Queer Book Discussion & Recommendations
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
- skip the first 7 minutes to save your spirit
some queer/LGBTQIA+ booktube to watch
(let me know if you'd like to be added/removed from this playlist)
• Queer/LGBTQIA+ Booktube
some resources
lgbtqreads.com/
bookriot.com/2020/03/09/best-...
www.shondaland.com/inspire/bo...
www.goodreads.com/review/list...
socials
instagram / booksandlala
twitter / booksandlala
goodreads / booksandlala
“Never make fun of someone if they mispronounce a word. It means they learned it by reading.”
I heard this saying in middle school and it has stuck to me like glue.
Yes!
the intro discussion is exactly why I stan Kayla
We have no choice but to Stan
Same
As someone whose queer as well, her recognizing the word in both angle just proves how whoelsome she is, *respect*
"I don't think that sexuality or gender identity is ever a spoiler". Thank you for that - because you don't change when you come out, you're no different than before, only closer to your truer self. Great video 🌅
Depend on book context? If the book is about a journey of self-discovery it would be big spoiler...
Like 'One of us is lying' right....
the description on this vid says "skip the first 7 minutes to save your spirit"
Don't skip the first 7 minutes. It's so important. Plus, it's just... great in general.
This is great, you're great Kayla!
(also I'm sure my TBR is going to grow, which it doesn't need to, but I am READY!)
I just don't want to bore people who came here for recommendations HAHA it's so stressful getting comments telling other viewers to skip my intros, so I thought I'd get ahead of the game
@@BooksandLala massive fart noises to them! You spoke eloquently, honestly and openly, and I appreciated every word of your candid reminder that youtubers are people, and people are not "all knowing" all the time.
@@amyjones6848 "massive fart noises to them"....I'm dying :'D
This intro discussion is what I appreciate about you, Kayla. It’s hard to get everything right, but you are honest and explain your understanding and reasoning.
I think we need to be more comfortable with not knowing everything all the time, and your intro discussion is really furthering that! We’re always going to be unknowingly ignorant about something or other, the best we can do is to educate each other so that we can move forward as a whole.
Ugh same, I would love some gay as hell thrillers. The problem with thrillers, though, is sexuality and gender identity tends to be a "twist" which really needs to stop.
I think I saw a CZcamsr the other day recommend Josh Lanyon. 🤔 Or was it a mystery? Not very helpful sorry but maybe a good starting point?
I'll be reading a queer thriller or horror soon called The Honeys. Curious how that will turn out...
i just wanna say, as a nonbinary viewer of your channel, it's always clear to me how much you care and respect others' identities, pronouns, experiences, etc. i know there's a huge amount of pressure on you to get everything right always but i just hope you know that your effort is seen and appreciated! 💜
As a trans male viewer, I second this 😅
Non binary here and i also second this
Aristole and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz
The Miseducation of Cameron Post - Emily M. Danforth
Patience and Sarah - Isabel Miller
Keeping You A Secret - Julie Anne Peters
A Boy Worth Knowing - Jennifer Cosgrove
Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard
Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green and David Levithan
Queens of Geek - Jen Wilde
Simon VS The Homosapiens Agenda, The Upside Of Unrequited & Leah On The Offbeat - Becky Albertalli
Symptoms Of Being Human - Jeff Garvin
Lies My Girlfriend Told Me - Julie Anne Peters
Stranger Than Fanfiction - Chris Colfer
Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera
More Happy Than Not - Adam Silvera
Dreadnought [Nemesis #1] - April Daniels
Sovereign [Nemesis #2] - April Daniels
Annie On My Mind - Nancy Gordon
If I Was Your Girl - Meredith Russo
None of the Above - I. W. Gregorio
Everything Leads To You - Nina LaCour
She Loves You, She Loves You Not - Julie Anne Peters
I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing - Hank Green
Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family - Garrard Conley [I also like the movie which has Troye Sivan!!]
Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan [I also like the movie version]
[Books Ive Read That Are LGBT That I'd Recommend]
Love this list! Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera are some of my favs. Also---Boy Erased broke me and I also quite enjoyed the movie.
Boy Erased is set in my home town & it was so eerie to read! Thanks for this list :-)
I really loved Simon (1st book), but the upside of unrequited was so disappointing to me. The main characters’ perception of the queer members of her immediate family seemed so shallow to me. I don’t want to post spoilers but her reaction to the major historical event (if you’ve read it, you know) shocked me. It was like it barely mattered to her!
@@clairejkay I can totally understand where you're coming from, it wasn't for everyone. Personally, I also preferred Simon over Upside, but I just love her writing so much I can enjoy anything she does.
Thank youuuuuu
I came to this video for Kayla-style queer book recommendations, but the intro might be my favourite part. It's so real, voicing some things a lot of people are scared to say. It feels like everyone is just supposed to automatically know everything around modern gender politics. And when someone gets something wrong, their intent is forgotten and they are often demonized. As a queer person, but also just a person who is scared to make mistakes that might offend people: thank you
Sapphic = two women in a romantic relationship. Cis or otherwise.
Use: this novel centers around a newly formed relationship between two females, one of whom is just discovering her sapphic desires.
Hope this helps. Love this video!
I love love love that you decided to make this video!! The intro discussion is so so important and I totally feel you on feeling out of touch about some things and not knowing the appropriate way to pronounce or say something, and it’s so true that people expect booktubers or anyone with a platform to be all knowing, and I’m always looking for ways to educate myself and better myself. So I really appreciate this discussion, you verbalize these things so much better than I could ever try to haha ❤️❤️❤️
I wasn't expecting the intro discussion but I'm really glad you said it because I relate to a lot of it, especially the acronym stuff.
The intro discussion is exactly what I think. I also identify as “queer.” It just encompasses more of my identity than other labels, but I won’t to apply it to others.
Timestamps for the book recommendations!
8:32 Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney Stevens
10:40 Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake
12:44 Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
14:43 The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum
16:27 We Are The Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
18:00 King and the Dragon Flies by Kacen Callender
19:26 The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
21:00 Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi
[Intermission Quick Recommendations]
22:41 All Out: The No Longer Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages
22:50 Don't Call Us Dead by Danez Smith
23:06 I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya
23:25 Love Beyond Body, Space & Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci Fi Anthology
23:37 Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
[Back to Novels!]
23:57 Wild Beauty by Anna Marie McLomore
24:05 Blanca Roja by Anna Marie McLomore (Note: briefly recommend then goes back to talking about former rec)
25:46 More Than This by Patrick Mess
27:28 Wilder Girls by Rory Power
28:53 Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
31:22 Black Iris by Leah Raeder
33:06 Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
34:45 The Gallery of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz
[Honorable Mentions]
36:31 This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El Mohtar
36:34 Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno
36:56 Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
[Headcannoned Queer Book]
Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao
Some queer adult book recommendations:
Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Small Beauty by Jia Qing Wilson-Yang
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Nonfiction:
In the Dream House: a Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado
Short Story Collections:
Salt Slow by Julia Armfield
Things We Say in the Dark by Kirsty Logan
Sci-Fi/Fantasy:
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Manga/Graphic Novels:
My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Nagata Kabi
Poetry:
When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities
Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong
Thanks so much!! Some of these are on my TBR already and they're getting bumped up now
I feel like no one ever mentions The Color Purple!!
So many of these are on my list! But the Color Purple and Freshwater! YES YES YES!!! Two of my absolute favourites of all time.
Please read "The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet"
I know it's set in space but it's so character driven and slow
And okay there is a romance (f/f) but it's not like the center point but rather just something that happens
And I feel like you'd really like it
I love Becky Chambers, she is so good at exploring representation and creating interesting characters with different social and physical experiences
One of my favorites. :) I also loved the second book where they had more emphasis on the Aeulons and their ability to change their biological sex multiple times during their lifespans, which was also a very interesting representation I think.
Love that book!
