This is my all time favorite book, enough so that I own several different copies and read/listen at least twice a year. Good queer fiction is hard enough to come by, but this one's almost 35 years old and still holds up! It's not sugar-coated, it's not censored, it's not relegated to subtext, it's just plainly and explicitly queer. You've got swordsmen, university dropouts, nobles with enough spare change to pay for assassinations left and right, volatile relationship dynamics that blur the line between devotion and recklessness, and plenty of good ol' fashioned murder, so what's not to enjoy?
All in all, Swordspoint really came out in the 80s just to say, "be gay, do crime," before it was cool.
If I had the chance to reread anything again, like I'd never read it before, it's be this. The Secret History is a long, lovely mess of found family, dark academia, and murder, full of lies and characters that are both awful and awfully likable. This is easily my favorite read of 2021!
I've read this three times and my book club is, literally, obsessed with it.
But, with a transmasc, queer, and Latinx lead, ghosts, brujas and brujos, found family, and young love, all in the days leading up to Dia de Los Muertos? Who wouldn't be!?
Best of all, it comes from a transmasc, queer, Latinx author! So, if you're looking for authenticity and adventure, Aiden Thomas can certainly provide.
Found family? ✓
Diverse cast? ✓
Magic? Murder? Undead kings and magical forests? Car races and deadly nightmares? ✓This book has it all! The Raven Boys, 1st in the "Raven Cycle" series, brings together a handful of messy, magical teens and ties them to each other with a treasure hunt gone very, very wrong. If you like snark, nice cars, and the kinds of friendship that really say "ride or die," you'll like this series.
This book works as an easy introduction to gender identity for young kids, with short and easy to follow conversations about identity, stereotypes, pronouns, and the history of those topics, all presented in a way suitable for young kids and even adults! Regardless of age, this book is a great starting point for learning about gender!
You want a queer romance that doesn't beat around the bush? One with unapologetically queer characters whose struggles don't come from their sexuality? One with healthy romantic and familial relationship dynamics? With magic? Princes and pirates? Dangerous secrets and deadly bargains? Absolutely unsubtle flirting? In Deeper Waters gives you all that and more, a story about a sheltered prince learning the dark truth about how the world feels about parts of him he cannot change, and a mysterious boy who refuses to wear shoes and always shows up at the right time. If you want a heartwarming mix of adventure and romance, F.T. Lukens sure can provide.
This novel takes "'til death do we part" to a whole new level.
Follow Wei Wuxian through his dumpster fire of a life, and afterlife, in this actiony and raw queer story set in Ancient China.
This story? It invented love. I don't make the rules, it's just that good.
This book is, simply, the best book ever written, ever illustrated, ever created. It is perfect for any age, from three year olds learning how to get along with others all the way to twenty-somethings learning the same. It's short, sweet, colorful, and reminds us to be open and respectful to our friends.
It does make me want to eat pizza, though...
A great way to explain gender identity to kids, in simple terms! And it's suitable for adults learning about gender, too!