Episodes
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We're back for Pride, Part Two! Kris talks about the delightful romance bookshop she discovered in her city (shout out to Smitten Booktique). While comparing the relative merits and discomforts of different medical procedures, Tara and Kris provide their irregularly timed reminder to get your boobs squished, you know, professionally.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Shrill (Hulu/Netflix)
Kris's official recommendation this week is the TV series Shrill (originally released on Hulu, now available on Netflix). Kris loved this show, especially Aidy Bryant as the lead, and praised the queer representation in the show's side characters.
From Tara: The Whole Truth by Haley Cass
Tara's official recommendations this week is The Whole Truth by Haley Cass, an enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance set in the world of country music. Tara adored the chemistry between these two characters as they go from enemies with benefits to their happily ever after, and thinks you will too.
Works/People Discussed
Smitten Booktique, Kansas City Maternal Instinct (2026) Outlast: The Jungle (Netflix) Siren: Survive the Island (Netflix) RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars (Paramount+) The Birdcage (1996) Madame Hyde by Thea Belmont At Your Most Beautiful by Harper BlissSupport & Follow the Show
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It's that most wonderful time of the year (Pride! And it's beach reads time!).
Old Lady Tara rears her ancient head this episode, talking about respecting bedtimes and being excited for the rain to loosen up the soil for weeding flowerbeds. We also return to one of our favourite topics of conversation: book covers.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Love is a Contact Sport by Frederick Smith
Kris's official recommendation this week is the gay romance novel Love is a Contact Sport by Frederick Smith. You may remember Smith from previous episodes where we've officially recommended his book One and Done and had the opportunity to sit down with him for a conversation. This second chance romance includes aspects of relationships we don't often see on page, like therapy and safe sex practices. Kris loved this one.
From Tara: For the Bride by Becca Grischow
Tara's official recommendation this week is For the Bride by Becca Grischow, an enemies to lovers sapphic romance that Tara couldn't put down. She may have quibbles about the cover's colour scheme, but only because it suggests the book is a cozy, rom-com kind of affair, which it is not (and that's a very good thing). The main character, Alice, is a mess and Tara hasn't seen this kind of character work in a long time. 2026 has been a great year for books and For the Bride is right up there.
Works/People Discussed
The Matrix (1999) The Four Seasons (Netflix) The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars (Paramount+) Project Hail Mary (2026) Madame Hyde by Thea BelmontSupport & Follow the Show
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Missing episodes?
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Kris is writing again, and in a way she never thought she'd do it. Tara returns from surviving the plague with a list of books they read during all that horizontal time (her pain is your gain). We also get some deep Tara reading lore about how they read in high school and university, before Kris and Tara expand the definition of the second chance romance.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Running Point (Netflix)
Kris's official recommendation this week is Running Point, a sports comedy about a wealthy and highly dysfunctional family trying to make it all work in the NBA. Kris loved it and found the character development over the two seasons worth the journey. Check it out!
From Tara: Girlfriend Goals by Clare Lydon
Tara's official recommendation this week is Girlfriend Goals by Clare Lydon. Tara describes this romance as a best friends to ghosting to rivals to lovers and the experience of reading it challenged and expanded their understanding of the second chance romance trope.
Works/People Discussed
Love is a Contact Sport by Frederick Smith Jeopardy! (NBC) The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026) Death Becomes Her (1992) The Fall Guy (2024) Miss Woodhouse and Miss Fairfax by Maisie Jardelle At Her Service by Anna Stone Hers to Keep by Anna Stone The Princess Match by Clare LydonSupport & Follow the Show
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It's Kris's birthday today! Happy Birthday, Kris. (How old is she? She'll never tell.) This birthday episode is special in more ways than one. Our hosts compare war stories over driver's license photos and Kris discovers Tara's "sexy angry" face from the distant past.
Then it's time for the *check notes* ONE official recommendation? That's right, folks, there's only one official recommendation today and it's The Devil Wears Prada 2. The original film still has a thriving fanfic community, which is very important personally to Tara. Dive in with them as they discuss the original film's legacy, the new movie, and all the fun they had.
