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Ep. 6: Lit Recs: LGBTQ+ Heritage Month

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Join Amanda and Kelsey on Lit Vibes Only as they celebrate LGBTQ+ Heritage Month with their Lit Recs episode, featuring book recommendations that highlight LGBTQ+ voices and experiences. Dive into diverse reads like 'Detransition Baby,' 'Red, White, and Royal Blue,' 'A Dash of Salt and Pepper,' and 'The House in the Cerulean Sea’.

Be sure to follow our logo designer @artmasiah on Instagram to check out more of his amazing art (and maybe commission a work for yourself!).


Follow us on TikTok & Youtube @litvibesonlypodcast and on Instagram @litvibesonly_podcast. We'd love to hear from you!

See you on Mondays!

Episode 5: Lit Recs: LGBTQ+ History Month
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[00:00:00] 

[00:00:05] Amanda: Welcome back to Lit Vibes Only where we lit the shit out of books we love and hate. I'm Amanda. And I'm Kelsey. And we're so glad that you're back for another episode. This is going to be our Lit Rex episode for LGBTQ plus history month. So welcome.

[00:00:23] Kelsey: . Follow us on we're on Instagram at lit vibes, only underscore podcast. I've gotten hang of this and YouTube and take talk at lit vibes, only podcast. You may also email us at live vibes, only podcast at gmail. com. We are also still offering , the first 50 positive reviews that we get on any major platform. Which typically is Spotify or Apple, a free sticker that we will send you in the mail. And Amanda, do you have them [00:01:00] nearby?

[00:01:00] Amanda: Actually, 

[00:01:01] Kelsey: our 

[00:01:01] Amanda: stickers? I don't, unfortunately. , but you can go to our Instagram and you can see pictures of what these stickers look like. It's essentially, it's our logo, but like in sticker form. 

[00:01:13] Kelsey: Yeah. It's super cute. , again, shout out to your brother who created that. 

[00:01:18] Amanda: Yes. Follow him at art Messiah on Instagram.

[00:01:22] Amanda: He's one of our, 

[00:01:23] Kelsey: , fearless, , what do I want to say followers, fearless followers. ,

[00:01:28] Kelsey: so in order to do the positive review, , all you have to do is do the positive review on again, Apple, Spotify, or any major, , platform for podcasts, and then send us the review via one of our socials or Gmail. And then we will send you your sticker. Make sure when you reach out, you're also giving us your address so that we can send it.

[00:01:52] Kelsey: All right. Absolutely. I'm moving all over the place, but now. We are going into our [00:02:00] job of the day, which again, if you are new to us and are not part of book talk, this is where we share our drink of the day, our outfit of the day, and our book of the day. Yes. So Amanda, would you like to do the honors? 

[00:02:16] Amanda: I would love to.

[00:02:17] Amanda: And, , I, I feel like this, this lovely water jug is going to make so many appearances on this podcast because it's very cute for those of you who are listening and not watching it's pink. And, , I take it with me pretty much everywhere. I am one of those people primarily because I like don't drink enough water.

[00:02:35] Amanda: And this is one way to make sure that that happens. So got a lot of water in here. I'm Staying hydrated. So I've got water with me. , my outfit of the day, this will surprise absolutely no one, but I'm wearing yet another t shirt. , this one actually is a Columbia university t shirt and, , it's my dad's Alma mater.

[00:02:57] Amanda: So rep in his Alma mater. It's the other [00:03:00] reason why I own it is because I shop a lot at TJ Maxx and Marshall's and for whatever reason, they often have Columbia university gear. Like I literally just bought a Columbia university sweatshirt the other day from Marshall's. So, , it's just also so happens to me, my dad's Alma mater.

[00:03:16] Amanda: So it's great. , and then my book of the day, which, , is a book I'm about to start reading. I have not started yet. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Atessa Mosvig. I believe I pronounced that correctly. And to my understanding, the book is about like this young woman who kind of has it all. , she lives in New York.

[00:03:37] Amanda: She's, you know, beautiful and wealthy and well educated, but she has, she's in a rough spot and she has decided to basically sleep for a year, basically like go into a year of hibernation. And I'm excited to read it because I've had several. Friends read it in my like book circle and they've had mixed reviews and I kind of like what that happens because it makes it [00:04:00] all the more intriguing for me.

