
5 On My TBR is a weekly meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook. Every week, we get to rave about 5 books on our TBRs that fit the prompt, and this week’s prompt is…
Recc’d by a Friend.
I confess I don’t have a ton of friends who enjoy reading, so this was a bit difficult for me. (Hint hint — let’s be friends and chat about books!) However, I did eventually manage to pull together a list. If you’re curious, click on the cover picture for a goodreads link, and please also consider checking out the people who’ve steered me towards these books! They’re pretty awesome, in my humble opinion.
Check, Please! Book One: Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu
This graphic novel was recommended to me by Sarah @ Suits of Stories!
This will be a re-read for me, because I stumbled across the webcomic a few years ago. I read as far as Book Three, but during the wait for Book Four I drifted away and forgot to come back to it. I remember absolutely loving this story, which is as warm and sweet as a freshly-baked blueberry pie. The main character, Bitty, is a closeted gay man who goes to college with a sports scholarship for ice hockey. The relationships (both platonic and romantic) that he forms with his teammates give him the courage to be his authentic self.
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
This novel was recommended to me by Ahaana @ Windows to Worlds!
These Violent Delights has been getting a lot hype as a Romeo and Juliet re-telling set in 1926 Shanghai. Do I know anything about it beyond that? Nope. However, I trust Ahaana’s judgement, so I’m bumping this up on my TBR.
Again, but Better by Christine Riccio
This novel was recommended to me by Lil Sushi Roll @ Twirling Pages!
Shane has a boring life in college where she pursues nothing beyond the bounds of academic achievement. She signs up for a semester abroad in London, and is determined to use this fresh start to actually have a social life. But once in the UK, self-doubt starts to creep in, and her new life begins crumbling before her eyes…
I feel connected to Shane already; my first attempt at college sounds very similar to Shane’s friendless bubble of academia, though my own self-reinvention did not involve a trans-Atlantic adventure. Lil Sushi Roll has said this is a very sweet, happy book, and I’m really excited to see Shane learn how to be happy and true to herself.
Asegi Stories: Cherokee Queer and Two-Spirit Memory by Qwo-li Driskill
This nonfiction book was recommended to me by my friend Kris (he drew my chibi icon!) when I realized I needed to do some Gender Identity Introspection. I am not even remotely Cherokee, but I am extremely curious about this book.
Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough
This poetic, historical book was recommended to me by R., who is my favorite non-blogging bookish friend.
Artemisia Gentileschi was a real-life historical figure, and was famous for being a female artist (traditionally a male profession) in 15th century Italy. Blood Water Paint shows how she discovered her passion and struggled to be seen as possessing individual talent rather than just imitating her father (who was also an artist). Artemisia’s story is interspersed with the biblical narratives that inspired her artwork. TW for misogyny, sexual assault, as well as torture in a court of law.
And that’s all! I hope you found some interesting books on this list to add to your own TBRs.
Kris and R. are both very talented artists, so please consider checking out their artwork via the above links and commissioning or donating to them if you can!
i loved these violent delights!! it was such a good retelling, i hope you like it too!
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Thank you! I’m very excited for it as well š
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Nice list! Check Please is pretty wholesome, and I’ve heard so much about These Violent Delights. Happy reading!
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Thank you! I’m really excited to re-read Check, Please! Tater is my favorite character, haha.
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ahaha I love Tater, Ransom, bitty and jack are my faves š
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I’m adding the 4 books that I haven’t read to my TBR list! Great post, Jess!
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Thank you! I’m so happy you helped me find Again, But Better!
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Iām meaning to read These Violent Delights this month too!
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Check, Please! is one of my absolute favorite graphic novels!
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ahh i’m SO happy to see these violent delights on this list!! it definitely blew me away, and i can’t wait to read your thoughts on it!! i loved this post so much!! š
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Thank you so much for recommending it! I had been seeing These Violent Delights all over booktube, but your recommendation gave me the push I needed to add it to my TBR — and I’m so glad I did!
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Hi Jessica, I loved reading about these wonderful recommendations! I NEED to read These Violent Delights, such a great post! šš
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Thank you! I really enjoyed talking with these friends and collecting recommendations to present here ⤠And you’re 100% correct, reading These Violent Delights is a necessity!
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Thank you for including me in this ⤠I definitely added some more books to my TBR!
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You’re the first friend I made in the book blogging world — how could I not include you??? but I’m so so happy you found some new books to check out!
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You were my first blogging friend too and I really value your friendship ā¤ļøā¤ļø
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