lou's library

I’m a simple girl: I love to read about love. IN ALL ITS FORMS. And because I grew up and continue to live in a society that bombards us with heterosexual love as the standard, I think it’s high time I start shouting from the rooftops about some of my favourite queer romance stories in books. All of these recommendations are beautiful books that deal with love among so many other topics, they’re not always easy reads, more often than not, queerphobia is a point of concern in them, but I think that makes them even more important reads. So here we go, some of my favourite queer fiction!!

The House In The Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune

When I tell you I had my feet in the air kicking and giggling the entire time I read The House In The Cerulean Sea, then that is no exaggeration. I loved these characters, all of them, but especially the dynamic between Arthur and Linus. MY GOD, THESE TWO!!!! The banter, the teasing, the fun! T J Klune is incredible at writing believable characters with quirks and impeccable sense of humour. One of the most important messages in The House In The Cerulean Sea, which focuses on an orphanage for let’s just say unusual children (including the antichrist, but we love them!!), is that everyone is okay the way they are and that their eccentrics make them special and lovable. And just you believe me I was so rooting for Arthur’s and Linus’ very own happy ending, I was ready to take my earrings off and get in a fist fight for them. One of the best couples in a book ever, queer or not.

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Notice I wrote ‘one of the best couple in a book ever’ above? Yeah, that’s because the title of the best bookish couple has to go to Nick and Charlie in Heartstopper. Alice Oseman, you created a masterpiece and I will defend Nick Nelson with my life, if I have to (although I’d rather not, truth be told). The best thing about Heartstopper is that Nick and Charlie aren’t the only queer characters and theirs isn’t the only queer love story in the graphic novels. The story of them and their friends is told with so much love and empathy and just so incredibly beautiful while sometimes also sad that I am tearing up just thinking about it right now. Heartstopper feels like a hug, whether you’re queer or not, but I’m just so glad that today’s queer teens have this series to read (and watch!!) for comfort in this scary world. Honestly, Nick and Charlie can do no wrong in my book and always make things better, no matter how bleak reality might feel.

Don’t Let The Forest In by C. G. Drews

Oh boy. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I buddy-read Don’t Let The Forest In a couple of months ago. The cover was giving spooky/creepy vibes and while I absolutely did get those, I wasn’t prepared for these characters to come and steal my heart (they still haven’t given it back). Thomas and Andrew are best friends at a boarding school in the US when strange things start happening and they spin out of control without the boys being able to stop them. Don’t Let The Forest In is a short read, but it packs a punch and deals with so many sensitive issues that I would urge you to read the trigger warnings before going in. It’s by no means an easy queer story to read, so please make sure you’re in the right headspace before you dive in. That being said, the prose in this book is so heartbreakingly beautiful and I could not put the book down. It’s sad as hell, but also so raw and tender and I know I will never forget these characters.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

This book is almost split in two parts. It’s set in 1960’s Netherlands and focuses on two women who are forced to co-habit in a house in a rural area of the country. Isabel and Eva don’t particularly get along and you can tell that Isabel (the woman whose brother owns the house) has a lot of unresolved issues. Then the book pivots as the sexual tension between the two women goes through the roof and presents them with new problems in a homophobic society (it also doesn’t help that Eva is dating Isabel’s brother). It’s a layered love story that is about so much more than just the relationship between the two women, but it does a beautiful job of showcasing the injustice of homophobia, and how it impacts the lives of those affected. The Safekeep is incredibly atmospheric and intense and there’s a plot twist I genuinely did not see coming at all and which suddenly changed the entire story again. Maybe it’s my fault for not specifically looking for them, but I’ve not come across a lot of queer books that focus on women, and now I’ve read The Safekeep, I want to change that! Such a stunning book!

I hope you’ve found this list of recommendations inspiring. Please do let me know if you have any other great queer stories to recommend!! If you would like more recommendations, I have a blog post about books with badass female characters or perhaps I can interest you in books that will likely make you cry? Happy reading!