With icy cold weather across the Midwest and an ongoing pandemic, there are plenty of reasons to stay inside this Valentine’s Day. Now is the perfect time to celebrate the season of love by getting into reading and supporting LGBTQ+ authors. As someone who has Googled “books with LGBTQ+ representation” too many times to count, here is a list of five books with LGBTQ+ relationships to help you celebrate this Valentine’s Day.
- ‘The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue’ by Mackenzi Lee
“The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue” is a fun romp in 1700s Europe through the eyes of Henry Montague (Monty), who needs a taste of reality. Faced with having to take over his father’s business upon returning from his last chaotic adventure while battling his feelings for his best friend, Monty determines that his next step is to have as much fun as possible before being trapped in his father’s shadow for the rest of his life. This book is captivating and sweet, and Lee does a fantastic job of turning a spoiled, rich kid into a lovable guy with a crush on his best friend.
- ‘The Song of Achilles’ by Madeline Miller
“The Song of Achilles” is more of a serious retelling of the events of “The Iliad,” with warrior demigod Achilles and his best friend Patroclus, a boy exiled to Achilles’s father’s kingdom. The book follows Patroclus as he grows up with Achilles and trails behind him into the Trojan War. It will warm and break your heart simultaneously, so make sure you have tissues available.
- ‘I’ll Give You the Sun’ by Jandy Nelson
“I’ll Give You the Sun” twists the narratives of twins Jude and Noah throughout the years, with their childhood being narrated by one twin and the present narrated by the other. As children, the twins were connected at the hip, but secrets, lies and heartbreak have torn them apart. This story depicts the love between siblings within a broken family, while also diving into the feelings of a gay main character. Although the LGBTQ+ relationship isn’t the main focus of this book, the familial love between the siblings captured my attention the entire read.
- ‘It’s Not Like It’s a Secret’ by Misa Sugiura
“It’s Not Like It’s a Secret” is possibly the most diverse novel on this list, with Sana, an Asian-American in high school, moving to a new town in California and struggling with feeling at home in her skin. She befriends Jamie, a beautiful and intelligent girl who Sana finds herself thinking about all the time. This book dives into topics of race, family and a teen girl’s newfound gay feelings.
- ‘Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe’ by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Closing off my recommendations, this award-winning novel follows young and angry Aristotle and soft spoken Dante after they meet each other at a swimming pool on a hot summer day in the ’80s. Another story with a diverse cast, as both main characters are Mexican-American, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” explores the characters’ different connections to their families. It also focuses on their developing friendship and relationship over the years in a beautiful and occasionally serious depiction of teen boys learning to find support in each other.
