Literally every time he acts like an arrogant ass because of how smart he is.
The time Thomas was snarky with his father and gave the best introvert excuse ever: “We need water or oxygen. We do not need conversation to survive.”
The time he said in public that he thinks that everyone should just strip their clothes and run naked in the streets and made a woman faint face first into the dessert table
The fact that he wants to discover cures for diseases not because it’ll bring him glory, but because it’ll save a lot of people
The times he talks about his mother
The times he makes it blatantly obvious he wants to kiss Audrey Rose
The time Thomas painted the entire universe within the confines of Audrey Rose’s favorite flower
The time Thomas made it clear that he loved Audrey Rose and his love was permanent.
The time he was willing to let her go and never see her again if it made her happy
The time he said “For there are no limits to the stars; their numbers are infinite. Which is precisely why I measure my love for you by them. An amount too boundless to count,”
The time he suggested Audrey Rose sit in his lap since they both wanted the window seat on the train.
The time he decided to make Audrey Rose a special tea blend for her
The time he was able to get a horse drawn sleigh for Audrey Rose when they made it to the Academy
The time Audrey said he smelled like bergamot (and forensics)
The time he remembered the dragon statue on a piece of furniture at his home estate and he named it Henri
Here is part II of my lgbtqia+ book recs. Unfortunately, some of these books aren’t exclusively gay, but feature a main or very important side character who isn’t straight. We need more gay fantasy books!
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Trilogy by Rick Riordan Magnus is a homeless teenager who’s been living on the streets of Boston ever since his mom died. His only living relative, Uncle Randolph, is the man his mother always warned him about- and so Magnus makes sure to stay away from him. But when a maneuver to avoid his uncle goes wrong, Magnus falls right into his Uncle’s hand. Soon, Magnus has to find out that his life is about to get even more tangled up… with Norse Gods, wolves and a bunch of the strangest people he’s ever met. I love Rick Riordan’s books A LOT. The Magnus Series is not only written in a way that will keep you invested in the disaster that is Magnus Chase’s life, but also super diverse. There’s several POC characters, muslim characters (hijabi, too), a deaf character, pansexual, gay and genderfluid characters. Magnus himself is a sweetheart, and his friends (and his love interest! ♥) are witty, funny and smart. The books are more on the middle-grade side of the spectrum, but they aren’t childish at all.
Trials of Apollo Series by Rick Riordan Another Riordan one. I just love his books. Apollo- god of music, healing and lots of other fun stuff- has angered his father, Zeus. It’s not like it’s the first time that has happened- but this time, Zeus has enough and casts Apollo down from Olympus. Apollo, now a lanky teenage boy with a face full of zits- lands in New York, where he has to survive on his own, trying to find people who can help him to regain his father’s favour and be allowed back into Olympus. It’s like every time Riordan writes another series, it gets gayer. Apollo is VERY bisexual- and it’s not just, like, mentioned in passing; no, it’s explained, and he keeps checking out guys the same way he checks out girls. And he isn’t just the only queer character in the series.
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One to ever have been chosen. But if he won’t fight the Insidious Humdrum, the monster who leaves holes in the magical athmosphere, who else will? At least Simon has his know-it-all best friend Penny, and his girlfriend Agatha… even if she seems to grow more and more interested in Simon’s arch enemy Baz lately… Speaking of Baz, why hasn’t he shown up at the start of the school year?
So, this basically reads like fanfic. But high quality, slow burn fanfic. It’s Rainbow Rowell’s take on the “Chosen One” trope- leaning especially heavy on Harry Potter. Simon is just… relateable as fuck, and the story is funny, magical and, in parts, heart-wrenching. Highly recommended.
Wolfsong (Green Creek Series) by TJ Klune Ox Matheson’s dad left when Ox was twelve. What Ox remembers best about him was one lesson his father taught him: Ox isn’t worth anything, and people will never understand him. Ox lives his life with that in mind- until he meets a strange boy on the way home- a boy with a lot to talk about, a stone statue of a wolf, and a family who is unlike other families.
Okay so. The story is very unconventional in its set-up. The writing isn’t the most perfect I’ve ever read, but it’s fine. Some stuff in the book is a little cliché, and some things made me cringe a bit. But all in all, it’s a very entertaining book- what came to my mind when I had finished it was “basically the good parts of Twilight, just gayer”.
Captive Prince Trilogy by C.S. Pacat (Okay, I know some people have issues with this series- and I do understand why these issues exist. There is going to be a seperate post about this trilogy, so please don’t hate on me for including it.)
Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos. But when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave. His new master, beautiful, manipulative prince Laurent has to deal with his own country’s tangle of politics and intrigues, and soon, the two have to work together more than either of them would like to. Well. The writing, characterization and world-building is preeeeeetty good. If you’re okay with a story that is problematic in a lot of areas, and if you occasionally enjoy a bit of, well, trashy smut, this is the perfect trilogy for you. I read it in the summer, on vacation, which it was perfect for.
The Raven Cycle Series by Maggie Stiefvater Her whole life, Blue Sargent- the girl who lives with a family of psychics and likes to make her own clothes- has been told that her true love will die when she kisses him. His whole life, Richard Campbell Gansey III -the boy who wears boat shoes and whose mom is a republican senator- has been searching for a dead welsh king who saved his life. Then there’s Gansey’s friends Ronan and Adam, one sharp like a knife, the other one trying hard not to give up, and Noah, the boy with the smudged face. And it seems like their fates are tangled, in one way or another. AAAAAAAA!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!, is all I can say. Must read. I don’t want to say too much, but, like… no-one in this series is truly straight, I’m convinced.
The Rest of Us just live Here by Patrick Ness Ghosts, zombies, aliens- Mikey’s high school has seen it all. And of course, there’s always those kids who end up fighting the monsters. But what about the kids who are not? What about the ones who just want to graduate in peace? The ones who are just trying to live their lives? Another unconventional take on a popular trope- the teenage hero. Mikey is NOT a hero- he’s just a normal guy with OCD. Diversity is very high in this book: neurodiversity, racial diversity, sexuality. However, I have to mention that it’s not one of the books with a gay main character.
Shades of Magic Series by V.E. Schwab In four worlds with four different Londons- one black and dead, one white and dying, one red and alive, and one grey and unsuspecting- there once lived plenty of Antari– magicians who are able to change between those four worlds, those four Londons. But now, only two are left: Kell, who comes from Red London and is tired of being nothing but an ambassador, and Holland, who comes from white London and is tired of the ever-changing string of queens and kings trying to rule his world. Again, another one in which the main character isn’t queer- but as the story goes on, it becomes more and more gay via side characters who get their own POV. The writing is beautiful and has a great flow to it, and the story and worldbuilding is A+.
Thomas Cresswell: “I refuse to believe you’ve misinterpreted my affections. I am wholly in love with you. And it is permanent.”
Jamie Fraser: “Only you,“ he said, so softly I could barely hear him. "To worship ye with my body, give ye all the service of my hands. To give ye my name, and all my heart and soul with it. Only you. Because ye will not let me lie–and yet ye love me.”
Rhysand: "And if I had not met my mate…” His words failed him as silver lined his eyes. He said down the bond, “I would have waited five hundred more years for you. A thousand years. And if this was all the time we were allowed to have… The wait was worth it.”
Cassian: “I have no regrets in my life, but this. That we did not have time. That I did not have time with you, Nesta. I will find you in the next world – the next life. And we will have that time. I promise.”
Rowan Whitethorn: “I missed you, When I was in Wendlyn. I lied when I said I didn’t. From the moment you left, I missed you so much I went out of my mind. I was glad for the excuse to track Lorcan here, just to see you again. And tonight, when he had that knife at your throat …I kept thinking about how you might never know that I missed you with only an ocean between us. But if it was death separating us … I would find you. I don’t care how many rules it would break. Even if I had to get all three keys myself and open a gate, I would find you again. Always.“
Aaron Warner: ”I want to be the friend you fall hopelessly in love with. The one you take into your arms and into your bed and into the private world you keep trapped in your head. I want to be that kind of friend,“ he says. "The one who will memorize the things you say as well as the shape of your lips when you say them. I want to know every curve, every freckle, every shiver of your body, Juliette-”
Gabriel Emerson: “When I told you that I was intending to worship you with my body, I meant it. With all my heart. I will never take from you. I will only give. In my bed and outside of it.”
Luka Tolsaia: “Because you belong to me, Kisa. You always have.” Luka’s face thawed and he pointed at my eye, then his left. “You’re a part of me, remember? God put a piece of you within me so when we were born, everyone would know we matched.”
River ‘Styx’ Nash: “I t-tried to stay away, do the right thing. B-because I ain’t no good for you. But f*uck, I want you so b-bad I feel like I- I c-can’t breathe. Can’t p-push you away n-no more. Need to have you c-close.”
