I must also recommend “They Both Die At The End” by Adam Silvera and “I’ll Give You The Sun” by Jandy Nelson. Oh, and also “Carry On” by Rainbow Rowell. And “We Are Okay” by Nina LaCour. All fantastic books.
The Magnus chase series has a I believe genderfluid character and I love them so much! I think they’re introduced in the second book but their character is great. The Magnus chase series has a lot of representation. Between deaf, Muslim, genderfluid, Gay, etc characters everyone feels included
It’s so awesome that even though you aren’t a member of the LQBTQIAP+ community you’re self you still support and spread the word about the community. Love you Emma Edit: Thank you for mentioning ace/aro characters in this video. Our part of the community is not mentioned very often.
@@emmmabooks hahaha I never thought you'd see this comment 😂💙 thankyou emma! You inspire me and I hope one day I'll be able to come out to my family and friends too 💙
Three amazing LGBT+ books are: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe The Dangerous Art of Blending In
Another underrated LGBTQ+ Fantasy book rec: Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova. Latinx Bisexual main character, about a girl in a family of brujas (witches) who tries to cast a spell to rid herself of her power but accidentally sends her family to another realm in doing so. Thank you so much for this video!!! 💕
I love this !! There are so many underrated LGBTQIA+ books. I am definitely putting The Nowhere Girls higher up on my TBR. It sounds so good! I haven't read many books where the main character is a lesbian. So, thank you for including them! And thank you for the mention!
it's so great! OMG I KNOW RIGHT? i feel like almost all wlw in ya are bisexual, which is great because bi rep! but for some reason it's really hard to think of books where the mc is canonically a lesbian! of course sweetie
MORE Underrated books: The Lighting Struck Heart series by Tj Klune Other books by Tj Klune which are Own Voices The Foxhole Court series by Nora Sakavik The Captive Prince series by C.S Pacat Luck In The Shadows series by Lynn Flewelling
The nowhere girls and girl made of stars sounds actually amazing, adding it to my endless TBR. And your outfit is giving such summer/ pride vibes yesss
I always look forward to your uploads Emma. Not just because I know it will leave me with a lot of books to put on my to-read list since you always recommend some very awesome sounding books. But also because I just enjoy watching your videos. You seem like such a kindhearted and nice person and I hate the fact that I'm not from the US so my chances of ever seeing and meeting you at a bookcon or bookexpo are 0. Just wanted to let you know that you are my favorite booktuber and I really appreciate all the hard work that you put in your videos.
I always love getting recommended new LGBTQIA+ books. Because as a bisexual woman, i always try to find books with it. Well i do now, because when i was younger it wasn't really a thing i seeked out. i just picked the books i found interesting. :)
Always looking for videos like this since I am also investing in reading books with diverse characters. You can never have enough diverse books and your top is amazing!
THIS KIND OF VIDEO IS MY JAM. And I'm more than happy to oblige with recommendations for some obscure LGBT+ non-contemporary books. Gotta always mention that *Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak* is perhaps my favourite book of all time. It's about a boy called Aidan Lockwood who is just kind of drifting through life until his best childhood friend Jarrod moves back to their hometown. Jarrod knows things about Aidan's past that Aidan doesn't remember, but definitely should, such as being able to see apparitions like a strange man in black that no one else can see. Aidan and Jarrod team up to try and get Aidan's memories back, and along the way they uncover the secret history of the Lockwood family. I believe it's own voices for gay representation. There's also *The Cat in the Cradle, and the sequel, From Darkness to Darkness, by Jay Bell,* author of the fairly popular Something Like... series. The Cat in the Cradle follows Dylan, son of the Blue Oligarch, one of the magical rulers of their world. The Oligarchs are being assassinated, and their sources of power, crystals called Lokas, are being stolen. The Blue Oligarch gives Dylan his Loka, and sends him away to stay with the Red Oligarch, Tyjinn, to protect both Dylan and the Loka. Things don't exactly go to plan. The second book follows the story of a boy named Cole dealing with the death of his boyfriend, as well as his responsibilities as the new Black Oligarch - the Oligarch of Death, as well as continuing Dylan and Tyjinn's story. These books are also own voices for gay representation. One of my new favourite books is *City of Strife by Claudie Arsenault* which is set in this city called Isandor. Isandor is currently being fought over by it's liberal houses and the oppressive might of the Myrian Empire. Some of the main characters are: Diel, the leader of the resistance against the Myrians, Hasryan, a man who works as an assassin for Brune, a well-known criminal kingpin of Isandor, Larryn, who runs a homeless shelter for those left behind by Isandor's extravagant lifestyle, Varden, a priest of the fire god of the Myrians, who is a member of a race they despise and also hiding the fact that he is gay in a society that will kill him for it, Nevian, beleaguered apprentice of the cruel and ruthless leader of the Myrian enclave, and Arathiel, a lord from a bygone era of Isandor who has spent centuries trapped in a timeless place, and has lost all ability to feel touch or pain. Practically every character is LGBT+ in some way, even some of the villains. Diel is life-partners with a man, Hasryan and Arathiel both seem to have some attraction to men, Larryn and Nevian are asexual, and Varden, as previously mentioned, is gay. There's also non-binary characters, genderfluid characters, lesbian characters and trans characters, and probably others I can't remember. It's amazing. I know that Claudie Arsenault is LGBT+ in some way, but I don't know exactly how they identify. So it's own voices in some way, but I don't know how. Then there's *Timekeeper by Tara Sim.