Works/People Discussed
Million Dollar Secret (Netflix) Survivor (CBS) Project Hail Mary (2026) Love is a Contact Sport by Frederick Smith Summer Official by Rebekah Weatherspoon The Long Con by Jenna Voris The Duke by Anna CowanSupport & Follow the Show
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Things have been mostly quiet here at the old QR HQ, but the only news is good news! Kris's book Scandalous is up for a Goldie in the contemporary romance: mid-length novels category. In place of any new developments, Tara brings an extra official recommendation to the party.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Pillion (2025)
Kris's official recommendation this week is the movie Pillion. It's the story of a dreary wallflower of a young man who meets a biker and is carried into the world of BDSM. Kris learned a lot from this movie and enjoyed it thoroughly.
From Tara: The Miseducation of Caroline Bingley by Lindz McLeod and The Second Draft by Carrie Byrd
This week, Tara's first recommendation isThe Miseducation of Caroline Bingley by Lindz McLeod. It's the second story in her Ausentatious series, which asks "what if?" about sapphic partnerships among the side characters of Pride and Prejudice. Tara recommended the previous book, The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet, waaaaay back in episode 104 and came away from this one liking it more. In this story, Caroline Bingley asks Georgiana Darcy to teach her how to be a good person, and they find love along the way. The writing nails the balance between sounding period appropriate and remaining compelling for a modern audience (plus it has all the sex scenes that Austen didn't put in, but probably wanted to).
The second recommendation is The Second Draft by Carrie Byrd. Tara adored this one. The only problem is, all the reasons she loved it most are spoilers! What she can tell you is that it's a later-in-life coming out story bundled with a sweet and emotional friends-to-lovers arc. The writing moved her and she thinks it'll move you too.
Works/People Discussed
Shrinking (Apple TV+) Paradise, Season Two (Hulu) Love on the Spectrum (Netflix) The Red Duet (Chasing Red & Catching Red) by Alix MarrenSupport & Follow the Show
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This week, Kris returns to the pod smelling of peppermint and burdened with so much toilet paper and toothpaste, you wouldn't believe it. Together with Tara, they talk about the television finales that have let us down and the rigged reality shows that break our hearts. Finally, they make their moves and recommend what's been stirring their hearts lately.
Listen to your pit crews, listeners. They might just save your life.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Make Your Move by Melissa Brayden
Kris's official recommendation this week is the soon-to-be-released Make Your Move by Melissa Brayden. Taking place in the world of F1 racing, Kris found this sapphic romance to be a fast and furious read. She praises Brayden's exploration of a new world and how deeply the author delves into her characters.
From Tara: Keep Talking by J.J. Arias
Tara's official recommendation this week is Keep Talking by J.J. Arias, an age gap romance set in the world of sapphic audiobook narration. Tara adored this book for its writing and its characters, and says it's the one to beat so far in 2026 for best books. Definitely check it out.Works/People Discussed
Game of Thrones (HBO) March Madness Love on the Spectrum (Netflix) Age of Attraction (Netflix) Trixie & Katya watch Age of Attraction Season One Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles (Square Enix) RuPaul's Drag Race (World of Wonder) Extracted (Fox) Culinary Class Wars: Season Two (Netflix) Intercepting Her Heart by KatDeMedi Strap In by Lou MorganSupport & Follow the Show
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It's 2026, so we're talking about plagues and protests. Kris is sick again after spending too much time around small children, which means she has a bevy of binge-worthy television to recommend. Despite a board game haul and a blast from gaming past, Tara's also had time to read a book or two. They also talk about prologue protocol and epilogue etiquette.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Deadloch (Amazon Prime)
Kris's recommendation this week is Deadloch, an Australian black-comedy crime mystery series set in a remote town that's dealing with a murder. Kris praised the character work and the different approach to comedy (including its face-eating seal named Kevin). Deadloch is in its second season now, but Kris's recommendation is solely for its first.From Tara: Margin of Error by Rachel Lacey
