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Queerly Loving #1
Queerly Loving
Queer characters getting their happy endings abound in this first book of a two-part collection. Discover pages upon pages of compelling stories about aromantic warriors, trans sorceresses, and modern-day LGBTQA+ quirky characters. Friendship, platonic love, and poly triads are all celebrated.Lose yourself in masterfully woven tales wrapped in fantasy and magic, delve into a story that brings the eighties back to life in vibrant color, get lost in space, and celebrate everything queer.Get ready for your queer adventure.
190 pages, Paperback
First published November 22, 2017
18 people are currently reading
576 people want to read
About the author
G. Benson
16 books952 followersBenson spent her childhood wrapped up in any book she could get her hands on and—as her mother likes to tell people at parties—even found a way to read in the shower. Moving on from writing bad poetry (thankfully) she started to write stories. About anything and everything. Tearing her from her laptop is a fairly difficult feat, though if you come bearing coffee you have a good chance.
When not writing or reading, she´s got her butt firmly on a train or plane to see the big wide world. Originally from Australia, she currently lives in Spain, speaking terrible Spanish and going on as many trips to new places as she can, budget permitting. This means she mostly walks around the city she lives in.
When not writing or reading, she´s got her butt firmly on a train or plane to see the big wide world. Originally from Australia, she currently lives in Spain, speaking terrible Spanish and going on as many trips to new places as she can, budget permitting. This means she mostly walks around the city she lives in.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 10, 2018
Review Update.
Review also on my blog
Miss me with that gay shit By Sacha Lamb
TW: None.
Rep: Trans Boy MC, Queer side character, POC MC, POC side characters, Muslim & Jewish characters, m/m romance.
This was a sweet story about a trans boy named Elijah and his on crush on Nik. A guy he doesn’t want to be crushing on. I really enjoyed this story and it was a perfect start to the novel. Elijah was a funny MC and I loved the relationship he had with his twin sister, who also had a girlfriend.
4/5 Stars.
Gifts Of Spring by Shira Glassman
TW: Violence.
Rep: Trans Women MC, POC characters, M/f romance.
Adult fantasy story about a Rosamund, Trans women who is on the run from the king and is hiding in a village. It’s super sweet and follows Rosamund as she navigates the village and meets a handsome stranger along the way. I loved it.
5/5 Stars.
Wishing On The Perseid by Kay. C Sulli
TW: None.
Rep: M/m romance, Gay MCS.
The story of two boys meeting at a camp before they’re due to head off to college. They get along great and soon friendship turns to more. This was adorable. I loved both MC’s and I was rooting for their HEA.
4/5 Stars.
Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano
TW: Homomisa , Homomisic Parents, Internalized homomisa.
Rep: f/f romance, Queer MC, Queer Side characters.
This was a very sweet story set in the 1980’s. Its about two girls who compete in a type writing contest and fall in love along the way. This is probably one of my favorite out of nine stories. I just loved it so much.
5/5 Stars.
First light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian
TW: Violence, Flash Backs to the Army, transphobia.
Rep: Trans Women MC, F/F romance, MC with PTSD.
This story is told in a letter format. It’s about a trans women named Kate, who writes a letter to her former friend. Describing her ptsd from the army and talking about how she met her girlfriend and their life together. It’s so fucking good I cried. Very well written, I wouldn’t complain if the author decided to write a novel about just Kate’s life.
5/5 Stars.
Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane
TW: Grief.
Rep: Queer MC, Deaf MC, Queer side characters, Side characters with disabilities.
Fantasy about a girl who tries to speak with her Dragon and figure out if her Dragon has a preferred gender. Dragons are used as campions to people with disabilities. It was really sweet and very unique.
4/5 Stars.
Planchette by Carolyn Gage.
TW: Violence, Sexual assault, on page murder, homophobia.
Rep: Queer MCS, Queer side characters.
A play set in 1879. A conversation between two young girls both 14 years old. This was my least favorite story. Unlike the rest it didn’t have a definite happy ending and also included a very graphic scene were a queer girl is murdered in front of her lover. I understand why the story is necessary. However I didn’t enjoy it.
2/5 Stars.
Birthday Landscapes by EH Timms.
TW: Violence, Flash Backs to the army.
Rep: Aromantic MC’s, Platonic relationship.
Set in a fantasy world were a warrior and a weever are both Aromantic and have decided to have children together. They have a contract and a very sweet plantonic relationship. It was really good to see the word Aromantic used on page and to see the two MCs happy. The children were so sweet.
4/5 Stars.
A gallant rescue by A.P Raymond.
TW: Homomisic parents.
Rep: Poly romance, Trans MC, Non binary MC, Queer Side characters, side f/f romance, MC that use Xie pronouns, MC that uses Ey pronouns.
This was a sweet sci-fi story about a crew of people from ship saving one of their Members after her father has refused to let her leave the house. He is forcing her to marry someone else, even though she is already in a f/f relationship. This was like a heist and I loved it so much. It was very interesting to read about the different pronouns and I loved seeing some much representation in one short story. Very enjoyable.
5/5 Stars.
Overall, Queerly loving is exactly what the tile suggests: nine wonderful short stories about queer people happily in love. Honestly I loved this book so much. Each story was unique and every one of them brilliant. I also loved the use of consent in every story. This book has a wonderful range of diverse characters and I highly recommend. Unfortunately like most amazing queer reads this book is way under-hyped and deserves so much more love.
I’ve finished this wonderful short story collection and friends!! You. Need. To. Read. This!
It was so wonderfully queer and the stories were amazing.
Full review to come tomorrow :)
Review also on my blog
Miss me with that gay shit By Sacha Lamb
TW: None.
Rep: Trans Boy MC, Queer side character, POC MC, POC side characters, Muslim & Jewish characters, m/m romance.
This was a sweet story about a trans boy named Elijah and his on crush on Nik. A guy he doesn’t want to be crushing on. I really enjoyed this story and it was a perfect start to the novel. Elijah was a funny MC and I loved the relationship he had with his twin sister, who also had a girlfriend.
4/5 Stars.
Gifts Of Spring by Shira Glassman
TW: Violence.
Rep: Trans Women MC, POC characters, M/f romance.
Adult fantasy story about a Rosamund, Trans women who is on the run from the king and is hiding in a village. It’s super sweet and follows Rosamund as she navigates the village and meets a handsome stranger along the way. I loved it.
5/5 Stars.
Wishing On The Perseid by Kay. C Sulli
TW: None.
Rep: M/m romance, Gay MCS.
The story of two boys meeting at a camp before they’re due to head off to college. They get along great and soon friendship turns to more. This was adorable. I loved both MC’s and I was rooting for their HEA.
4/5 Stars.
Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano
TW: Homomisa , Homomisic Parents, Internalized homomisa.
Rep: f/f romance, Queer MC, Queer Side characters.
This was a very sweet story set in the 1980’s. Its about two girls who compete in a type writing contest and fall in love along the way. This is probably one of my favorite out of nine stories. I just loved it so much.
5/5 Stars.
First light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian
TW: Violence, Flash Backs to the Army, transphobia.
Rep: Trans Women MC, F/F romance, MC with PTSD.
This story is told in a letter format. It’s about a trans women named Kate, who writes a letter to her former friend. Describing her ptsd from the army and talking about how she met her girlfriend and their life together. It’s so fucking good I cried. Very well written, I wouldn’t complain if the author decided to write a novel about just Kate’s life.
5/5 Stars.
Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane
TW: Grief.
Rep: Queer MC, Deaf MC, Queer side characters, Side characters with disabilities.
Fantasy about a girl who tries to speak with her Dragon and figure out if her Dragon has a preferred gender. Dragons are used as campions to people with disabilities. It was really sweet and very unique.
4/5 Stars.
Planchette by Carolyn Gage.
TW: Violence, Sexual assault, on page murder, homophobia.
Rep: Queer MCS, Queer side characters.
A play set in 1879. A conversation between two young girls both 14 years old. This was my least favorite story. Unlike the rest it didn’t have a definite happy ending and also included a very graphic scene were a queer girl is murdered in front of her lover. I understand why the story is necessary. However I didn’t enjoy it.
2/5 Stars.
Birthday Landscapes by EH Timms.
TW: Violence, Flash Backs to the army.
Rep: Aromantic MC’s, Platonic relationship.
Set in a fantasy world were a warrior and a weever are both Aromantic and have decided to have children together. They have a contract and a very sweet plantonic relationship. It was really good to see the word Aromantic used on page and to see the two MCs happy. The children were so sweet.
4/5 Stars.
A gallant rescue by A.P Raymond.
TW: Homomisic parents.
Rep: Poly romance, Trans MC, Non binary MC, Queer Side characters, side f/f romance, MC that use Xie pronouns, MC that uses Ey pronouns.
This was a sweet sci-fi story about a crew of people from ship saving one of their Members after her father has refused to let her leave the house. He is forcing her to marry someone else, even though she is already in a f/f relationship. This was like a heist and I loved it so much. It was very interesting to read about the different pronouns and I loved seeing some much representation in one short story. Very enjoyable.
5/5 Stars.
Overall, Queerly loving is exactly what the tile suggests: nine wonderful short stories about queer people happily in love. Honestly I loved this book so much. Each story was unique and every one of them brilliant. I also loved the use of consent in every story. This book has a wonderful range of diverse characters and I highly recommend. Unfortunately like most amazing queer reads this book is way under-hyped and deserves so much more love.
I’ve finished this wonderful short story collection and friends!! You. Need. To. Read. This!
It was so wonderfully queer and the stories were amazing.
