Very queer books

[vqueerbooks]

You're Ours by D.C. Emerson

I wanted to like this book. Sadly, I did not. The book drags, and that says something when it’s only around 100 pages. It also tries to do too much. There is a trans character that doesn’t get the focus it should, and there is an aromantic character that doesn’t get the focus it maybe should. The conflicts are shallow as hell; the ‘major fight’ seems constructed and left me shaking my head. The characters seem strangely flat and interchangeable.

So what is this about? Tyler and Jackson work at the same company and are ‘work husbands.’ One day Tyler ends up at Jackson’s place, and he and his real husband, Sky, proposition him. He says yes, and they start fucking, but Sky and Jackson want more.

This is, I guess, where the conflict should come in, as Tyler never felt love for anyone ‘that way,’ and all his previous partners left him because of that.

There is a lot of exposition in this one; constantly we’re told things that happened somewhere off-page, and there is not a lot of dialogue. Also, in my opinion, there are too many side characters. It feels very crowded and like they’re there so the story has some meat on the bones, because the romance isn’t enough to keep the book interesting. Frankly, this one bored me, but it was only 100 pages, so I finished it.

Would I recommend it? No, I don’t think so. I’ve tried two other stories by the author, and while the short story was fine, the longer one had the same problem of nothing really happening and too much exposition, and honestly, it feels like the author is on a mission to lecture the reader about all the queer identities that are out there. And I am not interested in that when I want to get lost in a romance.

[vqueerbooks]

Okay, May has been a strange month for me. So that’s why there weren’t that many recs last month, but now it’s June and Pride Month. So I’ll bring you all the queers. You’ll get lots of recommendations from sweet over tragic to spicy. You’ll get poly recs and kinky stuff and adorable love stories as well.

Today I quick rec of three poly MMF books.

Suagr Daddies by Jade West

Wilder Thoughts by J. Tomala

Master of No One by Tricia Owens

[vqueerbooks]

Spooky Level Up by J.F. Miev, Aria Clark

This is a very cute novella about childhood friends hooking up. Ben had a crush on Charlie since forever but never did anything about it. They run into each other again after years and hook up, not knowing who the other person is.

This is not a spooky book, despite the title. It’s a fun, cute and sexy story about second chances.

I’ve read other works by the authors and wasn’t disappointed.

The sex is hot, the book is funny in places and the scummy ex-boyfriend gets what he deserves. I recommend this one to anybody who wants to have a good time and finish a book with warm fuzzy feelings.

[free-queer-books]

Owl of the Pale Moon by Sarah Hawthorne

What would you do if the chance to escape your miserable life came crashing down to earth? Cassie, a miserable factory worker and a Changer besides, dreams of learning magic and escaping the capitalist hellscape. One day her wish comes true when a powerful wizard-cum-phantom thief crash-lands in her sleepy town. Next thing she knows, Cassie is whisked away on a magical flying ship, learning wizardry, seeing the world, and discovering the secrets of her beautiful new teacher. Before long, Cassie is swept up in daring heists, perilous expeditions into fey-infested jungles, tangling with a werewolf, and being stalked by a strange man in a mask. And that’s all on top of her magic lessons and discovering the secrets of the magical flying House Brandwyck.

Promotion length: Unknown

Markets available: itch.io, gumroad

Link to book: https://baph.xyz/owl

[armandyke]

Queer Horror Book Recs for Pride Month

Yep. It's exactly what it sounds like. A non-exhaustive list of horror books with queer characters I've read and enjoyed over the years :)

Book titles, authors, and rep listed in text under the cut.

Disclaimer 1: I've listed all f/f as sapphic and all m/m as gay, some of the characters are explicitly bisexual but as it's not always stated (or in some cases I don't remember if it was stated) I've just listed them all together.

Disclaimer 2: These are horror books, some more extreme than others. Be mindful of your own triggers and check the synopsis/trigger warnings before diving in blind.