* Timekeeper is about a steampunk Victorian England where time is controlled by magic clock towers, and their mechanics. The main character is a clock mechanic called Danny Heart, the youngest clock mechanic ever. Danny's father is trapped in a town where time has stopped, so Danny has to prove himself worthy of joining the project to build a new clock tower, and set the stopped town free. Unfortunately, Danny was in an accident, and is suffering from some level of PTSD, which makes the lead mechanic hesitant to trust him with any responsibility. Danny is assigned to Colton tower in Enfield, where he falls in love with a clock spirit, which is illegal. Meanwhile, terrorists are bombing clock towers for an unknown reason. Obviously it's not own voices for the gay representation, but it is own voices for mixed race representation, which becomes very significant in the second book. *The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic by F. T. Lukens* is about a boy called Bridger Whitt, who unwittingly becomes the apprentice of a mage who mediates between the magical and non-magical worlds. Bridger has to learn to deal with magical creatures, while also dealing with his crush on the incredibly popular football player at his school, and his neighbour, Leo. It's fun and adorable, but really nails the emotional beats when it needs to. The Shattered Gates by Ginn Hale is about a man called John who steals a key intended for his roommate Kyle out of frustration at Kyle's continued disappearances. This turns out to be a mistake, as Kyle is really Kahlil, an otherworldly warrior who is in our world hunting the Rifter, a malevolent and destructive god. The characters and worldbuilding are to die for. John and Kahlil are both gay, as is at least one other character (who may or may not be the same person as Kahlil (there's time shenanigans involved)). And finally we have *The House of Mountfathom by Nigel McDowell.* Set in the Irish Civil War, it follows the story of Luke Mountfathom, son of the most powerful mages in Ireland, who are secretly assisting the Irish rebels against the English forces. Luke is something of a prodigy, and possibly destined to be as powerful as his parents. Luke has a very close relationship with a boy throughout the book, and while it's never confirmed to be romantic, they hold hands and sleep in the same bed, so I think that's pretty clearly what the author intended to portray. Sadly Nigel McDowell passed away soon after writing Mountfathom, so we will never no for certain. Regardless, it's an incredible book, despite a slightly disappointing conclusion.
I read The Nowhere Girls earlier this year and it became one of my faves! I also would like to recommend Far From You by Tess Sharpe as an underrated read. It’s a mystery book and has own voices bisexual representation.
Thanks for this great video and great recs, Emma! Let's Talk About Love is own voices for asexual rep, but I'm unsure about the biromantic rep. Just wanted to share!
I can't believe I started watching your videos over 2 years ago. You have always been a great person but you are consistently someone I look up to. I was in a bad place before I found booktube and you are a HUGE reason I got invested in it. (I loved that you were so into TSC) because I am too. Keep doing you and being the ray of sunshine that you are.
OH MY!!! I cannot wait to get around to Anger Is a Gift very soon. Also really want to read Girl Made of Stars but didn’t realise there was LGBTQ+ rep in there, so even more reason for me to get myself a copy. I’ve not been a part of the BookTube community for long at all, I have found to be so easy to be open about my sexuality and am so thankful about how accepting everyone is and that so many videos like this exist. So thank you so much for all the recommendations and for shouting out some LGBTQ+ booktubers! Hope you’re having a wonderful Pride Month. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
Wow, I’ve never heard of Paperweight. I also went through treatment for an eating disorder and I’ve always been intrigued by the literature out there. I’ll definitely be adding it to a future TBR
I love this video! I need to push some of these higher on my tbr. Some of my underrated faves are Radio Silence, I was born for this and Heartstopper (comic) all of these are by Alice Oseman, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee, Not your sidekick by C.B. Lee, Time 'keeper by Tara Sim
You always recommend such interesting books and I wish I had all the time to read them all! I was not sure about The Last to Let Go but your blurb about it makes me want to read it. I enjoyed her other book The Way I Used To Be, so maybe I should just get to reading it already. Anger is a Gift sounds SOOO GOOD!!!! Also, I bought Girl Made of Stars last week and I am stoked to read it! I also have Let's Talk About Live from the library, so I'm going to be picking that up ASAP!
Thanks so much for recommending me and including me ❤️ I love your tie dye top! And omg Little And Lion is a book I’ve been meaning to get and read! I need to!!!!
I really loved this video! I love your top 💕 I am so curious about The Nowhere Girls, Anger is a Gift and Girl Made of Stars and I cannot wait to read them soon 😍
“The Seven Ways we Lie” is also a really good book with LGBTQ+ characters and a good plot. It’s a mystery novel and one of the characters is pan and the other is ace. These two characters also have a really good friendship so far, I haven’t finished it, and all the characters are based of the 7 deadly sins.
YOUR SHIRT!!! YAAASSS!!! i read paperweight bc of you and it did things to me!! it was such a good book and it impacted me and i related to stevie in ways i did not know where possible. thank you for shouting out this book. the nowhere girls sounds straight up my alley!!! i need to read it!!! anger is a gift, girl made of stars, little and lion, and let's talk about love are books that have been on my tbr from the moment they came out. i need to check them all out ASAP!!
I haven’t read any of these books but wow I really should! All of them have definitely caught my eye! The one thing I have to say about Let’s Talk About Love is that I heard there is a line in the book that really is against aromantics. Saying that everyone needs to fall in love. I would probably still read the book but I would like for everyone to keep that in mind. Great video! Your recommendation videos are always spot on!
Paperweight sounds really interesting, I have eating disorder problems and reading about them makes me feel better for some reason. I might get the book soon. Thank you 😊 PS. You look lovely as always 🦋
Ahh I had absolutely no idea that there was so much substance to The Nowhere Girls! Definitely going to pick it up now, it sounds right up my street! X
I love your book recommendation videos! I picked up the nowhere girls recently because you're always saying how amazing it is, I can't wait to read it!
