Hello fellow booknerds. If you're like me, books sometimes just need that little bit extra spark, that only gay characters can provide. Have no fear. I have constructed a list with wildly varying books for that has a little something for (almost) everyone.

Red White and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston

If you are a sucker for the enemies to lover's trope, this is the book for you. In a beautiful world, where Trump never ran for presidency, we follow the son of the first female president, Alex Clareont-Diaz. He is young, handsome, and hates the guts of the prince of England, Henry. Don’t worry, Henry hates him right back.

During the wedding of Henry’s older brother, the two get into a fight, and cause a world-wide scandal. To fix this, they are forced to buddy up and pretend to be the best of friends, so that the public will believe that everything is all right. However, they do a little more that become friends.

Henry and Alex begin a secret relationship, since the homosexuality of the first son could derail his mother’s career, and the royal family has made it more than clear that they would not support Henry’s sexuality. But things obviously don’t go as planned. Was their love worth the absolute mess that followed?

Carry On – Rainbow Rowell

Do you like Harry Potter? Do you like gay books? Again, the enemies to lover's trope? Then this is the book for you!

Simon Snow is the hero of prophecy, but his magic is wild and uncontrollable. He is destined for greatness, but struggling with what this all might mean, especially since the big bad he is supposed to defeat has his face, without knowing the reason why, and his mentor has decided to completely ignore him in any way possible. It also doesn’t help that he is roomed with the guy he would consider his greatest enemy, Baz, who he is pretty sure is a vampire out to kill him.

So, put that all together and you’ve got a buttload of stress to worry about. Luckily, he has his great and extremely capable friend, Penelope, to help him with all this. But, as books go, everything delves into absolute chaos. Which is unfortunate… but also really fortunate since it forces Baz and Simon to bury their differences to make room for something other than hate. But will this cruel world let their love grow?

Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo

Sometimes a bunch of pals just gotta heist, you know? And that is exactly what this book is, a bunch of misfits, heisting an impossible heist, with way too much tension between the 6 of them. All of them have emotional trauma, and exactly zero capacity to work through that stuff. I love those idiots so much.

I will say, unlike the LGBTQ+ role in the first two mentioned books, it plays a background role in this book. It is really a book about a group, being sent on a seemingly impossible mission, that they will most likely not survive. Kaz, the leader of the group, is commissioned to break a scientist out of an impenetrable fort. No one who doesn’t belong there gets in, and if they do, they certainly don’t get out.

The characters are where this book especially shines. Everyone has a fleshed-out background, and their own reason for joining this seemingly death wish. They are three dimensional characters that you can’t help but love, and cheer on, on their journey.

It is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, every step it takes. Will this bunch of idiots pull off the greatest heist ever?

Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir

Just like in the last one, the LGBTQ+ themes in books aren’t a main plotpoint. Although it is very, very clear that the main character, Gideon, loves women (like, very clear) this isn’t one of her main characters traits. She is sarcastic, dedicated, and overall done with the hellhole where she was raised. The book begins with a ploy for her to get out.

Unfortunately for her, she is stopped by her biggest rival Harrowhark, who does seemingly everything in her power to ruin Gideon in every way, shape, or form that she can.

Ever since they were kids, they hated each other’s guts, but sadly for them, they are forced to work together when Harrowhark, a very skilled necromancer, gets invited for a competition to become immortal. She is invited with her cavalier, but when her cavalier runs at the idea of having to leave with Harrow, she is forced to turn to the only other swordswoman that could pull it off, Gideon.

Together they leave for the competition, but to bring this to a successful end, they will need to rely on one another, and with all the bad blood between them, this is doomed to go wrong.

The seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid

The seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo takes place in the present and in the past.

In the present we follow a journalist, Monique, who has been commissioned to interview the famous star Evelyn Hugo. Over the years Evelyn has had a total of 7 husbands and is finally willing to share the story behind those husbands. This is a big deal, because in the last years of her career, Evelyn has refused to be interviewed, and an interview with her is the chance of a lifetime. So even though Monique doesn’t know why Evelyn would only agree to meet with her, she takes the opportunity with both hands.

In the past we follow Evelyn, as she shared her life story with Monique. How she left her small life behind for a life in Hollywood. How she managed to make it to become a star. But also, how her life wasn’t always as glamorous as it seemed. How her first kind and loving husband turned abusive. How she had to marry for convenience or publicity. How she had to keep her relationship behind the scenes a secret, because loving a woman wasn’t accepted in her time.

The two grow closer during Evelyn sharing her life, and the things that she shares help Monique gain a lot confidence.

It is a heart-warming and heart wrenching book, and truly my favourite on the list.