Welcome back to Get Rec’d!
The is a lot of non-fiction in this one (three of the four books to be exact), from topics ranging from video games to kink. I’ve also included an epic fantasy that I feel like more people should read!
Do you have any recommendations to share? Let us know below!
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Dear Sophie, Love Sophie
Grab the tissues! This one is a queer, graphic memoir where the author writers to her teenage self.
What would you say to your teenage self if you could?
Inspired by the journals she kept growing up, Sophie Lucido Johnson began an interactive conversation between her younger self and her current self. When she began the exercise, Sophie envisioned sharing important lessons on what it means to love your body, navigate relationships, and discover what fulfills you, no matter where life takes you. But as these “exchanges” deepened, adult Sophie discovered she had much to learn about life from young Sophie as well.
Fully illustrated with handwritten text, Dear Sophie, Love Sophie deftly explores topics like queer identity, body image, inherited trauma, belonging, privilege, heartbreak, first love, and much more in a unique and captivating way. Charming, witty, and poignant, it reminds us that wisdom is not limited by age.
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Fight, Magic, Items
I always feel like non-fiction makes great gifts because fiction is much more subjective. Great for you or a loved one if you enjoy these games!
Take a journey through the history of Japanese role-playing games—from the creators who built it, the games that defined it, and the stories that transformed pop culture and continue to capture the imaginations of millions of fans to this day.
The Japanese roleplaying game (JRPG) genre is one that is known for bold, unforgettable characters; rich stories, and some of the most iconic and beloved games in the industry. Inspired by early western RPGs and introducing technology and artistic styles that pushed the boundaries of what video games could be, this genre is responsible for creating some of the most complex, bold, and beloved games in history—and it has the fanbase to prove it. In Fight, Magic, Items , Aidan Moher guides readers through the fascinating history of JRPGs, exploring the technical challenges, distinct narrative and artistic visions, and creative rivalries that fueled the creation of countless iconic games and their quest to become the best, not only in Japan, but in North America, too.
Moher starts with the origin stories of two classic Nintendo titles, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest , and immerses readers in the world of JRPGs, following the interconnected history from through the lens of their creators and their stories full of hope, risk, and pixels, from the tiny teams and almost impossible schedules that built the foundations of the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest franchises; Reiko Kodama pushing the narrative and genre boundaries with Phantasy Star ; the unexpected team up between Horii and Sakaguchi to create Chrono Trigger ; or the unique mashup of classic Disney with Final Fantasy coolness in Kingdom Hearts . Filled with firsthand interviews and behind-the-scenes looks into the development, reception, and influence of JRPGs, Fight, Magic, Items captures the evolution of the genre and why it continues to grab us, decades after those first iconic pixelated games released.
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The Spear Cuts Through Water
If you’re looking for more diverse, epic fantasy, I highly recommend this one. Two people, who are sick of the tyrannical system in place, free a captured goddess.
Two warriors shepherd an ancient god across a broken land to end the tyrannical reign of a royal family in this epic fantasy from the author of The Vanished Birds.
“A beguiling fantasy not to be missed.”—Evelyn Skye, New York Times bestselling author of The Crown’s Game
WINNER OF THE IAFA CRAWFORD AWARD • SHORTLISTED FOR THE URSULA K. LE GUIN AWARD • SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH FANTASY AWARD • SHORTLISTED FOR THE IGNYTE AWARD
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, Vulture, Polygon, She Reads, Gizmodo, Kirkus Reviews, The Quill to Live
The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne. The royal family—the despotic emperor and his monstrous sons, the Three Terrors—hold the countryside in their choking grip. They bleed the land and oppress the citizens with the frightful powers they inherited from the god locked under their palace.
But that god cannot be contained forever.
With the aid of Jun, a guard broken by his guilt-stricken past, and Keema, an outcast fighting for his future, the god escapes from her royal captivity and flees from her own children, the triplet Terrors who would drag her back to her unholy prison. And so it is that she embarks with her young companions on a five-day pilgrimage in search of freedom—and a way to end the Moon Throne forever. The journey ahead will be more dangerous than any of them could have imagined.
Both a sweeping adventure story and an intimate exploration of identity, legacy, and belonging, The Spear Cuts Through Water is an ambitious and profound saga that will transport and transform you—and is like nothing you’ve ever read before.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
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Superfreaks
More non-fiction! This one seems like it’ll fit for both people new to kink and those who want more of a historical perspective. I’d recommend this one if you picked up a preview Get Rec’d book, Hurt So Good ( A | BN | K ).
A deliciously subversive and endlessly informative celebration of “kinky f*ckery,” as told by a connoisseur of kink and fetishism
Neither a how-to guide to getting it on nor a collection of sensational erotica, Superfreaks is an empathetic journey into the widely misunderstood world of kink. Lifelong “kinky f*ckery” connoisseur and practitioner Arielle Greenberg draws on her study and teaching of BDSM and fetishism to
-introduce kink’s history and trailblazing kinksters like Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Mollen Hass-Williams, and Tom of Finland
-explain the science behind sexual fetishes
-delve into the psychology behind power exchange
-parse the politics of sexual deviance
Superfreaks is an accessible and interactive X-rated experience that invites the reader to engage their kinky curiosity. Written with folks of all genders and sexual orientations in mind, the book features resources like
-quizzes readers can take with their partners to help assess sexual compatibility
-sidebars with lists of kinky representation in literature, film, music, and more
-an A-to-Z glossary of kinky gear, from collars and floggers to zentai suits and beyond
A Love Beyond challenges and dismantles longstanding myths about kink perpetuated by pop culture phenomena like Fifty Shades of Grey and 365 Days. In doing so, Greenberg names the systemic marginalization kinky people experience and argues that we must build a society that accepts and celebrates sexual diversity of all kinds. The book also affirms the importance of consent and not “yucking someone’s yum”– key concepts inherent to the practice of kink that are essential building blocks for safer, more inclusive sex.
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This book is available from:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!Superfreaks by Arielle Greenberg
I read Leigh Cowart’s Hurts So Good earlier this year (do recommend). Superfreaks looks similarly fascinating.
I’ll recommend To Shape a Dragon’s Breath: The First Book of Nampeshiweisit by Moniquill Blackgoose. It’s a fantasy set in an alternate North America.