Queerly Recommended

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

Important kitty update: the angel and the devil have switched roles and now no one is safe. Kris and Tara discuss the correct nomenclature around being a friend to cats. Labels are bandied around and a suitable title is found. In other news, Tara’s youngest turns ten and there’s some talk about milestones before, you guessed it, this week’s recommendations! Official Recommendations  From Kris: Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara (2024) Kris’s official recommendation this week is the 2024 documentary, Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara. 15 years ago, Tegan's identity was stolen. This began an unending ordeal of someone pretending to be them to have secret relationships with people in and outside their lives. Kris warns that this is a rough watch, but there’s a lot to learn and it’s important to spread the message. From Tara: The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Lindz McLeod Tara’s official recommendation this week is The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Lindz McLeod. This sapphic historical romance takes place a few years after the events of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. After Mr. Collins dies, Lizzie sends her sister Mary to console Charlotte, and Mary is nothing like Charlotte (or anyone who's read the book) remembers. Tara thoroughly enjoyed it and will be reading it again. Works/People Discussed Love is Blind, season 8 (Netflix) Survivor, season 48 (CBS) 1923 (Paramount+) RuPaul’s Drag Race: season 17 (MTV) Dimension 20: Dungeons and Drag Queens, season 2 (Dropout TV) Our Secret Summer 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

Last episode, Tara put out the call for queer YA books and a reader did the damn thing and delivered. So this week, we start off with a handful of fantastic reader recommendations for the little people in your life. Audiobook listening speeds, sphagnum moss, The Odyssey, and other queer topics are also discussed. Official Recommendations  From Kris: Prime Target (Apple TV+) Kris’s official recommendation this week is the TV series Prime Target. A gay mathematician who's disastrously bad at relationships stumbles onto a discovery that puts him in the sights of a shadowy conspiracy. From Tara: If It's Meant to Be by Lily Seabrooke Tara’s official recommendation this week is If It’s Meant to Be by Lily Seabrooke. It's a "falling for the best friend’s sister" romance that's set in a cozy small town. It also has a very fun disastrous lead (sensing a theme, here) who has no idea that everyone around her can see how down bad she is for the love interest. Tara’s recommended this author before, but this is her favourite so far. Works/People Discussed You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson Loudmouth Books in Indiana The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes 6 Times We Almost Kissed by Tess Sharpe Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick Gay the Pray Away by Natalie Naudus The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow Love is Blind, season 8 (Netflix) Extracted (Fox) The White Lotus, season 3 (HBO) Yellowjackets, season 3 (Showtime) The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix) RuPaul’s Drag Race, season 17 (MTV) Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present by Ruth Ben-Ghiat The Odyssey by Homer Ulysses by James Joyce Ellie Engle Saves Herself by Leah Johnson Her Best Friend’s Sister by Meghan O'Brien Waiting in the Wings 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

Current Kris thanks Past Kris for being an adult and having a super low deductible. Tara shares stories from her life in the freezing north, leading to a cross-cultural exchange of their experiences with frigid temperatures. It’s cold, y’all. Official Recommendations  From Kris: The Traitors, season 3 (Peacock) Kris’s official recommendation this week is the third season of The Traitors, the American version of the Dutch reality television series. Similar to other social deduction games like Werewolf or Mafia, The Traitors has a group of people, most of whom are labeled "faithful" and others as "traitors." Every night, the traitors gather to vote off someone from the group, thereby murdering them. The goal is to get to the end as either a faithful or a traitor to win the prize. Kris loves this show, especially for its queer cast. From Tara: Number Six by Lee Winter Tara’s official recommendation this week is Number Six by Lee Winter. The third in her Villains Series, it's an opposites-attract lesbian romance set in Hotel Duxton (from Hotel Queens), and Tara LOVED it. In addition to appreciating the excellent romance and laughs, this book made her think about the characters in a way that only the best books do. Works/People Discussed The Night Agent (Netflix) The Recruit (Netflix) You’re Cordially Invited (2025) RuPaul’s Drag Race, season 17 (MTV) A Spindle Splintered, A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow Queerleaders by M.B. Guel 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 and Tara talk about their different experiences with last week's Polar Vortex. Kris relates job stress and what she has to do to make sure others get the job done. Then it’s on to the recommendations! Official Recommendations  From Kris: Severance (Apple TV+) This week, Kris officially recommends the critically acclaimed series Severance.  A technology is created that can separate the memories of going to work from the rest of someone's life. This means that when the people are outside of work (outies), they reap the benefits of working without having to remember it, while they only experience going to the office when they're at work (innies). Conflict and mystery ensue! Kris was delighted and surprised by the older queer rep in the show and, while acknowledging that it takes some time to get hooked, when it’s in, it’s in. From Kris: I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner Tara’s official recommendation this week is the graphic novel, I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner, a queer, regency, friends-to-lovers romance. Tara loved the art and storytelling, as well as how the book explored gender expression and the history behind the period.  Works/People Discussed Smosh Reads Reddit Stories (Podcast) Wicked (2024) Gladiator 2 (2024) 1923 (Paramount+) Canada’s Drag Race, season 5 (Crave) RuPaul’s Drag Race, season 17 (MTV) Balatro (LocalThunk) Cozy Grove (Spry Fox) Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars The Village (2004) Challengers (2024) Good One (2024) Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Threads: @queerlyrecommended Get all our links on Linktr.ee

