We don’t always have the time to read 500 page thick novels. Life is busy! But we all need to take a break and escape to another reality every once in a while. It’s good self-care! So here is my list of 5 short queer novels you can read in a day or less.
#1 After the Dragons by Cynthia Zhang
Set in Beijing after climate change has ravaged it, a mystery disease has spread through the human population, and the local population of dragons are dying out after a drought. Local Kai takes care of the few dragons that are left. Elijah, an American medical researcher, comes to Beijing chasing memories of his grandmother. Pasts are faced, and romance blooms in this lovely fantasy world.
#2 Cheer Up! Love and PomPoms By Crystal Fraiser
This lovely graphic novel stars Anne, an antisocial lesbian being pressured to join the cheerleading team to boost her college applications. Her former friend BeeBee, is a trans girl who must keep her grades up for her parents to keep supporting her transition. Through rigorous training and social pressures, the girls rediscover their friendship and maybe something more… This book will leave you jumping for joy, and is a great celebration of queer love!
#3 Finna by Nino Cripi
Two recently broken-up employees are forced to retrieve a lost customer from the bowels of their vast store. The twist? The store is filled with wormholes! Set in an IKEA-based giant furniture store, Ava and Jules are forced to work together to find the lost customer, battling their way through violent furniture, swarms of identical employees, and the resentment that fills the space between them. This story is hilarious, warm, and full of multi-dimensional antics!
#4 Magical Boy by The Kao
Max is just your average teenage trans boy. He fights for acceptance from his parents and peers, deals with the struggles of transitioning, and fights evil bugs from another dimension. What?! As it turns out, Max comes from a long line of magical girls tasked with protecting the world from the evil Devoid. Joined by his friends and a sassy fat cat, Max tries to take on the ancient evil as the world’s first magical boy! The book is full of laughter, love, and heartbreak as Max figures out his place in the world.
#5 The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
Another graphic novel, this one follows 15-year-old Morgan. She lives on a tiny island with her dreary mother and volatile brother. She can’t wait to leave. That is until she’s saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. Suddenly leaving seems a lot harder. But both girls have secrets they’ve buried deep. Can their relationship survive the truth? This sweet summer romance will leave you squealing about the discovery of a first love!
There you have it, five short LGBT+ novels. I read most of these within a day or less, they're perfect for little reading breaks or for reading during lunch! Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Leave a comment to let me know, or connect with me on social media!