Summer Yewberry

I have a shorter version of this post up on tumblr, but here's the full analysis. I'm not including books I'm still in the middle of reading. Those will go on the list for whichever year I finish them.

Ratings:
5/5 - Instant favourite, a classic, beyond impressive
4/5 - Great book, thoroughly enjoyed
3/5 - OK, fun enough, don't regret reading but probably won't re-read
2/5 - Has a few things to offer, but wouldn't recommend otherwise
1/5 - Disappointing, meh, or waste of time
0/5 - Avoid! Avoid! Avoid!

( The List )

My complete list of LGBT+ novels ever read (as far as I can remember). Not including short story collections, comics, non-fiction, or things I've completely forgotten.

I'm not including books where a main character's sexuality was only implied (it's got to be clear on the page), and this list contains queer main and secondary characters only, not background characters that play little part in the story.

I don't read a lot of Young Adult, so assume these are all adult-oriented unless otherwise stated.

( 85 Queer Books )

I've been meaning to do this for ages! Finally done!

Into the Broken Lands, by Tanya Huff is my first 5-star book of the year. (Small spoilers under the cut)

It's a stand-alone High Fantasy novel set in an unnamed larger world. Our heroes set out from the city of Marsanport, traveling north to the last inhabited town of Gateway, before the land stops making sense in the Broken Lands.

The Heir of Marsan, a young man named Ryan, is on an expedition following in the footsteps of his great uncle, the current Lord Protector of Marsan. Sixty-three years earlier, the Lord Protector traveled into the Broken Lands, a forbidden place that was corrupted by Mage Wars, a hundred years before that.

During the Mage Wars, six mages razed and ravished that land, pushing the bounds of all they could do, warping nature around them as they fought to destroy each other and prove their power. In the end, all of them died, and the land absorbed what was left of their power, damaged and twisted.

Now, Ryan sets out to find more fuel, before the black flame in the capital can die. He enters the Broken Lands with a group of eight. All of them will be scarred by the time they leave. Some of them won't leave at all.

It's a story of two expeditions, 63 years apart. It's also the story of one young man growing into his own hero. There's also a meditation on responsibility, truth, and abuse of power. It's a lot of things, all connected, and it all works.

Tanya Huff unveils the world-building slowly, feeding you pieces and expecting you to keep up and connect the dots. Ryan's group doesn't know the full story of what happened 60+ years ago, and no one knows what happened 100 years before that. All they can do is try to stay alive long enough to make it home.

( Spoilers below )

Look, Tanya Huff's writing just works for me.

The only thing I dislike is the lack of a map, only because I love maps in books, but it really doesn't need it. Most of the action takes place in the Broken Lands, where even the land itself isn't constant.

I need to read the whole book again, I think, because there is so much in it.

Header in Part 1

Back to Part 5

( The White Dove - Part 6 )

On to Epilogue.

Header in Part 1

Back to Part 3

( The White Dove - Part 4 )

On to Part 5.

Header in Part 1

Back to Part 1

( The White Dove - Part 2 )

On to Part 3.

I lost a beloved pet this week, and in an effort to stop bursting into tears at inopportune moments, I took myself to the cinema. Last week I wasn't sure if I was even going to see Fantastic Beasts 3: The Secrets of Dumbledore in the cinema or wait for streaming, but I needed to get my mind off things, so...

Turns out I quite enjoyed it, and it's a movie I'm still thinking about.

Some spoilers below:

( Read at your own risk )

I think I would like to see more, and I kind of want to rewatch this one again, just to see what I missed the first time.

Crosspost from my tumblr.

I've just finished reading the first 10 books from M. J. Trow's Marlowe Mystery series. The books vary in quality, but all up I've absolutely enjoyed it.

It's historical fiction set in Elizabethan England, and revolves around the playwright Christopher Marlowe solving mysteries, working as a spy, and writing the plays he's known for today.