[00:04:01] Amanda: So I'll keep you all posted. Which is why we have this podcast. 

[00:04:07] Kelsey: We like that we have different reviews. We love that we 

[00:04:10] Amanda: have different opinions and different tastes. 

[00:04:12] Kelsey: That is why we are here. Yes. , nice. Thank you. I , where do I start? Oh, we started drink of the day. I'm getting all mixed up today. I'm like, Oh, I don't know what is going on.

[00:04:22] Kelsey: , so I, in light of celebrating LGBTQ plus, , is it history month? Right. , I wanted to make a colorful rainbow drink, which was the attempt of this. So at the bottom you have the, I don't like a artificial like flavoring and stuff.

[00:04:40] Kelsey: So I try like it, the recipe showed me what to do for the art with artificial, like flavorings and stuff. But right now I have like the tart cherry juice, you know, that they say is like helpful to go to Then you have, , or I have orange juice. Okay. And then I actually put, what is it? , tonic water at the top, but [00:05:00] I use these like natural food coloring.

[00:05:05] Kelsey: Cause you can not get anything blue. Like that is in drink form. Like, I'm like, was looking at the store and I was like, , there's literally nothing. And so I don't know if this is going to taste good at all. But I'm going to try it. All right. Kelsey's rainbow concoction. But now it's turning a little deep.

[00:05:27] Kelsey: It's more like pinkish. Yeah, no, you've mixed it. 

[00:05:31] Amanda: All right, here goes. Taste test. Lit it or quit it. Love it or hate it. I don't love it or hate it. It's 

[00:05:39] Kelsey: kind of mid. Okay. All right. That's yummy. It's all right. 

[00:05:44] Amanda: All right. I like that we have this creativity going on with your mock choice. It's fun. 

[00:05:47] Kelsey: Yeah. ? No, for my outfit of the day, I'm wearing that Vori sweater.

[00:05:53] Kelsey: Oh yeah. Mm-Hmm. . Did I wear 

[00:05:54] Amanda: this before? I feel like talked about that. You wore it last month I think. No, because we were talking about how cozy it was. [00:06:00] I'm pretty sure. And you like bought it for your honeymoon. Yes. We on the plane. Yes. Yeah, yeah. Yes, yes, yes. 

[00:06:05] Kelsey: , and then my book. Of the day, I am getting in the mail, this book that I had to find from a, I don't know what they're called, like, just like kind of like an Etsy seller.

[00:06:21] Kelsey: That's someone that is like selling a book that already went out of print. Oh, and the, the, , author Penn Cole is a, Switching to a more well known publisher and so they stopped selling the book and now they're like switching over and I think the books are coming out again in December. But it is a four part series and the fourth book is not out yet.

[00:06:48] Kelsey: And so they're going to be publishing with this new publisher. So I started spark of the ever flame and it's a fantasy book and, , it's been all over Tik TOK recently, and I [00:07:00] just wanted to get into this world. And I read the first book and loved it. And then I realized that. She was switching over to a new publisher.

[00:07:08] Kelsey: I was like, what the fuck? You can't get these books anywhere. And so then I had to find it online. Like for people who were like, knew this was happening and bought a bunch of books and then now is selling them online. I was like, great. And so I was able to find the third one. on Amazon because they still had copies or something.

[00:07:30] Kelsey: And the second one I had to buy through someone who just had the books and 

[00:07:36] Amanda: that's like a lot of effort. I hope it's worth it. It was serious. 

[00:07:39] Kelsey: I really liked the first one. You would not like it. I already know you would not like it. , I liked the first one. I read it in like two days. It's super easy read.

[00:07:48] Kelsey: , yeah, really liked the characters. , , I won't get into it, but anyway, I am starting to read glow by, , glow of the ever flame by hen Cole. Awesome. 

[00:07:59] Amanda: [00:08:00] Wow. Anytime anyone's going to those great lengths to obtain a book, even if it's like not something I would read, I have mad respect for that.

[00:08:07] Amanda: Like that's, that's very cool. Okay. Okay. So yeah, this is our October lit recs episode and we are celebrating. LGBTQ plus history month., essentially this month we are celebrating the history of the LGBTQ plus community, , including their contributions, LGBTQ plus events and, , revolutionary icons.