This isn't just any episode of Queerly Recommended. This is the hundredth episode! To celebrate, Kris and Tara look back over the last four years and pick out the top five recommendations they each made since this whole bag of cats (black and orange) started. Of course, despite the strict format, they add some honourable mentions because limitations are for cowards. Official Recommendations Kris’s top five recommendations  Dickinson (Apple TV) The Old Guard (Netflix) A League of Their Own (Amazon Prime Video) Heartstopper (Netflix) The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Honourable mention: Summerland (2020) Tara’s top five recommendations Hoosier Daddy by Ann McMan and Salem West The Headmistress by Milena McKay The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya The Beebo Brinker Omnibus: Ann Bannon's Pulp Classics Truth and Measure/Above All Things by Roslyn Sinclair Honourable mentions: The Queen (1968) and We’re Here (HBO). Works/People Discussed Landman (Paramount+) Canada’s Drag Race, season 5 (Crave) RuPaul’s Drag Race, season 17 (MTV) Dragon Age: Veilguard (Bioware) Balatro (LocalThunk) Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Threads: @queerlyrecommended Get all our links on Linktr.ee

It’s the last day of 2024, so we're looking back at our favourite recommendations of this year. These books and films moved us in a way that's lasting, whether for the message they provided or the comfort they brought. Of course, Tara and Kris also squeeze in some Cracker Barrel discourse (What age is their target audience? What’s the deal with the sodium content?) and chat about gambling and fantasy football. Happy New Years, everyone! Official Recommendations Kris’s top three recommendations for 2024: Consecrated Ground by Virginia Black  Will & Harper (Netflix) Good Grief (Netflix) Tara’s top three recommendations for 2024: View from the Top by Rachel Lacey Tempting Olivia by Clare Ashton Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd Works/People Discussed Black Doves (Netflix) Survivor (CBS) Queer Eye, season 9 (Netflix) Drag Race Down Under, season 4 (Starz) Canada’s Drag Race, season 4 (Crave) Dragon Age: Veilguard (Bioware) Ice Queen by Gun Brooke Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Threads: @queerlyrecommended Get all our links on Linktr.ee

We're bringing more holiday recommendations to you in this slightly shorter episode of Queerly Recommended. We also get an after-action report on Orange Kitty following an injury and discover some unsettling facts about cat eyelids. From meddling Grandmas to Secret Santas, we’re your one-stop for queer media and opinions this holiday season. Official Recommendations  From Kris: Merry Weihnachten by E. J. Noyes Kris has known since GCLS that she’d only have time for one Christmas book this year, so she's been excited since July to read Merry Weihnachten by E. J. Noyes. It's a sapphic romance between an American woman and her new neighbor from Germany, as they decide to merge traditions over the holidays. Kris adored this book, and especially the main character, Evie. It’s spicier than most Christmas books, but who doesn’t like to be surprised with a little spice during the holiday season? From Tara: A Break in Communications by Lily Seabrooke This week, Tara recommends A Break in Communications by Lily Seabrooke. It's a rivals-to-lovers romance between coworkers, where Anna hates Lucy and has no idea that Lucy is hopelessly in love with her. This book is chock-full of tropey goodness— it's a workplace romance, it has a fake romance, it takes place over the holidays. It’s got everything! Works/People Discussed Special Ops: Lioness (Paramount+) Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney+) RuPaul’s Drag Race UK (BBC Three, BBC One) Drag Race Down Under (WOW Presents Plus) Canada's Drag Race (Crave) Cozy Grove (Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox, Android, iOS, Steam) Music Box: Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary (2024) Deck the Palms by Kat Jackson Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram: @queerlyrecommended Bluesky: @queerlyrec.bsky.social Threads: @queerlyrecommended Get all our links on Linktr.ee