The language isn't completely period-accurate, but I assume that's to make it more readable for a modern audience to immerse themselves in. Still, it's solidly entertaining, with a fair amount of humour. It's decently well researched, although obviously with some forgivable creative licenses taken.

The series starts off with Christopher Marlowe at 18/19, a student at Corpus Christi, Cambridge University, which was at the time a direct path to a career in the church, except that Marlowe's dream is to become a playwright in London. A modern equivalent of that would be someone who studies law or politics, gets their Master's degree, and then decides to become famous with a death metal band instead.

Marlowe starts off as a young scholar who spends most of his time doing what he likes (rather than what his teachers want from him), including getting drunk, fighting, and sneaking in and out of his college after dark. His fellow students call him "Machiavel," and he's set up as a clever, cheeky troublemaker with a temper and impulse control issues. Luckily, trouble is a place in which he thrills at being; it excites him, and he has full confidence in his own abilities to handle anything.

But he's not without a heart, as much as some people around him might think so. He's a loyal friend and protective of the innocent. He has a sense of justice, and is willing to kill to put things right.

Marlowe is an atheist during a time when England was forcibly Protestant, at a time when churches still ruled daily life. As a result, the books mostly steer away from anything overly religious or supernatural, sticking with Marlowe's cynical, secular view.

Marlowe's homosexuality is hinted at, but there's no love interest in the first 10 books anyway (I haven't read the 11th). Whether that's believable to you or not, you'll have to judge for yourself. The books choose to focus on the mysteries that drive them, and on the world around Marlowe, rather than on any emotional inner life.

As the series goes on, you get to know Marlowe as someone who picks up skills like a sponge, who only needs to hear something, see something, or try something once in order to remember it. He's not always a reliable narrator, but he's always sympathetic. His relationships with the women around him are lovely, full of respect and empathy, partly because there's no kind of attraction there, and party because he grew up with five sisters, just as independent-minded as him.

There are plenty of historical figures who show up throughout the series, including William Shakespeare before he becomes famous. If you know your history that adds some nice little bonuses to the books, but it's not really necessary to know who these people are before reading the books.

The books:

Book 1: Dark Entry - Set just as Marlowe is finishing his Bachelor degree at Cambridge, with a murder mystery among the students and teachers there. The book ends with Sir Francis Walsingham recruiting Marlowe for Her Majesty's Secret Service, and thus begins his career as a spy.

Book 2: Silent Court - Kit's first mission: head towards the Netherlands to protect the King. He does this by joining a caravan troupe of travellers where he learns tricks and sleight-of-hand, things that will serve him well later in his career as a spy. Very little of the book takes place in the Netherlands, and the plot does a whole lot of meandering before you figure out where it's all leading, and with a disappointing ending it's my least favourite book of the series. However...

Book 3: Witch Hammer - Builds directly on the last book, with Marlowe needing to rebuild his confidence, so that makes book 2 retroactively better. Marlowe joins a travelling theatre troupe and immediately has his first play stolen. We meet a young Will Shakespeare in Warwickshire and prove that witches are not real, but evil hearts and minds certainly are.

Book 4: Scorpion's Nest - Marlowe is sent to Catholic France to track down a fugitive. It's the last book set in an academic setting, and it's full of wonderful characters, and Marlowe always needing to stay one step ahead of the suspicious college authorities. One of my favourites.

Book 5: Crimson Rose - Marlowe has finally graduated with his Master's degree and made it to London, where his play, Tamburlaine, is starting to gain attention. London is a riot of personalities, actors, familiar faces, crime, betrayal, breaking Shakespeare out of gaol, harbouring him as a fugitive, and Marlowe then having to clear his own name on top of it all. It's loud and entertaining, and my personal favourite of the series.

Book 6: Traitor's Storm - Marlowe is sent to the Isle of Wight to find out what happened to a fellow agent, and discovers a whole series of murders. The book involves the Spanish Armada, pirates, and again, a bunch of wonderful personalities.

