polterbooks

Polter/Santiago || He/They pronouns || Reading gay horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and graphic novels || Entity in your floorboards

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My Taste

She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor, #1)

Reading...

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polterbooks commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

traeumenvonbuechern

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Trans Rights Readathon has begun! 😍🏳️‍⚧️

Happy first day of Trans Rights Readathon! 🏳️‍⚧️

Have you already started with your first book(s)? What trans books are you currently reading?

I'll start - I'm currently reading:

A Gentleman's Gentleman by TJ Alexander (transmasc Regency romance)
Demon Engine by Marten Norr (platonic t4t nautical fantasy horror)
Ship Happens by Mason Deaver (t4t second chance romance) (I got an eARC through NetGalley)

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The Woods All Black

Lee Mandelo

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Demon Engine

Marten Norr

Sally Delavega, the best demon-binder the world has ever seen, would do anything to banish the two hundred ghosts trapped in his head—even if it means swimming up from the bottom of his tankard. When the Navy that destroyed his life comes sailing back to offer enough coin to get the job done, Sally agrees. All he has to do is help the crew of the Steadfast track down the ancient abyssal that lies sleeping at the heart of their drowned world. Why the Navy wants the demon isn’t Sally’s problem. But as they sail on, Sally begins to dredge up disturbing truths about how the world flooded and their ancient eldritch quarry that might just want to be found… Imaginative and poignant, funny and bizarre, Demon Engine brings us a bold, queer high-seas adventure that asks how deep we might venture for what we aren’t willing to lose.

polterbooks made progress on...

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The Woods All Black

Lee Mandelo

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The Woods All Black

Lee Mandelo

The Woods All Black is equal parts historical horror, trans romance, and blood-soaked revenge, all set in 1920s AppalachiaLeslie Bruin is assigned to the backwoods township of Spar Creek by the Frontier Nursing Service, under its usual mandate: vaccinate the flock, birth babies, and weather the judgements of churchy locals who look at him and see a failed woman. Forged in the fires of the Western Front and reborn in the cafes of Paris, Leslie believes he can handle whatever is thrown at him—but Spar Creek holds a darkness beyond his nightmares.Something ugly festers within the local congregation, and its malice has focused on a young person they insist is an unruly tomboy who must be brought to heel. Violence is bubbling when Leslie arrives, ready to spill over, and he'll have to act fast if he intends to be of use. But the hills enfolding Spar Creek have a mind of their own, and the woods are haunted in ways Leslie does not understand.The Woods All Black is a story of passion, prejudice, and power — an Appalachian period piece that explores reproductive justice and bodily autonomy, the terrors of small-town religiosity, and the necessity of fighting tooth and claw to live as who you truly are.

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15h

So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color

Caro De Robertis

Award-winning novelist Caro De Robertis offers a first-of-its-kind, deeply personal, and moving oral history of a generation of queer and trans elders of color, from leading activists to artists to ordinary citizens to tell their stories of breathtaking courage, cultural innovations, and acts of resistance, all in their own words.So Many Stars knits together the voices of trans, nonbinary, genderqueer and two spirit elders of color as they share authentic, intimate accounts of how they created space for themselves and their communities in the world, how they pursued their passions, and how they continue to be at the vanguard of social change. This singular project collects the testimonies of over a dozen elders, each a glimmering thread in a luminous tapestry, preserving their words for future generations—who can more fully exist in the world today because of these very voices. Award-winning novelist De Robertis creates a collective coming-of-age story based on hundreds of hours of interviews, offering rare snapshots of ordinary kids growing up, navigating family issues and finding community, coming out and changing how they identify over the years, building movements and weathering the AIDS crisis, and sharing wisdom for future generations. Often narrating experiences that took place before they had the array of language that exists today to self-identify and to describe life beyond the gender binary, this generation lived through remarkable changes in American culture, shaped American culture, and yet rarely takes center stage in the history books. Their stories feel particularly urgent in the current political moment, but also remind readers that their experiences are not new. Young trans and nonbinary people of color today belong to a long lineage. The anecdotes in these pages are riveting, joyful, heartbreaking—so full of life and personality and wisdom, and artfully woven together into one immersive narrative. In De Robertis’s words, So Many Stars shares “behind-the-scenes tales of what it meant—and still means—to create an authentic life, against the odds.”

polterbooks commented on a post

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polterbooks

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Trans Rights Readathon 2026

Good evening, horror fiends & newbies. As many are aware being trans in 2026 has been incredibly challenging and scary. But it is also incredibly liberating to be one's self and in the spirit of that (and allyship), I wanted to shout out The Trans Rights Readathon. As a trans person myself, I am incredibly happy that this event is in it's 3rd year.

