Queer Books

[Columbus library link to book](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3351321) Location: The Goat River South 219 S High St, Columbus, OH 43215 Street parking is free on Sundays [Menu](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/686d3ed16745133042482c5f/t/68ff654dbb03b96875430bde/1761568077220/all_brunch-20250311.pdf) Book summary: On a hot day in Bethlehem, a twelve-year-old Palestinian-American girl is yelled at by a group of men outside the Church of the Nativity. She has exposed her legs in a biblical city, an act they deem forbidden, and their judgement will echo on through her adolescence. When our narrator finally admits to her mother that she is queer, her mother's response only intensifies a sense of shame: 'You exist too much,' she tells her daughter. Told in vignettes that flash between the U.S. and the Middle East--from New York to Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine--Zaina Arafat's debut novel traces her protagonist's progress from blushing teen to sought-after DJ and aspiring writer.

Big Ohio Book Con "A convention for book lovers all over Ohio (and beyond)! Author panels, signings, bookish vendors, meet & greets, and more!" Featuring more than 100 authors, more than 50 bookish vendors, and plenty of exciting activities throughout the event! Travel with fellow book lovers or meet us at the event. Park for free at the Medina Convention Center, 735 Lafayette Rd., Medina, Ohio 44256, then hop aboard one of the free shuttles whenever you’re ready for your next bookish adventure! The convention spans three neighboring locations, giving you even more to explore and enjoy.

Join us this Pride season to paint your own pride on rocks, paper, canvas, and yes- we are bringing back the bricks! Come create and paint with us. Seats and supplies limited! Come while you can for as long as you like! Westerville Public Library Meeting Room D.

**💖 St. Petersburg Online Speed Dating on Zoom** Join from home and meet real St. Petersburg singles in guided one-on-one Zoom rounds. Matched by age and personality. **Choose your age range to sign up:** - **Ages 18-32** → [REGISTER HERE](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=531.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=St.%20Petersburg&groupurlname=join-our-circle-of-serious-singles&ar=18-32&face_v=3.0) - **Ages 30-46** → [REGISTER HERE](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=531.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=St.%20Petersburg&groupurlname=join-our-circle-of-serious-singles&ar=30-46&face_v=3.0) - **Ages 40-58** → [REGISTER HERE](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=531.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=St.%20Petersburg&groupurlname=join-our-circle-of-serious-singles&ar=40-58&face_v=3.0) - **Ages 55+** → [REGISTER HERE](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=531.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=St.%20Petersburg&groupurlname=join-our-circle-of-serious-singles&ar=55+&face_v=3.0) **⚠️ Your RSVP doesn't confirm a place.** Click your age group below, register, and take the personality quiz. Spots are limited. --- **How It Works** 1. **Register** – Pick your age group above and sign up. 2. **Take the quiz** – Short personality quiz so we can match you well. 3. **Join on Zoom** – Your host will guide you through every round. 4. **Get matches** – Mutual matches sent after the event. --- ✨ Sign up, take the quiz, and meet St. Petersburg singles tonight. 💞 ✨

**💗 Speed Dating from Home – Meet Jacksonville Singles Live on Zoom** We pair you by personality and age so every conversation feels natural. Each round is a brief one-on-one Zoom chat with a Jacksonville local paired by age and personality. A host keeps the pace comfortable. **✅ RSVP to secure your spot.** The host will reach out after your RSVP with a quick personality quiz to help us pair you with compatible Jacksonville singles. --- 🎯 **Perfect for:** - Singles in Jacksonville who want to meet people from home - Anyone curious about speed dating in a relaxed setting - Anyone who likes connecting online before meeting face-to-face **Event Details** - **Format:** Hosted on Zoom – one-on-one video dates - **Location:** Wherever you're comfortable – no venue, no travel - **Host:** Experienced host steering the session - **Vibe:** Laid-back one-on-one chats with Jacksonville locals - **Rounds:** Multiple short one-on-one rounds - **Privacy:** Contact info only shared when both match **How It Works** 1. **RSVP here** – Secure your spot on Meetup. 2. **The host will contact you** – After RSVP, you'll get a message with the personality quiz so we can pair you well. 3. **Answer the personality quiz** – Takes just a few minutes and makes the matching much better. 4. **Hop on Zoom** – You'll receive the Zoom link before the event. The host handles the rest. 5. **Meet your matches** – Cycle through short chats, then see who you clicked with after the event. 💡 **Tip:** Check your Zoom setup and pick a quiet, well-lit spot ahead of time. **Frequently Asked Questions** **What's the personality quiz for?** It helps us match you with compatible people. The host will send it after your RSVP. **How long are the chats?** A few minutes each — just enough to get a sense of someone. **How do I get the Zoom link?** The host will message you directly after your RSVP with everything you need. --- ✨ Speed dating from home — easy, fun, and personality matched. ✨ ✨

