The Pleasures of Reading, Viewing, and Listening in 2024, pt. 25: Elizabeth Clark-Stern

 

A Riot of the Heart, Mind, and Senses

by Elizabeth Clark-Stern

 

           

 

 Here we are, 2024. To capture such a year, a daunting task, but here goes:

           

The political scene had me in such a state, I turned to the parallel universe of L. Timmel Duchamp’s Tsunami, Book Three of the Marq’ssan Cycle (Aqueduct Press, 2007) It did not disappoint, and laid out a dramatic tale of power and politics and the struggle of women that helped me metabolize the comedy of the real world. Take a deep breath, and as you exhale, luxuriate in the luminous prose of Timmel Duchamp: “Waking, Elizabeth found the tent flooded with heat and light. She unzipped the bag and exposed her naked body to the air. As the sweat dried, cooling her fevered flesh, she checked her watch and saw that it was not yet six. Lazy but no longer sleepy, she lay with her eyes closed and listened to the elusive, sometimes mysterious sounds outside – the wind brushing over the tent and, further off,  whipping through the canyon’s scattered palm leaves, soughing like ocean surf, the chatter and twitter of birds she did not recognize…Vividly she imaged a hummingbird hovering over the willow tree only inches from the tent, its wings whirring in place as it dipped its long beak into the lavender bell of a flower and sucked its sweet liquor….Elizabeth’s sigh verged on a sensual groan. So beautiful to see, so lust-arousing to think of.” (Tsunami, page 92)

 I will never look at a hummingbird the same way!  Thanks to Duchamp, I will tremble with sexual delight at the sight of a hummingbird plunging his long slender beak into the delicate receptacle of a flower.

 

Moving on in a year of miracle and wonder, I devoured Brian D. McLaren’s Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart. Don’t be dissuaded by the phrase “Christian pastor” in the author’s bio, or his judicious use of scripture in the text. This book is packed with impressive scientific research. The “doom” in the title is based on the opening chapter that lays out the reality of climate change, its speed, and impact on our lives. The rest of the book is true to the subtitle, proposing how we can survive it if we learn to work together and respect one another on an unprecedented scale. A truly inspiring read.

 Sometimes, a book is so well-written, it demands our attention, in spite of the dark reality it portrays. Such a book is Patriot, the memoir of Russian dissident, Alexi Navalny. Impossible to put down, it leads us through his promising political revolt against Vladimir Putin, to near-death from poison, to imprisonment in Siberia, where he died. His courage, humanity, and deep love for his wife and family made me feel proud to be of the same human species as this man.

And then, lo and behold, as we splash into December, we see not the tragedy of a man doomed in prison, but the cries of joy from the prisoners released in Syria! Assad flees to Russia! Women and children stagger out of the depths of prison into the sunlight! It is early days, we are told not to trust the rebels, and yet, how can we resist celebration? I ran to my bookshelf and pulled out A Road Unforseen: Women Fight the Islamic State by Meredith Tax (Bellevue Literary Press, 2016) This book was the inspiration for my novel The Language of Water (Aqueduct Press, 2023). My heroine named herself “Sara,” the true-life code name of the revolutionary Kurdish leader, Sakine Cansiz. Like Alexi Navalny, Cansiz was tortured and later died in prison, but the relevance of the model of democracy promoted by the all-women’s YPJ fighting force, is in practice today in Rojava, an independent state in Northern Syria. In A Road Unforseen, Tax shows us the history and development of a democratic society—based on secularism, ethnic inclusiveness, and gender equality---that could possibly become the model for the new democratic state of the entire nation of Syria! What an unexpected possibility, and pleasure, coming to us at the end of 2024.

 

I wish my brother had lived to see it. He spent the last two years of his life in the prison of his own body in a nursing home in Austin, Texas. I visited as often as I could, called him on the phone every day from my home in Seattle. It did little to mitigate his loneliness and boredom. My brother, David Houston, was many things, a playwright, an actor, and a science fiction writer. I brought my granddaughter, Dylan Nicole Hansen, to visit him in July. An aspiring fantasy writer, she was thrilled to learn that her great Uncle, David Houston, was the author of Gods in a Vortex, its sequel, Wingmaster, Alien Perspectives, Shadows on the Moon, and other works of his highly imaginative mind. Each of these stories explores the longing for peace, justice, and love.

