the words of a wraith

short form writers look at people writing 100k+ fics as though this is some sort of talent given as part of a fae bargain, that the commitment required shows some sort of ungodly mental fortitude.

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH FROM MY GIRLS 🥹❤️‍🩹

It is possible to find both sapphic SFF and M/M fantasy. It is significantly harder to find, say, aro urban fantasy. Or trans romantic suspense. Or intersex mystery.

A lot of the advice above only really works for trad published or popular books and for identities/subgenres/content that aren't too niche.

So here's some advice if the advice above isn't working for you (either because you can't find books with what you want or because the books you are finding don't end up being the vibe you want), from someone who reads a few hundred books a year:

Find websites or lists dedicated to the specific thing you are looking for. They will generally have more variety and will post you to examples that don't show up in regular rec lists. (ex: aro book recs, ace book recs, intersex #ownvoices database, sapphic books). Goodreads lists can (sometimes) also be your friend.

Get comfortable reading self-published and small press books. Trad publishing has its blind spots.

Check Reddit for recommendations

Start figuring out what it is specifically that you like and then start making your searches more specific. This can be subgenre (if you want urban fantasy, you're rarely going to find it just searching "fantasy"), tropes, plot devices, vibes, etc.

Look at the "readers also bought" on Goodreads/Amazon, similar books on Storygraph, etc. if you read a book you like. Even if you don't end up reading the one you click on, it can show you similar authors (similar to looking at the blurb on a cover), especially because far fewer books have blurbs now.

Time for Max/Chloe/Safi messiness, come get your juice.

Here's an opening snippet to whet the appetite:

--

"I miss you."

Safi's voice echoes down the receiver, reverberating into Max's chest.

Max closes her eyes. This isn't the first time Safi's said it in all the months Max and Chloe have been on the road, but there's something about her voice. Something about the fact that their phone calls lately have been less and less about checking in and catching up, and more and more about what lies in the silence between them every time they call now. Like all they really want to do is know that the other person is there, just out of sight on the other end.

And Safi breaks their quiet like this. With three words, half whispered.

Max rewinds. Not much, just a few seconds. Just long enough to listen to the quiet and picture Safi, imagine the expression on her face before she hears those words again.

"I miss you."

It still makes Max's breath come short somehow. She still can't help but close her eyes again, savoring the words like a caress on her skin.

"I miss you, too, Safi," Max murmurs.

"Oh, I can't believe I let you two talk me into this," Safi mutters.

"The way you say it sounds like we're forcing you to go cage diving with sharks," Chloe snorts.

"I would kind of actually prefer that."

"Believe me, my mom is way less likely to bite your leg off."

"No, she'll probably just want to ask me things about myself."

Chloe rolls her eyes, hauling one duffel off her shoulder and into the truck bed, followed by the other.

Safi tosses her bag in too. "Which is worse, by the way. If you were wondering ."

"Yeah, Saf, I kinda deduced your feelings on it. But my mom is sweet."

"That's the problem. I can handle scary moms, tiger moms, absent and-slash-or avoidant moms. Sweet moms? That's uncharted territory. I mean, what if she's nice? Or what if, god forbid, she likes me?"

Chloe turns to Safi and puts her hands on her shoulders. Safi isn't looking at her, she's too busy doing her best impression of a put-upon teenager. But Chloe's happy to wait, happy to watch that gorgeous face, brown eyes rolling and mouth pulling into an exaggerated pout. She still can't hardly believe Safi's here, that she went so out of her way just to make it for Chloe's last concert, that she actually agreed to come to Arcadia Bay with the two of them now that the tour's over. She'd take any amount of Safi fits just for the pleasure of finally having her around again. No more texts, no more calls. Just here, signature Safi attitude and all.

Safi finally looks at her, head tilting exasperatedly to the side.

"Then she's just gonna have to join the fuckin club, isn't she?" Chloe says.

"Sure, the club of delusional white girls who have terrible taste."