[00:08:29] Amanda: And it also, , recognizes the history of the gay rights movement. So, , in honor of LGBTQ plus. History month, we're going to be sharing a couple books , , that tell stories of the LGBTQ plus community uplift and celebrate their experiences. And, , as we said last month in our first lit wrecks episode, something that's really important to both of us is to share and celebrate, , voices of groups of [00:09:00] people who are often silenced or marginalized or oppressed.

[00:09:04] Amanda: And so we really hope that our lovely Lit Vibes Only community members will be encouraged to check out some of these books and authors and expand their worldview and their perspectives a bit. , so Kelsey, why don't you jump right in? Thank you. You're so kind. , why don't you jump right in with your first book?

[00:09:25] Amanda: Tell us all about it. 

[00:09:26] Kelsey: Yes. Okay. So as a reminder, Amanda and I live in the Seattle area and Yesterday, I was out and about in the Fremont area and, , I knew that we were doing this episode and I had been like thinking through all the books that I, that had like LGBTQ plus representation. , but I wasn't like feeling any of them for this recommendation because they just were like either side characters or just, , not like a main focus or the author [00:10:00] themselves , don't necessarily like actively promote, , This diversity.

[00:10:04] Kelsey: So I just randomly came across this bookstore and I think it's fairly new. Like I don't have you, I've never, I've 

[00:10:11] Amanda: never 

[00:10:11] Kelsey: seen it in Fremont. So it must've been, and it's on the main strip in Fremont and it's called Charlie's. , and I have, this is just a free plug, Charlie's. I would love for you to, , get some, , clientele if they're out there, but Charlie's, they gave me a bunch of bookmarks. And, , it says queer books and gag worthy gifts. You can follow them at Charlie's queer books. , and I walked in and I was like, , I can find some books in here. It was just like, so. I love it when life does that to you. Yeah. , what is that called? Serendipitous. Thank you.

[00:10:47] Kelsey: That's the word I'm looking for. Serendipitous. And so I was looking and looking through their books and I came across this one, a dash of salt and pepper, which is a romance book, [00:11:00] which I like to try to stay in my recs of like romance and fantasy. , because that's fun. And you say in your. Genre mostly.

[00:11:08] Kelsey: And, , you're going to hate this cover. 

[00:11:12] Amanda: I mean, it looks like a romance cover. So 

[00:11:14] Kelsey: I know the romance covers, like, honestly, they used to be so awful. And, , they're still awful, but no, they're not the same. 

[00:11:24] Amanda: Because also, also, 

[00:11:26] Kelsey: also, yeah, also romance. You to only be like the Fabio type like muscles Yeah. On the cover.

[00:11:34] Kelsey: Mm-Hmm. , like those types of men in these books. And I'm so glad that, like, romance has gotten a new vibe. . That's right. , I don't know how long that has been the case, but it's been more of a, a modern take. , I feel like more recently. . And anyway, that's how we have these covers, covers like this 

[00:11:54] Kelsey: they go real hard to like the theme, you know, because they are both working in a [00:12:00] kitchen in this book. And so anyway, I will go into the author first. His name is Kosoko Jackson and I'm learning a little bit about him. He writes YA, but also some adult, , adult fiction. And he's. , written romance, but also sci fi .

[00:12:18] Kelsey: And, , I hope I haven't read this book yet. , but I would love to read some of his other books. He, , because some of them are sci fiction, right. And I saw on his website. One that looked quite intriguing. And so, , he grew up in the DC metro area. So he's, , from the United States and his debut release was called yesterday in history, and that just came out in 2021.

[00:12:47] Kelsey: So he's a relatively new author. , I think he works in the, in media, , And then does, , writing on the side and, , he's well known for being like a vocal champion for diverse [00:13:00] characters. And so, , all great things that we're looking at this month. And so. To dive into what a dash of salt and pepper is, I'm going to start with the tropes, , that I know are in this book that we've got enemies to lovers.

[00:13:16] Kelsey: We've got forced proximity. , there's also it's slight age gap in this one. I normally don't like an age gap when we're talking about like contemporary fiction because But it, it just depends. Okay. And, , it's also grumpy sunshine. I don't know what that means.

