New month, new book thread! My first book for Feb was The First by Kipjo K. Ewers (Bastard by Tyla Collier).
Four years after being convicted of murdering her husband, Sophia is executed. When she wakes up, they do it again. And again. Then she escapes.
Reviews: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/12f981b1-a56d-454b-ae00-0111a99c6e9e
Book 2 was In/Out, written and read by Steph Lentz.
The author grew up deeply embedded in the evangelical movement. Purity culture, ‘I Kissed Dating Goodbye’, traditional gender roles, all that. Until she fell in love with a woman.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/6cee8d8b-fb00-4d72-b2bb-a4d8512742cb?redirect=true
Book 3 was Not Pounded By Anything: Six Platonic Tales Of Non-Sexual Encounters by Chuck Tingle.
Chuck Tingle is the master of erotica – and more latterly, cosy(ish) horror. But he also has a few queer platonic ‘tinglers’.
Surprisingly deep – without compromising the inherent silliness.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/d772a6d3-0778-48a7-9bea-98ec4ef777d2
Book 4 was User Not Found by Dani Finn.
Jack works for the censorship bureau, reading subversive (i.e. queer) fan-fics for clues of the authors real-world identities. You’ll never guess what happens.
Dark, yet heartwarming and affirming.
Buy it direct: https://danifinn.itch.io/user-not-found
Book 5 was A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (narrated by David Thorpe).
When Robin is accidentally assigned to the magic ministry, Edwin doesn’t have the time or inclination to show him the ropes.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/c46c5f14-3237-4095-a881-0ffe55c4366b?redirect=true
Book 6 was A Kiss After Dying by Ashok Banker (narrated by Tania Rodrigues & Saul Reichlin).
The story opens with a newlywed couple on a private island. The wife has murder on her mind. Everything else is a lie.
If you enjoyed Emily Kimelman’s Sydney Rye books, you’re going to love this one.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/dfcb16e4-834b-4027-8273-7034c6ae83bc?redirect=true
Book 7 was Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire, edited by Alice Wong, written and read by a full cast.
Got me thinking about what intimacy is, the many different forms it can take, and what that might mean to different people in different contexts. Highly worth a read.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7d877aea-a237-4cd4-8eed-4ff440bcdc1b
Book 8 was The Heartbreak Bakery by A. R. Capetta (narrated by Krystal Hammond).
When baker Sid gets dumped, they bake their feelings into a batch of brownies. Everyone who eats one of them breaks up with their significant other.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/d8fb43f5-5e16-4842-af2a-b14d175f59d6
Book 9 was The Library of the Dead by T. L. Huchu (narrated by Tinashe Warikandwa).
In alternative history, post-apocalyptic Scotland, 14-year-old Ropa works as a ghost-talker. But with someone hurting children, leaving them old before their time, she has to act.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/e82e2971-3045-4bc2-83c1-ff0905b76539
Book 10 was Lady Eve's Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow (narrated by Tamika Katon-Donegal).
Evelyn comes to New Monte as a debutante. There, she meets the planet’s most eligible bachelor. Except that’s not her real name and there’s a darker reason for her arrival.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/af9d4a8e-235f-4b20-8f9a-bcfc9b41fc2d?redirect=true
Book 11 was The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid (narrated by Greg Boudreaux).
When Riley’s father dies, the last person he expects to see at the funeral is his secret ex, NHL superstar Adam. Adam broke Riley’s heart and Riley can’t even tell anyone without outing Adam.
Once again, I’m begging publishers of Canadian books to hire Canadian narrators.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/831a3fe2-5bc6-4eaf-bfc2-a953b6a2a0ed
Book 12 was Metal From Heaven by August Clarke (narrated by Vico Ortiz).
Not every book is for every reader and that’s okay. But it’s tough when you expect to love a book and then it’s just not for you.
Also, I’d happily listen to Vico Ortiz read me the T&Cs of my home insurance policy.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/9ed81a55-f1d5-45bd-92da-64cd0a4b9399
Book 13 was Blessed Water by Margot Douaihy (narrated by Mara Wilson).
Sister Holiday Walsh – everyone’s favourite chain-smoking, murder-solving lesbian nun – is back. An affirming, comforting, heartwarming tale with just enough darkness to keep it interesting.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7d367637-dc17-4b85-8385-a48dabacc7dc
Book 14 was We Can Do Better Than This: 35 Voices on the Future of LGBTQ+ Rights edited by Amelia Abraham (written and read by a full cast).
Artists, writers, and musicians give their takes on queer life: what the past, present, and future look like.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/17c37c42-46c8-4fe8-845c-2fbe71d28393?redirect=true
Book 15 was Game Changer by Rachel Reid (narrated by Tor Thom).
I enjoyed this one more than Heated Rivalry. Even though Kip and Scott both have stuff they need to work through, they’re honest with each other at every stage. And how is Kip’s dad is even more wholesome than in the TV series?
