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Sorrowland

Rivers Solomon

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A TIME 100 Must-Read Book of 2021

A New York Times Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of 2021.

The Stonewall Book Award winner of 2022.

Named a Best Book of 2021 by NPR, The New York Public Library, Publishers Weekly and more!

A triumphant, genre-bending breakout novel from one of the boldest new voices in contemporary fiction. Vern—seven months pregnant and desperate to escape the strict religious compound where she was raised—flees for the shelter of the woods. There, she gives birth to twins and plans to raise them far from the influence of the outside world.

But even in the forest, Vern is a hunted woman. Forced to fight back against the community that refuses to let her go, she unleashes incredible brutality far beyond what a person should be capable of, her body wracked by inexplicable and uncanny changes.

To understand her metamorphosis and to protect her small family, Vern has to face the past and, more troublingly, the future—outside the woods. Finding the truth will mean uncovering not only the secrets of the compound she fled but also the violent history of America that produced it.

Rivers Solomon’s Sorrowland is a genre-bending work of gothic fiction. Here, monsters aren’t just individuals but entire nations. This is a searing, seminal book that marks the arrival of a bold, unignorable voice in American fiction.

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Posts about this title from Celestial

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Mar 17

queer nature horror

💭 what’s the scariest part of nature to you?

🪴 don’t let the vines get you …

📚 books mentioned: - Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews - Her Wicked Roots by Tanya Pell - Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon - The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

👗💄: - dress is from Farm Rio, rented from Nuuly - eyeshadow is The Spring Symphony Palette from Dandy Lion Cosmetics - eyeshadow shimmer is Mirage from Ourbella Cosmetics - lip is Lip Buttercream (Blueberry Crush) from Pacifica Beauty - (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 Fierce Reads, Gallery Books, and Scholastic for the gifted copies!

#horrorbooks #naturehorror #queerhorror #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @fiercereads @gallerybooks @mcdbooks @scholastic @farmrio @dandylionsco @pacificabeauty

horror books • queer horror books • nature horror • botanical horror • sapphic horror • queer nature horror book recommendations • horror book recs • diverse books • MCD Books

4 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Feb 23

sapphic gothic horror

get ready for some ~~spooky~~ gothic reads (perfect blizzard reads)!

📚 books mentioned: - Her Wicked Roots by Tanya Pell - Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon - But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

👗💄: - dress is from Fanm Mon (rented from Nuuly) - eyeshadow is Ellis Atlantis Palette from Blend Bunny Cosmetics and The Spring Symphony Palette from Dandy Lion Cosmetics - eyeliner is Vegan Longwear Eyeliner (Minty) from Pacifica Beauty - lip combo Lip Liner Stay-n (Cold Call) from Sacheu Beauty and PhD Hybrid Lip Glaze (Guava) from Haus Labs - (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 Gallery Books and Tordotcom for the gifted copies!

#sapphicbooks #sapphichorror #gothichorror #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @gallerybooks @mcdbooks @tordotcompub @fanmmon @blendbunnycosmetics @dandylionsco @pacificabeauty @sacheubeauty @hauslabs

sapphic gothic horror books • sapphic book recommendations • queer books • sapphic books • gothic book recommendations • gothic horror • best horror books • unique horror books • diverse books • MCD

3 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Nov 14 2025

trans horror book recs

trans horror is simply ✨elite✨

📚 books mentioned: - The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White - Unwieldy Creatures by Addie Brook Tsai - Herculine by Grace Byron - Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

👗💄: - sweater is from Farm Rio - eyeshadow (lower) is a sparklestik from Half Magic - eyeshadow (upper) is fembot from r.e.m. beauty - (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 Tor Nightfire and Saga Press for the gifted copies!

#horrorbooks #horrorbookrecs #transhorror #queerhorror #transbooks #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram #SagaSaysCrew #sagapressbooks #SagaSays #TorPartner @tornightfire @torbooks @sagapressbooks @jadedibispress @mcdbooks @farmrio @halfmagicbeauty @r.e.m.beauty

5 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jun 22 2025

get to know my book taste tag | will we vibe or FIGHT?

get to know my reading taste and see how closely it matches yours! i feel like this could become the new booktube newbie tag, no?! definitely make your own video versions of this tag, but also feel free to sound off in the comment section and share anything you want to about your own reading taste!

12 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\ \ • Mar 6 2025

🍄‍🟫🍄 MUSHROOM HORROR!! 🍄🍄‍🟫

🍄‍🟫🍄 MUSHROOM HORROR!! 🍄🍄‍🟫 are you fun enough for fungal fiction?!?