[00:13:34] Kelsey: And so, so that means the, , two lovers are, one is a grumpy person. Oh, got it. One is all sunshine. Got it. Love that is like a big trope in, , romance. And so all of those really are. And so basically the two main characters, one Javier, he's down on his luck and he has to move back to his hometown in Maine, which [00:14:00] has like about 9, 000, , , people in it, which is small.

[00:14:04] Kelsey: Right. And which is why it's in a small town setting needs a job and starts working for this chef who is a single father, , who owns this restaurant. And he's also really desperate for help. And his name is Logan. So Logan and Javier are the two main characters and, , it goes on from there and they find out whether or not they are.

[00:14:28] Kelsey: made for each other or they're a little too different to be lovers. So, , I'm excited about this read. Things are going to get spicy in the kitchen. Exactly. Romance. It's so funny how romance novels do this, but yeah, if they very much lean into the theme, it's like that is so important. , it's hilarious, but, , so that's the first one.

[00:14:51] Kelsey: And I'm excited to read a new author that I, I have, I just discovered. Nice. Awesome. 

[00:14:58] Amanda: Great. Thanks Kelsey. And I, yeah, I love [00:15:00] the, the, , inclusion of, , for folks who are in Seattle, , or nearby, , Oh yeah. A local, a local bookstore that we can go out and support. So thanks for including that. That's great.

[00:15:09] Amanda: So my first book, , I, as with a lot of books, , is something that I read, , with my book club a couple of years ago, and the name of this book is detransition baby by Tori Peters. And one of the things that we really tried to do in my book club and also here on lit vibes only is read, , a wide range of, of stories.

[00:15:33] Amanda: authors, perspectives, lived experiences, et cetera. And so, , we deliberately chose this book because we realized in our book club, we hadn't ever read a story that centered on, , trans folks, trans people. And so Tori Peters, , is a trans woman. , she's got her MFA from the university of Iowa and also has a master's.

[00:15:55] Amanda: And, And complete and comparative literature from Dartmouth. , and in addition to [00:16:00] authoring this novel, the transition baby, she's also written a couple of novellas as well. , including infect your friends, loved ones, and the masker. I have only ever read the transition baby, so I have not, , read her other things, but based on the transition baby, I would assume that they're also great books to check out.

[00:16:20] Amanda: , and. You know, there's actually not a lot of books, especially not a lot of, popular books or are well known books that center on trans characters. And so when this book came out, there was certainly a lot of chatter happening. , And it really kind of stoked the fires of the, you know, the quote unquote trans debate happening in our country and other places around the world.

[00:16:47] Amanda: And it's really interesting because, , Tori Peters has stated like that was not at all her intention. And writing the book. And I found this quote from her, , in an interview with the Guardian, where she stated, quote, [00:17:00] at the time when I was writing, I didn't know it would have this kind of response. I was just thinking about what was going to be funny for my friends and what was pertinent to our lives.

[00:17:09] Amanda: Unquote. So, , she very much was like, you know, I want to write about what life is like as a trans person and what it's like for me and for those in my community. And like, this is not in any way, , me trying to make any sort of statement. It's just like, this is my life. , and I really like that because I know for me, and I can be guilty of this when I read a story, , about an individual who has identifiers that are different from mine or belongs to a group that is different from the groups that I belong to.

[00:17:39] Amanda: There's a part of you that wants to read the book and then be like, Oh, great. Now I have this understanding. foundational knowledge of what life is like for X group of people. And I think that can be really dangerous because reading after reading one story or encountering one story, you now know information just about that [00:18:00] one person.

[00:18:00] Amanda: You cannot now speak to the lived experience of all black people or all trans people or all folks in the Jewish community. And so I think it's, it's important. I do want to say that because I know as we're doing these different lit recs episodes, like, yeah, so you want. Folks who engage with these texts to continue to learn to ask questions, but also keeping in mind, just because you read this book does not now mean that you know everything that there is to know, or that that particular experience that you read about is representative of all experiences for folks in that group.

[00:18:28] Amanda: , and so I think that's, that's really important to, to point out. , so About the book itself. , it was published in January, 2021. . , and it was long listed for the women's prize for fiction. And then on Goodreads, it also was nominated for best fiction and best debut novel in 2021.

