Virtual Queer Library

The cover of “Icebreaker”, which shows a drawing of two young men, one with light skin and one with dark skin, facing each other and holding each other by the shoulders.

Have you finished all available “Heated Rivalry” content but still need more? Make “Icebreaker” by A. L. Graziadei your next read!
This book features a diverse cast of characters, a bisexual main character, a central m/m relationship, as well as lesbian and poly representation.

We are horrified to learn that the signs describing the lived experiences of enslaved people at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia were removed this week. History cannot be erased. We support those who are committed to preserving and sharing the full history of America. (2/2)

The Virtual Queer Library was founded to protect the stories and histories of marginalized people, and to keep them accessible. We focus on the LGBTQ+ community, but we know that all of our histories are interconnected. (1/2)

Need a movie to get you into the Christmas spirit? We highly recommend “Dashing in December”- our favorite LGBTQ+ holiday movie! Read our thoughts on this adorable film here:

vqlibrary.blogspot.com/2023/12/maki...

Background: Orange, yellow, and green gradient with pastel rainbow pumpkins. Text: This Giving Tuesday the Virtual Queer Library team asks that you help us protect the greatest gift of all- community. Your contribution will help us purchase more books so that more people can access the stories and histories of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as help fund our new website, which will make it easier for people to access our collection. Givebutter.com/vqlibrary

This Giving Tuesday, the VQ Library team asks that you help us protect the greatest gift of all- community. Help us purchase more books so that more people can access the stories and histories of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as help fund our new website. Givebutter.com/vqlibrary

I love that there is a Diverse Historical Romance Book Club.

The cover of “What Stalks the Deep” which features a half decayed bear skull.

Remy is having a very happy problem today, as three books they had on hold all came in at once!!!!
…they’re going to prioritize the next book in @tkingfisher.com “Sword Soldier” series.

The RC edition of Peter Darling is preorderable now! 🏴‍☠️✨

A knitted plushie mouse in trans pride colors with emoji thunderclouds hovering over it.

Due to inclement weather, the Toms River Pride Parade has been canceled this weekend. Stay tuned for the rescheduled date! We will be there- and so will our transgender mice!!!

Background: a pastel rainbow gradient in the pattern of fish scales. The silhouette of a mermaid holds a Progress Pride flag. Text is dark blue script. Text: MerMay LGBTQ+ Readathon Book Recommendation “Providence Girls” by Morgan Dante -sapphic romance -Lovecraftian horror

Background: a pastel rainbow gradient in the pattern of fish scales. The silhouette of a mermaid holds a Progress Pride flag. Text is dark blue script. Text: MerMay LGBTQ+ Readathon “Providence Girls” “Cosmic horror isn't meant to concern itself with the insignificant relationships of humans. Understandably, this is an irreconcilable combo for some. But for me, I think the connections we form are ways we can combat the cynicism and horror of what we cannot control. It doesn't make the world less scary, but it makes it less lonely.” -Morgan Dante (they/them) Read our full conversation with Morgan Dante on our blog, vqlibrary.blogspot.com

Sadly, MerMay has come to an end. But we’re finishing with a splash- with an interview with @morgandante.bsky.social about their sapphic Lovecraftian horror/ romance “Providence Girls”.
Read our full conversation here:
vqlibrary.blogspot.com/2025/05/a-me...

Background: a pastel rainbow gradient in the pattern of fish scales. The silhouette of a mermaid holds a Progress Pride flag. Text is dark blue script. Text: MerMay LGBTQ+ Readathon Book Recommendation “Out of the Blue” by Jason June -nonbinary main character -gender/ sexuality exploration -fake dating

Background: a pastel rainbow gradient in the pattern of fish scales. The silhouette of a mermaid holds a Progress Pride flag. Text is dark blue script. Text: MerMay LGBTQ+ Readathon “Out of the Blue” “Crest, our protagonist, is a merperson who loves the ocean. Along the way, they have to come to terms with falling in love with a human and facing the conundrum of how to choose between their love for a person or a place when they literally can’t choose both.” -Jason June (he/him) Read our full conversation with Jason June on our blog, vqlibrary.blogspot.com

We were so excited to talk with Jason June about his book “Out of the Blue” for MerMay! Read our full conversation here!

vqlibrary.blogspot.com/2025/05/a-me...

