Week 27: August 28th - Reading

Well, the week after my birthday turned out to be a very good week indeed! This really has been the month I've been waiting for.

My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Nagata Kabi: Oof this hits far closer to home than it should.

Should you read this? If you enjoy a graphic memoir, then this will be right up your alley. Nagata Kabi has really struck a tonal balance that injects humor into the snapshots of her life that feel deeply relatable. She has really done a good job of being vulnerable and capturing the anxieties that come with being a post-graduate adult trying to live up to the expectations of their parents. It's insightful and surprisingly relatable given the idea that the entire piece culminates in her meeting up with a lesbian sex worker service: something that I don't think the average person has experienced. This is a quick read and well worth the time.

Blessed by the Cupid Distribution System by Robin Jo Margaret: This is as indulgent as a red velvet cupcake.

Should you read this? If you want a quick and cozy sapphic romance with some spice, then I think you'll enjoy this. This was on my radar when it first came out but fell off pretty quickly - I happened to pick it up from Hoopla on a whim. It's hard to compare a novella of this length to full novels, but for what this is it's cute and fun. The relationship between Iris and Jaya is sweet and playful, and the story itself accomplishes its mission to be sweet and comforting like a hug. I just would've maybe liked this more if it was longer and we got more supernatural elements (and less public sex??? Like not to judge here but the ratio of book-length to characters outside of the MCs having sex in public was wild). Check this out if you're really curious - ultimately I had a good time here.

Hide N’ Seek by Ashley Pines, Eden Emory: Why am I sweating after reading this???

Should you read this? If you are a dark romance girly, then absolutely. Full disclosure: I've had very hit-or-miss findings in dark romance/erotica with more misses than hits, so I went into this with not the highest expectations. That being said, this was way better than I thought it was going to be. The setting of a deadly game of Hide-and-Seek in an abandoned amusement park is such a good vehicle for tension and suspense - and even with the thriller aspects we managed to get a braided narrative that didn't kill the pace. This toed the line perfectly of two characters toxically obsessed with each other while also being root-able (it helps when they're both not good people and when the setting brings out the worst of them). It was also very, very hot - I was genuinely sweaty by the time I finished this book. I'm not fully sure how to describe it, but everything here just worked perfectly for me. Your mileage may vary here: if you don't like dark romance or don't think you would like it, then you won't enjoy this. However, if you are open to the minefield of a sub-genre, then this was such a good time. Check out the trigger warnings before you jump in, but if those don't turn you away then I think this is well worth it.

Magica Riot by Kara Buchanan: We are living in a time of magical girl supremacy and I am thriving.

Should you read this? I am begging on my hands and knees for everyone to read this. I'm not going to draw this out - this is one of my favorite books of the year. This is proof positive that a book can be good AND fun at the same time. The cast was delightful, the prose full of humor and heart, and the audiobook narrator really brought this to life. It's a love letter to the magical girl genre while also poking fun at some of the sillier aspects. Also I am obsessed with bringing the queer subtext of the genre right into the forefront. I wish that Magica Riot was a real band so I could deep-dive their discography. What the world is currently feeling for "K-Pop Demon Hunters" is what I feel for this book. In a time of deep despair, this made me happy to be alive. It's such a punk book about hope and kindness and the family you make that I want to scream it from the rooftops. As soon as I finished the audiobook I ordered a physical copy because I need this on my shelf. Consider me feral, consider me obsessed, consider me a fangirl. Please, I implore you all to read this - you won't be disappointed.

Finally feel like we're back in the swing of things! This week was such a good time, hoping to end out August strong before we go into Sapphic September!