Yes! It’s one of my all time favorite books-bc I love books that explore space, but is light enough that I can understand and imagine everything. I wished there were more books like it out there.
Open for recommendations.
@@autumn_nive5822 maybe Martha Wells Murderbot series? It's a bit more action packed but Murderbot as a character is very lovable. It's one of those series that's just fun to read and to me very cozy like Becky Chambers books.
I just want more lesbian/bi girls in horror and adult fantasy books tbh. 😭
I'm someone that usually puts videos into my watch later list and then goes to watch them from there, but nope! I clicked on this one immediately
lmaoooo mine is such a mess cuz i do this and i CANT STOP
If you haven't read it already, Like A Love Story by Abdi Nazemian is so amazing. It's split perspective, there's a boy who identifies as gay and is an activist for gay rights, a boy who thinks he is gay but is scared of that identity because it's 1989 and they're living through the AIDS pandemic, and a girl whose uncle has AIDS and is struggling with the knowledge that he may not be around long enough for a "cure" to be found.
Like a Love Story is such a beautiful book!
The conversation in the beginning was such an important one to have and I really appreciated you talking about it. I loved Wild Beauty it was stunning!! If you're looking for an adult queer recommendation I recommend The House in the Cerulean Sea. I know you said one without a romance and this one does have a romance, but I'm recommending it because it's...not the main focus at all it just exists in the story. The main focus is on these misfit magical children in an orphanage. It's all about light touches of whimsy and found family. Seanan McGuire also blurbed it as being "her perfect read" and I think you're going to like it :)
My brain reads WLW like voulez-vous like ABBA would sing it. I say outloud unironically now
omfg, i love that! :D
Hahahhahah
I love you 😍 lol
I think you explained and spoke very well at the beginning of the video, when you spoke about how you feel about this topic and how you tackle this topic and the specific vocabulary.
Me and my friends were JUST talking about how there is hardly any Lesbian rep in books, and we have been searching for good lesbian MC recs! So happy you posted this video 💙
Maybe try The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. It’s a stand-alone light fantasy (no real magic system but does have magical children). It’s an adult novel that is really about found family and figuring out where you belong. There is a m|m romance but it isn’t explicit. I can’t describe how much I adored this book. It felt like a warm hug while reading and made me smile and laugh and feel. It’s my favorite 2020 release so far and an overall favorite of all time as well.
That's the next book on my tbr list! Glad to hear it's good!!
'How to be a normal person' and his Green Creek series are some of my favourite books that I've read over the past few years!
Same! One of my favorite books of the year :D
i love how careful kayla is with her words when she’s discussing topics like this. it really shows how much she cares for the community and its representation. i just hope that we get to a point in the future where we are not scared or uncomfortable to make a mistake. that its okay to get it wrong sometimes and learn from it and move along without embarassment or fear.
A great way to get over that fear is by people not pandering to every ridiculous notion people bring up. Ex: gender fluid...it's called being human, we all have aspects to us that are more masculine or feminine. All of a sudden it requires a label so that everyone can be special.
The intro to this video is so beautiful! Thank you for all the recommendations; I’ve never read any female-female romance books, so I hope to try a couple this year! I was thinking of picking up Everything Leads to You because I’m also a huge film buff! ✨
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong. There is the story of his first relationship, but there's also his relationship with his mother, with himself, with the world. It's hard to explain, but it's beautiful and lyrical and I couldn't put it down. I can't recommend it enough.
ahh, yes i loved that book too. i actually saw ocean vuong speak at a venue near my house where he was interviewed by tommy orange and let me just say,,, that man's MIND is the most beautiful thing. probably the most eloquent and lovely person to ever exist.
I LOVED Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson !
Also We Are Okay, They Both Die At The End and The Song of Achilles.
