June Pride TBR | BuzzwordAThon & SummerAThon!

[@BooksandLala]

So many interesting books! Thanks so much for planning to participate in Buzzwordathon!!

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

OMG YOUR SHIRT IS MY FAVOURITE THING EVER

[@meltotheany]

Thank you so much for participating in Summerathon! I love this TBR more than words! And I love your top maybe even more than that! Happy reading, love! 💖xx

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

Thank you, thank you! And it was so awesome to meet you at BookExpo/BookCon by the way ❤️

[@MatthewReadsAndWrites]

Great video, CeCe! The only book I've read out of all of the one's you're hoping to read is "Red, White & Royal Blue" and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! It was sweet, sexy, funny and absolutely amazing! For this month, I've read a one LGBTQ+ book so far and I have a few more that I want to read. Here's the full list: 1) The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins-Reid (READ) 2) A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee 3) Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro 4) I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver 5) We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra I'm really excited about all of these! Happy Pride Month! Regards, Matthew JAM Entertainment Channel

[@sammymiller9958]

I just finished The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (per your recommendation) and I absolutely loved it!!!!! Definitely an all-time favorite book. As a bi person, the representation is so, so good and it was such an easy book to devour. I would have never picked it up if you didn't give it such rave reviews and I'm so thankful I did get to it in the end. So, thank you! :)

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

I'm so glad to hear to you liked this book ❤️❤️

[@JesseOnYoutube]

I LOVED KINGS QUEENS AND IN BETWEENS OMG OMGOMG!!!!

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

I was JUST watching your review of this on Instagram and it got me even more hyped to jump into this book!! ❤️

[@bardsonly6069]

Managed to get my hands on the library copy of "wish you all the best" and I am very excited, though nervous coming off of the light wonderfulness that was "to night owl from dogfish" Getting queer books from the library while my only option at the moment can be a bit of a risk but thus far everything I've managed to get home has been well worth the stress.

[@mcrbus94]

I've been hearing so much about Red White and Royal Blue! I really need to pick up a copy!

[@illogically.elyssa]

You asked for perfect is really good!

[@metamorphoses8928]

I'm also reading only LGBTQ+ books in June! so far I've read the true queen by Zen Cho and The outside by Ada Hoffmann which both have MCs who are queer girls. Then I've read autoboyography by Christina Lauren and We are the ants by Shaun David Hutchinson and I'm not over it yet! Still on my TBR we have The poison song by Jen Williams, magic for liars by Sarah Gailey, the city in the middle of the night by Jane Sanders, the tea master and the detective by Aliette de bodard and finally a big ship at the edge of the universe by Alex White! It's a great reading month so far 🌌❤️

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

Oh I'm obsessed with both what you've read and your TBR. This sounds like an amazing month's worth of reading.

[@KappaBooks]

Hopefully I'll finally get to The Love And Lies of Rukhsana Ali this month!

[@lifefullofwords]

The cover of Tell Me How You Really Feel makes me so happy! I’m definitely going to have to check it out. 😊

[@salmakhamis5135]

i am currently re reading all for the game series it's one of my favs queer and just ughh perfect

[@justisgift6345]

Oh, I'm reading Red white and royal blue right now.

[@leadinglady]

Your shirt is giving me LIFE. Also, adding I Hope You Get This Message to my 2019 anticipated releases shelf immediately!

[@CendaquentaBooks]

Ooh, I hadn't heard of Summerathon - I think I'll try it out! Can think of a few books right off the top of my head that would fit. I just started reading _An Unkindness of Ghosts_ today. I'm not very far in, so not sure what I think of it yet. I am autistic so both very excited about and extremely wary of the representation. (Desperate for more amazing autie characters, but oh boy, been burned before.)

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

I would love to hear what you think when you finish the book! I have read a few ownvoices reviews of the book that have been very positive in regards to the autism rep, but I am always looking to hear more voices and thoughts 💖💖

[@thebugbear]

So far in June I've read We Set the Dark on Fire and Summer of Salt, which are both queer. I'm on the waitlist for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo at my library and I hope it gets to me this month! I'm not reading exclusively LGBTQ+ books this month but I have picked up the first two off of people's Queer Lit Readathon TBRs.