[00:18:46] Amanda: So definitely, , well reviewed. , lots of folks really enjoyed this book and it was pretty well received. , it's a shorter book. It's like 337 pages. So something that I think is, is pretty accessible for [00:19:00] most folks. And it essentially tells the story of three women, two of whom are trans, one of whom ends up de transitioning, hence the book title.

[00:19:08] Amanda: So, , Reese and Amy are two trans women who are in a relationship and for the most part, like things are good. , they have a good life and good jobs, et cetera. And Reese really wants to become a mother. , they end up breaking up or ending their relationship because Amy. , de transitioned and becomes Ames and ends up having a romantic relationship with his boss.

[00:19:37] Amanda: , Katrina, who is a cisgender woman, , she's divorced. She identifies as Chinese and Jewish American, and, , she ends up becoming pregnant by Ames, which is a bit of an accent because Ames wasn't even sure that that was still possible. So, , Ames then sees this as an opportunity for Katrina, Reese and Ames to [00:20:00] essentially form like this kind of unconventional family where they can kind of have this baby all together, right?

[00:20:06] Amanda: And, you know, Reese can finally become, , a mother. And so the story just kind of follows the messy and tangled, , lives of these three characters as they kind of figure out how to be both as individuals and together. So, you know, it explores, the ideas of motherhood and womanhood and what that looks like for both trans and versus women.

[00:20:32] Amanda: , you know, it also ties into. That discussion, like how age plays a role in that. And then the different ways that motherhood can can come about for women. , and then also focuses on, , the themes of gender and sexuality and relationships. There's a little bit of race in there, , as well discussions around race.

[00:20:52] Amanda: And so I really liked this book because as you know, like I. Love, messy, flawed characters, . , I like when, [00:21:00] you know, characters are making choices that I don't always understand or agree with I just wanna like, reach through the pages and shake 'em and be like, what are you doing? , so I, I really enjoy that.

[00:21:09] Amanda: This is definitely more of a, I would say a character driven book versus plot driven. Although the story does move along and, different Mm-Hmm things happen. But it really is just taking a deep dive into like. Who these women are as individuals, what makes them tech, how they relate to one another.

[00:21:25] Amanda: And, , it really is just kind of this beautiful, flawed, tender mess and, and like, and like the best way possible. So I think it gives you a lot to think about. And I, Even though it does center, , trans characters, it's not just, you know, a trans story. Like, there's so much more to it than that. And I think Tori really wants her audience and her readers to just interact with these individuals as fully, fully formed, holistic, all parts of them.

[00:21:55] Amanda: Huh. And not just silo them based on one of their identifiers. [00:22:00] And so yeah, I really enjoyed it. We had a really great discussion about it in our book club when we all read it. So yeah, highly recommend. Yeah, that sounds great. 

[00:22:07] Kelsey: , I really appreciate the quote you shared, , from the author because so often because we are often unrepresented, right?

[00:22:17] Kelsey: Like for people who are marginalized. It's sometimes becomes like, Oh, I want to write this book so that, right. So that something so that people learn so that what have you, , and it just feels like sometimes that can be more prescribed, right. And come off, , in a very different way. That's not organic.

[00:22:39] Kelsey: And so to know that this author was like, I was writing it really for me and, , just to kind of. Tell this story that just feels like more organic and that's, , yeah, that just feels nice and, , beautiful 

[00:22:53] Amanda: instead of just being like a trans story. It's just a story about three women, you know, figuring out, 

[00:22:58] Amanda: Anyhow, go ahead. 

[00:22:58] Kelsey: Okay. So moving [00:23:00] on to my second book, which is funny because you've read this book. I haven't read it yet. It's on my Libby. , and I think I'm getting it in the next three weeks or so. , and then your next one, we both have read. , so we got a little bit of a shake up today.

[00:23:16] Kelsey: , so my next book that I'm recommending is the house in the cerulean sea. , and I have it here with me. Also, do people buy books when they only read them on audio? 

[00:23:33] Amanda: Do you do that? I cannot answer that question because I don't listen to audiobooks. Oh, that's true. I could not tell you. I feel like I wouldn't.

[00:23:40] Amanda: That seems like a waste, but. Or like 

[00:23:42] Kelsey: on your, just on your e reader and then buy a book. No. Okay. There's tons of people that do that just to have it like on their shelves. It's really interesting. I, , I wanted to have it for the podcast really, but also I really love the cover. It's really pretty. I love it.