I will close with a poem that came to me in the weeks after my brother’s passing:

 

            MY BROTHER DIED AND WE GOT A KITTEN

 

My brother died and we got a kitten

She is soft as the tuft of a dandelion floating on the wind,

Her belly pink as a piglet, her paws white as a snowshoe hare,

Her back gray as a donkey on her way to the fair.

She stands guard at the picture window, a lioness looking down

On the dog walkers in the street below.

 

My brother, David, died in a room with no windows,

His paintings and photos silent testaments of life gone by.

His mind created a world where Mother lived next door.

“She died in 2003,” I said, “But if she comes to you in a vision,

That is a beautiful thing.”

“No,” he said, “It is very confusing.”

 

Our kitten is called Frida, for her black mustache, goatee,

And the haughty glance in her dark green eyes.

My brother’s cat is Dorian,

Soft powder gray, steel blue eyes,

He sits in the window in a stranger’s house,

Waiting for David to come home.

 

At night Frida curls onto my chest and licks my leathery neck

With her tiny emery-board tongue.

She purrs like a freight train

And we fall asleep together.

 

I can no longer curl beside David in his hospital bed,

Trim his toenails, cut his wooly hair, shave his jowly double chin.

I dream that he dances on point in pink toe shoes.

How about that, Frida, he wants us to know joy!

 

May you, dear reader, know joy and pleasure this holiday season, and in the New Year.

Elizabeth Clark-Stern is a retiring psychotherapist and volunteer with Operation Nightwatch, a program of folks who walk the streets of downtown Seattle at night and give water, snacks, socks, and conversation to unsheltered people. She is the author of The Language of Water, Aqueduct Press, 2023.

THe Pleasures of Reading, Viewing, and Listening in 2024, pt. 24: Cynthia Ward

 

2024 in Review: Those Who Ignore History Doom Us to Repeat It, or Maybe Just Doom Us
by Cynthia Ward

 

 

 

It's long past time for reality to stop outstripping satire.

 

 * * *

 

I Will Still Be Dreaming (Music)

boygenius – I can't remember the last time I was introduced to great alternative music by the Grammy Awards (possibly never), but they have my gratitude for bringing the three-woman band boygenius to my attention.

 "Go Leave" by Kate McGarrigle – I still miss her.

 "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba - Never gonna keep me down.

"Who Knows Where the Time Goes" by Sandy Denny – For my money, she's the greatest singer who ever lived; and this is the definitive version of her most famous composition (which she wrote when she was a teenager, and performs here as lead singer of Fairport Convention).

 

Time Moves in One Direction (Books)

Nonfiction:

 Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling by Bricia Lopez with Javier Cabral – I wouldn't typically recommend a cookbook, being an indifferent cook at best, but this is a broad and interesting guide to Oaxaqueña cuisine and culture, and not only the compilation of barbeque recipes suggested by the subtitle.

 

Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (Secular Studies Book 7) by Isabella A. Kasselstrand, Phil Zuckerman, and Ryan T. Cragun – Backing their thesis with extensive empirical data, the sociology-professor authors authoritatively demonstrate that secularization is not only a worldwide trend, but one already significantly advanced in nations on every continent.

 Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson – A clear and harrowing exploration of racism and classism and injustice and history and oppression and what lies behind them.

 Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema by Willow Maclay and Caden Gardner – This new release (2024) has been aptly described as a "radical history of transness in cinema, and an exploration of the political possibilities of its future"; the (perhaps misleading) elevator pitch would be "trans Celluloid Closet."

 I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition by Lucy Sante – Wow, is this ever a beautifully written book, and wise and funny, too; plus, oh, yeah, the author's life intersected with activism, the gay scene, the punk scene, hip-hop, film, the avant-garde, etc., in New York, San Francisco, and Paris.

 Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez – Supporting Trump isn't a betrayal of conservative white evangelical Christian values: it's their fulfillment (find out why here).

