Wrap-up: May 2020

When writing this post, both me and Anna thought to ourselves that we could have sworn it was longer since we read certain books. Which probably sums up May as a whole, really.

Anna had a generally positive reading month, meanwhile I read some great books, but also suffered through some really really shit ones. About the usual then, really.

Also starting this month, if only because I got into podcasts, our “watched” section has become a “watched and listened to” section.

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What we read

Anna

๐Ÿ”ฅ Crush by Richard Siken (poetry, gay author) – 5 ๐ŸŒˆ
There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool (mlm mc, side m/m relationship) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ
Pieล›ni miล‚osne by Sappho, trans. Janina Brzostowska (poetry, sapphic author) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ
A Dead Djinn in Cairo by Carl Phillips (Black sapphic mc, sapphic character, Egyptian characters & setting) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ
The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht (mlm mcs) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ (tw gore, blood, murder, violence, rape)

Where We Go From Here by Lucas Rocha, trans. Larissa Helena (Brazilian cast, gay mcs, HIV positive mcs, gay side characters, drag queen side characters) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ (tw outing, homophobia, prejudices against HIV) [review]
Camp by L.C. Rosen (gay Jewish mc, half-Korean gay Jewish li, Middle Eastern gay Jewish side character, demi lesbian side character, Afro-Brazilian-American sapphic side character, Black trans side character, nonbinary side character, gay side characters (really, an LGBT cast)) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ [review]
Heels Over Head by Elyse Springer (gay mcs) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ (tw internalised homophobia, homophobia, homophobic slurs, abusive parents, homelessness)
๐Ÿ”ฅ Whatever.: or how junior year became totally f$@ked by S.J. Goslee (bi mc, gay li) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ (tw outing (brief scene, no real bad outcome), biphobia, fetishising of mlm characters)
Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner (bi Jewish mc, Chinese-American lesbian mc) – 2.5 ๐ŸŒˆ (tw sexual harassment, homophobia) [review]

Ghosted in LA, Vol. 2 by Sina Grace, Siobhan Keenan & Cathy Le (bi Jewish mc, sapphic side character, gay side characters) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callendar (Black trans demiboy mlm mc, Black Bengali mlm li, lesbian side character, mixed-race Black, Puerto Rican & white gay side character, poc sapphic side character, sapphic side character, gay side character, nonbinary side character) – 5 ๐ŸŒˆ(tw transphobia (exposing old pictures and deadname, transphobic messages), mentions of past emotional abuse, absent parent)
The Four Proufound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg (poc cast, trans mcs, nonbinary side character, past polyamory) – 2 ๐ŸŒˆ (tw deadnaming, misgendering, transphobia, torture)
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall (gay mc, gay li, Black bi side character, South Asian Muslim lesbian side character, gay side characters, lesbian side characters) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ [review]

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Charlotte

The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard (lesbian mc, Black lesbian character, gay character) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ
Soft Science by Franny Choi (poetry) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ
The Tradition by Jericho Brown (poetry) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ
Autopsy by Donte Collins (poetry) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ
Silverchest by Carl Phillips (poetry) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart (lesbian mcs) – 5 ๐ŸŒˆ [review]
Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert (Chinese American gay mc, Taiwanese American mlm li) – 5 ๐ŸŒˆ
Cenzontle by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo (poetry) – 4.5 ๐ŸŒˆ
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron (Black lesbian mc, lesbian li, gay side character) – 2 ๐ŸŒˆ [review]
Burning Roses by S. L. Huang (Chinese trans lesbian mc, Latina lesbian mc) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ [review]

The House of Binding Thorns by Aliette de Bodard (gay mc, Vietnamese bi mc, lesbian mc, Vietnamese wlw mc) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ
Children of Thorns, Children of Water by Aliette de Bodard (Vietnamese bi mc) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ
Of Books, and Earth, and Courtship by Aliette de Bodard (Black lesbian mc, wlw li) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ
The House of Sundering Flames by Aliette de Bodard (Black lesbian mc, lesbian li, wlw side characters, Vietnamese bi mc, gay mc) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ
The Year Shakespeare Ruined My Life by Dani Jansen (lesbian mc, pan li, gay side characters) – 1 ๐ŸŒˆ [review]

Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass (gay mc & li, lesbian, bi & trans side characters) – 1 ๐ŸŒˆ [review]
Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders by Aliette de Bodard (Vietnamese bi mc, gay mc) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ [review]
The Hideaway Inn by Philip William Stover (gay mc, bi mc) – 1 ๐ŸŒˆ [review]
Beyond the Dragon’s Gate by Yoon Ha Lee (lesbian mc, nonbinary character) – 5 ๐ŸŒˆ
The Girl Next Door by Chelsea M. Cameron (lesbian mcs) – 2 ๐ŸŒˆ [review]

Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner (Jewish bi mc, Chinese American lesbian mc) – 1.5 ๐ŸŒˆ [review]
The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd (gay mc, mlm side characters, lesbian side character) – 1.5 ๐ŸŒˆ
King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender (Black gay mc, gay side character) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ
Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (wlw mc) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ
Ash Mountain by Helen Fitzgerald (lesbian mc, Indigenous Australian wlw character) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ

