Recommendations for Queer Books?

[MiharuAya]

Do you have any books featuring queer writers, themes, or characters that you would recommend? Which has been your favorite? They don't just have to be novels, they can also include graphic novels, manga, webtoons, etc.

 

[Nemopedia]

TJ Klune is an author I will always recommend, though I have noticed that his stories tend to center around the same dynamics and follow the same line, he is still hilarious, witty and moving.

Of course there are the books for the Summer Reads of which my favourite was: 'The Spear Cuts Through Water'. 'Summer Sons' was alright and 'Gideon the Ninth' just didn't cut it for me, but 'The Spear Cuts Through Water' is my summer favourite, however. Bonus points because it also mixes in Filipino mythology and I was so delighted when I recognised portions of what @PavellumPendulum has shared about Filipino mythology!

'Kaikeyi' which was on the list but didn't make it for the summer is also one I recommend! It doesn't really come across as LGBTQ+, but it really resonated with me as an ace. Other than that 'Kaikeyi' manages to be that what the Greek retellings like last year's 'Ariadne' failed to be, and it deals with Indian mythology!

Last year I read 'The Lucky List' and 'They Both Die at the End' of which I loved the first one better than the second, but only because 'The Lucky List' is straight up feel-good and cute lesbian story and 'They Both Die at the End' already revealed its ending, and while I loved how the characters grew to each other there was just something unsatisfying.

For webtoons I have been following 'Ta Men De Gu Shi' [Their story / 她们的故事] for years now, updates are super duper slow, but I love these two dorky girls. Another one I love is '19 Days' [19天] which has heavier themes and more 'toxic' dynamics, but these goofy boys are idiots sharing one braincell and I just want them all to be happy.

I recently started to follow Jayessart on WEBTOON who has a short series called 'The Reaper and the Waiting' and the still ongoing series 'Fathoms of Atonement' that are both heart wrenching but also adorable. Both comics deals with one half of the pairing losing the other half and then finding them, either reincarnated, or etc... and doing everything they can to stay by their side without triggering the memory of their past tragedy (for a variety of reasons).

A friend once introduced me to the manga 'Seven Days' which is a super cute short series about a high school boy who decides to date a friend who only dates someone for seven days (a week) and then finds himself, harrowingly enough, fall in love with his friend during that week with all of the agony and anxiety that follows (good ending, I promise).

And to come to my trashiest recommendation 'Mo Dau Zu Shi' [Demonic Path Ancestral Master / 魔道祖师] which is more of a webnovel that got turned into a comic and series and whatever else you can name (often censored, but I like the novel the best). I just loved the dynamics in the story between both the main characters and all of the ducklings they somehow manage to gather.

 

[Hecatoncheires]

and 'Gideon the Ninth' just didn't cut it for me

But my dude

Lesbian Space Necromancers

 

[Nougat]

I was looking through my webtoons list for this and realized that I'm like a year behind on most of them

Novels:
Cemetery Boys (YA, mlm & trans mc)

bad summary

In the MC's family, men are brujos, who have the ability to summon spirits & release them, and women are brujas, which are healers. He wants to prove to his family that he is a man so he tries to summon his presumed dead cousin but instead summons his classmate, who has no idea how he died. Overall I think the plot is fairly predictable but I didn't mind that personally.

uh I've read other ones but that's the only one that I can currently think lolol

Oh also I know they're for like middle school aged kids and all but rick riordan books & rick riordan presents have so much rep. Absolutely revolutionary for baby me. I did buy the nico & will book but I have yet to find the motivation to read it as I have an entire shelf of unread books so I can't say anything abt it lmao

Webtoons:
Asterion (Nonbinary mc & i think some queer side characters)

bad summary

The MC wished for a new life and was then recruited into the Starlight Assembly, which is the organization which grants wishes made on stars.

The Doctors Are Out (mlm, trans side character who has his own cute lil romantic subplot)

bad summary

A vet opens a practice right next to a medical clinic with a very similar name. Hijinks ensue.

Covenant (queer MCs and side characters, it's been a hot minute since I've caught up w this one but the art is pretty lol)

bad summary

priests fight demons (they also have magic tattoos and are queer which is not the norm for churches in this universe it's just this particular group). Gorgeous art.

To The Stars and Back (mlm)

bad summary

Grumpy aspiring author is neighbours with cheerful aspiring artist

Jackson's Diary (At least I think like 2 confirmed gay characters)

bad summary

Supernatural story set in in the late 80's, Jackson is a new student but strange magic things keep happening to him

Souris (mlm)

bad summary

Dude joins a militia during the apocalypse to find his family & instead finds some guy.

