Simon And Baz Are My Weakness So Sue Me

RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE BY CASEY MCQUISTON

genre: romance / lgbt / na fiction / contemporary 

premise: After an unfortunate incident at a Royal Wedding forces them to stage a PR friendship, sworn enemies First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry of Wales see their relationship ignite into a passionate love affair. Between his mother’s reelection campaign, her bloodthirsty opponents, and, for the first time in his life, questions and doubts about his own future, the last thing Alex needs his a secret relationship that could derail two countries. The question remains: What is worth the sacrifice? 

ft. enemies to lovers, fake friendship, secret relationship, famous/famous, a bisexual protagonist, a woman as president of the united states, honouring lgbt history, Texas feelings, pop culture references that aren’t cringy, themes of history, themes of grief, beautiful friendships, beautiful sibling relationships, critique of the British monarchy, and an absolutely gorgeous and heartwarming love story. 

my thoughts: this was a book i’ve been anticipating for months – years really! from the first moment i heard about it, i fell in love with the concept and had such high expectations. not only did this novel meet all of them, but it exceeded them easily. what a wonderful wonderful delightful read. it is sincerely funny – laugh out loud i have to stop reading to catch my breath funny – and deeply moving – full on sobbing on my bed moving. truly a heartfelt and sincere story that is full of feelings. the way it approaches the themes of history and grief completely took my breath away. beyond the fun entertaining value of the story lies great depth! now i’m not american, but it still felt so incredibly healing to read this ~alternate history of the 2016 election, one where a strong intelligent woman won. this book truly sets out to remind us that there is hope, that dedicating your life to do good is worth it, and that optimism should be nourished. more than anything though, this book made me feel seen in a way that nothing has in a really long time. from the main character’s bisexuality to the way it talks about experiencing trauma/grief at a young age, i recognised myself on the page. it’s a coming of age story too, with its entire main cast full of twenty-somethings emerging into themselves and starting to decide the kind of adults they are going to be. i haven’t read a lot of new adult fiction, but i sure hope it’s a trend that continues to grow because there’s much to be said about the experiences of people in their twenties that doesn’t fit into teen fiction or adult fiction. and let’s talk briefly about that cast of characters! god ! i ! love ! them ! i could easily write an essay about it, that’s how strong my feelings are. they’re real and diverse and funny and so well written. even those less likeable characters have such a truthful and realistic core to them, which is so satisfying. casey mcquiston knows how to write real tangible almost bursting out of the page characters and boy is it fucking great to read a book written by someone like that. all in all, this book is an absolute favourite for me, a must read if there ever was one. it’s a warm and wonderful universe that i didn’t want to leave when i reached the final page. so much so that my first reaction when i finished the novel in basically a day was to start it again straight away to highlight all of my favourite passages. if that’s not a sign y’all should read it….  

Thanks for 500+ followers on this little side blog!! As a thank you, here is a book rec list for Carry On lovers! Most of the books have queer male protagonists and possess noted other similarities to Carry On. (It goes without saying you should also read everything else Rainbow Rowell has written). Happy reading!

Young Adult Lit 

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan Why you will love it: ✓ Sarcastic bisexual mess of a protagonist  ✓ Takes place in a magical training camp (mermaids! trolls! elves! harpies!) ✓ Enemies to lovers ✓ Boyfriend with wings! ✓ Subverts gender norms within fantasy genre

The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman ✓ Takes place at magical grad school ✓ Sarcastic bisexual mess of a protagonist  ✓ Read the books first but the TV adaptation is pretty great too!

Openly Straight and Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg ✓ Raf is a sarcastic gay mess, Ben is a sweet confused bisexual mess  ✓ Takes place at (non-magical) boarding school  ✓ Friends to lovers to enemies to friends to lovers

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee ✓ Sarcastic bisexual mess of a protagonist (from the 18th century) ✓ Friends to lovers (with angst for days) ✓ Fun/romantic/exciting/hilarious/touching and amazingly clever writing ✓ Tight breeches/bandits/pirates/drunken shenanigans

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness ✓ Sarcastic bisexual mess of a protagonist  ✓ Subverts tropes of “the chosen one” stories ✓ Deals with protagonist’s anxiety disorder in a moving and beautiful way

I also recommend:

Thirsty by MT Anderson  Every Day by David Levithan I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak  The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray Timekeeper by Tara Sim A Darker Shade of Magic Trilogy by VE Schwab The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich Whatever...by SJ Goslee The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

New Adult/Romance 

A Charm of Magpies series and Jackdaw by KJ Charles ✓ Enemies to lovers ✓ Takes place in Victorian-esque England…but with magic! ✓ Mystery plot and sexual tension for days

An Unnatural Vice (Sins of the City) by KJ Charles ✓ Enemies to lovers ✓ Takes place in Victorian-esque England…but with (fake) magic!