Disclaimer 3: This list is predominantly sapphic horror because that's what I gravitate to the most lmao

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica (sapphic main character)

I, In the Shadows by Tori Bovalino (sapphic main character, nonbinary side character)

Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z Brite (gay main characters)

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton (gay main character)

Feast While You Can by Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta (sapphic main character)

The Ghost Woods by CJ Cooke (sapphic main character)

Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson (sapphic main character)

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean (sapphic main character)

Aviary By Maria Dong (sapphic main character)

Don't Let the Forest In by CG Drews (gay & asexual main character)

Hazelthorn by CG Drews (gay main character)

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn (sapphic main character)

Rottenheart by Kat Dunn (sapphic main characters)

Leech by Hiron Ennes (nonbinary main character)

Eyes, Guts, Throat Bones by Moïra Fowley (sapphic main characters)

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson (sapphic, polyamorous main character)

Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin (sapphic main character)

The Needfire by MK Hardy (sapphic main character)

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson (sapphic main character)

Moonflow by Bitter Karella (trans, sapphic main character)

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw (nonbinary character)

The Sworn Soldier Series by T. Kingfisher (nonbinary main character)

A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock (gay and sapphic main characters)

A Blood as Bright as the Moon by Andrea Morstabilini (gay main character)

Decomposition Book by Sara van Os (sapphic main character)

Wilder Girls by Rory Power (sapphic main character)

Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt (trans, sapphic main characters)

Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt (trans and nonbinary main characters)

On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Schofield (sapphic main character)

Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova (gay and sapphic main characters)

To Be Devoured by Sara Tantalinger (sapphic main character)

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne (sapphic main character)

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle (sapphic main character)

Bury Our Gays by Chuck Tingle (gay main character)

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran (sapphic, nonbinary main character, trans side character)

My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen (sapphic main character)

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White (trans, gay main character, multiple queer side characters)

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White (trans, aroace main character, nonbinary side character)

You Weren’t Meant to be Human by Andrew Joseph White (trans, gay main character)

All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes (trans main character, gay side characters)

[pangur-and-grim]

Queer Books and Authors are at a Breaking Point

Authors, agents, publishers: every part of the industry is seeing the strain of five years of escalating anti-LGBTQ censorship.

[pangur-and-grim]

if you'd like to show support, here are some upcoming queer books:

When Life Gives You Corpses is a brilliant YA about a cursed praying mantis who falls for a young witch. Yield Under Great Persuasion is a raunchy, but surprisingly sweet story of two men repairing their relationship. Fabulous Bodies is a horror story about a queer rockstar rising from the dead.

This is Where the Future Bleeds is a fantasy set in a vividly imagined land, where two women (who happen to kiss) are the key to healing the broken sky. You're No Better is a story about a teen struggling in the shadow of his murderous parent. Oil on Canvas is about a woman who finds disturbing paintings in the home of her dead mother.

and then here's a list of 26 queer books by Black authors set to publish this year, and a list of 10 upcoming books by trans authors. if you want to fight back against queer censorship, use your wallet! or (if that's not an option) you can contact your local library and ask them to stock a copy.

[vqueerbooks]

Bride of Ignat by Moyori Mori

I’m sure a lot of you have already heard about this one, but for those of you who haven’t, boy do I have a lovely story for you. This is a fantasy BL, and the art is superb, the storytelling delicate and layered.

So what is this one about?

Rita is an orphan who is chosen to be the dragon’s bride. Meaning, he’s being sacrificed to the local dragon. The problem is that the dragon doesn’t want a bride. All Ignat wants is to be left alone so he can die in peace (or misery, depending on how you look at it).

Rita, who has nowhere else to go, as most people in his village think he’s cursed because he survived an illness when everyone else in his family died, is determined to make it work with the dragon.

In fact, he wants to become a dragon himself once he finds out there is a way.

The story unfolds slowly, and we get to experience their awkward and shy interactions. We get to see glimpses of their pasts. Of the pain and misery they lived through and survived.

Both Ignat and Rita are layered characters, and their interactions are really cute.

The art and the world-building are excellent. Those snowy hills and forests. The clothing, the village, and its people. It’s a richly drawn world you can immerse yourself in.