Tara's official recommendation this week is Margin of Error by Rachel Lacey. This sapphic romance begins with a chance meeting and a traumatic event that impacts the two leads, who reconnect a couple of years later in a small town in Vermont. Tara loved how this story shows two women coming to their sexuality later in life and the different ways that is expressed. It's a deliciously slow burn, and Tara thinks that if you're into slow, you'll love this book.Works/People Discussed
What's Wrong With You (game) Game of Thrones (HBO) Tempting Olivia by Clare Ashton Extracted (Fox) Bridgerton (Netflix) RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (BBC Three) RuPaul's Drag Race (World of Wonder) Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles (Square Enix) Taylor Tomlinson: Prodigal Daughter (2026) Of Potions and Honey by Cara N. DelaneySupport & Follow the Show
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As we hunker down for a horrible winter storm, Kris and Tara have their first-ever fight on the podcast. Lines are drawn, things are said that can't be taken back, but laughs are also had.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: The Holiday Club (2024)
Kris's official recommendation this week is The Holiday Club, a movie that follows two friends over the course of a year through various holidays as their relationship blossoms into something deeper and more romantic. Kris was charmed by this slow burn, low-angst story, and thinks you will be too.The Love Book by Gun Brooke
Tara's official recommendation this week is The Love Book by Gun Brooke. It's a sapphic romance novel that's bursting with things. Too many things, some might say, but Tara found it just right. When the poorly performing assistant to a high powered literary agent (who the assistant is also in love with) accidentally sends them their own manuscript anonymously, the two begin a dance of deception intended to keep the assistant's job but might end up winning…their hearts.Works/People Discussed
Paradise, Season Two (Hulu) Love is Blind (Netflix) RuPaul's Drag Race (World of Wonder) RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (BBC Three) Drag Queens Trixie Mattel & Katya React to The Boyfriend Season 2 | Netflix (YouTube) and I fell heavy into your arms by Libstar (56k words) What's In A Name by InBetweens (18k words)Support & Follow the Show
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This week, Kris has no news and Tara tells all about her latest boob squishing appointment. Get your boobs squished, y'all. It's important. They also talk about the Olympics and other current topics like the Newhart series finale.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: The 'Burbs (Peacock)
Kris's official recommendation this week is The 'Burbs, a new TV adaptation of the 1989 movie starring Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher. Kris found herself late to the Keke Palmer party, but now she's here and loving it.From Tara: Moonstone Island (Studio Supersoft)
Tara's official recommendation this week is Moonstone Island, an indie game described by Tara as a mix of Stardew Valley and Pokemon.Works/People Discussed
The Night Agent (Netflix) Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model (Netflix) RuPaul's Drag Race (World of Wonder) RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (BBC Three) The Boyfriend (Netflix) The 'Burbs (1989)Support & Follow the Show
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So… we skipped a week and didn't tell anyone. Sorry about that, folks. Life got in the way in a big way, but we're back with stories to tell.
Kris and Tara share COVID stories. Kris dives into her experience at ReadOUT. And of course, we've got those tasty, tasty recommendations.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Best in Show (2000)
Kris's official recommendation this week is the film Best in Show, in honour of the late, great, and very much missed Catherine O'Hara. It's a mockumentary set in the wild and wacky world of competitive dog shows and the people who devote their lives to it. And, it turns out that the film aged fairly well. If you haven't seen it before, check it out.From Tara: When She Flies by Lee Winter
Tara's official recommendation this week is When She Flies by Lee Winter. Despite a humiliating first encounter that only one of them remembers, Jasmine and Sienna reconnect later in life by chance and their relationship churns up a lot of things that need changing in their personal lives. Tara thinks this book would make an awesome mini-series.Works/People Discussed
ReadOUT 2026 EF5 by Kris Bryant Bridgerton (Netflix) Queer Eye (Netflix) 60 Days In (A&E) The Traitors (Peacock) His and Hers (Netflix) RuPaul's Drag Race (World of Wonder) RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (BBC Three) Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (2026) This Love is Undeniable by MJ DuncanSupport & Follow the Show
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We talked about this! New year. NEW. Different. Better. Not (waves hands at the world) all of this.
