7 Novels Centering On Queer Characters I Loved, And 8 I Want To Read Next
One wonderful thing about the boundlessness of books is that great LGBTQ+ books are constantly being released. The best ones can transform, move, engross, and simply entertain. Some of my favorite books, including Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, center around queer characters.
I believe that I read a substantial amount of books in various genres and by diverse authors, but I will never be able to, in this lifetime, read all the great LGBTQ+ books. However, I want to read more of them.
Here are some of my favorite LGBTQ+ books and some I want to read.
Love: Red, White And Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Alex and Henry’s story reminds me why I love romance stories so much. It’s a love story full of passion, unwavering devotion, and characters behaving ridiculously because of how insanely in love they are.
The Red, White and Royal Blue movie eliminates some of the book’s key details, so the book will always be superior. However, the film captures the magnetic nature of Henry and Alex’s timeless love story.
Want To Read: Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee
In Café Con Lychee, the lead male characters are rivals until they must work together because of a common enemy. The book seems full of cute bickering and (hopefully) plenty of delicious food descriptions.
Just from an aesthetic standpoint, Café Con Lychee has one of the cutest covers I’ve ever seen. The look of the book caught my attention, but the story’s enemies-to-lovers theme, which seems similar to Alex and Henry’s start, made it a must-read.
Love: A Dowry Of Blood by S.T Gibson
I have always loved vampire movies and TV shows, so of course I love a book full of tortured vampires. A Dowry of Blood isn’t simply a Dracula retelling, but a story about a quest to escape an abusive situation, and love’s ability to transform people into the best and worst versions of themselves.
Constanta, one of Dracula’s wives, narrates A Dowry of Blood. She tells their love story and hers with his other wife and husband. Everyone is beautifully queer in this story. S.T. Gibson’s novel hooked me from the first line and I was completely immersed until the end.
Want To Read: Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
There are already plenty of great Cinderella movies but maybe one day Cinderella is Dead will join them. The novel exists in a world where Cinderella and her Prince’s love story has been used to force women to attend balls where men select them to become wives.
Sophia has no interest in this tradition, especially because she loves her childhood best friend, Erin. With Cinderella’s descendant, Constance, she plots to take down the king and this tradition. A Cinderella retelling with mutiny sounds fun to me.
Love: Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
I left Our Wives Under the Sea haunted. It’s a genre-bending book about a lesbian couple who reunite after one is presumed dead after being submerged under the sea for months. Leah returns to her wife, Miri, physically and mentally changed.
Julia Armfield’s book says a lot of profound things about grief and love. It also presents this haunting idea of losing a loved one but still having them physically present. Our Wives Under the Sea is a mesmerizing beautiful and tragic story.
Want To Read: Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell
I have seen some great space movies but I don’t consider myself a fan of that genre. However, I try to challenge myself by being open to all genres. Additionally, science fiction is a genre I don’t read often but want to read more. Ocean’s Echo seems like the type of science fiction story I could love.
Ocean’s Echo follows Tennal and Surit as they must fake a sync bond to help Tennal escape his military captivity. On Goodreads, the author described the pitch for the book as “fake dating but with fake soulbonding.” That description sold me on it.
Love: Perfect On Paper by Sophie Gonzales
Perfect on Paper is basically Sex Education meets Pride and Prejudice, but LGBTQ+ centric. The main character, Darcy, is bisexual and in love with her female best friend. She finds herself forced to help this guy she hates (named Alexander Brougham) get back with his ex-girlfriend.
It’s a sweet and easygoing book that says a lot about queer identity, like not feeling queer enough and biphobia.
Want To Read: Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler
Going Bicoastal exists in a multiverse, similar to many great multiverse TV shows and movies. It gives two versions of Natalya Fox’s life with two different summer paths. Each one leads to a different love story, one with a guy and one with a girl.
The Sliding Doors and Look Both Ways premise draws me toward this book. I am curious to read how Going Bicoastal makes it work.
Love: The Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Song of Achilles follows the life of Patroclus, from boyhood to manhood. His lover and whole world Achilles is the main figure throughout his life. I love Greek mythology and I love Madeline Miller's Greek mythology retellings. Therefore, I love this novel.
Patroclus's life story is fascinating on its own but the added epic love story involving Achilles and him just makes this book as dramatic, gorgeous, and somber as you’d hope for a Greek mythology retelling.
Want To Read: In The Lives Of Puppets by TJ Klune
The Lives of Puppets is a Pinocchio reimagining with robots. It involves found family and a quest to save one of them.
I haven’t read any other TJ Klune books but one involving a Pinocchio reimagining seems like the perfect place to start. He has so many other books on my TBR list as well.
Love: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taking inspiration from Old Hollywood starlets, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo tells the story of film actress Evelyn Hugo. It talks about her claim to fame, her seven husbands, and her true love.
Taylor Jenkins Reid can do no wrong in my eyes, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is one of my favorite books by the author. She creates this fascinating world full of glamour, scandal, and a love story that’s even more powerful than winning an Oscar. I need the movie made.
Want To Read: An Island Princess Starts A Scandal by Adriana Herrera
Set in 1889, An Island Princess Starts A Scandal is a sapphic historical romance mainly set in Paris. I am slowly learning that I do enjoy historical fiction. However, it’s not a genre I read that often, but this feels like a book I will enjoy because of the love story at the center.
An Island Princess Starts A Scandal seems like a fun adventure of falling in love in Paris.
Love: Loveless by Alice Oseman
Loveless carefully explores how Georgia comes to understand her sexuality and what love looks like for her. It also tackles her first year in college and her evolving friendships. Loveless is the first book that I have ever read with an asexual main character.
Asexuality isn’t explored that much in film and television, so it was fascinating to see this book showcase what the ace identity looks like for different people.
Want To Read: Beyond The Black Door by A. M Strickland
Beyond the Black Door follows Kamai as she finally gives into the temptation of the black door calling her name. Beyond the Black Door is another book with asexual representation that I think I might enjoy, especially because of the dark fantasy elements.
Want To Read: Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastic Tales Of Trans Magic edited by G. Haron Davis
Transmogrify is an anthology collection featuring fantasy stories written by trans and gender-nonconforming writers. I haven’t read many books with trans characters, so reading a book full of trans representation, especially involving magic and other fantasy elements, just seems enchanting.
These are just a few of the many great LGBTQ+ books I want to read. This list will just continue to grow longer.
