The Wolf and the Girl, by Aster Glenn Gray

An absolutely lovely novella, a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in the early 1900's. The first half takes place in rural Russia pre-revolution and the second half in the French silent film industry. Definite f/f vibes which I'm pretty sure are intentional but it never explicitly ships the two leads. I really like the note it ends on, where Masha and Raisa make it clear how important they are to each other but the line between platonic/romantic is not relevant. I want to know more about what happens next but it also ends perfectly. Nicely done, author!

Also this book is really great at setting a mood/feel/tone, kind of quiet and meditative and sure of itself, which I loved too.

Having now read two of Aster Glenn Gray's books, both of which are thoughtful fairy tale retellings firmly situated into a very specific historical context with queer people, I can confidently say I Am A Fan. This is my jam.

The author has one other published book out but it seems a very different kind of thing than the two I've read and I feel unsure about whether it's enough my thing to enjoy it, but I do trust this author to do things well so maybe I ought to give it a try at some point.

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, by Olivia Waite

HELLO YES HI THIS BOOK IS SO GREAT. I don't know why I haven't seen a million ecstatic reviews online of it telling me in detail all the reasons I needed to read it but here we find ourselves. At least I was led to the light in the end! (Thank you to chestnut_pod!)

This is a historical f/f romance novel about SCIENCE and ART and LEARNING TO TRUST YOURSELF AND OTHERS.

I have promptly forgotten the names of all characters but the Science One is an astronomer and the Artist One is an embroiderer, and both are healing from issues in past relationships, and both have had the work that they do so well be disrespected by the misogynist culture they live in. They support each other and fall in love and grow and blossom and prove their worth and learn how to communicate better and have productive arguments! And it's amazing!

I also love the friendship the Science One has with another scientist who is a person of colour who also has some issues being respected by the establishment, and the Very Queer Book Club our protagonists join (TELL ME MORE ABOUT THEM), and the Artist One's magnificent queer aunt, and how lots of the Science One's unfortunate brother's friends are queer (I want to know more about the pugilist artist!), and all the hidden women scientists the leads eventually discover, and how the servants are not invisible but have their own lives and interests and fears and agendas, and then ( brief spoiler! )

Such a rich tapestry of people being put back into the historical landscape and I love it. And the book manages to have all these interesting people and interrelationships without ever feeling like it was taking away too much focus from the main relationship arc.

Speaking of which, I love the way the way the two leads take seriously each other's needs in their relationship, and the thoughtful way consent is dealt with, and the delightful conversations about the nature of art and science throughout, and how truly supportive and admiring of each other they are, and how the arc of the book isn't so much "will they get together" but "will their relationship succeed at becoming the kind of relationship that can be really lasting."

This is now the second romance novel I have read about 19th century women's scientific achievements being erased and credited to the men in their lives instead, and they manage to be pretty different books despite that core theme being identical. The other is The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan, and it's also really excellent.

I could happily keep reading for a long time about magnificent 19th century women being great at their chosen interests and being rightfully recognised for how good they are at the thing by people who care about them and also demanding respect from people who look down on them. It's a good theme!