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Patternmaster

My Baby Step into Science Fiction

Trekking along with my goal of branching out and reading different genres, science fiction was next on my list (after poetry). With every genre I read I always seek out authors of color/Black authors so the following books on this list are Black science fiction authors, talented voices that are not at the forefront of the genre.  

Washington Mystics Logo

Pride Month Reads with the Washington Mystics

Adult Autobiographies and Biographies for Pride Month

This summer, DC Public Library is teaming up with the Washington Mystics to recommend great reads that you can check out with your library card! Each month we will be posting Read Feed entries that spotlight titles around a theme. June’s theme is Pride.

Blue text on a light wood background reads "Access This," the blue symbol of accessibility is on the wall to its left

Justice Shorter's Reading List

As Heard on the DCPL Podcast "Access This"

On the April 20, 2021 episode of the DC Public Library Podcast series Access This, Jenny from the Center for Accessibility chatted with Justice Shorter about the Top 5 books that inform her personal and professional life as a Disability Justice advocate, Black Disabled Lives Matter amplifier and national expert on disability-inclusive disaster protections, emergency management and humanitarian crises/conflicts.

A Little Life

Escape to an emotional read!

Books that make you cry and laugh out loud.

The list of books below has a combination of genres such as contemporary fiction, romance and erotica. Giving proof that you do not need to focus on one specific genre (fantasy) to escape through books. These are all books that I have read and while reading them I found myself laughing out loud, crying, or clutching my pearls. I hope that if you are in need of an emotionally draining book you find one that fits you within this list!

SciFi Pride

A Book List for Pride 2020 and Black in Space

Let's kick off Pride season by celebrating LGBTQ+ writers, especially works by African American writers. Here in D.C., the virtual event Black in Space will celebrate and uplift the Black LGBTQ+ experience across time and space. To join the celebration, here is a fabulous playlist of queer sci-fi, fantasy and horror for you to enjoy and dance across the universe.  

Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair

Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?

Forget the Hallmark Card! Send some of these sweet words to your loved one instead this Valentine’s Day.

Ah, Valentine's Day. Love it or hate it, soon every store on your block is going to be covered in a regurgitation of red hearts, lace and little cupids. But if you really want to impress your lover or your crush this Valentine's Day, memorize one of these bad boys and find a balcony somewhere. It seemed to work for these prolific love poets (some of whom had lovers on every continent). 

George

Growing Up Different

We're no longer in an age that hides LGBTQ+ stories. In fact there are more and more stories that celebrate and illuminate LGBT+ lives with dignity and care. Here are five books that truly prove the power of representation.  

Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time book cover

Love, Lesbians, and the Luminous Dead

Fantasy and Science Fiction with LGBTQA protagonists

In fantasy and science fiction novels where dragons and robots exist, sometimes side by side, it can often feel like protagonists who are part of the LGBTQA community seem rarer than unicorns. But that has been changing recently with more and more amazing books being published in recent years.

American Spy

A Woman's Work

Some of 2019's Best

In this anniversary year of Women’s Suffrage some remarkable and sure to be classic novels have emerged.  New voices like Lauren Wilkinson and established ones like Lisa See have created page-turning, literary works with strong female characters who don’t always realize their strengths.  Place your holds and check out these memorable gems available in hardcover, eBook or audiobook formats.

Kushiel's Dart

Fantasy PRIDE

Fantasy Novels Featuring LGBTQ+ Characters

Nerd culture is all the rage these days, and it’s never been cooler to be into science fiction, horror, and fantasy than it is right now. Fans are diving deep into mythologies and histories of invented worlds, finding themselves in the sword-fighting, spell-casting, dragon-riding, and laser-shooting heroes that dominate our media. But what if you’re a queer lover of space opera and epic fantasy and superhero smackdowns?

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