Bone Weaver – The Bookish Mutant

YA Books for Bisexual Visibility Week (2023 Edition) 💗💜💙

Posted on September 16, 2023 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Saturday. bibliophiles!

We’ve come around again to Bisexual Visibility Week, which lasts from September 16 – September 23rd! September 23rd is also recognized as Bisexual Visibility Day. And to celebrate, I’ve rounded up another batch of some of my favorite bisexual books that I’ve read in the past few years. Even though I’ve been out as bisexual for nearly five years, seeing myself represented in that aspect of my identity never ceases to warm my heart. I’t’s hard to match the feeling of being seen, really seen, like some of these books have made me feel. But like my last post about Latinx Heritage Month, I wasn’t able to compile a list last year since I was still settling into college. So I prepared a post in advance so I can share my favorite bisexual books that I’ve read since my last post. (And although I’m trying to add more age ranges to these posts, almost all of the ones I wanted to highlight ended up being YA books, so here you are.) Enjoy!

For my lists from previous years, click below:

2021
2020

Let’s begin, shall we?

THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S BOOKS FOR BISEXUAL VISIBILITY WEEK (2023 EDITION)

CONTEMPORARY/REALISTIC FICTION:

Perfect on Paper – Sophie Gonzales | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Imogen, Obviously – Becky Albertalli | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Forever Is Now – Mariama J. Lockington | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nothing Burns as Bright as You – Ashley Woodfolk | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Heartstopper – Alice Oseman | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster – Andrea Mosqueda | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

PARANORMAL:

The Immeasureable Depth of You – Maria Ingrande Mora | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
House of Hollow – Krystal Sutherland | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I Am the Ghost in Your House – Mar Romasco-Moore | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

FANTASY:

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath – Moniquill Blackgoose | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bone Weaver – Aden Polydoros | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
That Dark Infinity – Kate Pentecost | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Have you read any of these books, and if so, what did you think of them? What are your favorite bisexual books? Let me know in the comments!

Today’s song:

loving this album

That’s it for this year’s bisexual visibility week recs! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Uncategorized

YA Book Recommendations for Pride Month (2023 Edition) 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Posted on June 5, 2023 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

Here we are again in pride month! It certainly is a joyous time of year, but in the past few years, it’s been a difficult one, too. All across the country, we have seen waves of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and the rhetoric that queer people are unnatural and wish to convert your children has spread like wildfire. We’ve also seen a dangerous increase in book bans—particularly by queer authors and authors of color. Books with diverse perspectives aren’t harming children—depriving children of these books is the dangerous part. Now more than ever is it important to read diversely: there’s never any harm in seeing a different perspective through literature. And if you’re really that concerned about “protecting the children,” maybe you should advocate for stricter gun laws instead of worrying about drag queen story hour.

In past years, I’ve split this post up into multiple (organized by genre), but I decided to make it all one post this year to keep it all more organized.

For my previous pride month lists, see below:

2022: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Contemporary/Realistic Fiction
2021
2020: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Contemporary/Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

KEY:

MC: main character
LI: love interest
SC: side character

Enjoy this month’s Pride Month book recommendations!

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S YA PRIDE MONTH RECOMMENDATIONS (2023 EDITION)🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

CONTEMPORARY, REALISTIC FICTION, AND NOVELS IN VERSE:

Nothing Burns as Bright as You – Ashley Woodfolk: bisexual MC, sapphic LI | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School – Sonora Reyes: lesbian MC, lesbian LI, bisexual and gay SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Man o’ War – Cory McCarthy: pansexual & nonbinary MC, bisexual & agender LI, asexual, lesbian, and queer SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Heartbreak Bakery – A.R. Capetta: agender & bisexual MC, nonbinary & demisexual LI, queer, trans, polyamorous, aroace, and sapphic SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster – Andrew Mosqueda: bisexual MC, lesbian LI | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not My Problem – Ciara Smyth: lesbian MC, lesbian LI | ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Follow Your Arrow – Jessica Verdi: bisexual MC, lesbian, pansexual, and trans SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali – Sabina Khan: lesbian MC, gay SC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Million Quiet Revolutions – Robin Gow: gay trans masc MCs, nonbinary and queer SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SCIENCE FICTION:

