Summer Edition
Beach Reads
Check out these books that make perfect beach-reading material!One Last Stopby Casey McQuiston
Time traveling lesbians?! Sign me up! One Last Stop follows 23-year-old August as she tries to make life work in New York City, determined to be forever alone. Who needs friends or a love life? However, just as her funky new roommates are worming their way into her heart, she’s on her commute to her waitressing gig and sees Jane. Jane is charming, attractive, and punk rock, and she quickly captures August’s attention. Realizing she has the biggest crush on Jane, August tries to get closer but realizes that Jane isn’t just any old commuter. She’s somehow stuck on this train and has been since the ’70s. Will August figure out this mystery and save Jane from an eternity of the New York railway system?I devoured this while laying on a beach in Florida, and every time I’m on a beach, I think about August and Jane. They are beautifully written queer characters and are only one of two queer relationships featured in the novel. This stand-alone is one of my favorite LGBTQ+ pieces of media, and even just one of my favorite books in general. One Last Stop made for a perfect summer read. It is witty, light, fantastical, and dramatic; everything a good beach read should be.—Syd Morgan, Books Editor
After enduring a painful divorce and resultant financial woes, Dahlia Woodson signs up for Chef’s Special, a reality-TV cooking show along the lines of Top Chef. Unfortunately, her dreams of reality-TV stardom and delivering a faceful of FOMO to her ex goes out the window when her natural clumsiness kicks in on camera: she trips and falls spectacularly on her face, launching her fish tacos and her dignity into the wind. London Parker is Chef’s Special’s first openly nonbinary contestant. They’re trying so hard to be a respectable representative for their community—whose skills and smarts will show up all the online trolls taking potshots at their identity. Falling in love with the very uncoordinated fish taco lady is not part of the bargain. The conflict isn’t the most intense, but Kelly makes up for that with deeply written emotion, a warm sense of humor, and a groundbreaking character in London. As far as I know, this is the first nonbinary primary love interest in a romance novel released by one of the major New York publishers. After you finish Syd’s recommendation above, continue on the queer romance train with this beachy fun read.
Love & Other Disastersby Anita Kelly
After enduring a painful divorce and resultant financial woes, Dahlia Woodson signs up for Chef’s Special, a reality-TV cooking show along the lines of Top Chef. Unfortunately, her dreams of reality-TV stardom and delivering a faceful of FOMO to her ex goes out the window when her natural clumsiness kicks in on camera: she trips and falls spectacularly on her face, launching her fish tacos and her dignity into the wind. London Parker is Chef’s Special’s first openly nonbinary contestant. They’re trying so hard to be a respectable representative for their community—whose skills and smarts will show up all the online trolls taking potshots at their identity. Falling in love with the very uncoordinated fish taco lady is not part of the bargain. The conflict isn’t the most intense, but Kelly makes up for that with deeply written emotion, a warm sense of humor, and a groundbreaking character in London. As far as I know, this is the first nonbinary primary love interest in a romance novel released by one of the major New York publishers. After you finish Syd’s recommendation above, continue on the queer romance train with this beachy fun read. —Tracy Fernandez Rysavy, Driftwood Advisor