Laura Sackton is a queer book nerd and freelance writer, known on the internet for loving winter, despising summer, and going overboard with extravagant baking projects. In addition to her work at Book Riot, she reviews for BookPage and AudioFile, and writes a weekly newsletter, Books & Bakes, celebrating queer lit and tasty treats. You can catch her on Instagram shouting about the queer books she loves and sharing photos of the walks she takes in the hills of Western Mass (while listening to audiobooks, of course).
Bookstagram might just be my favorite corner of the internet. Sure, it’s not perfect. But for the most part, it’s a whole bunch of bookish folk talking about the books they love. People are kind, excited, delightfully nerdy, and genuinely interested in having meaningful conversations about books. It’s dreamy. And queer Bookstagram is even dreamier.
I don’t know if queer Bookstagram is an official thing. I do know that there are lots of queer (and some non-queer) Bookstagrammers out there who run fantastic accounts highlighting queer literature. I’ve discovered many fantastic queer books across all genres thanks to these fabulous people who read a lot and talk about it.
If you’re new to queer Bookstagram, here are 12 of my favorite accounts to get you started.
Lupita writes thoughtful, detailed reviews across many genres, with a focus on memoir and literary fiction. She highlights Latinx lit, queer lit, and authors of color. Her pics are often accompanied by tasty-looking beer, and her baby son makes occasional (adorable) cameos. I especially appreciate her exuberance: after reading one of her reviews, I always want to read the book, even if it’s not something I’d usually pick up.
On their profile, Jesse describes their style as “bow ties and cozy vibes.” They review books of all kinds, including a lot of queer YA and SFF. They also founded the Enby Book Club, a monthly Instagram book club dedicated to reading stories with nonbinary protagonists.
If you live in the UK, you’re in luck, because you can subscribe to this awesome monthly queer book box! If (like me), you’re eagerly waiting for them to start shipping internationally, you can still follow their account for great queer book recs.
Areeb posts book reviews across many genres, often highlighting queer lit. I like his aesthetic, which is simple and uncluttered: a book against a background.
Tiana reviews queer books across many genres. I love this account especially because she reviews adult, YA, middle grade, and children’s books! Her pics always have plants/gardens/flowers in the background, which makes it extra colorful and delightful.
If you’re into queer lit, sunlit wood, and clean, soothing lines, then this account is for you. Sarah reviews mostly queer lit and posts pictures that make me super jealous of their desk set-up.
Anthony Michael’s account is a combo of books and cats (often in tote bags). What more could you want? How about snappy one-sentence reviews and gorgeous pics of bookstores and libraries? This is a great account to follow if you don’t like reading long reviews on Instagram and would rather just look at pictures of fantastic queer books.
Even if you don’t live in the UK, you’ve probably heard of Gay’s the Word, a queer London bookshop that opened in 1979. Though following this account will probably make you sad if you’re not a Londoner and can’t visit the shop regularly, you’ll still get lots of great book recs. I also appreciate all their author photos—one of my favorite ways to discover new queer authors is to check out who they’ve had in the store.
Charlotte is a reader from Berlin, Germany. She posts reviews on books that center feminist thinking, and highlights queer authors, women authors, and authors of color.
Elizabeth’s account has that classic Bookstagram vibe: lots of lovely photos of books and coffee. She posts reviews across many genres, highlighting diverse (and of course queer) voices.
A post shared by Elizabeth ✨ (@thefeministreader) on
Looking for more great Bookstagram accounts to follow? Some of my favorites are on this list of black women Bookstagrammers. And there are many wonderful accounts on this list of Bookstagrammers of color, too.
