Summer Reads: Bi+ Book Edition
Recommended reading from your favorite Bisexual Killjoys
Growing up, I’m not sure I ever read a single bi+ book. I mean, like every young girl who grew into their sexual orientation, I read the Bloody Jack series by LA Meyer. Something about that swashbuckling “tomboy” spoke to my spirit in a way that I now recognize as a queer awakening.
As I’ve gotten older, though, I recognize that bisexuality (despite representing over half of the LGBTQ+ population) receives little to no representation in media. Until 2020, I’m not sure I could name a single explicitly named on-screen bisexual who wasn’t demonized (Carrie’s one-episode boyfriend in Sex and the City) or an outright villain (Frank Underwood). Now, I’m on the hunt for it.
Fortunately, things are changing. There are more and more resource books out there for fledgling bisexuals to find themselves and affirm their identity. There are more stories of bi+ folks finding healthy love. There are more stories where a character is bi+, but it’s not a big deal! In the spirit of bi+ joy during Pride month, here are some fiction and non-fiction reading recommendations for your TBR list. Some stories are uplifting, and others are educational.
Fiction Recommendations
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (YA sci-fi)
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston (contemporary romance)
A Lot of People Live in This House by Bailey Merlin (contemporary)
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin (consider this required reading)
Wonder World by KR Byggdin (contemporary)
Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzalez (YA romance)
All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown (YA dystopian romance)
If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So (YA romance)
Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie (YA romance)
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman (contemporary YA)
Non-Fiction Recommendations
The Feminist Killjoy Handbook by Sara Ahmed
A History of Bisexuality by Steven Angelides
Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality by Julia Shaw
It Ain’t Over ‘Til the Bisexual Speaks edited by Vaneet Mehta & Lois Shearing
Black Queer Hoe by Britteney Black Rose Kapri
Greedy: Notes from a Bisexual Who Wants Too Much by Jen Winston
Bisexual Men Exist by Vaneet Mehta
Bisexuality: A Reader and Sourcebook by Thomas Geller (the history of bisexuality in the ‘80s—outdated but useful for context)
Here & Queer: A Queer Girl’s Guide to Life by Rowan Ellis (for the gworls)
Life Isn’t Binary: On Being Both, Beyond, and In-Between by Meg-John Barker & Alex Iantaffi (looking at gender and relationships)
Bi The Way: The Bisexual Guide to Life by Lois Shearing
Blessed Bi Spirit: Bisexual People of Faith edited by Debra R. Kolodny
Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World edited by Robyn Ochs & Sarah E. Rowley
Loved one of the recs or have one to give? Tag us on Instagram (bisexualkilljoy) or email us (bisexualkilljoy@gmail.com).
Remember: Bisexuality isn’t a phase; it’s a phenomenon.
xoxo
Bailey