Booksology My over-obsession with Heartstoppers continues, which isn’t surprising since the last book and movie are coming out in a few weeks. To be honest, my reading lately has been mostly in the realm of fan fiction, but June picked up a few books obsessively.
The first thing I mentioned was I was born for thisthe only Alice Ausman book I haven’t read yet. I loved this. This is an exploration of fandom and celebrity, with alternating POVs between a hardcore fangirl (who is implied to be Aro/Ace) and a queer transgender boy band member struggling with their mental health. It was a real page turner.
Next, I picked up a few graphic novels that I thought were good Heartstopper titles. Check, please! Book 1: #hockey Written by Ngozi Ukazu Cheer Up: Love and Pom Pom Written by Crystal Frazier bloom Written by Kevin Panetta. my favorite is Cheer Up: Love and Pom Pomwhich has a main character who is Sapphic and a trans girl. It’s very short, but the characters were well-developed and I liked the dynamic between the relationships.
Completed as last month’s update Taiwan travelogue Written by the Yang twins, translated by Lin King. Winner of the 2026 International Booker Prize and the 2024 National Book Award for Translated Literature. It was easier to understand than I expected, and I was fascinated by the complex power relationship between Chizuko and Chizuru. I recommended this book to my book club. I can’t wait to discuss it with them.
Speaking of book club, I read Sapphic YA Fantasy. crier war From Nina Varela for the June meeting. I had heard great things about this production, but I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t buy the chemistry between them as much depends on the romance.
I picked it up too Invincible Sonya Ballantyne A short YA graphic memoir about a bisexual Indigenous author by Sonya Ballantine. This felt a little disjointed to me.
As for my July reading plan, nothing has been decided yet. I’m still planning on reading it How people with disabilities can love each other Written by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinhe—The library’s holdings are overdue, so hopefully soon…
Next, the book club will choose: How far does light reach: The lives of 10 sea creatures By Sabrina Imbler I’ve already read it, but I might read it again. I especially recommend the audiobook for this work. As a queer person with a lifelong fascination with the deep sea, I couldn’t resist writing this memoir as an essay.
Speaking of sea animals, I also want to read this. jellyfish problem This novel by Tessa Yang is also about a giant jellyfish that terrorizes an island community. Sold.
At the top of my list are: Queer people and how we got here: (personal) history A graphic nonfiction book that combines queer history and memoir by Hazel Newlevant.
what about you? What are you reading in July? What did you finish reading in June?