[00:23:56] Kelsey: Yeah. It's a really cool cover. , so I don't know, [00:24:00] I'm supporting the author and I bought it in a local bookstore, local bookstore, by all means, which basically, like, I almost, like, Exclusively buy from, local bookstores. And I would even consider like Barnes and Noble still like a, it's obviously not a local bookstore, but it is like bookstores in general are just, just having this moment of like, are you going to stay?

[00:24:25] Kelsey: Are you going to go? Because of the shit that Amazon has done , the only time that I, I told you recently that I had, I bought that, , book from Amazon, cause it was literally the only place I could find it. , but those are like really rare and far between. , So yeah, I really tried to support our local bookstores.

[00:24:46] Kelsey: Anyhow, tangent. , TJ Klune, full name, Travis John Klune. , he is an author of fantasy and romance books, [00:25:00] and that's what this one is. It's a fantasy romance. And, , he's actually from Roseburg, Oregon. Oh, I didn't know that. Pretty close, pretty close nearby. Yeah. , and he often or always incorporates, , LGBTQ plus characters into his novels.

[00:25:16] Kelsey: And it's interesting. I found out that he's asexual and he often talks about the influence on his writing, , from that perspective. , so that's TJ Klune and, , which is interesting cause you. You were like, Oh, TJ could be a neutral, more neutral name, 

[00:25:35] Amanda: non binary for sure. I'm like, I don't know.

[00:25:37] Amanda: Yeah. 

[00:25:37] Kelsey: , and so. , you weren't positive that he, it was a man. So, , about the book, which also I'll give you space at the end. Cause I, I tried to leave, well, one, I don't have the full context of the book because I have yet to read it, but, , I tried to just give like a little short synopsis, spoil anything on this.[00:26:00] 

[00:26:00] Kelsey: Totally. Totally. , so the, one of the main characters is Linus and he works for this company that runs orphanages and, , he near the beginning, I'm assuming he gets an assignment to go to, and how do you pronounce it? Marcius? Island. 

[00:26:22] Amanda: I'd have to look at the book, it's behind me somewhere on my shelf. 

[00:26:26] Kelsey: I don't remember.

[00:26:27] Kelsey: It's an island that has orphan, that's an orphanage, that has an orphanage. That has an orphanage. With orphans. In the orphanage. And while the orphanages are at the orphanage. While the orphans are at the orphanage. 

[00:26:46] Amanda: You're honest. What did I say? You said while the orphanages are at the orphanage.

[00:26:52] Amanda: Oh my gosh. Okay. I am so 

[00:26:55] Kelsey: sorry. 

[00:26:57] Amanda: Kelsey's having a moment. Please bear with us. The orphans 

[00:26:59] Kelsey: [00:27:00] are at the orphanage. There is also a caretaker that cares for them. Whose name is Arthur. And so basically Linus's mission. Is to see whether or not the orphans here are actually indeed dangerous. And, , there's something about the end of the world or that they might bring about the end of the world.

[00:27:25] Kelsey: I don't understand why they think this, but that is part of, , his overall mission. And however, he runs into Arthur and I believe they, , they start up a romance. And in the end, he really has to make a decision of whether or not he can essentially betray the orphans and Arthur because he knows that they're going to bring about the end of the world or believes that they're dangerous.

[00:27:55] Kelsey: So that's kind of what this book is about. And I heard from you that it [00:28:00] was pretty, , What did you say? Like cutesy? There was a different word you used. Yeah. 

[00:28:04] Amanda: Well, so when our book club read it, one of my friends described this book as twee, which was the first time that I had heard that.

[00:28:13] Amanda: Adjective be used. And it basically, yeah, it just means like it's really cutesy and sugary sweet and yeah, , feel good. And I would agree with that. Yeah. Cause I would 

[00:28:24] Kelsey: not have gotten that from the synopsis. 

[00:28:27] Amanda: Yeah. No, you wouldn't. , but it's definitely a very cute, , story. And just to clarify that the orphans in question, the reason why they're kind of being monitored is because they have different powers and or magical abilities.