Full review to come tomorrow :)
February 11, 2018
Queerly Loving (Volume 1) is a short story collection that gives happy endings to a range of LGBTQA+ characters, by authors who themselves are from across the LGBTQA+ spectrum. The nine stories are so varied in style and content that there is sure to be something for everyone. Want to read a fluffy contemporary YA story with a Jewish trans boy and his crush? It’s in there and it’s called “Miss Me With That Gay Shit (Please Don’t)” by Sacha Lamb. How about a science fiction story with lesbians, nonbinary people and a trans woman, that features a poly triad rescuing their friend’s girlfriend? It’s in there too, and it’s called “A Gallant Rescue” by A.P. Raymond! Best of all, because the stories celebrate queer love in many of its possible forms, nobody dies or gets their heart broken, and it’s glorious.
Full review: https://www.lambdaliterary.org/review...
Full review: https://www.lambdaliterary.org/review...
Read
December 30, 2017I can't review since I'm in it, but I wanted you to know HOW AMAZING Sacha Lamb's story is!!!!
December 4, 2017
I have never read a story that covers ace people and there are more "i have never read ..." phrases I could drop about "QUEERLY LOVING" all of which made me very happy to now have had.
Since it is a collection of very varied writers there were two stories I skipped that did not work for me. BUT the three I loved most need to be mentioned here: "Miss me with that gay shit" >> tonality, humour and light-heartedness, Sacha Lamb - you rock! "Dragons Do Not" >> a protagonist getting the gender + pronouns of their dragon right. I am not crying, you are. (Evelyn Deshane, can we have a whole novel of that? Pretty please?!). And "Hunt and Peck" >> there is something tomboy-ish about typewriters as an ... instrument that only Teresa Theophano made me see.
Do judge this book by its cover for once, it is what you get. A queer bunch of loving stories in the most colourful mix.
Since it is a collection of very varied writers there were two stories I skipped that did not work for me. BUT the three I loved most need to be mentioned here: "Miss me with that gay shit" >> tonality, humour and light-heartedness, Sacha Lamb - you rock! "Dragons Do Not" >> a protagonist getting the gender + pronouns of their dragon right. I am not crying, you are. (Evelyn Deshane, can we have a whole novel of that? Pretty please?!). And "Hunt and Peck" >> there is something tomboy-ish about typewriters as an ... instrument that only Teresa Theophano made me see.
Do judge this book by its cover for once, it is what you get. A queer bunch of loving stories in the most colourful mix.
December 11, 2017
Stories as diverse as cover suggests
The stories in this collection are as diverse as the cover, which I absolutely love, promises. And, unlike many recent TV shows with queer representation, all the stories do the queer (and non-queer) characters justice, and not just kill them off.
I am usually not a big fan of reading anthologies as I prefer full-length novels that go a bit ‘deeper’ than short stories, but I loved this collection. The stories cover such a wide range of queer identities and topics wrapped in fantasy and fiction story-telling that I have never read before in one book. It’s great to not only talk about diversity, but have a book full of great stories that represent diverse characters. The stories are fun, interesting, entertaining and, at times, eye-opening and educating.
I truly enjoyed reading this book.
Can’t wait for volume 2.
The stories in this collection are as diverse as the cover, which I absolutely love, promises. And, unlike many recent TV shows with queer representation, all the stories do the queer (and non-queer) characters justice, and not just kill them off.
I am usually not a big fan of reading anthologies as I prefer full-length novels that go a bit ‘deeper’ than short stories, but I loved this collection. The stories cover such a wide range of queer identities and topics wrapped in fantasy and fiction story-telling that I have never read before in one book. It’s great to not only talk about diversity, but have a book full of great stories that represent diverse characters. The stories are fun, interesting, entertaining and, at times, eye-opening and educating.
I truly enjoyed reading this book.
Can’t wait for volume 2.
December 28, 2018
mathematically calculated rating: 3.66
This was a good anthology, featuring great variety of different genres and different characters. I appreciated that so many stories had trans characters, there are aromantic characters and polyamorous characters. In my experience, too many queer/lgbtq+ anthologies tend to center around cis white gay men, so the variety is much appreciated.
However, I made a mistake of picking this book to read at the end of the year. I feel this restlessness every time in late December so I wasn’t in the best headspace to read the book.
All in all, I do recommend to read Queerly Loving. Lots of unique and interesting stories, I believe all of them are ownvoices.
Mini-reviews of each story:
Miss Me With The Gay Shit (Please Don’t) by Sacha Lamb - 5 stars! So cute and fun! About Elijah who’s Jewish trans boy and him developing a crush on newly-hot Jewish teen Nick. Also featuring lesbian twin sister Aviva, her Muslim girlfriend and lots of awkward teen shenanigans.
Gifts of Spring by Shira Glassman - 3 stars. It was alright but I didn’t really care about this story.
Wishing on the Perseid by Kay C. Sulli - 4 stars. A lovely story about camper Zach and ranger Ryan.
Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano - 3 stars. A rather lovely sapphic story about two girls meeting on a typing contest. I think the story takes place in the 80-90s, USA.
First Light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian -5 stars! Amazing story! It’s written in a form of a letter from one friend reconnecting with the other. Kate Davis is writing about her life, her PTSD and her military service in Iraq as a pilot. She is telling about her transitioning. Kate is trans lesbian army vet who’s dating bisexual librarian Bree. The way Kate has told about her girlfriend was so sweet. Kate is very open with life and experiences serving in the military and her life after. It’s such a strong and impactful story, the email format adds authenticity and genuinity to the narration.
“There are good days too. We just have to wait for the dawn.”
Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane - 4 stars! Cute and bittersweet story about Juneau who lost hearing in the mining accident, the government provided her with a dragon helper. Now a year later Juneau and her dragon are figuring things out. Juneau is lesbian, she meets Anna, a trans woman, who walks with braces and who also has a dragon helper. I would very much like to learn more about these characters and this fantasy world.
Planchette by Carolyne Cage - 3 stars. Painful and sad historical short story set in the east coast of US,19th century. The ending is somewhat hopeful, though. The story is told in a form of a play script, I liked it.
Birthday Landscapes by E H Timms - 3 stars. In this story two aromantic people decide on having kids. The man is often away on his warrior-hero things, but he comes back to the twins birthday and they have lovely time all four of them. The warrior is disabled, he walks with braces and crutches, he has PTSD from the wars. I love how self-contained the story was; it’s a good fantasy short.
A Gallant Rescue by A.P. Raymond - 3 stars. Sci-fi short story about rescuing girl from arranged marriage. The main character is Robin and their two lovers Johnny (trans woman) and Mattie (uses ey/ eir pronouns). Robin’s grandfather is cool.
This was a good anthology, featuring great variety of different genres and different characters. I appreciated that so many stories had trans characters, there are aromantic characters and polyamorous characters. In my experience, too many queer/lgbtq+ anthologies tend to center around cis white gay men, so the variety is much appreciated.
However, I made a mistake of picking this book to read at the end of the year. I feel this restlessness every time in late December so I wasn’t in the best headspace to read the book.
All in all, I do recommend to read Queerly Loving. Lots of unique and interesting stories, I believe all of them are ownvoices.
Mini-reviews of each story:
Miss Me With The Gay Shit (Please Don’t) by Sacha Lamb - 5 stars! So cute and fun! About Elijah who’s Jewish trans boy and him developing a crush on newly-hot Jewish teen Nick. Also featuring lesbian twin sister Aviva, her Muslim girlfriend and lots of awkward teen shenanigans.
Gifts of Spring by Shira Glassman - 3 stars. It was alright but I didn’t really care about this story.
Wishing on the Perseid by Kay C. Sulli - 4 stars. A lovely story about camper Zach and ranger Ryan.
Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano - 3 stars. A rather lovely sapphic story about two girls meeting on a typing contest. I think the story takes place in the 80-90s, USA.
First Light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian -5 stars! Amazing story! It’s written in a form of a letter from one friend reconnecting with the other. Kate Davis is writing about her life, her PTSD and her military service in Iraq as a pilot. She is telling about her transitioning. Kate is trans lesbian army vet who’s dating bisexual librarian Bree. The way Kate has told about her girlfriend was so sweet. Kate is very open with life and experiences serving in the military and her life after. It’s such a strong and impactful story, the email format adds authenticity and genuinity to the narration.
“There are good days too. We just have to wait for the dawn.”
Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane - 4 stars! Cute and bittersweet story about Juneau who lost hearing in the mining accident, the government provided her with a dragon helper. Now a year later Juneau and her dragon are figuring things out. Juneau is lesbian, she meets Anna, a trans woman, who walks with braces and who also has a dragon helper. I would very much like to learn more about these characters and this fantasy world.
Planchette by Carolyne Cage - 3 stars. Painful and sad historical short story set in the east coast of US,19th century. The ending is somewhat hopeful, though. The story is told in a form of a play script, I liked it.
Birthday Landscapes by E H Timms - 3 stars. In this story two aromantic people decide on having kids. The man is often away on his warrior-hero things, but he comes back to the twins birthday and they have lovely time all four of them. The warrior is disabled, he walks with braces and crutches, he has PTSD from the wars. I love how self-contained the story was; it’s a good fantasy short.
A Gallant Rescue by A.P. Raymond - 3 stars. Sci-fi short story about rescuing girl from arranged marriage. The main character is Robin and their two lovers Johnny (trans woman) and Mattie (uses ey/ eir pronouns). Robin’s grandfather is cool.