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

I haven't read We Set the Dark on Fire or Summer of Salt but they've both come so highly recommended to me! I am planning on getting to them eventually because they both sound fantastic. I hope you end up getting to Evelyn Hugo, it's an all-time favorite of mine.

[@thebugbear]

@@ProblemsofaBookNerd I read each of them in one day! :'D Evelyn Hugo was one of the books I kept seeing everywhere this year but after I saw you loved it so much I finally bit the bullet and got myself on the huge waiting list for it.

[@pucksandpaperbacks]

Good luck with your reading! You Asked for Perfect is on my buzzwordathon tbr too!

[@TheKasiaLin]

I'm also going to read "Red, White & Royal Blue" this month and I'm reading it for a queer readathon that's happening in my country (Poland) so I'm super excited. I've been waiting to get this book in my hands for weeks now.

[@amy8458]

I've read three of these. You Asked For Perfect Small Town Hearts and Red White and Royal Blue. I liked You Asked For Perfect much better then Radio Silence. The mental health rep was there but not so intense that my own anxiety was triggered. The Jewish, family, and bi rep was great to. I'm a foodie so loved Small Town Hearts. The setting was its own character which I always enjoy. Red White and Royal Blue was fabulous and put my hope back in politics. I was able to meet Casey Maquiston the other day at a book signing and she's great. As a bi woman all three of these books made my heart so happy with their proper rep. So much so that I felt empowered to wear the bi flag colors for the first time during Pride Month this year.

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

I'm so glad that you felt so empowered by these stories, that makes me so incredibly happy ❤️❤️❤️

[@amy8458]

Thanks for the reply CeCe. It means a lot. Do you follow Chelsea from chelsadoollingReads? I found her via your channel. Red White and Royal Blue is her favorite book so far this year. We both live in LA and I met her at the Casey Maquiston signing to.

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

Yes, I adore Chelsea! I met her a couple of times at BookExpo and she's the best. I have heard her rave about how much she loves RW&RB so I'm hoping that I agree with that passion. And it's so exciting you got to meet Casey! They seem like the coolest person.

[@amy8458]

I think one of the things that helps your enjoyment of RW&RB is how much political escapism you need. Also earlier this year I met Samantha Allen. Besides being subscribed to you and Danika It's been nice that Chelsea is local because she pointed me to my first two book events. My husband comes along for help because of my disabilities. He only reads comic books and graphic novels.. He''s curious about RW&RB though.

[@bookishnymph8533]

You always have such happy energy! Whenever I watch your videos I realize I need to up my queer reading game! So many books!!!

[@mrgreenleafx]

I'm planning to get through Proud by Juno Dawson this month because I don't think there's any other book that screams "pride" more than this + I hope to meet Juno Dawson at YALC in July! 😊

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

That should be awesome! I haven't read Proud yet but everything I've heard makes it seem fantastic, and Juno is such an awesome person.

[@melissaharlow2481]

I'm excited for Red, White and Royal Blue.

[@tay_rolling]

I just finished I Wish You All the Best and it was AMAZINGGGGGGGG. Just beautiful and heart warming❤️❤️

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

Yay, I'm so glad you loved it! It's definitely a new favorite of all time for me.

[@kiraironskin]

Red white and Royal Blue is the next book I am gonna read^^ for the Rest of the month I picked Call me by Your name and maybe I can also get to Once and Future. You asked for perfect has been on my TBR for quite some time now, I really should hurry up and read it. Thx for the video. You always pick very interesting books 😊

[@Dmfriend26]

I'm reading Check Please. I'll be doing a video on it this weekend. I also want to read Hold My Hand by Michael Barakiva and I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver this month.

[@ginnybair2533]

I just finished Anne Choma's Gentleman Jack (the companion book to the series) and I can't rec it strongly enough! If anyone likes history and wants some wonderfully gay biographical nonfiction, Anne Lister will provide it. Now I'll have to see about checking out some of these!