 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (30th Anniversary Edition) by John Berendt – This fascinating true-crime book about '80s Savannah and some eccentric denizens is a page-turner, despite not kicking into gear for quite a while (it's also not the work to read if you want to cut directly to the chase, or if you want to avoid the casual racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, and transphobia of that era).

No More Sad Refrains: The Life and Times of Sandy Denny by Clinton Heylin – This is a very thorough biography of the late singer/musician/songwriter, with extensive material drawn from Denny's journals and extensive quotes drawn from hundreds of hours of interviews with surviving friends, family, and colleagues; if you're familiar with Denny, you know it's not going to end well.

 The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going by Ryan P. Burge – Interesting recent (2021) examination of the trend in nonbelief and nonreligious behavior in the US from a sociologist/pastor; but, should you be planning to read both, it's best to either read this first edition before Beyond Doubt or else look for the 2023 second edition of The Nones (which I haven't seen).

 The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center by Rhaina Cohen – I have a friend or two whom I'd consider living with in a platonic Boston marriage, but I certainly had no idea of the conundrums and limitations (especially legal ones) that can obtain when, for example, one friend wants to become the legal co-parent of the other's child.

 Queering SF: Readings by Ritch Calvin – Wide-ranging, insightful essays; a volume of use to anyone reading or writing or contemplating the writing of queer SF (with a pleasant bonus, at least for me: I opened up the book to find one of my stories under discussion).

 The Secular Paradox: On the Religiosity of the Not Religious (Secular Studies Book 5) by Joseph Blankholm – This academic but clear and interesting book explores the relationships between and among secular individuals, institutions, groups, and labels.

Tiny But Mighty: Kitten Lady's Guide to Saving the Most Vulnerable Felines by Hannah Shaw – Well written and entertaining, this is an essential guide for anyone involved in cat or kitten rescue (I wish I'd read this many kitten-generations ago, we would all have been better off for it).

 True Sex: The Lives of Trans Men at the Turn of the Twentieth Century by Emily Skidmore – A fascinating revisionist history which demonstrates that you didn't need to be part of a queer urban community to have a community...if certain other elements were in place, anyway (whiteness, monogamy, etc).

 

 Fiction – Graphic Novels, Collections, and Serials:

 Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky – What better place for a newly out transfemme artist to attend a toxic cishet bachelor party than a libertopian stateless city infested by a corporate MLM cult and Lovecraftian horrors?

Crema by Johnnie Christmas and Dante Luiz – Gorgeously illustrated but rather underdeveloped sapphic graphic novel at the intersection of ghosts, coffee, and romance.

 DC Pride: The New Generation by Alyssa Wong et alia – Solid but mostly kind of lightweight stories of coming out and finding love and dealing with outsiders' stereotypes – these shorts offer a welcome break from endless "events" involving every series at the comic book company.

 Heartstopper Books 1-5 by Alice Oseman – This low-key, gentle, deeply involving story of a developing relationship between two high school age British boys does not shy away from more difficult aspects of building a relationship.

 

The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman – This collection is a mix of text, early art from the Heartstopper series, sketches, mini-comix, etc., intended for the Heartstopper completist; it's not the place for a newcomer to start this contemporary MM YA series.

Inside Out: A Trans Tale by Kat – My first webtoon is gentle and absorbing and inclusive, and it starts here (it's manga, so read it from right to left).

 Liebestrasse by Greg Lockard and Tim Fish – A bittersweet standalone graphic novel of queer love and loss in a time of rising fascism – a historical novel of Nazi ascendance that is all too relevant today.

 OMAC (1974-1975): One Man Army Corps by Jack Kirby et alia – Cancelled in mid-storyline (alas), King Kirby's short-lived near-future DC Comics title from the '70s is not only action-packed and vivid, but all too prescient about a future of power-hungry oligarchs, warmongering autocrats, and corrupt corporations.

 The Pride Season One (comiXology Originals) by Joe Glass et alia – As you may have guessed, the Pride is a supergroup of queer and genderqueer superheroes (plus the token straight guy); it's a lot of fun, but seems aimed more toward the MG/YA reader.

 

Fiction – Anthologies and Collections and other Short Fiction:

 Cut and Thirst (sic) by Margaret Atwood – In this darkly fun short crime eBook, a group of retired women professors plot (perhaps) the murders of several misogynistic ex-coworkers.