Background: a pastel rainbow gradient in the pattern of fish scales. The silhouette of a mermaid holds a Progress Pride flag. Text is dark blue script. Text: MerMay LGBTQ+ Readathon Book Recommendation “The Mermaid’s Daugher” by Ann Claycomb -sapphic romance -reimagined fairy tale -opera

Background: a pastel rainbow gradient in the pattern of fish scales. The silhouette of a mermaid holds a Progress Pride flag. Text is dark blue script. Text: MerMay LGBTQ+ Readathon “The Mermaid’s Daugher” “Women with power(s) of their own, who don’t need/want men, have historically been suspect for all kinds of reasons, and I wanted it 100% clear that the sea witches are not evil.” -Ann Claycomb (she/her) Read our full conversation with Ann on our blog, vqlibrary.blogspot.com

Our next #Mermay interview was with Ann Claycomb (she/her) author of “The Mermaid’s Daughter”, a modern look at the Little Mermaid story.
Read the full conversation here:

vqlibrary.blogspot.com/2025/05/a-me...

Background: a pastel rainbow gradient in the pattern of fish scales. The silhouette of a mermaid holds a Progress Pride flag. Text is dark blue script. Text: MerMay LGBTQ+ Readathon Book Recommendation “Haunt Me, Baby” by Rose Santoriello -sapphic -monster romance

Background: a pastel rainbow gradient in the pattern of fish scales. The silhouette of a mermaid holds a Progress Pride flag. Text is dark blue script. Text: MerMay LGBTQ+ Readathon “Haunt Me Baby” “Monster Romance kind of has two subcategories—scary and cozy. The scary monster romances often feel like a Romantasy, just with a very non-human love interest. The other size is much more cozy! And reads a lot like contemporary, but with cute monsters.” Rose Santoriello (they/ them) Read our full conversation with Rose on our blog, vqlibrary.blogspot.com

We’re celebrating the final week of MerMay with mini interviews from some of the authors featured on our MerMay LGBTQ+ Readathon list! First up is @rosesantoriello.bsky.social and “Haunt Me, Baby”! Read the full interview here:
vqlibrary.blogspot.com/2025/05/a-me...

Here’s a template you can use to tell us what you’re reading for the MerMay 2025 LGBTQ+ Readathon!!!

Let’s Go!!!!! MerMay 2025!!!!

Extremely devastating news for transgender people in the United Kingdom.

So much of what we face in the United States has shared roots in that country, and this Supreme Court decision there will make people far less free.

Crackdowns on trans people are international, not limited to borders.

"If you share ace books people might think you're asexual" ok and? I love my ace friends. I love ace books. Who the heck cares?

ANYWAY, READ ACE BOOKS💜🤍🖤

Background: a pastel rainbow gradient in the pattern of fish scales. The silhouette of a mermaid holds a Progress Pride flag. Text is dark blue script. Text: MerMay 2025 LGBTQ+ Readathon Hosted by the VQ Library In the center of the image is our logo, which shows a book with rainbow pages lying open, a small pink heart floating out of the book.

Background: a pastel rainbow gradient in the pattern of fish scales. The silhouette of a mermaid holds a Progress Pride flag. Text is dark blue script. Heading: How MerMay Works Text: During the month of May, we are going to read books featuring LGBTQ+ characters and merpeople! You can join us! Make a pledge to read LGBTQ+ merperson themed books during May and to donate money to an LGBTQ+ organization for each book you finish. (You decide what amount to pledge.)

