Tag: Bisexual icons

30 Days of Pride: Bisexual books

Rach @ Anxious Nachos3 Comments

Hi everyone,

If you haven’t thought about what you can do today to support Black Lives Matter, here’s a link to a Twitter thread of petitions which still haven’t reached their goal! There’s so many there, and even spending just 10 minutes of your time would get a TON of these signed. (And if you spent just 10 minutes a day signing, I bet you’d get all of these petitions signed before the weekend is over).

Today we’re going to look at books with bi rep! We have contemporaries, fantasy, horror, adult and YA so hopefully you can find something that suits all your bisexual desires in this post.

I wanted to do a pan rep post as well (especially since I tend to prefer the term pansexual over bi for myself, though I do go by both depending on the situation) but I’ve only read one book with pan rep. This seriously needs to be remedied, so if you have any recs, please do let me know! And in case you’re wondering what that one book is, it’s The Library of the Unwritten which featured in yesterday’s science fiction and fantasy post and it’s one of my favourite books so you should definitely pick it up!

Deposing Nathan by Zack Smedley

Deposing Nathan is one of my alltime favourite books. It’s a very important book, very close to my heart, AND this year was nominated for a LAMBDA for Bisexual Fiction! Deposing Nathan is part courtroom drama, part YA coming of age. We open in a courtroom, where Nate is giving evidence against his former best friend, Cam, who stabbed him. We cut between this courtroom and the past, where we see Nate and Cam’s relationship develop as they go from BFFs to Stab City. This book also very personally and honestly deals with religion and sexuality, as well as the validity of bisexuality and it’s pretty much one of the most important books to me because of this. Smedley also manages to have some of the most realistic, dramatic writing I’ve seen, I felt so connected to Nate and his very moving story. This isn’t a happy story. But it’s a very important one. You can read my full review here.

Missing, Presumed Dead by Emma Berquist

I won a copy of Missing, Presumed Dead in a Twitter giveaway (pretty much one of the only things I’ve ever won in a giveaway or raffle situation). And it also had the honour of being my first ever SIGNED book, so it has a rather special place in my heart. And that’s on top of it being an incredible f/f ghost romance murder thriller. Whenever Lexi touches someone, she sees their death in vivid detail. When she forsees Jane’s death, she does nothing to try stop it. So, when Jane comes back to haunt her, Lexi agrees to help her hunt down the killer. This is a very dark and gritty book, but with a very realistic take on what it would actually be like to have this magic power. Lexi is deeply depressed and lonely, and I love that this book really talked about the shitty sides of having magic. Check out my full review here.

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

Full Disclosure has one of the funniest scenes in YA, an epic heroine, nerds for musical theatre, and a sweet, lovely romance. Simone has lived with HIV since she was a baby. Having moved schools after she was bullied for her HIV status at her previous school, Simone plans to stay away from boys and avoid another reaction like at her past school. But as director of the school musical, she begins to fall for Miles, a sweet, adorable guy who she vows to teach all about her favourite musicals. But then she starts getting threats warning her that if she doesn’t break up with Miles, her secret will be revealed. Simone is such a brilliant character, so funny and strong and I loved all her musical references. I also really appreciated the different discussions of sexuality that showcased the spectrum of bisexuality and queerness, including those questioning and unsure of their sexuality. There is some internalised (and external) biphobia but it’s questioned and addressed within the narrative. Check out my full review here for more details.

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Necromancy is one of my favourite magic systems to explore so I was so excited to read this bisexual necromancer book! Our main character, Sparrow, is a necromancer. Whenever a noble dies, she walks into the Deadlands to retrieve their soul and brings them back to their body. But once raised, the Dead must stay shrouded in life. If they are ever seen by the living, they became Shades, deadly monsters. When a necromancer is murdered, Sparrow realises someone is purposely making Shades to bring down the empire and must hunt down the murderer. Reign of the Fallen had such a cool magic system. Everyone is born with eye colour which determines their magic, blue eyes for necromancers, green for beast masters, brown eyes for inventors, and lots of other interesting magics. There is a big fight between Living and Dead in the empire, with the Dead ruling nobles outlawing inventors as they want to stay in the past and not progress. It was a really interesting world, with normalised queerness and lots of creepy dead people.

Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells

Bisexuals with dragons! Bisexuals with dragons! Bisexuals with dragons! Shatter the Sky is the first in a duology which concludes later this year, about a bisexual (obviously) who goes to rescue her girlfriend by stealing a dragon. The magic system around the dragons is so interesting and unique – aromatherapy magic anyone?! There are different scented oils which can work the dragons up into different states (such as put them to sleep, make them angry etc). There’s a very dark undertone to this fantasy, with the enslavement of these dragons who can think and have minds as clever as humans but are reduced to nothing by use of these drugs. Plus, we have a bisexual m/f/f love triangle which I love to see. Check out my full review here.

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Onto one of my favourite ever books, Into the Drowning Deep is the novel which all horror will always be held up to in comparison. This book is chilling and terrifying and so, so, so damn good. In this book, mermaids are real. But they aren’t the lovely ladies of the sea everyone thinks them to be, instead they’re ferocious face eating monsters from the deep who will hunt you down if you enter their realm. So of course, the only thing to do is send a research ship to them to investigate. What follows is a gore covered mess of chaos and terror as the ship fights against the monsters. And it’s so. fucking. good. Check out my full review here!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book is iconic in sapphic Twitter and I read it so long ago I am never going to be able to sell it better that pretty much all other people I follow on Twitter. But I shall try! The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is the story of a retired film star, Evelyn Hugo, who has hired someone to write her biography. The story is told as Evelyn recites her life story to this writer, of her seven husbands, and of the great love affair of her life. It is beautiful, tear-enducing, historical fiction at its best. Anyway Evelyn Hugo is a bicon (that’s a word right?) and hence has to be included in this list.

Steel Crow Saga by Paul Krueger

Steel Crow Saga is on my TBR for this month but I couldn’t resist adding to this list because we needed some adult fantasy bisexuals on this list. Steel Crow Saga is a chonky, standalone fantasy novel with MAGICAL ANIMAL COMPANIONS that fight alongside you in battle. I feel like I need to highlight that part. A soldier, a thief, a detective and a prince unite together to defeat an enemy with unstoppable power; five different nations, all coded after different Asian countries (this sounds amazing?!?!); and POVs from the colonised and the colonisers to create a political fantasy of epic proportions. And lots of magical companions uniting together too?? Hopefully? I just love magical animal companions, I used to have a cat that followed me around in Elder Scrolls and it was truly magical.

Not Your Sidekick by C.B Lee

If you’re into superheros, then this is the book for you! A Vietnamese-Chinese American bi teen, Jess, lives in a town where superheros are common. She’s looking to beef up her college application and lands a great internship. There’s just one problem: it’s with the heinous supervillain in town and her superhero parents are going to kill her. But a bonus? She gets to work with her longtime crush. What could go wrong?

Let’s Call it a Doomsday by Katie Henry

It’s very rare to get any sort of questioning rep in YA, so it is really great to get this bisexual questioning religious girl, who also suffers from extreme anxiety. Though, it’s probably definitely not the book to read whilst the world is as Fucked Up as it is right now. It’s about two girls who meet in their therapists waiting room, one who is terrified the world is going to end, and one who knows when it will end, because she had a premonition.

Do you have any other bisexual favourites to add to this list?

Blog tour: The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco

Rach @ Anxious Nachos1 Comment

I am so excited to say welcome to my first ever blog tour stop!! Thank you so much to Shealea at Caffeine Book Tours for inviting me onto the tour, and to both Rin Chupeco and the publisher for offering a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. In just a few short words: The Never Tilting World is brilliant book, one about family and truth and the corruption of power. Also bisexuals. 

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Book information

Title: The Never Tilting World

Author: Rin Chupeco

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication date: 15 October 2019

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Frozen meets Mad Max in this epic teen fantasy duology bursting with star-crossed romance, immortal heroines, and elemental magic, perfect for fans of Furyborn.

