Queerly Recommended – Details, episodes & analysis

We're back for Pride, Part Two! Kris talks about the delightful romance bookshop she discovered in her city (shout out to Smitten Booktique). While comparing the relative merits and discomforts of different medical procedures, Tara and Kris provide their irregularly timed reminder to get your boobs squished, you know, professionally. 

Official Recommendations 

From Kris: Shrill (Hulu/Netflix)

Kris's official recommendation this week is the TV series Shrill (originally released on Hulu, now available on Netflix). Kris loved this show, especially Aidy Bryant as the lead, and praised the queer representation in the show's side characters.

From Tara: The Whole Truth by Haley Cass

Tara's official recommendations this week is The Whole Truth by Haley Cass, an enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance set in the world of country music. Tara adored the chemistry between these two characters as they go from enemies with benefits to their happily ever after, and thinks you will too.

Works/People Discussed

• Smitten Booktique, Kansas City
• Maternal Instinct (2026)
• Outlast: The Jungle (Netflix)
• Siren: Survive the Island (Netflix)
• RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars (Paramount+)
• The Birdcage (1996)
• Madame Hyde by Thea Belmont
• At Your Most Beautiful by Harper Bliss

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It's that most wonderful time of the year (Pride! And it's beach reads time!).

Old Lady Tara rears her ancient head this episode, talking about respecting bedtimes and being excited for the rain to loosen up the soil for weeding flowerbeds. We also return to one of our favourite topics of conversation: book covers.

Official Recommendations 

From Kris: Love is a Contact Sport by Frederick Smith

Kris's official recommendation this week is the gay romance novel Love is a Contact Sport by Frederick Smith. You may remember Smith from previous episodes where we've officially recommended his book One and Done and had the opportunity to sit down with him for a conversation. This second chance romance includes aspects of relationships we don't often see on page, like therapy and safe sex practices. Kris loved this one.

From Tara: For the Bride by Becca Grischow

Tara's official recommendation this week is For the Bride by Becca Grischow, an enemies to lovers sapphic romance that Tara couldn't put down. She may have quibbles about the cover's colour scheme, but only because it suggests the book is a cozy, rom-com kind of affair, which it is not (and that's a very good thing). The main character, Alice, is a mess and Tara hasn't seen this kind of character work in a long time. 2026 has been a great year for books and For the Bride is right up there.

Works/People Discussed

• The Matrix (1999)
• The Four Seasons (Netflix)
• The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)
• RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars (Paramount+)
• Project Hail Mary (2026)
• Madame Hyde by Thea Belmont

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We talked about this! New year. NEW. Different. Better. Not (waves hands at the world) all of this.

Oh well, at least there's puppies, blurbs, and recommendations on tap. Pull up a chair, fellow sapphic fiction readers. We've got what you've been looking for.

Official Recommendations

From Kris: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid 
Kris's official recommendation this week is a historical novel set in the distant past of the 1980s, when dinosaurs and other creatures still walked the earth. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid is the story of a female astronaut coming to understand herself as she prepares to go to space. Kris says that this book helped fill in the emotional gaps that last year's recommendation of Sally, the documentary about astronaut Sally Ride, didn't provide. 

From Tara: Greta Gets the Girl by Melissa Marr
Tara's official recommendation this week is Greta Gets the Girl by Melissa Marr. Similar to Kris's recommendation, this book reaches back to a previous recommendation by the same author, Toni and Addie Go Viral. This book has that sweet, sweet one-night-to-forever trope that Tara craves. The book comes with a trigger warning because one of the leads is a sexual assault survivor, although no assault happens on the page. (Note: Tara forgot about the trigger warning when discussing this aspect of the book and how it's not mentioned in the blurb.)

Works/People Discussed

• 11.22.63 (Hulu)
• The Traitors (Peacock)
• Canada's Drag Race (Crave)
• RuPaul's Drag Race (World of Wonder)
• The Good Place (NBC)
• 10 Dance (2025)
• Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Sally (2025)
• Toni and Addie Go Viral by Melissa Marr

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This week, Kris and Tara are thrilled to welcome two very special guests to the podcast. All the way from We're Here Season 2, we have Shangela's drag daughter Amy Rambow and Amy's son Alex.