I would recommend this story to everyone who likes fantasy and dragons. Not only BL fans, but honestly anyone who doesn’t mind a gay love story. 

[vqueerbooks]

When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley

I like merpeople stories, but it’s hard to find new and fresh takes on them. This is a new and fresh take.

Benny is a blacksmith in New York City scraping by until a tank he makes for Luna Park catches the eye of the proprietor. Somehow, he ends up with the sideshow troupe on the shore of the river to hunt down a mermaid.

Of course, Benny doesn’t believe in mermaids until he sees Rio. Benny is fascinated, while the rest of the troupe would like to stay as far away from the merman as possible.

Slowly, and because Benny is Rio's primary caretaker, they develop a friendship, which leads to more. Benny knows that it’s wrong to imprison such a lovely, intelligent, and compassionate creature, but the sideshow troupe is becoming a family to him, and the merman means money and prestige.

There are some serious themes here. Homophobia, racism, kidnapping, and imprisonment, but nothing is ever too graphic or cruel. This is a romantasy after all and not a queer horror story.

All the characters are fun and have interesting backgrounds and motivations. Rio stays somewhat apart from it all, as he is an otherworldly creature, and it shows in small and varied ways. He is a different species, and he has different needs than humans. Of course I was concerned about how these two would get a happy ending, and the last part of the book really puts you through the wringer, but as romance lovers we get what we’re after in the end.

An excellent read.

[depsidase]

[barkingbarghest]

Here is an article from NPR about it (May 22, 2026):

Carolina Milanesi, an independent technology analyst, said Google is trying to make its cash cow business — search — richer and more personalized, and it will make shopping easier. But there is a risk that users may have fewer choices about what to click. "Right now it's: I ask a question, I get a bunch of answers and I feel that I'm in control as to which answer I take, or if I'm looking for something, which product I'm going to end up buying. That is going to be less so going forward," she said. Milanesi envisions AI-enabled search and agents proposing products to consumers — perhaps even those they have requested — but with less clarity or choice around where it's coming from. "If you're going to say: 'I want a pair of Jordans, go find them,' you're not necessarily sure what steps have been taken and whether the AI has used a source or a store that was paid for and therefore came up in the search results," she said, "or if AI actually went and did their due diligence and picked the best for me as a customer."

And here's one from Time magazine (May 20, 2026):

While Google already has “AI Mode,” the company will now power the whole search bar through its new Gemini 3.5 Flash model.  Instead of the classic list of blue links, Google Search will now also generate a custom page with an AI-generated summary of what you’re searching about, which will then trigger a conversation with AI Mode on the main page, allowing users to ask follow-up questions—similar to the kind of layout you would see when opening ChatGPT.

And a little more from Time's article on how this may affect the websites that we are trying to search for:

When Google first started implementing AI-assisted results, news publishers warned of “catastrophic” impacts on the industry, much of which relies on Google search to drive users to their websites.  Last year, news websites saw significant traffic declines as chatbots increasingly replaced Google search as the primary way to find sites and ask questions.  Small businesses also noted drops in traffic to their sites from Google, which has traditionally delivered customers.   Lily Ray, vice president of SEO strategy & research at Amsive, a digital marketing agency, warned as early as last year that Google’s planned changes to search are “going to have a devastating impact on the Internet.”  “It will severely cut into the main source of revenue for most publishers and it will disincentivize content creators who rely on organic search traffic, which is millions of websites, maybe more,” she told Technology Magazine.  

[anarchopuppy]

noai.duckduckgo.com blocks all AI content in search results automatically

[katherinetheok]

This is why i switched to Duck Duck Go last year for my searches. They also let you block AI results in image searches, and the amount of slop it filters out when all i want to see is the skeletal structure of a horse or a specific varietal of cornflower (for fic reasons) is absolutely staggering. They have an AI supported version as well, but fuck that noise. Use the one @anarchopuppy mentioned.

DuckDuckGo - Protection. Privacy. Peace of mind.

The Internet privacy company that empowers you to seamlessly take control of your personal information online, without any tradeoffs.

