Queerly Recommended

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 Ashton Works/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 Buy us a Ko-fi Facebook Instagram Threads  Bluesky TikTok YouTube  Get all our links on Linktr.ee

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 Oakley Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Facebook Instagram Threads  Bluesky TikTok YouTube  Get all our links on Linktr.ee

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 bearblue Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Facebook Instagram Threads  Bluesky TikTok YouTube  Get all our links on Linktr.ee

'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 Buy us a Ko-fi Facebook Instagram Threads  Bluesky TikTok YouTube  Get all our links on Linktr.ee

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 Buy us a Ko-fi Facebook Instagram Threads  Bluesky TikTok YouTube  Get all our links on Linktr.ee

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 Jones Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Facebook Instagram Threads  Bluesky TikTok YouTube  Get all our links on Linktr.ee

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 Buy us a Ko-fi Facebook Instagram Threads  Bluesky TikTok YouTube  Get all our links on Linktr.ee

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 Buy us a Ko-fi Facebook Instagram Threads  Bluesky TikTok YouTube  Get all our links on Linktr.ee

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.  Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Facebook Instagram Threads  Bluesky TikTok YouTube  Get all our links on Linktr.ee .

It's back-to-school season and illness is in the air! Kris returns from her deathbed with tales of the flu (definitely NOT a recommendation) and Tara encounters her first COVID romance (which is a recommendation). Kris lays out tips for eBay seller success and Tara discusses her reaction to James Dobson's death as an ex-Evangelical (TL;DR: fuck that guy).  Official Recommendations  From Kris: Giant Little Ones (2018) Kris's official recommendation this week is Giant Little Ones (2018). It's a film about two high school boys who are teenage royalty and adored by the girls, whose lives are changed during an epic 17th birthday party. According to Kris, this story is full of drama, reminding her of how awful those teenage years are. There is some violence against gay people in this movie, but Kris still thinks the quality and the story are worth the discomfort if you're able. From Tara: Make or Break by E. J. Noyes Tara's official recommendation this week is Make or Break by E. J. Noyes. It's a sapphic romance novel that takes place on the set of a police drama between one of the leading actors and the key makeup artist. They've each had a crush on the other for years, but never knew if their crushes were returned. Tara says this one is a gentle romance with excellent character arcs. Works/People Discussed K-Pop Demon Hunters (2025) Alone (History Channel) Alone Australia (SBS) Hightown (STARZ) Hostage (Netflix) Great Canadian Baking Show (CBC) Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix) Forever Theirs by Anna Stone (Mistress, book 3) Guarded Desires by Anna Stone (Mistress, book 4) Sweet, Spicy, Delicate by Allison Ashton Who We Could Be by Chelsea M. Cameron Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Facebook Instagram Threads  Bluesky TikTok YouTube  Get all our links on Linktr.ee

Basement daddies? Going down the reality hole? What sort of podcast have you stumbled along? Luckily Kris and Tara, are here to educate and enlighten. This week, Kris recounts her most recent card show, while Tara sighs wistfully at the memory of a week's staycation before heading back to work.  Official Recommendations  From Kris: The Old Guard 2 (2025) Kris's official recommendation this week is The Old Guard 2 (2025), starring Kris's wife from another timeline, Charlize Theron. Andy leads a group of do-gooder immortal mercenaries known as the Old Guard while processing her grief from losing her love 500 years ago, when shitheads dumped her in the sea. But the love survived and is back for revenge on Andy for giving up on finding her (to be fair, though, she put in a solid half-millennium). Kris and Tara also share their thoughts on immortality. Good? Bad? You decide! From Tara: Learning Curves by Rachel Lacey Tara's official recommendation this week is Learning Curves by Rachel Lacey. It's a cozy sapphic romance set in a Vermont university. A bubbly new professor returns to her alma mater to teach, only to learn that her undergrad advisor and former crush is still hot, but super grumpy. A charm offensive ensues, and so does a beautiful story. Tara loved this one! Works/People Discussed About Last Night (1986) The Perfect Match (Netflix) Alone Australia (SBS) My Life with the Walter Boys (Netflix) Wednesday (Netflix) Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE (Netflix) Date Everything! (Sassy Chap Games) Tangled Vows by Anna Stone (Mistress Book 1) Ensnared Hearts by Anna Stone (Mistress Book 2) Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Get all our links on Linktr.ee

