Pride month, the time of year when every writer, reader, and booktoker with a tangential link to the LGBTQ+ community (and dreams of becoming a niche internet microcelebrity) comes out to celebrate. That’s not me though, my grifting is completely different for I, have a superiority complex.
When times get tough, I like to escape my troubles and stresses by reading about people going through far worse troubles and stresses. There’s a catharsis in knowing that, while I may be worrying about the pile of dirty clothes waiting to be washed, at least I haven’t discovered the return of moon-sized aliens sent to destroy humanity. I don’t think I could deal with that on a Tuesday.
There are some really great works of queer fiction out there and I think it’s important to amplify their voices. I know that when I was younger and struggling with my identity I could have really benefitted from having access to some of these books. I hope that, by making this list, I can help do that for some other little queer kids yearning to figure themselves out.
So here it is, a list of five Queer novel recommendations. Some of these are famous and you’ve likely already heard of them, some of them maybe you haven’t. Whether you have or not, maybe this will serve as inspiration to take that dusty edition off your bookshelf and actually get around to reading it.
Giovanni’s Room - James Baldwin
Starting it off with an oldie but a goodie. This classic novella by one of the most important figures of the late 20th century centres on an American man living in Paris as he struggles with his attraction to other men, particularly the Italian bartender Giovanni who he meets at a gay bar. It is a tragic story that shows the complexity of queer lives, especially in backgrounds where any deviance from heteronormativity was not only frowned upon but punished. As our protagonist struggles with the social alienation that following his desires leads to, he must choose between realising his truth and the safety that heterosexuality brings. Undercut with gorgeous writing that makes you feel every heartache and every moment of lust, Baldwin’s novel is a seminal piece of queer literature that absolutely should be populating your bookshelf.
Killing Jericho - William Hussey
Going from a classic entrenched in the literary canon to a recently published genre novel, Killing Jericho is an exquisite murder mystery with a gripping storyline that keeps you guessing right through to the very end. It follows Jericho, a disgraced DI living once again with his travelling circus family until a string of murders, recreating victims from a circus tragedy that includes his own ancestor, forces him back into action. Hussey expertly weaves plot threads, drawing on his own experience as a traveller to inform his traveller turned DI turned traveller again protagonist. It offers something new and exciting to the crime fiction world while staying believable. These are all grounded by the emotional throughline of Jericho’s reignited romance with his uni flame, Harry Moorhouse. An excellent novel for any fan of the crime genre.
Light from Uncommon Stars - Ryka Aoki
A violin teacher who made a deal with the devil, alien refugees, a runaway child, it’s easy to think that’s simply too much for one book to handle. You’d be wrong. Ryka’s novel is a masterclass in storytelling, expertly balancing the storylines of its three central protagonists with ease. The book follows Shizuka Satomi, a former violin prodigy who needs to trade one last soul to the devil before she can realise her dream of playing once more, Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender woman who runs away from her abusive home with her violin to be her authentic self, and Lan Tran, a starship captain come doughnut shop owner who has brought her family to earth to escape war and a deadly plague. This novel is fresh, vibrant, exciting, it reminds the reader of what the genre of speculative fiction can truly achieve. Aoki’s background as a poet shines through with lines of gutwrenching beauty and emotion littered throughout.
Goodbye to Berlin - Christopher Isherwood
The book that inspired Cabaret. Perfect for any fans of the musical, whether you prefer Joel Gray or Alan Cumming. It is based on Isherwood’s life in Berlin during the late 1920s and early 30s, chronicling the waning years of the Weimar government as it slips into fascism. This novel expertly balances the line between the irreverent satire that Isherwood is famous for and haunting portrayals of a society in decline. With stark portrayals of the abject poverty that characterised the Weimar era as well as the vibrant counterculture that fostered in it, reading this book feels like walking through a snapshot of a bygone era. The themes this book contains, warnings against the rise of fascism, the things that desperate people are capable of, and the dangers of sitting idly by against the forces of evil are as important today as they were in 1939 when the book was published.
While England Sleeps - David Leavitt
This book feels like an excellent companion to Isherwood. At times it feels like parts of it were indeed inspired by Isherwood and his experience trying to help his lover escape Nazi conscription. The novel tells the story of Brian Botsford, an upper class amateur novelist, and his relationship with Edward Phelan, a working class communist. While the civil war in Spain intensifies, their relationship is challenged with Edward’s desire to fight for his beliefs butting heads against Brian’s ambivalence toward anything that isn’t pursuing sex with men and begging for money. There is a certain frankness to the writing style that lends itself amazingly to this type of narrative. Leavitt does not shy away from the uglier details of the gay subculture of the time nor of the realities of the Spanish Civil War. This frankness is what makes it such a gripping tale. You are presented with reality, warts and all, and in seeing it you are engrossed..
So those are my recommendations, have you read any of them? What were your thoughts? Have you been inspired to pick up any of them? Or perhaps you have your own recommendations you’d like to throw into the mix. Let me know, and live with pride!