📚 books mentioned: - Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon - Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

(yes, the dress is a @nuuly rental)

#mushroomhorror #fungalhorror #horrorbooks #horrorbookrecs #bookrecommendations #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @delreybooks @mcdbooks @fsgbooks

3 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jul 18 2024

book recs with cults

books that involve … cults! 🌀and i could share soooo many more.

3 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • May 2 2024

dark disney book recs!

if you like this disney movie … read this dark & disturbing book! ✨ okay, the links between all of them may not be obvious, but i SWEAR they make sense to me.

4 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Mar 16 2024

trans* horror books

if you like to LIVE IN FEAR (i do) read these books. feel free to fill the comments with more trans* horror recs! 📚

4 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Sep 22 2023

spooky sapphic books

spooooooky sapphic books for spooky sapphic september!

3 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

Bee's Books\ \ Bailee Russo\ \ • Jun 1

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Get to know me through some of my favorite very specific sub-genres!\ \ Do we share any favorites?\ \ •Q

Get to know me through some of my favorite very specific sub-genres!

Do we share any favorites?

•Queer body horror: Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White Wife Shaped Bodies by Laura Cranehill What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher Providence Girls by Morgan Dante •vengeful vampire romantics: Hungerstone by Kat Dunn Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson Interview with the Vampire TV series A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night film •radical hopefulness The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers The Parable of the Sower & The Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin A Psalm for the Wild-Built & A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers •very niche non-fiction Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique by Sa’ed Atshan Plucked by Rebecca Herzig Abolish Rent by Tracy Rosenthal and Leonardo Vilchis Black in Blues by Imani Perry Rogue Sexuality in Early Modern English Literature by Ari Friedlander •weird genre-benders The Seep by Chana Porter Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield Severance by Ling Ma Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

#gettoknowme #booktaste #bookrecs #readmorebooks #readingispower

21 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Mar 17

queer nature horror

💭 what’s the scariest part of nature to you?

🪴 don’t let the vines get you …

📚 books mentioned: - Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews - Her Wicked Roots by Tanya Pell - Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon - The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

thank you to Fierce Reads, Gallery Books, and Scholastic for the gifted copies!

#horrorbooks #naturehorror #queerhorror #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @fiercereads @gallerybooks @mcdbooks @scholastic @farmrio @dandylionsco @pacificabeauty

4 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Feb 23

sapphic gothic horror

get ready for some ~~spooky~~ gothic reads (perfect blizzard reads)!

📚 books mentioned: - Her Wicked Roots by Tanya Pell - Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon - But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

thank you to Gallery Books and Tordotcom for the gifted copies!

