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ALI Ali is best known for her funky sense of fashion and her even funkier sense of humor. She likes stories that teach her something about herself, movies with musical numbers, and songs that make her feel like she’s in a movie. You can typically find this bookseller making art, cultivating playlists for any absurdly specific situation, or indulging in one of her many other hobbies/passions, all while laughing at her own bad jokes. |

I’m such a sucker for any story that emphasizes the importance of cooking/sharing a meal with someone and boy did I finish Our Dining Table with a full heart and an empty stomach very much craving onigiri. In addition to being a very sweet romance, it's also just a wonderful story about family and connection. If you want a quick read that leaves you with warm feelings, please give Our Dining Table a try!!

God, did this one hit me where I live. This is a queer love story, but not in the way you think. Being queer is, at times, incredibly lonely, but it’s those friendships that form between people who truly see each other that can take those lonely moments and fill them with love and a sense of belonging. I can’t think of a story that better emphasizes the importance of that community and highlights the beauty of queer, platonic relationships. My heart aches just thinking about this series, but in the absolute best way.

If you’ve ever watched a made for TV Christmas movie and thought there wasn’t quite enough tension and debauchery for your liking, oh boy is this one for you. Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone are a romance dream team that had me laughing out loud and blushing, often in the same paragraph. I don’t believe in watching Christmas movies outside of the holiday season, but this book thawed my cold heart and made me reconsider how I feel about Christmas in July. Perfect to keep you warm on a very cold winter night.

Sierra Simone, you've done it again! For the optimal reading experience, listen to Bongos by Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion before reading and you'll get to enjoy this with one very specific line playing on a loop in your brain the whole time. If you don't immediately know which line I'm talking about, remember that this is a romance about a nun... Also, speaking of that nun, I am very much in love with her!! Once again, with each addition to the series, Simone’s writing only gets stronger.

God, with each addition to this series, Sierra Simone only gets better and better. All the fiery, lustful charm of Priest, but with the added layer of queer longing that aches like hell and stings even more when combined with the series’ focal point on faith and religious trauma.

To say “oh my god” would both be an understatement and incredibly on the nose and yet… oh my god. Listen, the girls that get it, get it. This is the first in a series and may I just say, Sierra Simone is very good at what she does. Start the series here or jump around, but whatever order you read them in, good luck and Godspeed.

Oh my god, I don't think I could ever be normal about this absurdly sweet and absurdly steamy BL. I read this manhwa as a webtoon and it was a ride from start to finish. The art style is gorgeous and the relationship between Yeo Eui-joon and Gunwoo (Ahjussi <3) is so touching and grounded. They are definitely one of my favorite couples in any romance I've read. Listen, is it really so much to ask for a very large, very beefy gangster to watch out for me and take me on dates??

Kimberly Lemming never fails to give me everything I want in a cozy, fantasy rom-com; laugh-out-loud funny writing, charming characters and, of course, super hot monsters. If you like your books as silly as they are steamy, buckle in babe. Whether you're a major fan of monster romance like me or you'd just like a taste of the genre, please give this funny, heartfelt, and absurdly sexy read a try!

Full of vibrant, captivating art, An Ofrenda for Perro is a wonderful tool for teaching your child about Dia de los Muertos and/or comforting them after the loss of a pet. Although it covers a sad topic, this book really emphasizes the liveliness of the holiday and shows that although loss can be painful, celebrating those who have passed can be a wonderful way to heal.

Stunning artwork that beautifully illustrates the rituals of Dia de los Angelitos. Solemn and poetic, this is a perfect book for children (and adults!!) who feel their emotions deeply and want to reflect after experiencing the loss of a pet, or those who just want to know more about the beautiful holiday. A gorgeous representation of the rituals used to honor those who have passed.