[quinbi]

While it's good for users to switch, the issue that is being addressed in the article is more insidious and will effect even other search engine users:

Websites cost money to stay alive and especially to get new content - especially websites providing you information only, not selling something. That money comes from ads or other things determined by visitor metrics. Most people outside our anti AI bubble are not going to switch to another search engine. They mostly don't even know others exist. But if Google is depriving websites of the majority of that traffic, those websites can no longer get the revenue to stay up. Or maybe they earn enough to stay up, but don't get updated.

Not only is it harder to get to the information, it may start disappearing no matter what search engine you use.

Data farms drive up the cost of server space. This drives up the cost of hosting. Then your website isn't even earning the cost of your hosting. Websites don't just keep existing if someone isn't paying for the hosting. They disappear.

My industry is food blogs. As much as so many people love to hate on the "stories" and excess words, where are you going for your recipes if those sites (which are very expensive to host with all the pictures and video) don't exist? Do you have an entire shelf of cookbooks to cover all the recipes you may need? If the website isn't paying for itself and new content, there's no point or money to create IG or tiktok content. That's gone. It will be a few big producers and that's it. Say goodbye to the diversity of ideas and go back to only a few voices - mostly controlled by broader publishing networks.

If there is a website you like, start supporting it in other ways. Buy their cookbook, support a Patreon, get on their email list and buy their small item or digital course.

And shout to everyone you know about switching to other search engines and preventing more data centers.

[free-queer-books]

The End of Darkness by Shea Balik

Ryley Duggan resented his family for forcing him home on his twenty-first birthday to perform another stupid fire ritual, instead of letting him go out and get shit-faced like normal people his age. He’d never believed in the stories his grandmother told him about the reason behind what they were doing. That was, until he walked outside to the bonfire to see bloodcurdling creatures that no Hollywood studio had ever come close to replicating, killing his family. Since an early age, Eirik had one job, to protect the descendants of the one who’d cursed him and his friends. It hadn’t been what he’d ever imagined for his life, but after nearly a millennia Eirik had learned one thing, life never went as planned. Never had that been truer than when he’d rescued Ryley from certain death. Now the two must learn to work together to save humanity. Will all be lost? Or will they discover a way to heal their hearts by opening themselves up to love? WARNING: Unseelie monsters run amok in this story! PLEASE NOTE: Although each book in this series focuses on a single couple, the books should be read in order to fully enjoy the overall story arc.

This is Book 1 in the series, so the last note doesn't apply here specifically.

Promotion length: Likely permanent

Markets available: Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords

Link to book: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1285040

[vqueerbooks]

It's Mermay, but I kind of forgot about it for most of the month.

Anyhow, have three books about merpeople.

Catch and release by Isabel Murray

When the tides held the moon by Venessa Vida Kelly

Deep magic by Gillian St. Kevern

[vqueerbooks]

Fembot by E.M. Denning

Sometimes it’s just a case of the right book at the right time, and I feel like this was the case for me and Fembot. I was looking for something fun and stumbled upon it on Instagram. The cover is cute, and the blurb sounded like my kind of book, so I checked it out.

I do not regret reading it, because it was fun, but it is what I would call a snack book. One that you like in the moment but won’t remember much of in a few weeks.

Fembot is about a robot that is not like other robots. Due to a glitch while still in the factory, Calvin develops a personality and gains the ability to love.

The story isn’t particularly groundbreaking, but I enjoyed Calvin, Winston, and Lucky and their journey to falling in love. Something about the three of them I found very entertaining and charming.

That doesn’t mean that this book is perfect, far from it. Some characters are less than fleshed out, and especially Wiston’s father’s personality changes on what the plot needed it to be. Very inconsistent. The chapters with the scientist I didn’t enjoy either, and honestly they felt like filler material. The sex scenes were kinda meh too. I didn’t care for them, but other readers might think about them differently.

All in all, this is an enjoyable poly romance with a tiny sci-fi twist, and I recommend it to anyone who is between two heavier reads or just wants to have a good time.

[free-queer-books]

Into the Darkness Stuff Your Kindle - May 13-16, 2026

Into the Darkness | Indie Author Collective

A four-day event with free and discounted dark and/or mafia books!