May 10, 2018
I did yet another unbiased-but-actually-biased livetweet review! Here it is, pasted in its glory:
"MISS ME WITH THAT GAY SHIT (PLEASE DON'T)" by Sacha Lamb
15 deadpan texts/10 wrinkly aliens
"GIFTS OF SPRING" by Shira Glassman
15 throwing knives/10 magic spells
"WISHING ON THE PERSEID" by Kay C. Sulli
15 shooting stars/10 white-assed elks
"HUNT AND PECK" by Teresa Theophano
15 Guns and Roses cassettes/10 typing competitions
"FIRST LIGHT AT DAWN" by Nyri Bakkalian
15 bagels/10 Air Force helicopters
"DRAGONS DO NOT" by Evelyn Deshane
15 service dragons/10 self-identifications
"PLANCHETTE" by Carolyn Gage
15 planchette questions/10 elephants
"BIRTHDAY LANDSCAPES" by E H Timms
15 chalk horses/10 arrows
"A GALLANT RESCUE" by A.P. Raymond
15 fancy gadgets for heists/10 planets to explore
"MISS ME WITH THAT GAY SHIT (PLEASE DON'T)" by Sacha Lamb
15 deadpan texts/10 wrinkly aliens
"GIFTS OF SPRING" by Shira Glassman
15 throwing knives/10 magic spells
"WISHING ON THE PERSEID" by Kay C. Sulli
15 shooting stars/10 white-assed elks
"HUNT AND PECK" by Teresa Theophano
15 Guns and Roses cassettes/10 typing competitions
"FIRST LIGHT AT DAWN" by Nyri Bakkalian
15 bagels/10 Air Force helicopters
"DRAGONS DO NOT" by Evelyn Deshane
15 service dragons/10 self-identifications
"PLANCHETTE" by Carolyn Gage
15 planchette questions/10 elephants
"BIRTHDAY LANDSCAPES" by E H Timms
15 chalk horses/10 arrows
"A GALLANT RESCUE" by A.P. Raymond
15 fancy gadgets for heists/10 planets to explore
did-not-finish
February 11, 2018Another short story collection begun, will I finish this one?
This is a collection I bought, for free, then started reading without stopping first to see what it was about. I expected, at the very least, that the stories would be LGBT related. I didn't read enough of the first to tell if it was - I read enough to see a young woman commenting, seemingly with arousal, about how her male friend was just so gosh darn handsome now. Once I read that I skipped to the next story. To encounter . . . graphic depictions of sex involving . . . a man and a woman. Sooo . . guess I should have looked at the book description before starting, right?
Miss Me With that Gay Shit (Please Don't) - Sacha Lamb
Briefly looked at, not yet read. So far it has hints that the female dislikes being female. Or, at the very least, desires to look more masculine. Judging by a comment involving testosterone. I can't spell.
Gifts of Spring - Shira Glassman
Fantasy, Graphic depictions of sex between a man and a woman.
Quick story about a mage hiding from a bad situation, literally hiding I mean, who encounters a juggler. Who, she's shocked to learn when his pants comes off is . . . Jewish. I word that the way I do because none of the characters appear to have bluntly hit me over the head as to why this specific story would be in a volume titled 'Queerly Loving' as the man appears to be a man, while the woman appears to be a woman. And they have graphic sex, which involves mentioning body parts, so . . . man and woman.
Two hints were dropped, very subtly. One involved the part where the woman 'became what she was supposed to be' when her powers came to her when she was something like 13. Which may or may not mean that her body transformed, morphed from one gender to another. There was a very slight hint that that was what was meant. But . . . she thinks of herself as female, she is in a female body (via magic instead of surgery, if the hints about the magic are right), so she's female. *shrugs* At least that's the way I've been taught to handle people - they tell me they are x, I treat them as x.
The man? Well, while it is try that he did like sucking on penis, it's his own penis. He's quite stretchy, apparently, and can twist himself into the correct position to give himself a blow job. Does that make him queer? Yes, no? Mind, if one of them had bluntly stated that they were queer, I'd revert back to that 'they tell me x, I treat them as x'. But both presented themselves as 1) straight; 2) one male, one female.
I reiterate that there are graphic depictions of male & female sex displayed in this story.
Beyond seeing the woman as a weak ass cowering coward of a woman, I have no real thoughts on this story beyond confusion already expressed. Well, I did just read a book about a woman who was 'forced' to do something she didn't want to do, like the woman in this story, and she 'ran away' like the woman in this story, and both displayed certain 'cowering' tendencies, but the female character in 'The Gargoyle Gets His Girl' is, roughly, 100% more interesting than the woman in this short story here. *shrugs, again*
Rating: fuck if I know. 2.7
This is a collection I bought, for free, then started reading without stopping first to see what it was about. I expected, at the very least, that the stories would be LGBT related. I didn't read enough of the first to tell if it was - I read enough to see a young woman commenting, seemingly with arousal, about how her male friend was just so gosh darn handsome now. Once I read that I skipped to the next story. To encounter . . . graphic depictions of sex involving . . . a man and a woman. Sooo . . guess I should have looked at the book description before starting, right?
Miss Me With that Gay Shit (Please Don't) - Sacha Lamb
Briefly looked at, not yet read. So far it has hints that the female dislikes being female. Or, at the very least, desires to look more masculine. Judging by a comment involving testosterone. I can't spell.
Gifts of Spring - Shira Glassman
Fantasy, Graphic depictions of sex between a man and a woman.
Quick story about a mage hiding from a bad situation, literally hiding I mean, who encounters a juggler. Who, she's shocked to learn when his pants comes off is . . . Jewish. I word that the way I do because none of the characters appear to have bluntly hit me over the head as to why this specific story would be in a volume titled 'Queerly Loving' as the man appears to be a man, while the woman appears to be a woman. And they have graphic sex, which involves mentioning body parts, so . . . man and woman.
Two hints were dropped, very subtly. One involved the part where the woman 'became what she was supposed to be' when her powers came to her when she was something like 13. Which may or may not mean that her body transformed, morphed from one gender to another. There was a very slight hint that that was what was meant. But . . . she thinks of herself as female, she is in a female body (via magic instead of surgery, if the hints about the magic are right), so she's female. *shrugs* At least that's the way I've been taught to handle people - they tell me they are x, I treat them as x.
The man? Well, while it is try that he did like sucking on penis, it's his own penis. He's quite stretchy, apparently, and can twist himself into the correct position to give himself a blow job. Does that make him queer? Yes, no? Mind, if one of them had bluntly stated that they were queer, I'd revert back to that 'they tell me x, I treat them as x'. But both presented themselves as 1) straight; 2) one male, one female.
I reiterate that there are graphic depictions of male & female sex displayed in this story.
Beyond seeing the woman as a weak ass cowering coward of a woman, I have no real thoughts on this story beyond confusion already expressed. Well, I did just read a book about a woman who was 'forced' to do something she didn't want to do, like the woman in this story, and she 'ran away' like the woman in this story, and both displayed certain 'cowering' tendencies, but the female character in 'The Gargoyle Gets His Girl' is, roughly, 100% more interesting than the woman in this short story here. *shrugs, again*
Rating: fuck if I know. 2.7
January 30, 2020
I bought this book on a whim thinking it was a comic anthology so you can see how prepared I was. All I wanted was to read something quickly and queer and that exactly what Queer Loving was. It was good but I feel like it could have explored different identities and a different way (the trope of the LI being mistaken for a woman/man to show that they were either a butch woman or a trans person was used a lot in my opinion, and not always well)
_____
1. Miss Me With That Gay Shit (Please Don't) by Sacha Lamb
3.5 ⭐️
A cute story between two gay Jewish boys. The main character is trans and trying to navigate life with his crush on another guy from school. I liked that his twin sister was supportive, she's in a relationship with a Muslim girl, Ayesha.
The only thing that made me uncomfortable was the way Elijah and Nick texted
2. Gifts of Spring by Shira Glassman
2⭐️
rep: The main character is a trans woman, LI is Jewish
warning sex on page
I wanted to like this, really. I've read Knit One, Girl Two by the author and loved it. The novella started out strongly with a fantasy world in which Mage exist, a main character with secrets, a acrobat who has to escape a crowd. Really I couldn't ask for something better. Sadly I felt like it was rushed and nothing was really explained, as if the story had to end quickly.
3. Wishing on the Perseid by Kay C. Sulli
3⭐️
rep : m/m relationship
Not my favourite either but it was still very well written. My only problem was again that the end felt rushed. I know it's a short story and it's complicated to take the time to build the relationship but I wish there were more pages because I loved the atmosphere. But that's only my opinion
We follow Zach who decided to spent the summer in Colorado to relax before going back to study for his PhD
4. Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano
4⭐️
rep sapphic characters, one of them a butch lesbian, and a f/f side couple
tw use of 'dyke', lesbophobic parent
It was one of my favourite. Two girls meet during a typewriting competition (probably set in the 80s) and they start hanging out. The writing was good and I loved how their relationship evolved. It wasn't easy but it was hopeful and they had the positive representation of two women living together with their child, and they helped them.
5. First Light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian
5⭐️
rep: f/f relationship, bi LI, the mc is a lesbian trans woman
tw: PTSD attack described, war, attack of a military camp
This story was without a doubt the best of the anthology. Kate writes a email to Hannah in which she talks about her life, how she's struggling with PTSD and what happened during her time serving in the military. It was so well written, moving, hard and hopeful at the same time. I could have read an entire book about Kate's story, her transition and her relationship with her girlfriend Bree who's bi. I loved them, their domesticity, their love for book and the way they helped each other.
6. Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane
4⭐️
rep: sapphic Deaf main character, a side character is a trans woman who uses crutches
tw: PTSD, ableist world, misgendering (call out on page)
Juneau used to work in a mine with her partner Melody until a explosion killed everyone. Since then she has been living far away from society with a dragon who's like her service animal. The world that Deshane's created is brillant, I liked that we can really understand how important dragons are and how they can help someone. They communicate with the help of painted dominoes and like humans, they deserve respect.
I also liked that Juneau doesn't understand everything but she's willing to learn and challenge the society she lives in.
