I have a lot to say on obviously queer books, but I literally just did that, so I won’t rehash it here! If you’re interested, here’s my post from yesterday, and the tl;dr of it is that I am sick to death of being queerbaited by book covers, so can we just? Make it obvious? Our identities are not a plot twist, y’all! Also, I only chose books I haven’t read to show how easy it could be to identify a book as queer just from the title/cover.

It does feel a bit like cheating to put Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera on here because I know that it’s gay just based on the first one, but I think it also looks pretty obvious. Aside from the fact that they’re at a table together, and really, that shouldn’t be the thing that gives it away, but two characters sitting at a cafe table is a romance vibe–their feet are also touching, and that is vibes right there.

I love the cover of Afterlove by Tanya Byrne so damn much. Not only are there girls kissing it, the lesbian flag colors are off the charts, and I am here for it. Plus, I’m pretty sure this is an Orpheus & Eurydice retelling, but queer, and I’m just ??? Why haven’t I read this yet, the heck?

The sweet blush on the smaller character’s face on the cover of Every Word You Never Said by Jordan Greene just has me blushing so hard, too. Look at their face!! It’s so damn cute, I can’t stand it. And, like this is all I’m talking about in yesterday’s post. No one’s making out on this cover. It’s not overt. But you can tell by their body language, by the way they’re standing so close to each other, by their facial expressions, that they’re meant to be the romantic leads in this, and that’s all we want! We just want to know!

I’m not actually 100% confident that Meet Cute Club by Jack Harbon is gay, but I’m 90% sure, and that’s all I really need. I could have been convinced it was straight if not for the title, but the combination of meet cute plus two men on the cover is giving me queer vibes, and I really hope that’s true.

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar also feels a bit like cheating, having read Jaigridar’s debut novel, but also, look at that. Fake dating? Come on, that’s the oldest trope in the book, of course whoever is on the cover of this book is going to be the couple, you didn’t even have to have them reaching for each other. And it really is that simple!

One of these days, I’m going to stop talking about The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska and actually read it, and if it’s not a five star read, I’m gonna have words because I have built this book up so much in my head based purely on the cover, and I know that’s a mistake, but here we are. Do I know what it’s about? Vaguely, but not really. Does the cover make me want to weep with joy every time I see it? Yes, it’s beautiful.

Whoever is gifting FT Lukens with these covers is some kind of unholy magician because the cover of So This is Ever After? Don’t even get me started on In Deeper Waters, I don’t think I read the summary at all before purchasing, and I’m going to do the same thing with this one. I heard there was some Arthurian vibes in it, and I’m always here for those, but you could have sold me on just that gay af cover.

Now The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes is the kind of obvious I can get behind. I mean, does it get much better than having an identity in the title? Nah, that’s gold. This is another book where I don’t super care what it’s about, I’m hooked just based on the overall aesthetic, and it’s great.

Again! Labeling! We love it! Which I know is not everyone’s vibe, but it’s so nice to see the word queer in The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian because damn. When was the last time you saw a book that was that blatant? (The one just before it, I know.) We’re not out here calling the straights like we see them because we don’t need to, and I want more of that for us, being so damn obvious that we don’t even need to do this kind of hello yes hi it’s me the gay, but I’m here for it while we still have to.

Again with the lesbian flag colors! Who I Was With Her by Nita Tyndall is such a gorgeous cover, and it’s definitely another one that hooked me mostly on that. There’s something very Nina LaCour about it where you just know that your heart is going to be ripped out, but you want it all to happen anyway. It looks beautiful and sad and queer, and I love that for it.