How was Rainbow Crate formed?
We (Jamie and Danielle) met online on Tumblr in 2018 and bonded over our love of LGBT books and fandoms.
In late 2019, frustrated with the lack of inclusion of queer books and characters in popular book boxes, we went on the hunt for an LGBT-focused book box. And couldn’t find one.
So, we created one. Rainbow Crate is our dream, our baby brought to life in June 2020. We love Rainbow Crate, and we vow every day to fill each month with the highest-quality books and goodies we can, and introduce you to queer books in all sorts of genres! There is a queer book out there everyone can fall in love with, and we hope we help you find a new favorite!
Owner
Jamie Lynn Lano
(they/she)
Co-Owner, Curator, Creative Director
Your aroace nonbinary neurospicy lesbian creative
Favorite Books: The Raven Cycle & Dreamer Trilogy (Maggie Stiefvater), The Darkness Outside Us (Eliot Schrefer), Piranesi (Susanna Clarke), Into the Drowning Deep (Mira Grant), The Wayward Children series (Seanan McGuire), The Wicker King (K. Ancrum)
“Science, my boy, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth.” ― Jules Verne, Journey to the Center of the Earth
Director of Operations
Danielle Chambers
(she/her)
Curator, Director of Operations, Founder
Favorite Books: The Raven Cycle (Maggie Stiefvater), I’ll Give You The Sun (Jandy Nelson), and Wolfsong (TJ Klune), Shade (Mere Joyce), The Last Sun (K.D. Edwards), Techincally, You Started It (Lana Wood Johnson)
"Why do I feel like this is a thing I should be getting," Kelly said. ― T.J. Klune, Wolfsong
Spoiler Card Illustrator
Kate (Ace Artemis)
(she/her)
Official Spoiler Card Illustrator
Favorite Books: The Raven Cycle (Maggie Stiefvater), Witchmark (CL Polk), The Watchmaker of Filigree Street (Natasha Pulley), A Marvellous Light (Freya Marske)
“It wasn't that Henry was less of himself in English. He was less of himself out loud. His native language was thought.” ― Maggie Stiefvater, The Raven King
Book Cover Designer
Landice Anderson
(she/they)
Book Cover Designer
Favorite Books: Honey Girl (Morgan Rogers), The Locked Tomb series (Tamsyn Muir), Firebreak (Nicole Kornher-Stace), Compass Rose (Anna Burke), Sea & Stars trilogy (SD Simper), The Outside (Ada Hoffman), Burning Roses (S.L. Huang)
We are all stardust and stories.” ― Erin Morgenstern, The Starless Sea
Co-curator & Subscriber Liaison
Jeni Mann
(she/her)
Co-Curator and Subscriber Liaison
Favorite Books: All for the Game (Nora Sakavic), Loveless (Alice Oseman), Ander & Santi Were Here (Jonny Garza Villa), A Lady for a Duke (Alexis Hall), Raybearer (Jordan Ifueko)
HE WAS THEIR FAMILY. THEY WERE HIS. THEY WERE WORTH EVERY CUT AND BRUISE AND SCREAM. ― NORA SAKAVIC, THE RAVEN KING
Social Media Manager
Andy Lynn, Dr.
(they/xe)
Staff of all Trades, social media manager
Favorite Books: Cute Mutants series (SJ Whitby), Man O’War (Cory McCarthy), The Heartbreak Bakery (A.R. Capetta), Honey Girl (Morgan Rogers), D’Vaughn & Kris Plan a Wedding (Chenica C. Higgins), The Genesis of Misery (Neon Yang)
“BE GAY DO CRIME MEANS YOU SHOULD BE GAY HOWEVER YOU WANT TO BE. YOU SHOULD BE CALLED WHATEVER YOU WANT TO BE CALLED. WE DON’T HAVE TO BEND OURSELVES TO AN ANTIQUATED SOCIETY THAT DOESN’T BEND AT ALL TO US.” ― CORY MCCARTHY, MAN O’WAR