7. Planchette by Carolyn Cage
1⭐️
tw: sexual assault, violence, murder of queer side characters (graphic and on page), queerphobia, alcohol consumption, mentally ill parent
The only reason I gave this one star is for the style, it's all written in a play-form which fitted the plot and the way it flowed. Sadly nothing about it was hopeful and loving and I couldn't understand what the author wanted to do with Jude. Are they a trans boy? A butch lesbian? Who knows? Because it's all very vague. It could have stayed that way to show that Jude is questioning and hasn't figured it out yet, but a big part of the plot is about the way they dress, act and want to be treated by the world.
Ok, this is set in 1879 but this could have been better and less graphic. I felt like it was unnecessary and suffering porn in a way. The ending is vague and again is not about love, being loved or being hopeful. The two main characters don't really understand each other and throughout the story Mollie was so disrespectful toward Jude, especially when she asked them to remove their shirt to know if they had breast...
I really don't know why this story is in the anthology
8. Birthday Landscape by E H Timms
3.5⭐️
rep: two aro characters in a relationship, the main character has a prosthetic foot
tw: PTSD attack described on page
Really good story set in a fantasy world. Cavallan comes back from the war to stay with his loving family. I loved their dynamic, I felt as if I was with them in their home, cutting apples and drinking tea. The descriptions were well written, I could pictured the drawing Cavallan made for his kids.
But more importantly Cavallan and his wife Rose are both aro and live happily together. And you know they communicate and talked about what they wanted in their relationship and it's such a positive representation.
But I wished asexuality was explored too, even if it was to say that they are aro but not ace (or on the spectrum) because this part made me wonder if Rose was aroace:
9. A Gallant Rescue by A.P. Raymond
3.5⭐️
rep: polyamorous relationship between three people, one of them use they/them, another one is trans and uses she/her and the other use ey/eir. There's also a f/f side couple and a side character who use xy/xyr
This story was basically be gay, do crimes in space and save queer people which I'm all for.
Set in a futuristic world where people live in towers depending on their ranks, a group of people try to help a queer woman espace her home because her father wants to marry her for connections.
It was really good and I loved to see non binary trans characters
_____
1. Miss Me With That Gay Shit (Please Don't) by Sacha Lamb
3.5 ⭐️
A cute story between two gay Jewish boys. The main character is trans and trying to navigate life with his crush on another guy from school. I liked that his twin sister was supportive, she's in a relationship with a Muslim girl, Ayesha.
The only thing that made me uncomfortable was the way Elijah and Nick texted
2. Gifts of Spring by Shira Glassman
2⭐️
rep: The main character is a trans woman, LI is Jewish
warning sex on page
I wanted to like this, really. I've read Knit One, Girl Two by the author and loved it. The novella started out strongly with a fantasy world in which Mage exist, a main character with secrets, a acrobat who has to escape a crowd. Really I couldn't ask for something better. Sadly I felt like it was rushed and nothing was really explained, as if the story had to end quickly.
3. Wishing on the Perseid by Kay C. Sulli
3⭐️
rep : m/m relationship
Not my favourite either but it was still very well written. My only problem was again that the end felt rushed. I know it's a short story and it's complicated to take the time to build the relationship but I wish there were more pages because I loved the atmosphere. But that's only my opinion
We follow Zach who decided to spent the summer in Colorado to relax before going back to study for his PhD
4. Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano
4⭐️
rep sapphic characters, one of them a butch lesbian, and a f/f side couple
tw use of 'dyke', lesbophobic parent
It was one of my favourite. Two girls meet during a typewriting competition (probably set in the 80s) and they start hanging out. The writing was good and I loved how their relationship evolved. It wasn't easy but it was hopeful and they had the positive representation of two women living together with their child, and they helped them.
5. First Light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian
5⭐️
rep: f/f relationship, bi LI, the mc is a lesbian trans woman
tw: PTSD attack described, war, attack of a military camp
Of course if I bring it up even in passing, the first thing people ask is if I’m seeing a therapist. They’re trying to be helpful, and I get that, but I’m getting tired of the suggestion. Lately I just thank them and chuckle at it. Yeah, I am seeing a therapist, and this still happens. Therapists are great, but they aren’t magicians, and even under the care of the best therapist, the fact of the matter remains: trauma’s a bitch.
This story was without a doubt the best of the anthology. Kate writes a email to Hannah in which she talks about her life, how she's struggling with PTSD and what happened during her time serving in the military. It was so well written, moving, hard and hopeful at the same time. I could have read an entire book about Kate's story, her transition and her relationship with her girlfriend Bree who's bi. I loved them, their domesticity, their love for book and the way they helped each other.
6. Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane
4⭐️
rep: sapphic Deaf main character, a side character is a trans woman who uses crutches
tw: PTSD, ableist world, misgendering (call out on page)
Juneau used to work in a mine with her partner Melody until a explosion killed everyone. Since then she has been living far away from society with a dragon who's like her service animal. The world that Deshane's created is brillant, I liked that we can really understand how important dragons are and how they can help someone. They communicate with the help of painted dominoes and like humans, they deserve respect.
I also liked that Juneau doesn't understand everything but she's willing to learn and challenge the society she lives in.
7. Planchette by Carolyn Cage
1⭐️
tw: sexual assault, violence, murder of queer side characters (graphic and on page), queerphobia, alcohol consumption, mentally ill parent
The only reason I gave this one star is for the style, it's all written in a play-form which fitted the plot and the way it flowed. Sadly nothing about it was hopeful and loving and I couldn't understand what the author wanted to do with Jude. Are they a trans boy? A butch lesbian? Who knows? Because it's all very vague. It could have stayed that way to show that Jude is questioning and hasn't figured it out yet, but a big part of the plot is about the way they dress, act and want to be treated by the world.
Ok, this is set in 1879 but this could have been better and less graphic. I felt like it was unnecessary and suffering porn in a way. The ending is vague and again is not about love, being loved or being hopeful. The two main characters don't really understand each other and throughout the story Mollie was so disrespectful toward Jude, especially when she asked them to remove their shirt to know if they had breast...
I really don't know why this story is in the anthology
8. Birthday Landscape by E H Timms
3.5⭐️
rep: two aro characters in a relationship, the main character has a prosthetic foot
tw: PTSD attack described on page
Really good story set in a fantasy world. Cavallan comes back from the war to stay with his loving family. I loved their dynamic, I felt as if I was with them in their home, cutting apples and drinking tea. The descriptions were well written, I could pictured the drawing Cavallan made for his kids.
But more importantly Cavallan and his wife Rose are both aro and live happily together. And you know they communicate and talked about what they wanted in their relationship and it's such a positive representation.
Now he had good companionship, a home that welcomed him, and no lopsided alloro love to cause problems on either side.
But I wished asexuality was explored too, even if it was to say that they are aro but not ace (or on the spectrum) because this part made me wonder if Rose was aroace:
She’d wanted children without the pressure to perform in bed, and had been happy to bring them up alone if necessary. He’d been neutral, not expecting to live long enough to see them grow, and not wanting to land someone else with unwanted work.
9. A Gallant Rescue by A.P. Raymond
3.5⭐️
rep: polyamorous relationship between three people, one of them use they/them, another one is trans and uses she/her and the other use ey/eir. There's also a f/f side couple and a side character who use xy/xyr
This story was basically be gay, do crimes in space and save queer people which I'm all for.
Set in a futuristic world where people live in towers depending on their ranks, a group of people try to help a queer woman espace her home because her father wants to marry her for connections.
It was really good and I loved to see non binary trans characters
June 4, 2023
As a short story collection, it is your usual mixed bag. My favourite story was the last one, "A gallant rescue" by A. P. Raymond.
February 18, 2018
This was a pretty good anthology! The inclusion of a screenplay style story threw me off a little, but otherwise, it was very enjoyable!
Read
February 19, 2018Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano 5 stars
Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane 5 stars
Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane 5 stars
December 14, 2017
(3.5 stars — that the average of all the ratings of each story) So many good stories in here! A few duds too, but overall this is probably the second-best collection/anthology I've read this year, only after The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic.
I loved Sacha Lamb's story Miss Me With That Gay Shit, with its fresh and original romance and perfect ratio of #relatable to adorable (not mention Jewish characters! It's so well written). Other favorites were First Light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian, an emotional story about living with PTSD and settling back into life and a strong relationship, and Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane, which featured a deaf protagonist and her helper dragon and learning to question The Powers That Be. Two historical fiction stories I really enjoyed were Planchette, a one act play, and Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano.
With 9 stories, I like the length of this collection. The stories didn't feel like they were chopped down too short in order to fit (as anthologies sometimes feel, such as Dates! An Anthology of Queer Historical Fiction Stories), and there weren't such an overwhelming amount of stories that I got tired of short stories (which happens often, such as Hath No Fury). And I finished this one, instead of abandoning it! (*cough* Because You Love to Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy *cough*)
I loved Sacha Lamb's story Miss Me With That Gay Shit, with its fresh and original romance and perfect ratio of #relatable to adorable (not mention Jewish characters! It's so well written). Other favorites were First Light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian, an emotional story about living with PTSD and settling back into life and a strong relationship, and Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane, which featured a deaf protagonist and her helper dragon and learning to question The Powers That Be. Two historical fiction stories I really enjoyed were Planchette, a one act play, and Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano.
With 9 stories, I like the length of this collection. The stories didn't feel like they were chopped down too short in order to fit (as anthologies sometimes feel, such as Dates! An Anthology of Queer Historical Fiction Stories), and there weren't such an overwhelming amount of stories that I got tired of short stories (which happens often, such as Hath No Fury). And I finished this one, instead of abandoning it! (*cough* Because You Love to Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy *cough*)
February 18, 2018
As often occurs with anthologies, my feelings were kind of medium. Some stories I really liked, some I thought were boring and skimmed. Here were my favorites:
"Miss Me With That Gay Shit (Please Don't)" by Sacha Lamb
Transgender gay dude and cisgender gay dude, both Jewish, both I believe high-schoolers. Simple story of shenanigans and "does he like me or not?" Enjoyable.