Bells are Ringing: We Could Be So Good Holiday Epilogue (Midcentury NYC Book 1.5) by Cat Sebastian – This low-key, low-angst, low-plot, warm and engaging novella follows the principals of MM romance We Could Be So Good as they settle into life together as a semi-uncloseted queer couple in homophobic late-'50s New York; as far as I know, this work is available only as a freebie for subscribers to the Cat Sebastian newsletter.

 Fireflood and Other Stories by Vonda N. McIntyre – Gracefully written, keen-eyed, hard-SF stories from the late and much lamented author: spare works that are also, often, unsparing.

 Harvest Season by Annick Trent – Part of the Old Bridge Inn queer historical romance series (which is new to me), this thoughtful FF novelette works as a stand-alone, as a peripatetic Welsh harvester and an English taproom worker race to warn lawbreakers (i.e., striking workers) of impending arrest and imprisonment – or worse.

If It Ain't Love by Tamara Allen – In this short, solid historical MM romance, two men are drawn to one another despite the bitter struggles and bleak surroundings of Depression Era New York.

On the Fox Road by Nghi Vo – This '30s historical fantasy novelette (apparently a standalone work) follows a pair of Asian American bank robbers and their quasi-protégé as they crisscross dustbowl America by alternative means; plenty of action, but also a lot more depth and beauty than my description suggests (as you've probably already deduced if you're familiar with the work of Nghi Vo).

 Scream for Jeeves: A Parody by P. H. Cannon – I say, this collection of Woodhouse and Lovecraft mash-ups is bally good fun, if perhaps not much deeper than Wooster's intellect.

 Fiction – Novels and Novellas:

 The Brides of High Hill (The Singing Hills Cycle Book 5) by Nghi Vo – The Singing Hills series rises from strength to strength, with this novella featuring the creepiest fox spirits I've ever seen; one of the best dark fiction works of 2024.

 The Complete Arrows Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey – This is an omnibus of Lackey's first three novels, which comprise a secondary-world fantasy trilogy centered on the growth and development of Talia, an oppressed teenage girl abruptly Chosen for a high position; the books span several years and there is some romance, and (unusually for '80s books) acknowledgement of same-sex relationships, poly relationships, and other complexities of desire and love (the elevator pitch for Valdemar would probably be Pern Except Horses, but the Valdemar books are not much like Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders series).

 At Her Service (Out in Hollywood Book 2) by Amy Spalding – The second book in this contemporary sapphic romance series is quite a bit stronger than the first (which is itself an enjoyable diversion).

 The Bachelor's Valet (Flos Magicae) by Arden Powell – Pleasant confection of an alternate-historical MM fantasy romance clearly inspired by Jeeves and Wooster; this England retains the homophobia of our 1930s but everyone is blissfully unaware of race, which put a bit of a dent in credibility for this reader.

By the Sword by Mercedes Lackey – This stand-alone sword-and-sorcery novel centers on the coming-of-age of the infamous mage Kethry's granddaughter, Kerowen, who tries to ignore her magic talents in favor of mastering the sword under the tutelage of Kethry's partner, the warrior Tarma (however, do not take this book for a sequel to Tarma and Kethry).

 Court of the Undying Seasons by A.M. Strickland – In this dark YA fantasy novel, queernormative/genderqueernormative vampire courts compel young (18-19yo) humans into competition to join their immortal ranks; the elevator pitch would probably be Twilight meets The Hunger Games in A Court of Thorns and Roses, although, as far as I can tell, it's very much its own thing (I haven't read Maas's Court series).

 The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill – A subtle, complex, dark, and disturbing retold-fairy-tale novella of abuse, art, and survival, in which the sharp-witted teenage girl narrator is as smart as an actual teenage girl (in other words, typically smarter than the adults around her); a 2024 Nebula Awards finalist.

 Daniel Cabot Puts Down Roots (The Cabots Book 3) by Cat Sebastian – This historical (1970s) MM romance takes us to the next generation of the titular family, as the son of a co-lead of Book 1 pines for the brilliant, neurodivergent doctor who treats children in their impoverished neighborhood; it's very enjoyable, although I'm sad that Sebastian's mid-century romances are so light on cultural details (Daniel is a rock critic, so more mention of '70s music/culture would not only make sense, but deepen characterization).