If you've listened to the podcast before, you know we have a special place in our hearts for We're Here. In this time of increased radicalization and targeting of queer people, We're Here is one of the most important shows on TV, documenting these shifts, while keeping its message of love front and center.

From Amy:

• Project Contrast
• Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church by Megan Phelps-Roper

From Alex:

• Bloom by Kevin Panetta
• Heartstopper, book series by Alice Oseman

Follow Amy:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

Follow Alex on Tiktok

Follow Watertown Love

• Instagram
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Kris and Tara are back from break with an extra long episode. We've got listener questions this week and it's all about reintroductions. Who are we? What are we like? What are we doing on this podcast? Questions are answered!

Kris's new book, Catch, is also out! She discusses reviews and her thoughts on first and third person perspective bias. And, Kris and Tara check in on how their dogs are doing. Kris found something that wasn't a walnut. Tara felt deep inter-species empathy for her puppy. Also, Tara queerly recommends taking time off work.

Welcome to the new year, folks. We're going places.

From Kris: The Inspection (2022)

This week, Kris recommends The Inspection, a film written and directed by Elegance Bratton. It's based on his own real-life experiences as a young man facing homophobia at home and in a Marines boot camp as he struggles to make something of his life.

From Tara: Rational Creatures

Tara's big recommendation this week is Rational Creatures, a web series that retells Jane Austen's Persuasion in the modern day. Tara loves herself some queering of Austen (remember her love of last year, Fire Island?) and this series is one she couldn't put down.

• The Fixer (The Villains Series #1) by Lee Winter
• The Red Files (On the Record Book 1) by Lee Winter
• Close to Home by Rachel Spangler
• Married At First Sight, Season 10 (Lifetime)
• The Sopranos (HBO)
• Bird Box (Netflix)
• Pentiment (Xbox, Microsoft))
• Tara's Drag Race Minute
• Validate (Steam, itchio, Nintendo, Xbox)
• The Hot Ones
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo)
• Lizzie Bennet Diaries

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No new episode this week because the holidays borked our recording timing.

But! We don't want to leave you totally hanging, so here are our top 5 most downloaded episodes of 2022. If you haven't listened to any of them yet, you should check them out!

1. Mistaking Access for Permission: in this regular episode, we have a segment with sapphic romance superstar author Jae and Sarah Wendell, Smart Bitches Trashy Books co-founder, talking about the all-too prevalent problem of readers sexually harassing authors
2. Milena McKay (and Tara) loves Truth and Measure: what happens when an author and a critic get together to talk about one of their most beloved fanfics turned published novels? SO MUCH SQUEEING.
3. It's Radclyffe!: this year, we celebrated Pride by talking to lesfic powerhouse Radclyffe about writing and publishing lesbian fiction, why lesbian fiction has always been political, and more
4. Melissa Brayden Has Not Been Frugal With Her Jewels: we rang in Valentine's Day with one of the queens of sapphic romance, comparing our fave fictional couples, kisses, and romances that we love to reread
5. Remember Who the Fuck You Are, with Catie Randazzo & J Chong: we fell in love with the reality cooking competition show The Big Brunch and were delighted to catch up with two of our favourite chefs from the show. Catie and J talk about what it's like representing their communities and answer the all-important question of what kind of bread they think the show's judges are

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We made it to the end of the year! Not just us here at Queerly Recommended, but you did too! Good for you and good for us. To celebrate, Kris is releasing her latest book, Catch.

In this last episode of the year (also the 50th regular episode — can you even?), Tara and Kris deep dive into the importance of We're Here (HBO Max), the different ways gingerbread houses can work into a romance, and their recent awesome bonus pod with chefs Catie Randazzo and J Chong from The Big Brunch. Happy Holidays, y'all!

From Kris: Under the Christmas Tree (2021)

This week, Kris checks out Under the Christmas Tree,  Lifetime's first movie centering a lesbian couple. It's sweet. It's gentle. It's the story of one woman looking for a tree for her boss and finding it in another woman's yard.

Of course, that's not all she finds. It's love. They find love in the yard. Both of them. The tree was a distraction.

