Title: Waiting Author: Jen Wilde In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Contemporary, LGBTQI Dates read: 2nd June 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: I feel myself sinking into my shell, like I always do around him.
Waiting in line at a comi-con with her best friend, a young, bisexual girl starts to discover the true meaning of friendship and who she wants to be.
This was a bit of a first in the Kindred collection – it wasn’t a romance. The lead character was Neurodiverse and LGBTQI. But there was no romance. It wasn’t about finding a romantic connection at all for that matter. Rather, it was all about finding a friendship that works for you. And honestly, it seriously made me think about the friendships we find ourselves in. And what makes them healthy and good. And what makes them toxic.
Although this is an LGBTQI story, there isn’t a focus on that. Or, really, a Neurodiverse identity. Rather, it is about that moment when you find a new friend. A person that you can get along with and has similar interests. I love that there is a Brooklyn Nine-Nine reference and this whole story takes place in the line for comi-con.
All throughout this story, I absolutely hated the “best friend”. So I was super glad when the girl FINALLY decided to stand up for herself. It made me realise that maybe sometimes I should do the same…
Title: I Hope You Get This Message Author: Farah Naz Rishi Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, LGBTQI, Science fiction, Young adult Dates read: 23rd – 27th May 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Harper Teen Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: Derek had been crushing on Mia Jimenez – a junior and the current president of the Video Game Club – since day one of their freshman year.
Seven days. Seven days. The Earth might end in seven days.
When news stations start reporting that Earth has been contacted by a planet named Alma, the world is abuzz with rumors that the alien entity is giving mankind only few days to live before they hit the kill switch on civilization.
For high school truant Jesse Hewitt, though, nothing has ever felt permanent. Not the guys he hooks up with. Not the jobs his underpaid mom works so hard to hold down. Life has dealt him one bad blow after another — so what does it matter if it all ends now? Cate Collins, on the other hand, is desperate to use this time to find the father she’s never met, the man she grew up hearing wild stories about, most of which she didn’t believe. And then there’s Adeem Khan. While coding and computer programming have always come easily to him, forgiveness doesn’t. He can’t seem to forgive his sister for leaving, even though it’s his last chance.
With only seven days to face their truths and right their wrongs, Jesse, Cate, and Adeem’s paths collide even as their worlds are pulled apart.
Holy crap. This book was amazing. It was brilliant, funny and completely impossible to put down! I absolutely adored this novel. And just. Wow. At first I was actually kind of pissed off at the open-ended nature of the ending. But, the more I’ve thought about it, the most I’ve realised just how amazing it truly is.
I really loved the idea that we are not actually the dominant race in the universe – that really, we’re just a genetic experiment. Kind of like sheep. Or cattle. Or something else that we figure is just something to play with and watch. Without really wondering too much about our hopes, dreams and desires. It kind of helps to put you in your place and remind you that the universe is filled with mysteries – of which we know nothing about.
There aren’t many stories that so seamlessly follow the lives of three separate characters. Yes, they eventually all join up and you find the common threads (like the common threads we constantly find in our own lives). But it’s the fact that even when they are completely separate, the characters are each so beautifully distinct and unique. It is impossible to get any mixed up and you fall completely under the spell of each and every one of them. They are all just so wonderful and intense, with their own somewhat difficult and tragic battles to face.
This is a fantastic story that you just won’t be able to put down. There is a great SciFi aspect to it that is enthralling – the transcripts from Alma that are the discussion of our continuation. But there is also the beauty in humanity. There are the absolute best of humanity throughout this story, and the total dickheads, Rishi doesn’t try and pretend that humanity is filled with the good… but rather a mix of both good and bad. This is a wonderful story that still kind of made me hope at the end. And it’s definitely a fantastic book to be reading at this time in the world… with all of the insanity surrounding us.
Title: Light Bulb Author: Nevo Zisin In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:LGBTQI, Mental health Dates read: 24th May 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: I started holding it in.
Most people are afraid of the dark. But for some, it is the dark that welcomes them. That helps them feel the things that they’ve kept hidden inside.
I’ve never read a story about a gender-fluid person. Or someone who isn’t quite sure of their gender. Except for the Magnus Chase series – that has Alex who changes their gender identity according to their needs and drives. Which, of course, I loved. But, I digress. Alex’s experience is one that feels mostly positive. This story is a much darker and more heart-wrenching version of coming to terms with a gender identity that doesn’t fit into the binary expectations.
Reading a few horror stories lately meant that I was expecting something quite tragic at the beginning of this story. After all, it is a tale which starts with a child loving the dark. Not wanting to be in the light. And this constant imagery of a light bulb switching on and off. It makes for an incredibly dark beginning to the story. And a very symbolic imagery when you realise what is happening in the mind of the narrator.
