Happy LGBTQ+ Pride Month! If you’re looking for some Queer Joy this month, look no further. I’ve got you covered with these books! Whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community or an ally, celebrate all love with these summer reads.
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender (2020). Also available on e-book and downloadable audiobook from the Indiana Digital Library. Ironically, Felix Love has never been in love. And he’s still questioning his identity, even after top surgery. Something about “boy” just still doesn’t fit. Is he one marginalization too many to get a happily ever after? (Spoiler: he’s not. This is the Queer Joy list, after all.)
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun (2021). Also available on e-book and downloadable audiobook from the Indiana Digital Library. Dev works creating happy endings for a reality dating show and Charlie is the next Prince Charming. But what happens when Prince Charming isn’t interested in any of the princesses, but might be interested in his producer? This charming romcom had so many perfect moments and it’s got demisexual representation, too.
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston (2022). Also available on e-book and downloadable audiobook from the Indiana Digital Library. In this must-read YA from the author of Red, White & Royal Blue, Chloe, a senior at a Christian school in Alabama, follows clues left by popular girl (and her arch nemesis) Shara Wheeler, who has disappeared right before graduation. Along the way, a community of queer kids start to discover themselves and come out of the woodwork. This high school novel sets the trope of manic pixie dream girl on its head and celebrates queer kids finding each other, even in an environment designed to hide them.
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (2020). Also available on e-book from the Indiana Digital Library. If you’re in withdrawal after binging the show on Netflix, put yourself on the holds list for these heartwarming graphic novels to find out what happens next. Charlie is the only out gay boy at his high school and when rugby player Nick sits next to him in class, they start to become friends. Charlie’s friends are warning him not to get a crush on a straight boy, and Nick is starting to wonder if he’s maybe not straight after all.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (2020). Also available on e-book and downloadable audiobook from the Indiana Digital Library. In this quirky fantasy novel, caseworker Linus is tasked with auditing a very special orphanage for magical youth, pulling him firmly out of his comfort zone as he travels to the cerulean sea. What he finds there is nothing he ever could have expected. This is a warmhearted novel about found family, accepting others and ourselves for who we are, and breaking down societal rules that don’t honor who we are as people. I laughed, I cried, I became a lifelong TJ Klune fan.
Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann (2018). Also available on e-book and downloadable audiobook from the Indiana Digital Library. Alice swore off romance after her girlfriend broke up with her upon finding out she’s asexual, but now there’s a swoony new guy at her summer library job. Alice is getting the feels, but should she risk their friendship for a love that might not be understood? This sweet story follows Alice’s journey to self-discovery and celebrates asexual love.
