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prismpaperbacks

Queer Books for All



Author holding The Shadow of Kiyoshi by F.C. Yee

Welcome to Prism Paperbacks! I’m so excited you’re here! If you’re looking for queer books, you’ve come to the right place! 

I’m Lauren, a Canadian queer woman in her 20s who loves, loves, loves reading. Like many bookworms, I’ve been an avid reader since I was a kid. I still remember the first time I read all by myself. It was in my kindergarten class with a Clifford the big red dog book. I was so excited to be able to read all by myself! I picked up one book after another and never stopped, creating the unstoppable reader before you today. 


In the process of growing up and figuring myself out, I, like so many, came out of the closet. It took a long time to figure out that I wasn’t straight. I just thought everyone acknowledged that women were amazing and the peak of beauty in every way. Yeah… My high school friends will tell you they knew I was sapphic from the start. 




One of the things that helped me figure out that one of the things that helped me figure out that I was queer was a book, two books to be exact. I loved the show as a kid, so picking up this series was an easy choice. The love between the main character Kiyoshi and her bodyguard Rangi sparked something in me. The way Kiyoshi saw Rangi, the way she described her shining golden eyes and her obsidian hair, that’s how I saw women all the time! It was definitely a bit of an “oh” moment for me.

The Shadow of Kiyoshi by F.C. Yee,

So I started eating up all the LGBTQIA+ media I could get my hands on. I was reading tonnes upon tonnes of fanfiction, web comics, and whatever novel had the slightest hint of queerness. I yearned to be seen and represented. I wanted to read the love I felt.


Then came the book bans. 


Anything remotely LGBTQIA+ started to be pulled into question. “Should we really have these books in our library?” “Why should we let kids see these books?” “These books are turning kids gay!” While most of these conversations were taking place in the United States, they slowly leaked their way into Canada, into my province, and into my city. People across Canada were now calling for LGBTQIA+ books to be removed from libraries and schools. 


That’s where the idea for this blog came from! I wanted to make sure that young people could still find books that reflected their lived experiences. I was able to figure out a part of myself because of literature that had queer characters in it. Everyone should have access to stories about themselves. Most importantly, there is a demand for Queer books! According to Circana BookScan, LGBT+ fiction sales were up 7% in 2023, and compared to 2019, there’s been a 200% increase.  Clearly, the book bans only made people more interested in LGBTQIA+ stories.


My goal is to show you all the amazing queer books by truly amazing queer authors because the thing about books is not all of them are created equal. There is a long and continuing history of the “Bury your Gays” trope in media, killing off queer characters before they can reach a happy ending. A recent example is the CW show Supernatural when they sent a character to ‘superhell’ after he told the main character he loved him. It went over about as well as you’d expect. 

Unfortunately, not all LGBTQIA+ rep is good rep. That’s the other reason for this little blog. I’ll show you where to find the good stuff and how to avoid the bad stuff, so you can read all the queer literature your heart desires!

If you’re not into romance, don’t worry. Just like there are many ways to identify, there are many different genres. I’m going to cover Sci-fi, Fantasy and Mystery books! I also have books in the works that go beyond gay and lesbian characters. I’ve got trans stories, ace stories, and lots in between. Everyone deserves good stories, right?

 

So, here’s what you can expect from me! Bi-weekly (as in twice a month), I will share an LGBTQIA+ story. It could be a novel, a graphic novel, or even a series! I’ll give you my honest opinion. Is it worth the read? Did it suffer from the dreaded “bury your gays” trope? Or is it a wonderful example of queer literature that’s sure to make your heart sing? I’ll also be making curated lists so you can find books that fit exactly what you’re looking for.


I’ve already got the first book lined up, a sci-fi romance that’s sure to melt your heart and mind! 

Once again, welcome to Prism Paperbacks. I’m so happy you’re here!


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