Recommendations For Boricua-a-thon Bingo Card

 

Dulce De Coco

A book that is sweet or addictive.

Never Look Back 

Eury comes to the Bronx as a girl haunted. Haunted by losing everything in Hurricane Maria--and by an evil spirit, Ato. She fully expects the tragedy that befell her and her family in Puerto Rico to catch up with her in New York. Yet, for a time, she can almost set this fear aside, because there's this boy . . .

Pheus is a golden-voiced, bachata-singing charmer, ready to spend the summer on the beach with his friends, serenading his on-again, off-again flame. That changes when he meets Eury. All he wants is to put a smile on her face and fight off her demons. But some dangers are too powerful for even the strongest love, and as the world threatens to tear them apart, Eury and Pheus must fight for each other and their lives.

This book actually fulfills the Ismael Miranda y Tego Calderon prompt as well.

Que Bonita Bandera

A book that talks about the flag or the colonization of Puerto Rico.

When We Make It

Sarai is a first-generation Puerto Rican question asker who can see with clarity the truth, pain, and beauty of the world both inside and outside her Bushwick apartment. Together with her older sister, Estrella, she navigates the strain of family traumas and the systemic pressures of toxic masculinity and housing insecurity in a rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn. Sarai questions the society around her, her Boricua identity, and the life she lives with determination and an open heart, learning to celebrate herself in a way that she has long been denied.

This also fulfills the Nuyorican prompt

The Group Book

A Woman of Endurance

A Woman of Endurance, set in nineteenth-century Puerto Rican plantation society, follows Pola, a deeply spiritual African woman who is captured and later sold for the purpose of breeding future slaves. The resulting babies are taken from her as soon as they are born. Pola loses the faith that has guided her and becomes embittered and defensive. The dehumanizing violence of her life almost destroys her. But this is not a novel of defeat but rather one of survival, regeneration, and reclamation of common humanity. 

In addition to this being the Group Book, this book also fulfills three of the spaces on the board: Yo Creo En Brujeria, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas and  Ismael Miranda y Tego Calderon.

Pa' Lante 

A book about The Young Lords

Olga Dies Dreaming

It's 2017, and Olga and her brother, Pedro “Prieto” Acevedo, are boldfaced names in their hometown of New York. Prieto is a popular congressman representing their gentrifying Latinx neighborhood in Brooklyn, while Olga is the tony wedding planner for Manhattan’s power brokers.

Despite their alluring public lives, behind closed doors things are far less rosy. Sure, Olga can orchestrate the love stories of the 1 percent but she can’t seem to find her own. . . until she meets Matteo, who forces her to confront the effects of long-held family secrets.

Olga and Prieto’s mother, Blanca, a Young Lord turned radical, abandoned her children to advance a militant political cause, leaving them to be raised by their grandmother. Now, with the winds of hurricane season, Blanca has come barreling back into their lives.

Pa' Lante

A book about The Young Lords

The Young Lords : A Radical History

Against the backdrop of America's escalating urban rebellions in the 1960s, an unexpected cohort of New York radicals unleashed a series of urban guerrilla actions against the city's racist policies and contempt for the poor. Their dramatic flair, uncompromising socialist vision for a new society, skillful ability to link local problems to international crises, and uncompromising vision for a new society riveted the media, alarmed New York's political class, and challenged nationwide perceptions of civil rights and black power protest. The group called itself the Young Lords.<br><br>Utilizing oral histories, archival records, and an enormous cache of police surveillance files released only after a decade-long Freedom of Information Law request and subsequent court battle, Johanna Fernandez has written the definitive account of the Young Lords, from their roots as a Chicago street gang to their rise and fall as a political organization in New York. Led by poor and working-class Puerto Rican youth, and consciously fashioned after the Black Panther Party, the Young Lords occupied a hospital, blocked traffic with uncollected garbage, took over a church, tested children for lead poisoning, defended prisoners, fought the military police, and fed breakfast to poor children. Their imaginative, irreverent protests and media conscious tactics won reforms, popularized socialism in the United States and exposed U.S. mainland audiences to the country's quiet imperial project in Puerto Rico. Fernandez challenges what we think we know about the sixties. She shows that movement organizers were concerned with finding solutions to problems as pedestrian as garbage collection and the removal of lead paint from tenement walls; gentrification; lack of access to medical care; childcare for working mothers; and the warehousing of people who could not be employed in deindustrialized cities. The Young Lords' politics and preoccupations, especially those concerning the rise of permanent unemployment foretold the end of the American Dream. In riveting style, Fernandez demonstrates how the Young Lords redefined the character of protest, the color of politics, and the cadence of popular urban culture in the age of great dreams.

Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas

 

Read a Book about an Afro-Boricua or Taino character

La Boriquena #1, 2, 3

La Boriquena #1

When Brooklyn native Marisol Rios De La Luz takes a semester abroad in Puerto Rico to study the tropical cave systems, she finds a lot more than she bargained for - a mystical object connects her to the ancient Taíno deities of Puerto Rico, and she’s granted a special destiny. Can Diasporican Marisol truly connect to her heritage and become protector of La Isla del Encanto? How can she use superpowers to face the economic and environmental challenges facing Puerto Rico? And who are the nefarious villains seeking to make La Borinqueñas powers their own? “La Borinqueña has authentic Puerto Rican flavor!” The Washington Post. Written by creator Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, Illustrated by Emilio Lopez, Sabrina Cintron, and Will Rosado, Colored by Juan Fernandez. Cover artwork by Ralph ‘Rags’ Morales and Emilio Lopez. 60 pages, perfect bound, paperback, including a bonus story.

La Boriquena #2

La Borinqueña returns! As the island continues to recover from the catastrophe of last issue, Marisol continues to wrestle with her newfound role. In her costume, flying high, she’s hailed as a hero...but would the people accept her as their protector if they knew who she really was, and where she was really from? After all: what does it even mean to be a hero? At the university, which has been facing so many budget cuts that many students can’t even attend to their studies, Marisol is surrounded by bright, active young people bravely facing the island’s challenges, not with superpowers, but with their voices. And as Marisol sees when she’s magically displaced from time, these students are part of a long tradition of Puerto Rican activism. In order to meet her destiny, Marisol must figure out where she fits in, and the place she wants in history. Written by creator by Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, Illustrated by Will Rosado and Manuel Preitano, Colored by Christopher Sotomayor and Robert Snyder. Cover artwork by George Pérez and Juan Fernández, back cover artwork by Nicole Virella. 64 pages, perfect-bound paper back.

La Boriquena #3

¡La Borinqueña vive! Time has passed since Marisol has been seen. What became of her? Her friends? Most importantly, Puerto Rico? Who controls la estrella del camino and what does that mean for La Borinqueña’s fate? All of these questions and more will be revealed in the long awaited sequel to our best-selling graphic novel series! Written by creator Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez with the first cover featuring art by Javier Salteres, Sabrina Cintron, Will Rosado, and Chris Sotomayor.

Ricanstruction

Ricanstruction: Reminiscing & Rebuiliding Puerto Rico is an anthology featuring contributions from writers and artists from the comic book industry like Gail Simone, Greg Pak, Reginald Hudlin, Denys Cowan, Tony Daniel, Ken Lashley, Bill Sienkiewicz, Yanick Paquette, Gabby Rivera, Will Rosado, Jorge Jimenez, Mike Allred, Chris Sotomayor, to Puerto Rican and Latinx celebrities like Rosario Dawson, Ruben Blades, Javier Munoz, Sonia Manzano and over 100 more. Produced and also featuring stories written by Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, this anthology teams up his original character LA BORINQUENA with some of the most iconic comic book heroes of all time from DC: Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, Aquaman, The Flash and many others. Original stories also take us to the past to explore the beautiful history of PUERTO RICO as well as tales that envision a stronger and rebuilt island. 100% of the proceeds from this anthology will go to the continued work to help over 3 million Americans living in Puerto Rico, providing solar-powered lamps, food, clothing and so much more. These short stories remind us all that the true power of being a hero is inside each of us. When we come together as a united people, we will never be defeated! !El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido! Thanks to DC for generously giving our studio, Somos Arte, permission to use some of DC's iconic characters in original stories for this anthology, whose proceeds Somos Arte will contribute towards the continued hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen Review

 Lately, I have been trying very hard to read more graphic novels. This year for AAPI month we wanted to read a graphic novel that I've been waiting to get my hands on for some time. I happened to find one at my local library and was happy I found it.