I'm totally going to read all of these. You should read The Flywheel by Erin Gough, it's about a seventeen year old lesbian who's trying to save her family cafe from closing, she's totally in love with this girl Rosa, but doesn't know how to tell Rosa, and there's also this subplot which I won't spoil with her best friend Charlie. It's seriously underrated.
I've added so many of these books to my "to be read" list. I'm always looking for books with diverse characters in them, because it's something I haven't seen enough of. I'm blown away by the amount of ace representation you've managed to find, and that's really something that makes me want to read those books, because I myself fall on the ace spectrum, and I have yet to actually read a book with an ace character. I just want to thank you so much for making a point of putting these books with diverse representation out there, because it's important for people, teens like myself especially, to see more diverse characters.
I read paperweight based on your recommendation in february, and it was such an eye opening, amazing book!! I take most of your recommendations on what to read next, and you have never steered me wrong! Cant wait to pick up some of these books and give them a try!
Thanks for the great recommendations! I personally would recommend Far From You. It has an interesting investigation story line and the main character is bisexual. Great read!
I think, I really want to read Paper Wight. REALLY want to read The Nowhere Girls and The Last To Let Go after I watched your review! (Even when I don't know if you really did a review for The Last To Let Go or if I imagined it):D LOVED Daughter Of The Burning City and really liked Ace Of Shades as well and can't wait to read the next one!! The Blood Between Us sounds really interesting^^
You look so bright that the rainbow looks grey.💚💙💛💜💗 P.s you may not remember me but in your second to last video i said sythe was on my tbr but now i read it and it was AMAZING!!!
YES THANK YOU BEAUTIFUL paperweight is legit one of the best books i've ever read but OMG I FORGOT THE LGBTQ ASPECT WUT your top is so freaking cute i WANT girl made of stars love thisssss
yeahhhh im going to add all of the books you mentioned to my tbr lol but i definitely want to read the nowhere girls and girls made of stars sometimes this year because they both sound amazing!!
Anger is a Gift and Little Lion sound so awesome. I CANT WAIT TO READ ALL THE BOOKS YOU RECCOMENDED THANK YOU SO MUCHHH EMMA FOR ALL THE BOOK AND CHANNEL RECS💖💛💙
One of my favourite lgbtq+ books I’ve read this year is 27 hours. God I loved that book so much😍 it’s a ya sci-fi that takes place in the future, would definitely recommend checking it out!
I loved this video! Thank you so much for making it! Also, Valley Girls by Sarah Nicole Lemon has a main character with a lesbian sister and polyamorous parents (which I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ya book talk about polyamory).
I'm currently reading The Six of Crows and so far I am L I V I N G for the diversity. Daughter of the Burning City based on what you said sounds like just my cup of tea! I have The Raven Boys lined up after I'm done with Soc, but I'll probably pick that one up after that! So hyped!
i really just wanna suggest this to someone, so even though you didn’t ask for it, imma suggest a book. it’s called ‘date me, bryson keller’ and it was such a cute gay romance book and i read it in a day!
Thanks so much! I have so many new books to read. Idk if anyone has suggested this or if it’s another one of your vids but All For The Game by Nora Sakavic is sooooo good and touches a lot of abuse trauma. It’s diversity is so amazing. Characters of color, gay characters, demi characters, feminism. It’s just freaking amazing and I’m obsessed with the series.
Thank you so much for posting this! I was actually wondering if you know of any books featuring transmen characters. I recently came out and ive been wanting to read a book featuring a transman character but unfortunately, ive found myself only finding transwomen main characters. If you have any recommendations, please let me know!
For fantasy I would recommend the Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling. I've only read the first book in the series and just from the first book you maybe wouldn't guess but the two main characters (who are both male) end up falling in love and building a relationship along the story just like any other straight couple in a fantasy series. I haven't reached that part yet but so far I love the world, the characters and everything in between. It's such an underrated series tho... I swear I haven't heard anyone talking about it on booktube ever! I might only have read the first book yet (to which I gave 5 stars) but I know this is going to be one of my favorite series ever.
I may or may not have just made a list with every single one of the books you just mentioned bc I have no self-control. I also just came out to my best friends as gay and I’ve been looking for LGBT books for so long so thanks💕💕 oh and you look amazing as always😘
I literally love Emma so much cuz of this. She drops 20 min long vids celebrating people who are just like me. And recommends such good books and is always honest(even if she doesn’t like it). Emma thank u so much u make my queer heart swell with pride when u drop these recommendations.
My favourite lgbt+ books are Leah on the offbeat by Becky Abertralli (Love Simon sequel), her name in the sky by Kelly Quindlen, the song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, the Magnus Chase series by Rick Riordan, Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Sàenz and What if it’s us by Becky Abertralli and Adam Silvera
Thank you for all these recommendations. 🏳️🌈Definitely going to pick up some of these. :) I would love to recommend Seahorse by Janice Pariat. It's an Adult Contemporary Fiction written by an Indian author. Nem, a literature student, starts a relationship with Nicholas, who is a guest lecturer visiting his college. But one day, Nicholas disappears without leaving behind any trail for Nem to follow.The characters are as real as they can be and do not attach labels to their sexuality. They are not white or black but lead grey.
