Celestial | Upright Women Wanted
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Upright Women Wanted
Sarah Gailey
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A 2021 Hugo Award Finalist! A 2021 Locus Award Finalist! A 2020 ALA Booklist Top 10 SF/F Pick! A Booklist Editor's Choice Pick! Book Riot's Best Books of 2020 So Far! Named a Best of 2020 Pick for NPR | NYPL | Booklist | Bustle | Den of Geek.
In Upright Women Wanted, award-winning author Sarah Gailey reinvents the pulp Western with an explicitly antifascist, near-future story of queer identity.
“That girl’s got more wrong notions than a barn owl’s got mean looks.”
Esther is a stowaway. She’s hidden herself away in the Librarian’s book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her—a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda.
The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing.
Praise for Upright Women Wanted
"A good old-fashioned horse opera for the 22nd century. Gunslinger librarians of the apocalypse are on a mission to spread public health, decency, and the revolution."—Charles Stross
"A dazzling neo-western adventure. . . . Gailey’s gorgeous writing and authentic characters make this slim volume a pure delight."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
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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/
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Tattooed Library\ \ Emily\ \ • Jul 16
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hey y'all, happy thursday!! new youtube video is live for early access! ILY <3
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Allen Not Ellen Reads\ \ Ellen (allennotellen)\ \ • Jun 18
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another book that was heavily featured in my dissertation #westernwednesday #westernbooks #dystopian
another book that was heavily featured in my dissertation #westernwednesday #westernbooks #dystopianbooks #uprightwomenwanted #booktok
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Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks)\ \ Alex (he/him/his)\ \ • Apr 14
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I'm hosting another seasonal readathon this weekend! Enclosed are recommendations, the reading sprint schedule, and access to the bingo card.
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Ronnica Reads\ \ Ronnica Fatt\ \ • Mar 17
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Trans Rights Readathon Starts Today!
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Tubby & Coo's Traveling Book Shop\ \ Sentient Queer Bookstore 📚🌈\ \ • Dec 30 2025
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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.
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The Black Bird Commons\ \ Tim\ \ • Dec 9 2024
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December 09: Weekly Reading Update
December 09: Weekly Reading Update 162/170 Books Read 46,038/50,000 Pages Read #booktok #authorsoftiktok #literature #bookreview #bookrecommendations #weekly #reading #update
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Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Apr 17 2024
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Books that Could Burn Your Motherf****** Village to the Ground
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