As I’ve gotten older and gotten more comfortable with my identity as a bisexual woman, I’ve wanted to read more queer literature. So many of the famous books and series that we all know and love don’t have much queer representation. And while now there is a lot of queer representation in books, it took a long time to get here and it’s not as diverse as it can be. Below are five of my favorite books with queer representation.
- “Red, White, and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston
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Red, White, and Royal Blue is a cute enemies-to-lovers romance between the first son of the United States and the Prince of Wales. We follow Alex Claremont-Diaz as he comes to terms with his identity both as a bisexual man and a mixed-race person while navigating being the child of one of the most famous politicians in the world. The relationship between Alex and Prince Henry unfolds throughout the novel as they go from enemies to friends to lovers. The book is laced with cute history and literary references. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for bisexual representation or someone who loves nerdy romance. However, there are sex scenes, so if that’s not your thing I would avoid this book.
- “Boyfriend Material” by Alexis Hall
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Boyfriend Material is a fun romance story that follows Luc O’Donnell and Oliver Blackwood as they fake date to protect their reputations. This book is amazing because it gives a real look at healthy relationships, even if it wasn’t a real relationship for most of the book. The two characters communicate and help each other be better people. They are messy apart but better together. Also, this book is amazing because it shows vastly different experiences of being queer men to show the diversity of queer people. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the fake dating trope or wants to read a book about British people. However, a content warning for paternal abandonment, emotional abuse/gaslighting by family members, and mentions of sex.
- “Heartstopper” by Alice Oseman
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Heartstopper is a queer romance graphic novel with beautiful illustrations. Oseman uses the graphic novel format amazingly and uses it to enhance the story. This story follows Charlie Spring, who was outed to his school the previous year, as he navigates life and a new friendship/crush. This graphic novel is cute and has such a sweet relationship. I would recommend this to anyone who likes graphic novels or wants to read more of them.
- “These Witches Don’t Burn” by Isabel Sterling
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These Witches Don’t Burn is a fun and spooky story about Sapphic witches. Hannah is an elemental witch living in the infamous town of Salem. She teams up with her best friend, ex-girlfriend, and crush in order to take down a villain threatening her coven. The magic system in this book is really fun and interesting. The book keeps you on your toes the entire time as you try to figure out who the villain is in the story. It’s a great time to read this book as it’s spooky season! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for sapphic characters or anyone who loves witches or magic.
- “I Wish You All the Best” by Mason Deaver
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I Wish You All the Best is a groundbreaking novel that covers complex issues like gender identity, love, family, and friendship. The novel follows Ben De Becker after they came out to their parents as nonbinary and were kicked out of their home. Ben has to move in with his estranged sister and her husband. They try to survive their senior year unnoticed but then Nathan Allan comes into their life. We watch as their friendship grows and their feelings change. This book will definitely have you feeling every single emotion. I would recommend this to anyone looking for nonbinary representation or a book that covers complex subjects. However, there is a content warning for homophobia/transphobia, physical and emotional parental abuse, detailed descriptions of anxiety, panic attacks, and depression, and misgendering.
This by no means is a comprehensive list or the most diverse list of queer literature, but it’s a great starting point. If you’re an avid reader I hope you use this list to diversify your reading habits.
Add these to your TBR list and get reading!
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