The Ruin of a Rake (#3 in The Turner Series) by Cat Sebastian ✓ Enemies to lovers ✓ Sarcastic bisexual mess of a protagonist  ✓ Courtenay is a dead ringer for Baz

Mature Content (Cyberlove series) by Santino Hassell and Megan Erickson ✓ Enemies to lovers like whoah

Winning Bracket by Annabeth Albert ✓ (Non-magic) college setting ✓ Frenemies to lovers ✓ Sweet and not too smutty

Love Lessons by Heidi Cullinan ✓ (Non-magic) college setting ✓ Roommates to lovers

hello i am here today to not lose track of the art cheats i have discovered over the years. what i call art cheat is actually a cool filter/coloring style/way to shade/etc. that singlehandedly makes art like 20 times better

80’s anime style

glitch effect

glow effects

adding colors to grayscale paintings

foreshortening ( coil )

foreshortening ( perspective )

clipping group (lines)

clipping group (colors)

dramatic lighting ( GOOD )

shading metal

lighting faces

Need to prepare? Here are some videos for you to watch to get hyped for tonight:

Diner Lobster

Drag Brunch

The Real Intros of Reality Hills

True Confessions w/ John Mulaney and Pete Davisdon

John Mulaney Loves Messing Around With Bill Hader

Nick Kroll & John Mulaney’s Success Hasn’t Gone To Their Heads

John Mulaney Auditioned for SNL 44 Times

Weekend Update: Stefon on St. Patrick’s Day - SNL

The Future ft. John Mulaney

the entire friends fandom:

Author: @simon–speaks

Artist: @basilton-grimm-bitch

Warnings: N/A

Summary: Music. Ice cream parlours. Questionable decisions made by 10th years and parents alike. What’s there not to love about the lives of Simon Capulet and Tyrannus “Baz” Montague? When they meet by chance in a music store things escalate quickly until they’re at a party together sharing a wine bottle and fried eggs.

Word Count: 7306

“I Like You” Part One

Just a little guide to gay content so we can start the year off right! Obviously there’s a lot of musicians and films that didnt get included, but these are some favs!

Animation

Aoi Hana 

Bloom Into You

Danger and Eggs

Doukyuusei

Freedom Fighter: The Ray

Girls Last Tour 

In A Heartbeat

Izetta: The Last Witch

No. 6 

Revolutionary Girl Utena

Riddle Story Of Devil 

Rin: Daughters Of Mnemosyne 

Rosaline (hulu)

Sailor Moon

Sakura Kiss

She-Ra & the princesses of power

Star Vs The Forces Of Evil

Stevens Universe

Super Drags

The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived

The Legend Of Korra 

Wandering Son 

Whispered Words 

Yuri on Ice

Comedies/Rom-Coms

4th Man Out

Alex Strangelove

Almost Adults

Blockers

But I’m a Cheerleader

D.E.B.S

Duck Butter

Edge of Seventeen

Handsome Devil

Lez Bomb

Life Partners

Love, Simon

Saving Face

The 10 Year Plan

Documentaries

100 Men

Gayby Baby

Gender Revolution

I am the Ambassador

How Gay is Pakistan?

Matt Shepard is a friend of mine

The freedom to marry

Musicals

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Falsettos

Fun Home

Gay Bride of Frankestein

Rent

Romeo is Not the Only Fruit

The Color Purple

The Prom

Period Pieces

Atomic Blonde

Call me by your name

Carol

Colette

Desert Hearts

Farewell, My Queen

Heavenly Creatures

Professor Marston & the wonder women

Tell it to the Bees

The Girl King

The Handmaiden

The Hours

The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Romantic Dramas (Modern Setting)

Boy Erased

Disobedience

Fire

I Can’t Think Straight

Moonlight

Naz & Maalik

Pariah

The Wound

Tv Shows

Andi Mack

Black Lightning

Brooklyn 99

Champions

Degrassi: Next Class

Grace & Frankie

Insatiable

Instinct 

Marvels Runaways 

Modern Family

Noah’s Arc

One Day at a Time

Orange is the New Black

Queer Eye

Rupaul’s Drag Race

Schitt’s Creek

Sense 8

Shadowhunters

Shameless

Supergirl

The Bisexual (Hulu)

