Reading Rainbow พอดคาสต์

History enthusiasts, cohosts Ashley and Amber interview author Robin Gow on their YA work A Million Quiet Revolutions, a romance told in verse between two modern trans boys as they explore the presence of queer people in history. Robin discusses what it was like growing up in a Civil War reenacting family, the importance of representation, and want…

As soon as we heard Chuck Tingle's debut horror novel, Camp Damascus, was set at a gay conversion camp, we knew we had to feature it on the podcast! Cohosts Anne and Amber were eager to discuss this (surprisingly deep) reflection on religion's impact on the lives of the LGTBQ+ community. Topics discussed include: religion as a means of control, str…

Longtime fans of horror, cohosts Em and Dani discuss Rory Power's debut YA novel, Wilder Girls, a vividly written tale about an isolated girls school grappling with a toxin infecting everything and everyone on its grounds. Topics discussed include: the undefined relationship between the three main characters, how the horrors of the Raxter School co…

In our thirtieth episode, cohosts Annika and Anne interview Curtis Chin, activist and author of the upcoming memoir Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant. Curtis describes what it was like growing up as a gay ABC (American Born Chinese) kid in 1980's Detroit, as well tells stories from working in his family's restaurant. If you're…

Cohosts Dani and Anne discuss Sonora Reyes' latest YA novel, The Luis Ortega Survival Club, a story of a group of teens reclaiming their agency and holding the school rapist accountable. Topics discussed include: navigating social cues as a person with autism, the mindset of a sexual predator, and the work that still needs to be done to believe vic…

Cohosts Annika and Jamie discuss E.M. Anderson's debut novel, The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher, which explores the idea of having a senior citizen as the Chosen One to save the world. Topics discussed include: having an entirely queer cast of characters, playing with tropes, and the growing diversity in Science Fiction. If you're interested…

Cohosts Dani and Ashley discuss Kacen Callender's Felix Ever After, a YA novel about Felix, a black trans demiboy, as he discovers who he truly is and navigates the joys and difficulties of being trans in society. Topics discussed include: the gender exploration natural to the queer coming of age, adjusting to someone's new pronouns, and transphobi…

Cohosts Em and Annika discuss T. Kingfisher's What Moves the Dead, a horror novella retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. The first of Kingfisher's Sworn Soldier series features nonbinary soldier Alex Easton trying to help their childhood friends navigate an unsettling presence lurking on their estate. Topics discussed incl…

Cohosts Amber and Jamie discuss Alexandra Rowland's A Taste of Gold and Iron, a queer fantasy novel with royal romance, political intrigue, and gender equality. Topics discussed include: how power imbalances affect relationships, the concept of touch tasting, and the sweet agony that is slow burn romance. If you're interested in reading A Taste of …

Cohosts Amber and Cas discuss Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow, the first of their YA SF duology. A curious mashup of historical fiction and mecha SF that's perhaps best known for its true love triangle, Iron Widow tells the tale of Wu Zetian, a mecha pilot who starts out seeking revenge for the death of her sister and ends up changing her country in th…

Cohosts Anne and Lizzy discuss Lev A.C. Rosen's Lavender House, the first of the Andy Mills historical mystery series. Andy, a recently fired (and outed) detective in 1950s San Francisco, is struggling when he is given a murder case to investigate by the matriarch of a mysterious family. Discovering their secrets begin to help Andy come to terms wi…

Cohosts Ashley and Em discuss Becky Chambers' gentle utopian scifi novella A Psalm for the Wild-Built, in which a tea monk, Dex, searches alongside a robot, Mosscap, to find the answer to the question aching in every human heart. Topics discussed include career change, burnout, and existing for the purpose of existing. If you're interested in readi…

Cohosts Annika and Bailey discuss Malinda Lo's historical fiction novel Last Night at the Telegraph Club. Topics discussed include being gay in the 1950s, realizing your sexuality, and the age old question: are they being friendly or are they flirting? If you're interested in reading Last Night at the Telegraph Club after listening to this episode,…

Cohosts Em and Lisa discuss Torrey Peters' compelling and thought-provoking novel Detransition, Baby. Topics discussed include the varied life experiences of trans people, the burden and gift that is family, and the importance of questioning our own assumptions. If you're interested in reading Detransition, Baby after listening to this episode, con…

In a Reading the Rainbow first, cohosts Lizzy and Em interview Michael Ausiello, author of the heart-breaking memoir Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies. Michael graciously shares about his writing process, the shock of having his memoir made into a feature film, Smurfs, and, of course, memories of Kit, his late husband, a Millersburg, PA native. Listen w…

Cohosts Em, Anne, and Lisa discuss Beyond the Black Door, a YA dark fantasy by A.M. Strickland. Topics discussed include theocracies in SF, government surveillance, and Ace representation. If you're interested in reading Beyond the Black Door after listening to this episode, consider borrowing it from your local library or purchasing it from an ind…

Cohosts Amber and Annika discuss Summer Sons, a Southern gothic horror novel by Lee Mandelo. Topics discussed include dark academia, life in southern cities, and repression so deep everyone can see your sexuality but you. If you're interested in reading Summer Sons after listening to this episode, consider borrowing it from your local library or pu…