Aside from the great symbolism, this story somehow really drove home the confusion and feeling of marginalisation that comes with being gender fluid, or not of a gender binary. This whole story had me on an intense and uncontrollable emotional roller coaster ride. One that made me feel so much sympathy for those who are in this situation…
Title: Sweet Author: Claire G Coleman In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Gender, LGBTQI Dates read: 22nd May 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: No school could teach me what I needed to learn.
In a world of no gender identity, what will happen when one girl figures out that she’s a she, not a they?
I’ve read a novel by Coleman not long ago. And what struck me most about her writing was the fact that she was able to take issues which are constantly occurring in our daily lives, flip them on our head and make you see things from a totally different perspective. The fact that she did that in this short story, all based around gender, made me literally clap my hands in joy.
I love that this is a world in which there is NO gender. It drives towards this idea that we have – that gender completely defines who we are. And that there are only two options; male or female. I may identify as a woman myself, but I don’t think that that completely defines me. Completely removing all identifications of gender throughout this story was a great stroke of brilliance. It made you think a little bit more about what makes a person a person, rather than how gender makes a person…
The other thing that removing all gender in this world did was remind us what prejudice against those who don’t fit into our schemes does. Instead of being attacked and hunted because the characters don’t fit a binary gender – they become attacked and hunted because they do. We’d like to think that this doesn’t happen anymore in today’s society. But that most certainly isn’t the case and this was a great reminder of that.
Title: I Like Your Rotation Author: Jax Jacki Brown In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance, LGBTQI Dates read: 12th May 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: What if I could have a friend, like an actual cool friend?
For this young girl just discovering herself, finding another LGBTQI+ girl who has the same disability as her is the best thing ever. But, then she has to contend with some unwanted emotions and experiences…
This year I’ve been steadily expanding my shelves to include more inclusive tales – neurodiverse, LGBTQI+, etc. What I realised on reading this is that I don’t have any good books about people in wheelchairs, amputees, etc. Definitely something that I want to improve on if anyone has any suggestions! But, this was a great start regardless…
The love interest in this story is seriously passionate, and more than willing to alienate people and argue for her rights. And so she should. I love that her point of view is very independent and organic, highlighting her needs and desires when that would sometimes not be so possible. It’s a great lesson for the friend that she makes within this story – that it’s okay to be difficult and emotional, you’re human and being in a wheelchair doesn’t mean that you can’t be. Or at least, that’s the big thing I got out of her character.
Although there isn’t that sweet, happily ever after ending to this story, it is still really, really good. There is a sense of finding oneself and discovering your own worth. Something that everyone needs to do, but, in the case of some people, like the protagonist of this short story, is a little bit more difficult. I imagine her wheeling off into her future and finding another happily ever after that she just wasn’t quite expecting.
Title: Bitter Draught Author: Michael Earp In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Fantasy, LGBTQI Dates read: 7th May 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: The stories say that shopkeepers and traders will hear a knock on their door close to midnight.
Simeon has always been content in his little world with his parents, his sister and Wyatt. But a horrible illness and a journey to find the village witch rip his world apart.
Starting this story, I was really intrigued to find out where the “bitter draught” was going to come from. I was honestly expecting something that dealt with prejudice or the difficulties in realising that you are LGBTQI+. But, it wasn’t that at all. Like the first few short stories in this collection, the fact that Simeon was gay wasn’t even dealt with in any way expect to say that he had a significant other who was also male. I love this acceptance and simplicity in the writing. What I wasn’t sure on though was what the “bitter draught” would then end up being…
Simeon’s desire to help his sister, even if it means following a floating pebble and finding a witch that he’s kind of scared of was a nice little journey. It didn’t have that horrifying intensity of some of the similar stories that I’ve read. But it still lent a sense of urgency to Simeon’s journey. The fact that cracks in his relationship with Wyatt begin to appear just helps lend this sense of surrealness and intensity to their adventure. Even if it is technically all about saving Simeon’s sister…
The reveal of the “bitter draught” at the end of this story is bittersweet. It’s not as tragic as I was expecting, but it is also quite sad. Mostly, this story serves as a reminder that sometimes the most painful thing in the world is just the truth. And that can be quite a bitter pill to swallow…
Title: In Case of Emergency, Break Glass Author: Erin Gough In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, LGBTQI Dates read: 20th April 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: She gazes at Reg, and Reg gazes back, and the force of her gaze makes Amy’s chest heave.
Amy can’t figure out why she just doesn’t feel… anything when she kisses her boyfriend. And then a fateful meeting on the job changes everything.