The Magic Fish is a graphic novel by Trung Le Nguyen an illustrator and graphic artist from Minnesota. It is based on the real-life struggles he had as a queer child who lived with parents who didn't speak English. Like Tien in the story, there was a serious language barrier that prevented him from telling his parents he is gay. 

One thing we loved about this graphic novel was the way that it was told. Though there was a language barrier, they were able to communicate through stories. There were parts of the book told in flashbacks of his parents who escaped Vietnam during the war and also with Vietnamese versions of classic fairytales. Throughout the story, Trung writes about his obsession with fairytales and his relationships with his parents and his friends.

There are instances of religiously motivated homophobia. I also don't like the way the school handled the issue of his grief when a family member dies. His friends are amazing they both knew he was gay and it never really became a thing. One of our favorite scenes was the school dance, even though it eventually became an issue it was sweet and I think something Tien really needed at the moment.

The fairytales played a big part in the whole story. It showed how stories change with people, generations, and changes in location. The three stories that were told within the bigger story were Tattercoats, Cinderella, and The Little Mermaid. Honestly, all three stories are told way differently than the originals and they were actually more realistic in some ways. We were pleasantly surprised by the ending of this version of The Little Mermaid which helped him and his mother become closer.

I enjoyed the elements of the story that were just so tender and cute. The fairytales were great, we liked them better than the original. I really hope that the author continues with Tien's story. It would be good to read about how he approaches certain issues at school and home. I think that this might be one of my favorite graphic novels. We would like to read everything that Trung Le Nguyen writes in the future, this was great. 

Spell 31 by Ibeyi Album Review

 When I first came across Ibeyi's music back in 2015, it was on Soundcloud. Mind you, I never put that much support behind Soundcloud artists. There was something special about that Ee-Bey-Ee Mixtape though. To me, they needed to be already recording albums, gaining a huge fanbase, and touring internationally. I was a fan, I am still a fan and it has been amazing to see them evolve.

For those who don't know who they are, Ibeyi is a duo comprised of twins Lisa-Kainde and Naomi Diaz. The word Ibeyi means twins in the Yoruba language. On their first two albums, Ibeyi and Ash, we heard a sound that was very unique and fresh. There have never been any others who have been able to blend R&B, Hip-Hop, Electronic, Traditional Yoruba chants, and Jazz so seamlessly. Fast Forward to 2022 and a pandemic later and they are fast approaching the release date of their third album Spell 31.

Recently, I was able to attend an album release party and concert that they put together here in Brooklyn. I got to meet them and their mother. In addition to being able to briefly speak with them, I acquired a copy of the album on vinyl early, which they autographed. I have now been able to listen to Spell 31 in its entirety several times since. Yes, I am a fan and the truth is this is their best album yet.

Spell 31 is an album that focuses very heavily on healing. We have been through so many hard times recently that Lisa-Kainde and Naomi want their music to be an instrument of healing. The album is very true to that mission and that's why it's amazing. 

The album kicks off strong with Sangoma and O Inle. A Sangoma is a Zulu healer and witch doctor. They are oftentimes a symbol of spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical healing. In the song Sangoma, they sing "Oh, We'll be like Sangoma, We'll be like Sangoma, Somos milagrosas, Curandoles el Alma", which really tells us that they want this album to be a ritual of healing. O Inle is a song to the Orisha Inle who is the deity of health and medicine, he is also the physician of the other deities. Those songs seem to reinforce the idea of the main theme of the album.

