I am over the moon to be writing you this newsletter! I am always looking for new ways to be able to talk about queer books, so I’m excited to be in your inbox every week talking about the latest queer book news and new releases!
I’ve been writing about queer books on the internet for more than 10 years now, and so much has changed! I used to be able to keep track of almost every queer book being published by a mainstream publisher. I would be able to read every sapphic YA title as it came out. Luckily, that’s no longer possible: there are so many queer books in every genre being published! I truly believe we are in the golden age of queer YA, especially.
Of course, the fight is far from over. While gay and lesbian books are getting more common, and even trans and bisexual books are getting a little more attention, there are still a lot of identities that have almost no representation, such as demisexual or genderfluid folks. It becomes even more distressing when you add any kind of intersectionality: queer books continue to be very white, and it’s difficult to find books with both queer and disability representation. If you’re looking for a particular genre, it can also narrow your options to almost non-existent.
I’m confident that we’re at least moving in the right direction, though! My priority is to shine a spotlight on the queer lit we do have! The more sales and attention they get, the more room is made for other LGBTQ book deals.
All the Links Fit to Click
- American Girl Dolls released a doll with lesbian great aunts who run an animal sanctuary in Australia! (Complete with tie-in books, of course.) This is obviously adorable, but “One Million Moms” is calling for a boycott. Hopefully the American Girl company doesn’t bow to the pressure of definitely-fewer-than-one-million moms.
- If you’re looking for another news story to make you angry, how’s this? “The Murray School District in Utah has suspended their diverse book program due to the inclusion of an LGBTQ+ friendly title.” This is over the own voices trans picture book Call Me Max by Kyle Lukoff: consider buying it for a kid in your life or your local school library. The most baffling thing about this story is that the book wasn’t even a part of the diverse book program: it was brought to school by a student. All the books in the program are now going to be screened, though–I guess to make sure none of them are too diverse.
- The sequel to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe has been announced! It’s called Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World, and it comes out October 12th.
- LGBTQ Reads posted their annual Black History Month post, which is updated every year. It’s a big list of LGBTQ Black authors and titles, as well as resources to find more!
- YA Pride put out its own Black History Month Book List, including some upcoming releases to pre-order, such as The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass and Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee!
- Alison Bechdel waxes poetic and Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West in the Guardian excerpt of her introduction to Love Letters: Vita and Virginia.
- If you are reading this newsletter, there’s a pretty good chance you’re obsessed with Gideon the Ninth. Feed this obsession by reading the Vox interview with Tamysn Muir. [FLASHING LIGHTS, SIREN:] Warning! This interview contains spoilers!
- This post needs no introduction. Black Girl Nerds posted 25 Black and Sapphic Comic Book Characters You Should Know, including panels from every comic listed! I’m a particular fan of Goldie Vance–which is now also a middle grade mystery series!
LGBTQ Book Riot Posts
- If you want your recs with a side of your own navel-gazing, check out YA LGBTQ+ Book Recommendations Based on Your Attachment Style.
- Because there’s never a bad time for Queers in Space stories: 8 Great Queer Science Fiction Books.
- Do you want LGBTQ books mailed to you every month? Of course you do. Here are The Best LGBTQ+ Book Subscription Boxes, including Book Riot’s own TBR! (Side note: I am a Bibliologist there, and I adore being able to recommend queer books! The more challenging the ask, the better!)
- I love Laura’s list of 5 Nonfiction Books From 2020 That Challenge Mainstream Queer Narratives. These are complicated, nuanced narratives that don’t center the straight gaze.
- Read about The Passionate Life of Emily Dickinson, including her secret loves (who were obviously women).
- Get ready to pre-order these 5 Queer Graphic Novels and Memoirs You Won’t Want to Miss in 2021!
- Need a pick-me-up? It’s almost a year into a global pandemic, so it would be pretty extraordinary if you didn’t! Try these 15 Cute LGBT Books to Lift Your Spirits.
New Releases This Week
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Love Is for Losers by Wibke Brueggemann (Queer F/F YA)
A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth (Queer YA Fantasy)
The Shadow War by Lindsay Smith (Queer YA Fantasy/Alternate History)
The Upstairs House by Julia Fine (Sapphic Fiction)
It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake by Claire Christian (Bi F/F Romance)
Best Laid Plans by Roan Parrish (M/M Romance)
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers (F/F Romance)
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Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters by Aimee Ogden (Queer Science Fiction Novella)
Mouths of Rain : An Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought edited by Briona Simone Jones (Lesbian Nonfiction)
I’m a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De La Cruz (Queer Graphic Memoir)
Until next time, you can find me on Twitter @lesbrary and tumblr (yes, tumblr) @biandlesbianliterature. You can also hear me on All the Books on the first Tuesday of the month, and I post weekly New Releases videos on the Book Riot Youtube channel. You can bet I sneak in as many queer titles as I can!