Oh well, at least there's puppies, blurbs, and recommendations on tap. Pull up a chair, fellow sapphic fiction readers. We've got what you've been looking for.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Kris's official recommendation this week is a historical novel set in the distant past of the 1980s, when dinosaurs and other creatures still walked the earth. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid is the story of a female astronaut coming to understand herself as she prepares to go to space. Kris says that this book helped fill in the emotional gaps that last year's recommendation of Sally, the documentary about astronaut Sally Ride, didn't provide.From Tara: Greta Gets the Girl by Melissa Marr
Tara's official recommendation this week is Greta Gets the Girl by Melissa Marr. Similar to Kris's recommendation, this book reaches back to a previous recommendation by the same author, Toni and Addie Go Viral. This book has that sweet, sweet one-night-to-forever trope that Tara craves. The book comes with a trigger warning because one of the leads is a sexual assault survivor, although no assault happens on the page. (Note: Tara forgot about the trigger warning when discussing this aspect of the book and how it's not mentioned in the blurb.)Works/People Discussed
11.22.63 (Hulu) The Traitors (Peacock) Canada's Drag Race (Crave) RuPaul's Drag Race (World of Wonder) The Good Place (NBC) 10 Dance (2025) Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios) The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Sally (2025) Toni and Addie Go Viral by Melissa MarrSupport & Follow the Show
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It's a new year and we're already full of surprises here at Queerly Recommended. Kris reveals that she's never seen the sitcom Arrested Development. Tara drops more personal lore that connects her with an infamous Canadian serial killer. We have updates on Daryl Dixon the cat and the newest QR pet, Henry Rollins, Tara's little black schnoodle who hadn't yet arrived by the time of recording but is home now and thriving.
This episode, instead of looking forward, Kris and Tara look back at their favourite recommendations of 2025. They are, in no particular order.
Top Recommendations of 2025
Kris's top three
Incendiant by Virginia Black Younger (Netflix) The Hunting Wives (Netflix)Tara's top three
Number Six by Lee Winter The Woman from the Waves by Roslyn Sinclair Discovering Nicola by Clare AshtonWorks/People Discussed
Stranger Things (Netflix) Robin Hood (MGM+) The Christmas Baby (2025) Canada's Drag Race (Crave) Kickboxer (1989) Group Therapy (2024) Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025) The Science of Sex by charlottepriestly (note: you have to be signed in to an Ao3 account to read it)Support & Follow the Show
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Someone's been rocking around the Christmas tree early and has already paid for it. Kris threw out her back! She's been laid up, recovering and catching up on her Netflix. Tara's on vacation and replaying Baldur's Gate 3. She also has a freckle on her damn eyeball. Happy Holidays, everyone!
Official Recommendations
From Kris: A Keller Christmas Vacation (2025)
Kris's official recommendation this week is A Keller Christmas Vacation, one of the few queer holiday movies that Hallmark put out this year. Kris had a lot of fun with this one and thinks you will too!
From Tara: Christmas Toys by Lily Seabrooke
Tara's official recommendation this week is Christmas Toys by Lily Seabrooke, an erotic, falling-for-the-roommate, Christmas romance that has a surprising amount of laughs. Tara loves Seabrooke's Christmas offerings and this is no different. Pick it up!
Works/People Discussed
Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios) Stranger Things (Netflix) Ripple (Netflix) The Running Man (2025) Canada's Drag Race (Crave) Bloodsport (1988) Asking Kate by Clare Ashton Breakup Buddies by JJ Arias and Bryce OakleySupport & follow the show
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We're getting into the season here at Queerly Recommended. We're cuddling up with our pets, we're recommending angst-free Christmas books, and shows with so much chemistry they cause a tingling reaction.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Heated Rivalry (HBO Max/Crave)
Kris's official recommendation this week is Heated Rivalry, a new TV series currently airing about two closeted (for now?) hockey players and their relationship as it unfolds over different playing seasons. Kris was really impressed by the chemistry of the leads and how hot the show is.
From Tara: Once Upon a Time in December by Alyson Root
Tara's official recommendation this week is Once Upon a Time in December by Alyson Root. It's an angst-free, charming, wealth-gap romance that, similar to Heated Rivalry, takes place over several years, during holiday parties the leads continue to meet at. Tara was utterly charmed by this novel and secondary characters are particularly notable.
Works/People Discussed
Scandal (ABC) Wits & Wagers Boardgame Lost (ABC) Stranger Things (Netflix) RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Season Seven (BBC Three, BBC One) Canada's Drag Race (Crave) Physical: Asia (Netflix) The Lady and Her Dragons by bearblueSupport & follow the show
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'Tis the season! We have our first holiday recommendation of the year, folks!
