#rep: bisexuality

[queerbookcorner]

Why should you read this book?

nerdy Geology girl from Texas falls in love with Scottish Princess. 

At Boarding School.

AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES.

Enemies to Friends to Lovers with lots of snark all the way.

(ignore the fact it’s book 2 in a series. It’s a standalone with only cameos from the first book characters)

amazing supporting characters in Lady Sakshi (biracial Indian girl) and her friend Perry (adorkable ginger boy)

it’s the closest f/f story to Red, White and Royal Blue in both tone and premise. If you loved those boys, you will love these girls!

GEOLOGY PUNS

Who wouldn’t love to run off to Scotland after a bad breakup? Major #goals.

It nails all those lovely tropes. ROOMMATES. HUDDLING FOR WARMTH. DANCE LESSONS. HATE TO LOVE. 

The humor is TOP NOTCH. 

“You deserve your big country-song moment where you tell her how much she sucks and then commit felony vandalism on her property.”

Leading lady is on the page bisexual, and her lovely princess is a lesbian.

Grand Romantic Gestures! Like I’m not spoiling, but they’re both so extra by the end.

Scottish history. Tongue-in-cheek references to Outlander. Pub brawls. And, of course, THE ACCENTS.

If you want a fun, YA romcom that has just the right balance of laughs and feels- this is it! 

[queerbookcorner]

AND YOU SHOULD READ IT BECAUSE:

Who doesn’t want an 18th century gay European roadtrip novel?

Monty is the most disastrous bisexual in the history of ever.

No really, he ends up running through the gardens of the Palace of Versailles naked. Bless.

Felicity provides all the snarky remarks you’re thinking to yourself on said stupid ass shit. 

Percy is biracial and disabled and Monty adores him. You will too. It’s impossible not to love Percy.

MUTUAL PINING. SLOW BURN. FRIENDS TO LOVERS.

is actually FUNNY. Do you know how rare a FUNNY historical fiction book is? Especially a queer one? We’re talking unicorn level rare here.

Also will give you ALL THE FEELS. 

has the most beautiful narration

“The stars dust gold leafing on his skin. And we are looking at each other, just looking, and I swear there are whole lifetimes lived in those small, shared moments.” 

also the most hilarious narration

“It occurs to me then that perhaps getting my little sister drunk and explaining why I screw boys is not the most responsible move on my part.” 

Historically accurate, well-researched and with just the right pinch of the fantastical. 

there are pirates. and highwaymen. and alchemy.

AND there’s a sequel about Felicity (aromantic/asexual who’s about to take the medical world by storm), a badass Muslim pirate girl, and her childhood friend on their own adventure. WITH DRAGONS.

AND there’s a short-story set between the two books about Monty trying (and failing) at making his first time with Percy perfect. It’s coming out in print format in November, so you have time to read the two books first!

[queerbookcorner]

WHY SHOULD YOU READ THIS BOOK?

It is literally about First Son of the USA falling in love with the Prince of England.

Enemies to friends to lovers done absolutely perfect

Secret relationship shenanigans and drama!

Lots of solid political intrigue plot while these two disasters are falling in love.

Characters are not teenagers! They’re both in their twenties and definitely act like it.

snarky bickering and major amounts of UST until they finally get their shit together.

Bisexual lead character coming to terms with his bisexuality for the first time.

Alex is like the poster boy for disaster bisexual, he’s such a hot mess. You will adore him!

And getting to know Henry through Alex’s POV is just wonderful. You will love them both so much.

Lots of making out and sex in totally inappropriate places

No really. There’s a portrait of Alexander Hamilton involved in one. And a polo uniform in another.

QUEER HISTORY.

Incredibly diverse cast with lots of amazing ladies and POC in supporting roles.

BITCH MCCONNELL

Because who doesn’t want to live in a world where we elected our first female president in 2016 and her biracial son ends up falling for the prince of England?

[queerbookcorner]

Pride Month Rec post #2: let's hear it for the bisexuals!

Top 4 Picks

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Sassy Summary: Enemies to Friends to Lovers in the most wonderful setup of the First Son of the United States falling for the Prince of Wales. 

Rep: Main character is coming to terms with his bisexuality. Love interest is gay. A few side-characters are hinted to be queer. Lead character and a few side characters are biracial or POC.

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli Sassy Summary: Local cynic finally realizes the reason she started hating her female friend out of the blue might be because deep down she’s crushing on her hard. As she even puts it- she’s the cynic Slytherin that falls for the perky Gryffindor. (Sequel to Simon vs. the Homo-Sapiens Agenda)

Rep: Main character is bisexual and plus-sized. Love interest is African American. Side characters include multiple POC and a canon gay pairing.

