Oprah’s Book Club began as a monthly segment on her television talk show, with a break from the monthly cadence in the early 00s when Oprah said she could not keep up with the required reading. This ran until 2011, when the club evolved into Oprah’s Book Club 2.0, rolling into Oprah’s OWN and utilizing social media for discussion. Apple TV+ brought Oprah’s Book Club back to television between 2019 and 2021, and today, the book club operates as part of Oprah’s podcast. 

Many of the books selected by Oprah have sold millions of copies, and titles have ranged from fiction to nonfiction, new releases to classics. 

• The very first Oprah’s Book Club pick was The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacqueline Mitchard, which was Mitchard’s debut novel.

• Oprah’s most current pick for September 2026 is Little Wonder by Sophie Chen Keller

• 74 of the authors who’ve had books selected are female–including two female author duos–while 52 of the authors are male.

• About 34% of the authors have been authors of color.

• Authors Eckhart Tolle, Bill Cosby, Toni Morrison, Charles Dickens, Marilynne Robinson, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jonathan Franzen, Wally Lamb, Jane Hamilton, Kaye Gibbons, Tayari Jones, and Barbara Kingsolver have each seen more than one of their books selected. 

Oprah’s got several celebrations planned throughout September for the big 3-0:

• “30 Books I Can’t Forget” Daily Reveals, with Oprah announcing one of her Club Picks each day in September as among the most memorable.

• A new Amazon storefront featuring her Book Club picks

• A fall reading challenge on Goodreads, featuring a badge that Goodreads users can earn for reading qualifying Oprah’s Book Club Picks between September 15 and December 30.

• A special episode of Oprah’s Book Club Podcast on September 30, featuring Barbara Kingsolver, Ocean Vuong, Abraham Verghese, Elizabeth Strout, and Viola Davis.

Oprah’s Book Club has inspired numerous celebrity book clubs. It has also been at the center of several literary controversies. Who can forget Jonathan Franzen’s disdain about The Corrections being selected or the discovery of fabrications in James Frey’s “memoir” A Million Little Pieces?

Whatever you may feel about Oprah or her picks and whatever format her club has taken, one thing is for sure: she’s helped countless people discover or rediscover a love of reading for three decades.

Brooky Parks.

Patty Hector.

Rhea Young.

Terri Lesley.

Texas.

Colorado.

Arkansas.

Texas.

Wyoming.

These five names and the four states in which they live and work represent something significant. Each of these librarians was fired for standing up against censorship when it was demanded of them, filed a wrongful termination lawsuit, and successfully settled their cases. None of them won much money, but in none of the cases was the money the point. No quarter of a million dollar settlement is enough to undo the damage of being fired, of being publicly dragged, of losing one’s income and health insurance, or of seeing one’s reputation be tarnished for upholding their ethical obligation to the field of librarianship.

But every single one of these settlements is a significant win right now. Each represents a librarian who did their job by defending the First Amendment rights of every person in their community. Each also represents something we simply have not seen play out well in the courts right now: decisive insight into whether public libraries exist to serve the will of the taxpayers or the political whims of whatever party is in charge.

Though there are numerous ongoing federal cases, what we’ve seen from the courts thus far in library censorship lawsuits has been the right’s assault on freedoms for all deemed legal. Little v. Llano County in the Fifth Circuit last year stated that library collections in three states–Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas–were allowed to be reflections of the political beliefs of those in charge and not, in fact, the needs or interests of those whose tax money pays for those libraries. That case has been cited beyond those three states as justification for widespread book censorship in both public and school libraries, including in Crookshanks et al. v. Elizabeth School District, a case out of Colorado now in the 10th Circuit.

Little v. Llano County wasn’t the only major court loss for the freedom to read. After three years in the judicial system, the Eighth Circuit handed down a decision in favor of the defendants in Fayetteville Public Library v. Todd Murray. The case challenged the legality of Arkansas’s Act 372, which amends state laws by including librarians and booksellers among those who can be criminally charged for distributing or providing materials deemed “harmful to minors” (“distributing” means anything from handing the book to someone who asks for it to simply having the book on shelves in the library or in Friends of the Library book sales or on displays and so on). The law also allows anyone to challenge the “appropriateness” of materials, which would face a public hearing to determine whether they can remain on shelves or must be removed. Arkansas libraries are scrambling to figure out how to be in compliance by doing things such as banning anyone under 18 from borrowing comics or manga or DVDs or anything in the adult areas of the library. Some libraries are now prohibiting those under 18 from using self-checkout.