Romeo Prince: “My body recognizes you as something that’s good for me. My mind recognizes you as someone who’s right for me, and my soul recognizes you as someone who is meant for me.”
Kaz Brekker: “I would have come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.”
Daemon Black: “Kat. I broke every rule of my kind to heal you and keep you with me. I … burned down an entire city to keep you safe. I’ve killed for you. Did you think I’d forget what you mean to me? That anything in this world— in any world— would be stronger than my love for you?”
[blushes profusely] oh wow, thank you!!! i’m so glad you’ve trusted me enough to check out some of the stuff i reblog; that is like the ultimate compliment, i can’t even??? i don’t mind at all(!), fair warning though: i only started recording what i read partway through last year and my mind is like a sieve so i’ll do my absolute best to remember what’s sang to me in the recent past. warning number two: i’m in an open relationship with absolutely every genre out there so i’ll try to note which belongs where so you can avoid those that hold no interest for you.
LGBT+
i’ll give you the sun. i loved this book, the writing is fucking transformative and all the characters are so damn likable, while still being realistically flawed human beings.
the raven cycle (tetralogy). definitely my favorite series since harry potter. the writing, the world-building, the characters, it’s all on top-form. i wrote a little, mini non-spoilery review of it: here, back when i was better (worse?) wordly-wise and my feels were brand new.
more happy than not. i’m still not sure how i feel about this book. it was hard, but it felt very true to the characters and the lingo and style matched the ages of the players and i have a lot of respect for that.
the watchmaker of filigree street. woooow i loved this book. i admit ‘historical fiction’ kind of makes me cringe. it never precludes me from reading a book but it does knock it down the list by a book or five because they’re often very dense and very clunky and end up taking me ages to get through. but this one was gorgeous. i loved the plot, the attention lovingly placed on every character and the historical elements. the surprise gay in an already brilliant book felt like winning the lottery honestly.
captive prince (trilogy). okay, truthfully, i’m only putting this on here because the second book is such a high point for me. it was never bad at any point but it had unfortunately been hyped far too much for it to live up to my, admittedly, very high expectations. hopefully it’ll fare better with you?
everything i never told you. i go back and forth on this one. i like the writing a lot, i like the LGBT aspect a lot, and i like the mystery aspect a lot but there are definitely characters i would cut out entirely for sheer predictability if i could and that killed a lot of my enjoyment at the time (but i think much more highly of it in retrospect?). so, take that as you like.
aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe. if there’s a book that handles its characters with more care or respect or consideration then i haven’t run into it. i love the way this is written and the people it’s populated with.
flying lessons & other stories. a bunch of uber talented authors writing a bunch of uber diverse and LGBT-focused stories and, yes, that is exactly as awesome as it sounds.
the diviners. (also has a minor LGBT character, who may play a bigger role in the sequel?) fair warning, i have not read the sequel, lair of dreams, because it is somehow still not out in paperback (yes, i read physical books, yes, i pretty exclusively read paperbacks so i can lug them everywhere with me, YES, I PRE-ORDERED THIS ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO AND IT’S STILL NOT OUT, NOT THAT I’M BITTER ABOUT THAT OR ANYTHING) so i can’t speak to that one finishing on a high note as i don’t know. but this was the first historical novel i managed to like in a long while. it does such a good job of fusing in 1920s lingo and dress and aspects that i couldn’t help but love it. add in the fantasy elements and i can admit i’m the perfect sucker for it.
the scorpio races. i’m not sure why but it took me a long-ass time to get into this book, i wasn’t flipping pages with gusto until well towards the end but – especially as i was reading so much YA at the time – i really appreciated coming across a romance that lets both people come into it as themselves and stay themselves, neither puck nor sean were ever smashed or crumpled or shaved away to fit into their relationship, which was so refreshing. plus the water horses were fucking cool.
the night circus. the writing, the atmosphere, the circus. just… it is all very whoa.
all the birds in the sky. i loved this writing style and these characters and the magical elements.
CONTEMPORARY
i’ll meet you there. there was something about this and i just… ended up liking it way more than i expected to. i might’ve just read it at exactly the right time, i’m not sure, but i really enjoyed it.
the invoice. this is honestly just hella cute and so freaking surreal. swedes, man.
NON-FICTION
why not me? i like mindy kaling a lot. i make no apologies for that. plus you can read both her books in about five seconds, haha.