You should really try out Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe. It is hands down my favourite read of all time and it just makes you feel fluffy and warm inside. It's about 2 best friends who grew up together...one knows that he is gay and likes the other friend but the other friend is pretty sure that he is straight. This book is about how their life changes as they grow up and how they come to realise what they mean to each other. It's an emotional rolercoater ❤
I just read ship it by britta lundin not that long ago and really enjoyed it!! There's a black panromantic love interest and an f/f romance and the MC doesn't really label herself and its just a really fun story about lgbt+ representation that i definitely reccommend picking up! Symptoms of being human by jeff garvin features a genderfluid MC i personally really connected with this book and felt really understood and represented while reading it as a nonbinary person and at the time of reading it i was figuring out my gender identity (still am technically, things change all the time and i'm constantly learning new things about myself) and it just meant a lot to me
I loved symptoms of being human but ship it made me uncomfortable with all the talk about incestous Jonas brothers fan fiction and real person shipping...
Yo as someone from Australia, can i recommend Night Swimming by Steph Bowe? It's quite good and the main character is a lesbian and she has a crush on this new girl who just moved into town. Also i love all the books by Malinda Lo (especially Huntress) and Sara Farizan (especially If You Could Be Mine which tells the tale of a queer girl living in the middle east)
Hey Emma great video. Question for you on a separate topic. As someone who has never read Cassandra Claire’s book I am intimidated by how many there are and where to start. This may be a good video topic. Like a beginners guide.
One book that I really reccomend is Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky! It's main character is a closested trans girl in the 6th grade. She is a loner at school and things take a turn for the worst when she gets the role of Persephone in the school play
I really like paperweight and I hope to pick it up soon😁 if you were unaware I am FtM Transgender, pansexual, and my boyfriend is also FtM. And of course you look as beautiful as always Emma 💗
you should definitely check out Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz!! it’s such a good read and i finish it within a day every time i read it!❤️❤️
"Every school has this edgy lesbian"
Me: my school doesn't have one... ouuh
There's two in my school owo
maybe you are the edgy lesbian
Bro I love your pfp he's so soft lmak
I go to an all girls school ands its pretty much a bunch of pretty, straight girls
@@cnemborong385 maybe we're all the edgy Lesbian 🥲
I'm asexual and let me tell you it is so hard to find books with that rep that isn't 'asexual meets boy/girl and isn't asexual anymore'
Ghost Toast I don't really remember but I'm pretty sure that in The mortual instruments, Raphael stays asexual 'til the end ;)
Dk Do yeah I’m pretty sure as well but they ruined that in the tv show with Raphael and Izzy
Elly Coco Wait, what?? I'm only on season 1, but he ends up with Izzy? Why??
no actually, they dont ruin it, raphael tells izzy hes asexual, i cant remember if he says the word explicitly but the point is there and very obvious
Fuck yes!!! It's infuriating!!!! Like, my sexuality doesn't change from one person to another!
I could actually listen to her talk forever she’s so captivating
awh you are too kind!! xx
ARISTOTLE AND DENTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE AND GENTLMANS GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE
Elliot Is Peculiar OMG YASSSS
Plus the sequel to the Gentalman’s guide to vice and virtue follows his asexual sister Felicity who dreams of becoming a doctor
i would want to recommend autoboyography too. 😊
ist the gentlemans guide a series? like if you buy the first book you have to buy the others?
I must also recommend “They Both Die At The End” by Adam Silvera and “I’ll Give You The Sun” by Jandy Nelson. Oh, and also “Carry On” by Rainbow Rowell. And “We Are Okay” by Nina LaCour. All fantastic books.
The Magnus chase series has a I believe genderfluid character and I love them so much! I think they’re introduced in the second book but their character is great. The Magnus chase series has a lot of representation. Between deaf, Muslim, genderfluid, Gay, etc characters everyone feels included
Sara Skaggs Yeah you're right there's a gender fluid main character in it x
ah i loved book one! i definitely need to finish the series :)
And I'm pretty sure Magnus is Pan :)
Another book with a genderfluid character is the Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin
Alex Fierro!! :DD I love him/her so much lmao ;')
It’s so awesome that even though you aren’t a member of the LQBTQIAP+ community you’re self you still support and spread the word about the community. Love you Emma
Edit: Thank you for mentioning ace/aro characters in this video. Our part of the community is not mentioned very often.
thank you for being so sweet, love you too!! xx
I'm reading this comment now and I'm just thinking now Emma is out and proud 💜🌈
@@changedbybooks665 now YOURE so sweet lol
@@emmmabooks hahaha I never thought you'd see this comment 😂💙 thankyou emma! You inspire me and I hope one day I'll be able to come out to my family and friends too 💙
Three amazing LGBT+ books are:
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
The Dangerous Art of Blending In
is the gentleman's a sequel?
@@ivanluciano3501 it has a sequel, but the gentleman's guide to vice and virtue is the first of the series.
@@alann8946 do you recommend it tho?
@@ivanluciano3501 Absolutely!
You should check out "The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali" it's a great book.
I just finished Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda and I loved it so much. Happy Pride Month, everyone!
P.S. I loved the discription.
🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈
aw i'm so happy you loved it!!
emmmabooks It was awesome! I'm currently reading The Upside Of Unrequited. Planning on watching Love, Simon soon.
A Fangirl The Upside of Unrequited is really good I definitely recommend it and Love, Simon is a good movie I watched it last night
yasss i just finished Leah on the off beat it was amazing
your-local-emo-gobli n Yess it's so good!!
Another underrated LGBTQ+ Fantasy book rec: Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova. Latinx Bisexual main character, about a girl in a family of brujas (witches) who tries to cast a spell to rid herself of her power but accidentally sends her family to another realm in doing so.
Thank you so much for this video!!! 💕
IVE BEEN MEANING TO READ LABYRINTH LOST FOR YEAAARRSSSS
its 12:28am where I live in Australia, but I am super happy to be watching this right now
awh yay!! happy pride :)
Foe me its 11:15pm in Perth, WA
I love this !! There are so many underrated LGBTQIA+ books. I am definitely putting The Nowhere Girls higher up on my TBR. It sounds so good! I haven't read many books where the main character is a lesbian. So, thank you for including them! And thank you for the mention!
it's so great!
