BOOKS

Our Favorite Queer Books!

‘The Confessions of Frannie Langton’ by Sara Collins

‘The Confessions of Frannie Langton’ by Sara Collins begins in the Old Bailey in London in 1826. Frances, also known as Frannie or Fran, is on trial for the murder of George and Marguerite Benham. While in jail, she writes down her story from her childhood onward. Born at the turn of the century in Jamaica, Frances used to be the enslaved housemaid of John and Miss-bella Langton on Paradise. Until one day, Langton took her to London and ‘gave’ her to George Benham.

1 min read

‘Patternmaster’ by Octavia E. Butler

‘Patternmaster’ by Octavia E. Butler is the final book in her Patternist series but also works as a standalone novel. Set some hundred years in the future, the story takes place in a world divided into three groups: Patternists, who are telepaths connected to each other through the pattern; Clayarks, who are animal-like descendants of humans carrying a highly infectious disease; and mutes, who are humans without telepathic abilities.

1 min read

‘Red at the Bone’ by Jacqueline Woodson

‘Red at the Bone’ by Jacqueline Woodson begins with Melody’s formal introduction to society in 2001. The story is told through nonlinear narratives from multiple points of view, including flashbacks on the day of her introduction. However, the last few chapters tell the story of what happens afterward.

1 min read

‘The Final Revival of Opal & Nev’ by Dawnie Walton

‘The Final Revival of Opal & Nev’ by Dawnie Walton is set in the 1970s and the mid-2010s. Written like an oral history, it chronicles the musical journey of the unlikely punk duo, Opal and Nev. A few weeks after finishing ‘Utopia Avenue’ by David Mitchell, I stumbled upon this book and simply had to read it. I had unfair expectations of this book that it did not meet. But I’m glad it didn’t. Opal & Nev is its own story, and it's good!

1 min read

‘The Sentence’ by Louise Erdrich

Set in Minneapolis, ‘The Sentence’ by Louise Erdrich is about incarceration, ghosts, bookstores, the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter, community, drug abuse, and the battles we face. While most of the book takes place in 2019 and 2020, it begins earlier with Tookie’s time in prison and the reasons for her incarceration. After her release, she starts working at an independent bookstore with a surprising boss, which is haunted by Flora, a wannabe (!) Native American who d

1 min read

‘The Death of Vivek Oji’ by Akwaeke Emezi

Vivek is dead. And no one seems to know what happened. ‘The Death of Vivek Oji’ by Akwaeke Emezi is set in Nigeria and tells the story of Vivek’s life and death through a chorus of voices—family, friends, lovers. It is a story about gender identity, queerness, friendship, community, and the constraints of silence and shame.

1 min read

Cover of ‘Black Boy Out of Time: A Memoir’ by Hari Ziyad.

‘Black Boy Out of Time’ by Hari Ziyad

‘Black Boy Out of Time: A Memoir’ by Hari Ziyad is labeled a memoir, but it is so much more—a powerful blend of personal narrative, social critique, and healing. Through alternating chapters, Ziyad shares their lived experience as a queer Black person, while weaving in the histories and struggles of other Black individuals.

1 min read