**🥰 Online Speed Dating via Zoom – Connect with Port St. Lucie Singles Tonight!** We pair you by personality and age so every conversation feels natural. It's simple: complete a short personality quiz, jump on Zoom, and meet Port St. Lucie singles in guided one-on-one rounds. Matches shared afterwards. **✅ Grab your spot by RSVPing.** The host will send you a personality quiz and Zoom details directly after you RSVP. Don't leave it too late — places fill up. --- 🎯 **Perfect for:** - Singles who prefer a hosted, structured experience - Busy professionals who don't want to waste evenings - Singles in Port St. Lucie who want to meet people from home - People re-entering the dating scene after a break - Anyone who likes connecting online before meeting face-to-face **Event Details** - **Format:** Virtual on Zoom – hosted and well-structured - **Location:** From home – all you need is Wi-Fi and a webcam - **Host:** Professional host keeping the evening smooth and relaxed - **Vibe:** Laid-back one-on-one chats with Port St. Lucie locals - **Tech:** Zoom, webcam, and a stable connection - **Duration:** Roughly 90 minutes - **Matches:** Mutual matches sent out after the event - **Rounds:** Multiple short one-on-one rounds **How It Works** 1. **RSVP here** – Secure your spot on Meetup. 2. **Check your Meetup messages** – The host will reach out with a personality quiz to match you with compatible Port St. Lucie singles. 3. **Complete the quiz** – A quick personality quiz so we can find your best matches. 4. **Hop on Zoom** – You'll receive the Zoom link before the event. The host handles the rest. 5. **Chat & match** – Quick timed rounds with Port St. Lucie singles, then mutual matches sent out after. **Frequently Asked Questions** **Do I need experience?** Not at all. The host walks you through everything. **How long are the chats?** A few minutes each — just enough to get a sense of someone. **Do I need anything besides Zoom?** Just Zoom, a webcam, and Wi-Fi. That's it. --- ✨ Real people, real conversations — all from your home. RSVP to join us. ❤️‍🔥 ✨

**🫶 Zoom Speed Dating for Hialeah Locals – Matched by Age & Personality** Ditch the apps. Meet Hialeah singles face-to-face on Zoom tonight. We match you with compatible Hialeah locals using a quick personality quiz. You'll chat one-on-one on Zoom in short timed rounds while a host guides the session. **✅ Grab your spot by RSVPing.** The host will send you a personality quiz and Zoom details directly after you RSVP. Don't leave it too late — places fill up. --- 🎯 **Perfect for:** - Anyone who likes connecting online before meeting face-to-face - Hialeah locals after personality-matched dates - People re-entering the dating scene after a break - Singles in Hialeah who want to meet people from home - Anyone curious about speed dating in a relaxed setting **How It Works** 1. **RSVP below** – Click RSVP to reserve your place. 2. **The host will contact you** – After RSVP, you'll get a message with the personality quiz so we can pair you well. 3. **Answer the personality quiz** – Takes just a few minutes and makes the matching much better. 4. **Hop on Zoom** – You'll receive the Zoom link before the event. The host handles the rest. 5. **Chat & match** – Quick timed rounds with Hialeah singles, then mutual matches sent out after. **Event Details** - **Format:** Virtual on Zoom – hosted and well-structured - **Location:** Your space – couch, desk, wherever suits you - **Host:** Experienced host steering the session - **Vibe:** Casual, easy-going conversations with Hialeah singles - **Tech:** Zoom, webcam, and a stable connection - **Rounds:** Multiple short one-on-one rounds ⭐ *"Ideal for introverts. Felt at ease the entire time."* – Hialeah attendee **Frequently Asked Questions** **How long are the chats?** A few minutes each — just enough to get a sense of someone. **What happens after?** Mutual matches are sent out after the event. **Do I need anything besides Zoom?** Just Zoom, a webcam, and Wi-Fi. That's it. **What if I'm shy?** The virtual setting and hosted rounds keep things comfortable for everyone. --- ✨ RSVP now and look out for the host's message. 💖 ✨