Cohosts Amber, Ashley, and Jamie discuss Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, a Dungeons and Dragons/Hallmark movie/slice of life fantasy that explores the road less traveled. Topics discussed include the prevalence of stereotypes, what constitutes a "dollop of romantic froth", and the purpose of a lady's stocking when making coffee. If you're inter…

Cohosts Amber and Lizzy discuss One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, a romantic comedy that shows love finds you at just the right time. Topics discussed include the pressure of figuring out what to do with your life, experience working in diners, and the stone cold hottie that is Jane. If you're interested in reading One Last Stop after listening to …

Cohosts Amber, Ashley, and Lisa discuss ¡Hola Papi!: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons by John Paul Brammer, a collection of essays based on his popular column. Topics discussed include the value of relationships, the confusing nature of early queer friendships, and using reflections on the past to heal. If you're inte…

Cohosts Jamie, Em, and Lisa discuss Gideon the Ninth, the first in Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb series. Topics discussed include complex worldbuilding in stories, contemporary references (memes!) in books, and the gay cliche that is hard to define relationships. If you're interested in reading Gideon the Ninth after listening to this episode, consider…

Cohosts Ashley, Dani, and Sora discuss the first volume of I Think Our Son is Gay, a manga series by Okura. Topics discussed include discovering your sexuality, supportive family members, and negotiating those friendships that blur the platonic-romantic line. If you're interested in reading I Think Our Son is Gay after listening to this episode, co…

Cohosts Em and Annika discuss Elatsoe, a YA fantasy novel by Darcie Little Badger. Topics discussed include taking an active role in your life, asexuality, and what indigenous magic looks like when it's impacted by colonization. CW: Minor violence, racism If you're interested in reading Elatsoe after listening to this episode, consider borrowing it…

Cohosts Dani, Sora, and Annika discuss The Taking of Jake Livingston, a YA horror novel by Ryan Douglass. Topics discussed include the impact of an individual's choices, the difficulty of making friends, and the struggles of being a ethnic minority in a majority white setting. CW: School shooting, sexual assault, and racism If you're interested in …

Cohosts Amber, Em, and Lisa discuss Light From Uncommon Stars, a scifi novel by Ryka Aoki. Topics discussed include Faustian bargains, the intersectionality of abuse for marginalized groups, and the wonder that is perfectly fitting clothing. CW: Transphobia, Racism, Sexual Assault If you're interested in reading Light From Uncommon Stars after list…

Cohosts Ashley, Lizzy, and Anne discuss Under the Whispering Door, a fantasy that explores grief and death, by TJ Klune. Topics discussed include the many faces of grief, comparisons with The Good Place, and the vitalness of social connection. CW: Topics of loss and grief are discussed. At the start of the book, the author notes "This story explore…

Cohosts Orin and Em discuss Light One Candle, a contemporary romantic short story by Keelan Ellis. Topics discussed include the enemies to lovers trope, the awkwardness of unexpected guests at holiday dinners, and how gays are no longer safe from maternal demands for grandchildren. CW: References to childhood bullying Rep: Gay Jewish MC, Gay potent…

Cohosts Lisa, Amber, and Lizzy discuss Written in the Stars, a contemporary romance by Alexandria Bellefleur. Topics discusses include the need for more fluffy gay holiday media, the commonality of tropes in fanfiction and romance, and the queer obsession that is astrology. Rep: Bisexual female MC, Lesbian LI If you're interested in reading Written…

Cohosts Ashley, Amber, and Sora discuss Nature Poem by Tommy Pico. Topics include writing as a form of protest, subverting expectations, and the legacy of colonization. Rep: Queer Indigenous MC If you're interested in reading Nature Poem after listening to this episode, consider borrowing it from your local library or purchasing it from an independ…

Cohosts Jamie, Em, and Lizzy discuss She walks for days inside a thousand eyes, a mixed genre historical fiction by Sharron Proulx-Turner. Topics discussed include the impact of colonization on Indigenous two spirits, the consequent erasure of two spirit figures in history, and the importance of learning about queer history in different cultures. C…

Cohosts Ashley, Orin, and Sora discuss The Low, Low Woods, a horror graphic novel, by Carmen Maria Machado, illustrated by DaNi. Topics discussed include living in rural towns, the importance of queer friendships, and the task of matching artwork to the mood and pacing of the story. There are no spoilers in this podcast. Note: We experienced some r…

Cohosts Annika, K.J., and Dani discuss Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. Topics covered include mixed acceptance from family members, the importance of representation in fiction, and learning about brujx culture, before the episode finally devolves into a Julian lovefest. If funny bad boys are your weakness, this book needs to be on your TBR list! The…

Cohosts Lisa, Dani, and Annika discuss Black Water Sister by ⁠Zen Cho⁠, a contemporary ghost story set in Malaysia. Topics covered include dealing with familial expectations, asserting control of your own life, and the curious parallels between ghosts and queerness. There are minor spoilers in this episode. CW: Violence, sexual assault Rep: Malaysi…

For 26 years, this award-winning show encouraged children to develop a love of reading. Now "Reading Rainbow" is back as a reading adventure app designed for iPad.โดย Apple