3 books

chronicallybookish\ \ Kaley\ \ • Jan 25

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February is almost upon us! If you’re participating in the Read Disabled 2026 challenge, you may be planning what to read for February’s prompts, so I wanted to tell you a bit about the books I’m planning to read, and recommend some other books I’ve loved that fit next month’s prompts! \ \ February Main Prompt: A Book by a Black Author \ \ What I’m Reading: King of the Neuro Verse by Idris Goodwin (ADHD representation, lived experience)\ \ February is Black History Month here in the U.S., and I wanted to honor that with this month’s prompt. For much of American History, Black voices and their role in our country’s history was silenced. The aim of Black History Month is to uplift those previously suppressed stories and the impact that the Black community has had on America, as well as continue to strive for racial equality and justice.\ \ Because Black History Month celebrates Black History, specifically, I originally wanted to prioritize a historical fiction book by a Black author for this prompt. However, because I am choosing to read only books by disabled authors for this challenge, I was unable to find a book that fit those prompts.* I will be prioritizing books about Black history in my reading outside of this challenge, and decided to instead choose a book about Black disabled joy with King of the Neuro Verse by Idris Goodwin. This is a YA coming-of-age novel in verse following Pernell as he finds his self-expression and first love while working to catch up on his classwork during summer school. \ *There are not no books by Black disabled authors that are historical fiction! In my searching I found Sorrowland (set in the 20th century ft. low vision rep) and An Unkindness of Ghosts (technically this is futuristic scifi, but the society that the MC lives in is based on the Antebellum South ft. lived experience autism rep) by Rivers Solomon, however these books are also horror novels, which is a genre that I personally cannot read. Alternately, Octavia E. Butler’s works all heavily metaphorize disability in their themes and worldbuilding according to modern disability scholars, which makes them eligible for this prompt as well–I just chose to go with a literal representation of disability in my choice for this prompt. I intend to also read Kindred in February, just not specifically for this challenge.\ \ My Recommendations:\ \ Pet by Akwaeke Emezi (non-verbal representation)\ \ I do not know how to pitch this book, but bear with me–it feels high concept literary-fantasy to me, while still being accessible to read, as it is a YA novel written with teens in mind. Our main character Lucille lives in a utopian world in which monsters no longer exist, but when her blood seems to accidentally summon Pet, a winged and horned creature, she is forced to reconsider what she has always been told. Pet says that he is here to hunt a monster, and Lucille must learn what monstrosity really is, and save the world from the monsters that no one else will admit exist.\ \ My Rating: 3.75 stars (circa 2024)\ \ Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (autism representation, lived experience)\ \ If you have not read Get a Life, Chloe Brown, start there–but since our book club already read books 1 and 2 in this series, I thought I’d skip straight to book 3 for this recommendation. Eve Brown is the youngest of the Brown sisters, and she’s also kind of a hot mess. Desperate to prove herself, Eve interviews for a job at a bed and breakfast…and then proceeds to run over the owner with her car. Now Jacob is in a cast and Eve has taken the job and committed herself to taking care of him as he heals. Though Eve and Jacob could not be more different on the surface, the more time they spend together, the more the animosity between them grows into something else.\ \ My Rating: 5 stars (circa 2022)\ \ Icarus by K. Ancrum (EDS representation, lived experience)\ \ Another YA book that reads like literary fiction, though this one pitches itself as a contemporary romance. Our titular character Icarus is a thief who steals priceless artefacts and replaces them with his father’s forgeries. When Icarus is caught by the son of the man he is stealing from, he expects to be turned in, but Helios has been under house arrest by his father, and he gives Icarus something far more dangerous in exchange for freedom: friendship that grows into something more, something that could damn them both.\ \ My Rating: 3.75 stars (circa 2024)\ \ February Bonus Prompt: A Romance Novel \ \ What I’m Reading: A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams (unsure of representation)\ \ February is, of course, also the month that features Valentine’s day, and as such a romance prompt is all but required. The book for this prompt does need to be capital-R Romance, aka genre romance–and not just romantic fiction. Paranormal, historical, and even (arguably) fantasy romance all count, so long as the romance storyline is the A-plot and the book ends in a Happily Ever After (or a Happily For Now).\ \ I decided to go with A Love Song for Ricki Wilde for this one because I adored Seven Days in June and finally snagged myself a copy of this one back in November. It’s also set in February, which makes this the perfect time to read it. I’ve seen this one on disability recommendation posts with a mixture of vague disability categories assigned to it (“mental health”, “invisible illness”, “chronic pain”), but have been unable to ascertain specifics. If it turns out there isn’t disability representation I’ll end up using the Chronically Romantic book club’s February pick ( Dukes and Dekes by Torie Jean) but I’m trying to push myself to read additional books alongside the book club selections to push myself to read even more books by disabled authors.\ \ I know very little about this book except that it follows our main character Ricki as she moves to Harlem to chase her dream of opening a flower shop, and on one February evening meets a mysterious man who turns her life upside down. There is a magical realism bent to this one as well, and I believe it involves time travel/blurring between the present day and the Harlem Renaissance.\ \ My Recommendations:\ \ Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese (anxiety and autism representation, both lived experience)\ \ Chloe Liese is a master of disability representation, and Two Wrongs Make a Right is no exception. This is a Much Ado About Nothing retelling following Jamie and Bea, who could not be more wrong for each other, as they join forces to concoct a plan for revenge on their meddling, matchmaking friends: They’re going to fake date, and then they’re going to fake a disastrous break-up. But the longer they pretend, the less they feel like they’re faking, and they can’t help but wonder if their friends were so off the mark with their matchmaking.\ \ My Rating: 4.75 stars (circa 2022)\ \ You Don’t Have a Shot by Racquel Marie (anxiety, lived experience)\ \ Vale’s life revolves around soccer, but when she starts a fight with her long-time rival Leticia, everything she’s been working towards becomes suddenly out of reach. Her only hope for redemption? Winning the tournament at her summer soccer camp. But when she arrives, she learns she will be co-captaining the team with none other than Leticia herself.\ \ My Rating: 4.75 stars (circa 2023)\ \ Finding Gene Kelly by Torie Jean (endometriosis representation, lived experience)\ \ If I have the opportunity to recommend Torie’s books, I will be doing so. She writes what is, truly, some of the best chronic illness representation I have ever read. When Evie needs a fake date to bring home to keep her overbearing mother at bay, she last person she wants it to be is Liam Kelly, her childhood friend turned nemesis, but when he unexpectedly turns up in Paris, it appears he’s her only hope. But in order to make this farce convincing, Liam insists on practice dates that ignite long-suppressed sparks in Evie.\ \ My Rating: 5 stars (circa 2022)\ \ Both Prompts: A Romance Book by a Black Author \ \ I know for some people, reading two books per month for a reading challenge can be too much of a stretch, but if you’re interested in being a completionist: here are books that count for both prompts simultaneously!\ \ Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant (migraine representation, lived experience and dyslexia representation)\ \ This YA contemporary romance follows Reggie and Delilah when they first meet on New Year’s Eve, and then continue to connect through chance meetings on subsequent holidays (Valentine’s, St. Patrick’s Day, etc)--as if the universe itself is pushing them together. I loved this book, and I don’t want to say more for risk of spoiling things, but it’s one of my favorite YA contemporaries.\ \ My Rating: 4.75 stars (circa 2023)\ \ Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan (depression representation, lived experience)\ \ This is one of the (if not the) best books I have ever read in my entire life. It will tear your heart out of your chest, crush it into a million pieces, and stitch it back together in a way that makes you believe in love like never before. After the devastating loss of a stillbirth, Yasmin and Josiah’s marriage fell apart. Now, they are finding a new rhythm, coparenting their children and learning to find joy again. But they are drawn to each other, even know, and as they heal they begin to reconnect–but doing so reopens old wounds, and they must find out if it is too late for them to find forever.\ \ My Rating: 5 stars (circa 2024)\ \ Outdrawn by Deanna Grey (anxiety representation, lived experience, and carpal tunnel representation)\ \ Noah has finally gotten her foot in the door to achieving her dream–her viral web comic scored her a job at a legendary comic company. There’s nowhere for her to go but up, if not for the fact that Sage is standing in her way. Sage and Noah have been rivals since art school, and now they’re assigned to work as a team on a career-defining comic release. The more they butt heads and are forced to spend time in close proximity, the more sparks begin to fly.\ \ My Rating: 4.5 stars (circa 2024)\ \ What will you read? \ \ I love how much people show up for the Read Disabled challenge every year, and I love seeing what everyone reads--if you've decided what you're reading for either prompt, leave a comment! \ \ And if you have Storygraph but haven't officially joined the challenge yet, you can do so HERE.\ \ While reading books by disabled authors is not required for this challenge, it is encouraged, and all of the authors featured here are disabled, though they may not have the specific disabilities represented.\ \ Thank you all so much for participating--I hope you enjoy your February reads!\ \ Join for free or login