What is the Trans Rights Readathon? From the website itself: The Trans Rights Readathon is an annual call to action to readers and book lovers in support of Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) on March 31st. During the two weeks of the readathon (March 17-31), read trans* books and donate to trans* organizations.

🏳️‍⚧️ Some trans horror in your area (quest)!!! 🏳️‍⚧️ Check trigger/content warnings beforehand

Hello Sunshine by Keezy Young Non-binary author, trans girl character Noah searches for his missing boyfriend (Alex) with Alex's twin brother and his friends. A stunning graphic novel that explores magic, mental illness, and grief.

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin Trans woman author, transfem characters, transmasc characters, non-binary characters Cis men die off and somehow that's bad? Not sure, I'm reading this one for the trans rights readathon. I hear someone(s) get their balls cut off by trans women.

Model Home by Rivers Solomon Intersex mc & author Ezri confronts their past, including a haunted house and a complicated relationship with their mother. A heart-wrenching story about love, family, and trauma.

Moonflow by Bitter Karella Trans woman author & mc Sarah goes into the Pamogo Forest (known to be inhabited by a crazy cult) in search of a otherworldly mushroom. Lots of shrooms, botanical horror, and morally awful lesbians.

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi Trans girl mc & non-binary author Jam accidentally summons a terrifying and beautiful creature hellbent on monster hunting. A creeping dread instead of a straight horror.

Spread Me by Sarah Gailey Non-binary author & side characters Kinsey gets freaky with a parasite and it's both sexy and awful. Highly recommend!

The Church of the Mountain of Flesh by Kyle Wakefield Trans man mc & author A trans man makes a deal with God™ to get the body he desires. Intense body horror and beautiful prose.

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw Non-binary author & LI A dark fairytale about a mermaid and a plague doctor.

The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo Trans man author & characters A historical horror set in the Appalachian mountains with a t4t romance. I also plan on reading this one during the readathon.

The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes Non-binary author & trans characters You ever read a sad story about a man going to war with a giant bug? You can. And it'll have operas, gorgeous imagery, bewitching perfumes, and the most pathetic man in Tiliard. You can reach @bbyoozi for more details!!!

The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper Trans woman author & mc Monique goes to figurative (maybe?) hell to find her girlfriend, Donna.

You Weren't Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White Trans man author & mc Crane is forced to carry a pregnancy by a 'festering mass of worms and flies'. Body dysphoria, body horror, body autonomy.

Books in the quest that have cis characters but trans authors include: She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran, Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite, The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco, and We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado.

Are you planning on reading any trans horror books for the readathon? Do you have any upcoming trans horror books that you are excited to read this year?

I'm personally looking forward to Conjoined Angels by Kyle Wakefield and You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado.

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12h

The Thirty Names of Night

Zeyn Joukhadar

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polterbooks made progress on...

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The Thirty Names of Night

Zeyn Joukhadar

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The Thirty Names of Night

Zeyn Joukhadar

Five years after a suspicious fire killed his ornithologist mother, a closeted Syrian American trans boy sheds his birth name and searches for a new one. He has been unable to paint since his mother’s ghost has begun to visit him each evening. As his grandmother’s sole caretaker, he spends his days cooped up in their apartment, avoiding his neighborhood masjid, his estranged sister, and even his best friend (who also happens to be his longtime crush). The only time he feels truly free is when he slips out at night to paint murals on buildings in the once-thriving Manhattan neighborhood known as Little Syria. One night, he enters the abandoned community house and finds the tattered journal of a Syrian American artist named Laila Z, who dedicated her career to painting the birds of North America. She famously and mysteriously disappeared more than sixty years before, but her journal contains proof that both his mother and Laila Z encountered the same rare bird before their deaths. In fact, Laila Z’s past is intimately tied to his mother’s—and his grandmother’s—in ways he never could have expected. Even more surprising, Laila Z’s story reveals the histories of queer and transgender people within his own community that he never knew. Realizing that he isn’t and has never been alone, he has the courage to officially claim a new name: Nadir, an Arabic name meaning rare. As unprecedented numbers of birds are mysteriously drawn to the New York City skies, Nadir enlists the help of his family and friends to unravel what happened to Laila Z and the rare bird his mother died trying to save. Following his mother’s ghost, he uncovers the silences kept in the name of survival by his own community, his own family, and within himself, and discovers the family that was there all along. Featuring Zeyn Joukhadar’s signature storytelling, The Thirty Names of Night is a timely exploration of how we all search for and ultimately embrace who we are.

Post from the Queer Horror forum

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