OMG I KNOW RIGHT? i feel like almost all wlw in ya are bisexual, which is great because bi rep! but for some reason it's really hard to think of books where the mc is canonically a lesbian!
of course sweetie
What's is LGBTQI?
MORE Underrated books:
The Lighting Struck Heart series by Tj Klune
Other books by Tj Klune which are Own Voices
The Foxhole Court series by Nora Sakavik
The Captive Prince series by C.S Pacat
Luck In The Shadows series by Lynn Flewelling
The nowhere girls and girl made of stars sounds actually amazing, adding it to my endless TBR. And your outfit is giving such summer/ pride vibes yesss
I always look forward to your uploads Emma. Not just because I know it will leave me with a lot of books to put on my to-read list since you always recommend some very awesome sounding books. But also because I just enjoy watching your videos. You seem like such a kindhearted and nice person and I hate the fact that I'm not from the US so my chances of ever seeing and meeting you at a bookcon or bookexpo are 0. Just wanted to let you know that you are my favorite booktuber and I really appreciate all the hard work that you put in your videos.
aw thank you so so much!! this is the kindest comment to receive. so much love for you!!
Oh my gosh!! Of fire and Stars is getting a sequel!!!!!!!!! I didn’t know that Book was amazing!! And the cover for Book 2 is gorgeous!!
i screamed when i saw this
;D
Same. Well, I didn't *scream* but I was super excited.
I always love getting recommended new LGBTQIA+ books. Because as a bisexual woman, i always try to find books with it. Well i do now, because when i was younger it wasn't really a thing i seeked out. i just picked the books i found interesting. :)
i hope you have some great bi books lined up on your tbr :)
Happy pride to all my fellow LGBTQ+ friends !!!!! Xx 🌈
you too!!!!!!!
❤️❤️❤️..you too
Always looking for videos like this since I am also investing in reading books with diverse characters. You can never have enough diverse books and your top is amazing!
thank you!! i totally agree :)
THIS KIND OF VIDEO IS MY JAM. And I'm more than happy to oblige with recommendations for some obscure LGBT+ non-contemporary books.
Gotta always mention that *Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak* is perhaps my favourite book of all time. It's about a boy called Aidan Lockwood who is just kind of drifting through life until his best childhood friend Jarrod moves back to their hometown. Jarrod knows things about Aidan's past that Aidan doesn't remember, but definitely should, such as being able to see apparitions like a strange man in black that no one else can see. Aidan and Jarrod team up to try and get Aidan's memories back, and along the way they uncover the secret history of the Lockwood family. I believe it's own voices for gay representation.
There's also *The Cat in the Cradle, and the sequel, From Darkness to Darkness, by Jay Bell,* author of the fairly popular Something Like... series. The Cat in the Cradle follows Dylan, son of the Blue Oligarch, one of the magical rulers of their world. The Oligarchs are being assassinated, and their sources of power, crystals called Lokas, are being stolen. The Blue Oligarch gives Dylan his Loka, and sends him away to stay with the Red Oligarch, Tyjinn, to protect both Dylan and the Loka. Things don't exactly go to plan. The second book follows the story of a boy named Cole dealing with the death of his boyfriend, as well as his responsibilities as the new Black Oligarch - the Oligarch of Death, as well as continuing Dylan and Tyjinn's story. These books are also own voices for gay representation.
One of my new favourite books is *City of Strife by Claudie Arsenault* which is set in this city called Isandor. Isandor is currently being fought over by it's liberal houses and the oppressive might of the Myrian Empire. Some of the main characters are:
Diel, the leader of the resistance against the Myrians,
Hasryan, a man who works as an assassin for Brune, a well-known criminal kingpin of Isandor,
Larryn, who runs a homeless shelter for those left behind by Isandor's extravagant lifestyle,
Varden, a priest of the fire god of the Myrians, who is a member of a race they despise and also hiding the fact that he is gay in a society that will kill him for it,
Nevian, beleaguered apprentice of the cruel and ruthless leader of the Myrian enclave,
and Arathiel, a lord from a bygone era of Isandor who has spent centuries trapped in a timeless place, and has lost all ability to feel touch or pain.
Practically every character is LGBT+ in some way, even some of the villains. Diel is life-partners with a man, Hasryan and Arathiel both seem to have some attraction to men, Larryn and Nevian are asexual, and Varden, as previously mentioned, is gay. There's also non-binary characters, genderfluid characters, lesbian characters and trans characters, and probably others I can't remember. It's amazing. I know that Claudie Arsenault is LGBT+ in some way, but I don't know exactly how they identify. So it's own voices in some way, but I don't know how.
Then there's *Timekeeper by Tara Sim.* Timekeeper is about a steampunk Victorian England where time is controlled by magic clock towers, and their mechanics. The main character is a clock mechanic called Danny Heart, the youngest clock mechanic ever. Danny's father is trapped in a town where time has stopped, so Danny has to prove himself worthy of joining the project to build a new clock tower, and set the stopped town free. Unfortunately, Danny was in an accident, and is suffering from some level of PTSD, which makes the lead mechanic hesitant to trust him with any responsibility. Danny is assigned to Colton tower in Enfield, where he falls in love with a clock spirit, which is illegal. Meanwhile, terrorists are bombing clock towers for an unknown reason. Obviously it's not own voices for the gay representation, but it is own voices for mixed race representation, which becomes very significant in the second book.