This was a nice, easy little read. One about discovering just what it is that makes you tick. Without being completely swept away in other, political, slightly more intense agendas. I love that it begins with Amy not quite understanding why Sam doesn’t make her excited by his kisses. And then ends with her finally finding someone who does. There is no real epiphany moment of being an LGBTQI+ person, but just a moment of, wow. So that’s what it should be like.
The combination of a young girl discovering her sexuality with the rebellious nature of Reg (the love interest) is kind of fun. There is great imagery of birds soaring free, doing what’s right even if it costs you your job… so many courageous moments that work so beautifully in this coming of age story. It’s not just about finding out who you are, it’s also about finding what you stand for. Which started to take centre stage a little for me.
I absolutely adored this short story. And I can’t wait to read more in this collection. I am also intrigued as to the amazing stories I’m sure Gough has the ability to construct… so I’ll probably try and hunt them out too.
Title: Rats Author:Marlee Jane Ward In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, LGBTQI, Romance Dates read: 7th April 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: She pings her card against the reader and the doors open for us with a burst of warm air.
She’s one of the Rats, those who live by their wits. But, on one of her adventures Up Above, she runs into a beautiful girl. One that she could just enjoy spending time with. Then all hell breaks loose as the Feds capture her friends and family…
This is the first short story in the Kindred collection. It is beautiful, simple and completely sweet. It is also a little different to what I expected with a whole new world created in the few pages of story. The fact that it’s also an LGBTQI+ lead who happens to be homeless… well, this short story deals with many minorities in a fantastic and entertaining manner.
There were so many things that I just loved about this short story. Smany of which I can’t quite figure out the words to describe… and many of which I just thoroughly enjoyed in and of themselves. This is a fast-paced, high action story in which falling for another girl isn’t that big a deal. It is about the first instances of attraction, rather than insta-love and I thought that that was fantastic. That instant attraction and need to know more about a person, without actually being in love with them is something that I really don’t think gets enough attention in many romances.
I can’t wait to read onwards in this collection. If this is the start of a collection of short stories… I can’t wait to see what the rest are like!
Title: In the Realm of Dragons Author: Esther M. Friesner In: The Mammoth Book of Dark Magic (Mike Ashley) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Dark fantasy, Dragons, LGBTQI, Magic Dates read: 9th March 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 1997 5th sentence, 74th page: Ryan sat at his father’s feet and looked up to see a taut jawline, a gaze fixed and fastened on Uncle Graham and Bill.
Ryan is trying to honour the memory of his estranged Uncle. Clutching a dragon figurine, he travels into the city to find the men who tore his life apart.
I actually really, really enjoyed this short story. Not only was it about the ostracization which can occur to an individual because of their LGBTQI+ status, the hatred towards minorities and the need for one person to make amends, it is also about dragons. Which I love. So the combination took me straight to my little happy place.
For starters, I loved that there was a blurring of lines between reality and imagination. Even at the end of this story, you’re not entirely sure if the dragons was there in reality, or whether it was all just hopeful imagination and revenge. There was great, powerful imagery with the use of dragons and figurines. The flicking back and forth between memory and present. Reality and dreams. I loved this mystic quality and the way it created an amazingly powerful storyline.
I also loved that this story featured a homosexual man. It was the cause of all of his tragedies, but it was nice to have a story that realistically and deeply investigated how ostracization due to your sexual orientation can destroy a life. Can rip and tear it apart in a way that is unexpected, powerful and potent. And, obviously, very tragically.
Title: The Double Blind Author: A.C. Wise In: The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk (Sean Wallace) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Dieselpunk, LGBTQI Dates read: 25th January 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 2015 5th sentence, 74th page: He was asking for it.
All Rachel wants to do is get revenge on the men who attacked her sister. But, a chance encounter and the warnings of her lover might change the kind of vigilante she chooses to be.
This was a freaking fantastic short story. Especially since it featured the LGBTQI+ world, something that is intriguing me more and more and I’m loving that I’m slowly finding more stories featured in this world.
Although for me, this was mostly about the club and its inhabitants, how they find acceptance and survive in a world against them, there was also the factor of revenge. And how do we seek revenge? Why? And when you’re seeking revenge are you doing it for someone else, or just to assuage your own guilt? There were so many questions bought up in this short story. Ones that left me seriously contemplating the world and my own responses long after I closed the final page. As I said, it was quite intense.
This is just an amazing short story. One that I can’t stop thinking about and thoroughly enjoyed. Definitely a perfect example of the themes and questions posed by a good Dieselpunk tale. Ones that I will continue to contemplate as the time passes, and I look forward to rereading this in the future.
Earth and Skye 