Two books tagged with LGBTQIA+ representation are free in this event:

Ménage with the Devil by Jenni Simonis - MMF why choose (Amazon)

Deceiving Their Minds by Laiken Rhodes - group scenes with MM, MF, MMF, and MFM (Amazon)

[duckprintspress]

English isn’t even my 1st language! theme itch.io bundle

This month, we’ve joined this awesome bundle of 20 stories – all written in English! – whose authors don’t speak English as their native language. Our contribution is J. D. Rivers’s novella The Salt in the Sea; J. D.’s native language is German.

You can get these 20 tales for only $17 US! Check it out today.

[vqueerbooks]

Remember My Name by Rebecca Rathe

I seem to be destined to find all those currently popular 1K+ reviews books lacking. This one was again underwhelming, and I love rock star romance. Freaking love it.

The premise of this seemed interesting. Second-chance romance that started with a one-night stand years ago. Meeting again as adults, with careers that might make it hard to be together. Sounded like a good time to me.

The thing is that this is mostly sex. The character development is not really there. The story stumbles from one sexual encounter and dramatic scene into the next. It’s like clockwork, really. Sex, something bad and dramatic happens, more sex, something dramatic and bad happens, some more sex, and then drama and the grand gesture and the end (with more sex). Interspersed with lyrics…I’m gonna be honest here; I do not like lyrics in books. It feels weird and takes me out of the story. But that aside, the characters aren’t that interesting. Jesse  is a caricature of any famous rock star ever. Including the drug problems, the sex scandals, and the tortured soul.

Luc  is a bit more interesting as he’s still fighting his way to accepting his own sexual identity. But he, too, feels like your garden-variety football player who is afraid to end his career when he comes out. (Which is fair, to be honest, and once, only once, I would like to read a book where that really happens.)

After a while you get tired of it. Or, well, it might just be me, as this novel has nearly 2K ratings.

I will not read the second book in this series or anything else by the author.

[vqueerbooks]

Feeding the Grump by Jax Calder

This is a really short read, not even 100 pages, and that is why it’s on the forgettable side. It’s friends to lovers and also a slow burn, but we don’t get to experience either of those things. David and Benji  are neighbors and farmers, and while Benji is sure David is his one true love, David thinks he dislikes the man, but then one incident brings things into perspective for David. Things like him growing and bringing Beji vegetables he knows Benji will like. Things like Benji leaving him baked goods on his doorstep. So, David grows a pair and asks Benji out. From there they fall into bed, and it’s happily ever after.

There are no highs or lows in this novella. It’s just cuteness overload all around. And for some readers that might be enough, but it’s not for me.

The writing is, of course, good, and the characters are nice enough, but there is no real tension, there are no stakes, and so it left me somewhat cold.

Three stars.

[vqueerbooks]

Aporia by Seontae

This is one of my favorite webtoons. I’ve re-read it three times by now. And I’m not even someone who is especially into BDSM stories. But this one got me, and it got me good. The art is, of course, superb. The story unfolds nicely, and the tension between the main characters is excellent.

So what is this one about?

Goo Ja-Wook, a construction and remodeling planning manager, falls in lust at first sight with Yung Yeon, a VIP guest at a club he's visiting for business. They spent a passionate night together, and Goo Ja-Wook wants to see Yung Yeon again. What he doesn’t know at first is that Yung Yeon is into BDSM, and while Goo Ja-Wook is not, he says he’s willing to try because he wants to be with him.

Needless to say, things do not go as planned. Goo Ja-Wook doesn’t like pain, and when Yung Yeon finds out, things go south.

I really like how their relationship is handled here and how, once they talk to each other, they try to meet each other halfway. Because while Goo Ja-Wook doesn’t like pain, he doesn’t hate other aspects of BDSM. There is a lot of kink exploration in this comic. How the author deals with their feelings of insecurity and obsession is also interesting. There is some drama in the form of outside forces, but these two are total freaks for each other with mostly good communication, and that is super refreshing.

This is a great read for people who want to dip their toes into BDSM romance.