Generations of twin goddesses have long ruled Aeon. But seventeen years ago, one sister’s betrayal defied an ancient prophecy and split their world in two. The planet ceased to spin, and a Great Abyss now divides two realms: one cloaked in perpetual night, the other scorched by an unrelenting sun.

While one sister rules Aranth—a frozen city surrounded by a storm-wracked sea —her twin inhabits the sand-locked Golden City. Each goddess has raised a daughter, and each keeps her own secrets about her sister’s betrayal.

But when shadowy forces begin to call their daughters, Odessa and Haidee, back to the site of the Breaking, the two young goddesses —along with a powerful healer from Aranth, and a mouthy desert scavenger —set out on separate journeys across treacherous wastelands, desperate to heal their broken world. No matter the sacrifice it demands.

Book links: Amazon, Book Depository, Goodreads

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A demoness is what they call a goddess that men cannot control.

I want to start by saying a big ol’ THANK YOU to Rin Chupeco for featuring bisexuality in a fantasy novel because this is seriously all my jams, this is it, it’s all I want. The Never Tilting World was a whirlwind of action and romance, of finding family and losing family, and discovering the way power can corrupt and twist who you are. 

The Never Tilting World is told through four POVs. In an icy cold, dark and destructive world are Lan; healer Catseye suffering from PTSD, bound to protect a goddess; and Odessa, goddess suffering from an unknown illness, newly discovering her power. On the other side of the world in the blistering heat of the desert are Haidee, goddess trying to break free from her mother’s plans to wed her off, and Arjun, desert rogue and amputee who has one desire: kill the goddess. These four are pulled to the centre of the world where a dark and unknown terror awaits – the terrible Brighthenge temple which was the site of the Breaking, where the world was torn apart and the frozen and heated wastelands created.

“I didn’t hate Haidee exactly, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to throttle her for having no sense of self-preservation.”

i am so here for this snark

All four of these characters are so unique. I adored the sniping and snark between Haidee and Arjun, but I think my favourite was Odessa. Her character arc is brilliant, and it was so interesting to see from her perspective as her power grew and changed. The romance interwoven into the story was lovely, please authors I beg of you to keep writing awesome queer relationships into fantasy, it brings me such joy to see. 

Another thing I loved was the backstory of the world and how it came to be. Both Odessa and Haidee are told different stories from their mothers regarding the Breaking and what happened all those years ago, and so we the reader are as confused and intrigued by the mystery as much as the characters are. I do wish we’d gotten perhaps a little more information and closure on that but I understand completely there is a sequel which will continue this. It was really interesting to see how both Odessa and Haidee’s view of their mothers adapted as the book progressed, and as they discovered more about the events of the Breaking. The insidious way these events emerge is fantastic and I cannot wait to find out the truth about what happened.

Sacrifice is necessary for what was two to become one.

something bad will happen i know it

Another fantastically creative element were all of the twisted (although at times adorable…) creatures we met along the way. From the dolugongs, dolphin like sand sea creatures, to the giant scorpions, and horror shadow creatures that can steal you away. They were all so different and interesting, I loved all the run ins with them! 

The Never Tilting World is a really solid series start, it sets the sequel up so well (too well perhaps, I GOTS TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED). I’m already very attached to all four of our main characters and I actually don’t have one I didn’t like (rare indeed for me!) It was such a creative and interesting read, with a fascinating history and a bisexual romance which is just awesome! If you love strong bisexuals, creative creatures and a killer mysterious history, then pick up The Never Tilting World!

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Please do visit all the amazing bloggers who are participating in this tour! I can’t wait to see what everyone else thought and has created for this book!

If you’re eagle eyed you’ll be able to spot the bottom right corner, which mentions the Twitter chat we’ll having on Saturday October 19! It will be happening at 9AM EST – I may not be able to make it as it will be pretty late here in Australia, but do listen in to everyone as they chat about this awesome read!