Made of Gold is probably one of our favorite tracks on the album. Pa Salieu was the perfect feature for this, his verse is essential to the song.  It's such an amazing song that talks about the things that we are capable of the magic that was passed down to us through our lineages. The song is also a way to help us understand that even if we are cut off from our magic there is a way to reconnect. That message is so important for many specifically Africans of the diaspora. There is a part of the song where they say, "Oh you with a spine, who would work your mouth against this magic of mine . It has been passed down through an unbroken line . The sky encloses the stars, I enclose magic, I enclose magic", is a spell from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. The whole song is powerful, but those are the words from Spell 31 inside that book and the album is named after that spell. This whole album is a ritual and each song is a prayer.

Sister 2 Sister is probably the cutest song on this album. In the video, you can see how much they love each other, hell even when they perform it live they show that sisterly love. It's also a message to sisters everywhere about how to communicate and how no matter how much they hurt each other they're sisters always. We love the message, love the video, and the choreo is everything. We just stan them and the relationship they've built.  Lavender and Red Roses is a song about unsustainable relationships that people pour themselves all into and eventually have to let go of for the sake of their health. The song features Jorja Smith and her vocals fit this song so well, it worked so well sonically and the video is a work of art. Both of these songs get an A+++ for vocals, subject matter, and visuals.

Creature (Perfect) is a song about not having to be perfect. Lisa-Kainde said she wrote this one for herself because she had to keep reminding herself that she doesn't need to be perfect she just needs to be herself. I really love that message because it can be a universal type of message for anyone who strives to be a perfectionist. Tears are our medicine, I think, is a great song to cry to and also a song that I personally need to hear because I tend to not like to show any type of emotion. That's not a great way to be at all and sometimes it's good to let it all out.

There is not enough that can be said about Rise Above. This song is most definitely a rallying cry for those who are pushed to the margins of society. Those who have been oppressed and cast aside. It is a cover, but Ibeyi's version is melodic and their harmonies are so complementary Black Flag might as well go on and give them the song. Berwyn's verse on this is sick, he did what needed to be done.

We love the track Foreign Country because it tells the role of twins in the Yoruba Ifa spiritual practice. I love the teachings and Patakis about Ibeyi. They are highly revered by practitioners for many reasons and I love how they tell the Patakis in interviews, they're very passionate, and rightfully so. The fact that they acknowledged their Muertos to close this album in the Yoruba tradition is the moment. We're here for them being very openly acknowledging the ones they've lost.

Overall the album is solid, it shows so much growth and this sounds like it's more of a collaborative songwriting endeavor. We love that all of these songs are so unapologetic, energetic, and just a bit more fearless. Also, Naomi's vocals are so crispy on this, it's so nice to see that she is singing more than on their previous albums. Ibeyi is a duo that has constantly evolved and we have enjoyed their evolution. We are thoroughly looking forward to what they do next.  

Latinx Book Bingo TBR 2021

   Since last year I have made it a point to participate in read-a-thons and bookish things that will lead me to becoming a more well rounded reader. As an Afro-Latine I'm always open to joining the bookish things that some of my friends do for Latine Heritage Month. For the second year in a row I have decide to do Latinx Heritage Month Bingo. Honestly I was having some trouble finding books for the prompts, but I think I have a pretty solid list going here.

 

So of course for Latinx Book Bingo we get a Bingo Board. The Bingo board for 2021 looks like this:

My TBR goes as follows :

Set in Latam 

Of Women and Salt

Gabriela Garcia

The story of Jeanette, a woman struggling with addiction who decides to take in a troubled child, but she is having difficulties raising her. In an attempt to understand her difficult relationship she has with her mother, she travels to Cuba to visit her grandmother and discovers that there are many secrets that her mother keeps. 

Name in Title

La Borinquena issues #1 & #2

Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez

I always go back to my La Boriquena comic books because they are just an amazing story about an Afro- Boricua superhero. There is just something about seeing a superhero that looks like you and is of the same heritage that you are a product of. Also Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez is a great friend of mine so I also feel a kinship to the character because of the stories he's told me about the women he based Marisol on. I always think about the women who nurtured and cared for me when I read La Borinquena.

