BOOKS! These are ones I've read. My next post will be queer books I'm dying to read. It's Pride Month, and #ReadProud is going on, so it seems like the perfect time to waffle on about these books I love.

Lady main character who likes other ladies! Revenants! Super cool mystery & thriller, effortlessly woven with paranormal creatures that feel more magical realism. A damn terrifying villain-in-a-cave. Perfect!

As important as it is horrifying. The romance is hesitant and stumbling and sweet, as you'd expect it to be, and the characters are so genuine it seems impossible they're fictional. The story surrounding the romance is vital, and everyone, regardless of race, should read it, along with an #ownvoices book on the same era.

Super cute f/f romance in a setting inspired by Africa. This book has been written with a lot of love and passion and it shows in the writing. Plus it has unicorns and other mythical creatures, great family relationships, and deals with the ripples of sexual assault.

Another lady main character who likes ladies (I'm 80% sure she's bisexual but my memory is a sieve so I can't confirm.) Vampires and pyramids and a WHOLE LOT of adventure. It's what you would call a romp, and it's damn fun while also meaningful. It has a lot of heart, and family bonds, and is the most creative and thoughtful book I've read in ages.

Bisexual main character. Deals with religion and teen pregnancy. Powerful and memorable. Plus it's in verse, which is so my thing. Even though I was disappointed by the ending, I still love the book.

One of my favourite sci-fi books ever. Found family, diverse crew in ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and species. Just everything I've ever wanted in a space-based book.