This choice isn’t so much because the title fits the vibe of the story, but more that I wish someone had told the main character this. Not that she should have stopped going to class a la Afroman’s “Because I Got High”, but that there is more than one way to get where you’re going and it’s okay if your path is not the fastest or the hardest. And also that a little weed, a few parties, maybe a misguided marriage in Vegas…are not the end of the world. You can do those things and still get a PhD. As the love interest says at one point, “Something can be the best because it makes you happy not because it tears you apart.” I know this is a very sincere take on a very silly playlist, but this is a book for the lonely 20 somethings, the queers, the people who have to fight twice as hard as others because of things they can’t change, the burned out gifted kids, and all those in between (including stoners).
This playlist is my magnum opus, my ode to my middle part and every pair of bell bottoms that I own. It’s my love for Elton John and Freddy Mercury and every other queer icon mixed with my nostalgia for a time I didn’t live in and wouldn’t really want to. If Daisy Jones & the Six were a real band, they would absolutely be on this playlist. I believe wholeheartedly that any book about music should be an auditory experience, and the audiobook version of this book is one of the best I’ve ever listened to. It’s got a full cast that brings the interviews, magazine clippings, the full documentary experience to life. This book fully sweeps you up into the rock n' roll scene of the 60s and 70s, and in classic TJR fashion, you will almost forget that these are not real celebrities you’re reading about.
There is no metaphor here, this book is literally about rituals in the woods. Specially a group of teenage pseudo-witches trying to find their missing friend in the California redwoods. I must say I liked A.R. Capetta’s Arthurian retelling Once & Future better than this book, but it’s hard to pass up a queer ensemble cast of any kind, and especially when they have nature magic. This book is for anyone who had a crush on Vidia from the Pixie Hollow Tinker Bell movies—the one willing to go just a little bit farther than everyone else…
Like this playlist, this book is a little ironic and more than a little indulgent. You can hold your feminist values as high as you want, but sometimes that sexist pop punk song just slaps. In the case of this book, that pop punk song is a beauty pageant complete with sashes, gowns, and maladapted teenage girls. This book is everything satire is supposed to be. It exaggerates and inflates the plight of Lord of the Flies, gives it a feminist twist, and uses it to make commentary on everything from race to gender to sexuality and the harmful sterotypes that surround a woman’s experience of these things. This book should honestly be mandatory reading for young women simply so every girl can feel the sheer power of knowing that she could survive on that island, in fact she could THRIVE there without the societal bullshit she doesn’t even realize she deals with everyday.
Nothing says homoerotic subtext like dark academia and nothing says dark academia like Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. There is nothing explicitly gay about this book (except my boy Francis), but it's just…in the air ya know? Is there also murder in the air? Emphatically yes. Like this playlist, this book is a wild ride from start to finish.
If you want mystery, if you want drama, if you want hormone-fueled teenagers on a mission to take down their rivals, then Casey McQuiston’s latest masterpiece is for you. This book both stars and appeals to theatre kids in that there is gossip, glitter, and a gay twist. The hilarious CMQ ensemble dialogue is just the cherry on top. And as a bonus, I’ll tease that one of my favorite scenes in the whole book takes place at a cast party. One minute you’re having your makeup done, the next you’re having groundbreaking discussions on gender presentation and dysphoria. It’s the McQuiston way.
In this case, the book came first. This playlist was actually inspired by a line from E.M. Forster’s queer classic and the cover is my favorite shot from the movie. If you love dark academia, but need a break from all the cults and muder, why not try a little romance? As long as you’re prepared for some era-appropriate homophobia, it’s a really beautiful story of self discovery and acceptance both written and set in a time where stories like that were few and far between.
Of course I had to pick a period piece for this one. Kiera Knightly was born to wear historical clothing and run through fields at golden hour. And while this book features more running from mad scientists across the high seas as opposed to fields, it’s got that undeniable feminine stubbornness that Kiera exudes. I could easily see her fitting in with Felicity, Johanna, and Sim, who for all their seemingly ill-fit together, are an absolute delight to read about. And if you’re more into Kiera from her Colette era as opposed to 2005 Pride and Prejudice, don't worry, there's queer shit here for you, too.
If you want an explanation of this playlist, you’ll have to ask my roommate or just give it a listen. But if you like the Hollywood scandal of it, then maybe you should pick up The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Like Taylor Swift, Evelyn Hugo has had an infamous series of lovers and in her old age, she’s ready to divulge all the sordid details to our main character, a magazine writer tasked with writing her biography. The book follows Evelyn’s life and career in show business since the 1950s with all of its shining highs and devastating lows. Including some reckless driving and misguided showbiz youths named Harry. Taylor Jenkins Reid is an absolutely masterful storyteller when it comes to the lives and loves of fake historical celebrities, and this is still my favorite of her books.
Another literal choice. If you loved Taika Waititi’s Our Flag Means Death, and want some more queer pirate action, then here ya go. This is YA so don’t expect quite the raunchy-ness and gore of the show, but there’s lots of magic to make up for it! And can we talk about how gorgeous this cover is???? There's just something so lovely about seeing queer stories get the full swoony romance novel cover treatment.
While this playlist does not include many songs from the 50s as would be appropriate given this choice, this is my absolute favorite road trip book and I couldn’t not include it. Just like how this playlist covers all the quintessential road trip hits so does this book—there’s diners, roadside attractions, motel pool splash fights, shirtless men changing tires, the grand canyon (that’s not a euphemism), coin-operated laundry (and that IS a euphemism), and much more all crammed into one little novella! Warning, this is one of Cat Sebastian’s spicier stories and we love it all the more for that.
While I did grow up in the land of mint juleps and porch swings, I would not say that I was particularly happy there. This playlist is meant to evoke that feeling of contentment you get from a good drink and a swing on a warm night. I may not have found that feeling very often in the South, nor did Eric Weiner, but it’s out there somewhere so he set off to investigate the “happiest” places in the world. This is one of my favorite non-fiction books I have ever read. Each chapter covers a different country and tries to distill what makes their inhabitants so content (or malcontent in the case of Moldova). It is written with immense consideration and compassion for all the people and places discussed. This made me want to travel and also to find happiness right where I am all at the same time.
This playlist is about…you guessed it…rocks. Or at least songs with rock in the name. And what is a planet if not a big rock? (or a big ball of gas but I imagine the small angry ones are pretty rocky). This is the first book in the Wayfarers series, my absolute favorite sci-fi series and a family favorite in my house. I once read this book described as “truly character driven, feel good sci-fi” and I couldn't agree more. There’s an excellent ensemble cast, great banter, and just enough conflict to have a plot. But what I really love about it is the casual commentary on society, culture, and relationships that are weaved throughout. The world Becky Chambers has built is just fantastic with nearly limitless opportunities for spin-off stories, so it’s definitely worth checking out the rest of the series.
This is TOP TIER fantasy, my favorite fantasy series of all time in fact, and V.E. Schwab at the top of their game. Set in early 1800s Londons (plural), this book follows a blood magician named Kell who can travel across dimensions and the cross-dressing thief with a penchant for knives who blackmails him into bringing her with him. It’s fast-paced and epic with a fantastic set of characters that only get better as the series goes on. The second book in this series is actually my favorite because, well, pirates (yes this is the 3rd pirate book on this list so what) and wait for it, MAGIC OLYMPICS. And I don’t know how else to say this, but every character in these books is a top. I don’t make the rules.
I hope you enjoyed this curated list that no one asked for. I will not be taking questions, comments, concerns about the playlists or my selections at this time. Have fun.
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