Non - Fiction

The Young Lords : A Radical History

Johanna Fernandez

I pride myself on having family members who were Young Lords and they have their personal experiences, but books like these look at that time so much more objectively. I do value the things my tios and tias told about their roles in a lot of this, but we know that there were many things going on at once that this book helps to put into perspective. 

Backlist Title

Each of Us a Desert  

Mark Oshiro

 Xochitl carries the burden of holding the stories of  her people and longs to share her heart with a person who could understand. She meets someone unexpected who she embarks on a journey with. Later, they find that their hearts maybe matched. 

I definitely look forward to reading this book and possibly crying throughout.

This book has literally been sitting on my shelf since its pub day and I regret not reading it right away. I will be getting to it this year for Latinx Heritage Month. 

Indie Pub

 I'm A Gay Wizard 

V.S. Santoni

When two friends Johnny and Alison begin dabbling in magic over their summer holiday, they attract the attention of the Marduk Institute, an organization focused on honing the talents of young wizards. They are taken to a magical world where they are told they would have to leave their old lives behind. As they are adjusting to this new world they soon find themselves in a supernatural fight that threatens their lives.

I am very much looking forward to reading this particular book because I actually got this one from V.S. and never got around to reading it. So happy that I'll get to read it finally.

Fave Color on the Cover 

The Mirror Season 

Anna-Marie McLemore

This book is about a girl named Graciela and a boy named Lock who are both assaulted at a party. After that night, Ciela loses her ability to make enchanted pan dulce a mirrored glass shows up,  and brings magic with it that can have some really dangerous consequences. Because Lock doesn't remember what happened that night and also has no idea about what the mirrored glass is taking his life apart she decides that the best thing is not to tell anyone what happened. Keeping what happened that night a secret can be vital to their survival.

I think I bought this specifically for Latinx Heritage month. I'm pretty sure I've been saving it just for that purpose. Really looking forward to reading it though because I honestly love Anna Marie McLemore's other books.

Fave Genre

Blazewrath Games 

Amparo Ortiz

 

Lana always liked dragons over people. She also wants so badly to represent Puerto Rico in the Blazewrath World Cup a contest where dragons and their riders compete in a dangerous relay. After a member of the Puerto Rican team gets kicked off the team she is given the chance. After she finds out a former player has teamed up with a dangerous dragon named sire, who can shape shift into a human. she fears that the Cup might be in danger. The two of them are aiming to get the Cup canceled by destroying dragon sanctuaries. In order to be able to represent her country she must navigate a conspiracy and avoid the Cup being canceled. 

I was supposed to read this last year, but never got around to it. Hopefully this year I will definitely get around to enjoying this book.

Intersectional MC

Miss Meteor

Tehlor Kay Mejia, Anna-Marie McLemore

Lita has always wanted to win the Miss Meteor pageant, but there has never been a winner that looked like her. She enlists her former friend to help her. They both are setting out to show the people in their town that its about more than looks, but also being yourself and loving who you are. 

I think that this book was another one I wanted to read for LHM last year and just couldn't get to. I'm trying to make it one of the first ones I read this year. I really want to be able to read it this time.

Translated Book

Where We go From Here 

Luca Rocha

A story about three gay friends in Brazil. Ian has just been diagnosed with HIV. Henrique has been living with HIV for three years. Victor begins questioning his relationship with Henrique because he didn't disclose his status until after they had sex. Though Henrique used every precaution Victor is upset. Then he meets Ian who has just been diagnosed and thinks maybe Henrique can help him. Though he's still upset he offers to put them in touch. Victor hopes that Henrique can help Ian navigate his life after being diagnosed. Their lives become intertwined in the process and they become vital parts of each other's lives.

I got this specifically with the intent of reading it for this prompt. This book has been recommended to me multiple times and I have been interested in reading it for sometime and it was on sale. It also helps me fulfill my goal of reading more translated works and more Brazilian writers.

