HP-like LGBT Books (not Written By A TERF)

HP-like LGBT Books (not written by a TERF)

In no particular order. These are only books I’ve read and enjoyed. There are more out there and I will add them to the list as I make my way through them.

1. The Grimoire of Grave Fates created by Hanna Alkaf & Margaret Owen and written by 18 diverse authors: several non-binary characters, a trans woman, two trans boys + some f/f and m/m. This is an incredible collaboration! The students investigate the murder of a close-minded professor at their magic school.

2. Simon Snow by Rainbow Rowell: m/m. This is the most famous one. I wouldn’t mind a TV adaptation, or even movies, but that sounds less likely.

3. A Hero at the End of the World by Erin Claiborne: m/m. This one is cute and funny. It doesn’t hurt that the cover art is gorgeous.

4. Tim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues by HS Valley: m/m (YA, but very sexual). Simon Snow meets Sex Education, with a fake baby assignment. Simply hilarious!

5. Three Meant To Be by MN Bennet: m/m + a trans boy and an ace girl. This is a magic school adult book, focused on a teacher, though the students are all very interesting too. I adore the magic system.

6. Gallowgate by KR Alexander: queer male protagonist (MG). This one is about learning how to hunt ghosts and has horror vibes.

7. Magic University by Cecilia Tan: m/f and m/m, as the protagonist is bisexual + some trans characters (erotica). This series is surprisingly my favourite, even though I’m very picky with erotica.

8. It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts: m/f and f/f, as the protagonist is bisexual + a non-binary minor character. This takes place in a heroic fantasy setting. I love the magic system.

9. Scholars and Sorcery by Eleanor Beresford: f/f (novellas). This short series is super sweet. It’s mostly about life at the magic school.

10. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey: f/f-ish (content warning: murder mystery about a dead queer woman). If you’re looking for something darker, go for this one.

11. [French] L'éveil des sorcières by Cordélia: lesbian major character (MG). This is another cute and funny one, with a lot of diversity. It hasn’t been translated so far, but I’ll keep you updated.

12. When the Letter Comes by Sara Fox: trans girl protagonist (short story). It’s a little sad at first, but it gets better. You can read it legally and for free here.

13. DIY by John Wiswell: queerplatonic m/nb (short story). It’s about climate change and capitalism and also has disability representation. You can read it legally and for free here.

14. My Name is Magic by Xan van Rooyen: f/nb + a major queer male character. I love that this story is inspired by Finnish folklore. There’s a strong focus on protecting nature as magic is being consumed too fast.

15. Trans Wizard Harriet Porber by Chuck Tingle: trans woman protagonist (weird erotica for a laugh). This is the biggest crack I’ve ever read, as well as the biggest F*** You to transphobia.

16. This Is How We Fly by Anna Meriano: the protagonist is questioning her gender identity + some non-binary characters and some f/f (non-magical). This is a novel about muggle quidditch, a co-ed sport where “the gender that a player identifies as is considered to be that player’s gender.”

17. Brooms written by Jasmine Walls and illustrated by Teo DuVall: some f/f + a trans woman major character (graphic novel). A group of diverse women take part in unsanctioned team broom races.

A sign every artist and crafter should have on their site and window.

When I get my site up and running I’m putting this on the Commission/Payment page.

Hello friends who are better at the specific kind of research than me:

Is the PCRF a good charity or is it one of the ones that gets looted by Hamas or actually teaches kids to hate Jews? If it’s any good I wanna reblog something with some commentary. But if it’s a hate group masquerading as a reasonable charity then my commentary will be…vastly different.

As always, if you want to provide aid that actually reaches Palestine, I trust https://www.anera.org/

Anera

Help Refugees In Palestine, Jordan & Lebanon | Anera

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If you want to support actual Israelis and Palestinians working toward peace together, please find an organization that works for you at AllMEP and get to work.

Writing Tips: The School Setting

The school setting trope is a narrative device that places the story's events within an educational institution. This trope capitalizes on the nostalgia of school life, leveraging the structured environment to explore a variety of themes, character dynamics, and conflicts.

Pros:

Familiarity: Readers easily grasp the setting, streamlining the introduction of complex plots.

Diverse Characters: Abundance of character types, from supportive friends to minor/major bullies to wizened mentors.

Natural Conflicts: Built-in elements like coming-of-age growth, exams, social dynamics, and extracurricular activities provide ample conflict.

Cons:

Formulaic: Due to the commonality of this setting, there's a potential for the narrative to become predictable.

Classroom Limitations: Often, the most interesting events occur outside the classroom during field trips or special events.

Contrived Stakes: The school, being a structured and safe environment, may struggle to convey a real sense of danger to the students.

Common School Tropes:

Late!: Scenarios involving characters running late.

Group Project: The teamwork and exploration of relationships through collaborative challenges.

Social Conformity: Exploring themes of individuality versus societal norms.

Prom Night: The buildup to and climax of a social event such as prom, as a backdrop for drama.

Academic Struggles: Plot points related to bad grades and their consequences.

Bullies: Delving into the complexities of bullying, from both students and teachers.

Sports and Games: The buildup to and climax of high-stakes events, as a backdrop for drama.

Vacation Time: Navigating challenges and relationships during vacation periods.

Detention: The conflicts and breaking of rules, leading up to detention.

Field Trips: Exploring the wider world and lore, while encountering conflict.

