Rekindled Bibliophile shared another great book tag, and I had to jump on the train! This tag was originally developed by Common Spence on YouTube.

RED – LIFE

A book with a spirited protagonist who is totally proud of who they are. Someone who gives you LIFE!

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (contemporary romance)

Take a Hint, Dani Brown is a super fun romance novel starring Dani, a confident bisexual black woman who knows how great she is and knows what she wants from life. She questions her aversion to committed relationships when she fake dates sweetie pie Zafir (“what if this fake dating was…real dating?” she wonders against her will), but she never questions her self-worth or her bisexuality.

ORANGE – HEALING

A book that made you, as the reader, find a deeper meaning or catharsis in your own life.

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi (YA fantasy)

Pet is a short but powerful book about the dangers of letting optimism turn into blinders. I was blown away by the way the book used monsters metaphorically and literally, challenging readers to question monstrosity – what it is and how to live in a world that says monsters are eradicated.

YELLOW – SUNSHINE

A book that fills you with so much joy it could brighten even your darkest day.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea is such an adorable book! When a magical social worker is assigned to evaluate an especially dangerous orphanage, we watch him fall in love with the kids (actual son of satan Lucy, wyvern Theodore, tentacled bellhop-afficiando Chauncy, and many others) and fall in love with the man who runs the place. It’s the formation of a queer family, with all the love and fear and uniqueness that makes queer families great!

GREEN – NATURE

A book that is set out of this world — a reality different to our own.

The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

Most of the books I read could apply to this topic, but The Unspoken Name is my favorite queer fantasy novel. A lesbian orc protagonist who disobeys her culture’s mandate to die and instead becomes an assassin for a wizard…how could anyone not love this plot? The world building is so creative and fun, and there are multiple queer relationships to enjoy!

BLUE – PEACE

A book where one of the characters finds peace with a difficult truth.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is an old favorite of mine, telling the story of two Latinx young men who are best friends struggling (to varying degrees) with their attraction to each other. Dante is our protagonist, a thoughtful, quiet, angsty kid who finally blossoms into self-acceptance in stunningly beautiful scenes. It’s a quiet book, but a page turner, and I love it more on every reread.

PURPLE – SPIRIT

A book that deals with LGBT+ themes and religion.

Naamah by Sarah Blake

Naamah is the fictional name of Noah’s wife, and in this retelling of the biblical flood narrative, she is a bisexual woman who rails against the horror of surviving a global genocide that wiped out her female lover and everyone else besides. This book wrestles with survivor’s guilt, faith (or lack thereof) in a deity that would cause such destruction, and how to build a new life after unimaginable grief. I can’t recommend it highly enough!