DESERT ISLAND CASTAWAYS: Chloe Archer

Our favorite  MM authors a.k.a. castaways are asked, what books, songs and luxury item would they take to a desert island?

This is a monthly series inspired by LezReviewBooks.com’s ‘Desert Island Books’, which in turn is based on BBC’s ‘Desert Island Discs’.

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Let’s welcome our April castaway, Chloe Archer!

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DESERT ISLAND BOOKS:

1. Persuasion by Jane Austen: This is my favorite Austen book and I try to reread it once every couple of years. It demonstrates how Austen matured over time as an author and as a woman. The prose is exquisite and the story is swoonworthy.

2. For Real by Alexis Hall: I’m not a huge reader of BDSM romance but this is by far my favorite one in the MM genre. I love the fact that Hall subverts convention by making his Dom MC young, inexperienced, and physically small and thin while his Sub MC is older and bigger than his partner. Their dynamic won me over right away and I couldn’t put the book down until I was done. I’ve reread it a number of times and also have the fantastic audiobook.

3. Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts by Lyn Gala. This is my absolute favorite MM sci-fi alien romance of all time! Liam and Ondry are my go to couple when I need a comfort read. The beautiful way their relationship develops over the series will make your heart flutter. This is the first book in the series and it always leaves me in awe of Gala’s intricate and complex worldbuilding, especially when it comes to the linguistic differences between species!

4. Deal Maker by Lily Morton. I love this whole series but Deal Maker is my favorite. Asa and Jude have brilliant chemistry and this book is another I tend to reread when I need a pickmeup. The audiobook version narrated by Joel Leslie is excellent!

5. Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling. This was the first openly queer epic fantasy book I ever read. Seregil is a swoonworthy and unforgettable bisexual hero who meets a young man who will become his destiny. Amazing worldbuilding, magic, a quest, and a slow burn romantic subplot that evolves over the series. This is the first book and its opening chapters are highly memorable and suck you right into the world Flewelling builds.

6. The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter. Written in 1977, this book is a post-apocalyptic trans narrative ahead of its time that I’m convinced secretly influenced Hedwig and the Angry Inch! I love most of Carter’s work. Her writing is smart, sensual, lyrical, and often wonderfully snarky in a very dry, British humor way. 

7. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde. I discovered Lorde’s work as a graduate student and was blown away by the power and brilliance of her mind. The essays in this collection are inspired by Lorde’s own experiences as a black lesbian as they tackle the politics of difference and the struggle for empowerment in an oppressive world. The pieces in this collection are eternally thought-provoking and inspiring.

8. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf. I discovered this book in college as an undergrad and it was my first introduction to feminist writing. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve truly come to better understand and appreciate Woolf’s central thesis about the need for women, especially creative women who wish to use their creative talents, must have time and space to themselves. A “room of one’s own” says it all, in a nutshell, but Woolf makes a beautiful and compelling case for her position that resonates with me still.

9. Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson. Back when I used to read heterosexual romance in the early 2000s (long, long ago!), I discovered this book and it made me laugh so hard I cried! It also bonded me with one of my closest friends who read it after me and loved it just as much. Reading it made me realize funny and quirky romances are totally my jam. It was one of the first paranormal rom-coms I ever read and I still adore it and reread it when I need a good laugh. The book is also notable for me because it inspired me to one day write quirky (and much more queer!) rom-coms of my own.

10. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters. A lesbian classic and super freaking hot. I don’t read a lot of contemporary literary fiction these days (I prefer genre fiction usually) but Sarah Waters is an author I will try any time she has a new book out. She’s a gifted wordsmith with an evocative writing style that immerses you in her unusual worlds.

DESERT ISLAND PLAYLIST:

It would probably be my Tentacular Tales playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ytWuGshaUI4wsrYRn3SSJ?si=59a6f4ebeec44f47

This is the playlist I listen to when I write my Tentacular Tales series. It’s full of 70s and early 80s funk and disco classics. For some reason, these songs just make me feel happy and I always boogie in my seat when I’m writing! I think they would help me mentally survive and stay optimistic on the desert island!

LUXURY ITEM

I’m tempted to say my Nespresso Pixie machine, but there wouldn’t be any electricity (sob!) so no coffee. Um, I would say my must have “luxury” item would be my glasses! I’d need them to see properly!

ABOUT CHLOE ARCHER

Chloe Archer writes M/M sci-fi and paranormal romantic comedies with laugh out loud humor because she’s all about bringing the funny-sexy back. Oh, yeah!

She currently calls Minnesota home, but has lived abroad in places like Montreal, Edinburgh, and Tokyo. She’s hoping to relocate to Scotland permanently one day if the stars align. 

Chloe is a fur mama to two adorable Yorkies, Jasper and Teddy, and she loves them in a crazy dog mama kind of way. When she isn’t busy writing, she enjoys visiting friends and family, traveling, reading, binge watching movies and TV shows, and practicing her karaoke skills. She does a mean cover of Pat Benatar and Cher, or so she’s been told.

Website | Amazon | Goodreads | TikTok | Facebook | Instagram

A big thank you to Chloe Archer for joining us on this month’s Desert Island Castaways!

Check out our other Castaways:
Natalina Reis
V.L. Locey
 J.P. Jackson
A.E. Wasp
Elle Keaton.
Elouise East
J.K. Jones
Colette Davison
B.A. Tortuga
Casey Cox
Amanda Meuwissen
A.M. Johnson
Becca Seymour
Alexa Piper
Rick R. Reed
C.P. Harris
K.L. Hiers
A.E. Lister
S. Rodman
Kaje Harper
M.A. Church
Karenna Colcroft
Aiden Ainslie
J. Hali Steele
Kristian Parker
H.L. Day
D.K. Girl
Jackie Keswick
Crea Reitan
Beth Bolden

Hope you enjoyed this post. Don’t forget to check out next month’s Castaway.

What books would you take with you to a desert island?
What’s on your desert island playlist?
Who would you like to be the next Castaway?

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