Little Lits: Pride Month Picks

Author

Kacy Bleeker
June 12, 2023

Featured

In honor of June being Pride Month, this Little Lits features four books which feature characters who identify as LGBTQ+, many of whom are authored by members of the community themselves. As you read through, consider adding some of these books to your TBR to pick up throughout the year - you will not be disappointed.

The Dark Tide

The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska is a story set in the city-island of Caldella. Each year, the Witch Queen must drown her true love to appease the ever-hungry ocean's dark tide. The narrative follows the new Witch Queen, Eva, who has not been able to feel anything for the boys she's sacrificed since her sister, the previous Queen, drowned herself instead of her lover. The plot thickens when Thomas, the only boy to have ever escaped the tide, is chosen once again. To save her brother and Thomas, Lina, a town girl with a crush on Thomas, offers herself as a sacrifice. As the tale unfolds, Eva and Lina discover a surprising amount in common, including their love for their siblings, their desperation to change the sacrificial system, and their growing affection for each other.

The relationship between Eva and Lina is complex and deep. Lina’s sacrifice to save her brother and Thomas brings her closer to Eva, the Witch Queen, and as they spend more time together, they find that they have much in common. This shared understanding and joint struggle lead to a romantic relationship developing between them. They both grapple with their feelings and responsibilities, and the sacrificial system that initially brings them together also threatens to tear them apart. I find that good books are those that have strong relationship development, but great books are those where we see clear growth among the central character, in which we can ourselves learn lessons just from being immersed within the story. The Dark Tide is a great book.

“People claimed witches were nightmares, dreams, but Eva felt they were closer to plants; wild magic grew inside of each of them, waiting to be harvested in the strands of their hair, their salt tears, their spit and blood.”

Rating: 💡💡💡💡💡

Genre & Tropes: Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers

Length: 336 Pages

The Dead and the Dark

The Dead and The Dark by Courtney Gould is a tale set in the small town of Snakebite, Oregon. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, the daughter of famous paranormal ghost hunting TV show hosts, moves to Snakebite when her fathers return to their hometown. Upon arrival, Logan quickly becomes aware of strange happenings in the town, including the disappearance of a local teenager. Teaming up with Ashley Barton, the missing teen's girlfriend, they delve into the secrets of the town, their families, and themselves, uncovering truths that they were not prepared for. As more teenagers disappear and some are found dead, suspicion falls on her fathers. The darkness in Snakebite has been waiting for a long time, and it won't stay hidden any longer.

Logan is a strong and relatable character who undergoes subtle but significant character development throughout the book. Initially a stranger in Snakebite, she evolves into a determined investigator bent on uncovering the truth about the unsettling events in the town. Despite the growing danger, she doesn't back down and forms a bond with Ashley. Their relationship, while it develops slowly and isn't the main focus of the story, sheds light on Logan's character and shows her capacity for compassion and understanding. The dark, but crucially important, themes highlighted in this novel is what led me to really enjoy the story. Gould’s writing draws you in and doesn’t let you go.

“It was only in quiet moments like this that the sadness came through. Because that was the thing about Logan, under the sharp one-liners and incredulous glares, there was always a sadness that felt so deep, Ashley thought she could fall into it and never reach the bottom. It was a sadness Logan had sewn into her chest, that she’d fashioned into a piece of her personality.”

Rating: 💡💡💡💡💡

Genre & Tropes: Mystery, Horror

Length: 368 Pages

Love & Other Disasters

Love and Other Disasters by Anita Kelly is set on the backdrop of a reality cooking competition, where two contestants, Dahlia Woodson and London Parker, find themselves in the midst of both culinary and emotional challenges. Dahlia, feeling aimless in her personal and professional life after her divorce, sees the cooking show as an opportunity to reinvent herself. On the other hand, London, the first openly nonbinary contestant on the show, is under pressure not only from the competition but also from online trolls. As they progress in the competition, Dahlia's boundless energy and enigmatic personality begins to distract London, setting the stage for a budding romance. Their contrasting personalities complement each other perfectly, making the story a classic case of opposites attracting and helping each other grow.

Dahlia Woodson, the novel's main character, is a vibrant, energetic woman who is trying to find her path after her divorce. She hopes the cooking show, Chef's Special, can be her escape route from a town she despises and a life enveloped in debt. Although initially distracted and somewhat chaotic, Dahlia's journey in the show helps her discover her strengths and interests. Her relationship with London Parker, starts with an immediate attraction, which initially worries London due to the potential complications in the competition. However, as they spend weeks working together, their casual flirting turns into genuine romance. This relationship faces its test when the show's producers pit London against a transphobic contestant and push Dahlia into the drama's epicenter. Despite these challenges, Dahlia's character development is characterized by resilience, self-discovery, and the ability to navigate complex emotional landscapes making for a truly impactful read that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside.

“That each person could choose what brought them closest to belonging, the power in that. Knowing that one day, people might discover even better words for it. That there was only ever freedom in continuing to find new names for who we were, who we could be.”

Rating: 💡💡💡💡

Genre & Tropes: Romance

Length: 384 Pages

The Verifiers

The Verifiers by Jane Pek introduces Claudia Lin, a modern amateur detective who works at Veracity, a referrals-only online dating detective agency in New York City. The agency specializes in verifying people's online lives, particularly for clients using dating apps who have doubts about their matches. Claudia's job involves both electronic and in-person investigations to help vet potential partners for their clients. In the story, Claudia takes on a new client, Sarah, who has doubts about her latest match from a dating app. Sarah is unique compared to Veracity's usual clientele because she is interested in investigating individuals she's no longer in contact with, which intrigues Claudia. These peculiar circumstances lead Claudia to break the usual protocol and conduct her own investigation. However, before Claudia can dig much deeper, Sarah goes missing which prompts Claudia to pursue her investigation even further, delving into a complex web of personal and corporate deceit.

Claudia Lin is an astute and witty character whose sharp observations keep the narrative engaging. She is deeply fascinated by literary mysteries, often immersing herself in her favorite murder-mystery series featuring Inspector Yuan. As Claudia takes on more complex verification requests at work, she navigates her personal life delicately, keeping her own secrets from her traditional immigrant family. She strongly resists the traditional Chinese husband her mother envisions for her and struggles with comparisons to her high-achieving siblings. Throughout the book, Claudia's character is beautifully complemented by a cast of interesting secondary characters like her artistic and her character development is a captivating journey that explores the intersection of contemporary technology, personal identity, and the complexities of the human heart. This narrative cleverly intertwines themes of technology's influence on our choices and the nature of love in the digital age.

“The line between what was real and what was fantasy. That fucking mystery. It made me believe there was something to be solved and I was the only one who could solve it. I let myself think that I was the protagonist in some grand adventure, that I could be in any way special. And for that I forfeited what I did have that was real: I forfeited Veracity.”

Rating: 💡💡💡💡

Genre & Tropes: Mystery, Thriller

Length: 358 Pages

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