"Hunt and Peck" by Teresa Theophano
Fairly femme bisexual girl and pretty butch lesbian meet through a typewriting competition and start going out. At first the bi girl thinks the lesbian is a dude because she's just that butch, which I thought was funny and kind of liked...I aspire to reach that level of androgyny, though I doubt I ever will. The year is 1987, which changes things up a bit. Cute and gets that sapphic longing down well.
"First Light at Dawn" by Nyri Bakkalion
Mostly about a transgender female soldier, who has recently gotten out of the military and has PTSD, and is also currently transitioning. And a little about her current relationship with her bisexual lover. Epistolary format.
I'd like to note I've seen some people on Goodreads raising their eyebrows and saying that they read the beginning of a couple stories and they seemed to be "het" love stories. Well, I mean, a couple are m/f, but with ace or genderqueer or transgender protagonists. And of course if you just read the beginning of "Hunt and Peck" you'll never even find out that lesbian isn't a dude. If you're reading this book, you should know that "Queerly Loving" encapsulates not just cis gay/lesbian romance but a large spectrum of queer experience. That's why (I suppose, I'm not an editor) it's Queerly Loving, not Gayly Loving.
Also, really liked how much disability rep there is here. We have a couple protagonists with PTSD, one deaf woman, and possibly others I've forgotten. It makes me happy to see the range of diversity in this book is not only related to characters' sexuality.
"Miss Me With That Gay Shit (Please Don't)" by Sacha Lamb
Transgender gay dude and cisgender gay dude, both Jewish, both I believe high-schoolers. Simple story of shenanigans and "does he like me or not?" Enjoyable.
"Hunt and Peck" by Teresa Theophano
Fairly femme bisexual girl and pretty butch lesbian meet through a typewriting competition and start going out. At first the bi girl thinks the lesbian is a dude because she's just that butch, which I thought was funny and kind of liked...I aspire to reach that level of androgyny, though I doubt I ever will. The year is 1987, which changes things up a bit. Cute and gets that sapphic longing down well.
"First Light at Dawn" by Nyri Bakkalion
Mostly about a transgender female soldier, who has recently gotten out of the military and has PTSD, and is also currently transitioning. And a little about her current relationship with her bisexual lover. Epistolary format.
I'd like to note I've seen some people on Goodreads raising their eyebrows and saying that they read the beginning of a couple stories and they seemed to be "het" love stories. Well, I mean, a couple are m/f, but with ace or genderqueer or transgender protagonists. And of course if you just read the beginning of "Hunt and Peck" you'll never even find out that lesbian isn't a dude. If you're reading this book, you should know that "Queerly Loving" encapsulates not just cis gay/lesbian romance but a large spectrum of queer experience. That's why (I suppose, I'm not an editor) it's Queerly Loving, not Gayly Loving.
Also, really liked how much disability rep there is here. We have a couple protagonists with PTSD, one deaf woman, and possibly others I've forgotten. It makes me happy to see the range of diversity in this book is not only related to characters' sexuality.
December 4, 2017
Queerly Loving Vol 1 had all of the feel-good happy ending romance that is easy to find when you're looking for cisgender heterosexual heroes, but is harder to find when it comes to queer representation. When I finished this book, I flipped to the back to find the twitter info for most of the authors, because I felt like these were voices I would want in my life wherever possible.
The last story is my favorite, with all its genderqueer/nonbinary goodness, but all of them are treats. Pick this up to feel a little joy in the world. We deserve it.
The last story is my favorite, with all its genderqueer/nonbinary goodness, but all of them are treats. Pick this up to feel a little joy in the world. We deserve it.
February 14, 2018
Enjoyable anthology of queer fiction. I absolutely loved Evelyn Deshane's story "Dragons Do Not" and A.P. Raymond's "A Gallant Rescue".
February 14, 2018
A fantastically varied and diverse collection. Further notes here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/quick-p...
December 11, 2018
An anthology including a wide variety of LGBT+ characters, relationships and genres. I really enjoyed it and it definitely deserves a spot on my “Fav anthologies” list.
Miss Me With That Gay Shit (Please Don’t) By Sacha Lamb
Representation: jewish trans man MC, mlm jewish LI, wlw jewish SC
TW: none
Rating: 4/5 Stars
I really enjoyed this story. It is a short contemporary story about a young trans guy who just recently meet a childhood acquaintance Nick at the GSA of his school again. Unsure of whether or not Nick is even interested in boys, Elijah deals with having a crush on a person who just is so incredibly, annoyingly perfect, that it’s honestly starting to piss him off. It’s really cute and features a great sibling relationship as well as a sassy MC, a combination which I absolutely enjoyed.
Gifts of Spring by Shira Glassman
Representation: trans woman MC, jewish LI, mlm SC
TW: none
Rating: 3/5 Stars
A trans woman mage is on the run from the king and queen, who she made enemies of, when she rescues a juggler from the rage of the crows that accuses him of doing magic because he’s good at his craft. As they walk through town they meet various people in trouble and help them out. I quite enjoyed this short story, although I think some aspects of it might have been better able to shine in a longer story. (Note: there is sexual content)
Wishing On The Perseid by Kay Sulli
Representation: mlm MC of color, gay LI
TW: none
Rating: 3/5. Stars
This is a contemporary story about a ranger and a park visitor, who are interested in each other at first sight and slowly grow closer in the two weeks Zach spends at the park. It’s a really cute story featuring star watching, and I liked it. Hints at a happy future for them gave the story a really nice ending. (Note: there is sexual content)
Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano
Representation: wlw MC, butch lesbian LI, wlw SC
TW: homophobia, lesbophobic slurs, homophobic parents, physical and emotional child abuse,
Rating: 3/5. Stars
A young girl realizes that she has a real talent at typing on a typewriter and soon enters competitions. She only wants to win and gain some fame, when she finds herself attracted to one of her opponents. When she figures out her opponent is not as suspected a hot guy, but rather a handsome butch lesbian, she can’t help but fall into something new, but incredibly nice. The story was quite sweet and adorable and I especially enjoyed the part where they bonded about music. However, I would have liked a bit more exploration of sexuality in this one and the MC’s happiness as being able to pass as a straight with her new girlfriend (as she passes as male) sometimes made me kind of uncomfortable.
First Light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian
Representation: trans female lesbian MC with PTSD, bisexual LI, trans female SC
TW: flashbacks, war, murder
Rating: 5/5. Stars (but actually more like 100/5. Stars)
The story is presented in the form of an e-mail written by a former military soldier to an old friend, who she has fallen out of touch with. Now she updates her on her life, talks about how she met her girlfriend, coming out and how she deals with her PTSD. As someone with PTSD I very much enjoyed the descriptions of trauma and how just because you have a therapist it doesn’t make everything magically better (although it helps). Or in the words of the MC: “Trauma’s a bitch”. I also absolutely adored the descriptions of lesbian bars being accepting and welcoming of transbians. I really liked the writing style and this is definitely one of the short stories I would love to see transformed into a longer story. Probably (definitely) one of my favorites in this collection and I can’t wait to check out more from the author.
Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane
Representation: disabled wlw MC (deaf), disabled trans woman SC (needs crutches to walk)
TW: grief, past deaths
Rating: 5/5. Stars
The idea of assistant dragons for disabled people is incredibly interesting and I adored the way it was used in the story. The story deals with a government that tries to keep their failures hidden and with it the people that where hurt during them, by keeping them separated from most people, as well as grief. It was also both funny and sad to see the official handbook disproven over and over again. After meeting another woman with an assistant dragon, she learns that she can become much closer to her dragon as well as to the world outside than she has been since the accident.
Planchette by Carolyn Gage
Representation: lesbian/trans male MC, lesbian SC, wlw SC
TW: rape, violence, murder (all as punishment for gay love), religious homophobia
Rating: 1/5. Stars
Set in the 1800s a young “female teen with a masculine gender presentation” is sent to Portsmouth after growing up on the frontier with their parents. It is not made entirely clear if the character is a tomboy or a trans man, as they mention both lesbianism and transmasculine idols for them. During a sleepover with a classmate, they get to talking about their pasts, both of which feature pretty traumatic events, such as the murder of close family friends and a mentally ill mother that tried to kill her own child. I didn’t really enjoy this story as I feel it didn’t really fit the happy, positive vibe of the other stories and the ending was also quite abrupt. It also dealt with very dark topics and while I was happy that there were trigger warnings at the beginning of the chapter, I still think this anthology was too dark for this anthology.
Birthday Landscapes by E.H. Timms
Representation: aromantic, disabled MC (uses crutches) with PTSD, aromantic SC, platonic relationship
TW: war, death, violence
Rating: 4/5. Stars
A platonic relationship between Val, a warrior, and Rose, a weaver, both of whom are aromantic and started dating out of a desire for a family and companionship without romance. They are now raising two children together and it works very well. The warrior also seems to have some kind of magic powers which was really interesting to read about, especially how they were triggered by PTSD due to all the death he’s seen on the battlefield. He also uses his magic to entertain his children, which was super cute. I quite enjoyed the story and especially the relationship between Val and Rose, whose platonic relationship I adored.
