Love The Tell Tale? Readers share 100 books like The Tell Tale...

By Clare Ashton,

Here are 100 books that The Tell Tale fans have personally recommended if you like The Tell Tale. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Four

Megan Derr Author Of The High King's Golden Tongue

From my list on queer SFF to get you through winter.

Why am I passionate about this?

Megan is a long-time resident of queer fantasy romance and keeps herself busy reading and writing it. She has been doing so for nearly twenty years, and hopes to do it at least another twenty. She is asexual, biromantic, and married to a wonderful woman. When sheā€™s not busy writing, she likes to cook, harass her wife and cats, or watch movies and play video games.

Megan's book list on queer SFF to get you through winter

Megan Derr Why did Megan love this book?

This is one of the best books of redemption I've ever read, about a man who did some truly horrible, some would say unforgivable things, and has been working hard the past several years to make amends for his wrongs, a journey he continues even as he meets the man who just might be the love of his life. All this in a beautifully built fantasy world, and while it is book two in the series it stands on its own just fine. When it comes to tales of redemption and forgiveness, though, of facing a sordid past and working to overcome it, this book continues to set the bar for me.

By Archer Kay Leah,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Four as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

On the outside, Mayr seems to have it all: a successful career as Head of the Guard for a prominent politician, family and friends who rely on him, and the attention of beautiful lovers. But appearances are a good way to bury secrets, including mistakes he can never fix and a broken heart that never seems to heal, forever searching for the one person to share his life with.When his last girlfriend takes him back and suggests an intimate night together with Tash, one of her lovers, Mayr reluctantly agrees. The last thing he expects is to fall hard forā€¦


Book cover of Dark and Deepest Red

Markelle Grabo Author Of Call Forth a Fox

From my list on queer retellings that expertly subvert expectations.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve always loved retellings of all kinds, but my favorites subvert expectations, and I believe queer retellings provide the richest opportunities for subversion. In my own writing, I try to balance honoring the source material while also providing new perspectives, and nothing helps me achieve that more than reading widely. Retellings were also the subject of my master's critical thesis for Hamline Universityā€™s writing for children and young adults program.

Markelle's book list on queer retellings that expertly subvert expectations

Markelle Grabo Why did Markelle love this book?

I loved McLemoreā€™s retelling of ā€œThe Red Shoesā€ because the novel felt uniquely historical and modern due to its dual timelines, with one storyline in 1518 and the other five centuries later. Despite being so far apart, the timelines were connected by the intriguing mystery of a dancing fever. 

Another element I loved is that the 1518 timeline featured a queer romance with a trans character, which you donā€™t see often, even in queer retellings, and added another layer of richness to the story.

Iā€™m a fan of everything McLemore writes because of their lush prose and compelling characters, but this one remains my favorite of theirs.

By Anna-Marie McLemore,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dark and Deepest Red as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

With Anna-Marie McLemore's signature lush prose, Dark and Deepest Red pairs the forbidding magic of a fairy tale with a modern story of passion and betrayal.

Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia and her family, and Lavinia may have to do the unimaginable to save herself and everyone she loves.

Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Olivaā€™s feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing feverā€™sā€¦


Book cover of Foxen Bloom

Samara Breger Author Of A Long Time Dead

From my list on queer monsters who need a little kiss.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a writer and performer born and raised in New York City. In my previous life, I was an Emmy-nominated journalist and digital media producer, covering sexual and reproductive health. In addition to writing, I love musical improv, opera, Olympic weightlifting, and spending time with my wife and dog.

Samara's book list on queer monsters who need a little kiss

Samara Breger Why did Samara love this book?

Many books have kissing in the forest, but how many are about kissing the forest itself?

Fenton has watched countless hunters enter his forest to claim a wish by killing the white-tailed stag. Each hunter has taken: a sip from the stream, a flower from the vine, wood to light a fire. Each hunter has subsequently died.

Prior is different; he takes nothing, instead asking for a godā€™s assistance in waking his sister from her sleeping sickness. Fentonā€”who is the forest and the white-tailed stag and a son of Old Nan and also, definitely, a godā€”decides to pack up the forest and help Prior out.

Where I come from, that sort of thing will get you a little kiss or two at the very least.

By Parker Foye,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Foxen Bloom as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Season after season, hunters have attempted to capture the white-tailed stag. Local legend holds that its capture promises prosperity, and in a land that is dyingā€”to hunger, to war; to a magical curse, some sayā€”even a whisper of hope is a powerful lure. Yet every hunter who tries fails, never to leave the forest. Fenton, god of the forest, yet imprisoned within its borders, watches from his place in the trees as the hunters first despoil and then fall to his land, dispassionate as his deadwood heart.