Fake by Sanami Matoh Sassy Summary: Brooklyn Nine-Nine Queer Edition. This precinct of the NYPD gets into a lot of humorous trouble, but with a dash of serious plotlines, in this late 90s manga series.

Rep: Dee is on-the-page bisexual, which is pretty rare in BL (Boy's Love) titles, especially at the time it was published. There's also his love interest, who comes to realize he's interested in men and a few background characters that are gay/queer. Ryo and Bikky are both biracial (Ryo is part Japanese and Bikky part African-American)

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee Sassy Summary: Disaster Bi Monty has been crushing on his childhood friend for ages and all it takes is a a grand tour of Europe and lots of mutual pining before the two figure things out.

Rep: Monty is narratively depicted as bi (he doesn’t have the word to use because historical reasons, but it’s obvious), his love interest is biracial, gay, and disabled. And his sister Felicity is Aromantic Asexual (the sequel book is about her!)

Honorable Mentions:

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst (Arranged Royal Marriage in which the leading lady falls in love with her intended's bisexual sister instead. Oh and there's magic.)

My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel by Kitty Curran (CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE CHEESY ROMANCE NOVEL.)

Death Prefers Blondes by Caleb Roehrig (Drag Race meets Ocean’s 8)

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan (Snarky lead falls in love with lots of magical beings. Like mermaids and elves and halflings)

The Rest of the List:

The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko

Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

Echo After Echo by Amy Rose Capetta

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Passing Strange by Ellen Klages

[queerbookcorner]

WHY SHOULD YOU READ THIS SERIES?:

“characters should be presumed queer unless stated otherwise” is an actual statement from the author about this series.

The lead female “has no connection whatsoever to her gender. She’s genderfluid to the extent that someone in 1819 would intuitively be” (once more, author statement here)

Kell and Lila (lead male and female) could both be argued to be pansexual due to above author statement/canon implications (such as romantic involvement with said genderfluid character)

Rhy, the main character’s brother and a prince, is canonically bisexual.

Alucard (appears in second book onward) is gay.

the series has BLOOD MAGIC. and PIRATES. and ELEMENTAL MAGIC COMPETITIONS. and FOUR PARALLEL WORLDS that all converge in LONDON.

the author describes the series as a blend between Avatar: The Last Airbender (because lots of elemental magic/ chosen “Avatar” like characters called Antari) and Harry Potter (definitely more on the later/darker books of the series in tone)

perhaps the best example of EARN YOUR HAPPY ENDING for (characters redacted due to spoilers) because there is SO MUCH angst and suffering but damn it is all worth it in the end.

the two leads first meet when Lila steals something from Kell, he desperately wants it back, and she knocks him out and ties him to her bed. (Crossing worlds, killing royals, saving cities. The marks of every good courtship.)

Lila’s affection for knives and her skills are so badass. You will adore her (she’s one of a damned kind)

Rhy is such a GOOD PRINCE and he cares for his people so much, but he also hides a lot of his problems behind a smile and you will want to give him many many hugs.

Alucard and Rhy had a previous thing and something happened to separate them. Alucard is now doing his damnedest to win Rhy back.

you will have so many conflicting feelings over Holland

White London is a land of pain and you have been warned. 

I have never had a series that has put me through such suffering and by the end I’m like- wow I enjoyed that? Like it’s all so well done and the stakes are hella high for most of it all, but you feel and bleed and cry and breathe with these characters and it makes the finale so satisfying an end to the adventure.

[queerbookcorner]

WHY SHOULD YOU READ THIS BOOK?

GENDERBENT QUEER KING ARTHUR. IN SPACE.

No, really, Arthur #42 is an Arabic immigrant named Ari on the run from the corporation that pretty much runs the galaxy. She’s also pansexual.

Merlin, who has aged backwards and is now 17, is gay. (Yes, he totally had a thing for one of the previous Arthurs and finds love again this time with one of the crew)

RENFAIRE PLANET. Yes, tacky cheesy renaissance festival themed planet.

With the most badass bisexual queen, Gwen.

Absolutely the most amazingly diverse queer cast. Srsly, of the main crew, there is only one cishet character in the main cast. ONE.

There’s an AroAce knight, a demigender knight and a non-binary knight (who’s pretty much considered the hottest of the crew)

SWORD WIELDING LADIES KICKING ASS. 

it’s a perfect cocktail of Arthurian lore and space opera

DRAGONS

I cannot say much about Morgana without spoilers, but I absolutely love the angle they went with her character.

READ IT NOW. Second book comes out in 2020!