Great video 💛
i've said it once, i'll say it again:
I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN BY JANDY NELSON
One of my faves! 🙌 I haven't read it in so long, I think I question my love for it sometimes. Need to do a re-read asap
i'm so happy with this video!!! i already read most of them but i'm putting black iris and the empress of salt and fortune up on my tbr!
and i totally get your confusion about how to say certain things but in regards to "sapphic books" you can use it whenever there's women sexually or romantically attracted to other women (lesbians, bi,... characters fit into that label)
love this, you, and your recommendations
And just like that... I stan 💕
Your discussion at the beginning is just like perfect and I think you handled it beautifully and I just developed a whole new level of appreciation for your channel because of this :))
I also use queer as my label! Thank you so much for speaking to the label and all of its baggage. You're such a well-spoken individual, and I always appreciate your honesty and understanding. I haven't even heard any recommendations yet, and I'm already gushing!
I’m so glad you did discuss the complexities of it at the beginning. I completely understand your hesitance to making this video, as a queer, CIS woman who is in a relationship with a man. (That is also me!) Honestly I just appreciate the open and honest discussion about it. Thank you Kayla💛
Love the discussion you started with, and I have to say, I've always found you to be so careful and aware with your language and always willing and ready to correct yourself if needed. That matters a lot - we're all going to mess up occasionally, what matters is how you respond to it and move forward. I personally use the term queer, and while I know some people in the community don't like it, for me it fits all the facets of my identity, being a cis gay ace woman. And as for some adult queer mystery-ish recs, Fingersmith by Sarah Waters!! It's not really a "mystery" or "thriller".....but it does have that kind of feel to it. It's historical and dark and hella gay and it's one of my favorites. Almost anything by Sarah Waters, really. She has six novels, I've read five, and I think only The Little Stranger doesn't have explicitly queer themes.
the intro discussion was EVERYTHING,, you articulated a lot about how i feel as well and gave SO MANY GOOD RECS!!
We Stan someone taking the time to try and understand and using things correctly 🙌🏻
I love this video. I never had a term for my queerness until I was 33 even though I knew I wasn’t straight. I finally found that I am poly and demisexual. So coming out to different people at different places in my life has been scary and uncomfortable and liberating. Thank you so much for this video, as an indigenous person it makes it that much harder as well. Again thank you.
I’m also a straight-passing white woman in the lgbt community so I relate so much to what you said about your experience
The intro discussion is honestly my favorite part of this. Like I love the book recommendations too, but that conversation is such an important thing to think about.
This video is so great, and I love the beginning part. You’re so relatable and it’s very clear how much you care about ALL people as you try to make sure everyone watching understands where you’re coming from. ❤️
One thriller I’d recommend is The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer. It’s about a sexual assault, and it follows the impacts on the MC and his brother, family, and close friends as the mystery goes on. It’s more of a slow story but I like that, and I just loved the family’s obvious love for each other so much as we saw them struggle through something so violent, intrusive and heartbreaking-and how each chose to deal with it.
I love the discussion you had in the beginning it was nice to hear it from someone especially someone who is as influential as you!
PLEASE DO NOT SKIP at the beginning of the video. I appreciate you having that important conversation in the beginning of the video. I often find that people don’t know how to approach certain conversations due to not knowing, which is completely understandable. I like that you’re having an open & honest conversation about it.
Similar in terms of sensitivity & complexity and not knowing how to approach certain conversations, can you recommend books that you feel prompt insightful commentary and significant conversations about race? (& also intersectionality between race, sexuality, etc.)?
F/F M/M can be said as female/female or as F-F / male/male or M-M. The terms largely originated (not entirely) from early queer fanfiction, and thus the speaking is pretty similar to how the fanfic community says it. Personally, as a non-binary person, I deeply prefer F-F and M-M to female or male, because female/male to me is tied so strongly to general ideas of biological sex. And while that's not the intention, it is something I have experienced in my life, both as a person and as a queer fanfic author. Of course, everyone has their own preferences and their own opinions.
You spoke so eloquently in this video even though you were trying your best to word everything in the correct way. Great video and I'll definitely be reading some of these to open up my eyes to more lgbtq+ books! Thanks kayla!
