Diverse Recs: Books with Trans Characters

Goodreads | Book Depository

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

We follow the story of Amanda, a transgender girl who goes to live with her father. She falls in love, makes new friends and learns to love the body she should have been born with. The novel switches between present day and flashbacks all the way through Amanda's childhood to her attempted suicide and finally, her transition. This is a YA contemporary with all our much-loved themes but having it told by a transgender woman makes the story so much more relevant.

Goodreads | Book Depository

Dreadnought by April Daniels

Dreadnought is the first book in the Nemesis series by April Daniels. We follow the story of Danielle, a superhero who just happens to be transgender. This is a world where superheroes are a part of everyday life and when Danny is confronted by a dying Dreadnought, one of the world's best superheroes, it isn't long until her life is completely changed when with his dying breath, he gives her his powers and changes her from the boy she was born into the girl she has always been. Faced with her new appearance and blossoming superpowers, Danielle is drawn into the world of heroes and villains alongside her fellow class-member/masked vigilante, Sarah/Calamity as they work together to stop Utopia, a super-villain hell bent on controlling the world. 

Goodreads | Amazon

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore

This beautiful magic-realism story follows the story of a lost girl who has roses growing from her wrists and Sam, a transgender boy with a Pakistani heritage whose culture is explored through his paintings. Sam and his mother have always followed the practice of Bacha posh, the cultural practice in Afghanistan and Pakistan of families without sons picking one of their daughters to live and behave as a boy, in order to accept his identity. Although this book is heavily metaphorical and magical, it still manages to deal with many intense issues - such as gender and race. Overall, this is the story of the friendship between Sam and Miel.

Goodreads | Amazon

George by Alex Gino

A middle-grade novel incorporating what it means to be transgender and how it is manifested in children. When people look at George, they see a boy but inside, she knows she's not. Despite the heavy issues, this book being narrated by 10 year old George allows it to remain a lighthearted and heartwarming, especially George's blossoming friendship with Kelly who accepts her without question. Female pronouns are used throughout the entire book and during one scene, George renames herself as Melissa and from that point on, that is her name. I think it's so important to have a middle-grade novel that focuses on the positivity of a trans character and the acceptance that should always be in their lives.

Goodreads | Amazon

Peter Darling by Austin Chant

Beautiful cover? Check. Beautiful story? Check. Own Voices? Check. Diversity? Double check. Just checks everywhere for this amazing retelling of Peter Pan. Despite (unfortunately) being quite short, this story definitely packs a punch as we follow the story of Pan who returns to Neverland after resigning to live his life as Wendy Darling. However, growing up has only fuelled his true identity as a boy. Coming back to the Lost Boys who have now become men and his old rival, Captain Hook isn't what Pan expected. What is extra unexpected is the attraction he now feels towards Hook leaving a new question, who the real villain is. This book is cute and fun and Pan and Hook could have been SO toxic but Austin nailed it. Definitely pick up this adorable retelling!

Goodreads | Book Depository

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

This young-adult fantasy novella is packed full of diversity despite being so small. Our main character is asexual (whose identity is confirmed and discussed), there is a trans boy whose identity is discussed in a wonderful and fascinating way and there are also secondary characters, one of Japanese descent and the other is Latino. This story takes place in a home for 'wayward children' and all is seemingly normal, except for the disappearing children who end up in magical lands. Heartbreakingly beautiful, reminiscent of Narnia and yet jam-packed with diversity. Despite the trans character being a secondary character, his identity is still treated with respect so we thought it was worthy to mention in this list. Also, the sequel Down Among the Sticks and Bones is out in June!

Goodreads | Book Depository

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

Upon delving into the world of book Twitter, you will probably come across this novel almost immediately. A superhero story packed with diverse characters including a bisexual Chinese-Vietnamese main character, a lesbian love interest and a trans boy called Bells whose identity is only confirmed when he is casually asked about his binder. The best news? The sequel, Not Your Villain, gives us Bells as our main character! This series is set in a world where superpowers are the norm but who is to say that they are more powerful than their sidekicks? This book is fun, full of the good kind of tropes but most of all, full of diversity. Also, who wouldn't want that cover on their shelves?

Lots of love,

Angharad @

Diversity Recs: Pansexual Characters in Fiction

For our next Diversity Recs post, we decided to research books which feature characters identifying as pansexual. This was quite a challenging post to put together, as it seems that books with pansexual characters are few and far between; however, we managed to find the following six books that feature one or more pansexual characters (as far as we are aware, all of these books state that a character is pansexual in the text, or the author states this outside of the book). If our information is incorrect, please do let us know, or alternatively if you know of any more books that feature pansexual characters, we'd love your recommendations!

