'Henry Hamlet’s Heart' and more LGBTQ books to read if you loved 'Heartstopper'
I don’t know if you heard, but August is the month for LGBTQ TV and movie releases. If you, like me, are someone who watches new shows in single-sitting spurts and then immediately needs to rearrange your life to find new reading material that fits the vibe, I’ve got you covered.
“Heartstopper” Season 2, “Good Omens” Season 2 and a “Red, White & Royal Blue” movie are all out in a span of a couple weeks. Let me turn your attention to some incredible queer books that will speak to the part of your heart that is aching for more, including YA romance, a Sapphic fantasy noir and a viral sci-fi epistolary novel destined to become a classic.
Read these books if you loved 'Heartstopper'
Whenever anyone is looking for a “Heartstopper” readalike, “Henry Hamlet’s Heart” by Rhiannon Wilde is the first book I shout from the rooftops. This YA romance is a laugh-out-loud funny, cry-in-bed angsty, best-friends-to-lovers queer romance. Basically, meet your new favorite comfort read. When two best friends, Henry and Len, are dared to kiss each other at a party, neither is prepared for the big, unavoidable feelings that arise. This book has sparkling prose, so many friend-group hijinks and lots of love.
“If You Still Recognize Me” by Cynthia So is about Chinese British girl Elsie, who has to choose between her feelings for her online best friend, Ada, and her long-lost best friend, Joan, who has just come back into her life. It's the summer of second chances, and true to the origins of "Heartstopper" as a web comic, this book features an online comic that brings together Elsie and her friends. With lots of family secrets, a celebration of fandom and discussions of identity, this book is absolutely for "Heartstopper" fans.
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“This Is Why They Hate Us” by Aaron H. Aceves is full of teenage chaos. This story follows a bisexual teen boy, Quique, who spends his summer trying to get over his friend, Saleem, by going after as many other romantic prospects as possible. Quique is such an endearing hero, and I found myself unable to hold in some very loud bursts of laughter while reading. If you loved the focus on mental health in "Heartstopper," then this story will resonate.
“Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms,” a graphic novel written by Crystal Frasier, lettered by Oscar O. Jupiter and illustrated by Val Wise, is sweet as candy. The story follows two former best friends: Annie, an antisocial lesbian, and BeeBee, a people-pleasing trans girl tired of being tokenized. When both girls end up joining the cheer squad, they rekindle their friendship –– and new feelings blossom as well.
Read these books if you loved 'Red, White & Royal Blue'
If you’re looking for a “Red, White & Royal Blue” meets “The West Wing” crossover, then allow me to introduce you to "Love, Hate & Clickbait” by Liz Bowery. Political consultant Thom Morgan and smug data analyst Clay Parker have never liked each other. Too bad they’re working together on the governor of California’s presidential campaign. When a journalist snaps a picture of the two of them deep in an argument, the image that gets printed makes it look like they’re actually kissing. Damage control calls for a fake relationship to smooth over this mess until election day. That is, until they catch real feelings.
“Eight Weeks in Paris” by S.R. Lane follows Nicholas Madden, an A-list closeted actor hellbent on bringing a lost queer novel of Belle Epoque Paris to life onscreen. Except his costar, a brand-new-to-the-scene Instagram celebrity, might just ruin it all. If you loved “Red, White & Royal Blue” for its mixed-media elements, historical queer references, and the relationship between the press, social media and fame, then you will love this.
Read these books if you loved 'Good Omens'
“This Is How You Lose the Time War” by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone is as popular as it is for a reason, so if you’ve been putting off this work of genius, now is the moment to finally pick it up. This is an epistolary romance about two rival agents on opposite sides of a endless time war who write incredibly beautiful threats –– no, love letters, back and forth. Imagine growing to love the one being predestined to be your enemy… Oh, wait, Aziraphale and Crowley certainly can.
“Even Though I Knew the End” by C.L. Polk is so good, I desperately wish it were longer. This Sapphic fantasy noir follows a magical detective who crosses Chicago’s divine monsters in order to win a future with the love of her life. You’d be surprised by how many angels, demons and soul bargains can fit in just 144 pages. The 1930s setting really jumps off the page and I’ve been thinking about it for many months after finishing it. I can just picture Aziraphale and Crowley from "Good Omens" inserting themselves into this drama, and now I want someone to write that fanfic. Be warned: you will probably cry.
If you love “Good Omens” for its whimsy, then pick up “Light From Uncommon Stars” by Ryka Aoki. This adventure story rides the line between sci-fi and fantasy, following a violin prodigy who has made a deal with the devil to evade damnation. Now she has to get seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. When she meets a young trans girl who plays like she’s never heard, she marks hers as a soul to trade. This book is so big-hearted with lots of found family, while never shying away from big topics –– and there’s a lot of aliens and donuts, too.