Join us Sunday, June 7th at 10am for a gentle beginner-friendly yoga flow in Goodale park with Victoria, one of our very own vegan community members and certified yoga teacher! Whether you’re brand new to yoga or a long time practitioner, this class is designed to help you slow down, stretch, breathe, and reconnect with yourself. Expect a relaxed, accessible flow focused on easing tension, moving mindfully, and leaving you feeling a little more grounded. All levels welcome! Bring water and a yoga mat (or towel if you don’t have a mat). A suggested donation of $10 is appreciated, but payment is absolutely not required to attend and enjoy class. A Venmo QR code will be available on-site for anyone who would like to contribute. The class duration will be one hour from 10-11am. After class, we’ll head to Woodhouse Vegan for anyone who wants to keep the good vibes going over food and conversation 🌱

**🦋 Port St. Lucie Zoom Online Speed Dating** Meet Port St. Lucie singles from home in short, hosted one-on-one rounds on Zoom. We match by age and personality. **Register below for your age group:** - **Ages 18-32** → [REGISTER HERE](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=531.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Port%20St.%20Lucie&groupurlname=join-our-circle-of-serious-singles&ar=18-32&face_v=3.0) - **Ages 30-46** → [REGISTER HERE](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=531.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Port%20St.%20Lucie&groupurlname=join-our-circle-of-serious-singles&ar=30-46&face_v=3.0) - **Ages 40-58** → [REGISTER HERE](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=531.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Port%20St.%20Lucie&groupurlname=join-our-circle-of-serious-singles&ar=40-58&face_v=3.0) - **Ages 55+** → [REGISTER HERE](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=531.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Port%20St.%20Lucie&groupurlname=join-our-circle-of-serious-singles&ar=55+&face_v=3.0) **⚠️ RSVP alone won't secure your spot.** Register through your age group link below and complete the personality quiz. Places are limited. --- **How It Works** 1. **Register** – Pick your age group above and sign up. 2. **Take the quiz** – Short personality quiz so we can match you well. 3. **Join on Zoom** – Your host will guide you through every round. 4. **Get matches** – Mutual matches sent after the event. --- ✨ Real conversations, real matches — all from home. 🦋 ✨

**⚡ BTS Is Coming – Hialeah K-Pop Random Dance Party!** With BTS on their way, it's time to get the fan energy going in Hialeah. We'll put on the music, call random songs, and dance together. BTS tracks, K-pop bangers, all of it. Come ready to move. **🔞 Adults only — 18+.** Please only RSVP if you are 18 or over. --- 🎶 **What to expect:** - All levels welcome — know the moves or just vibe along - Fan chants, singalongs, and pure concert energy - Random song calls — jump in when you know the choreo - Celebration vibes ahead of the BTS concert **Event Details** - **Format:** In-person K-pop fan gathering with random dance - **Vibe:** Loud, fun, and full of Hialeah K-pop fans - **Age:** 18+ only **How It Works** 1. **Come along** – RSVP below and show up on the day. 18+ only. 2. **Random play dance begins** – Music plays, a song gets called, fans who know it jump in. 3. **BTS set included** – We'll make sure the BTS catalogue gets plenty of play. 4. **Meet the fans** – Connect with Hialeah locals who love K-pop as much as you. 💡 **Tip:** Wear comfortable shoes — you'll be on your feet the whole time. --- ✨ Random dance, BTS vibes, great people. What more do you need? 👑 ✨

Who’s up for a pizza night at the highly requested Pizza House? 🍕🍻 Join us at for great pizza, good laughs, and even better company! Come hungry and ready for a cheesy good time.