Rin Chupeco

Rin Chupeco has written obscure manuals for complicated computer programs, talked people out of their money at event shows, and done many other terrible things. She now writes about ghosts and fantastic worlds but is still sometimes mistaken for a revenant. She is the author of The Girl from the Well, its sequel, The Suffering, and the Bone Witch trilogy.

Despite an unsettling resemblance to Japanese revenants, Rin always maintains her sense of hummus. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, she keeps four pets: a dog, two birds, and a husband. Dances like the neighbors are watching.

Find out more about Rin over on her website, Goodreads, Instagram, Pintrest and Twitter!

Paws out,
Rach + Draco

Happy Bisexual Awareness Week: Bi Books

Rach @ Anxious NachosLeave a comment

Bisexuals Assemble!

So in my role as Failure Bi™ I completely missed Bi Visibility Day this week.

So to make up for my failure, I thought instead I’d make a list with some of my favourite books with bi characters as well as some of my most anticipated bi books to come!

Books I’ve read

Deposing Nathan – Zack Smedley

Fine, well, even if you’re only one percent into dudes, it can still count. ‘Bisexual’ is a pretty broad term.

This book is one of my favourite books of the year, it absolutely broke me. Discussing the intersectionality of religion and bisexuality, this is the story of Nate and Cameron, how they fell in love, and how Nate ends up stabbing Cam. This book is so emotionally powerful, addressing the validity of bisexuality as an identity and at it’s heart has a powerful message about learning to love yourself and who are it. It is utterly captivating, and I so want you to read it! If I haven’t yet persuaded you, check out my full review of this book here!

The Fever King – Victoria Lee

Bisexual isn’t gay.

I still can’t believe this book only published in March, I feel like I’ve had it in my life and obsessed over it for so long. EVERYONE in this book is queer! And if that doesn’t sound incredible enough itsmyfavouritebookeverandtyoureallyreallyreallyneedtoreadit. Set in a dystopian US where most of the population has been wiped out by a deadly virus, Noam wakes up and survives – but he’s changed. He has magic now. Taken in by Calix Leher, one of the most poweful men in the new state of Carolinia, Noam is tutored in magic and science, alongside Dara and Ames. But Noam wants to bring the government down – and though he’s falling for Dara, he just doesn’t seem to be on the same side… Be warned: The Fever King will cause you so much pain. This book owns my heart – find out more in my full review here!

I Wish You All the Best – Mason Deaver

“Why would you think I’d want to lose you like that?”

Another book that immediately jumped to my all time favourites, I Wish You All the Best has TWO bisexual MCs: Ben and Nathan. This is Ben’s story: when they come out as non-binary to their parents, they are kicked out of home. Highly emotional and personal, this book is an inspiring coming of age story about acceptance and love and it is honestly just so perfectly stunning!! Full review here!

Shatter the Sky – Rebecca Kim Wells

Dragons & bisexuals, bisexuals & dragons – could a book need more? How about a kind of bi love triangle that actually shows BOTH sides of bisexuality?! That would be a yes yes yes. When Maren’s girlfriend Kaia is kidnapped by the evil oppressors who rule their country, Maren vows to rescue her. She sneaks into the dreaded Dragon training fortress, aiming to steal a dragon and rain fire to get Kaia back. On route, she mets Sev, a guard at the fortress who seems to be hiding a secret as well. I adored the magic system in this book, and the way the dragons could be controlled with different aromas. The dragons are both fearsome and adorable, and I’m so keen to read the sequel! A full review can be found here.

Missing, Presumed Dead – Emma Berquist

 That’s what people always get wrong about ghosts; they aren’t cold. They don’t make your breath cloud, or give you goose bumps. They’re heat and weight and the taste of metal coating your tongue.