A gallant rescue by A.P. Raymond
Representation: nonbinary MC, trans female LI, nonbinary LI, lesbian sc, polyamorous relationship
TW: homophobic parents
Rating: 5/5. Stars
A spaceship crew decides that they need to get their friend Ellen out of a shitty family situation. Her parents want her to marry a business partner, ignoring that Ellen is already in a committed lesbian relationship. Mattie, Robbin and Johnny all come from lower social spheres, but with the help of their families and their own determination, they managed to acquire a ship and are not trying to keep afloat. They are also in a polyamorous relationship and also all trans (Mattie is Robin’s childhood sweetheart and uses ey/em pronouns, Robin uses they/them, and Johnny is a trans woman who uses she/her pronouns), which was really great to read about. I also really enjoyed the world building and the rescue mission was amazingly written. Also, I definitely need more sci-fi with trans and nonbinary characters that are humans (there is also another crew member called Much, who uses xe/xyr pronouns). This is another short story that I would definitely love to see turned into a longer story, just so I can follow this crew on their travels through space.
Overall, this story definitely kept its promise of happy and uplifting queer stories and I absolutely adored it. The one story I didn’t like was heavily outbalanced by a few other short stories (such as, First Light at Dawn, Dragons Do Not and A gallant rescue) that I absolutely adored. From fantasy to contemporary to historical fiction and sci-fi there’s short stories in many genres and featuring a gigantic amount of representation. I will definitely check out some of the authors further and all in all, I’m really happy we get to have this book that encapsulates so many different relationships and people, that you rarely get to see like this in other books.
Miss Me With That Gay Shit (Please Don’t) By Sacha Lamb
Representation: jewish trans man MC, mlm jewish LI, wlw jewish SC
TW: none
Rating: 4/5 Stars
I really enjoyed this story. It is a short contemporary story about a young trans guy who just recently meet a childhood acquaintance Nick at the GSA of his school again. Unsure of whether or not Nick is even interested in boys, Elijah deals with having a crush on a person who just is so incredibly, annoyingly perfect, that it’s honestly starting to piss him off. It’s really cute and features a great sibling relationship as well as a sassy MC, a combination which I absolutely enjoyed.
Gifts of Spring by Shira Glassman
Representation: trans woman MC, jewish LI, mlm SC
TW: none
Rating: 3/5 Stars
A trans woman mage is on the run from the king and queen, who she made enemies of, when she rescues a juggler from the rage of the crows that accuses him of doing magic because he’s good at his craft. As they walk through town they meet various people in trouble and help them out. I quite enjoyed this short story, although I think some aspects of it might have been better able to shine in a longer story. (Note: there is sexual content)
Wishing On The Perseid by Kay Sulli
Representation: mlm MC of color, gay LI
TW: none
Rating: 3/5. Stars
This is a contemporary story about a ranger and a park visitor, who are interested in each other at first sight and slowly grow closer in the two weeks Zach spends at the park. It’s a really cute story featuring star watching, and I liked it. Hints at a happy future for them gave the story a really nice ending. (Note: there is sexual content)
Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano
Representation: wlw MC, butch lesbian LI, wlw SC
TW: homophobia, lesbophobic slurs, homophobic parents, physical and emotional child abuse,
Rating: 3/5. Stars
A young girl realizes that she has a real talent at typing on a typewriter and soon enters competitions. She only wants to win and gain some fame, when she finds herself attracted to one of her opponents. When she figures out her opponent is not as suspected a hot guy, but rather a handsome butch lesbian, she can’t help but fall into something new, but incredibly nice. The story was quite sweet and adorable and I especially enjoyed the part where they bonded about music. However, I would have liked a bit more exploration of sexuality in this one and the MC’s happiness as being able to pass as a straight with her new girlfriend (as she passes as male) sometimes made me kind of uncomfortable.
First Light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian
Representation: trans female lesbian MC with PTSD, bisexual LI, trans female SC
TW: flashbacks, war, murder
Rating: 5/5. Stars (but actually more like 100/5. Stars)
The story is presented in the form of an e-mail written by a former military soldier to an old friend, who she has fallen out of touch with. Now she updates her on her life, talks about how she met her girlfriend, coming out and how she deals with her PTSD. As someone with PTSD I very much enjoyed the descriptions of trauma and how just because you have a therapist it doesn’t make everything magically better (although it helps). Or in the words of the MC: “Trauma’s a bitch”. I also absolutely adored the descriptions of lesbian bars being accepting and welcoming of transbians. I really liked the writing style and this is definitely one of the short stories I would love to see transformed into a longer story. Probably (definitely) one of my favorites in this collection and I can’t wait to check out more from the author.
Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane
Representation: disabled wlw MC (deaf), disabled trans woman SC (needs crutches to walk)
TW: grief, past deaths
Rating: 5/5. Stars
The idea of assistant dragons for disabled people is incredibly interesting and I adored the way it was used in the story. The story deals with a government that tries to keep their failures hidden and with it the people that where hurt during them, by keeping them separated from most people, as well as grief. It was also both funny and sad to see the official handbook disproven over and over again. After meeting another woman with an assistant dragon, she learns that she can become much closer to her dragon as well as to the world outside than she has been since the accident.
Planchette by Carolyn Gage
Representation: lesbian/trans male MC, lesbian SC, wlw SC
TW: rape, violence, murder (all as punishment for gay love), religious homophobia
Rating: 1/5. Stars
Set in the 1800s a young “female teen with a masculine gender presentation” is sent to Portsmouth after growing up on the frontier with their parents. It is not made entirely clear if the character is a tomboy or a trans man, as they mention both lesbianism and transmasculine idols for them. During a sleepover with a classmate, they get to talking about their pasts, both of which feature pretty traumatic events, such as the murder of close family friends and a mentally ill mother that tried to kill her own child. I didn’t really enjoy this story as I feel it didn’t really fit the happy, positive vibe of the other stories and the ending was also quite abrupt. It also dealt with very dark topics and while I was happy that there were trigger warnings at the beginning of the chapter, I still think this anthology was too dark for this anthology.
Birthday Landscapes by E.H. Timms
Representation: aromantic, disabled MC (uses crutches) with PTSD, aromantic SC, platonic relationship
TW: war, death, violence
Rating: 4/5. Stars
A platonic relationship between Val, a warrior, and Rose, a weaver, both of whom are aromantic and started dating out of a desire for a family and companionship without romance. They are now raising two children together and it works very well. The warrior also seems to have some kind of magic powers which was really interesting to read about, especially how they were triggered by PTSD due to all the death he’s seen on the battlefield. He also uses his magic to entertain his children, which was super cute. I quite enjoyed the story and especially the relationship between Val and Rose, whose platonic relationship I adored.
A gallant rescue by A.P. Raymond
Representation: nonbinary MC, trans female LI, nonbinary LI, lesbian sc, polyamorous relationship
TW: homophobic parents
Rating: 5/5. Stars
A spaceship crew decides that they need to get their friend Ellen out of a shitty family situation. Her parents want her to marry a business partner, ignoring that Ellen is already in a committed lesbian relationship. Mattie, Robbin and Johnny all come from lower social spheres, but with the help of their families and their own determination, they managed to acquire a ship and are not trying to keep afloat. They are also in a polyamorous relationship and also all trans (Mattie is Robin’s childhood sweetheart and uses ey/em pronouns, Robin uses they/them, and Johnny is a trans woman who uses she/her pronouns), which was really great to read about. I also really enjoyed the world building and the rescue mission was amazingly written. Also, I definitely need more sci-fi with trans and nonbinary characters that are humans (there is also another crew member called Much, who uses xe/xyr pronouns). This is another short story that I would definitely love to see turned into a longer story, just so I can follow this crew on their travels through space.
Overall, this story definitely kept its promise of happy and uplifting queer stories and I absolutely adored it. The one story I didn’t like was heavily outbalanced by a few other short stories (such as, First Light at Dawn, Dragons Do Not and A gallant rescue) that I absolutely adored. From fantasy to contemporary to historical fiction and sci-fi there’s short stories in many genres and featuring a gigantic amount of representation. I will definitely check out some of the authors further and all in all, I’m really happy we get to have this book that encapsulates so many different relationships and people, that you rarely get to see like this in other books.
August 10, 2018
Once I got over my kneejerk reaction to the title (because while I'm glad some in the LGBT+ community are reclaiming the word, I grew up with a father that used it derogatorily and…pretty sure I'd have a major issue using the word even in a good way) I decided I had to get this book. I mean, I was already kind of in love with that bright, almost comic-esque, cover.
Miss Me with that Gay Shit (Please Don't) by Sacha Lamb
This story is silly. It just is. It's a little contemporary high school tale about a gay, trans boy and his slightly moronic love interest. Funny is the best word to describe the whole thing. (Rep includes: gay/trans main character, and a brief mention of a bi or lesbian off-screen character.)
3/5
Gifts of Spring by Shira Glassman
Already knew Shira's writing and pretty much adore it. This story was no different. It's about a trans woman magic user and the acrobat she assists out of a … situation. There's a lot to enjoy about this story of the pair wandering through town and the people they help along the way, but the whole thing moved way too fast in the relationship department, I think. Like from 'I don't even know you' to 'let's run away together' in one afternoon. (Rep includes: trans main character, and a brief scene with a gay couple.)
4/5
Wishing on the Perseid by Kay C. Sulli
This was definitely one of my favorite stories, simply for how easy the story was and how likable the main couple were. It's also pretty straightforward - a soon-to-be college student becomes infatuated over a park ranger during his stay in the park. And, no, although it could describe one, this is not the start to a horror story. If I had one complaint, it would be that the LGBT+ rep was fairly light. And it's of the most easily found in fiction. (Rep includes: a gay main couple.)
4/5
Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano
I have only one thing to say: lesbians in 1987. There's a part of me that loves the idea and the culture that would come with it - that part, however, is quickly squashed by the part of me that pretty much hates any 'historical' story that takes place in the last hundred years. Maybe if this had dealt more heavily with the culture of the time, instead of being about a pair of high school students and a typing competition… I might have liked it more. (Rep includes: a bisexual main character, a lesbian couple and a couple of references to a secondary lesbian couple.)
