Books & Audiobooks
As Valentine’s Day approaches, it is easy to get swept up in the idea of what love is supposed to look like, but there are so many different types of love worth celebrating. From diverse romantic connections to deep bonds between friends and family, love looks different for everyone.
Here are some of my favourite titles that explore different forms of love, connection, and care.
Special Topics in Being a Human
by S. Bear Bergman, Illustrated by Saul Freedman-Lawson
This tender, witty, and insightful book provides practical advice for making your way through the world. Through a queer lens and accompanied with beautiful illustrations, Bergman offers a mix of Dad advice, Jewish bubbe wisdom, and practical takeaways for navigating complex situations in your life. Helpful frameworks and how-to guides are discussed for making big decisions, apologizing, showing someone love, being yourself, and many other difficult but important ways to show up for yourself and others. This book aims to help you be the best version of yourself by harnessing kindness, compassion, and humour while validating your feelings, asking questions, and candidly calling out the limitations and social inequities present in traditional advice-giving.
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I Shall Never Fall in Love
by Hari Conner
In this Jane Austen-inspired, queer, romantic graphic novel, two friends discover their feelings for each other and explore what it means to be true to yourself while chasing a happily ever after. George has just inherited their family estate, but if anyone finds out that they are secretly dressing in men’s clothes, the family name will be ruined. Eleanor has always tried to do everything “right,” but she’s never met a boy she was interested in and would much rather spend her time with her cousin, Charlotte and best friend, George. When a new suitor comes to town, her closest friendships become strained and she is forced to rethink what it means to fall in love and find your place in the world.
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Kin: The Future of Family
by Sophie Lucido Johnson
With a mix of memoir and social science, this book explores the power of reframing how we think about intimate relationships and the importance of building community to combat loneliness. Kinship relationships built on emotional support, care, and shared resources “blur the line between friend and family.” Through this lens, a range of kinship structures are presented to consider how we can survive in an age of overwork and stress while building our own communities of support.
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Radio Silence
by Alice Oseman
What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong? Frances has always had one goal: getting into an elite university. Hiding behind the study machine everyone sees at school, she loves art and is obsessed with her favourite podcast. When her fan art catches the attention of the show’s creator Aled, the two become fast friends and grow closer while spending their summer working on the podcast. As Frances’s senior year and Aled’s first year at university approach, a sudden revelation changes their relationship and they are both left spiraling. This story of friendship, fandom, and identity shows how happiness can be found through being your true self.
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Weirdo
by Tony Weaver; illustrated by Jess and Cin Wibowo
Tony’s classmates think he is a weirdo. His love of comic books, anime, video games, and superheroes sets him apart from his peers. Struggling with bullying, grief over the loss of his grandmother, and the pain of not being accepted, he embarks on a journey towards self-love and healing. At a new school, he begins taking small steps to become his own hero, meet like-minded friends, and find a place where he belongs. This graphic novel is perfect for anyone who has ever felt like they don’t quite fit in.
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