June Reading: Pride Month

Stuff I read in June:

Banana Yoshimoto “Kitchen” [Japan]

N.K. Jemisin “The Effluent Engine” [USA]

武内 直子 『美少女戦士セーラームーン』 vol. 7 (Naoko Takeuchi “Sailor Moon” vol. 7) [Japan] 

Malinda Lo “Huntress”  [USA] 

John Chu “The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere” [USA] 

 

All the stories I choose had LGBTQIA characters in honour of Pride Month. Unfortunately not all of them were pleasant to read...

Banana Yoshimoto “Kitchen”

Let's start with the book that upset me. This book had a trans character (yay!) who dies early in the story (noooo) to prompt character development of two other people. :/ I get it, it's a book about death among other things, but seeing a queer character dying tragically once again was annoying and unpleasant.

N.K. Jemisin “The Effluent Engine”

This story on the other hand was so much fun! A fast-paced steampunk novella (available here) with two queer lady characters. I wish there were more stories set in that world!

Naoko Takeuchi “Sailor Moon” vol. 7

Mmm, Sailor Moon ^.^ This volume features a queer family of four: a lesbian couple Haruka and Michiru (Haruka could be interpreted as genderqueer), their friend Setsuna and their adopted child Hotaru. The chapter about them was very very beautiful. :)

Hotaru's family: Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama, Setsuna-mama.

(^u^)

Malinda Lo “Huntress”

“Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.” 

A fantasy novel about two girls falling in love with each other while trying to save the world. It was a bit slow but overall I enjoyed it.

A lovely quote from Huntress:

Those who love are clouds floating side by side:

Dewdrops bending blades of grass at sunrise.

Yet love is the rhythm of nature;

Love is oneness with beauty;

Love is the joyful revelation of the way.

A pronunciation guide! 

I wish more fantasy books had such.

John Chu “The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere”

“In the near future water falls from the sky whenever someone lies (either a mist or a torrential flood depending on the intensity of the lie). This makes life difficult for Matt as he maneuvers the marriage question with his lover and how best to “come out” to his traditional Chinese parents.”

This short story was sweet and sad in the same time, I liked it. You can read it here.

Bonus:

In the Sello library there were many queer-themed books on display!