LGBTQ+ Books You Should Read This Summer

August has arrived, and with it the last weeks of summer. Whether you’re spending it at home or on the beach, these are some books that deserve your attention. There’s a lot of queer books out there, but not all of them are good representation. I’ve read a lot of different LGBTQ+ books in my short lifetime and these are the ones that I truly think members of the community would benefit from reading.

LESBIAN BOOKS

“Read Between The Lines” by Rachel Lacey

Rosie is a romance bookstore owner, a lesbian who dreams of her own love story as she sparks up an online friendship with her favorite romance author, Brie. Her priorities are upended when she receives a lease termination for the bookstore. The business that terminated her contract is none other than Jane’s family, a powerful business woman and… Brie, the romance author.

What I appreciated about this story was that the characters are in their 30s and acted like adults. There is no miscommunication being drawn out. Rosie and Jane have quite an honest and communicative relationship throughout the novel. It’s a healthy portrayal of lesbian relationships that shows you can beat the odds if you know how to deal with conflict in a reasonable manner.

“The End Crowns All” by Bea Fitzgerald

This is a reimagining of the Trojan War. Cassandra, a priestess of Apollo, is cursed with prophecies that no one will believe. She witnesses the fall of her city everyday. The person that caused all of this? Helen, her newly returned brother’s wife. Cassandra tries to make Helen go away with everything she can, but develops an affection for her. At the same time, Helen finds what she couldn’t in her previous marriages—someone she can truly be herself with.

The portrayal of Cassandra as an asexual lesbian who chose to become a priestess to avoid marriage was simple and efficient. The slow burn between her and Helen is pure sapphic yearning. There is respect for their boundaries and consent throughout the story. It shows how love can bloom even in the worst conditions.

GAY BOOKS

“The House in the Cerulean Sea” by T.J. Klune

Linus is a case worker at the department of magic control. He is sent to an island where reside six magical kids. His task is to observe these kids and decide whether they will bring about the end of the world. He also has to see if the master of the orphanage, Arthur, is fit to surveil them. Lonely and depressed Linus doesn’t expect to find a family when he embarks on this secret mission, and yet.

On first look, it doesn’t seem that this is a story with much depth, but it will cause a surge of emotion even in those who don’t cry much. The gayness in this story is normal. Their family shows that two gay dads can and will rise up to the difficult task of parenting. They have to handle a lot of trauma from the children, and they do so magnificently. It is also a story about choosing the best path for your happiness to exist. Isn’t that what queerness is all about?

“Bury Your Gays” by Chuck Tingle

Misha works as a horror screenwriter in Hollywood. When executives tell him he has to kill off one of his lesbian characters, he refuses. He becomes haunted by the horror characters he wrote, which were inspired by people in his life. He has to figure out how to stop them while simultaneously fighting the system that only wants representation for queer people to end in tragedy.

What I loved about Misha’s character is the duality of his story. While he is out as gay in Los Angeles, he’s not out in his hometown. He believed he was fine with how his life was, but with his characters coming to life, he realizes he has trauma he needs to face. Part of that is existing completely, not just in Hollywood, but back home as well. It also shows the casualness of being gay. His romantic relationship is a complement to his existence. His life is much more complex than who he dates.

BISEXUAL BOOKS

“The Pairing” by Casey McQuiston

When Theo and Kit broke up years ago, they had a non-refundable food and wine tour of Europe that they planned to go on together. When they finally decide to go on their own before the ticket expires, they don’t expect that the other would go at the same time. Instead of avoiding each other the whole tour, they decide to make it fun. They make a pact to see who can sleep with the most people (and each other).

The author of the pairing took the stereotype of bisexual people being greedy and turned it on its head by writing one of the most fun and light-hearted summer reads. Where is the harm in sleeping with multiple people? There isn’t any. At the same time, Theo discovers their non-binary identity. Kit and Theo are not in a relationship, but they find their way back to each other despite the changes and shenanigans they go through. It proves that two bisexuals can and will be in a happy relationship no matter who they dated before.