Rec'd by a Latinx Reader

Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun 

Jonny Garza Villa

Julian Luna just wants to get out of Corpus Christi, Texas and away from the very burdensome expectations people have for his life. One day in an impulsive decision, Jules outs himself . Mat a crush of Jules' from Twitter begins communicating with him. When Jules' fears about coming out actually come true, Mat the person he needs to help him get through this live fifteen hundred miles away. So Jules is essentially left to deal with it  alone.

This is one of my most anticipated reads for 2021. I have been saving this for LHM as well. Finally. In a few days I'll be able to read it.

Queer Rep

I'm a Gay Wizard: The City of the Nightmare King

V.S. Santoni

In the sequel of 'I'm a Gay Wizard', Johnny's father is supposed to be moving him to a Misthaven to start a new life, but once Johnny is reunited with his best friends they realize that Misthaven is Dreamhaven. Dreamhaven is the Marduk Institute's prison for wizards and they are trapped there. One of his friends, Hunter get's sick with a magical sickness and they go into the underworld to save him. 

Any Latinx Author

Ghost Squad 

Claribel A. Ortega

Lucely and her best friend Syd cast a spell that releases spirits right before Halloween. With the help of Syd's Grandma and her cat they go on a quest to stop the haunting.

I've been wanting to read this for a while and when my girlfriend told me she bought a copy I was tempted to put the book I was reading down to start it. Discipline worked OVERTIME that day.

Song Title

Never Look Back 

Lilliam Rivera

After losing everything in Hurricane Maria Eury and her family move to the Bronx. She is haunted by a spirit named Ato and fully expects for the tragedy they experienced to catch up with them. She is putting her fears aside because she has met a boy.

Pheus is a bachata singer who is look for to spending time on the beach with his friends serenading a girl that he's been dating on and off. Everything changes when he meets Eury and now all he wants to do is fight off her demons. There are some things even love can't conquer and they find themselves fighting for each other.

I actually picked this book up at Mil Mundos Books. I really love that store, if you're ever in Brooklyn check it out. Anyway I have been holding on to this book for a time too, but now I am determined to read it. Its a must. 

2021 Release

Meet Cute Diary

Emery Lee

Noah Ramirez writes a blog, a collection of trans happily ever afters. The problem is none of the stories actually exist. When a troll expose his blog for fiction Noah's world unravels. The only way to save his blog is to convince people that the stories are true. When Drew comes into Noahs life they plan to stage a romance, but then the feelings become real. Noah in the end must chose between love and his blog.

Truth be told I am not a big fake romance type of person, but I have read some really amazing ones lately and I might start really liking this particular trope.

Afro Latinx

With Fire on High 

Elizabeth Acevedo

Emoni is a high school senior, a amazing cook and  a mother. She lives with her abuela who helps as much as she can. Emoni is an amazing cook and everyone love her cooking. When her high school begins offering a culinary arts classes she doesn't hesitate to sign up for them. While taking the classes she starts to think about working in a real kitchen as a possibility, but she has responsibilities, does not have money for the trip to Spain and she really shouldn't be thinking about these possibilities. She eventually discovers that the things she wants can be accomplished if she puts her mind to it.

I am reading this book again because I am an Elizabeth Acevedo stan. There I said it.

Author Debut

We Set the Dark on Fire

Tehlor Kay Mejia

At the Medio School for Girls, girls from distinguished families are trained for one of two roles in their society. Depending on her specialization a women will either run their husbands household or raise his children. Both of these promise a life of luxury and comfort.

Daniela Vargas is the school's top student, but her future depends on no one finding out her secret, that her pedigree is a lie. Her family obtained false identification papers to give her better standing. Now that her marriage to a politico's son is  near she has to keep her secret hidden or be pushed back down to her station. 

After her graduation she thinks she's safe until many surprises are revealed. Nothing prepare her for the things she must do. She is faced with the decision to either cling to the privilege that her parents fought for her to have or give up everything she worked hard for to join the resistance for a free medio.

When I got this series as a prize for a giveaway I was excited to read it, but had other things on my TBR at the time that I was trying to finish. I WILL get to it for this month.