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

I have had this one on my TBR for a bit! I really want to read it, and I cannot believe my lesbian self has not watched the series yet because I've been obsessed with Anne Lister for YEARS and I'm ready to fully love it.

[@ginnybair2533]

@@ProblemsofaBookNerd Ahh the show is equally amazing! You'll love it! I forced myself to read the book slowly to enjoy it alongside each episode but since they're all out now, I have a feeling you may not want to do that. Once you start, you'll never want to stop XD

[@Seolhe]

I haven't read any of these, but a few of them are definitely ones I'd like to pick up eventually! I did start reading An Unkindness of Ghosts a while back, but I couldn't quite get into it and put it aside for the time being, but it's my intention to get back to it when the time is right. I'm trying to read all queer books too this month. Working my way through The House of Impossible Beauties, Wild Beauty and a reread of The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (on audiobook this time). I also just read Heavy Vinyl on your recommendation and really enjoyed it!

[@Juli6SS]

I feel like an odd one, because Red White and Royal Blue was such a huge disappointment for me. It just felt overly sweet and flat. I'm so sad, I was so sure that I would love it😭

[@micky1390]

Red, White & Royal Blue is everything. i hope you love it as much as i did. good luck with all your reading! Tea Dragon Festival does have a nonbinary MC. it's that person on the cover of the book! there's also sign language in the book. it's so good.

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

Yessss, I'm so glad. I made sure to look up the full rep after I filmed this video to be sure I wasn't mis-remembering things and I'm thrilled to hear that sign language is used as well! I hadn't seen that yet.

[@frannieforthoughts9527]

Small town hearts!! That one is on my tbr 😍 I’m also trying to read all queer books this month! I started with Red White and Royal blue and it was SO. GOOD!!! I can’t stop thinking about it! Now I’m reading Our own private universe bu Robin Talley and On a sunbeam by Tillie Walden. Not sure what other books I’ll read next but the only one that’s sure is Release by Patrick Ness!

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

I just barely finished On a Sunbeam and I'm OBSESSED with it. It is probably my new favorite graphic novel of all time. And I would love to hear your thoughts on Our Own Private Universe and Release when you read them! I had mixed feelings on both so I'm curious how others feel.

[@ACourtofCrownsandQuills]

Aw CeCe! I’m so happy you’re participating in summerathon (this is Amy, btw!) There are a few books on your TBR I am thinking about including in mine too. I keep changing up my TBR haha. Also it was so nice to meet you at BEA (we were in line for Mooncakes.) I hope you have a great reading month and good luck with the readathons! 💜

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

It was so great to meet you too! I'm so excited to see what you end up deciding to read haha

[@evies.1018]

Yesss I’m so excited for If It Makes You Happy!!! As a chubby ace girl, it hits a lot of the things I’m interested in!! I’m also reading Vengeance for an ace lead too!!

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

I hope you love Vengeance! I'm so excited to read that one eventually, I'm sure I'm going to love it.

[@evies.1018]

@@ProblemsofaBookNerd Victor being ace makes me extra happy because in a story I'm working on, I also have a character named Victor who is on the ace/aro spectrum!!

[@HannahCassieBooks]

The more queer books the better!

[@BooksWaffles]

Red, White & Royal Blue was such a joy to read

[@paigeburns3226]

I just finished Shatter the Sky, which has a bi main character, and I saw you had added it on Goodreads. PICK IT UP WHEN IT COMES OUT.

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

I'm DEFINITELY planning on it. That book is like ridiculously up my alley and I'm so glad to have heard a solid review.

[@paigeburns3226]

@@ProblemsofaBookNerd the world gives me A:TLA vibes and the main character being bi is Not A Big Deal and there are dragons and I just. Ugh. *chef's kiss*

[@smallseal17]

Damn, planning to get the most out of June and no mistake.