[00:28:43] Amanda: And so they're in these orphanages being cared for, for the safety of everyone. And so he's going to these different places to essentially assess the individual children and make sure all as well. So, yeah, he. Encountered some interesting characters. At the, orphanage on the, , [00:29:00] island and I loved it.

[00:29:01] Amanda: I really did. It's very heartwarming. It's like a cup of hot cocoa on a, on a cold day. , 

[00:29:06] Kelsey: yeah, I can't wait to get into that. And it's basically You know, fall cozy season. So it's the perfect time to read a book like that. Perfect time. 

[00:29:15] Amanda: Perfect time. Okay. So I will wrap things up with my last book. I think this is going to come as a huge surprise to folks to find that I am recommending.

[00:29:26] Amanda: Wait for it. What a romance, Amanda, literally I can count on one hand, the amount of like Contemporary like romance novels I've read in recent years. And this is one of them and I absolutely loved it and was surprised by how much I loved it. So this is a book that many of you have probably heard of. It's quite popular for a good reason.

[00:29:52] Amanda: Sometimes books are popular. I'm like, I don't understand why, but this one is popular for a good reason. It is red, white, and royal blue by Casey [00:30:00] McQuiston. And, , before I get into the book, I want to share a little bit of info about Casey because I learned a lot, , about them as I was doing a little bit of research for this episode.

[00:30:11] Amanda: So, , Casey is, , queer and non binary and use they, them pronouns, and they have their degree in journalism from LSU, from Louisiana State University. And they kind of like the first author that you mentioned, , I think was Kosoko, Kosoko Jackson. , they also write both adult and YA fiction, so they do a mix of both.

[00:30:35] Amanda: And one of the really interesting things that I learned about Casey as I was prepping for this episode is that like me, they grew up attending like really conservative evangelical Christian schools, which obviously as a queer person, I'm sure. , pose a lot of different challenges for them. And they have talked about how writing a lot of the books that they have written, or all of the books, I guess, that they've [00:31:00] written has really been like a really cathartic and healing thing for them to write stories that center on queer characters and queer love.

[00:31:09] Amanda: And they also hope that, you know, putting these stories out into the world will help other, , individuals, especially like queer teens who might be struggling with their identities, who might be struggling based on the communities that they find themselves in. , and so to find representation of, of their lived experience and know that they're not alone, which I thought was really beautiful.

[00:31:29] Amanda: , And so another thing that Casey has in common with me and with both of us is, , have ADHD. And so, and a lot of interviews, they talk about the ways in which that has impacted, , their writing and how, like, they don't write, I think they write in a nonlinear fashion. So I would love someone who likes to dabble in writing.

[00:31:46] Amanda: I would love to like, have a sit down with Casey and be like, yeah, tell me your process. Cause sometimes I feel super overwhelmed trying to write anything longer than like a week. A short story, 

[00:31:54] Amanda: , 

[00:31:54] Amanda: a couple of other books that Casey has written that you may or may not be familiar with, , include the [00:32:00] pairing.

[00:32:00] Amanda: I kissed Shara or Shara Wheeler and one last stop. And one last stop actually, , in 2021 was one of New York times, 100 notable books for that year. So that's a really cool, , red, white, and royal blue ended up becoming a New York times bestseller. And also on Goodreads, won both Best Romance and Best Debut Novel in 2019.

[00:32:24] Amanda: So they're definitely, , an awarded author and, , someone who both critics and readers alike love. So, , I, again, I'm learning a lot about, , romance from Kelsey, but this is another enemies to lovers trope. Rivals to lovers trope, and it focuses on two main characters. The first is Alex Claremont Diaz , who is the son of, , the president of the United States who happens to be a woman, which is awesome.

[00:32:57] Amanda: President Ellen Claremont. [00:33:00] And the other character is. Prince Henry. I'm not going to list all of his last names because he has quite a few as a Royal and Amanda. That's what we're here for. What the heck? I apologize for letting you all down so horribly. , so they have been long time enemies. They have known each other since they were younger and have never gotten along.

[00:33:19] Amanda: And basically they have a really disastrous encounter at a Royal wedding. And it also happens to be during like election year for his mom. And so essentially they're both forced. To save face and pretend like they're besties. to, you know, keep, , keep up appearances to maintain, you know, diplomatic relationships between the two countries.

[00:33:42] Amanda: And essentially what happens is that fake friendship evolves into something more. 

