5 Queer Fiction Books To Snuggle Up With This Fall
There are many ways to go on an otherworldly adventure. Sometimes I do this by hiking through underground caverns, for example, and sometimes I pursue it by cozying up with a good book. As leaves fall and the season changes, it’s the perfect time to rest and renew. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t go on epic journeys with intriguing characters from the comfort of your own home. Grab your tea, as well as sweater that feels like a hug, and let’s get into this queer fiction reading list.
A Note On Consciously Purchasing Books
While these days it is easy to buy books through Amazon, there are so many reasons why you shouldn’t. Also, Amazon hurts authors. Before searching for a new copy of a book, why not do a little investigating and see if your local library already has it? If they don’t there’s a chance that they’re willing to order a copy that you can check out. Have a friend that you can borrow a copy from instead? Even better!
But if you decide to go the route of buying a book, try your best to source your books directly from the author, or independent book stores (like Firestorm – my favorite queer, vegan, anarchist bookstore) unless you are buying them second hand. In that case, I recommend ordering them from ThriftBooks. I’ve been using this platform for years to find pre-loved books, and unlike AbeBooks, it is not owned by Amazon.
1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
This book is first on the list because I’ve never read anything quite like it before. Set in a supercontinent referred to as the Stillness, we see through multiple different perspectives how characters navigate devastating cataclysms and other deadly weather events. This book is full of magic (not your typical wizards and witches though) and navigates political themes through creative fiction. Not only did Jemisin win The Hugo Award for Best Novel (among many others) for The Fifth Season, but she continued her award-winning writing by finishing the journey through the second and third book to complete this series, The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky.
This series can be purchased in person or online in Spanish or English through Firestorm Co-op. You can also find new and used copies on ThriftBooks here.
2. The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
This young adult fantasy novel should be at the top of anyone’s list who loves ocean magic, nonbinary pirates, and otherworldly mermaids. At the heart of this book is a queer love story that embraces character growth, gender fluidity, and epic adventure. Set in a world divided by colonialism, Evelyn Hasegawa seeks to escape her unwanted arranged marriage. The main characters must learn how to work together to overcome the challenges put in front of them by forces “wishing to control their identities a destinies.”
You can purchase The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea on ThriftBooks.
3. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
This was hands-down my favorite fiction book of all time, until I read The Broken Earth trilogy as mentioned at the beginning of this list. Now I’m split between the two. If you’re a fan of dragons (obviously), assassins, and lesbian queens this book is for you. Seen through the eyes of quirky, fiery, and daring characters, this captivating journey interweaves the stories of three powerful women who all set out to get exactly what they want: power, magic, romance, and more.
You can learn more about this feminist fiction work of art on Shannon’s website and browse through its multiple language translations. You can purchase The Priory of the Orange Tree in English or Spanish from Firestorm co-op or get it on ThriftBooks here.
4. Sentient by Jay VanLandingham
I’ve never related with a character so much until I read the book Sentient. Set in a dystopic future (that in many ways is not different from our own), we’re taken on a journey by three different characters with three different gender identities. All of our characters suffer from the knowledge of what happens to animals on factory farms and must navigate a landscape that was decimated by animal agriculture.
Bray is a young female who has an empathic connection to Alice, a pig trapped in a factory farm and headed to slaughter. As Alice gets weaker, so does Bray. Will she die when Alice dies, or can she save her? Bertan, another main character, is trying to save his family in Honduran while working in a slaughterhouse in the US. Lastly, Kage is a trans activist going up against powerful figures to find his family. He’ll stop at nothing, often risking the safety of his comrades. This is an enlightening story that shows the harms of animal agriculture and the joys of non-human animal/human connection through distinct lenses.
You can purchase Sentient and pre-order Jay’s second book that launches soon on Jay’s website. It can also be ordered from this queer & trans owned bookstore in Atlanta or DownBound Books in Ohio.
5. An Unkindness of Ghosts by River Solomon
Written by River Solomon, An Unkindness of Ghosts is set on a massive spaceship that has carried humanity away from a destroyed Earth for hundreds of years. But it didn’t leave the complex social issues of humans behind. This book explores segregation, prosperity, anger, colorism, gender, and more.
Connected to her deceased mother through her left-behind work and ongoing mysteries, the main character named Aster (lover of plants and making medicine) must work and fight alongside her comrades to get answers. In a review for NPR, Amal El-Mohtar writes: “This book is not an allegory for life on plantations: it’s a transposition, and through it an interrogation, an investigation, of the falsehoods and broken memories of a nightmare past. It drags up pervasive stereotypes of happy mammies and consenting love between slaver and enslaved and vivisects them, the dextrous voices of characters like Aint Melusine and Giselle deployed like scalpels to part the inflamed skin of bad history.”
You can order a used copy of this book on ThriftBooks here.