What do you think of when you hear the phrase "skinny pancakes"? Kris returns from GCLS with stories to tell, including an answer to that question. In this strange in-between time of summer, when shows have ended and not started up again, Kris has been watching movies and Tara has been reading a book about crypto. Official Recommendations From Kris: The Hunting Wives (Netflix) Kris's official recommendation this week is the new Netflix series, The Hunting Wives. It's a show about a woman who moves down south for her husband's new job and lands in the orbit of a tight inner circle of housewives who keep deadly secrets. Kris loved it. From Tara: Relationship Material by Rachel Spangler Tara's official recommendation this week is Relationship Material by Rachel Spangler. It's a romance between Robin, a psychologist and one of the side characters from Informed Consent, and Sawyer, who's best friends with Robin's boss and is nonbinary. Both are thrill seekers and neither are looking for commitment, and they have to decide what to do when very real feelings develop.  Works/People Discussed Jamie Rose's GCLS Speech  ReadOUT Festival Final Destination Bloodlines (2025) Fantastic Four (2025) Jeopardy! (NBC) RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (Paramount+) Date Everything! (Sassy Chap Games) Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall by Zeke Faux Incendiant by Virginia Black Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Get all our links on Linktr.ee

The GCLS conference has come and gone, but this was recorded before that, so Kris shares her plans for the con.  We hear the tale (tail?) of a new kitty entering Kris's domain. Everybody give it up for Mangy Kitty! Wait, we're getting an update. The cat has a new name and it's… oh. Oh dear. Really? You'll have to listen to find out more. Kris and Tara also do a final debrief of their (very strong) feelings about the ending of The Ultimatum: Queer Love.  Official Recommendations From Kris: Woman on Fire (2016) Kris's official recommendation this week is the 2016 documentary Woman on Fire, which tells the story of New York City's first transgender firefighter. Kris says it's very informative about the trans experience and strongly recommends it as a starting point to educate yourself if you're looking for more information. From Tara: Date Everything! (Sassy Chap Games) Tara's official recommendation this week is Date Everything! It's a dating sim game where, after being let go from your customer service job, you receive a mysterious gift of glasses that allow you to date everything in your home. Everything becomes a person. The bed, the ceiling, the toilet, the blender, and 96 other things. Everything is there for you to date, befriend, or hate. Tara loved this game, playing it like it was her job and ended up laughing until she cried. Works/People Discussed Destination X (NBC) Building the Band (Netflix) Jeopardy! (NBC) The Ultimatum: Queer Love (Netflix) RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (Paramount+) Autocracy Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World by Anne Applebaum When DC Met Iowa by Lee Winter Toni and Addie Go Viral by Melissa Marr Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Get all our links on Linktr.ee

Kris returns from Vegas, poorer in money but rich in experiences, which she is here to share. Later, the pair deep dive into the latest season of The Ultimatum: Queer Love. As of the time of recording, the final episodes had not been released, so these are very in-process thoughts.  Official Recommendations From Kris: Sally (2025) Kris's official recommendation this week is the documentary Sally (2025), which explores the life of the first female astronaut, Sally Ride, including her accomplishments and the revelation about her sexuality after her death. Kris described this as a powerful documentary, emotional and informative, and she thinks she and Sally would have been great friends. From Tara: A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell Tara's official recommendation this week is A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell, an enemies-to-lovers queer romance set in the Regency period. It features a young woman who wishes to be taken seriously as an anthropologist and ventures to find an old Viking burial ground she believes to be on her property. Works/People Discussed FUBAR (Netflix) Alone (The History Channel) Alone: Australia (SBS) My Mom Jayne (2025) The Ultimatum: Queer Love (Netflix) RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars (Paramount+) KPop Demon Hunters (2025) The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna  This is Who I Am by Harper Bliss Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Get all our links on Linktr.ee