 Death in the Spires by KJ Charles – An interesting Victorian mystery-with-MM-romantic-elements from the author better known for queer romance; much of the novel is dark, so this is not necessarily a book to read if you're feeling depressed (or if you want a more active and less isolated disabled lead).

 Don't Want You Like a Best Friend: A Novel (The Mischief & Matchmaking Series Book 1) by Emma R. Alban – The leads in this FF Victorian romance are likeable, but the novel seems anachronistic in nearly every way.

 The Door into Fire: The Tale of the Five Volume 1 by Diane Duane - On re-reading Duane's first novel after a span of decades, I discovered this queernormative fantasy is even stronger than I remembered, with lovely prose, complex characterizations, and an unusual depth of world-building, complete with an intricate and fascinating magic system.

The Duke at Hazard (The Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune Book 2) by KJ Charles – A light, enjoyable Regency MM romance in which a desperate nobleman accepts a dare to live incognito as a commoner for a month, an impetuous decision when you don't even grasp that clothing discarded on the floor will not take care of itself.

 

The Empress of Dreams by Tanith Lee – Collecting much of the late, astonishing author's gorgeous, inventive sword & sorcery, this book includes several stories I haven't read since the '80s or '70s, yet still remember well.

 Erasure by Percival Everett – Almost unbearably tense in places, and, oh, yeah, about as brilliant as anything I've ever read (basis of the 2023 film American Fiction, which I have not yet seen).

 Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee – Lightweight YA MM romance between a poor Chinese American student and a biracial rich kid; interesting details of Singapore Chinese culture and cooking, but the novel is not as heavily into culinary matters as the title suggests.

 Fallen: Firstborn, Lastborn Book 2 by Melissa Scott – While equally strong, it's a very different novel from its space-opera prequel Finders, with a new cast of characters and with more active incorporation of the AIs who won their freedom at tremendous cost to humanity and galaxy.

 For Her Consideration (Out in Hollywood Book 1) by Amy Spalding – This somewhat lightweight contemporary FF romance seems not wildly far off in its portrayal of Hollywood, although I suspect the actor love interest is better compensated than most at this point in a young career.

 Foundation by Isaac Asimov – I first read the Foundation trilogy back in my college days, and found it sexist and boring, apart from Asimov's fascinating concept of psychohistory; revisiting the opening novel recently, I found the concept still interesting and the book still sexist, but now too dull to finish (I can only assume the recent miniseries adaptation made a lot of changes).

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo – This excellent literary historical fantasy novel is set in Manchuria and Japan during the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, with two converging plotlines and low-key romance (heads-up for those who don't want present-tense narration and/or cishet-only content).

 The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho – The redoubtable Malaysian writer is better known for her speculative fiction, but her new (2024), London-set contemporary MF romance is as sharp and unpredictable and wonderful as her fantasy.

 Frostflower and Thorn by Phyllis Ann Karr – Low-key and subtly post-apocalyptic, this classic feminist sword & sorcery/low fantasy novel (1980) reveals how the celibate sorceron Frostflower and the hot-blooded swordswoman Thorn became partners in adventure and, sometimes, parenting; it's a book and series that deserves to be far better known.

 The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store: A Novel by James McBride – Strong characterization, lovely prose, but if you've come here for the murder mystery, well, it's...rambling...the writer is also a jazz musician, information which would probably help me better navigate the structure of the novel if I had any musical ability.

 The Hellion's Waltz (Feminine Pursuits Book 3) by Olivia Waite – The most recent (2021) in Waite's Regency FF romance series almost cozily considers the demerits and merits of con artistry; there are spots of anachronistic language, but don't let that keep you from enjoying this series.

 Hither, Page (Page & Sommers Book 1) by Cat Sebastian – In this tricksy post-WWII romantic mystery, an espionage agent and a country doctor, both war veterans, investigate a murder which may bring them, once again, face to face with the war and their own trauma.