I also recommend Jayessart's webtoons the art is so pretty

I also recommend 19 Days & Their Story the authors are friends and also both under mosspaca studio so here's a cute lil thing where they both drew their characters in the same outfit and pose hehe


Manga/Manhua
Our Dreams at Dusk (pretty much every major character as the main setting is a drop in centre for lgbtq+ people. The author, Yuhki Kamatani, is ace & x-gender and from what I recall most of their works have some kind of queer rep)

bad summary

MC was outed at school and soon after finds this drop-in centre with people from many different walks of life. Gorgeous gorgeous art you can always trust Kamatani to draw something pretty.

Boys Run The Riot (trans mc)

bad summary

MC is trans but no one is really supportive of that. He has an interest in men's street fashion and after meeting the new transfer student at his school, the two of them decide to launch their own fashion brand.

The Summer Hikaru Died (mlm but it's a supernatural horror & if you may guess by the title it's not a cute romance )

bad summary

Dude finds out his best friend is dead and a supernatural being is impersonating him. He decides to just keep treating this guy as his friend.

 

[Nemopedia]

and 'Gideon the Ninth' just didn't cut it for me

But my dude

Lesbian Space Necromancers

It promised so much, but it proved itself to be too much for the book.

 

[Hecatoncheires]

and 'Gideon the Ninth' just didn't cut it for me

But my dude

Lesbian Space Necromancers

It promised so much, but it proved itself to be too much for the book.

It's always a tricky pitch to suggest the sequel to a book someone didn't enjoy, but 'Harrow The Ninth' adds a lot more to the story and setting.

Also it's way more sad. Hurray.

 

[FenFren]

Jack Beloved ( jackbeloved.com ) Main pansexual character + trans masc secondary main character / It is also a BL

It's a story about Sam, a fettered outcasted by his village. All he ever wanted to be in his life is an honorable citizen so he could marry his love, Bethany. He makes his way into the army to prove himself, but things take a turn when he comes to meet Wick, a ghost forced to lift the seal protecting his home. Sam feels sorry for Wick, then going to risk everything to save him.

It's a really good comic, and I'm still currently reading it. 10/10, would recommend.

 

[Orionis]

I devoured Hell Followed With Us in less than 24 hours when I bought it. It's a queer horror book with a trans main character. If you're not good with body horror though, I'd recommend finding a different book.

Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world's population. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can't get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with.

 

[Nemopedia]

and 'Gideon the Ninth' just didn't cut it for me

But my dude

Lesbian Space Necromancers

It promised so much, but it proved itself to be too much for the book.

It's always a tricky pitch to suggest the sequel to a book someone didn't enjoy, but 'Harrow The Ninth' adds a lot more to the story and setting.

Also it's way more sad. Hurray.

I didn't hate it, and my problems with it was mostly that there was so much going on that just didn't get expressed very well in the first book, which I can kinda get because there is only so much you can fit within one book, especially a YA (I think?), so I will definitely give the second book a try!

 

[firejay1]

I probably have more manga suggestions than is healthy for me, lol, but there's something really special to me about the webtoon Hyacinth, just this cute, sweet little romance.

 

[Fluffy]

I need to pick the story back up at some point, but a Webtoon I've been enjoying is Osora.

Here is the summary for it

Assigned male at birth by their father, Prince Osora's destiny is to be the future Ruler of the Calaveras Kingdom. Osora's life story is already planned out for them by their family; However, the magic-wielding race known as the Sergos have a different plan for them. Trapped in love triangles and bound by what others force them to be, Osora must recreate their own story.

I've also been very into a series called The Bacon Beacon Hill Sorcerer. The first book is called The Necromancer's Dance. I positively adore the main character and his boyfriend. For this, I'll also provide a summary because I'm too tired to write my own thing. xD I will say though that the romance element of the book is very spicy. As in, there will be spicy bedroom scenes, myehehe...

Click to reeeeead

In a world where magic is real and evil walks amongst humanity, a young sorcerer is beset upon by enemies, both old and new.

Angelus Salvatore is the only necromancer in all of Boston, and his name is whispered warily by the undead and fellow sorcerers alike. He and his brother Isaac are the lone survivors of an attack by an army of the undead, in which Angel used a spell so powerful it forever marked his place in history. Now, years later, Angel struggles to balance his career as a teacher of the higher magical arts, his role as big brother, and a tenuous relationship with an Elder vampire from the local clan. When his brother's boyfriend is used as a pawn in a mysterious plot to draw Angel out, Angel is once again drawn back into the old hostilities that fueled the Blood Wars and led to his family's death.

