BJ Lillis > Status Update

I'm not sure if it's 'cozy' or 'fall' and I don't know if you've read it, but I just started Nightwood by Djuna Barnes and it's pretty good, in a weird way.

Just scrolling through GR, and saw your post.. The Priory of Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon comes to mind. It does involve magic, dragons and witches = Halloween = Autumn? Can I make that correlation? 😆

Guillermo wrote: "I'm not sure if it's 'cozy' or 'fall' and I don't know if you've read it, but I just started Nightwood by Djuna Barnes and it's pretty good, in a weird way."

I've been meaning to read Nightwood for years! But it's not cozy in my imagination, more like prickly modernism? One of these days! It's not next in line in terms of early-20th-century queer lit (that would be a couple of Jane de la Vaudère novels and Carson McCullers), but I will get to it! Thanks for the rec :)

Angela wrote: "Just scrolling through GR, and saw your post.. The Priory of Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon comes to mind. It does involve magic, dragons and witches = Halloween = Autumn? Can I make that correlat..."

Great minds think alike! I literally had this in my hand at the library this afternoon, wondering if it was the cozy fall read I was looking for. But, especially with the physical copy in my hand, it is soooooo fat! I walked to the library and I kind of didn't want to have to carry it home!

Lez romance but also YA and historical fiction- just read and loved Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. The queer-in-the-intolerant-50s gives some melancholic vibes but it’s not too much since it’s YA+romance and them finding safe space and community in dark little nightclubs gave cozy. School year + SF weather kinda makes for autumnal maybe?

Jen wrote: "Lez romance but also YA and historical fiction- just read and loved Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. The queer-in-the-intolerant-50s gives some melancholic vibes but it’s not too muc..."

Oh this is a good rec! I've heard of it but it wasn't near the top of my list, but it does sound like a cozy vibe :)

I really like Destination You by J.J Arias. It is an age gap, tho if that's a deal breaker. A little bit of spice, by Georgia Beers. Zero Visibility is also good, by Georgia Beers. Cozy fall vibes is kind of hard to lock down, but those are the closest I can think of.

In the long run by Haley Cass is also pretty cozy. Probably the most cozy. Small town, old friends-to-lovers. It's great

Iris wrote: "I really like Destination You by J.J Arias. It is an age gap, tho if that's a deal breaker. A little bit of spice, by Georgia Beers. Zero Visibility is also good, by Georgia Beers. Cozy fall vibes ..."

Thank you for the recs! I like age gap when it's done well. The old-school bikini-photo cover on Destination You would def have scared me off without a strong rec from someone, though! I've been meaning to read Haley Cass for forever, honestly not sure any wlw romance author gets better reviews on this site than she does across the board. I have The Snowball Effect on my winter/holiday romance list, which, however, I officially don't start reading off of til Thanksgiving...

Okay, I decided to take a chance on Rebekah Faubion's The Sun and the Moon, despite mixed reviews from my goodreads friends, mainly because it was prominently positioned on the new romance shelf at the library just begging to be carried home! And the fact that it's set at Acadia National Park in the fall, which called to me. Probably going with In the Long Run next, assuming I'm still in a cozy romance mood, which I suspect I will be :)

BJ wrote: "Probably going with In the Long Run next, assuming I'm still in a cozy romance mood, which I suspect I will be :)..."

YES! I think I undersold it a little bit, but I'm glad it piqued your interest. It really is great and sweet and I re-read it every fall 😂

Iris wrote: "YES! I think I undersold it a little bit, but I'm glad it piqued your interest. It really is great and sweet and I re-read it every fall 😂"

Yea, see, that's what I mean about Haley Cass. I need to find out what the deal is for myself, because I feel like every time she comes up someone says something like, "well actually I reread this book annually" or whatever 😂

BJ wrote: "Iris wrote: "YES! I think I undersold it a little bit, but I'm glad it piqued your interest. It really is great and sweet and I re-read it every fall 😂"

Yea, see, that's what I mean about Haley Ca..."

She's so good. The literal best I've ever read for WLW. So consistent in character and chemistry. She is truly talented.

Iris wrote: "She's so good. The literal best I've ever read for WLW. So consistent in character and chemistry. She is truly talented."

She publishes independently (I assume that she could have a big five publisher if she wanted one just looking at her goodreads stats!), but it means her books aren't carried by any of the *four* large library systems I've been part of over the last few years, which is the underlying reason why she's never climbed off my to-read list. But this fall I'm just going to send her my money!