 Ice Blue (Lord and Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series Book 1) by Emma Jameson – In a series that would probably appeal to BritBox aficionados, an early-30s working-class female Detective Sergeant and a 60-year-old nobly-born male Chief Superintendent investigate a pair of puzzling London murders, with sparks struck and the reader bracing for a ridiculously implausible opposites-attract romance; however, the author makes their developing May-September relationship work.

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles (The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti Volume 2) by Malka Older – In the page-turner sequel to Older's Nebula Award finalist SF novella of detection The Mimicking of Known Successes, a sapphic maybe-couple investigating a missing-student case in the Jovian colony soon find there are more missing persons – sixteen more.

 The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, translated by Jesse Kirkwood – The narration is clumsy, the characterization not terribly deep, but the concept is brilliant: restaurateur-investigators who recover, recreate, and serve lost food recipes of poignant memory (such as a widowed police detective's favorite of his late wife's recipes).

 The King's Gambit (SPQR Book 1) by John Maddox Roberts – This superior historical mystery novel, first released in 1990 and set in the waning days of the Roman Republic, has lots of twists and lots of solid historical research (and also lots of period attitude, so anyone with triggers should proceed with caution).

 Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See – This 2023 #OwnVoices historical novel is inspired by Tan Yunxian, a 15th-century woman physician in China, and it is fascinating and gracefully written; it is also something of a body horror novel, because the stuff about foot-binding and parasite removal is...not hyper-detailed, but I'm not easily squicked and I found it disturbing.

Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel by Bonnie Garmus – We've come a long way, baby, when a novel (however excellent, as this one is) about a feminist, autism-coded, brilliant chemist/single mom/out atheist at the turn of the 1960s becomes a smash hit on the New York Times bestseller list and, barely more than a year afterward, appears as an Apple+ TV adaptation (there is not, however, loads more intersectionality in the novel than I've described, which I suspect also plays a role in it becoming a bestseller).

 Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki – On re-reading, it's even better than I remembered; how well its elements (like the elements of a great violin) dovetail to the themes! – plus, oh, yeah, fine characterization and compelling plot.

Lord of the Last Heartbeat: A Fantasy Romance Novel (The Sacred Dark Book 1) by May Peterson – An unusually dark and imaginative MM* novel, set in a vivid Italianesque secondary world (*identity is more complex than the label "MM" suggests).

 Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear – The title character is pure reader-insert, if you want to be a historical character who will cause no discomfort to a vaguely New-Agey modern white cishet liberal American woman.

The Merman's Children by Poul Anderson – Based on Danish mer folklore, this historical fantasy novel (a 1980 Locus Award finalist) is lyrical and haunting, with a strong Scandinavian Twilight feel; it is difficult to know from the work whether or not Anderson approved of what Christianity wrought here, but I tend to suspect he didn't.

 Metallic Love by Tanith Lee – Not many sequels revisit their prequel by interrogating and transforming it, but that's what Lee does in her lone follow-up to The Silver Metal Lover – a risky strategy more likely to undermine than strengthen the prequel and series, but it pays off brilliantly here.

 The Mimicking of Known Successes (The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti Book 1) by Malka Older – Excellent quasi-near-future SF/mystery novella which is set (kind of) on Jupiter after the destruction of Earth, with a pair of sapphically inclined leads clearly inspired by Holmes & Watson; highly recommended.

 The Missing Page (Page & Sommers Book 2) by Cat Sebastian – When the village physician receives a surprise bequest, the post-WWII MM odd couple find themselves investigating a missing person case, or maybe it's murder; in a way, it's as if James Bond were gay and questioning imperialism, and his boyfriend were the veterinarian from All Creatures Great and Small, and they operated in the Christieverse; very enjoyable.

 My Lady's Lover (Surrey Sexual Freedom Society Book 1) by Nicola Davidson - My first work from this author is a sapphic, erotic Regency romance novella; it's a bit on the deus-ex-machina side, but I enjoyed it enough to look for more of Davidson’s fiction.

 Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix (Remixed Classics 9) by Gabe Cole Novoa – A pleasant trans MM YA re-visioning of Pride and Prejudice; the Remixed Classics are fun, but regrettably not edited with an eye to eliminating anachronism.

