Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!
This past week, September 16-23, has been Bisexual Visibility Week, and today, September 23rd, is Bisexual Visibility Day! See me. I’m right here. Well, in your screen. Along with my Latine Heritage Month post, this is another one that I’ve neglected to do some years since it comes at a slightly dicey time in the school year, but I probably shouldn’t be neglecting, since it, y’know, directly correlates to my identity. Oops. A little embarrassing, but once again, no time like the present.
Every year. Every year, I swear to god. I’m much less online than I used to be, but from what I see snatches of, every other year, some discourse comes back about whether or not bisexuals are actually “queer enough” or if straight-passing bisexuals are allowed at pride, or something equally meaningless. (Also, I feel like everyone debating the latter should remember that Brenda Howard, a bisexual woman, was a key figure in creating Pride events and rallies as we know them here in the States.) Just seeing flashes of whatever’s going down on TikTok makes me lose a year off my life. But it brings up a point that I’ve often thought about when it comes to the queer community: the infighting needs to stop. Please. There’s no sense in playing the oppression olympics amongst ourselves, especially when the threats against the LGBTQ+ community at large are so much more pressing. Also, please stop being weird about bisexual people. This is coming from somebody who’s had the privilege of not experiencing any direct biphobia, thankfully, but has heard it in real life directed at friends and loved ones, as well as seeing it run rampant on the internet. All of this petty fighting is a distraction from what’s really happening: not long after they removed the word transgender from the Stonewall National Monument website, they removed the word bisexual from the “history and culture” section. As of now, they’ve since reinstated it (though the absence of trans people remains glaring…love to all my trans siblings, in light of, well, everything), but it sends a clear message: they’re bent on cutting our community up until they can conveniently erase it from American history. And we will not be erased.
To all of my fellow bisexuals: you are bisexual enough. No matter your relationship status, attraction, or partner, you will always be bisexual. Nobody can dictate your identity but you. Not the internet, not the people in your life—nobody. There is no one central bisexual experience, but every individual experience under the sun is valid, so long as you want to claim it. You’re the captain of this ship, and you are bisexual enough. And you are loved. I don’t know about you, but I’ve loved being bisexual in the nearly seven years (Jesus, has it been that long?)
For my lists from previous years, click below:
Let’s begin, shall we?
🩷💜💙THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S BOOKS FOR BISEXUAL VISIBILITY WEEK (2025 EDITION)🩷💜💙
FANTASY & MAGICAL REALISM:
- Gwen & Art are Not in Love – Lex Croucher | YA | high fantasy, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Patricia Wants to Cuddle – Samantha Allen | Adult | paranormal, urban fantasy | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- The Lost Story – Meg Shaffer | Adult | magical realism, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- The First Bright Thing – J.R. Dawson | Adult | historical fiction, magical realism, paranormal, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- The Girl, the Ring, & The Baseball Bat – Camille Gomera-Tavarez | YA | magical realism, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Saints of Storm and Sorrow – Gabriella Buba | Adult | high fantasy, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
SCIENCE FICTION:
- Redsight – Meredith Mooring | Adult | space opera, space fantasy, disability | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- The Stars Too Fondly – Emily Hamilton | Adult | space opera, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Road to Ruin – Hana Lee | Adult | dystopia, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- The Salvation Gambit – Emily Skrutskie | Adult | thriller, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Under Fortunate Stars – Ren Hutchings | Adult | space opera, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Catherine House – Elisabeth Thomas | Adult | thriller, historical fiction, dark academia | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- To Be Taught, If Fortunate – Becky Chambers | Adult | novella, speculative fiction | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
REALISTIC AND HISTORICAL FICTION:
or “dear god, how do almost all of these books have pink/purple pastel covrers?”
- A Bánh Mì for Two – Trinity Nguyen | YA | romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Roll for Love – M.K. England | YA | romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
- If You Still Recognize Me – Cynthia So | YA | contemporary, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Some Girls Do – Jennifer Dugan | YA | coming of age, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- The Loudest Silence – Sydney Langford | YA | coming of age, disability | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Stars in Their Eyes – Jessica Walton and Aśka | YA | graphic novels, romance, disability | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl – Brianna R. Shrum and Sara Waxelbaum | YA | romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- A Scatter of Light – Malinda Lo | YA | historical fiction, coming of age | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye – Briony Cameron | Adult | historical fiction, romance, disability | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Navigating With You – Jeremy Whitley and Cassio Ribeiro | YA | graphic novels, romance, disability | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Amelia, If Only – Becky Albertalli | YA | contemporary, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Have you read any of these books, and if so, what did you think of them? What are some of your favorite books by bisexual authors? Let me know in the comments!
Today’s song:
That’s it for this recommendations post! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!
The Bookish Mutant 