Are you ever listening to a song, new or old, and realise "Holy crap, this is JUST like character/s"? Cause it happens to me a concerning amount! Maybe because I listen to music about as much as I read.

The other day I was listening to a song I haven't heard in awhile, Is This How It Ends? by Wage War, and realised it's PERFECT for Nic and Tilda from The HazelHurst Duology by Holly Thorn. This is the newest of many, many examples. (Their song Magnetic also very much suits Nic and Tilda!)

Anyway, how often do you find this happening to you?

Happy International Trans Day of Visibility! 🎉💙💗🤍💗💙🎉

If you participated in Trans Rights Readathon this year, how did you go? • Did you reach your reading goals? • What title(s) from your TRR reads would you highly recommend? How did it impact you? • Did you learn or discover anything new that added to your reading plans for next year?

Here's how it went for me: As a slow mood reader, I usually read 1 short book alongside other current reads for TRR. I was more prepared this year, collecting reads in book hauls whenever I could afford to (no libraries) so that I'd have more options. I started with 2 books in my reading queue, then decided to pause my current reads and add more books by trans authors for TRR. It felt incredibly nourishing to read queer and trans voices. I also managed to do some redistribution work locally at the start of the month, and hope I can continue to do so if situation with work improves 💚

I completed 4 reads this year! And started a 5th book today (March 31st) 😁

The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia is one I'd highly recommend. The compassion flowing through the writing style and the inner world of the MC has had a positive impact on me, opening up some creative doorways that had felt stuck before. And I adored having a new ace character (Firuz is aroace) to reference when sharing with other readers.

I also completed How Far the Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler, Falling Back in Love with Being Human by Kai Cheng Thom, and Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi. I felt like they were all crucial reads in different ways, and I'm really grateful I got to read them for TRR this year.

For next year, I'd like to mix in indie, small pub, and self-pub books to my reading cycle. I've generally been enjoying indie books more in recent years. And while I'm hoping to have some titles ready at hand for the next TRR, I definitely plan to be reading queer & trans books all year around 🌈📚

I really enjoy and appreciate comic relief characters, because they can lift the mood, shift tension, or change the focus of a scene in an interesting way.

However, I've noticed that it's fairly common for the comic relief role to be delegated to a male character, if the role exists.

Since Pagebound has lots of diverse recs, I'd love to hear about the funny women you've enjoyed reading about. I'm mostly looking for adult fantasy recs, but if you want to share other fiction with hilarious ladies, that's fine too 🩷

Some examples of characters I enjoyed reading: • Lila Bard from the Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab. • Belina Louna from The Bound and the Broken by Ryan Cahill • Lift from Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

Haven't had a chance to read myself yet, but seems to fit: • Gideon Nav from The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir

I might make a list later, if there isn't already one I missed. 🫶🩷

Hey everyone. Does anyone have a good fantasy book to read? For series nth longer than 3 books cuz uni is killing me. I don’t really care whether or not it has a romance subplot as long as the character dynamics are really good ( bonus points if it’s found family). Thank you 💗

Happy transgender day of visibility! 🎉🏳️‍⚧️

I've had an amazing time with the Trans Rights Readathon. Sadly I'm not going to quite make the goal of 14 books (almost, sort of, 50 pages of finishing the last one of the 14 and did manage to sneak in a bit of another audiobook, sooo...?)

My favourite is the one I've not quite finished: The Church of the Mountain of Flesh by Kyle Wakefield. Wonderful and visceral book. Chefs kiss (I just knew it was going to be incredible)

The one that surprised me the most was Ponyboy by Eliot Duncan. I'd read mixed reviews but it really reeled me in and it's a book that will continue to mean a lot to me!

I'm donating to both The Equality Network and The Outside Project.

Anyone else got any new favourites from the TRR? Or any tales they'd like to tell from it?