3/5
First Light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian
While I love the concept - a trans woman that used to be a military helicopter pilot that suffers from PTSD and is in a committed relationship with a woman - this story suffers from being told entirely in one long email from the main character to a friend she hasn't spoken to in about a decade. (Rep includes: trans woman main character, lesbian couple.)
3/5
Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane
While there is some pretty amazing world building going on here, it's also the major reason I didn't love this story: because it feels like the first chapter of a book. There's brilliant set up, but it was just left floating a little. (Rep includes: bi or lesbian main character, trans woman secondary character.)
3/5
Planchette by Carolyn Gage
…I didn't like this story. At all. It's told in script style and is about a trans boy that no one wants to call a boy - because girls are supposed to be all feminine and pretty and wear dresses (it is historical) - and the girl that he's staying with misgenders him and is generally transphobic early on. Of course, that all changes when her father (a reverend) shows up and becomes the transphobic, misgendering one. And then there's a romance blooming between the two youngsters. (Rep includes: trans man main character, bi or lesbian main character, past secondary lesbian characters mentioned, one of whom was killed by a man because she was a lesbian.)
1/5
Birthday Landscapes by E.H. Timms
An aro couple that are living in occasional domestic bliss. Honestly, there is so much to like in this story, a military man with PTSD, a fantasy setting, an aro couple that had copious past relationship negotiations to bring about the birth of their two kids. This couple is strictly platonic, but I would have liked to see a strong friendship between them and never felt it. More attention was paid to his PTSD and their children. (Rep includes: aro main characters.)
3/5
A Gallant Rescue by A.P. Raymond
Ooh boy. This is the story I was waiting the entire book for. It has sci-fi! It has poly! It was pretty darn awesome and I've love to read a series about these people. The only complaint I have - and it's a fairly minor one - is that the world feels so much bigger than this story. But, the story is complete in and of itself, if a little less fleshed out than I would have liked. (Rep includes: poly triad main characters, non-binary main characters, trans woman main character, lesbian secondary couple, non-binary secondary character, a real live tentacled alien.)
5/5
Over all, the books average out to 3.22 stars - and I was, taking this book as a whole, going to rate it 3 stars. Because, even if I really enjoyed some of these stories, this book was…strangely obsessed with trans characters. Before anyone jumps down my throat, I was excited for the first couple stories that featured trans characters - and have even went searching for books that feature trans characters to read. (And have loved some of them.) But, six of the nine stories featured trans characters. That is more rep than any other LGBT+ group got. Even more than the gays or lesbians. And that's including counting all characters that I was unsure if they were bi or lesbian as being lesbian. Maybe if you read like one story a week, it won't seem so inundated, but I read the first six stories in a very short period of time and I couldn't help but notice the number of trans characters represented here.
So…I love the idea, but can't help but think that I would have liked this collection much more if the diversity had been…more diverse. (More poly, more non-binary, more genderqueer, more ace characters, (or ANY ace characters) more unabashedly bi characters. Because I'm ticked off that not one character is unarguably bi. (And most characters I tagged as bi or lesbian are almost unarguably lesbian.)
Honestly, I was super excited for book 2 but...now I'm not so much.
Miss Me with that Gay Shit (Please Don't) by Sacha Lamb
This story is silly. It just is. It's a little contemporary high school tale about a gay, trans boy and his slightly moronic love interest. Funny is the best word to describe the whole thing. (Rep includes: gay/trans main character, and a brief mention of a bi or lesbian off-screen character.)
3/5
Gifts of Spring by Shira Glassman
Already knew Shira's writing and pretty much adore it. This story was no different. It's about a trans woman magic user and the acrobat she assists out of a … situation. There's a lot to enjoy about this story of the pair wandering through town and the people they help along the way, but the whole thing moved way too fast in the relationship department, I think. Like from 'I don't even know you' to 'let's run away together' in one afternoon. (Rep includes: trans main character, and a brief scene with a gay couple.)
4/5
Wishing on the Perseid by Kay C. Sulli
This was definitely one of my favorite stories, simply for how easy the story was and how likable the main couple were. It's also pretty straightforward - a soon-to-be college student becomes infatuated over a park ranger during his stay in the park. And, no, although it could describe one, this is not the start to a horror story. If I had one complaint, it would be that the LGBT+ rep was fairly light. And it's of the most easily found in fiction. (Rep includes: a gay main couple.)
4/5
Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano
I have only one thing to say: lesbians in 1987. There's a part of me that loves the idea and the culture that would come with it - that part, however, is quickly squashed by the part of me that pretty much hates any 'historical' story that takes place in the last hundred years. Maybe if this had dealt more heavily with the culture of the time, instead of being about a pair of high school students and a typing competition… I might have liked it more. (Rep includes: a bisexual main character, a lesbian couple and a couple of references to a secondary lesbian couple.)
3/5
First Light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian
While I love the concept - a trans woman that used to be a military helicopter pilot that suffers from PTSD and is in a committed relationship with a woman - this story suffers from being told entirely in one long email from the main character to a friend she hasn't spoken to in about a decade. (Rep includes: trans woman main character, lesbian couple.)
3/5
Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane
While there is some pretty amazing world building going on here, it's also the major reason I didn't love this story: because it feels like the first chapter of a book. There's brilliant set up, but it was just left floating a little. (Rep includes: bi or lesbian main character, trans woman secondary character.)
3/5
Planchette by Carolyn Gage
…I didn't like this story. At all. It's told in script style and is about a trans boy that no one wants to call a boy - because girls are supposed to be all feminine and pretty and wear dresses (it is historical) - and the girl that he's staying with misgenders him and is generally transphobic early on. Of course, that all changes when her father (a reverend) shows up and becomes the transphobic, misgendering one. And then there's a romance blooming between the two youngsters. (Rep includes: trans man main character, bi or lesbian main character, past secondary lesbian characters mentioned, one of whom was killed by a man because she was a lesbian.)
1/5
Birthday Landscapes by E.H. Timms
An aro couple that are living in occasional domestic bliss. Honestly, there is so much to like in this story, a military man with PTSD, a fantasy setting, an aro couple that had copious past relationship negotiations to bring about the birth of their two kids. This couple is strictly platonic, but I would have liked to see a strong friendship between them and never felt it. More attention was paid to his PTSD and their children. (Rep includes: aro main characters.)
3/5
A Gallant Rescue by A.P. Raymond
Ooh boy. This is the story I was waiting the entire book for. It has sci-fi! It has poly! It was pretty darn awesome and I've love to read a series about these people. The only complaint I have - and it's a fairly minor one - is that the world feels so much bigger than this story. But, the story is complete in and of itself, if a little less fleshed out than I would have liked. (Rep includes: poly triad main characters, non-binary main characters, trans woman main character, lesbian secondary couple, non-binary secondary character, a real live tentacled alien.)
5/5
Over all, the books average out to 3.22 stars - and I was, taking this book as a whole, going to rate it 3 stars. Because, even if I really enjoyed some of these stories, this book was…strangely obsessed with trans characters. Before anyone jumps down my throat, I was excited for the first couple stories that featured trans characters - and have even went searching for books that feature trans characters to read. (And have loved some of them.) But, six of the nine stories featured trans characters. That is more rep than any other LGBT+ group got. Even more than the gays or lesbians. And that's including counting all characters that I was unsure if they were bi or lesbian as being lesbian. Maybe if you read like one story a week, it won't seem so inundated, but I read the first six stories in a very short period of time and I couldn't help but notice the number of trans characters represented here.
So…I love the idea, but can't help but think that I would have liked this collection much more if the diversity had been…more diverse. (More poly, more non-binary, more genderqueer, more ace characters, (or ANY ace characters) more unabashedly bi characters. Because I'm ticked off that not one character is unarguably bi. (And most characters I tagged as bi or lesbian are almost unarguably lesbian.)
Honestly, I was super excited for book 2 but...now I'm not so much.
February 13, 2018
I got this for free on Amazon (God bless free ebooks), and read it surprisingly quickly, even though I usually have a little of a hard time with anthologies. (By the time I get the hang of the world, the story's ending already. Also, more often than not I just want MORE. WHICH I DON'T GET. WHICH IS FRUSTRATING.)
I'm not gonna go into detail about each and every story; I'll just mention my ratings and the identities the stories represent:
'Miss Me With That Gay Shit (Please Don't)' by Sacha Lamb
Representation: MC is gay, trans and Jewish
Rating: 3.75 or 4 stars
'Gifts of Spring' by Shira Glassman
Representation: MC is a trans girl
Rating: 3.5 stars
'Wishing On the Perseid' by Kay C. Sulli
Representation: MC is a gay man
Rating: 4 stars
'Hunt and Peck' by Teresa Theophano
Representation: MC falls in love with another girl (also, the MC didn't realize she liked girls before meeting her love interest, so it's also a little bit questioning?) (it did make me a little uncomfortable, though, that the love interest was a tomboy who the MC mistakes for a boy at first. Some things she (the MC) says are kind of like 'You look like a hot guy, so I can just pretend to be straight around others')
Rating: 3.5 stars
'First Light at Dawn' by Nyri Bakkalian
Representation: MC is a gay trans woman who used to be in the army and suffers from PTSD
Rating: 4.5 stars (beautiful story, definitely one of my favourites!)
'Dragons Do Not' by Evelyn Deshane
Representation: MC is deaf, had a girlfriend once and has a dragon. She meets a trans woman who teaches her to listen to her dragon, and she then proceeds to have a discussion with her (the dragon, not the woman) about pronouns and gender. Wonderful! (Also, have I mentioned the DRAGONS?)