Melt My Heart by Bethany Rutter (bi mc, Black wlw li) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ [review]
Wench by Maxine Kaplan (bi mc, wlw li, gay side characters) – 3.5 ๐ŸŒˆ [review]
Sinew and Steel by Carrie Ann Vaughn (mlm mcs) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ
The Sol Majestic by Ferrett Steinmetz (Black gay mc, gay li) – 2 ๐ŸŒˆ

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What we watched (and listened to)

Charlotte

9-1-1 (S3) cr. Brad Falchuk, Tim Minnear, Ryan Murphy (Black lesbian characters, Black gay character) – 3.5 ๐ŸŒˆ
The Half of It (2020) cr. Alice Wu (Chinese American lesbian mc, Latina wlw li) – 5 ๐ŸŒˆ
Kontrola (S1) cr. Natasza Parzymies (lesbian mc, wlw mc) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ
King Falls AM (podcast) cr. Kyle Brown & Eric Kimelton (gay mc with depression, wlw, bi & gay side characters) – 5 ๐ŸŒˆ
Solutions to Problems (podcast) cr. Nathan Comstock, Michael F. Gill & Austin Hendricks (wlw mc) – DNF

The Strange Case of Starship Iris (podcast) cr. Jessica Best (wlw mc)
Arden (podcast) cr. Christopher Dole, Sara Ghaleb & Emily Vanderwerff (wlw mcs)
Superstition (podcast) cr. Sarah Kolb (bi mc, wlw li, gay characters)
Schitt’s Creek (S6) cr. Dan Levy & Eugene Levy (pan mc, gay li, Black lesbian side character)

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Anna

The Half of It (2020), dir. Alice Wu (Chinese American lesbian mc, Latina sapphic li) – 5 ๐ŸŒˆ
The Thing About Harry (2020), dir. Peter Paige (gay mc, poc bi li, gay side characters) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019), dir. Shelly Chopra Dhar (Indian lesbian mc & li) – 3 ๐ŸŒˆ
A Secret Love (2020), dir. Chris Bolan (documentary) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ
Westler (1985), dir. Wieland Speck (German gay characters) – 2.5 ๐ŸŒˆ

Ben Platt: Live from Radio City Music Hall (2020), dir. Alex Timbers & Sam Wrench (concert; gay Jewish artist) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ
๐Ÿ”ฅ Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (2018), dir. Jon Olb & Madeleine Parry (stand-up comedy; lesbian comic) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ (tw homophobia, rape, sexual abuse, physical assault)
Hannah Gadsby: Douglas (2020), dir. Madeleine Parry (stand-up comedy; lesbian comic) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ
Betty (S1), cr. Crystal Moselle (Black sapphic mc, lesbian mc, lesbian characters) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ (tw sexual abuse, misogyny, drugs)
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (S3-6), cr. Noelle Stevenson (lesbian mc & li, lesbian characters, Black gay characters, nonbinary character) – 4 ๐ŸŒˆ

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On the blog

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On other blogs

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So, how was May for you? Did you read or watch anything great?

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Since you’re here, please consider doing any number of the following to support Black Lives Matter, and the protests regarding police brutality in the USA.

Donate to bail funds and supplies for protestors, gofundmes of victims of police violence, mutual aid organisations and Black-owned businesses impacted by the violence.

You can donate even if you have no funds by watching videos where all ad revenue will go towards the BLM movement.

Sign petitions.

Get in contact with mayors and district attorneys, and maintain pressure on them.

Educate yourself further through the resources found on the carrd and others.

Pride was initiated following riots against police violence and raids, and those at Stonewall Inn were led by trans and lesbian women of colour, many of whom were Black. We owe them our support.

15 Replies to “Wrap-up: May 2020”

  1. I have a lot of these books on my TBR (plus the four profound weaves that I’m currently reading) and i’ve also watched she-ra and the half of it this past month! I’m glad you both found some nice reads even with a few bad ones. I think adding podcasts to the wrap up is great, i really want to get into them once i stop being scared of them.
    thank you so much for linking to my post as well! โ™ฅ

    Liked by 1 person

    1. with podcasts, i think it’s a matter of finding a format and style that works for you! i found that i preferred ones that were 15-20 minute episodes, and had an interesting format (e.g. radio show style or case files). and obviously actors you can stand (the one i gave up on, i did so because i couldn’t stand one of the actors’ voice).

      & of course! it was a great post

      – charlotte

      Liked by 1 person

    1. honestly, what didn’t work for us about something to talk about is probably entirely personal. you may yet still like it!

      i hope you enjoy superstition as well!!

      – charlotte

      Like

  2. Reading wise, mine had been worst. I didn’t read anything at all. So hopefully I’ll be able to this June! But on a positive note, I’ve been watching movies a lot and The Thing About Harry was one of them! It’s the one movie that I truly enjoyed watching after my bout of depression so it holds a special place in my heart. I watched Ek Ladki as well and remember bawling my eyes out during the father scene near the end.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. anna broke goodreads’ rereads function so that’s a sign you definitely need to read it! & melt my heart wasn’t *bad*, it was perfectly cute, just sort of bland, sadly

      & of course! it’s a great review!

      – charlotte

      Like

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