Tests: Showcasing the skill and growth of characters, while tackling the anxiety surrounding tests.

Social Structures: Examining the dynamics of school groups and hierarchies.

Graduation: Feel-good denouement, when the characters celebrate their successes and reflect on their journey together

Types of Bullies:

Goons: Unpleasant, hostile characters functioning as easy obstacles, typically following a Bigger Badder Bully.

Reasonable Bullies: Characters with legitimate reasons for their dislike of the protagonist, such as family rivalries or personal ambitions.

Villainous Bullies: Truly evil individuals collaborating with external threats or evil organizations for nefarious purposes.

Magic School Subgenre:

Adventure Within the Walls: The school itself becomes the focal point of the adventure.

Specialization in the Supercool: Schools where the subjects are about magic, monsters, superheroes, or even robots.

Wish Fulfillment: The reader is projected into a world beyond the mundane.

Trials and Tests: Incorporating trials, duels, and fights as rites of passage.

Secrecy and Intrigue: The school and its knowledge are usually secluded and hidden from the world.

Building an Alliance: The protagonist has to win over a diverse cast of characters to aid them in their fight against a great threat.

Rival from Nobility: One of the main antagonists is usually a scion of a high-status, wealthy family.

Outside Threat: The school is usually a focal point for a greater conflict taking place in the wider world. And comes under attack later in the story.

Outside Adventures: Characters sometimes leave the safety of the school for adventures in the wider world.

This is part of my Writing Tips series. Everyday I publish a writing tip to this blog.

i know vitamin c basically neutralizes adhd meds but lemonade good

i’m a little anxious to send this not on anon but i saw one of your posts where a comment mentioned jewish conversion and you seemed to support it. my boyfriend is jewish and i would like to convert to judaism but a lot of the research i’ve done says that you can’t convert, you have to be born into it since it’s an ethno-religion. i know everyone has different beliefs about this but i worry i won’t be accepted

Hello tyblackthornsheadphones, welcome!

"my boyfriend is jewish and i would like to convert to judaism"

Oooh! Mozel tov! I'm always so happy to meet new people who want to join the Jewish community! <3

"a lot of the research i’ve done says that you can’t convert, you have to be born into it since it’s an ethno-religion"

Oh dear, I'm so sorry to hear that! D: There's so much misinformation being passed around online. :( Thankfully, I'm happy to report that those sources are incorrect: It IS possible to convert to Judaism. ^_^

Like any group, though, how friendly any given Jew is to potential Jewish converts depends on the individual and/or the group they belong in. Just as there's elitism and gatekeeping in every group of people ever (like high school cliques and video game circles--"you're not a REAL gamer unless X"), unfortunately you'll also find some snobbery, elitism, and gatekeeping in Judaism. :(

Though I think Rabbi Friedman has a very loving and accepting view of Jews by conversion. ^_^

The way I see it, the differing experiences of a "Jew-by-birth vs a Jew-by-conversion" can be comparable to an American citizen who was just born on American soil vs an American immigrant who had to go through a long and rigorous bureaucratic process to become an American citizen--they have to learn everything there is to know about American history, presidents, laws, customs, the legal system; spend a "probational period" living in America to become a naturalized citizen, etc.

(The Jewish religion used to be very conversion friendly, but that came to an end when Christianity and Islam became huge world powers who outlawed the Jewish community "tempting" good Christians or Muslims away from the One True Faith.

Jewish identity also used to be passed down from father to children in ancient times--as you'll see in the Torah--but that was changed by Hillel the Elder during the tyrannical reign of King Herod--yes, THAT King Herod! Hillel did this partly to give the children of Jewish mothers who were abandoned by their non-Jewish fathers a place in Jewish society, and he did this partly as a big old political "fuck you!" to King Herod, whose father was only nominally Jewish and his mother was a foreign gentile woman.)

Chabad is an Orthodox Jewish organization.

chabad.org

How to Convert to Judaism - What to Expect at a Conversion

I’m planning to convert to Judaism. This has been something I’ve been considering and mulling over for years, and I’ve made my decision. Wha

Reform Judaism

Choosing Judaism: Learn the Basics

People convert to Judaism for many reasons. Learn the basic facts about converting to Judaism, and how to take the first steps.

And here's a link from a Reform Judaism POV. ^_^

In my experience, Reform Jewish synagogues and organizations tend to be more accepting of and friendly to Jewish converts. (Though it's not universal! Sadly, there are snobs everywhere. D:)

So if I were you, I would just start with checking out some books on Judaism from your local library, attend Friday night or Saturday morning Shabbat services with your boyfriend (that's usually a time when non-Jewish guests attend).

If your local college has a Hillel or Chabad Jewish student organization, I would visit that too! They usually host fun events that are free and open to to all, especially students who're just interested in connecting with other Jewish students, and learning about Jewish identity. ^_^

In the meantime, I'd just take time to study and learn about Jewish history and culture just for fun.

I think Sam Aranow's "Jewish History" Youtube series is a very entertaining way to learn about Jewish history, from ancient to modern.

Unfortunately I have to go to work now, but if you have ANY other questions, please reach out to me! I LOVE sharing knowledge and resources about Judaism, especially to potential converts who show a genuine interest and curiosity.

(Jewish culture can be, in my opinion, not as accepting and welcoming of potential Jewish converts as they should be, and I want to make up the difference. ^_^ )