From Tara: The Christmas Catch by Clare Lydon

Tara describes this book as Planes, Trains and Automobiles meets two lesbians who grew up around each other, one of whom had a massive childhood crush on the other. Clare Lydon specializes in lesbian romcoms and this one is a delight, where two women must travel to get to their Christmas plans by any means necessary…all the while falling in love along the way.

• The Big Brunch (HBO Max)
• The White Lotus (HBO)
• Wednesday (Netflix)
• L Word: Generation Q (Showtime)
• Avatar (2009)
• Drink Masters (Netflix)
• We're Here: Season Three (HBO)
• The Christmas Setup (2020)

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This week, Tara (Butter Tart) Scott and Kris (Midwest Biscuit) Bryant sit down with chefs Catie Randazzo and J Chong from the hit cooking competition reality show, The Big Brunch. They talk about what it was like representing their communities, how real the camaraderie was on the show, family meals, and, most importantly, what kind of bread they think the judges are.

If you think Catie and J were great on the show, wait until you hear them on this episode.

Follow Catie on Instagram: @chefcatierandazzo
Follow J on Instagram: @jchong_eats

Sort Of (HBO Max)
Willow (Disney+)

Bound (1996)
We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle

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The holiday season is upon us and Kris and Tara come bearing gifts…of recommendations! Seriously, they had to make room this week to fit everything in.

Kris regales us with the end of The Walking Dead and the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions. Tara talks about The Big Brunch (yes, again) and Canada's own Ryan Reynolds.

There's a bunch of other good stuff before a dive deep into the recommendations. Keep warm, friends. Stay bright.

From Kris: Christmas Mouse by Rachel Spangler

It might be tempting to think a story like Christmas Mouse would be easy to write, but it's actually the simple ones that are the toughest to pull off. This city mouse/country mouse romance, with two love interests competing over their perfect visions of Christmas, charms, delights, and warms the heart this holiday season.

From Tara: Season of Love by Helena Greer

Some books can scare us by how well tailored they are to our specific loves and interests. This is true for Tara and her recommendation, Season of Love. Tara declares this a perfect book and it includes one of her favourite characters of all time, who starts the book dead (ends it dead, too). The writing captivated Tara in how well it balances humour with heart. Content warnings: abusive parent, alcoholism (self and parents), grief, and death.

• The Walking Dead (AMC)
• Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions (2022) (CBS)
• Manifest (NBC)
• Spirited (2022)
• Ryan Reynolds' Governor General Award Video
• The Big Brunch (HBO Max)
• RuPaul's Drag Race UK (BBC)
• Canada's Drag Race: Canada Vs. The World (Crave)
• We're Here Season Three (HBO)
• The Great Canadian Baking Show (CBC)
• Andor (Disney+)
• Rogue One (2016)

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Roslyn Sinclair has committed high crimes against readers' productivity and we are here for it!

This episode, Tara is joined by f/f romance author Milena McKay. They gathered to sit in gratitude and fangirl about one of their favourite stories of all time. It began as a Devil Wears Prada fanfic and ended up being rewritten and published as its own original work. Yes, it's Truth and Measure season, baby!

Referred to by Lee Winter as "The Lesfic Bible," Truth and Measure has impacted the lesfic scene in profound ways. Tara and Milena discuss the book's history, including how the #MeToo movement impacted the changes from fic to published work, and all the things the love about both versions. Get ready for major geeking out, friends.

• Truth and Measure, fic version, and all its associated short stories (Archive of Our Own)
• Truth and Measure & Above All Things by Roslyn Sinclair (Ylva Publishing)
• The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
• Not Everyone & Pure Shores (Archive of Our Own)
• The X Ingredient, fic version (Archive of Our Own)
• The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair (Ylva Publishing)
• The Music and the Mirror by Lola Keeley (Ylva Publishing)
• Once Upon A Time (ABC)
• The Delicate Things We Make, fic version (Archive of Our Own)
• The Delicate Things We Make by Milena McKay
• The Headmistress by Milena McKay
• The Brutal Truth by Lee Winter (Ylva Publishing)

Preorder Milena McKay's next book, These Thin Lines!

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