Celestial | The First Bright Thing

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The First Bright Thing

J. R. Dawson

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Posts about this title from Celestial

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Nov 20 2025

as was highly requested: (some!) adult fantasy book recs by trans authors!

(i couldn’t include everything i’ve read; please don’t be too grumpy with me in the comments)

(young adult fantasy coming next!)

📚 books mentioned: - Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde - The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson - Fate’s Bane by C.L. Clark - The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia - The Deep by Rivers Solomon

👗💄: - dress is from Free People, rented from Nuuly - corset is from Scarlet Darkness - eyeshadow is In A Trance palette from Colourpop - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)

thank you to Tordotcom for the gifted copy!

#fantasybooks #fantasybookrecs #adultfantasy #transauthors #transbooks #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram #TorPartner @riverheadbooks @torbooks @tordotcompub @tachyonpub @sagapressbooks @nuuly @freepeople @scarletdarkness_brand @colourpopcosmetics

5 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Aug 2 2025

fantasy books without spice (and minimal romance overall)!

but i know people will still ask if there’s spice every darn time. 😭

📚 books mentioned: - To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose - The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings - May a Divine Awaken by Michael Tinsley - The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong - The Undetectables by Courtney Smyth - Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko - The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan - Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott - The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar - The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson - When Among Crows by Veronica Roth - Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier - Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi - Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger - The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings

#fantasybooks #fantasybookrecs #favoritefantasybooks #noromancebooks #nospicebooks #isitspicy #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #bookstagram #nycbookstagram

14 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Mar 9 2025

30+ trans & nonbinary book recs | trans rights readathon 2025 prep!

feel free to recommend your favorite trans book in the comment section (or pitch your own if you're an author)!!

let's fill these comments with love so this video doesn't end up on the scary side of the algorithm.

☆ featured links ☆ official trans rights readathon website (with TONS of resources): https://transrightsreadathon.carrd.co/ PLEASE sign up here to be included in the data: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/2025-trans-rights-readathon 💫 join me on bindery (celestial - exclusive content, discord, book club, and more): https://celestial.binderybooks.com/

☆ everything I mentioned (in order) ↓ - Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi - Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi - Pet by Akwaeke Emezi - Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi - The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi - You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi - Content Warning: Everything by Akwaeke Emezi - Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi - The Deep by Rivers Solomon - Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon - An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon - Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White - The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White - Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White - The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros - Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros - Bone Weaver by Aden Polydoros - Ring of Solomon by Aden Polydoros - The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey - Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey - Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas - The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas - Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas - Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki - Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness by Da’Shaun L. Harrison - Heavyweight by Solomon J. Brager - The Seep by Chana Porter - The Devourers by Indra Das - The First Bright Thing by J. R. Dawson - The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia - Feed Them Silence by Lee Mandelo - Station Six by S.J. Klapecki - Junker Seven by Olive J. Kelley - Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto

↓ find me in more places ↓ 🎵 tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starrysteph 📸 insta: https://www.instagram.com/starry.steph 🦋 bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/starrysteph.bsky.social 📚 storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/starrysteph 📖 goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/147956803-steph-starrysteph 💌 email: starrystephbooks@gmail.com more: https://beacons.ai/starrysteph

☆ resources ☆ 🇵🇸 learn more about the history of Palestine: https://decolonizepalestine.com/ 🇨🇩 learn more about what's happening in the DRC: https://friendsofthecongo.org/ 🇸🇩 Sudan Solidarity Collective: https://sudansolidarity.com/

34 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jul 18 2024

book recs from dedications

recommending books using their dedications! (i feel like the subtitle for this one might be books that break your heart)

8 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jun 17 2024

📖 ✨ book recs based on first lines!

which one intrigues you the most?