Rating: 4.5 stars
'Planchette' by Carolyn Gage
Representation: The story is told as a play, and it has a lesbian and a trans guy as MCs. It's set in 1879, so Jude (the trans guy) gets misgendered every damn day. (Also, for some reason the author always uses the wrong pronouns in descriptions, even though that definitely wasn't necessary? It made me anxious.) At least there was a TW at the beginning of the story for sexual assault and violence, so I was at least prepared for what the story had in store for me.
Rating: 3.5 stars
'Birthday Landscapes' by E H Timms
Representation: aromantic warrior (definitely loved this one!) (also, I wanted more of this world, and it reminded me why short stories are often so goddamn frustrating.)
Rating: 3.75 or 4 stars
'A Gallant Rescue' by A.P. Raymond
Representation: polyamorous relationship; three non-binary characters; a lesbian couple; SET IN SPACE WITH SPACE SHIPS, Y'ALL.
Rating: 3.75 stars
Overall rating: 3.8 stars
The ting I loved most about the book? All the stories had happy ending. They weren't always 'two characters fall in love with each other and live happily ever after', but there was always hope and never despair at the end. DIGGIN' IT.
I'll definitely pick up a copy of the second volume sometime!
I'm not gonna go into detail about each and every story; I'll just mention my ratings and the identities the stories represent:
'Miss Me With That Gay Shit (Please Don't)' by Sacha Lamb
Representation: MC is gay, trans and Jewish
Rating: 3.75 or 4 stars
'Gifts of Spring' by Shira Glassman
Representation: MC is a trans girl
Rating: 3.5 stars
'Wishing On the Perseid' by Kay C. Sulli
Representation: MC is a gay man
Rating: 4 stars
'Hunt and Peck' by Teresa Theophano
Representation: MC falls in love with another girl (also, the MC didn't realize she liked girls before meeting her love interest, so it's also a little bit questioning?) (it did make me a little uncomfortable, though, that the love interest was a tomboy who the MC mistakes for a boy at first. Some things she (the MC) says are kind of like 'You look like a hot guy, so I can just pretend to be straight around others')
Rating: 3.5 stars
'First Light at Dawn' by Nyri Bakkalian
Representation: MC is a gay trans woman who used to be in the army and suffers from PTSD
Rating: 4.5 stars (beautiful story, definitely one of my favourites!)
'Dragons Do Not' by Evelyn Deshane
Representation: MC is deaf, had a girlfriend once and has a dragon. She meets a trans woman who teaches her to listen to her dragon, and she then proceeds to have a discussion with her (the dragon, not the woman) about pronouns and gender. Wonderful! (Also, have I mentioned the DRAGONS?)
Rating: 4.5 stars
'Planchette' by Carolyn Gage
Representation: The story is told as a play, and it has a lesbian and a trans guy as MCs. It's set in 1879, so Jude (the trans guy) gets misgendered every damn day. (Also, for some reason the author always uses the wrong pronouns in descriptions, even though that definitely wasn't necessary? It made me anxious.) At least there was a TW at the beginning of the story for sexual assault and violence, so I was at least prepared for what the story had in store for me.
Rating: 3.5 stars
'Birthday Landscapes' by E H Timms
Representation: aromantic warrior (definitely loved this one!) (also, I wanted more of this world, and it reminded me why short stories are often so goddamn frustrating.)
Rating: 3.75 or 4 stars
'A Gallant Rescue' by A.P. Raymond
Representation: polyamorous relationship; three non-binary characters; a lesbian couple; SET IN SPACE WITH SPACE SHIPS, Y'ALL.
Rating: 3.75 stars
Overall rating: 3.8 stars
The ting I loved most about the book? All the stories had happy ending. They weren't always 'two characters fall in love with each other and live happily ever after', but there was always hope and never despair at the end. DIGGIN' IT.
I'll definitely pick up a copy of the second volume sometime!
September 4, 2018
This book has got to be my QUEEREST read during Pride month 2018 and it was amazing! Firstly, all the stories end happily! ❤️❤️❤️ Secondly, the stories are as diverse as the characters’ representation! Some of them I haven’t found on paper before this! 🏳️🌈
•
Idk where exactly to start with the review here but I love everything about this. Okay, maybe not ~everything, bec there’s one there that was too heavy for my taste. Then again, you can’t present a true and in-depth queer experience without dark and heavy themes, I think. The struggle is there whether we address it or not.
•
My highlights has got to be the delicious banter in Sacha Lamb’s story, the representation of trans men and women, the plot development of Hunt and Peck, nuanced portrayal of PTSD and disability, AROMANTIC and ENBY REPS (Omg!😍)
•
If you want my short and quick (and bulleted!) thoughts on each story, better to check out my excitable reading livetweets here: https://twitter.com/bentchbites/statu... .
*although I think i forgot to livetweet the last story? 😬 Or maybe i just wasn’t able to put it in the thread? Idkkkkk 😫 LOL
•
Anyway, GET THIS! as well as the second volume bec Im sure it will be as awesome as this!!!
*This review first appeared as a bookstagram over on my IG: @bentchbites
•
Idk where exactly to start with the review here but I love everything about this. Okay, maybe not ~everything, bec there’s one there that was too heavy for my taste. Then again, you can’t present a true and in-depth queer experience without dark and heavy themes, I think. The struggle is there whether we address it or not.
•
My highlights has got to be the delicious banter in Sacha Lamb’s story, the representation of trans men and women, the plot development of Hunt and Peck, nuanced portrayal of PTSD and disability, AROMANTIC and ENBY REPS (Omg!😍)
•
If you want my short and quick (and bulleted!) thoughts on each story, better to check out my excitable reading livetweets here: https://twitter.com/bentchbites/statu... .
*although I think i forgot to livetweet the last story? 😬 Or maybe i just wasn’t able to put it in the thread? Idkkkkk 😫 LOL
•
Anyway, GET THIS! as well as the second volume bec Im sure it will be as awesome as this!!!
*This review first appeared as a bookstagram over on my IG: @bentchbites
January 27, 2023
I’m very glad that this anthology exists – full of queer rep and happy endings! That said, a lot of the stories feel clumsy to me in a way I can’t simply dismiss as my normal dissatisfaction with short stories. In a lot of cases, I was left wondering if there had been a scene cut for word count. This anthology also seems to be trying to be a catch-all for queer stories, and so each story is written with a different audience in mind, some of which worked well for me while others didn’t at all. In the future, we will be each able to choose the queer anthology that fits our taste. For now, I’m glad that this anthology exists, and I appreciate the glimpses it gave me into worlds both like and unlike my own.
The stand-out story for me by far is “A Gallant Rescue,” which I can best describe as a sci-fi lover heist. The stakes are clear, the worldbuilding is seamlessly incorporated into the plot, and the level of care that this found family shows for each other every step of the way is palpable and heartwarming. Honorable mentions go to “Birthday Landscapes” for its unquestioningly positive aromantic rep and “Dragons Do Not” for its intriguing fantasy world that made me wish for a whole novel.
The stand-out story for me by far is “A Gallant Rescue,” which I can best describe as a sci-fi lover heist. The stakes are clear, the worldbuilding is seamlessly incorporated into the plot, and the level of care that this found family shows for each other every step of the way is palpable and heartwarming. Honorable mentions go to “Birthday Landscapes” for its unquestioningly positive aromantic rep and “Dragons Do Not” for its intriguing fantasy world that made me wish for a whole novel.
March 3, 2018
I really loved this book. It is quite literally diversity put into writing. You don't only get to read fresh authors, perspectives and characters but can also experience diverse ways of storytelling. There is something in here for everyone. Out of these nine short stories my favourite was "First Light at Dawn" by Nyri Bakkalian. This story is told in the form of an E-Mail answer from a transwoman veteran called Kate to a friend she hasn't spoken to in years.
But seeing, that this book is only part 1, let's wait for part 2 of the anthology until the final verdict is announced.
But seeing, that this book is only part 1, let's wait for part 2 of the anthology until the final verdict is announced.
September 6, 2019
This is such a sweet, crazy, tender, multifaceted collection of nine queer short stories, representing various denizens along the lgbtqia+ spectrum. My two favourites are Sacha Lamb’s Miss Me With That Gay Shit (Please Don’t) and Teresa Theophano’s Hunt and Peck, both of which I’ll be revisiting whenever I’m in need of a gay pick-me-up (who isn’t these days?). All of the stories are faultlessly edited and well-written, however, even if not each and every one resonated with me personally. A solid first experience with Queer Pack, which makes me eager to add more of their output to my TBR.
March 3, 2018
In the first story I felt WAY too far in left field ("Miss Me With That Gay Shit (Please Don't)" by Sacha Lamb) but I really enjoyed "First Light at Dawn" by Nyri Bakkalian. "Dawn" was written as a letter, telling about a trans pilot in the armed forces to her friend, a civilian. It was deeply moving.
This may not have the stars it should but it was diverse: gay teens, trans soldiers.
This may not have the stars it should but it was diverse: gay teens, trans soldiers.
April 19, 2019
Cute collection of queer HEAs with something for everyone - there’s an 80s typing contest romance, a dragons as support animals fantasy, and an aromatic older couple raising kids in a land of war and magic. Would be a great addition for anyone’s shelf but especially librarians or book shop buyers wanting to stock genre defying queer stories.
February 27, 2018
as it is with short story collections, there are some that capture you more than others. what I really enjoyed in the overall collection, though, is that this is a true collection of queer stories, not just lesbian and gay ones. as such, this collection is a bright and shiny jewel.
February 21, 2018
I think the first three stories and the one with the dragons were my favourites but I liked all of the stories
August 16, 2018
There were a few short stories in here I enjoyed, but quite a few I found quite difficult to relate to.
February 9, 2023
It was nice.
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