Book 7: Secret World - We get a glimpse of Marlowe's family, before he is once again swept up in a murder investigation that has something to do with Francis Drake, the English privateer. As Marlowe does his own investigating he meets a Jewish jeweller, gets briefly arrested for murder and is inspired to write The Jew of Malta. There are seeds of Marlowe's eventual downfall by introducing Robert Poley, and ending with Marlowe having murder on the brain, but he's never anything other than sympathetic.

Book 8: Eleventh Hour - After the death of Sir Francis Walsingham, Marlowe sets out to prove it was murder. We meet the School of Night, a group of thinkers, occultists, and early scientists, and Marlowe begins work on his most spectacular play, Doctor Faustus. It's a more sombre book than the others in the series.

Book 9: Queen's Progress - Sent ahead of the queen to scout out locations, Marlowe discovers a series of violent attacks that are a little too conveniently arranged. Along the way, he's joined by friends old and new, which leads to Henslowe's crew staging their greatest production so far: placing Queen Elizabeth herself centre stage.

Book 10: Black Death - The plague rages through London, but it's not the only killer stalking the streets. Marlowe just can't let a mystery lie, even when he hates the victim. The book introduces Bedlam, and comes full circle by Marlowe returning to Cambridge. The difference between the man he was when he left from who he is now is stark.

Book 11: The Reckoning, came out in 2020, and I haven't read it yet, but with a title like that you know it's going to be the last of the series. I'm not planning to read it yet either, because I'm still enjoying labouring under the delusion that if I don't read it, it won't end as badly as history says it will. I'm only half joking.

It's not the greatest series ever, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the series as a whole. I've loved spending time with the characters and seeing their stories unfold. I almost wish there were more books in the middle there, with more historical characters and more adventures. I'm going to miss following this version of Kit Marlowe on his adventures.

Are the books meaningful or profound? Not really.

Are they historically accurate? Sometimes.

Are they entertaining? Oh, so much!

Never Have I Ever:

1. Cried over a book

Yes. But I cry in every movie and at the drop of a hat, so that's not a high bar. I will say that my copy of A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett) has crinkly pages because I cried all over it when I read it the first time.

2. Laughed out loud while reading

Yes. Again, all the time. Including in public. I'm hopeless.

3. Re-read a book more than four times

Yes. But only one. I'm currently re-reading Harry Potter (J. K. Rowling) for the fifth time. I think I've read Good Omens (Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman) and Belgarath the Sorcerer (David and Leigh Eddings) three times each, which would be the next most read.

4. Purchased multiple copies of a book

Yes. Both by accident and on purpose. One book, not remembering I'd already bought it earlier that week, so I bought it again. And sometimes to give away copies of books I really like to other people. Also, I need to replace my old copy of Good Omens because it's a bit tattered now.

5. Thrown a book against the wall

No. Never. Squeezed a book too tight in anger, yes. And I once threw a terrible book in the bin. But not against any walls.

6. Dog-eared a book

Yes. But only a couple of times when I was younger. Before I discovered random receipts and wrappers lying next to me work just as well for bookmarks.

7. Torn pages out of a book

Never. That's horrifying to even think of!

8. Started a book but didn't finish

Yes. Got bored of Twilight (Stephanie Meyer) and wandered off. Tried reading Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) and Sophie's World (Jostein Gaarder) twice each now and have yet to finish them.

9. Spilled food on a book

No? Do crumbs count? I've never spilled anything messy on a book. Miraculous, really.

10. Read a book because my crush liked it

No. Not yet, at least, only because the situation hasn't come up. I would though, because I like to see what interests the people I like.

11. Failed to return a borrowed book

Yes. Foe (J. M. Coetzee). Because the library never marked me as having borrowed it, and they lost another book I had borrowed. So I had to pay a fine on the other book (that they lost), and decided to keep the one I had in a fit of pique.

12. Loaned a book to someone else and never got it back

Yes. The Well of Loneliness (Radclyffe Hall). Gave it to an ex-girlfriend to read, we broke up, and I never got it back.