SCIENCE FICTION
station eleven. i loved this book. the way the narrative is woven is so refreshing and i wish the comic book miranda was writing in this book was a real thing more than anything else in the woooorld.
illuminae. hot DAMN this book was cool. the plot was rock solid, the characters were hilarious and badass and the graphics made out of text and spiraling words and just the way this thing is put together? shit, it’s worth your money and then some.
a robot in the garden. okay this is just cute as hell. i can’t even with tang, he’s the most adorable robot to ever adorable.
annihilation (southern reach trilogy). (LGBT minor characters.) okay, honestly? i don’t know. this was freaking zany but i was invested as fuck in all the kookiness for reasons i can’t articulately elaborate on.
the martian. hilarious, engaging, SPACE. what more do you want?
HORROR
things we lost in the fire. this is more atmospheric than anything but, damn, could this get me wishing i wasn’t reading this in the dark or looking over my shoulder to make absolutely sure no one was standing behind me. it’s a book of short stories (by the way, i love books of short stories and i definitely realize that is not true for everyone) and each one is so well-delivered and stylized. i really enjoyed reading this.
let the right one in. okay, this is legit horror so definitely stay away if you’re easily squicked out but it is harrrrrd to find good horror (at least in my opinion) and this definitely, definitely qualifies.
horrorstör. i honestly had such low expectations for this, a horror story set in a wannabe-ikea, but it ended up being so ridiculous and strange and funny that i was won over by the finish.
the bigness of the world. there were definitely ones here that hit better than others but the ones i liked, i really liked!
GRAPHIC NOVELS (i read a lot of these so, um, prepare yourself)
saga. (LGBT minor characters as well.) this is world-building to a degree that i’m convinced did not exist before. just, i can’t say enough amazing things about this series and the staggering amount of imagination that regularly goes into it.
ms. marvel. heart-warming as fuck. it’s definitely really easy to lose faith in the world these days, luckily kamala is there to remind you that people are primarily and genuinely good.
black science. this is another one that took just an insane amount of imagination to cook up. i got off to kind of a rocky start with this one but the gray-ness of all the characters really speaks to me, and that doesn’t really blossom until later in the series.
spider-man/deadpool. this was very satisfying for my super duper spideypool-shipping mind. joe and ed did us so good, and joe basically said in his sign-off: i made it absolutely as gay as they would let me, haha.
the wicked + the divine. (LGBT minor characters that you’re going to get way too attached to, and retroactively. it’s awful [sobs].) the concept for this, gods reincarnating into teenagers before they burn up their hosts after a predetermined set of time, is so fucking cool. the humor and the characters and the plot is all just aces.
iceman (LGBT MAIN CHARACTER). okay, so this just started. like issue #2 was only released days ago but 1) i am liking it so far and 2) marvel did it so dirty and barely advertised bobby – an openly homosexual superhero – was getting his own series, like, i found out about it the day before it went on sale and i keep my ear fairly close to the ground (not as close as some BY A LOT, but closer than the lay person i’d say) so if you can support it, please do! pre-orders mean a lot in terms of numbers. :))))
descender. admittedly, this starts out rooough. because the main character, TIM-21 (and his little dog too), are annoying as hell. he’s an android so there’s no dimension to him so he’s booooring as all get out but i am so glad i stuck with it through to the next trade because, probably picking up on the unsustainability of him as a main character, he gets shuffled off and the side characters get the stage and they rock so hard.
paper girls. (LGBT main characters.) i’m kind of just convinced that brian k. vaughan can do no wrong at this point. his plots are so tight and mind-blowing and badass.
monstress. here’s a little tid-bit about me: female comic book writers are 100% more likely to get my money and my time because they are so damn rare and this series is unique, badass, and eye-opening.
black monday murders. i’m a little premature with this since there’s only one volume and i usually try to wait until there are at least two but i check up on a volume two a lot so that definitely means something intrigued me!
nailbiter. okay, i haven’t read the final volume yet ‘cause i’m reluctant to let it go but, so far, a series about multiple serial killers all being from the same town has me VERY HOOKED.
i wish i could remember more but this is honestly way better than i expected to do, haha. they’re definitely not all my all-time faves but they’re ones that have stuck with me for one reason or another and that i didn’t feel i wasted my time on, so that’s something, right? i hope this helps get you started and that you don’t think too awfully of me when you inevitably run across ones that aren’t your cup of tea!
tv shows with time travel organizations/bureaus/police/agencies/whatever should have a department with instead of a tech genius eating candy, it’s a harried seamstress or fashion designer who is like
“1450 italy? does it look like I have the time to dye you wool? nO. YOU’RE GOING TO THE 1980s”
and throws shoulder pads at the hapless time agent
“I literally made three- THREE- 18th century corsets last week. You can wait until one of them gets back, or you can go sometime post-1920s, because if I have to sew one more god damn channel I will literally lose my mind.”