Background: a pastel rainbow gradient in the pattern of fish scales. The silhouette of a mermaid holds a Progress Pride flag. Text is dark blue script. Heading: How MerMay Works Text: Sign up via our Google Form (link in bio) so we know how many readers have joined our pod. We also have a list of Merfolk themed LGBTQ+ books! Tell your friends! Encourage them to swim along with us on this journey or ask them to match your pledge!

Background: a pastel rainbow gradient in the pattern of fish scales. The silhouette of a mermaid holds a Progress Pride flag. Text is dark blue script. Heading: Suggested Organizations Text: You can fundraise for any LGBTQ+ organization but here are two suggestions: Mermaids UK- Aside from their on-theme name, “Mermaids has been supporting transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse children, young people, and their families since 1995.” Virtual Queer Library- A small organization dedicated to making sure LGBTQ+ stories- real and fictional- are accessible to all. We offer a free mail-order library service of LBGTQ+ books, as well as lectures and discussions on LGBTQ+ themes in media.

We had so much fun at @trreadathon.bsky.social that we’re doing it again! …kind of.
We’re hosting a MerMay reading event where we encourage people to read LGBTQ+ books featuring merfolk/ sea creatures! Signup form and suggested reading list in our 🌲!! #MerMay #MerMay2025
linktr.ee/vqlibrary

A white plushie bunny with pink and blue accents and the trans symbol on its chest. This is the Trans bunny from American McGee. She is reading a copy of “The Spirit Bares Its Teeth” by Andrew Joseph White.

In this time of increasing censorship, it is more important than ever that trans people are represented in the stories we tell and trans histories are preserved and taught.
But visibility is not enough. Here’s to the Trans Day of Safety, of Belonging, of Equality, of Joy.

Voices | Meet Jennifer Love: “Performance was my gateway to self-discovery” YouTube video by Vera Institute of Justice

Jennifer Love, a transgender woman, survived six years of incarceration in a men’s prison. Now, she's working to support formerly incarcerated LGBTQ+ community members.

Trans people will not be erased. This #TransgenderDayOfVisibility, we must fight for trans justice behind and beyond bars.

A die-cut sticker featuring the text Stay Strong with a heart in the blue and pink of the trans pride flag.

A square sticker of a distressed trans pride flag surrounded by text that reads "Decide Today: If shit goes down I'd go to jail for you."

A black and purple sticker with an illustration of the Star Trek USS Enterprise beside text that reads "Let us transgend where no transgender has transgended before."

TDOV as celebrated by stickers in our bathroom.

Text reads: open call for submissions. Seeking new and emerging writers of young adult aromantic short fiction. Submission period from March 31st-April 28th. Link to application and guidelines in bio. This is a paid opportunity.

Submissions are OPEN!!

If you’re a new/emerging aromantic author of YA fiction, @madelinedyer.bsky.social and I would love to see you in the inbox! Full submission guidelines here:

madelinedyer.co.uk/call-for-sub...

Join the TJA's Monthly Giving Community | TRANS JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION LTD (Powered by Donorbox) We're the Trans Journalists Association, the only trans-led organization of gender-expansive journalists in the U.S.For four years, we’ve bloomed as a volunteer-run organization bringing together expe...

Happy Trans Day of Visibility! To celebrate, we're awarding more than $15,000 in stipends to 30+ journalists to support them. These stipends will help develop careers of trans journalists, support fair and accurate coverage of trans communities, or both.

This book sounds lovely. 💚

A heading of blue text reads “Trans Rights Readathon”. Below are five rectangles with a thick blue border. All are filled in, with the covers of “Hell Followed With Us” “Survival & Other Surprises” “Sisters of the Lost Nation” “I Feed Her To the Beast” and “I Am The Dark…”. At the bottom, blue text says “ #trr2025 @transrightsreadathon Graphics by @vqlibrary “

A heading of blue text reads “Trans Rights Readathon”. Below are five rectangles with a thick blue border. All are filled in, with the covers of “Survival & Other Surprises” “Compound Fracture” “Peter Darling” “Most Ardently” and “Sir Callie and the Champions of Hellstone”. At the bottom, blue text says “ #trr2025 @transrightsreadathon Graphics by @vqlibrary “