[00:33:48] Kelsey: Force proximity. And 

[00:33:52] Amanda: And so I'll leave it at that. I don't want to spoil anything, , for our lovely listeners. But, , I really enjoyed this book because [00:34:00] I didn't find it to be cheesy and cringe at any point. I love the fact that it celebrated and centered gay love.

[00:34:07] Amanda: And I just found the writing to be like witty. and smart and funny. Like I laughed out loud, like truly laughed out loud at several points when I was reading this book. I just found the characters to be likable and quirky and they had like all of the little idiosyncrasies, including minor characters, which I love.

[00:34:28] Amanda: I hate when minor characters are just kind of like stuck in there and there's not a whole lot of like intention given to them or intention or attention both. , and so I really loved that. And you know, it It is a bit of a coming of age story because, you know, they're both I believe again, like early twenties, I think, I know they're in college, so early twenties, like late, late, late teens.

[00:34:51] Amanda: , and so there is an element of like coming into themselves for both Prince Henry and for Alex, like who they are, what their place is in the [00:35:00] world, how their, , roles as being both a Prince and the first son. impact their responsibilities and duties which can be in conflict with maybe things that they actually want and how they view themselves.

[00:35:12] Amanda: So, there's the tension between that. The tension between like, you know, supporting your family but also trying to seek out your own independence and autonomy. As an individual obviously loves a huge theme, the sacrifices that we have to make for our family and for them, the people that we fall in love with.

[00:35:30] Amanda: And it does side a little bit into race because Alex is, , half Mexican, his dad is Mexican. And so I know he and Henry have conversations throughout the book about how his life is different from Henry, you know, who's white and how he moves to the world a bit differently than Henry does. , and obviously there's a little bit of, , Politics in there as well, because hello, it's a book like taking place partially in the White House.

[00:35:55] Amanda: So there's a little bit of that as well. And then, , if you're not aware, there's [00:36:00] also a movie that came out very recently in 2023, , that you can watch on Amazon prime. Most part is pretty true to the book. I won't dive into it here. We might be doing a lit scripts episode about that in the future. , but if you are somebody who loves to read a book and then watch the movie, there is a movie.

[00:36:18] Amanda: , so yeah, that is my final recommendation. You will probably never hear me recommend a romance ever again. So. 

[00:36:24] Kelsey: We'll see. We'll see about that. Soak 

[00:36:25] Amanda: in this moment.

[00:36:26] Amanda: , but it's just, it's just a fun read and again, something that's super accessible. It's not super long. You zip right through it and it just makes you feel good. It's just like a feel good book. 

[00:36:36] Kelsey: Yeah, yeah. It definitely is. I read this one back 

[00:36:40] Amanda: in July 

[00:36:41] Kelsey: and I really liked it too. 

[00:36:43] Amanda: Oh, that's perfect for like reading it during like the month of like Independence Day and all that good stuff.

[00:36:47] Amanda: Oh, 

[00:36:48] Kelsey: funny. I didn't even think about that. , but I was on my honeymoon. 

[00:36:52] Amanda: Oh, that's a perfect big book for traveling. Yeah, for sure. , great. So those are our four. So just as a quick recap, my two books were [00:37:00] detransition baby by Tori Peters and red, white, and Royal blue by Casey McQuiston. 

[00:37:05] Kelsey: And my two books were dash of salt and pepper by Kosoko Jackson and the house in the Cerulean sea by TJ Klune.

[00:37:15] Amanda: Yeah, so if you do end up checking out one or two or all of those books, by all means, let us know on our socials, shoot us an email. So as a quick reminder, you can find us again on Instagram lit vibes, only underscore podcast, and you can find us on Tik TOK. And YouTube at lit vibes, only podcast and our Gmail is the same, but vibes only podcast at gmail.

[00:37:38] Amanda: com. , and then one final plug again, we need those reviews. We want those reviews. We want to read those reviews. So please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcast, take a screenshot,, send it to us on our socials, send it to our email, send us your address. And you will be the proud owner of a brand new limited edition.

[00:37:58] Amanda: Absolutely [00:38:00] sticker.

[00:38:03] Amanda: Well, that is it for us. So we will see you next 

[00:38:08] Kelsey: Monday. See you next Monday. Bye.