This book is so awesome – it’s dark and gritty, fantastic portrayal of mental illness, oh and a girl who falls in a love with a ghost?! Lexi has the power to see when a person dies – if she touches them, she sees their death. When she see’s the death of Jane, it’s particularly violent. And then Jane comes back as a ghost, to exact revenge on her killer and Lexi, feeling guilty for not saving Jane, helps her hunt the killer down. This has magic, mystery, thriller elements and I loved the MC Lexi. I loved how the book shows how the magic really impacts on Lexi, and how lonely she is because of it – I feel like it’s really rare to see such a horrifically negative impact of magic on someone? Usually even if bad things happen, there is still wonder in having the magic – but in Missing, Presumed Dead it really is such a burden for Lexi, and it’s so emotional at points as we see Lexi suffer. I have a full review of this book here!

💖💜💙

Books to come

The Henna Wars – Adiba Jaigirdar

Pub date: Spring 2020

Goodreads: Page Street has acquired Adiba Jaigirdar’s The Henna Wars. Pitched as When Dimple Met Rishi meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the romcom is about two teen girls with rival henna businesses who fall in love. The projected pub season is spring 2020. You can find out more about The Henna Wars on Adiba’s website!

Scavenge the Stars – Tara Sim

Pub date: January 2020

Scavenge the Stars is a gender-swapped retelling of The Counte of Monte Cristo with a bi MC and I am so here for this! Goodreads: When Amaya rescues a mysterious stranger from drowning, she fears her rash actions have earned her a longer sentence on the debtor ship where she’s been held captive for years. Instead, the man she saved offers her unimaginable riches and a new identity, setting Amaya on a perilous course through the coastal city-state of Moray, where old-world opulence and desperate gamblers collide. Amaya wants one thing: revenge against the man who ruined her family and stole the life she once had. But the more entangled she becomes in this game of deception—and as her path intertwines with the son of the man she’s plotting to bring down—the more she uncovers about the truth of her past. And the more she realizes she must trust no one…

The Love Hypothesis by Laura Steven

Pub date: March 2020

BI ROMCOM ALERT BI ROMCOM ALERT BI ROMCOM ALERT. I adore Laura’s Exact Opposite of Okay series – she is probably the funniest author I’ve ever read. And now she’s coming with a BI ROMCOM if you hadn’t already got that. Goodreads: Physics genius Caro Kerber-Murphy knows she’s smart. With straight As and a college scholarship already in the bag, she’s meeting her two dads’ colossal expectations and then some. But there’s one test she’s never quite been able to ace: love. And when, in a particularly desperate moment, Caro discovers a (definitely questionable) scientific breakthrough that promises to make you irresistible to everyone around you, she wonders if this could be the key. What happens next will change everything Caro thought she knew chemistry – in the lab and in love.

Is her long-time crush Haruki with her of his own free will? Are her feelings for her best girl friend some sort of side-effect? Will her dog, Sirius, ever stop humping her leg?

Ace of Spades – Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Pub date: 2020

Faridah wrote a create post regarding the bi rep in Ace of Spades earlier this week – check it out here to learn more about this book! Also there’s a cat called Bullshit in this book and if that isn’t the greatest thing ever, I don’t know what is.

Goodreads: Usborne has acquired an “explosive” high-school thriller by debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé that examines institutionalised racism.

Ace of Spades is about Devon and Chiamaka – rivals at the Niveus Private Academy. An anonymous texter starts spreading secrets about the two students, who find themselves at the centre of a disturbing game. 

Only Mostly Devastated – Sophie Gonzales

Pub date: March 2020

Bi rep in a book advertised as Grease but gay?!? As a massive musical fan THIS IS MY JAM! I have an eARC of this – thank you for granting my wish on NetGalley – and I cannot wait to read!

Goodreads: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets Clueless, inspired by Grease.

When Ollie meets his dream guy, Will, over summer break, he thinks he’s found his Happily Ever After. But once summer’s ended, Will stops texting him back, and Ollie finds himself one prince short of a fairytale ending. To complicate the fairytale further, a family emergency sees Ollie uprooted and enrolled at a new school across the country—Will’s school—where Ollie finds that the sweet, affectionate and comfortably queer guy he knew from summer isn’t the same one attending Collinswood High. This Will is a class clown, closeted—and, to be honest, a bit of a jerk.