An ace recommendation not being on the end of the video, that honestly made me sob. More ace res if you would like are Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland and Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman ( both of them also focus on grief)
My recommendation is the House In The Cerulean Sea by T J Klune. It's light fantasy, beautifully whimsical and focusses on found family and self discovery.
You smashed this intro Kayla, I was nodding along the whole time!
Literally screamed when I saw this notification! Love your content so much!
i’m early, but i’ll be back when there’s more comments to read
update: i’m back
I'm glad 'Girl made of stars' has been mentioned here. I think it's so underrated.
I really really appreciate your discussion at the beginning! We all have a very different experience. I'm a non-binary bi person who's white, I'm obviously not going to have the same experience reading one of these books as a lesbian of color or a cis bi man. I also feel your worries about accidentally misrepresenting a community or a character, but in that sense, we all have to realize that not everyone knows everything and we're all still learning. I've been in queer writing classrooms where a student was accidentally misgendered, or we got onto a topic and had to educate someone, but that's a part of being in a community and being a person who is willing to learn.
In terms of book recommendations, here are a couple we read in my queer writers of color class: Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde and Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera. Both I really enjoyed!
Wow! This entire intro gave me chills and I just need to take a moment and compliment how well versed you are. Also, you are incredible at always trying to be all inclusive. Anything that you could ever say I would hope that your followers would know that an error was unintentional and educate rather than attack. Keep being you Lala. ( I’m sorry, “new intro” Kayla haha) love you, as a friend XO
Hi! Thank you so much for how you tackled this video! I loved the introductory discussion.
Dress Codes for Small Towns is also one of my favourites. As far as I remember, Billie doesn't choose a label for herself.
I've never heard anyone mention this or discuss this, but I wanted to let you know that the term 'sapphic' can also be hurtful. It refers to the ancient Greek poet Sappho and is used for wlw relationships. However, there is no evidence that she was a lesbian. As she also wrote love poems about men she could just as well have been bisexual (or pansexual, etc.) As a bisexual woman (who studies ancient Greek btw), it's hurtful when people use the term 'sapphic' solely for referring to f/f relationship as it seems to erase Sappho identity. (Again, possibly, since we don't know. But in the same vein we can't assume she was a lesbian.) Using 'sapphic' is in a sense the same as saying a bisexual woman is gay when she's in a f/f relationship. I've never seen anyone have this discussion, so I'm probably one of few who's bothered by this, but I felt this was a safe space to mention it. I want you to know that I wasn't hurt at all by your video. I honestly loved it!
So I don't know why but I put book recommendations into the youtube search bar and one of your older videos popped up. Watched it, loved it and now I have a tbr list and subscribed. You are awesome and this video was so good I needed to comment. I have a lot more videos to watch, I'm so happy I found you.
honestly i was just looking for random lqbtqia+ recommendations and instead got something even better istg the discussion in the beginning was so good and relatable you seem like a really cool person
I’ve just been starting to identify myself as queer and I haven’t come across another person that also identifies as queer so thank you from the bottom of my heart for this video and just being you ❤️
First of all, awesome recommendations that I’m very excited to check out!
Second, thank you for that intro! Seriously very important and you made really great points. 💜
I'd recommend For Today I Am A Boy by Kim Fu. It's an adult literary fiction book about a Chinese Canadian trans woman exploring her childhood and life before she accepts herself as a woman and the family/cultural barriers, expectations and challenges (warning: she is referred to as Peter and he/him throughout the book due to this). I read this at least 5 years ago and absolutely loved it at the time but to be honest I was not as educated then as I am now about the trans community so I may not have picked up on some things that I would if I read it today. It is written by a cis author so that's worth keeping in mind! But the Chinese rep is own voices. Also, I loved your intro so much Kayla!!! Thank you for your refreshing openness, insight, inclusivity and commitment to championing diverse voices/perspectives!
What an amazing intro and just a great video in general! And I have to say that any of us can easily be deemed as either heroes or villains in other people’s eyes in regards to representation depending on perspectives,use of language,etc… and I love how you broke down cancel culture and its destructive and divisive nature within both marginalized and demarginalized communities.
