The Jasmine Throne (Burning Kingdoms #1)

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri is the first book in her Burning Kingdoms series. 

Exiled by her despotic brother, princess Malini spends her days dreaming of vengeance while imprisoned in the Hirana: an ancient cliffside temple that was once the revered source of the magical deathless waters but is now little more than a decaying ruin.
 
The secrets of the Hirana call to Priya. But in order to keep the truth of her past safely hidden, she works as a servant in the loathed regent’s household and cleaning Malini’s chambers.
 
When Malini witnesses Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a ruthless princess seeking to steal a throne. The other a powerful priestess desperate to save her family. Together, they will set an empire ablaze.

Suri has created a great fantasy world filled with magic, political intrigue, and a story of revenge.

Suri, Tasha. (2021). The Jasmine Throne. New York: Orbit.

Cover Story

Cover Story by Celia Laskey is the story of a new Hollywood star and her publicist. 

A hilarious, emotional love story about an extremely anxious publicist who's tasked with keeping an extremely gay starlet in the closet - but who ends up falling for her instead.​

It's 2005, and Ali is a publicist for Hollywood's biggest stars. Part of her job entails keeping gay celebrities in the closet-which is pretty ironic, since she's a lesbian herself.

When Ali is assigned a new client, Cara Bisset, upcoming star of a (hetero) romantic blockbuster, keeping Cara's sexuality under wraps becomes Ali's biggest challenge yet.

Bold, unpredictable Cara hates that she has to hide such an integral aspect of her identity, and after a series of increasingly close calls, Ali is sent on her worldwide promotional tour to help with her image. Instead, she finds herself drawn to Cara's confidence and bravery.

For the past year, Ali has been consumed by grief after unexpectedly losing her partner. But with Cara, Ali's fears about the world subside, and she begins to question the Hollywood closeting system that she contributes to.

Laskey has written an entertaining love story. Great beach read. 

Laskey, Celia. (2025). Cover Story. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

One Last Stop

One Last Stop by Casey McQuistion is the story of falling in love on the subway.

Moving to New York City is supposed to prove cynical twenty-three-year-old August right: magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist.

But then, she meets this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile.

August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane is displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help Jane. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things after all . . .

McQuiston has written a great love story wrapped in two mysteries. The audiobook reader is great.

McQuistion, Casey. (2021). One Last Stop. New York: St. Martin's Press.

The Palace of Eros

The Palace of Eros by Caro de Robertis is the story of the Greek god Eros and their bride.

Young, headstrong Psyche has captured the eye of every suitor with her beauty – but also, unfortunately, the jealous gaze of the goddess Aphrodite. As punishment, Psyche is tied to a rock to be sacrificed to a ‘monstrous husband’. And yet, no monster arrives: instead, she is spirited away by Aphrodite’s daughter Eros.

Eros, goddess of desire, can change gender at will. And in her hidden palace, she visits her bride under the cloak of darkness: Psyche is forbidden to gaze upon the face of her lover. But as they explore each other’s bodies and discover new pleasures, Psyche is tempted to break her vow… even if it brings down the wrath of the gods.

De Robertis is one of my favorite authors. Buy this book today, then proceed to read everything they ever publish.

De Robertis, Caro. (2024). The Palace of Eros. New York: Atria Books.

Thunder Songs: Essays

Thunder Songs: Essays by Sasha LaPointe is a collection of biographical stories on what it means to her to be a proud, queer Indigenous woman.

Drawing on a rich family archive as well as the anthropological work of her late great-grandmother, Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe explores themes ranging from Indigenous identity and stereotypes to cultural displacement and environmental degradation to understand what our experiences teach us about the power of community, commitment, and conscientious honesty.

Unapologetically punk, the essays in Thunder Song segue from the miraculous to the mundane, from the spiritual to the physical, as they examine the role of art—in particular music—and community in helping a new generation of Indigenous people claim the strength of their heritage while defining their own path in the contemporary world.

This is an important book for anyone living on stolen lands - which is most of us in the US.

LaPointe, Sasha. (2024). Thunder Songs: Essays. Berkeley: Counterpoint.

This Book Won't Burn

This Book Won't Burn by Samira Ahmed is the story of one young woman standing up to racism in her new school. 

After her dad abruptly abandons her family and her mom moves them a million miles from their Chicago home, Noor Khan is forced to start the last quarter of her senior year at a new school, away from everything and everyone she knows and loves.

Reeling from being uprooted and deserted, Noor is certain the key to survival is to keep her head down and make it to graduation. 

But things aren’t so simple. At school, Noor discovers hundreds of books have been labeled “obscene” or “pornographic” and are being removed from the library in accordance with a new school board policy. Even worse, virtually all the banned books are by queer and BIPOC authors. 

Noor can’t sit back and do nothing, because that goes against everything she believes in, but challenging the status quo just might put a target on her back. Can she effect change by speaking up? Or will small-town politics—and small-town love—be her downfall? 

Ahmed has written a very powerful book that should be read by all lovers of books!

Ahmed, Samira. (2024). This Book Won't Burn. New York: Little Brown & Co.