Recs if you like In Other Lands...

JK Rowling is a bigot who uses her platform to hurt transfolks and other marginalized groups (plus she literally just quoted Mein Kampf on the bird site). If you're still supporting her in 2025, don't bother talking to me.

Do you feel like you've read everything there is to read? Or get annoyed that the same books are on all the rec lists? Well, here are some more obscure masterpieces!

Some of the covers are terrible - especially among the older or self-pubbed books; there's a few YA in here; and some that are science fantasy rather than 'pure' fantasy. But trust me: they're all EXCELLENT. (And if you already love a bunch of these, let's be friends!)

books with bisexual characters (even if they end up with the opposite sex THEY'RE STILL BI)

Do you love stories that take place or revolve around magic academies/classes that aren't written by a TERF and aphobic author? Well, do I have the book list for you!

🏳️‍🌈 bisexual books for bi babes - ain't no lie, baby, bi bi bi

Ah yes, this ol' issue that has plagued librarians and bookstore clerks for decades.

And sometimes you find the right book, but... can you even call that shade blue?

You've found out magic is real! Great! But is it being used to create an utopia? What?! There's a crapton of red tape and politics? Oh bollocks.

Books that have a character named Eliot/Eliott/Elliot/Elliott in them (side characters count too)

Portal fantasy (middle grade through adult lit with maybe some sci-fi too).

Because sometimes you just want to read about characters literally escaping their world or temporarily exploring other ones since you’re stuck here.

(Please note: series will only contain the earliest applicable volume even if more/all are the same to avoid clutter. Also, open to recs!)

All of these are from the list that Texas lawmaker Matt Krause in October of 2021 tried and in many cases succeeded to get banned from classrooms and school libraries. There are quite a few interesting and odd choices in there which is part of why I wanted to share this list on here. Not necessarily recommendations but there are some pretty good books on here. As well as a lot of textbooks

Books where one (or more!) of the main characters is a chaotic bisexual. Bonus points if they’re chaotic while expressing their bi-ness.

NB: All genders allowed. Bi can mean pan, queer, etc., and is inclusive of trans people of all stripes. ❤️

Title says. Only the first (or not) book of each series are included. Literally any fantasy that is gender nonconforming.

In October 2021, Texas State Representative Matt Krause initiated an inquiry targeting a list of approximately 850 books in Texas public schools, alleging they could cause "discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress" regarding race or sex. The list disproportionately targeted LGBTQ+ topics, race/racism, and sex education.

This is my project to read through this list for myself - utilizing my local library system for access to these titles. Follow the journey or join along!

Found family at its finest in sci-fi and fantasy. This is one of my favourite themes and these are some of my fave reads within that group ❤️

Some books are part of a series, but only the first book is on the list, even if the family takes some time to develop beyond that.

“Summer” reading list with novels in a variety of genres about a variety of sea creatures.

I love YA. It can suck pretty bad when the books try to copy each other. But when some of those gems pop up...wowza! Who knew you could tell such a hard-hitting story without having to resort to 1,000 pages & sex?

Queer fantasy stories contained in a single book

Dimension 20 spin-off season inspired by the famous ACOTAR is a game of high politics, good humor, and unforgettable characters.

Any book that made me laugh out loud, giggle or just entertain me