*The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic by F. T. Lukens* is about a boy called Bridger Whitt, who unwittingly becomes the apprentice of a mage who mediates between the magical and non-magical worlds. Bridger has to learn to deal with magical creatures, while also dealing with his crush on the incredibly popular football player at his school, and his neighbour, Leo. It's fun and adorable, but really nails the emotional beats when it needs to.
The Shattered Gates by Ginn Hale is about a man called John who steals a key intended for his roommate Kyle out of frustration at Kyle's continued disappearances. This turns out to be a mistake, as Kyle is really Kahlil, an otherworldly warrior who is in our world hunting the Rifter, a malevolent and destructive god. The characters and worldbuilding are to die for. John and Kahlil are both gay, as is at least one other character (who may or may not be the same person as Kahlil (there's time shenanigans involved)).
And finally we have *The House of Mountfathom by Nigel McDowell.* Set in the Irish Civil War, it follows the story of Luke Mountfathom, son of the most powerful mages in Ireland, who are secretly assisting the Irish rebels against the English forces. Luke is something of a prodigy, and possibly destined to be as powerful as his parents. Luke has a very close relationship with a boy throughout the book, and while it's never confirmed to be romantic, they hold hands and sleep in the same bed, so I think that's pretty clearly what the author intended to portray. Sadly Nigel McDowell passed away soon after writing Mountfathom, so we will never no for certain. Regardless, it's an incredible book, despite a slightly disappointing conclusion.
Hold up timekeeper has a second book????? Why was I not infOrmed oh my god
A E Timekeeper is a trilogy. The second and third books are called Chainbreaker and Firestarter.
I read The Nowhere Girls earlier this year and it became one of my faves!
I also would like to recommend Far From You by Tess Sharpe as an underrated read. It’s a mystery book and has own voices bisexual representation.
everytime i watch one of your videos, my to-read list on goodreads doubles
haahh i am happy to hear it!!
i loved this! thank you for taking the time to share these and those creators and for just being wonderful, always 💕
Thanks for this great video and great recs, Emma! Let's Talk About Love is own voices for asexual rep, but I'm unsure about the biromantic rep. Just wanted to share!
I can't believe I started watching your videos over 2 years ago. You have always been a great person but you are consistently someone I look up to. I was in a bad place before I found booktube and you are a HUGE reason I got invested in it. (I loved that you were so into TSC) because I am too. Keep doing you and being the ray of sunshine that you are.
OH MY!!! I cannot wait to get around to Anger Is a Gift very soon. Also really want to read Girl Made of Stars but didn’t realise there was LGBTQ+ rep in there, so even more reason for me to get myself a copy. I’ve not been a part of the BookTube community for long at all, I have found to be so easy to be open about my sexuality and am so thankful about how accepting everyone is and that so many videos like this exist. So thank you so much for all the recommendations and for shouting out some LGBTQ+ booktubers! Hope you’re having a wonderful Pride Month. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
GIRL MADE OF STARS IS THE BEST YOU WILL LOVE IT
i'm so happy to hear you feel welcome here lovely!! you definitely are
Wow, I’ve never heard of Paperweight. I also went through treatment for an eating disorder and I’ve always been intrigued by the literature out there. I’ll definitely be adding it to a future TBR
I read lily and Duncan like two years ago and it’s still one of my favorites! Would recommend to literally anyone. Love it!
This is the first video I've seen from Emma and honestly I'm hooked
I love this video! I need to push some of these higher on my tbr.
Some of my underrated faves are Radio Silence, I was born for this and Heartstopper (comic) all of these are by Alice Oseman, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee, Not your sidekick by C.B. Lee, Time 'keeper by Tara Sim
Your top is so freaking cute!!
thank you!!
YESSSS, I NEED MORE DIVERESE BOOKS IN MY LIFE👏👏 also, your top is everything😍
ah thank you!! xx
You always recommend such interesting books and I wish I had all the time to read them all!
I was not sure about The Last to Let Go but your blurb about it makes me want to read it. I enjoyed her other book The Way I Used To Be, so maybe I should just get to reading it already.
Anger is a Gift sounds SOOO GOOD!!!! Also, I bought Girl Made of Stars last week and I am stoked to read it! I also have Let's Talk About Live from the library, so I'm going to be picking that up ASAP!
Thanks so much for recommending me and including me ❤️ I love your tie dye top! And omg Little And Lion is a book I’ve been meaning to get and read! I need to!!!!
of course lovely!
ITS SO GOOD
I needed more books like these in my collection. Saved this so I can check the books out ASAP! Thank you for this!
Thought I would see those bangs but you look great eitherways😀
ahaah i definitely will be wearing them soon!
Thank you! It actually really comforts me being in school and reading something about lgbtq+ things!
I really loved this video! I love your top 💕 I am so curious about The Nowhere Girls, Anger is a Gift and Girl Made of Stars and I cannot wait to read them soon 😍
thank you! they're all so great :))
“The Seven Ways we Lie” is also a really good book with LGBTQ+ characters and a good plot. It’s a mystery novel and one of the characters is pan and the other is ace. These two characters also have a really good friendship so far, I haven’t finished it, and all the characters are based of the 7 deadly sins.
I added sooooo many book to my TBR from this! Daughter of the Burning City
YOUD LOVE ACE OF SHADES
anytime lovely :) thank YOU!
YOUR SHIRT!!! YAAASSS!!!
i read paperweight bc of you and it did things to me!! it was such a good book and it impacted me and i related to stevie in ways i did not know where possible. thank you for shouting out this book.
the nowhere girls sounds straight up my alley!!! i need to read it!!!
anger is a gift, girl made of stars, little and lion, and let's talk about love are books that have been on my tbr from the moment they came out. i need to check them all out ASAP!!
