January Wrap-Up || 2018

TL;DR

In this book wrap-up, Adriana reviews a range of books including satirical queer fantasy, middle-grade magical realism, a popular young adult series, a high-intensity faerie romance, a queer sports comic, a queer afro-futuristic sci-fi novel, a classic gay romance, a narrative poetry collection, and a slice-of-life comic series.

Transcript

Bibliophiles of the internet, my name's Adriana and today I'm here to bring you my January Wrap-Up. I know a lot of people had a really fantastic reading month in January, but I think, scientifically speaking, I had the absolute best start when I picked up "In Other Lands" by Sarah Rees Brennan. This is a satirical queer fantasy about a bisexual bo... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤕 "In Other Lands" explores themes of self-discovery, the importance of connection with others, and the coming-of-age journey.
• 🥰 "Love, Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble" showcases the significance of family, culture, and the dangers of keeping secrets.
• 👯 "How to Train Your Dragon" series emphasizes the resilience of young misfit characters and the importance of believing in people's capacity to change.
• ✊ "The Cruel Prince" provides an intense faerie court experience, focusing on power dynamics and the desire for agency.
• 🚙 "Fence" captures the intensity of sports and competition while celebrating queer representation.
• ✊ "An Unkindness of Ghosts" delves into issues of race, class, and the power of self-discovery.
• 🤳 "Call Me By Your Name" explores the complexities of desire, intimacy, and self-acceptance within a gay romance.
• ❓ "Fullmetal Indigiqueer" reimagines familiar stories and concepts, injecting them with queerness and Indigineity to challenge erasure.
• 🛟 "Giant Days" presents a relatable slice-of-life story about friendship, navigating university life, and personal growth.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is unique about "In Other Lands" by Sarah Rees Brennan?

"In Other Lands" is a satirical queer fantasy that combines humor with real and human moments, focusing on the protagonist Elliot's journey to find his place in a fantasy world.

Q: How does "Love, Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble" by Anna Meriano celebrate culture and family?

This middle-grade novel embraces Mexican-American values and culture, highlighting the positive and communal aspects of magical baking within the Logroño family.

Q: What themes are explored in "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black?

"The Cruel Prince" delves into high-stakes faerie court politics, the desire for power, and the importance of knowing oneself and one's history.

Q: What makes "An Unkindness of Ghosts" by Rivers Solomon a standout sci-fi story?

This queer afro-futuristic narrative tackles decolonization and erasure while featuring a non-neurotypical, queer, black, gender nonconforming protagonist named Aster.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• "In Other Lands" by Sarah Rees Brennan: A satirical queer fantasy about a bisexual boy named Elliot who explores a fantasy world and discovers his place in it.

• "Love, Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble" by Anna Meriano: #ownvoices middle-grade about a Mexican-American girl who discovers her family's magical baking powers.

• "How to Train Your Dragon" series by Cressida Cowell: Young misfit characters navigating challenges and the importance of believing people can change.

• "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black: A high-stakes faerie romance exploring court politics and the desire for power.

• "Fence" by johannathemad and C.S. Pacat: A queer sports comic about two rival fencers vying for a place on the fencing team.

• "An Unkindness of Ghosts" by Rivers Solomon: An #ownvoices queer afro-futuristic narrative set on a space ship with a hierarchy mimicking the Antebellum South.

• "Call Me By Your Name" by Andre Aciman: A classic gay romance about desire, intimacy, and self-acceptance.

• "Fullmetal Indigiqueer" by Joshua Whitehead: A poetic collection exploring decolonization and erasure through the character of Zoa, a Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer trickster.

• "Giant Days" by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Lissa Treiman: A slice-of-life comic series following three eccentric friends navigating university life.