“Six Times We Almost Kissed” by Tess Sharpe

Penny and Tate’s moms have been best friends for as long as they’ve been alive. Their lives have orbited each other, to their dismay. The two haven’t managed to get along, and it’s about to get worse. Penny’s mom decides to become a liver donor to Tate’s mom, and for that to work, the families need to live together. Penny and Tate promise to play nice, but they can’t ignore their past—notably how they keep on almost kissing throughout the years.

This story deals with so much more beyond just Penny and Tate’s relationship. It explores some serious subjects, such as parent loss, PTSD, chronic illness and alcoholism. The two girls have a lot on their shoulders, but the way the slow burn relationship develops is beautiful. As a reader, you can’t help but root for them. When it comes to their bisexuality, it’s not something they need to come to terms with. They already know what they like, and that leaves place for the relationship to develop without the discovery process of their identity.

TRANS BOOKS

“The Palace of Eros” by Caro de Robertis

Psyche’s life is out of control due to the men that keep showing up to her house in search of a sight of her beauty. To appease the goddess Aphrodite, her father listens to an oracle and exiles her to a place where a monstrous husband awaits. When Psyche shows up there, what she finds isn’t that at all. The child of Aphrodite, Eros, was sent there by her mother to kill Psyche. Instead, she falls in love with her.

Eros is genderfluid, switching her appearance between man and woman as she pleases. It is as natural to her as breathing. She is very comfortable in her body and the person she is, but that isn’t the case with other gods. Even in a place such as Ancient Greece where everything is possible, there are strict lines between gender. Her transition is deemed unnatural in their eyes. Eros still finds love and understanding with Psyche despite the obstacles placed in her way. Psyche sees and accepts Eros as she is, which proves identity will be understood by those that matter most.

“Wild Geese” by Soula Emmanuel

Phoebe moved to Copenhagen to escape her past, as she is three years into her transition and building a new life in Denmark. She didn’t expect her ex-girlfriend Grace to show up on her doorstep. In the course of a weekend, they reconnect and rekindle their romance, proving a much needed respite from loneliness for Phoebe.

This is a much more introspective look into our protagonist’s life. Phoebe and Grace’s conversations are refreshingly honest. They consider their past relationship but they still focus on their current dynamic. It’s a coming-of-age that focuses both on the intra- and interpersonal relationships of a trans woman.

ASEXUAL BOOKS

“Kiss Her Once for Me” by Alison Cochrun

Ellie is in financial trouble. She ends up agreeing to a marriage of convenience with Andrew, whose inheritance would alleviate her money problems. When she goes to meet his family for Christmas, she comes face to face with Jack, Andrew’s sister. Now Ellie has to make up her mind between the security of the arranged relationship or the risk of something real.

Ellie is demisexual, which is all the more heartbreaking to her that Jack, the woman she fell in love with last Christmas season, didn’t talk to her anymore. It shows how emotional connection is much more important when someone is demisexual, because it’s not easy to find. It also shows that you can be on the asexual spectrum and have a happy relationship—as people often tend to conflate romantic and sexual attraction when they’re separate.

“Someone You Can Build A Nest In” by John Wiswell

Shesheshen is a shapeshifting non-human creature that wants to be alone. When she has to flee her refuge because of hunters, she falls into the healing hands of Homily and falls in love with the woman. Only things are more complicated than that: Homily doesn’t know Shesheshen is the monster at the origin of her family’s curse. Shesheshen didn’t curse them, but she also wants to know why the family thinks she did if she has a chance at being with Homily.

Shesheshen and Homily are both asexual and they figure it out immediately after they first kiss. I’ve never read about a couple where both of them are asexual, so this was very heartwarming. It showed how a relationship can be built on non-sexual intimacy. The two have a lot of challenges to surpass, but ultimately they build a family together without the need to procreate the regular way.

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