In this week's episode, Tara talks about their experience at a local queer art market while Kris brainstorms ways to make money to finance her upcoming trip to Vegas. We learn about a pretty fullproof way to kidnap Kris and she shares more cat stories.  Official Recommendations From Kris: Incendiant by Virginia Black Kris's official recommendation this week is Incendiant by Virginia Black. A follow-up to Consecrated Ground (which you do not have to read to check out this book), it takes place in a world of vampires, witches and monsters lurking behind the scenes of our regular world. Kris loved it. From Tara: Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare Tara's official recommendation this week is the hard-to-describe but utterly charming Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare. A hair stylist gets stood up on a spur-of-the-moment date only to discover that the woman she's texting is from another point in the multiverse, five months in the past. With her friends behind her, she plots with her crush via text so that her multiversal version can get together with the girl of her dreams.  Works/People Discussed SASS - Sapphic Action Support Squad Facebook Group Sapphics with the T merch The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu) The Traitors (Peacock) 28 Days Later (2002) 28 Weeks Later (2007) 28 Years Later (2025) RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars (Paramount+) Hades (Supergiant Games) Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban Consecrated Ground by Virginia Black The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Get all our links on Linktr.ee

This week, Tara discovers that all the fanfiction she's been reading lately has completely thrown off her ability to determine what is and is not a long book. Kris talks about her first time interacting with AI. This turns out to be Tara's activation phrase and leads to a longer conversation about AI, how it's coming for our jobs, and what we need to keep in mind when using it. And, of course, they bring recommendations. Official Recommendations  From Kris: On Swift Horses (2024) Kris's official recommendation this week is On Swift Horses, a romantic drama film that revolves around a woman and her relationship with her husband's brother. Kris described their relationship as one of those "few times in a life" things that wake a person up to who they really are, challenging them to move past themselves.  From Tara: Di-Curious by Erin Branch Tara's official recommendation this week is Di-Curious by Erin Branch, a book steeped in the TTRPG space (that's table-top roleplaying games for all you cooler kids). It's about one woman's journey to rebuild her career after a mishap puts her into the crosshairs of an old friend she'd unwittingly hurt. Sparks fly! Tara described this as a cozy, thoughtful, and lovely read. Works/People Discussed SASS - Sapphic Action Support Squad Facebook Group Ed Zitron The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna Queer Liberation Library The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC) Sirens (Netflix) Jeopardy! (NBC) RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars (Paramount+) Principle Decisions by Thea Belmont Boss of Her by Anna Stone Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Get all our links on Linktr.ee

This week, Kris catches Tara up on all the news. Book deadlines, a trip to Vegas, Tiki the rescue dog, and a whole summer dedicated to working on what? Check that episode title.  Kris is super busy and Tara is a little scatterbrained (wait for the outtake at the end to hear why). But what's nobody too busy for? You guessed it: recommendations. Official Recommendations From Kris: Younger (Netflix) Kris's official recommendation this week is the TV series Younger (2015-2019). This is Kris's second time watching it and she's fallen in deep. It's the story of a middle-aged woman who pretends to be in her 20s to work in a millennial media company. Kris describes it as queer-friendly, flirty, and fun, with characters you'd want to be friends with. She's had a great time with it and thinks you will too. From Tara: The Woman From the Waves by Roslyn Sinclair Tara's official recommendation this week is The Woman From the Waves by Roslyn Sinclair, which isn't out yet, but will be on June 5 (here's the preorder link). It's a contemporary romantasy between a shapeshifting ocean-dwelling horse spirit off the coast of the Orkney Islands in Scotland and the nun who captures her attention. Tara loved this book, describing it as one she will return to again and again. She gives a caution for readers with religious trauma, particularly if it's rooted in Catholicism, as the nun in the book reconciles with a lot of internalized homophobia. Works/People Discussed Tiki, the rescue dog SASS - Sapphic Action Support Squad Facebook Group Lambda Literary Statement on Book Bans The Last of Us (HBO) Survivor (CBS) Novocaine (2025) Death of a Unicorn (2025) RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars (Paramount+) 90 Days to Wed by Yanana  Sapphic World Book Club Facebook Group Dream a Little Dream by Melissa Brayden Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Get all our links on Linktr.ee