While several other cases remain in the courts, it’s hard not to see where the Supreme Court will be waiting to take up cases that allow their conservative majority to spend even more time talking about gender, sexuality, and what’s happening in children’s underpants. There are multiple cases primed for just that, including Penguin Random House v. Gibson in the 11th Circuit and Theis v. InterMountain Education Service District Board of Directors in the Ninth. There’s also the amended case in the Eighth Circuit over Iowa’s anti-trans, anti-LGBT+ Senate File 496, which requires the removal of books deemed to depict “sex acts” in them; unfortunately, the amended filing from the plaintiffs fails to include a single LGBTQ+ book among the titles being cited, despite the law itself being about LGBTQ+ discrimination.

But back to those individuals.

Every one of the settlements for the five librarians above occurred when those librarians were told to remove books. None of them would comply, and as a result, they were fired from their jobs. Each one of those cases represented wrongful termination on the grounds of not complying with censorship directives. This suggests several things, one of the biggest ones being that defendants in each case worried that they would not win the case, and it was easier–and less pricey–to settle outside the courtroom.

More interesting and more perplexing is how these wins stand in opposition to the decisions rendered in non-employee cases. Suzette Baker was the head of Llano County Public Library’s Kingsland branch when she was fired. The same Llano County where patrons were told that they don’t have a right to a diverse collection because the materials in the library were subject to the political whims of local leaders is the same Llano County Public Library that agreed they could not fire a librarian for refusing to comply with censorship directives. This is a contradictory statement about the First Amendment in the library.

Llano County isn’t the lone example.

This is playing out now in Arkansas. The decision to allow Act 372 to go into effect–a law that lays out in specificity what the punishments for librarians and educators could be were they to as much as have a book deemed by a single political party as “harmful to minors”–happened just days before Patty Hector reached a settlement in her case against Saline County for wrongful termination (n.b., Saline County is currently being investigated for potentially putting an illegal measure on their upcoming ballot that aims to reduce library funding). Hector was fired from her post as executive director of the library when she spoke up against local conservative efforts to censor LGBTQ+ and BIPOC books, as well as books about puberty and sexuality, in the youth areas of the library.

The Arkansas Advocate, in its coverage of Hector’s settlement, notes the clear confusion and contradictions inherent in this case and the decision over Act 372. Librarians won’t know what they can do, nor know the extent or limits of the First Amendment rights granted to them to ethically do their job, until someone’s work or voice is threatened. Hector’s settlement suggests that library workers don’t shed their rights to do their job and serve the needs of the whole community. Yet, the new law explicitly outlines the punishments library workers face for not bowing to manufactured panic by conservatives over “indoctrination” and materials “harmful to minors.”

And if Texas’s Lieutenant Governor’s wishes to strip a whole letter grade from schools across the state for failing to remove books on a conservative activist’s hit list–one created by other far-right conservatives across the country and not, no matter how much they say, on the local level meant to leverage “local control”–we’ll only see these individual cases further contradicting who does and does not have rights in the library. Can those schools sue the state for infringing on their rights? Can librarians who are being turned into little more than tools of the regime push back?

If the current landscape is any indication, those cases have pretty strong legal precedent. But there are tremendous hurdles, beginning with time and financial means to pursue litigation.

Of course, even amid contradictory rulings from the judicial system, the point isn’t who is or isn’t granted First Amendment rights. The point is quiet compliance. The hope is that by passing cruel and overly broad laws, library workers and educators will simply do what they’re told, even and especially if it’s outside the legal and ethical mandates of their profession. Because at the end of the day, this is about dismantling of a profession and the dismantling of systems meant to uphold truth and fact, not partisan sycophancy and authoritarianism.

That the cases above have been won only through settlement underscores that the point is to get away with as much as possible, as quietly as possible.

Fortunately for those of us who believe in the power of public goods and democratic institutions, as well as those who make these spaces true spaces of civic engagement, each and every one of these individual wins adds up.

