Most of us bookworms have an ever-growing reading list. It seems as though there is not enough hours in the day to read all the books you wish to read. So, if you can only pick a handful to read this year, let it be one of these amazing books written by and portraying queer folks.
If you are queer, great, get ready to feel seen. If you aren’t queer, take this opportunity to learn about and embrace a new narrative that is different to the ones you typically read with this list of LGBTQ+ stories.
Our Wives Under The Sea By Julia Armfield
Miri is hopeful that she has gotten her wife, Leah, back when she returns from her deep-sea diving mission that ended in disaster. But, whilst Leah is physically back, she is not the same. She has brought back something awful from her trip and now it is ruining their relationship. Can Miri and Leah weather the storm or are some things irreparable?
Our Wives Under The Sea has a 3.85 rating on Goodreads. One reviewer writes that they were “absolutely absorbed from the beginning, which is a rare but great experience.”
Let’s Get Back to the Party By Zak Salih
This book opens just after the Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling. We follow Sebastian Mote, a high school teacher who envies the queer freedom shown by his students, that he did not have in his youth.
Upon running into his Oscar Burnham, his childhood friend, he begins to think that the universe is giving him a second chance at the life he has always wanted. However, Oscar is not on the same page. Through the narrative, the men figure out more about themselves and what that can mean in the new world.
Let’s Get Back to the Party has a 3.57 star rating on Goodreads. One review reads, Let’s Get Back to the Party is a “thought-provoking and emotionally rich story about two gay men trying to find their place in the world around them.”
Cemetery Boys By Aiden Thomas
One of the most hotly anticipated books of 2020, Cemetery Boys follows Yadriel who is trans, queer, Latino and most excitingly, a brujo (witch). When his family begins having problems accepting him, Yadriel is ready to prove his worth as a brujo and performs a ritual. He hopes to find the ghost of his murdered cousins and set it free, however, he accidentally summons the ghost of the school’s bad boy, Julian Diaz.
The duo team up to finish what they started and what started as a task, turns into something bigger as Yadriel doesn’t want to leave Julien.
With a strong 4.31 stars on Goodreads, this is the perfect book for those who love some witchcraft.
Cemetery Boys has also made history, being the first book to make the New York Times Bestseller List written by a transgender author, featuring a transgender character.
Honey Girl By Morgan Rogers
Honey Girl follows Grace Porter, fresh from finishing her doctorate, she is quickly hit with the harshness of life as a black, queer woman. Added on top of this comes institutional racism and parental expectations.
Not to mention, she has a vague memory of a drunken night in Vegas, from which it transpires that she married a stranger. The two women must navigate how to deal with their drunken escapades, with everything else going on in their lives.
Honey Girl has a rating of 3.71 stars on Goodreads. One reviewer writes, “This book is for every twenty-something who feels lost in a sea of expectation… Grace was so relatable to me and I adored her in all her complexities.”
