10 Queer Books That Defined 2023 (So Far)
These new releases offer a snapshot of the state of queer books right now.
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I originally wanted to put together a list of the best queer books of 2023 so far, but that would just be my favorite queer reads of the first half of the year. (If you’re curious, here are my favorite sapphic books of the year so far.) So I decided to go in a different direction. This isn’t a list of the best, my favorite, or the top-selling queer books of the year. Instead, each of these is emblematic of what I see as notable moments happening in the queer book world.
Let’s take a look at the books out in the first half of 2023 that tell us something about the state of queer books right now. This is going to be biased: I can only speak from my own perspective of writing about queer (mostly sapphic) books for the past dozen years and which trends I’m seeing. I’d love to hear which books you would choose for a list like this!
Homebodies by Tembe Denton-Hurst
This book got a lot of buzz this year, partly because it speaks to a broader conversation happening about working conditions for writers — whether in publishing, online media, or TV/movies. What gives Homebodies depth is that it explores this topic through the intersections of being a queer Black woman in that space. I recommend reading Denton-Hurst’s essay “It Doesn’t Matter If We Behave” for more!
Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy
This chain-smoking tattooed queer nun was immediately iconic — just look at that cover. This title got a ton of attention from both mainstream and queer media, which demonstrates that flawed and complicated main characters in queer books have more reach now than in previous years. This is the first book in the Gillian Flynn imprint, and as we’ll see with another book on this list, more queer books are getting promoted by big-name mainstream authors now, which is a little victory to celebrate.
Chlorine by Jade Song
Not only are we seeing more complicated, flawed queer characters in mainstream publishing (like in Big Swiss by Jen Beagin), we’re also seeing more complicated and weird queer books! This has been true for decades in indie- and self-publishing, but I’ve noticed more willingness from the Big Five publishers to put out genre-defying complex queer lit. Like Chlorine, a coming-of-age story meets horror novel about a queer teen who’s obsessive about swimming and will stop at nothing to follow her mermaid dreams. Or Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns, a satirical take on Taxi Driver with a queer Brown main character.
The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
Dovetailing nicely from that last book, we have this genre mashup of a queer novella. This is a sapphic Sherlock Holmes/Watson story, but set on Jupiter. These sort of genre-blending, category-defying queer book releases are another development I’m noticing in mainstream publishing recently. It’s worth noting that Tor.com has been at the forefront of publishing interesting, weird, and wonderful queer SFF.
Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky
A genre I’ve seen gaining ground in queer lit is horror. Where a few years ago, there was pressure for queer books to be purely escapist, the popularity of things like Fear Street has shown you can have horror with queer characters that doesn’t vilify queer people. Boys Weekend, about a trans women attending a bachelor party gone very wrong, is one example of the exciting queer horror books coming out this year. You’re Not Supposed To Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron is another. Unfortunately, Boys Weekend is also an example of something that’s really missing from queer new releases: books by and/or about trans fem people and trans women.
Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
This book speaks to a changing attitude towards queer identity, especially bisexuality, in fiction. Imogen did not “always know” she was queer. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Imogen, Obviously looks at how queer discourse goes wrong, and how messy and confusing identity can be. It’s also impossible to read without thinking about Becky Albertalli’s own coming out story under public pressure, which speaks to the state of queer discourse online today.
Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa
It’s been a long road to get to the point where the Big Five publishers recognize that intersectionality exists and that their audience can handle reading about queer people who also have other things going on in their lives. For example, Ander & Santi Were Here, which is about a nonbinary Mexican American teen, Ander, who falls for Santi, a waiter at their family’s taqueria. They help each other to feel at home — until Santi is taken away by ICE. YA has been at the forefront of intersectional queer stories like this one, though there is still a long way to go in being truly representative of the diversity of queer stories.
Friday I'm in Love by Camryn Garrett
First off, this cover is iconic. This is about Mahalia holding a blowout coming out party in lieu of a Sweet Sixteen. We’re finally starting to get more books celebrating being queer, and this one also reflects a shift towards books about Black joy. Seeing a Black queer girl in a fun romcom story (and a glorious rainbow dress) shows the hard-won progress of queer Black representation on the page.
The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
It’s hard to overstate the significance of this release on queer kidlit. Percy Jackson is a huge, active franchise. It’s included queer characters before, but this is the first one to star a queer character, and Riordan brought on the excellent queer author Mark Oshiro to co-write it. It’s a big leap forward in mainstream queer kidlit, and it’s topped the kids’ bestseller lists for many weeks.
Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest To Track Down The Last Remaining Lesbian Bars In America by Krista Burton
This one I included not just because I love this title, but because it includes discussions about how we think about queer spaces right now. What is a lesbian bar? Who is welcome there? It also captures an interesting moment in queer culture, because we’re now seeing more lesbian bars opening after so many shut down. What does the future hold?
This is far from a comprehensive list, so I would love to hear your thoughts! I recognize this list is mostly sapphic books, which is my expertise — but it’s also worth noting that more sapphic books are being published now than in previous years.
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That's it for me this week! Until next time, you can find me at my sapphic book blog the Lesbrary and (sigh) Twitter. You can also hear me on All the Books or you can read my Book Riot posts.
Happy reading!
Danika