You are so amazing for doing this!! So many books to add to my TBR 😍
I haven’t read any of these books but wow I really should! All of them have definitely caught my eye! The one thing I have to say about Let’s Talk About Love is that I heard there is a line in the book that really is against aromantics. Saying that everyone needs to fall in love. I would probably still read the book but I would like for everyone to keep that in mind. Great video! Your recommendation videos are always spot on!
Paperweight sounds really interesting, I have eating disorder problems and reading about them makes me feel better for some reason. I might get the book soon. Thank you 😊
PS. You look lovely as always 🦋
i definitely know the feeling!
thank you, i hope you are doing well sweetie
Ahh I had absolutely no idea that there was so much substance to The Nowhere Girls! Definitely going to pick it up now, it sounds right up my street! X
I love your book recommendation videos! I picked up the nowhere girls recently because you're always saying how amazing it is, I can't wait to read it!
thank you so much! AHHH I HOPE YOU LOVE IT
I ended up loving it! I think it might make it into my top 10 of the year!
I've been dying for someone to do this video #happy pride month ♥️
So happy to see an Emma video in my inbox this morning :)
autoboyography, they both die at the end, and children of eden by joey graceffa were my favorite books with lgbtq+ main characters
i loveee tbdate!! i included it last year, it's so so good!
AHH I NEED TO READ AUTOBOYAGRAPHY
emmmabooks OMG AUTOBOYOGRAPHY TOUCHED MY BISEXUAL SOUL EMMA YOU HAVE TO READ IT
I'm currently reading they both die at the end! It's good so far :)
autoboyography is probably my favorite LGBT book I’ve read so far. It’s so good
I read autoboyography and they both die at the end a few months ago and i can verify that they are both very good. they're some of my favourite books
I'm totally going to read all of these. You should read The Flywheel by Erin Gough, it's about a seventeen year old lesbian who's trying to save her family cafe from closing, she's totally in love with this girl Rosa, but doesn't know how to tell Rosa, and there's also this subplot which I won't spoil with her best friend Charlie. It's seriously underrated.
I've added so many of these books to my "to be read" list. I'm always looking for books with diverse characters in them, because it's something I haven't seen enough of. I'm blown away by the amount of ace representation you've managed to find, and that's really something that makes me want to read those books, because I myself fall on the ace spectrum, and I have yet to actually read a book with an ace character. I just want to thank you so much for making a point of putting these books with diverse representation out there, because it's important for people, teens like myself especially, to see more diverse characters.
I needed this in my life again thank you so much Emma
thank you for watching!
I read paperweight based on your recommendation in february, and it was such an eye opening, amazing book!! I take most of your recommendations on what to read next, and you have never steered me wrong! Cant wait to pick up some of these books and give them a try!
A boy named... Levi huh??? I'm listening.
Thanks for the great recommendations! I personally would recommend Far From You. It has an interesting investigation story line and the main character is bisexual. Great read!
LOVE PAPERWEIGHT!
Yes ace of shades 😍
all the amazing books XD
I’m reading all of these!
i hope you enjoy them!
I've heard great things about Peter Darling by Austin Chant! You should read it!!
I think, I really want to read Paper Wight. REALLY want to read The Nowhere Girls and The Last To Let Go after I watched your review! (Even when I don't know if you really did a review for The Last To Let Go or if I imagined it):D LOVED Daughter Of The Burning City and really liked Ace Of Shades as well and can't wait to read the next one!! The Blood Between Us sounds really interesting^^
You look so bright that the rainbow looks grey.💚💙💛💜💗
P.s you may not remember me but in your second to last video i said sythe was on my tbr but now i read it and it was AMAZING!!!
YES THANK YOU BEAUTIFUL
paperweight is legit one of the best books i've ever read but OMG I FORGOT THE LGBTQ ASPECT WUT
your top is so freaking cute
i WANT girl made of stars
love thisssss
IM SO GLAD IT WASNT JUST ME
bish read girl made of stars
I love recommendation videos, especially yours! Ace of Shades sounds fantastic! Sounds like I need to pick up Amanda Foody's work
she's fantastic!
yeahhhh im going to add all of the books you mentioned to my tbr lol
but i definitely want to read the nowhere girls and girls made of stars sometimes this year because they both sound amazing!!
YOU WOULD LOVE THEM
I love how with every single video of yours, I always find tons of books to add to my TBR!
the description im cackling lmao. great video as always emma!
Nothing better than a LGBTQ+ book recommendations video 💜💜😍🏳️🌈
Anger is a Gift and Little Lion sound so awesome. I CANT WAIT TO READ ALL THE BOOKS YOU RECCOMENDED THANK YOU SO MUCHHH EMMA FOR ALL THE BOOK AND CHANNEL RECS💖💛💙
One of my favourite lgbtq+ books I’ve read this year is 27 hours. God I loved that book so much😍 it’s a ya sci-fi that takes place in the future, would definitely recommend checking it out!
"I´ll give you the sun" is a very beautifully written book with a gay main character. i would 100% recommend it, it is one of my favorite books
I loved this video! Thank you so much for making it! Also, Valley Girls by Sarah Nicole Lemon has a main character with a lesbian sister and polyamorous parents (which I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ya book talk about polyamory).
I thought this video was great and I had fun watching it. I’m so interested in some of these books
I neeeed to read The Nowhere Girls asap every time you talk about it I get upset I haven’t read it yet. It sounds right up my alley.
I'm finally going to read City of Bones. This has nothing to do with the video but felt like you should know.
ah i hope you love it!!