“Upper middle class?!?!? You told me upper class! FUCK YEAH THERE’S A DIFFERENCE!!!”
“How about kimoNO.”
“Look me in the eyes. I do not care what you want. This is the 1500s. You absolutely cannot wear trousers.”
“Another court gown?? Here’s a novel idea: go as a peasant for once in your life. Why do you do this to me? You’re fucking sadists that’s why.”
“Don’t mind me, I’ll just be up all night hand painting silk.”
“THE POLICY IS ONE MONTH’S ADVANCE NOTICE ON PRE-1900s WOMEN’S FASHION FOR A REASON, DEBRA.”
This is kinda an actual thing in the Ruby Red trilogy by Kirsten Gier. There’s a secret society with two time traveling people and a person specifically hired to provide authentic costumes. They also hired another person to teach the time travelers how to behave/dance/etc.
Due to a typo, your local store/mall/etc. put out a request for an appearance by Satan instead of Santa. He follows through with the request.
He shows up and reads through the entire job contract, notes the spelling ‘Santa’ and just corrects each one with a red pen. He eyes the mall representative, who is sweating bullets, but says nothing about the fact that the contracts he’s making are with children, or that they don’t involve souls of any kind. He signs on the bottom line in a strange, bony quill. There’s a strange red flash, and the mall rep is super reluctant to ask. Or touch the contract.
Satan wears the red suit and the hat and the boots, if awkwardly (those cloven hooves, don’tchaknow).
The elves stand well away, but he’s hardly bothered by that, casually waiting on a throne that’s far more cheerful and composed of significantly less bone than the one he’s used to.
The children are hesitant at first, until a little girl marches up, sans-parents, and plops herself on his knee, looking up at him with the set jaw of someone who isn’t interested in this farce.
“I want a pony,” she says with a roll of her eyes. She’s no more than nine. He arches an eyebrow
“Do you?” he asks. She scoffs.
“Tch, no, but you’re just a man in a suit, it’s not like you can’t get me what I want.”
He smiles at her assertiveness and steeples his fingers, careful not to jostle her from her perch.
“Try me.”
She narrows her eyes at him, studying his inscrutable face before folding her arms.
“There’s a bully at my school, and I want him to go away,” she said. His eyebrow arched a little higher and he tilted his head.
“And if I do this, I believe the standard contract is that you will be a ‘good girl’ and behave appropriately towards your most favored parent?’ he replied. The child rolls her eyes.
“Yeah, sure,” she says. He nods and holds out his hand, which curls around hers entirely when she puts hers out.
“It will be done.”
After that, the children are a lot less hesitant, although several adults attempt to leave. Several hundred bargains are made. For toys. For new family. For present family to suffer. For puppies. And kittens. For understanding. For acceptance.
He declines anything borne of pettiness – of momentary squabbles between jealous children – and redirects them towards more productive desires.
He turns away anyone over the age of eighteen, though several adults attempt to approach. Later they are plagued with horrible nightmares.
At the end of each day, he returns to the underworld and assembles teams of demons, handing out assignments to each of them, to be researched heavily and then executed the night of December 24th. The demons are confused, but do as they’re told, because the dark lord’s edicts are undeniable. His secretary gives him an odd look, but Satan is immune to searching looks, and says nothing, just retires to his room, gets up in the morning, has his coffee, and returns to the mall, donning the suit and heading for the chair.
At the end of the week, he has made more than a thousand deals. The demon hordes are scurrying back and forth between hell and the physical plane.
There are many confused parents, come Christmas morning. Some find themselves with various pets they don’t remember registering for. Others with children. Others still find that their children have undergone some sort of personality shift, to the delight of their siblings.
The first girl is bitter in her heart as she opens gifts, until a letter is personally delivered by a strange mailman, detailing the removal of a teacher from the school she attends. She reads and rereads the letter after her parents finish with it, heart beating strangely lighter in her chest. Her parents are bemused and delighted about the hugs she gives them, and about the enthusiasm with which she ravages her other presents.
They are far less bemused by the black, hellfire-maned pony that is left on their doorstep, a tag attached to the pommel of the saddle that reads, ‘To Katie, Regards, Satan’
best.
the best Christmas story I have read so far
If you like that, Terry Pratchetts hogfather was made into a pretty swell movie and features Death taking thw place of that world’s Santa.
andtheytoldustotellyouhello 