February READ DISABLED Prompts and Recommendations!

16 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Nov 14 2025

trans horror book recs

trans horror is simply ✨elite✨

thank you to Tor Nightfire and Saga Press for the gifted copies!

5 books

Alyssa’s Library\ \ alyssa\ \ • Sep 29 2025

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in honour of a certain book coming out and just the state of the world, here are some books with trans, non-binary, and genderqueer characters that you should read. it’s so incredibly important to continue to uplift these voices and i hope you all enjoy these and feel free to comment some more recommendations!\ \ fantasy & sci-fi\ - the spirit bares its teeth / compound fracture by andrew joseph white\ - the unbroken by c. l. clark\ - the blighted stars by megan e. o’keefe\ - pet by akwaeke emezi\ - faebound / the final strife by saara el-artifi\ - these burning stars by bethany jacobs\ - she who became the sun by shelley parker-chan\ - lakelore by anna marie-mclemore\ - hammajang luck by makana yamamtao\ - the witch king by h. e edgmon \ - the city beautiful by aden polydorous\ \ -her majesty’s royal coven by juno dawson\ \ -light from uncommon stars by ryka aoki\ - a bone in his teeth by kellen graves\ \ -brighter than scale swifter than flame by neon yang\ \ -mistress of lies by k m enright\ \ -cemerety boys / the sunbearer trails by aiden thomas\ \ -sorrowland by rivers solomon\ \ -seven devils by laura lam and elizabeth may\ \ romance\ - a gentlemans gentleman by tj alexander \ - make room for love by darcy liao\ - love & other disasters by anita kelly\ - i wish you all the best by mason deaver\ \ -felix ever after by kacen callender

TRANS BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

27 books

Alyssa’s Library\ \ alyssa\ \ • Jul 30 2025

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Unsettling / Gothic Summer Reads

been loving some spooky / unsettling reads for the summer recently, i have so many on my tbr that im excited to read 👀 #booktok #summerreads #gothicbooks #spookyreads

9 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jun 22 2025

get to know my book taste tag | will we vibe or FIGHT?

12 books

Wanderland Reads\ \ Sayer\ \ • Apr 7 2025

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Sapphic Reaching Challenge Recommendations: Horror

Happy Sapphic Sunday! I’m here with another recommendation list for the Sapphic Reading Challenge. If you haven’t joined us yet, you can find the challenge on storygraph and the grids in my highlights.

What books would you add to this list?

#sapphicsunday #sapphicreadingchallenge #sapphicbooks #queerlit #readqueerallyear #diversifyyourshelf #wlw

15 books

Fairly Queer Books\ \ Fareeha\ \ • Mar 25 2025

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