I'm currently reading The Six of Crows and so far I am
L I V I N G for the diversity. Daughter of the Burning City based on what you said sounds like just my cup of tea! I have The Raven Boys lined up after I'm done with Soc, but I'll probably pick that one up after that! So hyped!
I haven't encountered some of these yet. So many new books to look into.
so happy to hear it!!
Wow! Love you, new subscriber. Definitely adding these to my list.
this video was great!! some books i'd recommend are you know me well, they both die at the end and leah on the offbeat!
i really just wanna suggest this to someone, so even though you didn’t ask for it, imma suggest a book. it’s called ‘date me, bryson keller’ and it was such a cute gay romance book and i read it in a day!
Thanks so much! I have so many new books to read. Idk if anyone has suggested this or if it’s another one of your vids but All For The Game by Nora Sakavic is sooooo good and touches a lot of abuse trauma. It’s diversity is so amazing. Characters of color, gay characters, demi characters, feminism. It’s just freaking amazing and I’m obsessed with the series.
Thank you so much for posting this! I was actually wondering if you know of any books featuring transmen characters. I recently came out and ive been wanting to read a book featuring a transman character but unfortunately, ive found myself only finding transwomen main characters. If you have any recommendations, please let me know!
Love Lilly and Dunkin!! Barely see it anywhere so soo happy to see it here
For fantasy I would recommend the Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling. I've only read the first book in the series and just from the first book you maybe wouldn't guess but the two main characters (who are both male) end up falling in love and building a relationship along the story just like any other straight couple in a fantasy series. I haven't reached that part yet but so far I love the world, the characters and everything in between. It's such an underrated series tho... I swear I haven't heard anyone talking about it on booktube ever! I might only have read the first book yet (to which I gave 5 stars) but I know this is going to be one of my favorite series ever.
I may or may not have just made a list with every single one of the books you just mentioned bc I have no self-control. I also just came out to my best friends as gay and I’ve been looking for LGBT books for so long so thanks💕💕 oh and you look amazing as always😘
awh you are the sweetest! thank you xx
YESSSS ITS BACK!!!!!!! YAY!
I literally love Emma so much cuz of this. She drops 20 min long vids celebrating people who are just like me. And recommends such good books and is always honest(even if she doesn’t like it). Emma thank u so much u make my queer heart swell with pride when u drop these recommendations.
You’re such a lovely person. Thanks for spreading so much positivity xx
Just subbed to you and now I am binge watching all your videos! Love love love all your content and your style!! 💕
okay my forever favorites are “more happy then not” and “i’ll give you the sun”,, both literally made me sob sksksk
My favourite lgbt+ books are Leah on the offbeat by Becky Abertralli (Love Simon sequel), her name in the sky by Kelly Quindlen, the song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, the Magnus Chase series by Rick Riordan, Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Sàenz and What if it’s us by Becky Abertralli and Adam Silvera
How do you manage to read so much? I'm such a slow reader. Booktubers make me feel bad about myself.
Thank you for all these recommendations. 🏳️🌈Definitely going to pick up some of these. :)
I would love to recommend Seahorse by Janice Pariat. It's an Adult Contemporary Fiction written by an Indian author. Nem, a literature student, starts a relationship with Nicholas, who is a guest lecturer visiting his college. But one day, Nicholas disappears without leaving behind any trail for Nem to follow.The characters are as real as they can be and do not attach labels to their sexuality. They are not white or black but lead grey.
oooh sounds fascinating!! thank you for the recommendation :)
You should really try out Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe. It is hands down my favourite read of all time and it just makes you feel fluffy and warm inside. It's about 2 best friends who grew up together...one knows that he is gay and likes the other friend but the other friend is pretty sure that he is straight. This book is about how their life changes as they grow up and how they come to realise what they mean to each other. It's an emotional rolercoater ❤
YES GIRL MADE OF STARS
I just read ship it by britta lundin not that long ago and really enjoyed it!! There's a black panromantic love interest and an f/f romance and the MC doesn't really label herself and its just a really fun story about lgbt+ representation that i definitely reccommend picking up!
Symptoms of being human by jeff garvin features a genderfluid MC
i personally really connected with this book and felt really understood and represented while reading it as a nonbinary person and at the time of reading it i was figuring out my gender identity (still am technically, things change all the time and i'm constantly learning new things about myself) and it just meant a lot to me
I loved symptoms of being human but ship it made me uncomfortable with all the talk about incestous Jonas brothers fan fiction and real person shipping...
Yo as someone from Australia, can i recommend Night Swimming by Steph Bowe? It's quite good and the main character is a lesbian and she has a crush on this new girl who just moved into town.
Also i love all the books by Malinda Lo (especially Huntress) and Sara Farizan (especially If You Could Be Mine which tells the tale of a queer girl living in the middle east)
Hey Emma great video. Question for you on a separate topic. As someone who has never read Cassandra Claire’s book I am intimidated by how many there are and where to start. This may be a good video topic. Like a beginners guide.
James Rich I think she already made a video like that.
I’m not sure tho.
Yeah Nvm I just found it.
Wow you weren't lying when you talked about Girl Made of Stars, it really is amazing!!
One book that I really reccomend is Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky! It's main character is a closested trans girl in the 6th grade. She is a loner at school and things take a turn for the worst when she gets the role of Persephone in the school play
I really like paperweight and I hope to pick it up soon😁 if you were unaware I am FtM Transgender, pansexual, and my boyfriend is also FtM. And of course you look as beautiful as always Emma 💗
awh thanks for sharing with me! i hope you and your boyfriend are doing well :))
you should definitely check out Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz!! it’s such a good read and i finish it within a day every time i read it!❤️❤️