**💕 Orlando Virtual Speed Dating – Hosted, Curated & on Zoom** A hosted online speed dating experience for Orlando locals. Join from home, get paired with Orlando singles your age, and have real conversations on Zoom. A host manages everything so you can just relax and enjoy. **✅ Grab your spot by RSVPing.** The host will send you a personality quiz and Zoom details directly after you RSVP. Don't leave it too late — places fill up. --- 🎯 **Perfect for:** - Introverts who shine in one-on-one conversations - Anyone who likes connecting online before meeting face-to-face - Orlando locals after personality-matched dates - First-timers new to speed dating - Singles in Orlando who want to meet people from home **Event Details** - **Format:** Hosted on Zoom – one-on-one video dates - **Location:** Online from home – no need to go anywhere - **Host:** Professional host keeping the evening smooth and relaxed - **Vibe:** Laid-back one-on-one chats with Orlando locals - **Privacy:** Contact info only shared when both match - **Rounds:** Multiple short one-on-one rounds **How It Works** 1. **RSVP here** – Secure your spot on Meetup. 2. **Check your Meetup messages** – The host will reach out with a personality quiz to match you with compatible Orlando singles. 3. **Complete the quiz** – A quick personality quiz so we can find your best matches. 4. **Log in on the night** – Connect to the Zoom session from home. The host runs the show. 5. **Speed date** – One-on-one rounds with personality-matched Orlando locals. Matches shared afterwards. ⭐ *"I was nervous but the host made it effortless. Met someone wonderful first try."* – Orlando single **Frequently Asked Questions** **What if I'm shy?** The virtual setting and hosted rounds keep things comfortable for everyone. **When will the host contact me?** Usually within a day or two of your RSVP, well before the event. **Do I need experience?** Not at all. The host walks you through everything. --- ✨ Speed dating from home — easy, fun, and personality matched. 💝 ✨

Join us for our June Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss [The Queer Principles of Kit Webb](https://catsebastian.com/the-queer-principles-of-kit-webb/) by Cat Sebastian in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.

Join us for our July Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss [Cemetery Boys](https://www.aiden-thomas.com/cemetery-boys) by Aiden Thomas in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.

**We are expanding our creative programming opportunities with Queer Quills, a quiet writing and sharing space. Queer Quills features some prompts, supplies and friendly faces to help get some inspiration or feedback for your writing. Hope to see you there!**

**Our June novel is: *The Eights* by Joanna Miller** **This month’s novel is set during World War I. It’s a 20th-century historical fiction story about friendship and war, with coming-of-age elements and a slightly haunted tone. The book is 384 pages in print and 10 hours and 9 minutes on audiobook.** Oxford, 1920. For the first time in its one-thousand-year history, Oxford University officially admits female students. Burning with dreams of equality, four young women move into neighboring rooms in Corridor 8. Beatrice, Dora, Marianne, and Otto—collectively known as The Eights—come from all walks of life, each driven by their own motives, each holding tight to their secrets, and are thrown into an unlikely, unshakable friendship. Dora was never meant to go to university, but, after losing both her brother and her fiancé on the battlefield, has arrived in their place. Politically-minded Beatrice, daughter of a famous suffragette, sees Oxford as a chance to make her own way - and some friends her own age. Otto was a nurse during the war but is excited to return to her socialite lifestyle in Oxford where she hopes to find distraction from the memories that haunt her. And finally Marianne, the quiet, clever daughter of a village pastor, who has a shocking secret she must hide from everyone, even her new friends, if she is to succeed. Among the historic spires, and in the long shadow of the Great War, the four women must navigate and support one another in a turbulent world in which misogyny is rife, influenza is still a threat, and the ghosts of the Great War don’t always remain dead.

Join us for Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn! Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the unsolved murder of a preteen girl and the disappearance of another. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story-and survive this homecoming.

Join us as we discuss our June pick: Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider! Book description: Even though she's not one of them, Brynn has spent her life among the Alaha, training to be a guard and waiting for the chance to attend the annual market hosted by the Kenta–the very same people who exiled her adopted community to a life at sea. Going to the market is a rite of passage eagerly anticipated by all young guards, but Brynn does not anticipate breaking a century-long peace treaty while there. Nor does she plan for the intense encounter with an enemy soldier that now threatens to unwind the fragile coexistence between their people–and everything Brynn once believed about herself to be true. Brynn's loyalty to the Alaha is tested when the truth of her identity is brought to light by this soldier who's taken an oath to bring her back to where she belongs. Narrowly escaping death on the violent high seas, Brynn's connection to the Alaha is further tested when she learns about the world of magic she's been denied. She was once certain of her fate and where she belonged, but the dark, knowing eyes of this stranger have her questioning everything, including her heart. Packed with knife fights and seafaring adventure, METAL SLINGER is the smash-hit start to the romantic fantasy duology, the Fire & Metal series