Sara

Thank you! And no worries at all! ❤️

I think I remember you mentioning it! It does look fun though!

It does! A Knights Tale was good, and we saw Back to the Future for the short time it was on up here (Feb 2020, enough said!) But I am tempted by Something Rotten, too!

That's a bit ridiculous, I'm just glad that they do a lot of theatre things in Manchester, so things do come up here eventually!

It's the train that's the killer! I don't object to hotel prices as much, but the trains are just so pricey for what they are!

That's fair, we've got two London trips to sort, which adds up!

👀👀👀 if I'd not already booked things for this year...

Yeah, thats seems like its worth it! I'm a little bit tempted!

Oh my god, that's an amazing line up so far!

Sixteen Souls by Rosie Talbot YA paranormal fantasy featuring seers and (disappearing!) ghosts in contemporary York, with a sweet m/m romance Diverse cast of characters, including a mc who uses prosthesis, a transmasc love interest, and queer side characters First in a completed duology Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy Whimsical, cosy fantasy romance in an intriguing world, with a fun magic system, a slow-burn m/m romance and a diverse cast of side characters Two rival wizards bound together by an illegal curse have to work together to fix it – much to their mutual displeasure First in trilogy When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley Charming fantasy romance set in 1910s NYC, with a beautifully written romance and a found family dynamic Puerto Rican blacksmith joins a Coney Island sideshow and falls in love with the star exhibit: a captive merman Standalone – with stunning illustrations from the author The Paper Boys by D.P. Clarence Adult contemporary romantic comedy featuring two rival journalists from very different papers working together on a major political expose Opposites attract, rivals-to-lovers m/m romance between the son of a media mogul and an ordinary working class lad Standalone story / First in interconnected series Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris Paranormal fantasy centred on a secret society of monster hunters, with seeds of a future sapphic romance Jonathan Harker’s daughter teams up with Moriarty’s daughter to solve a case in turn-of the century London and Paris First in series

In Memoriam by Alice Winn Adult historical fiction set in WWI and following two boys who leave their idyllic boarding school for the front A harrowing portrayal of war and its effects combined with a bittersweet queer romance Standalone Lady Eve’s Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow Sci-Fi romantic comedy combined with a madcap heist, featuring Disaster Lesbians being gay and doing crimes Conwoman tries to scam the guy who broke her sisters heart, ends up falling for his sister – oops? Standalone A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher Fantasy retelling of ‘The Goose Girl’ with a middle-aged protagonist, an eerie horse, and geese Team of competent middle-aged women help a teenage girl escape her abusive mother Standalone The Lilac People by Milo Todd Historical fiction centred on the trans experience in 1930s and 1940s Germany, including the continued persecution experienced following the end of WWII and the liberation of the camps Beautifully written and incredibly timely; carries hope in a time of brutality Standalone Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews YA botanical horror set in a prestigious boarding school, centred on a queer autistic boy dealing with trauma, bullying, and his love for his best friend Toxic romance between two complex but loveable characters raging against the constraints of society First in series

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty Historical fantasy set in the 12th century Arabian Gulf, with a diverse cast of middle-aged pirates reuniting to save the child of an old crewmate Sweary middle-aged female narrator relates tale, with many complaints about her bad knee and the inconvenience of teenagers First in series – sequel due for release in 2026 The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer YA sci-fi romance in which two boys from enemy nations are sent on a rescue mission to the first off-world colony on Titan and are forced to work together Gripping, twisty plot with mature themes, including loneliness and hope - should resonate with an adult audience despite the ages of the characters First in completed duology Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews YA botanical horror set in a gothic mansion, with an messy m/m relationship – what if the Secret Garden had teeth and chose to bite back? Lonely autistic boy forbidden from leaving the manor teams up with the boy who once tried to kill him to discover who killed their abusive guardian Standalone Cage of Starlight by Jules Arbeaux Fantasy with an excellent magic system and a diverse cast, including an asexual protagonist, with a tender slow burn romance at its heart A healer is forced to use his powers to serve the army and ends up stranded in enemy territory with a captor with secrets of his own Standalone The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson Plotty political fantasy set in a complex world with a diverse cast, most of whom are 30+ and have earned their competence A solitary scholar is forced to participate in a contest for the throne whilst solving the murder of her predecessor First in series

It’s time for me to flail about the books I’ve read this year. 125 in total, and I can’t ever narrow it down to a top 10, so here is my top 15. Fantasy heavy, queer, weird. Key takes from this? I like messy boys, murder mysteries, and complex fantasy systems. Books listed in order of reading.

Sketchy coloured pencil drawing on a lilac post-it note: a waist-up portrait of drag queen Barbara Lasagna (played by George Rexstrew in the film Pismo Beach). She is wearing a red velvet dress with ruching at the hips and white fur at the turtleneck collar and three-quarter sleeve cuffs. Her hair is in voluminous auburn curls with a big black flower pinned above her forehead, and her face is made up with striking eye shadow and red lipstick. Her eyes are closed as she croons into an old-fashioned microphone that she is cradling in her red gloved hands. She's got a golden-yellow light glow around her.

I was missing my beloved Barbara last night, so it seemed a good time for a doodle ...

Fun fact, @ice-elf.bsky.social and I saw a drag queen perform in this dress recently (minus gloves) and I was completely derailed thinking of Barbara in it, so that was the inspiration. #BarbaraLasagna

I am having feelings about Heated Rivalry. FEELINGS.

Really enjoyed Wicked For Good (Saw a double bill tonight, watching as nature intended) 💗💚

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson. A purple-black raven spreads its wings, behind it a city looms.

This was SO good, folks. 660 pages. Started Sunday, finished tonight, and I want to go back and read it again. First book in a long time that has managed to floor me with a twist.

Our baby 👻👻 #DeadBoyDetectives

That's fine! Thank you for letting us know. Time to spend 40 mins in denial land, haha

I got the dog after a fair bit of blank staring and was so cross! The clock tree made me most annoyed though!

I'm going to have to try and pick a top ten reads from 2025 soon, aren't I, but I keep reading absolute bangers. 😭😭😭

There's always a few I've not heard of...

Ohhh, I was using the wrong word!

Got them all but the social calendar...

Say that out loud, and you need an of in there...

What's she doing with her hair?

You've practically typed the name of the river in the sky one :) the hair one is a memoir about an animal, and what colour is the woman wearing?

Can you help on the clock tree, social calendar or holiday books?

I'm sure I'll groan when I get it, but I'm still stumped!

That was ridiculously easy when I saw it.

What's the general term for a witch's cat? (Or other animal friend)

The sea - classic book, you've answered it once above

Four left! Stumped on tree clock, blanket, the season holiday books, and the social calendar...

Happy to trade clues on the others, if I can remember what they were, haha

#Hiddenbooksgame

This year's #HiddenBooksGame is hard. Only on 12/20 and stumped on the rest. I guess this is the danger of many reading queer spec fic. :(

Would you like a clue for this one?