Sometimes you just gotta get away, and that's what Kris and Tara did during their unannounced break (sorry about that). But they're back now, and ready to report on where they've been, what they've done and, perhaps most importantly, what they recommend. Also, Tara cheats this week. Instead of one official recommendation (which is the entire point of this podcast) Tara comes back from vacation with two. Buckle up, folks. Chaos reigns! Official Recommendations From Kris: The Four Seasons (Netflix) Kris's official recommendation this week is the Netflix series The Four Seasons. The show revolves around three couples who vacation together four times a year (each season) and what happens when one of the couples breaks up. Kris says this has it all, the funny moments and the sad, and once she started, she couldn't put it down. From Tara: The Princess Match by Clare Lydon Tara's first recommendation this week is The Princess Match by Clare Lydon. It's a slow burn(ish), high romantic tension story between an out-and-proud athlete and an in-the-closet princess who wants to risk it all for her first chance at true happiness. Tara loved this so much she read it twice and she says it's her favourite of Lydon's books. From Tara: Discovering Nicola by Clare Ashton Tara's second recommendation this week is Discovering Nicola by Clare Ashton, an enemies-to-lovers, ice queen romance, with two women in their 50s embracing a same-sex relationship for the first time. Tara said the chemistry between the leads is incredible and this book ruined her in the best way. Go get it! Works/People Discussed SASS - Sapphic Action Support Squad Facebook Group The Last of Us (HBO) Survivor (CBS) Jeopardy! (NBC) Ransom Canyon (Netflix) Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present by Ruth Ben-Ghiat Closing The Distance by BelladonnaInBloom and Yanana The House of Black and its follow-up Cutting the Pattern by Calliopeia419 Extinction by rubikanon Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Get all our links on Linktr.ee

Kris is selling football cards at a retirement home, hoping to get The Golden Girls in on the grift. Tara is happily boring and middle-aged with her triple-paned windows and kids who keep teasing her that her new glasses make her look like a Pokemon bug researcher.  Official Recommendations  From Kris: Straight Up (2019) Kris's official recommendation this week is the romantic comedy Straight Up. This movie has the dubious honour of coming out at the exact right moment to get obliterated by the onset of the covid pandemic. Thankfully, Kris is running the revival efforts and getting the news out there to the people. Straight Up is a movie for the younger set, with a closeted gay man and woman getting into a lavenderish relationship that changes them both for the better. Kris says it's a solid, feel-good movie that you should check out. From Tara: Orlando, My Political Biography (2023) Tara's official recommendation this week is the documentary Orlando, My Political Biography. Using Virginia Woolf's Orlando as a primary text, this documentary explores the contemporary trans experience through 26 performers, all of which play the titular Orlando. Tara found this an incredibly thought-provoking and cerebral experience. Works/People Discussed 1923 (Paramount+) Survivor, season 48 (CBS) The End of Us (2021) The Last of Us (HBO) The Sunrise of the Reaping by Suzanne Collins Balatro by LocalThunk Dimension 20: Neverafter (DropoutTV) RuPaul's Drag Race, season 17 (MTV) The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron Overtime by Tracey Richardson Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Get all our links on Linktr.ee

Kris has been writing and is stuck in a wild limbo where the days to her next book's deadline get smaller as the story keeps growing. Tara suggests a new trend to solve Kris's problem, before our hosts wade bravely into the epilogue debate. They're deep, dangerous waters, but they have the nerve to say their piece. And to top it off, Tara bores the class by gushing about her upcoming triple-paned windows. You know, real adulting stuff. Official Recommendations  From Kris: Chasing Chasing Amy (2023) Kris's official recommendation this week is the documentary, Chasing Chasing Amy. It tracks director Sav Rodgers' experience with the 1997 film Chasing Amy and how important that movie was to his queer identity growing up, including that it saved his life. Filmed over five years, Chasing Chasing Amy details Sav's exploration of the cult hit and his changing opinions of it when new information comes to light.  From Tara: Sweet Home Alabarden Park by TJ O'Shea Tara's official recommendation this week is the newly released sapphic romance Sweet Home Alabarden Park by TJ O'Shea. It's a "sort of one night to forever set in the UK," which features recently cheated on and divorced Fiona and the soft butch gentlewoman Alice, who ends up being nobility. Tara loved this book and it's already her best book of the year. Works/People Discussed Survivor, season 48 (CBS) Paradise (Hulu) 1923 (Paramount+) RuPaul's Drag Race, season 17 (MTV) The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron Scarlet Love by Gun Brooke Sav Rodgers: The rom-com that saved my life (TED Talk) Chasing Amy (1997) Go Fish (1994) All That Matters by Susan X. Meagher Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Get all our links on Linktr.ee