Minor spoilers ahead: Heartstopper (volume 4) is the penultimate part of Alice Oseman’s graphic novel series, which will culminate with the publication of volume 5 in December. A continuation of this queer love story between Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, volume 4 takes on a heavier plotline as Charlie struggles with his mental health. Hive Books Amazon The novel explores mental health, eating disorders, and getting the support needed with an undertone of warmth and friendship that is a thread running through every single volume of the Heartstopper series. Through Nick, the story also exp ..read more

Camp!: The Story of the Attitude that Conquered the World by Paul Baker is a book – by the author of Fabulosa: The Story of Polari, Britain’s Secret Gay Language and Outrageous!: The Story of Section 28 and Britain’s Battle for LGBT Education – which explores the popular culture phenomenon of camp. “A world without camp would be a very boring one indeed.” Hive Books Amazon A re-appraisal and re-examination of camp, which traverses across history, Paul Baker’s writing spans from the high-camp excesses of Versailles through the 1960s with ‘Hag films’ featuring women, like Bette Davis and J ..read more

Heartstopper: Volume 3 by Alice Oseman is the third in the graphic novel series which tells the coming-of-age, queer love story of Charlie and Nick. In this volume, the school summer holidays approach, and when they arrive Charlie, Nick and their group of friends head off to Paris as part of a school trip. As the story advances, Charlie and Nick’s relationship advances too, facing new obstacles and new moments of joy and sweetness. Hive Books Amazon In this collection, Oseman not only explores the relationship between Nick and Charlie but also their friendships, and the relationships betwe ..read more

Love, Leda is a short novel by Mark Hyatt (1940 -1972), published posthumously in 2023, having been unearthed some 51 years after the author’s death. The novel is written as a first-person narrative, told through the eyes of the titular Leda; a gay, working-class man living in London. Leda lives a transient, Romany lifestyle, flitting from various jobs and homes with nowhere to fully call his own. The novel takes place over several consecutive days and nights, blurring the lines between each day. It is an exploration of queerness and loneliness with fleeting moments of tenderness and joyful a ..read more

Heartstopper (Volume 2) is the second book in the much-loved and now Netflix-adapted graphic novel series by Alice Oseman. This volume of the graphic novel series picks up from the cliffhanger left at the end of Volume 1. As the story develops, readers continue to follow the blossoming relationship between 15-year-old Charlie and 16-year-old Nick. Throughout the story, readers also get to know the pair’s friends better and delve deeper into the stories of their other school peers; including through the Heartstopper mini-comic ‘The Practice Room’ included in the back of this book which explore ..read more

Queer Heroes of Myth and Legend: A celebration of gay gods, Sapphic saints, and queerness through the ages by Dan Jones is a well-researched book which re-examines myths, legends, folktales and more through a rainbow lens. A celebration of queerness runs through its heart as the author delves into the hidden margins of ancient history, classic literature, and thousands of years’ worth of epic tales to find the diverse, ‘other-wordly community of queer heroes to discover and admire.’ Hive Books Amazon While Greek myth does dominate the pages of this book – which is not unsurp ..read more

100 Queer Poems is an anthology of poetry edited by Mary Jean Chan and Andrew McMillan – both of whom open the book with statements about how this collection came together and notes on reading.  The poetry in this collection features works from a variety of different poets, from well-known names such as W.H. Auden and Audre Lorde to fresh twenty-first-century writers, the combination of which offers a diverse range of voices and poetry styles.  Hive Books Amazon Some of the poetry in these pages is overtly and beautifully queer, while others are less overt but have been penned by ..read more

Significant Others is the fifth novel in Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City series, picking up the story in 1985. The book sees the return of some much-loved characters including Michael and Brian, and the introduction of several new characters. Other regulars including Mary-Ann and Mrs Madrigal appear predominately in smaller roles during this narrative. While updates on Mona’s life come via letters from England. Hive Books Amazon “It’s Michael’s Theory. Get him to explain it. He says every generation produces a performer that straight boys are allowed to be queer for.” The story take ..read more

50 Queers Who Changed the World: A Celebration of LGBTQ Icons by Dan Jones is an exploration of queer icons through the ages. Illustrated by Michelle Rosenthal, this collection features profiles of fifty queer trailblazers, creatives, activists, artists, writers, academics, idols and icons, alongside colourful illustrations of each person featured. Hive Books Amazon The people who feature on the pages of this book span from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Plus, the book even includes a few allies – such as Madonna – who may not identify as queer but have had a significant impact on the LGBTQ ..read more

Written by the author of Fabulosa!: The Story of Polari, Britain’s Secret Gay Language, Paul Baker’s Outrageous: The Story of Section 28 and Britain’s Battle for LGBT Education is an exploration and history of Section 28 – which was passed into law in 1988 forbidding local authorities from the teaching ‘of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship’. The book delves into how Section 28 (or Section 2a in Scotland) came to be, the debates surrounding it, the activism and protesting that tried to stop it from being passed into law, the media reaction which fanned the f ..read more