Keep Pride going: 14 books with queer protagonists to read this month (and every month)

Unlike big corporations, you can keep the rainbow in your TBR all year long

During June, everyone is big on Pride, but the enthusiasm often dies down

as soon as the month is over (Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash)

It’s a running joke among the LGBTQ+ community and our allies that as soon as the calendar flips to July 1st, corporations drop their Pride efforts faster than the rate of the British pound dropped after the Brexit vote. Alas, this is a trend which can sometimes be seen among readers as well - people get on the Pride bandwagon and read queer books for a month, then don’t pick up any more until next June comes around.

Now, there’s not much we can do about the huge companies milking the celebration of diverse sexualities, but what we can do is read books by queer authors featuring LGBTQ+ characters, any day of the year. Below I’ve compiled a whistle-stop tour of some amazing books with queer representation I’ve read over the past year - I’ve included different genres, so hopefully everyone can find something exciting for their “to be read” (TBR) list:

Queer Young Adult (YA) fantasy & fiction

• These Witches Don't Burn: lesbian main character (MC), bi love interest (whose dad is also bi and we love to see it!), queer ex girlfriend, trans co-worker turned friend. I was worried this one would be too young for me but between the witchcraft and the thriller it was actually very good!

• The Girls I've Been: bisexual MC, her girlfriend, her queer older sister. This is another YA which surpassed my expectations. I mean, bank heist, con artistry, and trauma? Sign me up! (PS. Check the trigger warnings for this one before you dive in)

• Sorcery of Thorns: okay so technically this has a straight MC, but her best friend is asexual, her love interest is a bi man (What?? Those exist?? You wouldn’t know it from how rarely they crop up in mainstream media...), and his demon servant is also asexual (nice subversion on the overly sexualised image of demons), so representation is all around pretty great. Plus, it’s an amazing book!

• Scavenge the Stars*: both MCs are queer, there’s a lesbian couple, an asexual friend and a non-binary casino employee. Also it’s a Count of Monte Cristo retelling!!

• The Guinevere Deception*: this one's a retelling of the Arthurian legend, but with lots of queer characters! (I've deliberately not listed them in detail as each reveal is important to the story)

*first book in a series

Queer contemporary fiction

• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: both MCs are bisexual, except one of them is also immortal? This is one of my all time favourite books, highly recommend!

• Anxious People: so this one is a cast of characters and a bit of a heavier read, but there is a lesbian couple in it who are very wholesome, as well as extremely amusing tongue-in-cheek discussions of queerness.

Queer romance

• Written in the Stars: this fake dating, opposites attract, steamy romance is told from a dual point of view, alternating between a bisexual MC (sunshine) and a lesbian MC (grumpy), both of whom are fantastic.

• Take a Hint, Dani Brown: bi MC in a relationship with a guy (whom Book Riot described as a character with “bi wife energy”). This one is also very steamy and a bit cheesy, but a very fun read regardless!

• Something to Talk About: a very good sapphic romance between a bi lady and a lesbian, also told from a dual point of view. The story addresses the #metoo movement, racism, and sexism, all of which are handled very well in my opinion (though again, might be triggering for some readers, so beware).

• One Last Stop: bisexual protagonist, lesbian love interest and a wonderfully queer found family. Casey McQuiston has only gone and done it again with the LGBTQ+ romance, this time complete with magical realism and some heavier topics than her debut novel.

• Red, White & Royal Blue: speaking of Casey's debut novel, we can’t have a list of queer romance novels without including this charming AU story. It features a bisexual MC, gay love interest, and a range of LGBTQ+ supporting characters.

Queer Dark Academia:

• The Betrayals: queer MCs (all I’m going to say is, it’s complicated…). Okay so this book is slightly quirky throughout, but very nicely done. Both the plot and the character development are superb, so you won’t regret sticking with the strange world. (TW: suicide)

• The Binding: m/m romance by the same author, also set in a very unique world, though be warned it has a bunch of trigger warnings, including homophobia (shocking, I know!), sexual abuse and suicide.

This is by no means an exhaustive collection of queer literature; in fact, my own TBR is still filled with LGBTQ+ stories I’m extremely excited to read. So wherever you look for book recommendations, I encourage you to actively seek out queer literature, all year long.