April and May Reads

I forgot to do my April reads, so I might as well combine April and May!

Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead – Emily Austin
 
With this book, I have completed the (current) Emily Austin collection. I feel like I can’t rank them all, only that they all hit in different ways. 
 
Are You My Mother? – Alison Bechdel
 
I read Bechdel’s Fun Home in college (twice! for two different classes) and was very excited to find her second graphic memoir. I don’t have too much to say about this one. 
 
Living Memory – Christopher L. Bennett
 
I found out about this book through an artist on tumblr, and later bought the art they created after reading the novel! I loved this book, it was a fantastic tribute not only to the original series of Star Trek, but also the character Uhura and Nichelle Nichols. The author did a wonderful job giving Uhura more agency she deserved. The “warborn” reminded me of Warhammer, even though the only things I know about Warhammer is from Dungeons and Daddies. But back to the novel—a must read for any Trek fan.
 
The Space Between Worlds – Micaiah Johnson
 
Maybe it’s the fact that I accidentally sped through this, but there were some parts I was very confused with. It felt like there wasn’t a lot of mystery with certain plot points, so I was scrambling around trying to catch what I had missed. The ending was really sweet and hopeful, but (and this is just me), whenever there’s a queer relationship or romance, I prefer it not to be vague.
 
Yours for the Taking and The Shutouts – Gabrielle Korn
 
These are another good duo of books that I would share in my hypothetical book club. I loved the quotes about Jacquline Melander’s toxic use of feminism and empowerment, since that was something I remember vividly growing up in the early to late 2000’s—2010’s. I loved all the characters and their nuances. 
            The sequel, The Shutouts, was just as good. While the first book dealt with feminism, the sequel delves into climate justice, and the possible solutions to climate problems.  
 
The Boxcar Librarian – Brianna Labuskes
 
I haven’t delved too much into historical fiction, but this one surprised me! The importance of literacy and access to books is a topic I am incredibly passionate about, and this book stresses that.
            I will say, I was a bit upset as this book was advertised as being queer/sapphic, but the only instances I recall was that Collette, one of the main characters, had relationships with men and women when she was on the run. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book.
 
If I Was Your Girl – Meredith Russo
 
Beautiful, beautiful book. There’s honestly not much to say about this book, only that EVERYONE should read it. Life changing, heartbreaking, hopeful.
 
A Pirate’s Life for Tea – Rebecca Thorn
 
I really do love the Tomes and Tea series—it’s nice to read queer stories with already established relationships and romances. It normalizes a life after “happily ever after.” Bobby and Serena’s relationship and reconciliation felt rushed, but I’m glad that the two of them talked things out. Also, I know this series is marketed as “cozy,” but there were far more instances of peril than the last one! But I guess that just means we get to appreciate the cozy moments when they do happen.
 
Fingersmith – Sarah Waters 
 
This one took me a bit to read—almost a year, I think? I was pretty intimidated by the audiobook length (24 hours), and I kept holding off getting it checked out. I enjoyed it fine, I liked the hopeful ending.