If time permits...

Cresent City Monsters

Newton Lilavois

As for this list its subject to changes and I'm probably not going to finish it all, but I know this. For everyone who is embarking on the quest to fill the whole bingo board good luck. If you don't finish for any reason give yourself grace. Any way I will be trying my best to have fun, but also looking forward to reading all of these books. 

Books By Trans and Non-binary Authors

Since we're halfway through Pride Month and I'm still Getting asked for recommendations for books by trans and non-binary authors I've decided to suggest some. Some of these are ones I own, ones I have read then fallen in love with, ones that were released fairly recently and they are on my TBR lists as I type.

Cemetery Boys - Aiden Thomas

 

This story follows Yadriel in his quest to be accepted as a brujo by his family. After his cousin dies him and Maritza set out to find his portaje to send him to the afterlife so that he can come back for Dia de Muertos, instead he finds Julian, sets out to find answers and prove himself to his family. In the process Yads falls in love with Julian, but knows if he is dead he has to send him to the afterlife too. If you're into YA, love Latinx stories about brujx and love rom-coms this might be just for you.  By the end of the book you would have fallen in love with Yadriel/Julian and will be asking Aiden for a sequel.

Trigger Warnings:

Blood magic (referenced)

Character abuse (off-page)

Deadnaming of a trans character.

Death (parental)

Gender dysphoria.

Homophobia.

Misgendering of a trans character.

Transphobia.

Felix Ever After - Kacen Callender

Felix's story is a Trans coming of age story that is very deeply rooted in struggles that Trans people face daily. It also show how things can be if a Trans person's deepest fear comes true and having to live with the fact that someone could commit such an act of violence. In this story Felix learns that he is worthy of love and it can come from an unexpected place. I full on ugly cried by the end of this book and I fully endorse all ugly crying. One of the amazing things about this book is that it takes place during pride month and it makes the story that much better.

Trigger Warnings: 

Transphobia

Allusions to homophobia

Allusions to deadnaming

Assorted bullying

Catfishing.

All Boys Aren't Blue - George M. Johnson

George M. Johnson wrote this beautiful Memoir Manifesto that is an ode to being a queer black boy. Their story is amazing from cover to cover. George writes a testament to how people in their family affirmed them from day one and guarded their agency all the way into their adulthood. Last year, George announced that they were non-binary and they would be going by they/them pronouns, which is also a testament to how as we are on life's journey, we learn things about ourselves and adapt to those discoveries.

Trigger Warnings:

Blood

Cancer

Death (in family)

Homophobia

Incest

Physical assault

Racism

Rape

Sexual content

Sexual abuse

Slurs

Violence

 

An Unkindness of Ghosts - Rivers Solomon

An Unkindness of Ghosts follows a woman named Aster who lives on an Antebellum ship in space that has been seemingly wandering for many years. While reading through her mother's notes she finds similarities between the death of the Sovereign and the death of her mother. In the process of reviewing all of the evidence Aster discovers that there may be a way off of the ship and she has to decide whether to lead a revolt against the ships caste system or continue to experience abuse at the hands of the new Sovereign. Rivers was so able to seamlessly blur gender roles in an environment where you otherwise wouldn't be able to do it. I love that there was an understanding of the characters implied gender identities without it being overstated. 

Trigger Warnings:

Child abuse (Sexual, implied)

Homophobia.

Lynching.

Sexual assault (mentioned)

Slavery.

Suicide (mentioned)

The Death of Vivek Oji - Akwaeke Emezi

This book tells the story of Vivek in flashbacks that describe incidents and encounters up until his death. The story also covers the aftermath of his death and the toll it took on the family. In Vivek's mother's search for answers you discover what can happen if a female relative is reincarnated as male and the consequences of not carrying on the reincarnation name tradition. There are many themes and tropes explored in this book, especially as it it pertains to traditional Igbo spiritual practices. 

Trigger Warnings:

Alcohol

Death

Homophobia

Incest (first cousins)

Infidelity

Lynching

Murder

Rape

Sex

Sexual assault

Transphobia