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/0bb1bb22-36b9-45ce-9a6e-09417f7f0584?redirect=true
Book 16 was Shroom for Improvement by Jemma Croft (narrated by Keval Shah & Nathan Wolfe).
Claude is an autistic-coded mushroom fae who’s just inherited his absent father’s estate. Sonny’s a magpie fae who’s been trying to ask Claude out for three years.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/4bf748f7-550f-4b1c-a077-0c8c3ece9c2f
Side note, you can still get a copy of the special edition of Shroom for Improvement. Oh, look at that! It just happens to be paired with one of my books. Complete coincidence.
https://rainbowcratebookbox.com/products/november-queer-quirky-2025-full-box
Book 17 was A Killer Guest List by Sarah Bonner (narrated by Patricia Gallimore & Hannah Churchill).
Women who kill is one of my favourite niche genres. Sarah Bonner is rapidly becoming an automatic buy for me. And it’s also queer! With an older MC! Absolutely love it.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/2150bfc7-7dea-4825-9066-6ed92ed64456
Book 18 was Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks (narrated by Adenrele Ojo).
bell hooks always leaves me wanting to burn the whole system down. White people need to read this.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/4ffddb4c-b833-468b-8086-b49efc8d61f5?redirect=true
Book 19 was Honeymoon for One by Rachel Bowdler (narrated by Lucy Dixon).
When her fiancée cheats, Robin calls it off … but forgets to cancel the honeymoon, so she heads to Canada on her own.
Both MCs were okay. But the story irritated me.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/54a9824d-b51d-43e6-8d2f-46476686fbe4?redirect=true
Book 20 was Common Goal by Rachel Reid (narrated by Cooper North).
I liked the two mains. But the fact they spent the entire book straight-up lying to one another about what they wanted made for a stressful read.
But I am here for chaotic bi king Ilya with his supernatural powers of perception.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/472d0c20-00ee-4ebb-af12-723c25a6581e
Book 21 was Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune (narrated by Kirt Graves).
Wallace is a horrible human being. But after he dies, his life takes a turn for the better.
A Christmas Carol meets Legends & Lattes.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/31a8686e-2a4b-4ec9-8603-475392a565ce
Book 22 was Tough Guy by Rachel Reid (narrated by Tor Thom).
By far my favourite so far. Ryan and Fabian have so many issues to work through, but they’re open and honest with one another all the way through.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7271dc11-bb4a-425a-8c9e-7e92218cf173
Book 23 was Exvangelical and Beyond: How American Christianity Went Radical and the Movement That's Fighting Back, written and read by Blake Chastain.
If you grew up evangelical and you’re working to deconstruct, read this book. If you didn’t but you’d like to understand why we’re all so traumatised, read this book.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/615551af-a01f-49bb-9bc1-2e00476314bc
Book 24 was The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (narrated Kate Atwater).
I was expecting a sort of child’s take on Monk and Robot. Ends on a bit of a darker note than I expected, though.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/243745ab-d775-4634-b888-aaf9237fe606
Book 25 was Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle.
I felt confident I knew what sort of vibe and mood to expect from Chuck Tingle. Yet, the reality was so much darker than I expected. If it had been my first read by him, it would probably be my last, which would have been a shame.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/258e5577-8c06-456d-a740-27c678f83bde
Book 26 was Role Model by Rachel Reid (narrated by Cooper North).
Well. What a week to read this one.
The more this series progresses, the more we see that the NHL, its dickbag commissioner, and hockey culture are the real villains. I really want to kick Dallas K*nt right in the bollocks.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/39eb6c67-bf91-4c10-abe1-e12d7f035b5c
Book 27 was Salvagia by Tim Chawaga (narrated by Amy McFadden).
Near-future sci-fi murder mystery.
I’m not sure if this was a case of wrong book for me or just wrong book for right now.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/1a9b36e2-da39-42cd-8390-efd63f75a8aa
Book 28 was After Purity: Race, Sex, and Religion in White Christian America by Sara Moslener (narrated by Melanie Carey).
I grew up steeped in purity culture. I wasn’t one of the people interviewed for this study, but I could have been. I’ve been working to unpack and unlearn everything I was taught. But it’s not easy.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/9e24c1aa-7fe5-4fd3-a201-6a7de9b07397?redirect=true
Book 29 (and my final for Feb) was Absolutely No Thoughts Of Pounding During My Fun Day With This Kind T-Rex Because I'm Aromantic And Asexual And That's A Wonderfully Valid Way Of Proving Love Is Real by Chuck Tingle (narrated by Georgia Bird).
This was bloody brilliant and a perfect way to end the month.
Review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/f062495e-5d2f-45e2-a420-b90f1d72357c?redirect=true
February reading roundup… I read 29 books, a few I didn’t really enjoy, but plenty of absolute bangers.
Shouty person