9 Books That Centre On Queer Joy

Let these books brighten up your summer. Sponsored by Amazon Books. Created by BuzzFeed Editors

The number of queer stories being told in literature has gone up exponentially in recent years, as it should. But we can always use more queer rep, and not just the heavy stuff – sometimes you just want some classic joyful, fluffy, happy-ending queer storytelling. And when it comes to queer joy, these nine books don’t disappoint.

1. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Knopf Books for Young Readers

This book is one of Levithan’s lesser-known works, and IMO it’s highly underrated. Levithan’s debut novel features a high school that turns the usual tropes on their head – the homecoming queen and star quarterback is a trans girl named Infinite Darlene – and a cute love story about sophomore Paul trying to win the heart of the guy of his dreams, new boy Noah. Super upbeat and full of fluff, this novel is great if you want to escape to a world of pure joy and acceptance with some romantic drama thrown in. Check out Levithan’s other books while you’re at it – his work includes a huge cast of queer characters. 

2. They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

HarperTeen

The title sounds sad, but it’s actually a sweet story. It’s set in a world where a company called Death-Cast knows when you’re gonna die, calling up on your End Day to tell you you’ll be gone sometime in the next 24 hours. As gloomy as it seems, that call prompts two boys to come together to try and make a final friend and enjoy the time they have left. They set out to experience a lifetime in a day and become way closer than they expected (i.e. romance!). This one is next on my TBR list, so no spoilers!  

3. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Alice Oseman

Now, we can’t discuss queer joy without mentioning graphic-novel Heartstopper. The series gained attention after its wonderful Netflix adaptation and the friends-to-lovers storyline will give you a true burst of warm fuzzy feelings. Charlie is an out gay guy with a crush on popular rugby player Nick, who couldn’t possibly like him back, right? But as the two become friends and grow closer, Nick starts to question his own sexuality and realises that he has feelings for Charlie too. It’s all incredibly wholesome and sweet, and I definitely recommend the Netflix series too! 

4. Hani and Ishu’s Guide To Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

Hodder & Stoughton

The classic fake-dating-to-real-feelings trope gets a queer twist with this YA book from Bangladeshi-Irish author Adiba Jaigirdar. The main characters are polar opposites – popular girl Hani and academic overachiever Ishu. But when Hani comes out as bi to her friends, they claim she can’t be since she’s only dated guys, so she panics and claims she’s dating Ishu. Ishu meanwhile, is trying to be elected head girl so goes along with the ruse on the condition that Hani helps her become more popular. Classic fake dating hijinks ensue, weaved in with issues of identity, familial relationships, and biphobia. 

5. Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

Duet Books

A twist on the superhero trope with added queer rep and a Chinese-Vietnamese main character to boot, Not Your Sidekick tells the story of Jess, who gets an internship with a supervillain to beef up her college applications and spite her superhero parents all at once. On a more positive note, Jess gets to work with popular girl Abby, who she’s had a crush on forever. She also starts developing feelings for the mysterious M, a fellow intern who is conveniently never in the same place as Abby. A cute f/f romance develops against a backdrop of a nefarious plot that Jess uncovers.

6. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

Hamish Hamilton

Evaristo won the 2019 Booker Prize for this novel charting the lives of 12 mostly Black and female characters living in modern Britain, whose lives are subtly interconnected. This book deals with some heavy topics (including racism and sexual violence) but these help paint a realistic portrait of the range of characters in its intertwined stories. The characters often muse about the fluidity of sexuality and gender too, with lesbians, polyamorous relationships, and non-binary identity all featuring in the narrative. Ultimately the novel is a display of how every experience is unique even when people share similar identities.  

7. Love Is for Losers by Wibke Brueggemann

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Sarcastic and pessimistic 15-year-old Phoebe thinks falling in love is downright stupid. She’s mad that her best friend has basically abandoned her for a boy and thinks marrying yourself would be better than falling for someone else. But when she starts volunteering at a thrift shop, she finds her theory being tested and thoroughly disproven after she meets 16-year-old Emma. Phoebe comes to realise that pushing people away might not be the best way of doing things, and a classic slow burn romance plays out. 

8. If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho by Sappho and Anne Carson

Virago

This is a collection of all Sappho’s surviving works, translated by poet and classicist Anne Carson. Not much is known about Sappho’s life, but the few fragments we have of her work are so influential that they’ve been beloved for thousands of years. Sappho wrote so freely and casually about her desire for women that she had a lasting impact on both history and her contemporaries, with ancient and modern writers alike praising her work. In fact, the word “lesbian” comes from her home, the island of Lesbos, and “sapphic” comes from her name.  

9. Proud by various authors and edited by Juno Dawson

Stripes

So including an anthology as one book might be cheating a little, but this collection of short stories and poems on the topic of pride is a great way to sample the work of a whole bunch of queer writers, all in one place. If you want to discover new writers or read something from your existing faves, all accompanied by lovely illustrations, this anthology has it all. Contributors include Alice Oseman, David Levithan, Dean Atta, and many more.  

Let us know what you'll be reading first in the comments below!