Book Recs: Quietly Magical Books

I am, as ever, looking for ways to procrastinate doing work (usually reading professional practice articles, because Christ how dry can you make an already really dry subject, but anyway). So I figured I’d make a rec thread of quietly magical and gay books. Because I didn’t think I had that enough to turn into a rec list. But! Lo and behold, I did. So. That’s what you’re going to get. Books which are quietly magical (and gay, because this is a LGBT only site. No straights allowed here). (And also, this is a genre that there seem to be a lot of books where you go, hey I didn’t realise that was gay. Just trying to raise awareness here.)

The True Queen

Zen Cho
Goodreads
Rep: sapphic mcs, Malay mc, half Indian mc, Black mc
TWs: period typical racism

Why Should I Read It?

This is probably the most overtly magical of these books. But it’s still quietly and beautifully so. And it has wlw in it! (P. S. if you haven’t read Sorcerer to the Crown you should also do that before this releases.)

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street

Natasha Pulley
Goodreads
Rep: gay mcs
TWs: period typical racism and homophobia

Why Should I Read It?

When I suggested making this rec list, Anna was like “wouldn’t that just be Natasha’s books five times over”, which, valid, but also tells you something about what I mean by “quietly magical and gay”. Natasha Pulley’s writing just exemplifies that. Oh, and there’s mechanical octopus.

Wonders of the Invisible World

Christopher Barzak
Goodreads
Rep: gay mcs

Why Should I Read It?

Think The Raven Cycle but properly good. Okay, maybe that’s harsh, but imagine if it had actually been ownvoices, and you’ll probably get something close(r) to how this book is (though not as good, obviously). Anyway. Enough comparisons. It’s great on its own and now I really want to reread. Oh, and. Childhood best friends to lovers.

The Binding

Bridget Collins
Goodreads
Rep: gay mcs

Why Should I Read It?

I’m going to cop to something first. I’ve only read three chapters of this book so far. But! They were three amazing chapters with such good (and angsty) foreshadowing, I couldn’t not rec this straightaway.

Please note that since this rec list was posted, it has come to light that Bridget Collins is a TERF and, as such, we cannot recommend this entry (although it will remain on the post for full clarity).

Holly and Oak

R. Cooper
Goodreads
Rep: gay mcs

Why Should I Read It?

I feel like I’ve recced this so much you should already have some kind of idea of what’s up. But to recap. Hate to love, with undercurrents of magic. And all in a short novella too.

Summer of Salt

Katrina Leno
Goodreads
Rep: lesbian mc, bi li
TWs: discussions of rape

Why Should I Read It?

A beautiful and magical read. With a wlw relationship that just feels so natural and it’s not made a big thing of and! I just love this book so much. Also it centres on a relationship between sisters. All the characters are women (basically). What else do I need to say.

The Gallery of Unfinished Girls

Lauren Karcz
Goodreads
Rep: Latina bi mc

Why Should I Read It?

Unlike the rest of these recs, there’s no actual romance in this one. The main character is bi and in love with her straight best friend, but nothing happens between them (sad). But what this book does so well, and that I loved to pieces about it, was make loving girls feel so normalised and soft and quiet and not some Big Thing.

The Bedlam Stacks

Natasha Pulley
Goodreads
Rep: gay mcs, Peruvian li

Why Should I Read It?

Yeah, okay, we’re back to Natasha again. But trust me. If you read her books, you’ll understand why. Also, ignore the blurb which says Merrick and Raphael’s relationship is a “profound friendship”. Straight people really know nothing.

Spellbook of the Lost and Found

Moïra Fowley-Doyle
Goodreads
Rep: bi mcs, lesbian li
TWs: implied sexual assault

Why Should I Read It?

Both of our main characters here are bi. Surely that’s enough of a reason. And it’s also a twisty-turny magical story, flipping back and forth between characters from the past and characters in the present.

Penhallow Amid Passing Things

Iona Datt Sharma
Goodreads
Rep: lesbian mcs

Why Should I Read It?

Because I say so. Also because it’s only about 40 pages, so it’s easily the shortest book on this list, and it’s so gorgeously written. And I love it so much, please just read it.

I hope you found something to read here (or, alternatively, found a book you were wavering on that you didn’t realise was gay).

Are there any other books you would add to this list?