Leaning on others for help is something Angel cannot do, and while he searches for clues into who may be targeting him and his brother, Angel finds his heart steadily growing occupied with Simeon, Elder and vampire. Dealing with death magic and vampires on a daily basis may leave Angel jaded when it comes to life and staying that way, but the more time he spends fending off the ancient vampire's attention and affections, the more he realizes he wants to give in.

Can Angel find out who wants him dead, and keep his heart safe in the process? How can he fall for a vampire, when his whole family was torn apart by an army of the undead?

Death stalks the streets of Boston's historic Beacon Hill....and there is no one more suited to battle against death than a necromancer.

 

[Nemopedia]

I forgot a webtoon that fits in here and that has recently hit the shelves! Magical Boy by The Kao. It is about a trans male that has to learn to embrace his identity as a magical girl. Hilarious, at times really tough (especially coming from a parental figure) and always very unique!

 

[PavellumPendulum]

I would also recommend Hell Followed With Us, like @OKSaiph said! Wasn't one of my favourite books, but hit really hard and struck a chord in me about the importance of community :D Very powerful book.

I also agree with proposing that people read Harrow the Ninth, I found it a more difficult read than Gideon the Ninth, but ultimately it was pretty satisfying despite my initial confusion.

If any of you are interested in a short read and like DnD, I thought Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree was a tiny little sweet treat about an orc settling down from merc work and opening a coffee shop.

If you're looking for some YA and like mythology, might I suggest The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas, about the trials of South American demigods and demigoddesses, tournament style?

Finally, one of my favourite books I've read recently was Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers about a Ph.D student who needs a damn break... And ends up getting shitfaced drunk and getting married to a pretty girl in Las Vegas by accident. Made me cry like a baby and might do the same for you if you're familiar with insanely high parental expectations.

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

My immediate thought upon seeing this title was The Song of Achilles because it's such a good queer story, even if it is also the most tragic book you can read.

Also, Malice is my favorite book from last year that I read, it's a lesbian romance between essentially a younger Maleficent and Sleeping Beauty.

Also, for kid books, Answers In The Pages has three story lines and one of them is a young queer romance and the other is the world saving plot where the boys might be gay (Main one is the main character being assigned the book and fighting to keep it)

Also, if you are looking for Graphic novels, the first six issues of Poison Ivy (The Virtuous Cycle) just released this month.

 

[redblood]

TJ Klunes books, I've read under the whispering door and is currently reading the life of puppets, both are really good.

Mo Xiang Tong Xiu who has written scum villains selfsaving system, grandmaster of demonic cultivation and heaven official's blessing. All has very heavy themes (psychological and physical torture, genocide, sexual assault (scum villain), lots of sadness) but also have comedy and cuteness between characters. The easiest book is probably heaven official's blessing, but it does have some very intense chapters as well. As long as you don't have a problem with dark themes I recommend them. There is lots of cuteness inbetween the badness!!!

they both die at the end is very good but ofc the title doesn't lie so be ready. There is a prequel to it as well.

Little mushroom by shishi. Very cute story about a mushroom gaining a humanlike body in a postapocalyptic world and he gets a hawt boifriendo (eventually)

Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou has written multiple books, the husky and his white cat and remnants of filth are being translated. Lots of drama, they're heavier than mo xiang tong xiu's works, so beware.

rainbow rowell the simon snow series was fairly good, deals with trauma and mental instability from book two.

F.T lukens. I've only read in deeper waters, but I'm definitely interested in his other works. In deeper waters has a mermaid boi :o

Heartstopper (tho I guess everyone knows of that series now)

before we disappear by shaun david hutchinson (deals with abuse from 'family' member)

 

[RiverNotch]

Still feels like yesterday how we just finished Ursula K. Le Guin's *The Left Hand of Darkness*, a devastating science fiction classic.

Would likewise recommend Anne Carson's translation of all Sappho's poetry (bar that one poem that was discovered after Anne Carson's book was published), *If Not, Winter*. Am also still reading Alan Bray's scholarly book on same-sex relationships in Western Europe from the late middle ages onwards, *The Friend*, and so far it's very engaging.

 

[Reina]

Shameless plug for Summer Book Club. All queer authors or characters.
*runs away to read*