Queer Book Discussion & Recommendations

skip the first 7 minutes to save your spirit

some queer/LGBTQIA+ booktube to watch
(let me know if you'd like to be added/removed from this playlist)

some resources

socials

[courtneyr]

“Never make fun of someone if they mispronounce a word. It means they learned it by reading.”

[AnikaFuloria]

the intro discussion is exactly why I stan Kayla

[sarahb.]

"I don't think that sexuality or gender identity is ever a spoiler". Thank you for that - because you don't change when you come out, you're no different than before, only closer to your truer self. Great video 🌅

[amyjones]

the description on this vid says "skip the first 7 minutes to save your spirit"

Don't skip the first 7 minutes. It's so important. Plus, it's just... great in general.

This is great, you're great Kayla!

(also I'm sure my TBR is going to grow, which it doesn't need to, but I am READY!)

[kneegroe]

This intro discussion is what I appreciate about you, Kayla. It’s hard to get everything right, but you are honest and explain your understanding and reasoning.

[tessreadstoomuch]

Ugh same, I would love some gay as hell thrillers. The problem with thrillers, though, is sexuality and gender identity tends to be a "twist" which really needs to stop.

[guppy]

I think we need to be more comfortable with not knowing everything all the time, and your intro discussion is really furthering that! We’re always going to be unknowingly ignorant about something or other, the best we can do is to educate each other so that we can move forward as a whole.

[cosmapocalypse]

i just wanna say, as a nonbinary viewer of your channel, it's always clear to me how much you care and respect others' identities, pronouns, experiences, etc. i know there's a huge amount of pressure on you to get everything right always but i just hope you know that your effort is seen and appreciated! 💜

[blehblehblehdracula]

Sapphic = two women in a romantic relationship. Cis or otherwise.

Use: this novel centers around a newly formed relationship between two females, one of whom is just discovering her sapphic desires.

Hope this helps. Love this video!

[Electroclan]

Aristole and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz
The Miseducation of Cameron Post - Emily M. Danforth
Patience and Sarah - Isabel Miller
Keeping You A Secret - Julie Anne Peters
A Boy Worth Knowing - Jennifer Cosgrove
Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard
Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green and David Levithan
Queens of Geek - Jen Wilde
Simon VS The Homosapiens Agenda, The Upside Of Unrequited & Leah On The Offbeat - Becky Albertalli
Symptoms Of Being Human - Jeff Garvin
Lies My Girlfriend Told Me - Julie Anne Peters
Stranger Than Fanfiction - Chris Colfer
Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera
More Happy Than Not - Adam Silvera
Dreadnought [Nemesis #1] - April Daniels
Sovereign [Nemesis #2] - April Daniels
Annie On My Mind - Nancy Gordon
If I Was Your Girl - Meredith Russo
None of the Above - I. W. Gregorio
Everything Leads To You - Nina LaCour
She Loves You, She Loves You Not - Julie Anne Peters
I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing - Hank Green
Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family - Garrard Conley [I also like the movie which has Troye Sivan!!]
Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan [I also like the movie version]
[Books Ive Read That Are LGBT That I'd Recommend]

[circlesofflame]

I came to this video for Kayla-style queer book recommendations, but the intro might be my favourite part. It's so real, voicing some things a lot of people are scared to say. It feels like everyone is just supposed to automatically know everything around modern gender politics. And when someone gets something wrong, their intent is forgotten and they are often demonized. As a queer person, but also just a person who is scared to make mistakes that might offend people: thank you

[gabbyreads]

I love love love that you decided to make this video!! The intro discussion is so so important and I totally feel you on feeling out of touch about some things and not knowing the appropriate way to pronounce or say something, and it’s so true that people expect booktubers or anyone with a platform to be all knowing, and I’m always looking for ways to educate myself and better myself. So I really appreciate this discussion, you verbalize these things so much better than I could ever try to haha ❤️❤️❤️

[ameliaschwarz]

Timestamps for the book recommendations!
8:32 Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney Stevens
10:40 Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake
12:44 Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
14:43 The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum
16:27 We Are The Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
18:00 King and the Dragon Flies by Kacen Callender
19:26 The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
21:00 Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi
[Intermission Quick Recommendations]
22:41 All Out: The No Longer Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages
22:50 Don't Call Us Dead by Danez Smith
23:06 I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya
23:25 Love Beyond Body, Space & Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci Fi Anthology
23:37 Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
[Back to Novels!]
23:57 Wild Beauty by Anna Marie McLomore
24:05 Blanca Roja by Anna Marie McLomore (Note: briefly recommend then goes back to talking about former rec)
25:46 More Than This by Patrick Mess
27:28 Wilder Girls by Rory Power
28:53 Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
31:22 Black Iris by Leah Raeder
33:06 Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
34:45 The Gallery of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz
[Honorable Mentions]
36:31 This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El Mohtar
36:34 Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno
36:56 Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
[Headcannoned Queer Book]
Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao

[ElizabethNicoleSchwartz]

I wasn't expecting the intro discussion but I'm really glad you said it because I relate to a lot of it, especially the acronym stuff.

[claramajdahlke]

Some queer adult book recommendations:
Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Small Beauty by Jia Qing Wilson-Yang
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Nonfiction:
In the Dream House: a Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado
Short Story Collections:
Salt Slow by Julia Armfield
Things We Say in the Dark by Kirsty Logan
Sci-Fi/Fantasy:
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Manga/Graphic Novels:
My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Nagata Kabi
Poetry:
When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities
Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

[phix]

The intro discussion is exactly what I think. I also identify as “queer.” It just encompasses more of my identity than other labels, but I won’t to apply it to others.

[Jordan-dvtw]

My brain reads WLW like voulez-vous like ABBA would sing it. I say outloud unironically now

[TheKasiaLin]

Please read "The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet"
I know it's set in space but it's so character driven and slow
And okay there is a romance (f/f) but it's not like the center point but rather just something that happens
And I feel like you'd really like it

[rubyyro]

I'm someone that usually puts videos into my watch later list and then goes to watch them from there, but nope! I clicked on this one immediately

[evam]

I just want more lesbian/bi girls in horror and adult fantasy books tbh. 😭