Book Censorship News: September 11, 2026

• The Librarians has won an Emmy.
• The Texas Lieutenant Governor’s threats to downgrade school ratings, plus the state’s new book bans laws, has led to the exact chilling intended. Librarians across the state don’t want to talk about books nor purchase new ones.
• “A Somerset County School Board [MD] policy that makes young adult books in school libraries unavailable to almost all students in county schools violates state law and the First Amendment, an appeal to the State Board of Education claims.” Of course it does. Seeing Maryland enforce their anti-book ban law is refreshing.
• A queer librarian talks about how quiet censorship is the biggest issue in book banning right now.
• The Salt Lake City Tribune (UT) talks about what a waste of time and money the state board’s plan to find out if publishers are pushing porn in school libraries is worth a read. Even more interesting is seeing a member of the paper’s editorial board recuse herself of the editorial.
• Here’s a great piece on how young people–too young to vote–still helped flip a Florida school board race.
• Librarian Julie Miller–you may know that name from the Emmy-award winning film The Librarians–talks about how Clay County Schools (FL) are losing their libraries through funding and staffing cuts (in addition to all of the bans being perpetrated by one person in the county).
• How Arkansas libraries are handling the implementation of Act 372.
• Dothan Houston County Library System (AL) has city funding for next year, despite some complaints from community members citing the same tied lies about pornography and a city commissioner being mad that the library lends out things like leaf blowers.
• Here’s a great editorial in a New York paper about whether or not the state’s governor believes in the freedom to read, given how she still won’t sign an anti-book ban bill (and decided not to sign one last year).
• Heartland Signal did a deep dive into the bills that revoke social progress across the US these last two years. It’s worth reading, and it’ll also be eye-opening how many times you see book bans and libraries.
• Boise Public Library (ID) won’t be removing Princess Pete by Zoey Allen from shelves. Love a right-wing copy-paste complaint: “Citing the American College of Pediatricians, an anti-LGBTQ and religious conservative advocacy group, petitioners said the story promoted body confusion. In their request, they wrote they were concerned it was developmentally inappropriate and asked the library to remove picture books that “socially affirm” gender fluidity.”
• A parent in Worthington, Ohio, is complaining about Heartstopper being available in the local middle school. That parent is seeking “help” from Take Back the Classroom in her campaign to get the title removed from all students.

On a personal note, I’ve launched an independent podcast about literary advocacy called Liberating Lit. The limited-run show will have two seasons. Each episode invites a guest who has been doing freedom to read work to talk about what they do, how they stay motivated, and more. The goal of the show is to spark action in those who have been interested in doing work but don’t know where to begin, as well as to help refill the cups of those who have been doing the work. You can read more about the podcast here, and you can tune in at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or on the podcast’s website.

The Most Popular Books on the StoryGraph This Week

1. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
2. The Knave and the Moon (The Stonewater Kingdom #2) by Rachel Gillig
3. The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
4. Fruit Fly by Josh Silver
5. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
6. Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang
7. Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (Dungeon Crawler Carl #2) by Matt Dinniman
8. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
9. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
10. The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
11. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
12. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
13. The Disappearers by Marlon James
14. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
15. The Gate of the Feral Gods (Dungeon Crawler Carl #4) by Matt Dinniman

Two New Books Out This Week You Should Know About

Unfortunately, the most read books on Goodreads tend not to be diverse by any definition of the word. So, here are a couple of new books out this week that deserve wider readership.

Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang An R.F. Kuang release is always an event. I love that for her as much as I love it for us, and I especially love that her latest is a bit different from what I’ve seen of her so far. In this contemporary coming-of-age novel, we see through Chinese American college freshman Lily Chen how homegoing isn’t always quite like what you think it will be. When Lily sets off for Taipei and the intensive Chinese language summer course she enrolled in, she’s hoping to feel closer to the culture her parents were born into, but that she never fully grasped. But then everything seems to just crumble. Her roommate sucks, her classes are a little too intense, and there’s a piece of nasty gossip floating around about her. Then her grandfather dies, and suddenly, the search for who she is takes a different turn. —Erica Ezeifedi