[@mackenziebrynnrap]

Ah that ghost one sounds awesome I’ll have to check that out! I’m only doing queer books too this month (granted I’m like you and I think we mostly do queer books because duh lol) and I’m on Carry On right now! Which I know is not own voices but I gotta read it. And I’m a mood reader so I’ll have to get back to you on the rest, or maybe I’ll actually get my shiz together and make a video when I’m done cuz I’m so behind on video making but lol! Love to you! ❤️

[@sevgibostanci5876]

Omg it's so not fair here in the UK tell me how you really feel releases in July I so can't wait. I hope you enjoy it ♥️

[@dylanisreviewing]

i hope you get this message sounds so amazing what the FUCK

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

I was WAITING for you to comment because I desperately need this book to be like We Are the Ants

[@madelynstrauss3764]

I swear this is the last thing! 😂I want to read more queer lit, but I don’t much like contemporary in general. So do you have any suggestions for queer lit that contain darker tones as well as more Victorian settings?

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

Definitely! Do you like sci-fi and fantasy? Because I definitely have more recommendations there. But as far as darker tones in queer lit, I would recommend We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson (dark contemporary with a bit of a sci-fi element), Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (lyrically written historical fiction), Radical by E.M. Kokie (weird, dark, thrilling YA contemporary that has a sort of undetermined time period and I love it), and Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (fantasy that deals with a lot of heavy topics throughout the series, multiple books have queer leads). Also try reading some of Ashley Herring-Blake's work! She's written a lot of middle grade but her YA tends to deal with much heavier themes and is really excellent. For adult stuff, try Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly (a world inspired by the cabaret world of the 30s/40s with espionage and two queer leads), Small Beauty by Jia Qing Wilson-Yang (quiet, introspective fiction set in Canada about a mixed race trans woman dealing with loss and identity), House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara (historical fiction set in the 80s about the Harlem ball scene), and Peter Darling by Austin Chant (a retelling/sequel to Peter Pan in which Peter is a trans guy who returns to Neverland as an adult to find it darker than he left it, features a m/m romance). I don't really have anything Victorian to recommend, because I don't really read much in that time period, but Sarah Waters is a great author to look into if that's what you're after. And if you go a little past that time period, The Diviners series by Libba Bray starts in the 1920s and is supposed to be very creepy plus the series gets queerer as you go along. Hope all of these help!

[@madelynstrauss3764]

ProblemsofaBookNerd Thank you so much! I will definitely check these books out. I have read one of these titles. Every Heart A Doorway, and I loved it. I have also read Down Among the Sticks and Bones and Beneath The Sugar Sky; and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them.

[@madelynstrauss3764]

Is the ‘Hogwarts Library’ book new? I absolutely love it! I think it’s gorgeous. Especially the golden gilde on red, it makes it really pop.

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

It isn't, but I stand in front of it most of the time so it hasn't been as visible :) But I absolutely love how it looks, it is such a gorgeous little box set!

[@evies.1018]

The beach read has the prince of Wales on the cover 😂🐳 I apologize for the pun

[@emforsyth2100]

I’m so glad I read Red White & Royal Blue before it got the insane hype it has now because I LOVED it so much but I also barely knew anything about it so I didn’t have expectations. I honestly don’t know how I would have felt about it if I read it now 😅 cause hype can really influence my expectations for things and then I can end up feeling disappointed Also I really didn’t like Kings Queens and In-Betweens which made me sad. The romance is between a 17 year old and a like 21 year old which made me uncomfy. And I really didn’t like how they handled this once character who is I’m assuming trans but it’s really not made clear or explained properly at all 😕

[@madelynstrauss3764]

Also, do you have any suggestions for LGBT+ radio stations on Pandora? I’m really wanting to expose myself more to the LGBT+ community.

[@ProblemsofaBookNerd]

Sorry, I don't unfortunately. I haven't really been on Pandora much in the past few years. I would definitely say to seek out queer artists and maybe create stations based on them? Hayley Kiyoko, Janelle Monae, Troye Sivan, Mary Lambert, Tyler Glenn, Tegan and Sara, Kehlani, Dodie, Shura, Halsey, and Mal Bloom are just a few of my favorites to get you started.