Hi! Could you also recommend some m/m books? Your recent post about f/f books was amazing btw, thank you so much!
Hi! No problem! I will organize this post similarly, including descriptions for books even though some of them are super popular. :) Here is the f/f one for anyone interested. Also feel free to add on! I have others on my tbr but only included books I’ve read and can recommend.
YA:
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Ari and Dante meet, bond over healing, and a reserved boy who has difficulties expressing emotions learns to let himself feel.
The Raven Cycle, by Maggie Stiefvater. Rich boys and their mascot Blue go searching for a dead king; one of them is dead, one of them is going to die, and two of them will be boyfriends.
Simon Versus the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. Do I need to explain?
The Gentlemen’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, by Mackenzi Lee. Super fun historical fiction where they go on some adventure, I honestly don’t remember what but I do remembering laughing a lot and Monty being very gay.
Fence, by CS Pacat (graphic). Competitive boys trying to win a place on the fencing team, and for one of them it’s the only way he can afford to go to the school.
Autoboyography, by Christina Lauren. A boy (who was out) moves to Utah, and has to go back in the closet. Til he gets a crush.
The Gilded Wolves, by Roshani Chokshi. A Parisian magical heist followed by a riddle in Russia, with gay. Like if Indiana Jones had been against colonialism and the theft of indigenous cultural artifacts. Underrated. Lots of mystery, great for people who like puzzles, and there’s so much acknowledgement of racism and cultural imperialism and neurodivergence.
Adult:
A Darker Shade of Magic, by V.E. Schwab (fantasy). One of my favorite ships ever, features four Londons with varying access to magic, a prince, and his pirate boyfriend. And some other stuff happens too. (The ship really starts happening in book two.)
The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller (uhhh idk). As the title implies, this is the story of the siege of Troy, focusing on Achilles, but his lover Patroclus is just as important to the story (if not more so).
Days Without End, by Sebastien Barry (historical fiction). I didn’t know going into this, but? Very gay. It’s set in the Old West if I’m right, it’s been a couple of years) about two men who are trying to find work, end up adopting a young native girl by happenstance, and then create a family together. One of the men is GNC but this was the Old West so... they didn’t have a word for it at the time that wasn’t derogatory. There is a sequel coming out soon, super rare for literary-ish fiction.
Tin Man, by Sarah Winman (contemporary/literary). This, like the manga below, doesn’t include a current m/m ship, but... It’s about a man who is reflecting on his relationships with the two loves of his life - his teenage boyfriend and his wife, who are both deceased. Really beautiful and sad.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid (historical/contemporary). The focus of this book is definitely Evelyn, but she’s bisexual, and her bff is a gay man in a longterm relationship.
My Brother’s Husband, by Gengoroh Tagame (manga). Maybe it doesn’t qualify because there isn’t a current m/m relationship, but the gist of this is: a man living in Japan is mourning his brother. His brother’s husband comes to visit unexpectedly and they both have to adjust to homophobia in Japan, or their own internalized prejudices.
Less, by Andrew Sean Greer (contemporary/literary). This won the National Book Award a couple of years ago! But it’s about an aging gay man, trying to feel successful as a writer, and regretting the relationships he has let slip through his fingers. The end was 💯
The City of Brass, by S.A. Chakraborty (fantasy). Everyone needs to read this, it’s the best. The m/m relationship isn’t at the forefront, but everyone should read it anyway.
A Choir of Lies, by Alexandra Rowland (fantasy) . This is a companion to A Conspiracy of Truths, which was also just really queer all the way around, but this book is specifically Very Gay.
Red, White, and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston (contemporary/romance). Do I need to explain this one either?
