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Our Queerest Shelves

Queer Monster Romances and Our Flag Means Death Fan Fiction

This is the last newsletter of Pride month! But don’t worry, we keep the queer book love alive all year long. The new releases section may look a little smaller soon, though: the big publishers seem to save their queer books for a Pride month release date, so there are a lot fewer in July.

As for a nonprofit to highlight this month: Reproductive rights are queer rights. Bodily autonomy is a queer issue. Here are 89 Abortion Funds That You Can Give To Immediately.

Let’s Talk About Rainbow Stickers On Queer Books

Recently, I’ve seen a few TikToks of libraries or bookstores putting rainbow stickers on the spines of LGBTQ books (and/or separating them into their sections). It’s clearly done with the best of intentions — and don’t get me wrong: I would love to explore a bookstore or library where I could easily make a beeline for the queer books. But it seems to be done without a lot of consideration of the nuances of this discussion.

I wrote about this years ago in a post called 5 Reasons To Get Rid of the LGBTQ Fiction Section (And One Good Reason To Keep It). In summary, LGBTQ sections or separating out queer fiction is discriminatory. It implies that the only reason to read these book is if you’re looking for LGBTQ content. It discourages those books from being browsed by people not looking for LGBTQ books, which could hurt that author’s sales. It’s also unsustainable — it’s not always easy to tell which books have queer representation. In the years since writing that article, I think my last point has become moot, though: the selection in these sections would likely be much better than it would be in 2016.

But another major consideration is closeted readers. Even those who aren’t closeted might feel nervous, depending on the environment, in approaching the LGBTQ section or picking up a book with a rainbow prominently on it (and then handing it to someone else to check out/buy).

I completely get the impulse to label queer books with stickers, and I believe that there are patrons/customers who are asking for this — but the risks outweigh the rewards. Instead, I’d like to see more rotating LGBTQ books displays, as well as a good tagging system and lists/pamphlets available with selections of LGBTQ books. There are ways to help people find these books without physically labelling them or separating them into permanent sections.

For real-life librarians’ thoughts on this topic (I just play a Lesbrarian on the internet), check out The Sticky Situation of LGBT+ Book Labels and the ALA’s toolkit for supporting LGBTQ patrons. (Both do not recommend using rainbow stickers.)

New Releases This Week

the cover of Patricia Wants to Cuddle

Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen (Lesbian Horror)

Yes, this is the lesbian sasquatch book that everyone is talking about! Kirkus Reviews said it’s a “one-of-a-kind queer horror comedy for people who watch The Bachelor and The X-Files back-to-back.” It’s about a Bachelor-esque dating show set on an island in the Pacific Northwest that takes a turn from manufactured drama to unscripted danger. I can’t wait to dive into this one.

cover of Bad Things Happen Here

Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow (Sapphic YA Mystery)

I loved This Is What It Feels Like, so when I saw Barrow had a new sapphic YA book coming out, I had to read it. This is part murder mystery, part exploration of being a queer, fat, Black, mentally ill young woman in a white and wealthy community. It was a fascinating read (check out next week’s All the Books! podcast, where I talk more about it!). Content warnings for frequent discussion and depiction of self harm, as well as violence and suicide ideation.

This Way Out by Tufayel Ahmed (Gay Fiction)

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin (Lesbian Fiction) (Paperback Rerelease)

the cover of M is for Monster

Harlem Sunset (Harlem Renaissance Mystery #2) by Nekesa Afia (Sapphic Historical Mystery)

X by Davey Davis (Queer Noir)

When London Snow Falls by Hayden Stone (M/M Romance)

Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances (Dragons and Blades) by Aliette de Bodard (M/M Fantasy)

Godslayers (Gearbreakers #2) by Zoe Hana Mikuta (Sapphic YA Sci Fi)

M Is for Monster by Talia Dutton (Queer SFF Graphic Novel)

the cover of Clementine: Book One

Clementine: Book One by Tillie Walden (Bisexual Horror Comic)

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon Vol. 3 by Shio Usui (F/F Manga)

Adachi and Shimamura (Light Novel) Vol. 9 by Hitoma Iruma and Non (Yuri Light Novel)

I Am Onir and I Am Gay by Onir and Irene Dhar Malik (Gay Memoir)

Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality by Julia Shaw (Bisexual Nonfiction)

For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.

LGBTQ Book Riot Posts

All the Links Fit to Click

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

That’s it for me this week! Until next time, you can find me at my bi and lesbian book blog, the Lesbrary, as well as on Twitter @danikaellis. You can also hear me on All the Books or you can read my Book Riot posts.

Happy reading!

Danika