A heading of blue text reads “Trans Rights Readathon”. Below are five rectangles with a thick blue border. Three are filled in, with the covers of “Old Wounds” “The Trauma Cleaner” and “The Thirty Names of Night”. At the bottom, blue text says “ #trr2025 @transrightsreadathon Graphics by @vqlibrary “

A heading of blue text reads “Trans Rights Readathon”. Below, text reads “I’m fundraising for” and “Currently raised”, with dotted lines beside them for people to fill in the answers. Pink lettering states that we have raised $325 for Trans Rescue. At the bottom, blue text says “ #trr2025 @transrightsreadathon Graphics by @vqlibrary “

A recap heading into the final weekend of the Trans Rights Readathon!!! @trreadathon.bsky.social Thirteen books read and $325 raised for @transrescue.org.web.brid.gy Three days left- LET’S GO!!!!!!

the official cover for my next book, ROAR OF THE LAMBS. the text reads: "Unlock the box. Unleash the apocalypse. Roar of the Lambs. From the author of I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me, Jamison Shea." The illustration depicts a decorative carved box that is pale white, made of bone, with a sharp stick in the lock to keep it shut. The box is guarded by a large green snake that curls around it. Its mouth is open, fangs drawn. The background is dark. The foreground is gritty, a little grainy, with light purple scratches in the image.

"Know your place, little lamb." Winnie Bray is psychic and used to being ignored. And then one day she sees her death in Apollo Rathbun's future. It's better that they stay away from each other, but their fates are entwined. A box carved from bone whispers to them, and if they give in, calamity will follow.

A trope map of ROAR OF THE LAMBS: psychic who's allergic to telling the truth, delusional with year ing, genderqueer delinquent with a (secret) heart of gold, nuclear physics-bending magic, dual pov, bi4bi, opposites attract, family beef that spans generations, Pandora's box as a family heirloom, what if we kiss in the creepy dungeon in my Gothic house, new date idea: stopping reach bros from destroying the planet, and since you don't want to listen to us, how about we throw a molotov cocktail through your front window? can you hear that?

UNLOCK THE BOX & PERISH ❤️‍🔥

excited to reveal the cover of my upcoming gothic thriller, ROAR OF THE LAMBS, where a lying psychic and her juvenile delinquent take on an apocalyptic, demon core-inspired box.

preorder now, on sale August 26, link in my bio.

A heading of blue text reads “Trans Rights Readathon”. Below, text reads “I’m fundraising for” and “Currently raised”, with dotted lines beside them for people to fill in the answers. Pink lettering states that we have raised $100 for Trans Rescue. At the bottom, blue text says “ #trr2025 @transrightsreadathon Graphics by @vqlibrary “

A heading of blue text reads “Trans Rights Readathon”. Below are five rectangles with a thick blue border. Four are filled in, with the covers of “Hell Followed With Us” “Survival & Other Surprises” “Sisters of the Lost Nation” and “I Feed Her To the Beast”. They are in the shape of book covers. At the bottom, blue text says “ #trr2025 @transrightsreadathon Graphics by @vqlibrary “

The first weekend of Trans Rights Readathon is over, and here’s how we’ve done so far! Four books read and $100 raised for @transrescue.org.web.brid.gy !!!!
@trreadathon.bsky.social

Happy Trans Rights Readathon everyone ❤️🏳️‍⚧️ If you’d like to squeeze in a small poetry collection, ARCs of Survival & Other Surprises, poems about chronic illness, survival, and perseverance are still available in my bio link! #transrightsreadathon #trr

Today is the last day to support our fundraising campaign to provide scholarships for our 2025 Writers Retreat and ensure this transformative program is accessible to all!

We are still $900 away from our goal! Donate today and help spread the magic of LGBTQ+ literature.

bit.ly/lambdaschola...