I’ve really missed doing Friday Favorites, and since no one was currently hosting it, Cait @ Functionally Fictional decided to jump into the gap. Each week, she provides a prompt, and I get to talk about my favorite books that fit the topic. Feel free to join in – the more the merrier!

Happy Pride Month! I love books involving queer characters, and I love them most when they are OwnVoices books. I’ve read quite a few of these, and naturally, there’s a ton on my TBR. Here are some of my recent favorites:

1. We Cry for Blood by Devin Madson — sexual orientation is a bit more fluid than I had realized in this world, and two characters I thought were straight for the first two books are … not, as of this book, and it was wonderful.
2. The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur — this was the cutest, sweetest sapphic romance, and I loved everything about it.
3. A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair — not only did I love the storyline, I also especially loved that the characters are all pretty much coded as Indigenous and queer.
4. How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow — this was such a great coming-of-age/YA romance, and I really enjoyed the portrayal of the two girls in non-traditional STEM fields.
5. The Unbroken by C.L. Clark — I’m officially obsessed with this series, and the star-crossed lovers sapphic romance at the center of the story.
6. The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri — this is another star-crossed lovers sapphic romance, but it’s also a thrilling Indian-inspired fantasy that I adore.
7. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan — the genre of alternate history is growing on me, and this fantasy version of Chinese history involving gender and sexual identity discussions was fantastic.
8. The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso — there was so much LGBTQIA rep in this book, and the plot was fantastic to boot. We had characters who were asexual, non-binary, and bisexual, and it was all done really well throughout the series.
9. Once More With Chutzpah by Haley Neil — This was one of the first books I read that really helped me understand what it was like being asexual, as the MC experiences an awakening about her own sexual identity.
10. The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros — this wonderful YA historical fantasy featured a gay MC. I loved how Polydoros worked sexual identity into the story, along with Jewish life and themes, and a thrilling mystery, combining to ensure that I couldn’t put this book down.

What are some of your favorite OwnVoices LGBTQIA+ books? Hopefully I can further expand my TBR!