We Read All the Queer Books

Iron Widow: The Chosen Family That Slays Together, Stays Together

~Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao~ Have you ever wished the queer book you were reading had 500% more murder? Friends, let us introduce you to Iron Widow, a sci-fi epic inspired by Chinese history and folklore. It stars Wu Zetian, a young woman who’s favorite hobby is crushing the patriarchy with giant robots whilst laughing maniacally. Iron Widow also has two of our favorite male characters of all time and a beautiful love triangle (but like, the good gay kind, we promise). We loooove Iron Widow; it also breaks our usual ‘no gratuitous violence’ rule. Here are the trigger warnings from the front of the book: violence and abuse, suicide ideation, discussion and references to sexual assault (though no on-page depictions), alcohol addition, and torture. We do touch on all of these topics in our full review, though the spoiler-free review only has discussion of suicide ideation. For the spoiler-free review, stop around at 8:00 or when the drums kick in. Got book recommendations? Email us at wereadqueerbooks@gmail.com!

Six of Crows Duology: Healing Through Heisting

~Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo~ Meet Kaz Brekker, aka the leader of the Dregs gang, aka Dirtyhands, aka the Bastard of the Barrel, aka our favorite murderer. Oh, you’ve met Kaz? Well then he’s already stolen your wallet, your watch, and every one of your secrets. On the bright side, now there’s nothing to distract you from watching him and his crew pull off a series of increasingly impossible heists. These books are a masterclass in pacing and character development. They include 3 big heists, about 1000 mini heists, 6 fully fleshed out characters who each get their own healing journey, and multiple romances. ALL IN TWO BOOKS. We seriously can’t recommend these enough. For the spoiler-free review, stop around at 10:50 or when the drums kick in. Got book recommendations? Want Baz to answer all your questions in life? Email us at wereadqueerbooks@gmail.com!

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi: Ahoy, Me Gay-teys!

~The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty~ Come sail the high seas with Amina al-Sirafi, a legendary pirate captain who has come out of retirement for one final job! This is a story (within a story) of found family reuniting and creating safe and joyful spaces. It’s also an immensely fun, fast-paced adventure. It’s ALSO a history lesson about the Middle East and southwest Asia during the Middle Ages. For the spoiler-free review, stop listening at 13:15 or when the drums kick in. Got book recommendations? Email us at wereadqueerbooks@gmail.com!

Nona the Ninth: Everyone is Terrible and We Love Them

~Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir~ BEWARE - THERE BE SPOILERS HERE!! There is no spoiler-free review in this episode. Although we primarily talk about Nona the Ninth, there are also spoilers for Gideon and Harrow the Ninth. For a spoiler-free introduction to this series, check out our episode on Gideon the Ninth. In this episode, we nominate Baz for god 2024, a character as the bitch of our hearts, and this series as our #1 obsession. Got book recommendations/strong opinions about Griddlehark? Email us at wereadqueerbooks@gmail.com!

Harrow the Ninth: Brain Surgery is Easier than Grief

~Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir~ BEWARE - THERE BE SPOILERS HERE!! There is no spoiler-free review in this episode. Although we primarily talk about Harrow the Ninth, there are also spoilers for Gideon and Nona the Ninth. For a spoiler-free introduction to this series, check out our episode on Gideon the Ninth. In this episode, we pitch a necromantic reality show and confirm that we understood about 70% of what happened in this book but love it anyway. Got book recommendations/strong opinions about Griddlehark? Email us at wereadqueerbooks@gmail.com!