[How it Works](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/how-it-works/) [Bookshop](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/books/bindery/) [Publishing](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/publishing/) [Team](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/team/) [Contact](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/contact/) Log in or Sign up The First Bright Thing J. R. Dawson Save to Your Books [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/84139/9781035018208) 100% of affiliate revenue supports Celestial Get the Bindery app * * * Posts about this title from Celestial [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Nov 20 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [as was highly requested: (some!) adult fantasy book recs by trans authors!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/LTZ8dRBBqQybsns2oBma/) 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 1 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Aug 2 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [fantasy books without spice (and minimal romance overall)!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/VIfKuX8LXDCnzcLZGqbf/) 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](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [30+ trans & nonbinary book recs \| trans rights readathon 2025 prep!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/2R9lRBsd146BIun8UfBo/) 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 1 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Jul 18 2024](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [book recs from dedications](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/i87Ob4k2jPjNpr4SskbG/) 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](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [📖 ✨ book recs based on first lines!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/aQM1uBHbR9ehZQH487tr/) which one intrigues you the most? * * * 8 books Posts about this book from across Bindery [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Nov 20 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [as was highly requested: (some!) adult fantasy book recs by trans authors!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/LTZ8dRBBqQybsns2oBma/) 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!) thank you to Tordotcom for the gifted copy! * * * 5 books 1 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Aug 2 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [fantasy books without spice (and minimal romance overall)!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/VIfKuX8LXDCnzcLZGqbf/) fantasy books without spice (and minimal romance overall)! but i know people will still ask if there’s spice every darn time. 😭 #fantasybooks #fantasybookrecs #favoritefantasybooks #noromancebooks #nospicebooks #isitspicy #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #bookstagram #nycbookstagram * * * 14 books [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Mar 9 2025](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [30+ trans & nonbinary book recs \| trans rights readathon 2025 prep!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/2R9lRBsd146BIun8UfBo/) 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. * * * 34 books 1 [Bookwyrm Ink\\ \\ Bookwyrm Ink\\ \\ • Feb 20 2025](https://azthiabookwyrm.binderybooks.com/) Join for free \\ \\ Join for free or login](https://azthiabookwyrm.binderybooks.com/item/UpsKSVRaDQAIiOB8iAEV/) [Which one would you pick?🤔📚](https://azthiabookwyrm.binderybooks.com/item/UpsKSVRaDQAIiOB8iAEV/) Which one would you pick?🤔📚 * * * 3 books 1 [Boozhoo Books\\ \\ Naomi\\ \\ • Sep 18 2024](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [Hello Friends,\\ \\ I just returned from a long weekend in San Diego. My bestie and I planned a **Hozier+Bookish Babe Weekend:** Hozier, Cafes and Cute Bookshops.\\ \\ ​\\ \\ \\ \\ ​\\ \\ I bought so many books that I essentially spent my 2025 book budget. I will link the books I bought here. Godly Heathens and Merciless Saviors is \*\*YA Indigenous speculative fiction \*\*no one has been talking about (because they fell under Wednesday books, SMP Imprint) I am excited to finally be able to read and discuss them!\\ \\ ​\\ \\ \\ \\ ​\\ \\ I am hosting a **Readathon** THIS WEEKEND! Friday-Sunday. We are old here, so we are including sleep! We will have a special chat channel set up in the Discord to chat about what we are reading when we are ready for a scroll break. You can join the discord here:\\ \\ https://discord.com/invite/3jpQ4m9X25\\ \\ Monday, \*\*Quiet Time Book Club \*\*resumes at 5PM PST. I will post the link here, as well as the Discord.\\ \\ We are counting down to **NEW YORK**! I will be in NYC for the Bindery Books release party. I arrive 10/13 and will fly home on 10/21. Give me all your NYC recommendations below!\\ \\ I am both trying to read **100 books before the end of the year and slow down enough to do written reviews for paid subscribers, starting out with the books I've finished for Indigenous Book Bingo.** I have finished 3 books so far and I'm reading a fourth now! How many have you read so far?\\ \\ ​](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/zSRD1GqwBrNLeV8cPAzJ/) [Notes From The Mixedup Desk, Week of 9/16](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/zSRD1GqwBrNLeV8cPAzJ/) What I've Been Up To, Readathon THIS WEEKEND, Quiet Time BookClub. Click on photo to read more * * * 16 books 3 [Celestial\\ \\ Steph\\ \\ • Jul 18 2024](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [book recs from dedications](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/i87Ob4k2jPjNpr4SskbG/) 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](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/) [📖 ✨ book recs based on first lines!](https://celestial.binderybooks.com/item/aQM1uBHbR9ehZQH487tr/) which one intrigues you the most? * * * 8 books [Fantasy & Frens\\ \\ Zoranne\\ \\ • Mar 22 2023](https://fantasyandfrens.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [\*pretends to be shocked\* that i have more books to show you 🥲\\ \\ #bookhaulvideo #fantasybookshelf #fantasybookstagram](https://fantasyandfrens.binderybooks.com/item/i4dobbRG6zXxP8IGQHeL/) \*pretends to be shocked\* that i have more books to show you 🥲 #bookhaulvideo #fantasybookshelf #fantasybookstagram * * * 13 books [Fantasy & Frens\\ \\ Zoranne\\ \\ • Mar 22 2023](https://fantasyandfrens.binderybooks.com/) Join for free [\*pretends to be shocked\* that i have more books to show you 🥲 #bookhaul #fantasybookrecs #sffbooks #fantasybooktok](https://fantasyandfrens.binderybooks.com/item/QVpp0o9zKJKMbdogEhBi/) \*pretends to be shocked\* that i have more books to show you 🥲 #bookhaul #fantasybookrecs #sffbooks #fantasybooktok * * * 11 books