Hi y’all! Today I’m back (a wee bit later than intended, but it’s! still! Friday! so I’m not! late! yet!) with part three of my queer book recs.

Part 1 was queer comic recs, and part 2 was my all time favourite queer books, and if you haven’t read those yet I’d love it you would check them out!(Shameless self promo here, sorry not sorry) And today I’m back for part 3, which is all the books that didn’t *quite* make it onto my favourites list (plus a few that would’ve if I’d read them by last week), but that I still think deserve a shoutout. (I mean I probably have twelve million queer books that deserve a shoutout, but these are the best on my not quite favourites).

Anyways I’m rambling now so I’m gonna shut up with the intro and start yelling about the actual books instead.

I swear the rest of the post is (marginally) more coherent than this intro

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Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Okay this 100% deserves to be in my favourites post, but I read it the day before yesterday (yesterday as of writing this, but I’m actually writing posts beforehand for once!)(be proud of me) so it was too late for that.

Anyways I am absolute trash for this book already. Alex and Henry were so perfect, both together and as separate characters and JGHFGJGHG just let me flail forever please???

You can find my review here

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta & Cory McCarthy

I think I read this in one sitting. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the page for longer than two seconds.

It’s a fun, fast paced, gender-bent sci-fi King Arthur retelling, and what more info do you need really??

Also I saw it described somewhere as “Could not be queerer if it literally barfed rainbows” and yup. That’s about right. I think everyone in the main cast is queer?? With maybe one exception???

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The Disasters by M.K. England

This is just such a fun, goofy, wonderfully diverse space adventure, and I loved it so much!

It was also absolutely impossible to put down – so fast-paced and intense, and the writing style is so engaging and easy to read.

Plus it’s super queer, and although it has a *hint* of a love triangle (which miraculously didn’t make me want to hurl the book across the room) it was actually very very low on romance, which was nice too.

This book is such a gem.

You can find my review here

Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno

This book is literally the sweetest softest thing omfg I love it so much.

I swear this is hands down the weirdest book I have ever read, and it took some getting used to, but once I got into it I literally loved it so much it was so fucking perfect.

It was a soft sapphic romance, a great sibling relationship, birds, magical island vibes, and a whole lot of heart.

(TW: rape)

You can find my review here

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Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

I’ve had really mixed luck with Nina LaCour, but this book is a masterpiece. It’s such a gorgeously written book, the characters are so beautifully developed, and just the whole thing is lovely.

Also it’s set in Hollywood and my theatre kid heart loved that.

And the romance. The romance. It was so fucking pure and sweet and sapphic and kjjghfghhjkhg MY HEART.

You can find my (only slightly old and cringey) review here

Black Wings Beating by Alex London

This book is so fantastic and unique and OWNS MY HEART.

The characters are literally so perfect and I love them with my whole entire heart. Brysen is a soft baby gay and he needs to be protected at all costs.

This book is so gripping, so unique, so heartachingly good. Go read it.

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Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

I read this sooooo long ago, but I absolutely adored it, and 100% recommend it!

It takes place over a weekend, at a con, and it’s so light and fluffy and fun! It’s a great summer read, and quick enough to binge easily sooo… 👀

It also has some great friendships, some cute af romances, and ownvoices autism rep.

Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman

This book is so stunning! I didn’t love it as much as her debut, and it was difficult to read at times, but I 100% recommend it!

I looooove the main character so much, and the writing is beautiful. And it has some really great questioning aroace-spec rep!!

Also it will make you cry. You have been warned.

You can find my review here

(also note to self don’t try to read books about grief over someone dying in a car crash while sitting IN A MOVING CAR. bad idea. very very bad idea.)

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How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake

Hey has anyone picked up on my love for Ashley Herring Blake yet? I think I’ve been pretty subtle about it.

Anyways I am complete trash for anything she writes (lmao except for Suffer Love) and this lovely book is no exception.

It focuses a lot on family, and it has the softest sapphic romance between these two girls who are both dealing with (very different) family shit, and it just… it makes me heart ache. In the very best way.

Witchmark by C.L. Polk

There was some drama in the book community over some people rating the (unreleased) sequel to this book 1 star because it features a sapphic lead instead of the m/m couple from this book, and so naturally I had to read the sequel. So I picked this one up bc I can’t just read the sequel without reading book one

My expectations were pretty low though. This is an adult book, pretty heavily romance focused, with a hint of medical drama. Basically it had all the components to make me hate it – and I didn’t. It was soooooooo good!

Like legit this has one of the most fascinating, unique worlds I’ve read in a long time, and the writing was so engaging, and the characters stole my heart and I LOVED IT. So so so worth a read!

(Also if that’s not convincing – go read it and then read the sequel when it comes out just to spite the bigots) (Yes that is 100% why I read it leave me alone)

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(Firstly can we just appreciate how well these covers go together? I swear I didn’t do that on purpose)

The Brilliant Death by Amy Rose Capetta

HEY DO YOU WANT TO READ ABOUT AN ENBY SHAPESHIFTER AND THEIR GENDERFLUID SHAPESHIFTER LOVE INTEREST?

Yes. Yes you do.

Anyways, this also: Has great world building. Has an exciting plot. Is very very funny. Has a freaking adorable romance. Is all-around amazing.

(Also the MC is ownvoices rep I believe)

Priory of the Orange Tree by Samatha Shannon

I know this book is hella daunting, but it was the most worthwhile 800 pages of my life.

This book was… unbelievably good. It’s this sprawling expansive epic fantasy, with dragons and magic and intrigue and some REALLY GODDAMN FANTASTIC CHARACTERS.

Including (but not limited to) the sapphic ship of my dreams. (I’m not kidding y’all this ship is perfection. So slowburn and beautiful and it made my heart ache seriously it was SO FREAKING PERFECT.)

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We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

JKHGFDFHJHGFDHJF I JUST FINISHED THIS LAST NIGHT AND I’M NOT OKAY PLS DON’T ASK ME TO BE COHERENT (I’m semi coherent in my review lmao) THIS BOOK WAS SO FUCKING GOOD OH MY GODDDDD SOMEONE HOLD ME THIS BOOOOOOOK

As is probably evident by my screaming, this book also would have been on my favourites list had I actually read it by last week, but I did not, so alas, it’s getting a shout out here instead.

I can’t even begin to describe how freaking perfect this book was. I loved it with my whole entire heart and SERIOUSLY I AM NOT OKAY. I NEED THE SEQUEL RIGHT NOW.

FKHJGHJKHHJ JUST GO READ THIS AMAZING SAPPHIC BOOK (and if you’ve already read it PLS COME SCREAM ABOUT IT WITH ME)

The Fever King by Victoria Lee

This? was? so? fucking? good? Like hello I am trash for this book. Noam and Dara own my heart.

Was everything else about this book great? 100%. Do I care about anything other than Noam and Dara? Nope.

That’s not even criticism, like I would have cared about the rest of the book if these boys hadn’t decided they needed all of my attention instead, but they did and I’m trash for them and nothing else could possibly hold my attention pls give these boys a happy ending on a farm with some goats that’s all I ask

Have you read any of these? Are any of them on your tbr? WILL YOU SCREAM ABOUT RW&RB, WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE, OR THE FEVER KING WITH ME???? (Pls say yes) What are some of your favourite queer books?