Adam, Mine. by K. Ancrum Ancrum has become a force in YA over the last several years, and her latest endeavor is being described as a romantic queer horror thriller that is ultimately a love letter to Frankenstein. I’m sold. Victor Frankenstein has everything he could ever want, except that money and privilege aren’t enough to prove himself or to change the world. He wants to figure out how to bring people who are sick and dying back to life. It’s not entirely surprising that no one wants to allow him to try this, but after a drunken bet, Victor has to take things into his own hands. He’s taken a teenage boy from a neighboring village as his monster. That boy, Elias, taken under the dark of night, awakens covered in stitches and scars. His loved ones abandon him. Elias is, however, tethered to Victor, who has set out to find a way to reverse what he’s done to Elias. He’s afraid, and he feels guilty about what he’s done. The connection Victor and Elias feel includes one another’s joys, pains, regrets, and more. Even though both are looking for answers and ways to end the other’s existence, the bond they feel may lead to something else entirely. —Kelly Jensen

The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week

#5:

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi Theo of Golden has been dominating the bestseller lists for many, many weeks now, so it’s no surprise to see it on the Goodreads Most Read list. It’s a feel-good novel about Theo arriving at the town of Golden and learning the stories of its inhabitants. It was read by 14,000 users this week and has a 4.4 average rating.

#4:

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans This turned out to be the sleeper hit of 2025: it has kept growing in popularity, seemingly just from word-of-mouth recommendations. Katie Couric also named it the first pick for her new book club. It’s about a woman who has written letters daily her whole life. When someone from her past writes back, she has to reevaluate a painful period in her life and find a way to forgive. This was read by 16,000 users last week and has a 4.4 average rating.

#3:

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth In this 2025 thriller, 81-year-old Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is trying to live a quiet life in the suburbs, but when one of her neighbors turns up dead, all eyes turn to her. When Elsie was 14, she was Mad Mabel, the youngest convicted murderer in Australia. Now, with the help of a couple of podcasters, she’s ready to tell the story in her own words. 16,000 users read it this week, and it has a 4.4 average rating.

#2:

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett This is the newest book from the author of The Help. The Help was a huge bestseller, made into a blockbuster movie, but it received a lot of criticism for its use of stereotypes of Black people and white saviorism, as well as its historical inaccuracies. This criticism didn’t prevent Stockett from snagging a lucrative book deal for her new novel, however, and it looks like it hasn’t hurt its sales. The Calamity Club was read by almost 27,000 users this week and has a 4.6 average rating.

#1:

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke At the top of the list is Yesteryear, which came out in April. It’s one of several buzzy tradwife novels out this year. In this one, a tradwife influencer wakes up one day in the time period she’s been romanticizing, and real-life homesteading turns out to be much more difficult—and dangerous—than it looks on Instagram. Yesteryear was read by almost 36,000 users this week and has a 3.9 average rating.

If you’re looking for more buzzy books, check out The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists.

Keep up with all the latest book news by signing up for the Book Riot Newsletter.

I’ve talked a lot about the upcoming Carrie adaptation coming to Prime in October, but that’s not the only horror adaptation hitting screens this season. Here are more horror adaptations that are 100% guaranteed to give you the creeps.

My Sad Dead (Netflix, September 24) Netflix’s 4-part miniseries Mis Muertos Tristes (My Sad Dead) is based on the short story of the same name by Argentine author Mariana Enríquez. Fans of the author will also notice references to Enríquez’s other works, including A Sunny Place for Shady People. Pablo Larraín, the Chilean director behind the films Maria, Spencer, and Jackie, directs the series. Mercedes Morán stars as Emma, a reclusive doctor who can see the dead. When her niece Julie (Dolores Fonzi) returns to her life and reveals she has the same powers, the boundary between the living and the dead is blurred.

Other Mommy (Theatrical Release, October 9) Directed by Rob Savage from a script by Nathan Elston, this paranormal horror/thriller is based on the novel Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman. Jessica Chastain is Ursula, a loving mother who would do anything for her daughter, Bela. Unfortunately, there’s an evil entity called “Other Mommy” that looks exactly like her and terrorizes her family. Jay Duplass costars as Ursula’s husband, Russ. Other Mommy is scheduled to hit theaters on October 9, so you have time to read the book first!

Victorian Psycho (Theatrical Release, November 13) Virginia Feito’s Victorian Psycho is a tiny 208-page novel that packs a big punch, and the film adaptation is heading to theaters in November. Set in 1858, this story follows a young governess named Winifred Notty, played by scream queen Maika Monroe. When Winifred first arrives at the remote gothic mansion, Ensor House, she tries to hide her strange impulses. But as Christmas approaches and she’s settled into her new life, the governess’s violent urges get the better of her. The film is directed by Zachary Wigon, based on a script by Feito. It also stars Thomasin McKenzie, Jason Isaacs, and Ruth Wilson.