This is so extremely beside the point but quick quesh, how does Kayla's hair look so amazing in quarantine? I'm in awe
im so glad that you brought up the point about the word queer. i personally don’t like using that word for myself, i more just use the word “sapphic”. but thank you for bringing up that many people don’t like being called queer.
Love you discussion at the start and some great recommendations, some of my all time favorites and some are going to the top of my tbr.
I think you might like first verse by Barry McCrea, it's very character driven, dark academia mystery. It hasn't got the best rating on goodreads but hey with your reading taste that may be a plus lol.
What a great and genuine intro, I totally agree. I would recommend “The House of Impossible Beauties” by Joesph Cassara. It’s about the House of Xtravagnza, the first ever all-Latino house, during the Harlem Ballroom scene in 1980’s NYC.
omg i'm so early thank you for this video! i've been looking for more lgbtq+ books especially with pride month around the corner :)
adult books: any book by Sarah Waters
Kayla, I just want to say that thankyou for being so kind. And please do not worry. It's okay to not always know or be right. It's okay. And I know there is a lot of pressure out here to always get things like this right but please dont put so much pressure on yourself. It's okay to be wrong. It's alright. We cannot expect you or anyone to be the know it all after all we're all humans and we have to read and educate ourselves to know things we dont have inbuilt knowledge. So it's alright. Iloveyou
i almost didn’t click on this just bc i have issues w q***r as an umbrella term. i’m a lesbian who would not use that word for myself or others unless told otherwise. but your discussion at the beginning is so reassuring and one reason why i love your channel. thank you So much
The intro discussion was so good, I want your TED Talk! 🙌
I am living for these recommendations!
Some of my favorite LGBTQIA+ books are The God Box by Alex Sanchez, With or Without You by Brian Farrey, and One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva. I adore all these books, and all of them helped me feel seen while I was coming out.
Idk how u feel abt this book or if you’ve read it but The Starless Sea has a gay mc, a M/M romance and side characters who’s sexualities aren’t specified but are maybe bi/pan + it’s wtf magical
Thank you for being so respectful of everyone.
Great video, I've definitely got a few recommendations from you. I would recommend All Boys Aren't Blue and Black Flamingo, I read both recently and loved them!!
I loved the beginning discussion! Thank you for taking the time to put all those thoughts out! ❤️
I know this video is a couple of years old, and this novel is definitely a romance, but Alison Cochrun's "The Charm Offensive" is a really beautiful queer romance with lots of representation. Her second novel is coming out this year, or is already out, and that one is apparently a romance between two lesbians. That will be high on my TBR when it's available for me
BIPOC = You would say each letter so B, I, P, O, C. But there should be no shame in you not knowing... you asking questions is great. I’m glad you are open to growth and being honest that not all of us are all knowing even within the communities that we do belong to. Much love!
Kristen Lepionka has a detective/mystery series who's main character is bi. The first book is The Last Place You Look. (I think there's 3 or 4 now--I've only read the first 2 so far, but enjoyed them & am looking forward to getting to the rest.)
Kayla I really appreciate your opening statement. People jumping down people's throats for making a honest mistake is a bad look. Context matters and too many people ignore that.
Excellent into, especially the discussion on using the word Queer and when not to use it. I have friends who grew up with that word being used against them and they're still very uncomfortable associating with it.
This video is dope x your intro is the best ever don’t skip it people!
I just read the empress of salt and fortune (in a couple of hours), and it is lovely. Thank you for the recommendation!
I love the intro discussion with my whole heart❤️
I would recommend Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee! Own voices bi author with a book about superheroes. Like a mix of Sky High and the Amazon series The Boys. It's filled to the brim with LGBT+ representation
Perfect timing! I can now order some of these books and get them in time for the Queerlit readathon!