 Mrs. Nash's Ashes by Sarah Adler – This contemporary road-trip rom-com is well written and genuinely funny, and it has an egalitarian feel, which is something too often missing from the MF romances I've tried (however, some readers may be less than thrilled with the outcome of this novel's embedded WWII FF romance).

one But the Righteous by Chantal James – This beautifully written, rather slow-paced, peripatetic literary fantasy novel follows two young Black survivors of Hurricane Katrina across the years and the U.S.; one of the characters is possessed, sort of, sometimes, but don't expect a typical spec-fic approach here.

 A Pirate's Life for Tea (Tomes & Tea Book 2) by Rebecca Thorne – I would have appreciated some tightening of the midsection, but the sequel to the cozy bookshop/teashop FF fantasy Can't Spell Treason Without Tea is fun.

Peter Cabot Gets Lost (The Cabots #2) by Cat Sebastian – The second in the mid-century, Kennedys-inspired Cabots MM romance series hits the road in 1960 and arrives at a much stronger place than its predecessor.

 The Prospects by K.T. Hoffman – I was in the mood for a shorter book, but this longer MM romance centered on a cis/trans pair of rivals kept me turning the pages; it strikes a good balance between the relationship and life in minor league baseball.

 Red as Blood, or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer: Expanded Edition by Tanith Lee – Who on earth, besides the late Angela Carter, ever had an Angela Carter mode? Tanith Lee.

 Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke – The classic hard-SF novel about exploring a particularly enigmatic Big Dumb Object is pretty diverse by mid-century standards, but blink and you might miss the evidence; the characters are not terribly complex, but Rama itself is a fascinating world and a stellar piece of imagination.

The River Judge by S. L. Huang – Though listed as book two of the series, this new (2024) novella is actually a prequel to the genderbending alternate-historical wuxia fantasy novel, the Nebula Award finalist The Water Outlaws, and presents the origin of a most singular inn (however, reading the novella second avoids a spoiler for the novel).

 Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander – In this enjoyable trans/cis MM contemporary romance of second chances, one of the leads is a Hollywood writer/comedian rendered abruptly jobless, and the other manages a Florida restaurant; this novel isn't particularly food-oriented (unlike the Chef's Kiss duology from the same author), and the leads are approaching their 40s, which I appreciate as I move through, er, later middle age.

 The Secret of the Lady's Maid by Darcie Wilde (who also writes as Sarah Zettel) – In the 2023 installment of Wilde's Austen-inspired Regency mystery series, the titular character's unknown past creates complications for "useful woman" Rosalind Thorne, her suitor, and her closest friend.

 Scandalous Passions by Nicola Davidson – In this steamy Renaissance Highlands FFM romance, a headstrong former mistress of King James IV is charged with protecting a formerly cloistered yet secretly simmering young lady, with both placed in turn under the protection of a taciturn yet silently yearning bastard warrior; sparks fly and sexcapades ensue, perhaps a little improbably, but they're grounded in solid characterization and tough dilemmas.

 She Whom I Love (Treading the Boards Book 2) by Tess Bowery – This queer (FFM), steamy Regency romance novel gets a bit draggy in places, but achieves an impressively action-packed climax; it's also a rather rare example of a historical romance that doesn't tap the upper classes for a lead.

 Shelter in Garnet Run by Roan Parrish – Low-angst and heated, this neurodiverse M/NB Christmas romance novella (the latest in Parrish's popular and ground-breaking Garnet Run series) is just right for a break from holiday (or other) stress.

 Sheepfarmer's Daughter (The Deed of Paksenarrion Trilogy, Book 1) by Elizabeth Moon – Not much magic in the first volume of this classic secondary-world sword & sorcery series about a young peasant woman who runs away to join a medieval-era mercenary company, but plenty of action, and also of consideration of ethics and honor; Moon is a historian and military veteran, and it shows.

 The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee – The classic romantic SF novel from the protean Tanith Lee is a strong influence on modern SFF and on paranormal romance; the central relationship is MF, but there are queer characters and a queernormative future, which you didn't see every day, even in SFF, in the early '80s (which is when this book was first released and I first read it).

