Happy Holigays to all that celebrate! Regardless of what that means to you, I hope you’re all keeping merry and gay.
Don’t forget to check out Read Harder 2023! Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge is in its ninth year, with a set of 24 tasks that invite readers to expand their worldview through books, including several specifically about queer books. To find the tasks and subscribe to our newsletter for tips and recommendations, visit Read Harder 2023.
The holiday season especially can be difficult for incarcerated people. That’s why this week, I want to highlight the charity Books Beyond Bars UK, which connects LGBTQIA incarcerated people with books they request. You can find out more on their website and you can help by donating.
Bookish Goods
LGBTQIA+ pride flag hearts washi tape by AnneArchy
Are you planning to keep a reading bullet journal in 2023? Add these pride flag hearts in washi tape form! You can use it as a decorative border or snip out specific flags to keep track of the representation in the books you’re reading. $5
New Releases
Heartbreak Boys by Simon James Green (M/M YA Contemporary)
This is the U.S. release of this title, and it looks adorable. Jack and Nate’s ex-boyfriends are dating each other, and they seem to be the perfect couple. So Jack and Nate decide to have their own Instagram-worthy summer together, documenting themselves as @TheHeartbreakBoys — and falling for each other along the way.
Run Away With Me, Girl Vol. 1 by Battan (Yuri Manga)
Midori broke up with Maki at their high school graduation, saying they were “too old to be fooling around dating girls.” But now Maki bumps into Midori years later and discovers three important things: 1) they both still have feelings for each other, 2) Midori is engaged, and 3) her soon-to-be husband is kind of a jerk. Can she show Midori that their relationships is worth rekindling?
Heaven Official’s Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 5 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (M/M Fantasy)
Ace Voices : What it Means to Be Asexual, Aromantic, Demi or Grey-Ace by Eris Young (Asexual Nonfiction)
Red Lightning by Marco B. Bucci and Riccardo Atzeni (Queer Sci-Fi Graphic Novel)
The Legend of Korra: Patterns in Time by Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Heather Campbell, Jayd Ait-Kaci, and Killian Ng (Sapphic Graphic Novel)
My Cute Little Kitten, Vol. 1 by Milk Morinaga (Yuri Manga)
Hello, Melancholic! Vol. 3 by Yayoi Ohsawa (Yuri Manga)
Adachi and Shimamura (Light Novel) Vol. 10 by by Hitoma Iruma, illustrated by Non (Yuri Light Novel)
For more new releases, check out our New Books newsletter!
Riot Recommendations
I can’t believe that it’s only a few days until Christmas. I’m behind on both shopping and holiday reads. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas these next few days, or the end of Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or just having a day off, I hope you celebrate with some good books! (And if you don’t have the day off, I hope books bring you some comfort.)
You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky
This is supposed to be a perfect match for Schitt’s Creek and Red White & Royal Blue fans. Matthew Prince is used to a life of wealth and fame when a scandal results in his parents cutting him off and sending him to live in his grandparents’ small town. To try to rehab his image, he teams up with a local, Hector, to plan a charity gala. Hector is completely infuriating, but Matthew Prince’s heart just might grow three sizes this Christmas…
Whiteout by Dhonielle Clayton, Nicola Yoon, Tiffany D. Jackson, Angie Thomas, Nic Stone, and Ashley Woodfolk
Stevie got an ultimatum from her girlfriend, Sola: apologize for her major mess-up, or they’ll break up. Stevie wants to prove that she can be emotional and romantic, not just coldly logical. So she plans an epic apology, with help from lots of her friends — until a snowstorm shuts Atlanta down. Can they pull this off before midnight?
This is a bunch of connected short stories from the friends’ points of view, but the framing story is queer (Stevie is gender-questioning), and there’s another story about an F/F couple. The characters celebrate a range of holidays, too.
All the Links Fit to Click
Check out the Queer Your Year challenge, run by Book Riot’s own Laura Sackton!
44 Notable Debuts by Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender Non-conforming Authors
Most Anticipated Non-Fiction: January-June 2023
Most Anticipated LGBTQ Young Adult Books: January-June 2023
A Roundup of LGBTQ Kids’ Book Roundups
Queer Cozy Fantasy Recommendations
15 Best Sapphic Christmas Books
I’ll Never Look at the Ocean the Same Way After Reading Sabrina Imbler’s How Far the Light Reaches
That’s it for me this week! Until next time, you can find me at my sapphic book blog, the Lesbrary. You can also hear me on All the Books or you can read my Book Riot posts.
Happy reading!
Danika