I don’t know if I have the words to do justice to how wonderful this book is. Dear Mothman is for the kids who wonder if they’ll ever meet another person who understands them. For the kids who believe there’s gotta be something more out there and who find comfort in the strange and spooky. Noah is a trans boy struggling with the death of his best friend, Lewis, who was the only other trans boy at their school. He narrates the story with such stunning and brutal sincerity that you will find yourself in a repeating cycle of devastation, comfort, and hopefulness. Kids are tough enough to handle it, but if you’re a queer grown up, you will probably cry reading this one.

As someone who grew up being spoiled by an absurd amount of aunts, of both the biological and "old family friend" variety, and as a tia myself, this book is as fun as it is familiar. An incredibly cute story that will have both kids and the grown ups reading to them laughing out loud. If you saw the title and couldn't help but laugh a little, the rest of the book will not disappoint. The perfect gift either for OR from a favorite auntie, this book is sure to be a hit!

The IMPACT that the music video for Hayley Kiyoko’s Girls Like Girls had on me when I first saw it was monumental in helping me understand myself as a young, queer person. I’ve said it before and I’ll frankly never shut up about it, music videos are a vastly under appreciated artistic medium! If you’re like me and you’re familiar with her work, you’ll enjoy finally getting a full story based on that iconic music video. Girls Like Girls features all the tenderness, angsty pining, and bold, biting flirting that you could want from a sapphic romance. Pair this book with a playlist of her greatest hits and buckle in for the perfect queer, summer read. By the end of this book, you’ll understand why fans affectionately call her “Lesbian Jesus”…

Listen, my love for restaurant romances is no secret… but you gotta trust me when I tell you this book has everything I’ve been looking for in a romance novel. Don’t worry, I’ll give you the recipe: One passionate celebrity chef, one bossy restaurant owner with a soft side, an overwhelming need to prove themselves to everyone who’s burned them in the past, a hearty splash of sexual tension, and several sprinkles of Sapphic flirting. Combine all ingredients in a hot, failing kitchen, let the chef and restaurant owner be a little mean to each other, as a treat, and allow the heat to rise until they just can’t help but release their frustrations by making out.

What a sweet read this is!! If you want an easygoing one shot full of moments that you can’t help but smile at, this is well worth a read. The passionate nerd/guarded jock dynamic always gets me, and the way Enoki and Shirataki’s relationship grows from friendship to more is so natural and heartwarming. I finished this manga thinking “ugh, I LOVE love” and honestly, what more do you want from romance?

Y'all, this manhwa is such a treat! You will immediately find the main couple endlessly charming and hilarious, and then you meet the side couple and you get to fall even more in love. Trust me when I say you will probably have a crush on all four of the main characters, and not just because of the gorgeous art. The only time I didn't have heart eyes while reading this was when I was crying with laughter. Also, if you love this and crave more, the series was made into k-drama and IT IS SO GOOD!!! Read the manhwa, watch the show, either way, you’re in for a great time!

I'm a sucker for fairytales, but I’m kind of over the direction retellings have been going lately. Thornhedge is a return to source in the best way, bursting at the seams with charm, originality, tenderness, and an aching sense of loneliness that hurts so good. This book is incredibly cozy, until it’s not. There’s a looming darkness pulsing in the background that is true to the nature of classic fairytales. If you like your fairytales gritty and sharp, but still ultimately tenderhearted and hopeful, check it out!

As a longtime fan of Chuck Tingle, one thing that has always stood out to me about his writing is that no matter how silly or bizarre things get, each paragraph is written with such sincerity that you can’t help but find it endearing. Although far more macabre than his usual “Tinglers”, that sincerity shines just as bright in Camp Damascus. Even as you’re being chilled to your core and horrified at the terrors the protagonists must face, you can’t help but be charmed by this oddball cast of characters and root for them to conquer their demons. And by conquer their demons, I of course mean be gay and fight for justice against corrupt religious organizations. From start to finish, this book is heartfelt, witty, gut-wrenching, and far too real for comfort.