 

Speculation by Nisi Shawl – Excellent middle-grade novel in the classic kid's fantasy mode of finding/receiving a magic object, and the consequences of this wish-come-true for a mid-20th-Century Midwestern Black girl exiled to the family farm by her mother's illness.

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein – Ah, yes, the novel that proves RAH was a fascist...except no, I've read enough of his work to know he wrote about many different kinds of futures without automatically hoping they'd come true, in the old SF tradition of thought experiments; but, award-winning page-turner though it was mid-century, the book is a pretty mixed read by modern standards.

 The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber – The first novel in Hieber's Strangely Beautiful gaslamp supergroup series is an interesting and Weird romantic gothic fantasy, but it operates at such a high emotional pitch that I'm taking a break before tackling the sequel (I suspect the book would work very well as a graphic novel or comics mini-series, but, alas, I know of no such adaptation).

 A Summer Soundtrack for Falling in Love by Arden Powell – A bit of a wish-fulfillment romance, but an enjoyable one, as a musician who follows his dream to New York City promptly ends up on the streets, yet discovers neither fame nor queer love may be out of reach.

 Tarma and Kethry by Mercedes Lackey – This omnibus volume collects both novels and most of the short stories featuring the classic ace/allo swordswoman and sorceress pair (they're not a couple); they're gripping adventures, but be warned that the collected sword & sorcery works are all or mostly from the '80s and rape is a fairly common threat (and, rather often, more than a threat).

 Tea Set and Match (Tea Princess Chronicles Book 2) by Casey Blair – The sequel to the hit cozy fantasy novel A Coup of Tea maintains its high, almost mannerpunk level of political savvy and its very slow burn romance.

 Ten Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall – A solid contemporary English MM romance set around Christmas; your enjoyment may well depend on how you feel about the love interest's populous and oft-present family.

 This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone – I'm generally not keen on über-complicated time-travel shenanigans, but these are great writers and this novella is beautifully written (and the deserving recipient of several major awards).

 Tom Lake: A Novel by Ann Patchett – This recent (2023) literary novel of family and secrets, set during the COVID-19 pandemic, reveals a Steinbeckian gift for lyrical simplicity, insight, and quietly compulsive readability.

 Tommy Cabot Was Here (The Cabots #1) by Cat Sebastian – Low-key, rather underdeveloped historical ('50s) MM romance novella whose elevator pitch could be "queer Kennedys" (a hot concept which does nothing for a reader like me, whose Kennedys memories constitute Chappaquiddick Ted and the fashy anti-vaxxer.

 Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander – Contemporary polyamorous F/F/NB romance with many bright spots, but also a number of elements which leaned more to Cinderella and improbability than my tastes do.

 Two Rakes for Mrs. Sparkwell by Eva Leigh (who also writes as Zoë Archer) – In this FMM historical romance novella, a young widow is contractually obligated to marry the first man to propose to her, but decides to pursue scandal and get thoroughly ruined for marriage, in order to retain her newfound independence; her plan goes spectacularly, gloriously, filthily awry (first published in the anthology Rake I'd Like to F...; alas, the F... compilations are apparently all out of print now).

 You Should Be So Lucky (Midcentury NYC Book 2) by Cat Sebastian – Baseball is important to this fine MM romance set in 1960, but not so dominant that you need to like baseball to enjoy the novel.

 We Could Be So Good (Midcentury NYC Book 1) by Cat Sebastian – In late-'50s New York, a closeted reporter and the newspaper owner's son keep metaphorically tripping over one another at work and elsewhere, until they have to sort out what they're really feeling for one another; I think this is Sebastian's finest novel to date.

 

Cynthia Ward has published stories in Analog, Asimov's, Nightmare, Weird Tales, and elsewhere. She edited the anthologies Lost Trails: Forgotten Tales of the Weird West Volumes 1-2. and, with Charles G. Waugh and Jeffrey A. Linscott, Weird Trails. With fellow Aqueductista Nisi Shawl, Cynthia coauthored the Locus Award-winning fiction-writing guide, Writing the Other: A Practical Approach. In 2021, Aqueduct Press released the concluding novella in her Bloody-Thirsty Agent series, The Adventure of the Golden Woman.

 

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