13. Lost a book

No. Nothing comes to mind, at least.

14. Lost sleep over a book

Yes? I think I remember tossing and turning, thinking too much about a book, about what was going to happen next, once the sun rose and I could read again, but I can't remember which book it was.

15. Marked a book (highlighter, drawing, etc)

Yes. Discounting drawing in books as a young child, I used to underline (in pencil) passages I liked, and not just for school. Haven't done it in a while, but I certainly have in the past.

16. Pretended I liked a book I didn't

No. I don't see the point.

17. Lied about reading a book

Yes. But only for English class.

18. Judged a book by its cover

Yes? Only because if I'm in a bookshop, the cover is the first thing I see. If it doesn't grab me, I'm not going to look into the book more.

19. Fallen asleep while reading

Yes. A couple of times. And then I woke up because I dropped the book and it landed on my face.

20. Stayed up all night reading

Yes. A couple of times. "Only one more chapter," I said at 2am. Next time I looked up it was 5am, and not worth going to sleep anymore.

21. Judged someone based on their taste in books

No. I don't care what other people read, as long as they're enjoying themselves. Read what you like. Actually, I take that back: If it's L. Ron Hubbard I might judge you.

22. Hidden a book I was reading

Yes? I feel like I have, but I don't remember what it was... Probably a children's book on public transport, because people can be weirdly judgemental about that.

23. Been irritated with real life for interrupting my reading time

Yes. All the time. Can't life see I'm reading?

24. Forgotten to eat because I was too busy reading

Yes. On occasion. I'll get halfway through the afternoon and wonder why I'm so hungry. Oh, I forgot lunch, that's why!

25. Pulled out a book at a social gathering

Yes. But it was on my phone, so that was much more subtle.

26. Got into trouble in a library

No. Never. Getting locked in, in a library study room is the extent of my library adventures.

27. Celebrated a character's death

Yes. Who hasn't? Sometimes you're actively cheering against the villain, and it feels damn good when they get what's coming to them.

28. Avoided reading a book for a petty reason

No. I don't think so, at least. If I don't want to read a book, it's because I don't think it will interest me. I might be wrong about that, but I make my decisions based on whether or not I think I'd enjoy a book, or if I think it could teach me something.

There used to be a tabloid that collected things people overheard on public transport, including some of the announcements.

I saved some of the best ones before the paper went bust.

Overheard on the trains:

Train guard announcement: "Please sit back and enjoy the journey as we glide along these shiny rivers of steel."

Train guard announcement: "Passengers are reminded not to hurl themselves from a 280 tonne train, being dragged along behind to their ultimate untimely demise and delaying their fellow passengers."

Train guard announcement: "Apologies for the delay at this station, due to a problem with the signals that has only been an issue for 16 years. It has now been reported again, but will probably never be fixed. Once again, apologies for the delay on account of an incompetent rail service."

Platform officer: "Please stand clear of the striped area, or a trap door will come up and swallow you.
Girl: "Oh my god, really?"
Platform officers: "Yeah, there's even a dragon."

Train guard announcement: "When you get off this train, please make sure you have all your belongings with you, such as your umbrella, handbag, or pet giraffe."

Train guard announcement: "Please make sure you haven't left anything behind. Especially children, as we do not have a holding pen for children left behind."

Angry man on crowded train: "Move over, now!"
Passenger: "I'm so close to the guy next to me I might as well hold his hand. If you insist, I could ask him for a piggy back too. Just pretend to be a sardine like the rest of us."

Guy: "If they sold brains, you would be getting one for Christmas."
Girl: "If they sold arseholes, you would be for sale."

Guy 1: "Man, you are hot!"
Guy 2: "Thanks, but I'm straight."
Guy 1: "That's very presumptuous of you. I never asked you for sex."

Guy: "It would never have worked; I was a Sagittarius and she was a lesbian."