Author Archives: CaseytheCanadianLesbrarian

About CaseytheCanadianLesbrarian

Known in some internet circles as Casey the Canadian Lesbrarian, Casey Stepaniuk is a writer and librarian who holds an MA in English literature. She lives and works in the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations (Vancouver, BC). Topics and activities dear to her heart include cats, bisexuality, libraries, queer (Canadian) literature, running, and drinking tea. She runs the website Casey the Canadian Lesbrarian, where you can find reviews of LGBTQ2IA+ Canadian books, archives of the book advice column Ask Your Friendly Neighbourhood Lesbrarian, and some other queer, bookish stuff. She also writes for Autostraddle, Book Riot and Inside Vancouver. Find her on Twitter: @canlesbrarian. Some of her old reviews, especially the non-Canadian variety, can be found at the Lesbrary.

Gender, Colonization, and Incidental Queerness in Leigh Matthews’ Hard Science Fiction Novel COLONY

Posted on October 7, 2019

When I picked up Colony by Leigh Matthews I didn’t realize it was going to be the first and I think only “hard” science fiction book I’ve ever read. If you’re looking for hard science fiction—fiction with a focus on … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian, Fiction, Indigenous, Lesbian, Queer, Science Fiction, Vancouver | 1 Comment

Internet Hate Mail Becomes a Moving, Complex Graphic Memoir in Vivek Shraya and Ness Lee’s DEATH THREAT

Posted on September 21, 2019

It’s not surprising since the graphic memoir Death Threat is by the versatile, multi-talented artist Vivek Shraya, but her latest book is completely unique and unlike anything I’ve read before. Shraya has, somehow, turned an experience of internet hate mail … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian, comics, Graphic, Non-Fiction, Queer, South Asian, Trans, Trans Feminine, Transgender | 2 Comments

LGBTQ Community, Drag Culture, and Self-Acceptance in KINGS, QUEENS, AND IN-BETWEENS by Tanya Boteju

Posted on July 30, 2019

If you’ve been looking for a queer YA book that is really invested in the idea of LGBTQ community, look no further than debut novel Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju. So often the contemporary stories we get about … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian, Fiction, Lesbian, Queer, South Asian, Young Adult | 2 Comments

Art, Activism, Identity, and Spirituality in Samra Habib’s WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE: A QUEER MUSLIM MEMOIR

Posted on July 25, 2019

I am back from an unintended sabbatical from my blog to tell you about an amazing book that I read recently: We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib. Subtitled “A Queer Muslim Memoir,” this book was one of those … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian, Lesbian, memoir, Queer, South Asian, Toronto | 1 Comment

A Ferocious, Devastating YA Thriller: A Review of SADIE by Courtney Summers

Posted on April 29, 2019

I had already finished reading YA thriller Sadie by Courtney Summers when I looked up the author and realized she was Canadian. I am thrilled to get a chance to think and write more about this book for Casey the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bisexual, Canadian, Fiction, mystery, Queer, Young Adult | 1 Comment

Sarcastic Sex Workers and Lesbian Frog Catchers in Emma Donoghue’s Historical Novel Frog Music

Posted on April 25, 2019

I remember going to a talk by Irish Canadian author Emma Donoghue years ago at the University of Western Ontario (or so it was called then) where she discussed researching and working on her 2014 novel, Frog Music. I recall … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian, Emma Donoghue, Fiction, Lesbian, mystery, Queer, Sex Work | 7 Comments

“riot grrrl raised me, I’m rigorous af, and I breathe the fire of nookomis into everything I do”: A Review of nîtisânak by Lindsay Nixon

Posted on April 11, 2019

nîtisânak by Lindsay Nixon is the kind of book that makes you feel grateful to get a chance to peek into someone else’s mind. It’s a unique, genre-defying book that I still vividly remember despite having read it in November … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian, Indigenous, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Queer, Rural, Trans, Transgender | 1 Comment