Kris and Tara react to the Devil Wears Prada 2 trailer, discuss family Dungeons and Dragons time, and talk about co-workers who wear four jerseys to work (yes, at the same time). It's a short and sweet but stacked episode. Enjoy!
Editor's Note: This episode has a couple of recommendations that revolve around heavy topics like people going through cancer treatment, loss and addiction. If that's not where you're at, feel free to skip this one. Take care of yourself.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Melissa Etheridge: I'm Not Broken
Kris's official recommendation this week is Melissa Etheridge: I'm Not Broken. This two-part docuseries came out in 2024 and follows Etheridge as she shares the stories of addiction and loss with the women incarcerated in the Topeka Correctional Facility.
From Tara: The Milkyway Hotel by Jude Silberfeld-Grimaud and Marguerite Grimaud
Tara's official recommendation this week is The Milkyway Hotel by Jude Silberfeld-Grimaud and Marguerite Grimaud. In the midst of her life falling apart in Paris, Celeste inherits her great-aunt's Milkyway Hotel in the French Alps. And wouldn't you know it, there's a sexy chocolatier there waiting to keep her company. Tara describes this as a slooooow burn, but when it gets there, it absolutely gets there.
Works/People Discussed
Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026) Caleb Hearon Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski Scandal (ABC) The Long Walk (2025) The Long Walk by Stephen King (as Richard Bachman) RuPaul's Drag Race UK, season 7 (BBC Three, BBC One) Lucky Girls by GinStan Come See Me in the Good Light (2025)Support & Follow the Show
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Kris is back and ready to talk with Tara about Women's Week, Closing Time, and the death of NaNoWriMo. The pair debate the relative merits of Canadian vs. American Thanksgiving, before celebrating Kris's new book baby, Scandalous.
It's the first podcast recorded on a Wednesday, folks! Time to learn how to "drink flat" with the expert herself!
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Boots (Netflix)
Kris's official recommendation this week is the new Netflix series, Boots. Based on the memoir, The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White, it's is a coming-of-age dramedy about a young gay man finding a place for himself in the American Marine Corps of the 1990s.
From Tara: Atramentum by MJ Duncan
Tara's official recommendation this week is Atramentum by MJ Duncan. This one has a dog! Friends, there's a dog in this one!
Seriously though, this is the story of a woman who takes an escape hatch from her epic work burnout in LA, moving to a small town to run a bookstore with a friend. There's chemistry, love, and a dog. A lady Great Dane (Dame?) named George.
Works/People Discussed
Scandal (ABC) Love is Blind (Netflix) The Ultimatum: Queer Love (Netflix) RuPaul's Drag Race UK (BBC Three, BBC One) Hades 2 (Supergiant Games) John Candy: I Like Me (2025) A Coin of Two Sides by Navalcat (Devil Wears Prada Fanfiction series)Support & follow the show
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It's our annual check-in with Becks Quirk, while Kris is recovering from Women's Week in P-town! Becks and Tara talk about what's changed in the last year, where they're at, what keeps them motivated, as well as Becks's reflections after Banned Books Week.
Official Recommendations
From Becks: Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun
In keeping with the annual nature of her visits, Becks's official recommendation this week is another Alison Cochrun audiobook, Every Step She Takes. A bout of turbulence provokes Sadie into coming out and sharing her deepest secrets with her seat companion, Mal, only to learn they're both joining the same tour of Camino de Santiago in Portugal. Becks is a sucker for physical journeys that exhaust the body and mind, leading to revelations and change.
From Tara: Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti
Tara's official recommendation this week is Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti. Lady Georgiana Cleeve is the author of many popular novels, which helps her support herself and her mother. When Lady Darling's books are equally popular and have details that are eerily similar to Georgiana's own books, Georgiana knows she has to unmask Lady Darling. She's in for the shock of her life when Lady Darling ends up being none other than Georgiana's teenage crush. Tara loved the emotional journeys in this one and how it plays with conventions from gothic novels.