Ollie has no intention of pining after a guy who clearly isn’t ready for a relationship. But as Will starts ‘coincidentally’ popping up in every area of Ollie’s life, from music class to the lunch table, Ollie finds his resolve weakening.

The last time he gave Will his heart, Will handed it back to him trampled and battered. Ollie would have to be an idiot to trust him with it again.

Right? Right.

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I hope you enjoyed this list featuring some of my favourite bi books of the year as well as some of the 2020 books I cannot wait to read! I would absolutely love to hear some of your favourite bi recs – because in making this list, I realised how few I actually have on my shelves and that needs immediately RESOLVED. So send all your bi recs my way, stay strong, and remember: your bisexuality is valid regardless of your relationship.

💖💜💙

Paws out,
Rach + Draco

Top 5 Tuesday: “Main Males”

Rach @ Anxious Nachos2 Comments

Top 5 Tuesday is created and run by the amazing Bionic Book Worm. You can join the fun by checking out the topics for the month here.

This week’s topic is “main males” and obviously there are no literary characters who can compete with my ‘lil kitten, Draco. He is my main male, my Best Boy and Top Cat. I mean look at this little fella!

But to books now – and it appears I have a “type” when it comes to my favourite male characters: gentle but fierce (much like my cat).

Laurent – The Captive Prince series, C.S Pascat

“Laurent had delivered all Damen had asked for, tied up neatly in a bow. All within the space of a day. If you put everything else aside, you had to admire it for sheer organisational efficiency. “

I love Laurent (so much more than Damen). Laurent is just so sassy and powerful and sure of himself and so bloody smart, but yet he’s been so hurt and is at times so confused and lost, and I love seeing the two sides of his character. Men can be self assured AND vulnerable and Laurent is just the perfect merge of these two traits. Also I strongly admire his organisational skills. I love me some organisation.

Alucard – Shades of Magic trilogy, V.E Schwab

I’m sorry I left. I’m sorry. But I’m here now, so you can’t die. Don’t you see how rude that would be, when I’ve come so far?

Okay so Alucard isn’t exactly the ‘main’ male of this series (he probably comes in third or fourth….) but that is main enough for me! I have such a thing for pirates. I love all pirates. Just any pirate character. Especially ones with eyeliner, I ROOT FOR YOU. Alucard is just so cool and fierce and he loves Rhys so much, and he loves his family, and he is a pirate. Just give me all the books with pirates.

Alex – Red, White and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston

“The next slide is titled: ‘Exploring your sexuality: Healthy, but does it have to be with the Prince of England?'” She apologizes for not having time to come up with better titles. Alex actively wishes for the sweet release of death.

Alex is the bisexual icon we needed, and yet didn’t deserve. He is so sarcastic and strong and seeing him figure out his sexuality, go for what he wants, and win is just epic. Also Alex gets a second quote because it’s awesome. History will remember the bi.

I am the First Son of the United States, and I’m bisexual. History will remember us.

Dara – The Fever King, Victoria Lee

Oh Jesus. Don’t go all pathetic. I know Dara can’t help it – he just transforms gay boys into these drooling stalkers by existing in proximity, but I don’t want to start puking this early.

No ‘main male’ list could ever not include Dara, soft gentle Dara who is so hurt and broken and just wants a farm with some goats. I know everyone is probably sick of me mentioning this book, but until I get the entire world to read it, I will not stop. When I think of Dara, all I know is PAIN because he fought so hard for Noam and couldn’t tell him things and ohmygoshjustreaditplease.

Patroclus – The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller

When he died, all things soft and beautiful and bright would be buried with him.

This book nearly broke me, what an amazing retelling of the Achilles + Patroclus story. Despite knowing how the story ended before I began, I still fought against it the whole way and was absolutely heartbroken. Patroclus is just such a good soul and cares so much and is so sure of their love, and so he has to be on this list.

So in conclusion it appears I like soft gentle boys with fierce, sassy sides. And pirates.

Paws out,
Rach + Draco