Looking for more horror adaptations to get excited about? Check out what we know so far about Martin Scorsese’s upcoming film What Happens at Night and the adaptation of Paul Tremblay’s Head Full of Ghosts.

Every comic on this list has just been published or will be released soon. Some deal with big questions about cultural heritage, including what it means to be Latine, while others are just plain fun adventures. You’ll find comics for young readers, young adult readers, and adult readers, too.

Cat and Lola: School Picture Day by Melissa Villaseñor and Jimena Sánchez Sarquiz (Sep 22) It’s school picture day, and Lola is determined to avoid a catastrophe like last year’s toothpaste stain fiasco. She’ll need help from her fashion-conscious cat to find a look that is not only fabulous, but that also shows off her sparkling personality for the camera!

Gabby Torres Knows What You Did by Angela Dominguez This fun series for young readers continues as Gabby learns that she’s about to get some new neighbors–and she immediately suspects they’re up to something sinister. Will her investigation uncover the truth or just get Gabby into trouble?

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez and Krystal Quiles Adapted from the classic novel, which in turn was based on true events, In the Time of the Butterflies follows the Mirabal sisters–Las Mariposas–who fought to overthrow the Dominican Republic’s dictator, Rafael Trujillo. They were killed for their efforts, but the memory of their willingness to fight against tyranny lives on.

Mexikid Dreams by Pedro Martín This companion to the award-winning Mexikid finds Pedro looking for every opportunity to escape the strawberry fields where he and his family have to work on weekends and in the summer. It’s only when he comes to understand why they’re out there picking berries that he can fully appreciate the chance to follow his dreams when the opportunity finally arrives.

Second Generation Blues by Julio Anta and Red Dryer Luis’s parents want him to keep working as a delivery boy at their restaurant. But all Luis wants is to spend the summer with his friends, especially Yara, the girl he has a crush on. Can he balance his parents’ wishes with his own, or will he have to give up one or the other?

For more reading at the intersection of Latine culture and comics, check out this look at how superhero comics have depicted Latin America, this introduction to Latin American comics, and some fun facts about Mexican superhero comics.

Last and least is Going Further: The Incomparable Clarence Thomas by Ted Cruz. This seems like a good time to mention that Anita Hill, who spoke at the 1991 Clarence Thomas Supreme Court hearings about the sexual harassment she faced, has her own book: Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence. We simply don’t have the space to get into why it’s disappointing to see a book by Ted Cruz about Clarence Thomas on the bestseller list, but suffice to say, neither of them reflects the ethos of Book Riot.

This list continues to lack diversity on many levels, including being disproportionately by white authors. Some Indie Bestsellers you should know about are Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead, Taiwan Travelogue by Shuang-zi Yang and translated by Lin King, and The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

To get these numbers, we look at The New York Times, both Combined Print & E-Book Fiction and Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction lists; Amazon Charts, both Fiction and Nonfiction; Publishers Weekly; USA Today; and Indie Bestsellers, Fiction and Nonfiction, both Paperback and Hardcover.

Books On All Five Bestseller Lists:

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Whistler by Ann Patchett

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

Books On Four Bestseller Lists:

Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty (Publishers Weekly, USA Today, NYT, Indie Bestsellers)

Books On Three Bestseller Lists:

Brain Damage by Freida McFadden (Publishers Weekly, USA Today, NYT)

Going Further: The Incomparable Clarence Thomas by Ted Cruz (Publishers Weekly, NYT, Amazon)

Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan (NYT, Amazon, Indie Bestsellers)

Strangers by Belle Burden (NYT, Amazon, Indie Bestsellers)

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth (NYT, Amazon, Indie Bestsellers)

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.

Anyone of any gender can be bisexual, so the named identity still has a lot of interesting, divergent experiences. When characters find out they have this trait in common, it’s both a bonding moment and a crystallization of differences. That’s a perfect setup for lovers to come together.

If you got through fellow contributor Rachel Brittain’s list last year, here are a bunch of fresh titles to fall in love with. This pile of bisexual reads for your TBR includes YA, adult romance, and a bonus polyamorous relationship novel to expand horizons even further.