Works/People Discussed
Banned Books Week Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel (recommended in QR 064) Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe (recommended in QR 057) Flamer by Mike Curato They Came from Below by L Dreamer After All: A Sapphic Romance (Latitude & Longing Book 3) by Bryce Oakley Olive Oil and White Bread by Georgia Beers The Shape of You by Georgia Beers RuPaul's Drag Race UK (BBC Three, BBC One) Hades 2 (Supergiant Games) Iceberg by Gun Brooke Course of Action by Gun Brooke Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit Meditations in an Emergency - Essays by Rebecca Solnit The Fortune Hunter's Guide to Love by Emma-Claire Sunday Heather Rose JonesSupport & follow the show
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Tara talks school strikes while Kris explains the clean versions of the Taylor Swift phenomena.
Bring it on, people. It's sweater weather!
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco and Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery (2025)
Kris's official recommendation this week is… wait. Kris has TWO official recommendations this week? (checks notes) Well, okay!
Kris's FIRST official recommendation is the children's picture book Our Mothers' House, written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco. It's a beautiful book about two women raising children together and their encounter with the one prejudiced family on their block. It's also a banned book, which makes it even more important to shout out.
For Kris's SECOND official recommendation, we have the 2025 documentary, Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, which tracks the late 90s women's music festival. Kris has a lot of personal connections to this festival, and the documentary was both informative in aspects of the music industry that she couldn't have understood at the time and nostalgic for all those formative memories.
From Tara: A Hexcellent Chance to Fall in Love by Ann Rose
Tara's official recommendation this week is the recently released sapphic Halloween romance, A Hexcellent Chance to Fall in Love by Ann Rose. Every year, for 70 days, the Halloween shop Pepper runs, The Dead of Night, appears in town and she gets to meet and engage with everyone who comes in. After that time? She disappears, and so does everyone's memory of her. But everything changes after Pepper comes across a woman she can't stand the thought of forgetting her. Tara thoroughly enjoyed this one and the big twist at the story's centre.
Works/People Discussed
Jeopardy! (NBC) Survivor (CBS) Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC) RuPaul's Drag Race UK (BBC Three, BBC One) Hades 2 (Supergiant Games) Patricia Polacco appears at the 2012 Library of Congress National Book Festival Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel (recommended in QR 064) Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe (recommended in QR 057)Support & follow the show
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It's been a month since Kris and Tara have seen each other's faces and they have a lot to catch up on!
Kris is in hell, physically and otherwise, dreaming of her recent relaxing, internet-free trip to the lake. Tara's kids are back in the September school rush, so everything's a blur between that and work.
They talk Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart, as well as Harlequin's recent sapphic releases, which are a nice change from yesteryear.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Can We Skip to the Good Part by Melissa Brayden
Kris's official recommendation this week is Can We Skip to the Good Part by Melissa Brayden, her first independently published book. It's a story of new beginnings, as a woman is let go from her job and starts fresh in a new town with her best friend and a new book club. This story offers love, insane chemistry, and some tricky maneuvering. If you haven't read anything by Brayden before, Kris thinks it's a great place to start.
From Tara: One Weekend in Tahoe by Jaime Clevenger
Tara's official recommendation this week is the one-night-to-forever One Weekend in Tahoe by Jaime Clevenger. It's a trope-filled erotic romance set in the worlds of philanthropy and sex parties (not at the same time) that balances enough sweetness with a little bit of the real world.
Works/People Discussed
How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future by Maria Ressa Women's Week - Provincetown The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC) The Lazarus Project (Sky Max) They Came From Below by Luc Dreamer Wylde Flowers (Studio Drydock Pty Ltd) The Secret Crush Book Club by Karmen Lee The Fortune Hunter's Guide to Love by Emma-Claire Sunday (Tara previously recommended The Duke's Sister and I by Sunday in QR 093) Her Fake Wedding Date in Sicily by Jenny Lane Sapphic World Book Club One Weekend in Aspen by Jaime Clevenger Make or Break by E. J. Noyes (recommended in QR 115)Support & follow the show
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This week, Kris and Tara sit down with Salem West and John Copenhaver, editors of the queer crime fiction anthology, Crime Ink: Iconic. The hook for this collection is pretty damn cool, since the stories draw inspiration from queer icons throughout history.
The last time Salem and John were on the podcast, they discussed the urgent threat of LGBTQ book bans. Now, they're here to sound the alarm about the need for more visibility of queer crime writers and their stories. We should all be listening.
Note: In the opening, Tara says this is a bonus episode, but life got in the way of our recording schedule, so we're running this as a regular episode.
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