All That’s Left in the World – Erik J. Brown: gay MC, bisexual MC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Hell Followed With Us – Andrew Joseph White: queer & trans masc MC, gay LI, queer SCs |⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come – Jen St. Jude: lesbian MC, lesbian love interest, gay SC, asexual SC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Across a Field of Starlight – Blue Delliquanti: nonbinary MCs, trans & queer SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
On the Edge of Gone – Corinne Duyvis: bisexual and lesbian SCs (queer author) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Adaptation – Malinda Lo: bisexual MC, lesbian LI, gay SC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️

HISTORICAL FICTION:

The Reckless Kind – Carly Heath: asexual MC, achillean MCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Last Night at the Telegraph Club – Malinda Lo: lesbian MC, lesbian LI | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin – Kip Wilson: lesbian MC, queer SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

FANTASY, MAGICAL REALISM, AND PARANORMAL:

Bone Weaver – Aden Polydoros: bisexual MC, gay MC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The Many Half-Lived lives of Sam Sylvester: asexual & nonbinary MC, bisexual LI, aroace and queer SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Little Thieves – Margaret Owen: asexual/demisexual SCs, lesbian/sapphic SCs, nonbinary/gnc SCs (no labels used —fantasy setting) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The Lost Girls – Sonia Hartl: bisexual MC, sapphic LI, aromantic SC, questioning/ace SC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I Am the Ghost in Your House – Mar Romasco-Moore: bisexual MC, lesbian LI, nonbinary and trans SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
That Dark Infinity – Kate Pentecost: bisexual MC, sapphic LI | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Lakelore – Anna-Marie McLemore: nonbinary MCs, queer SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
House of Hollow – Krystal Sutherland: bisexual MC, lesbian SC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not Good for Maidens – Tori Bovalino: asexual MC, bisexual SC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! What are your favorite queer reads that you’ve read recently? Have you read any books on this list, and what did you think of them? Tell me in the comments!

Today’s song:

That it for this year’s pride month recommendations! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Books

The Bookish Mutant’s 5-Star Reads of 2022

Posted on December 26, 2022 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

2022 was a strange, messy, and transitional year for me—graduating high school, starting college, and all of the chaos in between. It’s been an unusual reading year for me too—I haven’t been able to read as much, what with college and finals throwing me off of my reading rhythm for most of the second half of the year. I didn’t have as many 5-star reads as I have in previous years (not counting re-reads, for which there were many), and that might be a consequence of how weird this year has been, but that maybe the more I read, the more selective I get with my 5-star ratings. It’s not every day that a book changes your life, rocks your world, or shifts you in some other way. But there were still several books that deserved that rating this year, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t give these truly wonderful books all my love as the year reaches its end.

(NOTE: re-reads that I previously rated 5 stars will not appear on this list.)

Let’s begin, shall we?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S 5-STAR READS OF 2022⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Wide Starlight – Nicole Lesperance

My first 5-star read of the year, and an unexpected one as well; a beautiful story of northern lights, fairytales, and family.

Read my review here!

Art Matters – Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell

An essential read for anyone with creative aspirations of any kind. Neil Gaiman never misses.

Alone in Space: A Collection – Tillie Walden

A beautiful collection of vignettes and short comics from one of my favorite creators in recent years!

The Reckless Kind – Carly Heath

Another 5-star read from a new-to-me author, The Reckless Kind captured my heart with its tale of queer love and disabled identity.

Read my review here!

The Amazing Screw-On Head and Other Curious Objects – Mike Mignola

Another beautiful anthology from one of my favorite artists and storytellers. The Magician and the Snake always gets me choked up.

Call Us What We Carry – Amanda Gorman

At this point, Amanda Gorman is incapable of writing anything that doesn’t immediately awe me; Call Us What We Carry is filled to the brim with creativity, wisdom, and timely insight that will surely stand the test of time.

Honorable Mentions (4.5 stars):

Today’s song:

probably the last album I’ll listen to in 2022, and it was a great one!! this definitely my favorite track

That’s it for my favorite books of 2022! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!