Pride may have been and gone but there’s a reason I’m releasing my favourite queer reads in July rather than June.. to make sure we read queer writing all year round!
Here are some of my favourite reads with queer representation over the past few years with no spoilers. Notes on where the queer characters feature also included, whether they are main characters (MC’s) or not.
Adult Fiction
You made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty – Akwaeke Emezi. Hot and fiery romance, this needs to be on your Summer reading list. MC’s best friend is a lesbian.
Love In Colour – Bolu Babalola. Myths and legends from around the world, retold with women at the centre. Short stories with features of same sex MC’s.
Take a Hint, Dani Brown - Talia Hibbert. My all time favourite romance triplet. If you love your romances, please get the Brown sisters on your reading list. MC is bisexual.
Girl, Woman, Other – Bernadine Evaristo. A beautiful set of short stories that culminate into one at the end. Multiple stories have queer representation.
Detransition, Baby – Torrey Peters. Gripping fiction that navigates trans parenthood. Get this on your list to read if you haven’t already. Lots of queer and trans representation.
Love After Love – Ingrid Persuad. A beautiful story of the lengths family go for love, set between New York and Trinidad and Tobago. Queer side characters.
In At The Deep End – Kate Davies. Brilliantly addictive and funny lesbian romance, exploring new kinks and difficult relationships. MC is a lesbian.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Voung. Heart breaking but beautiful, Little Dog tells his mother through a series of letters who he has grown up to be. MC is queer.
Giovanni’s Room – James Baldwin. Set in 1950’s Paris, Baldwin explores what it meant to be gay at a time where it was illegal. MC is bisexual.
Paul Takes The Form Of A Mortal Girl – Andrea Lawlor. Paul can shapeshift his body and change his genitalia and so morphs into different personalities throughout the book. Lots of queer rep.
Rainbow Milk – Paul Mendez. Walking away from his deeply religious family, Jesse struggles to understand his sexuality. Set at the height of the aids pandemic in London. Queer MC.
Red, White & Royal Blue – Casey McQuinston. A British prince and the son of the president of the USA meet and.. well.. A beautiful romance. Queer MC’s.
One Last Stop – Casey McQuinston. Another lovely romance set in New York, where our lovers meet on the subway. MC’s are bisexual and lesbian.
Non-Fiction
We Have Always Been Here – Samra Habib. “A Queer Muslim Memoir”. Beautiful writing and heartfelt story telling, you need to read this. Queer MC.
The Transgender Issue – Shon Faye. Only part way through this but I know this is one of the most important books of the last few years regarding trans rights. Absolutely get this on your list.
Young Adult
The Black Flamingo – Dean Atta. Written in verse, our main character Michael finds his place in world in the drag community. Queer MC.
Only On The Weekends – Dean Atta. Just started reading this and love Atta’s writing. Another one written in verse and if you liked The Black Flamingo then I’d recommend this one too.
Felix Ever After – Kacen Callender. Trans teen Felix is deadnamed by an unknown artist while preparing for his art showcase and goes on the hunt for to find their identity, while trying to figure out his own problems. Trans and queer MC, lots of queer representation.
Clap When You Land – Elizabeth Acevado. Written in verse, I couldn’t put this book down once I started! The story is told between two half sisters who in New York and The Domincan Republic, who only find out about each other when their father’s plane goes down. One MC is a lesbian.
Cinderella is Dead – Kalynn Bayron. Cinderella has been dead for 200 years but all is not well. All eligible girls must go to the ball and be picked by a Prince to be married off and taken care of, but Sophia doesn’t subscribe to that happily ever after. Queer MC.
This Poison Heart – Kalynn Bayron. Briseis inherits a house with a mysterious garden from her long-lost Aunt, after having no contact with her birth family for years. MC has lesbian parents.
Heartstopper (Volume 1-4) – Alice Oseman. The hit Netflix series was first a set of graphic novel volumes, and these are absolutely worth the read even if you’ve already binged the Netflix series. Queer and bisexual main characters with other queer and trans rep.
You can buy all these and more through the links in the blog where appropriate of through my affiliate link with Bookshop.org here.