Young Adult Bi4Bi Romance Novels

Solo Stan by Talia Tucker Kai and Elias are both huge fans of the band CYPHR, and end up going solo and sitting next to each other. Both are on the cusp of major changes: Kai is going to college, and Elias is living in Raleigh after spending his whole life in New York City. Because of a blackout, the two boys end up in a Before Sunrise-esque, all-night adventure.

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli Leah was my favorite character in Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, so I was thrilled to read the story of her coming into her own. She’s bisexual, but mostly focused on becoming a better musician and holding onto her friendships before she goes to college. She’s always had an antagonistic thing going with Abby, but there’s more going on than either of them could have anticipated. It’s a funny, sweet story about finding your sexuality as a teenager.

Adult Contemporary Bi4Bi Romance

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston I recommend this book constantly, and I will never stop. Exes Kit and Theo are forcibly reunited on a food and wine tour of Europe, and they agree to put aside the hurt from their breakup, be friends, and compete to see who can have sex with more hot Europeans. The pursuit of pleasure is not only in sex, and part of Kit and Theo’s reunion is over their shared love of flavor. Kit flexes his pastry skills while Theo shows off an encyclopedic knowledge of wine tasting notes. Feelings, obviously, re-emerge. Side note: McQuiston has posted on Instagram that they imagined Emma D’Arcy as Theo. Maybe they can act in a quick film before the next season of House of the Dragon?

The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau Members of the wedding party falling in love at the wedding is a classic setup, and even better when they kind of hate each other. Vivian Liao is thrilled to be her roommate’s maid of honor, but deeply annoyed to have to deal with the groom’s best friend, Melvin Lee. Even though Melvin being an out Asian stand-up comedian helped Vivian’s own journey to becoming bi, she’s disappointed with the direction of his career. But they’re continuously thrown together, and find a lot to like about each other.

The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur In a sort of Pygmalion-esque tale, Tansy Adams imagines the perfect woman (based on a book cover model) and finds Gemma, who looks like exactly what she imagined. In a convenient twist of fate, Gemma needs to get married, and she decides Tansy is the perfect companion. The marriage-of-convenience setup leads both women to fall hard for each other, and figure out if they can make the imagined relationship into something real.

Isn’t It Obvious? by Rachel Runya Katz If you’re looking for another excellent podcast-based story with a You’ve Got Mail-inspired plot, this book is perfect. Yael has a podcast that she hosts as a secret persona called Elle, and she hires a remote editor to help her out. The editor goes by Kevin, but his name is Ravi, and Yael hates him. But as they connect over email, they meet in real life. They’re falling for each other, both in person and in the digital world.

Two’s Better by Viano Oniomoh This friends-to-lovers story delivers high spice and a hilarious friend group. At the end of their time in university, Uzezi and Ofure haven’t had sex. So she decides they should lend each other a helping hand. They commit to keeping their friendship first, but feelings start to arise the more often they fall into bed together.

Historical Bi4Bi Romance

A Delicate Deception by Cat Sebastian Sick of the vagaries of the social life of London, Amelia relocates to Derbyshire and commits to a life of quiet and meandering walks. Sydney, a civil engineer from the area, interrupts her solitude. Sydney and Amelia are both living on the outside of society’s expectations. Despite their growing connection, land ownership and past grievances threaten to tear them apart.

Trouble by Lex Croucher I was surprised and delighted by this Regency-era story of a governess and a widower from Lex Croucher, both because I love The Sound of Music and because both main characters were bisexual. Emily Laurence arrives at Captain Edwards’ house assuming the role her sweet-tempered sister was supposed to take. Even though Emily is hardened, she bonds with the children and starts to connect with the captain. Like all of Croucher’s books, queerness, class, and gender roles come into play as part of the happy ending.

A Bonus Polyamorous Romance

The Threefold Tie by Aster Glenn Gray If you are interested in exploring bisexuality in fiction past the pairing, this is a great polyamorous romance novella to start with. Jack and Everett were comrades-in-arms in the Civil War, and closer than average soldiers. After the war, Everett moves to New York and marries Sophie, whom he does love, even as he holds a candle for Jack. When Jack reappears in their lives, both Everett and Sophie are attracted to him. The struggle is finding a way to be together with all the possible struggles that will entail.

To keep the party going, you can also look for more books with bisexual characters, bisexual comics, and the most influential queer books of all time.