The Bold Type

The Fosters

The McCarthy’s

The New Normal

The Real O'Neals

Young Adult Books

A Line In The Dark by Malinda Lo

Ash by Malinda Lo

Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets Of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Far From You by Tess Sharpe 

Fat Angie by e. E Charlton-Trujillo

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg

Jerkbait by Mia Siegert 

Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg 

Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare 

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth 

They Both Die At The End-Adam Silvera

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan 

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour 

We Are The Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson 

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli

Graphic Novels/Comics

Adrian & The Tree Of Secrets by Hubert

Are You My Mother by Alison Bechdel

Bingo Love by Tee Franklin

Blue Is The Warmest Color by Julie Maroh

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Home After Dark by David Small

Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash

Kim & Kim by Magdalene Visaggio

Snapshots Of A Girl by Beldan Sezan 

Moonstruck by Grace Ellis

Moto Crush by Brenden Fletcher 

My Brothers Husband by Genjoroh Tagame 

My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness by Nagata Kabi

My Solo Exchange Diary by Nagata Kabi

No Straight Lines edited by Justin Hall

Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O’Neill 

The One Hundred Nights Of Hero by Isabel Greenberg 

Transposes by Dylan Edwards 

Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal

Children’s Picture Books

A Tale Of Two Daddies-Vanita Oelschlager

A Tale Of Two Mommies-Vanita Oelschlager 

ABC: A Family Alpabet Book-Bobbie Combs 

And Tango Makes Three-Justin Richardson

Daddy, Papa, and Me-Leslea Newman

Felicia’s Favorite Story-Leslea Newman

Heather Has Two Mommies-Leslea Newman

In Our Mothers’ House-Patricia Polacco

Jacob’s New Dress-Ian Hoffman

King & King-Linda De Haan

Large Fears-Myles E. Johnson

Mommy, Mama, and Me-Leslea Newman

My Princess Boy-Cheryl Kilodavis

The Different Dragon-Jennifer Bryan

The Family Book-Todd Parr

The Great Big Book Of Families-Mary Hoffman 

This Day In June-Gayle E. Pitman

Middle-Grade Books

Alan Cole Is Not A Coward by Eric Bell 

Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot by Dan Pikey

Drama. by Raina Telgemeir 

Drum Roll Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow 

Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender

Ivy Aberdeen’s letter to the world by Ashley Herring Blake

Kiss by Jaqueline Wilson

My Mixed-Up Berry Blue Summer by Jennifer Gennari

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

Star Crossed by Barbara Dee 

The Accidental Adventures Of India McAllister by Charlotte Agell 

The Boy In The Dress by David Williams 

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy 

The Trials Of Apollo Series by Rick Riordan 

LGB Musicians

Christine And The Queens

Ezra Furman

Frank Ocean

Frankie Simone 

girl in red 

Halestorm/Lzzy Hale 

Halsey

Hayley Kiyoko

Ieuan

Janelle Monae 

Ji Nilsson

Kehlani

Keiynan Lonsdale 

Kevin Abstract

King Princess

Kodie Shane 

Lauren Sanderson

Maddie Ross

Mary Lambert

Matt Fishel

MIKA

MNEK

Moaning Lisa 

Partner

Perfume Genius

Princess Nokia 

Rett Madison

Sam Smith

St. Vincent 

The Internet/Syd 

Todrick Hall

TORRES

Torrey Mercer 

TWINKIDS 

Tyler Glenn

Zolita 

Trans Musicians

Ah Mer Ah Su

Anohni

Black Dresses 

Girls Rituals

G.L.O.S.S

ItsBambii

Jake Edwards 

Joe Stevens

Kim Petras 

Laith Ashley

Laura Jane Grace

Left At London

Mina Caputo 

Mya Bryne 

Namoli Brennet 

Peppermint

Quay Dash

Ren Stedman

Ryan Cassata 

Sateen

Schmekel

She/Her/Hers

Shea Diamond

SOPHIE

Vivek Shraya 

NB Musicians 

Adore Delano

Adult Mom

Angel Haze

CJ Run

Ezra Furman

imbi the girl

Jinkx Monsoon

King Princess 

Mal Blum

Ness Nite

Porch Cat

Rachel Maria Cox

Rae Spoon 

Sam Smith

Shamir

She King

Sir Babygirl

Tash Sultana

The Scary Jokes