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The Shock of Survival by Nicole Field | Goodreads | {Own voices author, polyamorous relationship}

After winning the final battle against The Oppressor, Benedict, Ophelia and Dylan return to their magical community triumphantly, but soon discover that returning to their old lives after the war has been won isn't necessarily as easy as it seems. The Shock of Survival is not only one of few books that looks at the events after the war against evil rather than before and during, but also features pansexual characters and portrays polyamorous relationships respectfully.








The Melody of You and Me by M. Hollis | Goodreads | {Pansexual MC with Filipino lesbian love interest}

In an attempt to turn her life back around after dropping out of university and breaking up with her girlfriend of three years, Chris (a pansexual MC), picks up a job at her local bookstore, although her hopes for feeling better aren't high. However, this all changes when Chris meets Josie through the bookstore, and the two form a fast friendship, which Chris hopes can develop into something more.







Out on Good Behaviour by Dahlia Adler | Goodreads {Pansexual MC, lesbian love interest}

Frankie knows that she can get anyone she sets her sights on - but when she starts falling for Samara Kazarian, the daughter of her town's Republican mayor, she thinks that some lines shouldn't be crossed - that is, until Frankie discovers that she's been on Samara's mind as well. However, Samara wants the real thing, not just a quick fling, and Frankie has never been one for commitment. For Sam, though, she's willing to try...
{disclaimer: we have read mixed reviews about the representation in this book - just so you are aware if you choose to read it!}






Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate | Goodreads | {Pansexual MC}


Seven Ways We Lie follows the story of seven different characters who all attend the same high school (Olivia, Claire, Kat, Juniper, Matt, Lucas and Valentine), correlated with the seven deadly sins. When rumours of a student-teacher affair surface within the school, the unlikely group end up in the middle of the situation, and each of their individual stories merge together to form the full picture.






Timekeeper by Tara Sim |
Goodreads | {Pansexual character, gay relationship}

Danny Hart is a clock mechanic in an alternate Victorian England. When he is assigned to a new position and meets his new apprentice, Colton (a pansexual character), he soon realises that Colton's distance to him is due to the fact that he is the tower's clock spirit - the mythical being overseeing the time in the town Danny is placed in. Falling in love with a clock spirit is forbidden and would destroy the position that Danny has worked so hard to be given, but the pair are immediately drawn to each other. 







27 Hours by Tristina Wright |
Goodreads | {Pansexual character}

27 Hours is a diverse sci-fi novel, which I'm sure we can all agree that we need more of. It is the story of a group of LGBT+ teenagers battling to save their home, the colonised moon on which they live on that was previously inhabited by Chimaera. There isn't much info out about this book yet, but we're sure that it'll be a must read when it's released this October!

love,

Diversity Recs: Characters on the Autism-Spectrum

For this post on diverse recs, we're focusing on book characters that are on the autism-spectrum. This is a topic close to my heart, as at the age of 18, I was diagonised with Asperger Syndrome. It makes it difficult to communicate with people, understand emotion and understand other people's actions but Aspergers is only one form of autism - there is a whole spectrum and these characters are on it. No two people with autism are the same but these are some books that we have found. As always, if any of our information is incorrect, please do not hesitate to let us know in the comments.

Goodreads | Book Depository

On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis

Yes, this is a sci-fi, dystopian novel with its biracial MC living with autism. Also an Own Voices book, we follow the story of Denise as she, her mother and little sister, Iris are moved to a temporary shelter on the day a giant comet is scheduled to hit their hometown of Amsterdam. There is a ship available to leave Earth but will they be allowed to board it seeing as Iris has gone missing and Denise's drug-dependent mother isn't helping? There are also Muslim and Jewish characters and I believe Iris herself is trans. This book is full of diversity, full of twists and turns and just a definite must-read.

Goodreads | Book Depository

M is for Autism by The Students of Limpsfield Grange School

This story is primarily told by a teenage girl known as 'M' as she shares her story of autism and her experiences whilst also dealing with teenage years and wanting to be 'normal.' Limpsfield Grange is a school for girls with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and we hear from a lot of the students. What drew me to this book, is that it was girls with autism who shared their stories and as I learned when I was diagnosed, autism is a lot harder to detect in girls than it is in boys so a lot of us can live our lives undiagnosed. This novel is heartfelt and important and delves into the world of autism from the people who know it best. 