I just finished reading Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan which had amazing discussion about what it means to be ‘queer enough’ between an (undefined) pansexual MC and a bisexual MC who are in a heterosexual relationship with each other. It was so well done!
i just started watching this video so i don't know if you've already mentioned it, but the song of achilles is literally the most beautiful lgbt romance that i've ever read. it's also a historical fiction and it's a retelling of the iliad. it does contain the bury the gays trope, but as a bisexual woman, i did not find its usage offensive at all.
Yes this is everything I needed especially after APs...
Some Queer Book Reccomendations:
-Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
-When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
-Check Please! by Ukazu Ngozi
-The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis
-The Gentelman's Guide to Vice & Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
-Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
-Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan
this is the most fabulous video youve ever made. ilysm, queer to queer tysm xxxxxxxx
I love Ziggy Stardust and Me by James Brandon. I don’t quite remember the characters sexualities but it is a male male romance with an indigenous love interest. I believe the book is own voices. It is historical fiction set during the AIDS epidemic and is very hard hitting.
Adult LGBT: The Song of Achilles. I really loved this book! It is a “romance” as two male characters fall in love, but it takes place over a long span of time so it’s also coming of age, Greek mythology, and an action story.
I’d like to recommend The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, which is a series of adult sci-fi novellas, though the most recent book in the series (released earlier this month) is a full length novel. They are quick and easy reads, not heavy on the science, and include some interesting queer aspects.
The POV is a sentient robot who call themself Murderbot and who does not identify with any human gender or sexuality aside from not being interested in sex or relationships of any kind, meaning there’s no romance for the main character or plot. They also appear physically human, but are still genderless so they present as nonbinary or agender. The side characters represent a range of races, sexualities, and gender identities as well.
I think given your enjoyment of slightly odd books, and Murderbot’s overall EXTREME relatability (i.e. doesn’t want to do anything but sit in their bunk and watch TV all day), I think you’d really get a kick out of these books.
You might like the Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling. It’s an adult sci-fi but almost all of it is underground. It’s set on a planet whose only income comes from mining so exploring the vast underground cave system is the only way to make enough money to leave the impoverished planet however, many people who do lose their lives as there is a mysterious animal/monster that burrows underground and does targeted attacks on humans for an unknown reason, however people can be protected by wearing special suits (halfway between a space suit and an ironman suit). Despite the suspense, it’s a slow moving, character driven story. The main character is a Lesbian and her mission control/navigator above ground is also a sapphic woman. I think it should be a good amount of space-y stuff for you
For people who liked Tell Me How You Really Feel, I would recommend Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel (the titles are even similar haha). It also has Persian representation, involves high school theater (not the same as the film project in the book, but somewhat similar), and has a really sweet wlw romance.
For hard-hitting poetry that involves sexuality and race -- anything by Ocean Vuong! He's amazing!
I know you said not romance but just for anyone who might be interested an adult sapphic romance with an ace main character I LOVE is Perfect Rhythm by Jae. It’s a romance between an ace woman and a non ace woman so it has some really good discussions about sexuality and I appreciated it so much and it has a lot of family dynamics and stuff. It’s so good!
Love this. The discussion is so important, I really appreciate it :)
I think you'd enjoy Verona Comics, Like a Love Story, and We Contain Multitudes (all YA)
for adult maybe The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet.
(btw thought you were gonna mentioned Birthday, which is my favorite )
Omg I just finished reading We Contain Multitudes I think two days ago? 😊 I'm just so happy to find someone who also read it
We Contain Multitudes is one of my favorite books🥰
‘Middlesex’ by Jeffrey Eugenides comes to mind with adult non-romance, I think there’s some romance involved but it’s not centered on that. You should look into it and see if that interests you. Love the video!
I don't know if I'm correct, but I pronounce "bipoc" with each letter. My brain automatically reads "MLM" and "WLW" as "mlem" and "wooooow"
I loooooove the intro discussion. It's one of my favorite things about your videos.
I loved "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach. Gay, adult, not a romance. Writing sort of reminded me of Donna Tartt. Published in 2011. I don't like sports at all but I absolutely loved this book.
Fantastic book. Recommend it all the time still.