Goodreads | Book Depository

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Released on March 14th, this Own Voices novel follows the story of three girls and delves into the world of conventions. It is jam-packed with diversity including Taylor, a girl with autism and anxiety and a general fear of change, an openly bisexual Chinese-Australian vlogger/actress who falls in love with another woman of colour. Filled with adorable romances, pop-culture references and the mad but incredible world of conventions, this book is highly-anticipated. This book also deals with feminism, slut-shaming, body-shaming and how important these girl's voices are. 

Goodreads | Book Depository

The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

This book is written by Japanese thirteen year old, Naoki who lives with autism. He is very smart, very self-aware and very charming but he unable to speak aloud. Having to use an alphabet grid to communicate, we hear Naoki answer questions about living with autism which allows us and his family to understand what it is like inside his head. I must point out that this book has received some controversy as it is translated into English by David Mitchell and his Japanese wife. Some people are worried about the authenticity of Naoki's words and if they have been at all edited for publishing reasons. For this reason, the book has mixed reviews.

Goodreads | Book Depository

The Original Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig

Fourteen year old Ginny Moon has finally found her 'forever home,' a place where any foster kid would feel safe but Ginny is desperate to be kidnapped by her abusive, drug-addicted mother and return home, continuing her life hiding from authorities and from her mother's violent boyfriends. Ginny is autistic and she has very strict rules that she can't deviate from and moving away from what she knows is too much. This is the story of her living with autism, trying to fit in and trying to make sense of the strange world around her. 

Goodreads | Book Depository

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Before I start, just look at that beautiful cover. Ok. Serious face back on. We follow the story of Marcelo Sandoval, a boy who hears music that nobody else can hear and it is due to his unidentifiable form of autism. Having always attended a special school, this summer his father demands that he works in his law firm's mailroom to get experience of the 'real world.' Here, Marcelo meets Jasmine and Wendell and learns about jealousy, competition and desire. 

Goodreads | Book Depository

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

We follow the story of Christopher Boone, a boy living with Aspergers which makes everyday life a little more difficult for him, however, he is a mathematical and scientific genius. He has no understanding of human emotions and cannot stand to be touched but he knows every country of the world and its capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. His brain is just remarkable but when a neighbour's dog is killed, fifteen-year-old Christopher sets out to solve the murder in the style of his favourite detective (and mine), Sherlock Holmes.

Goodreads | Book Depository 

Shtum by Jem Lester

Told by Ben Jewell as he and his wife, Emma are struggling to cope dealing with their ten-year-old son, Jonah and his severe autism. The only way to further Jonah's upcoming tribunal is for the couple to fake their separation and Ben and Jonah move in with Ben's elderly father, Georg. What follows within the four walls of a small house in North London is the family dynamics between two men who won't talk and one boy who can't. Heartbreaking and important as it shows how families deal with their loved ones having autism.

Goodreads | Book Depository

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Caitlin is an eleven-year-old girl living with Asperger Syndrome and to her, everything is black or white, good or bad. Caitlin's older brother, Devon has always been able to understand this and can explain when she couldn't. However, Devon is now dead and her father just doesn't get it. When one day, she reads the definition of closure, she realises that she must go out to find it and on her journey, she discovers that the world is made up of more than just black and white. It is complicated and wonderful and strange. 

Goodreads | Book Depository

Rogue by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

We follow the story of Kiara who lives with Asperger syndrome and in a world where not a lot makes sense, she relies on the Internet to answer any questions she may have but some things don't have answers, like why she struggles to get along with other kids and why she has been kicked out of school. She wishes she could be like Rogue, a misunderstood X-Men mutant she looks up to. One day, a new boy moves in across the street and Kiara vows to make this friendship work. 








Love from Angharad @

Diversity Recs: Bisexual Characters in Fiction

In our latest diversity recs post, we decided to look at novels that feature bisexual characters. When searching for books with LGBT+ representation, it can be surprisingly hard to find ones with characters who are bisexual. The following are our top 10 picks, all of which are already released or due to be released at some point this year! 

 

How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake

Goodreads | Book Depository | Release Date: 2nd May 

All Grace wants is a normal life, where she doesn't have to worry about paying the bills, constantly moving around, or her unreliable mother and her latest boyfriend (who just happens to be the father of Grace's ex-boyfriend). Grace's plans to lie low until graduation are disrupted when she meets Eva - a girl with her own ghosts. This is a story of family relationships, and two girls in love helping each other to overcome their obstacles in life.

Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

Goodreads | Book Depository | Release Date: 31st January

Aki knows that she is bisexual, but has only dated guys before - and has only come out to Lori, her best friend. When the two girls go on a four week mission trip to Mexico, Aki doesn't expect to meet anyone that she'd be interested in - that is, until Christa shows up. This book discusses sexuality, safe sex, and the struggles that young people can face when trying to explain their sexuality to their loved ones.

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

Goodreads | Book Depository

Alex, a bisexual Latina protagonist, is an encantrix - one of the most powerful Brujas in generations. However, she fears that her powers will ultimately hurt those close to her, and in an attempt to get rid of them, accidentally sends her entire family to the in-between world of Los Lagos. Alex is forced to hire Nova, an untrustworthy brujo boy, to guide her through Los Lagos and rescue her family. However, there is a darkness running through Los Lagos that has affected her and her family more than she could expect. Labyrinth Lost is a novel with an almost fully POC cast of characters, and the fact that Alex has both a male and female love interest but this wasn't treated like a big deal (the word 'bisexual' isn't actually used throughout the book) really made this book stand out for me.

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Goodreads | Book Depository | Release Date: 14th March

When Taylor, Jamie and Charlie go to SupaCon together, they know they'll have an amazing time, but they don't expect the convention to change their lives forever.
Charlie, a bisexual Chinese-Australian film star, knows that SupaCon is her chance to show fans that she's over her ex-boyfriend. When her crush Alyssa Huntington turns up, she definitely didn't expect her feelings for Alyssa to be requited.
Taylor runs a blog where she openly talks about her anxiety, and because of this, is scared of big changes. The one change she's hoping for, though, is for her friendship with Jamie to turn into something more. However, when she hears about the Queen Firestone contest, she starts to rethink her stance on taking risks.
A book packed with diversity, romance and strong female friendships, this is a must read!

Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz

Goodreads | Book Depository

Etta is sick of the labels that are being attached to her and making her feel as though she doesn't fit in - she's "not gay enough" for her old friends after recently dating a boy, "not white enough" for her ballet class, and "not sick enough" after recovering from an eating disorder. When she meets Bianca in her therapy group - a straight, white Christian girl with an eating disorder who represents everything that Etta both does and doesn't want to be - Etta finds herself on a path to self-discovery and overcoming the labels constantly placed on her.

Far From You by Tess Sharpe 

Goodreads | Book Depository

When Sophie's (a bisexual MC) best friend, Mina, died in what everyone believed was a drug deal gone wrong (which they also believe that Sophie set up), Sophie was forced into rehab along with her and Mina's secret - Mina was deliberately murdered. Once Sophie is out of rehab, she's determined to track down Mina's killer before they track her down first. Not your typical romance, but instead a murder-mystery which also focuses on Sophie and Mina's relationship, Far From You is definitely different from the rest of the books featured on this list, and worth a read!

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
Goodreads | Book Depository

Frances, a bisexual WoC, is known only as a study-machine focused on getting high grades. However, she has a secret obsession - a podcast called Universe City. When Frances is asked to design art for the podcast and meets its creator, the two form a strong bond, and what follows is a story of friendship and self-acceptance.













Not Your Sidekick by C. B. Lee
Goodreads | Book Depository

Jess, a Chinese-Vietnamese bisexual girl, lives in a world where the majority of citizens have superpowers - including her famous parents. Being without superpowers herself, Jess finds what could be the perfect internship whilst looking for activities to add to her college application - it's paid, it doesn't require her to have powers, and she gets to work with her secret crush, Abby. She may be working for the town's biggest supervillain, but what could go wrong?








Noteworthy by Riley Redgate
Goodreads | Book Depository | Release Date: 2nd May

Jordan Sun is starting her junior year at performing arts school, but being an Alto 2, she's always struggled to get a role in the school musical. When the school get a mass email informing them that the Sharpshooters, the school's revered all-male a cappella group, Jordan is determined to make this year different. She auditions in drag and discovers that, as a Tenor 1, she's just what the Sharpshooters need.










The Seafarer's Kiss by Julia Ember
Goodreads | Release Date: 4th May

When nineteen year old mermaid Ersel rescues and falls in love with Ragna, a shield-maiden, and the two are caught by Ersel's suitor, he attempts to force her to choose between saying goodbye to Ragna or facing the wrath of her king. However, Ersel has other plans and is determined to be reunited with Ragna. A bisexual, f/f retelling of The Little Mermaid with Norse mythology thrown in (plus, who doesn't love both mermaids AND shield-maidens?) this is a must read!

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love,