Prior doesn't hope to capture the stag or secure prosperity. He has aā€¦


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Book cover of The Ballad of Falling Rock

The Ballad of Falling Rock by Jordan Dotson,

Truth told, folks still ask if Saul Crabtree sold his soul for the perfect voice. If he sold it to angels or devils. A Bristol newspaper once asked: ā€œAre his love songs closer to heaven than dying?ā€ Others wonder how he wrote a song so sad, everyone who heard itā€¦

Book cover of Nightcrawling

Lucy Jane Bledsoe Author Of Tell the Rest

From my list on not-the-same-old queer stories.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve been reading queer fiction for, well, I guess about 50 years. First, brilliant novels by James Baldwin, Virginia Woolfā€™s Orlando, and cheesy lesbian pulp novels. In the eighties, feminist presses and a wealth of new queer literature sprung into existence. Itā€™s easier now to find great queer fiction, if you dig a little. My approach is to read widely, all kinds of authors, from all kinds of backgrounds. So the whole idea of a ā€œbest 5ā€ is hard for me to get my mind around. I could have listed 25 more. Thank you for reading!

Lucy's book list on not-the-same-old queer stories

Lucy Jane Bledsoe Why did Lucy love this book?

I canā€™t resist a book set in Oakland, very near to where I live.

I also love a novel that tells deep truths, and Nightcrawling does that, showing the horrors of police abuse and the failures of the justice system. However, this book isnā€™t ā€œtrauma porn.ā€ On every page, protagonist Kiara owns her story, drives her agency, makes the best choices she can in the moment, and loves with a huge heart.

The way she finds her way to queer love is organic and beautiful.

By Leila Mottley,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Nightcrawling as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER ā€¢ AN OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICK ā€¢ BOOKER PRIZE LONGLIST ā€¢ A dazzling novel about a young Black woman who walks the streets of Oakland and stumbles headlong into the failure of its justice system. This debut of a blazingly original voice ā€œbursts at the seams of every page and swallows you wholeā€ (Tommy Orange, author of There There).

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, TIME, GOODREADS

Kiara and her brother, Marcus, are scraping by in an East Oakland apartment complex optimistically calledā€¦


Book cover of Carmilla and Laura

Lianyu Tan Author Of Captive in the Underworld: A Dark Lesbian Romance Novel

From my list on queer stories inspired by myths, legends, and classics.

Why am I passionate about this?

I loved books as a kid, especially fantasy books, but could never find anyone like me within their pages. Iā€™m a lesbian Chinese writer who adores stories about messed-up, complicated queer people. Iā€™m thrilled by the range of books available now that feature queer, messy characters. We all deserve representation, and to me that means representation thatā€™s complex, that encompasses the ugly and the beautiful. One of my goals as an author is to make you fall in love with monstersā€”brutal, flawed women who may not deserve love, but who demand it all the same.

Lianyu's book list on queer stories inspired by myths, legends, and classics

Lianyu Tan Why did Lianyu love this book?

This novella is a close retelling of Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu, which is the OG sapphic vampire story. It recasts the ending to give the leads a happy ever after, and ups the sapphic content to modern standards, adding a bit of steaminess. Simperā€™s version retains Lauraā€™s initial ambivalence and horror towards Carmilla, the historical setting, and the gothic flair. Itā€™s a must-read for fans of the original who are looking for a more modern interpretation.

By S. D. Simper,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Carmilla and Laura as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the late 19th century, Laura lives a lonely life in a schloss by the forest, Styria, with only her doting father and two governesses for company. A chance accident brings a new companion, however ā€“ the eccentric and beautiful Carmilla.

With charm unparalleled and habits as mysterious as her history, Carmillaā€™s allure is undeniable, drawing Laura closer with every affectionate touch and word. Attraction blossoms into a temptation Laura fears to name, a tantalizing passion burning brighter than the fires of hell. But when a mysterious plague begins stealing the lives of young women in her home and theā€¦


Book cover of Briarley

Kathleen Jowitt Author Of Speak Its Name

From my list on showing itā€™s possible to be queer and Christian.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in an eccentric, liberal family, as a member of the Church of England, under the shadow of the British Governmentā€™s homophobic Section 28, the messages I received were distinctly mixed. If Iā€™d heard the word ā€˜bisexualā€™ before the age of twenty my life might have been very different. And to this day, the most common assumption is that one canā€™t be simultaneously queer and Christian. As Iā€™ve discovered, and as these books show, that isnā€™t true ā€“ and moving beyond that assumption reveals new and fascinating horizons.

Kathleen's book list on showing itā€™s possible to be queer and Christian

Kathleen Jowitt Why did Kathleen love this book?

A Beauty and the Beast retelling, set amid the upheaval of the Second World War, in which the Beast is a dragon and the protagonist is a person who doesnā€™t see why his daughter should take the rap for her fatherā€™s misdemeanour. Humane and compassionate, this story isnā€™t afraid of exploring the theology of sexuality, but it never gets bogged down in details, and it maintains its fairy-tale atmosphere while remaining grounded in time and place. I loved it.

By Aster Glenn Gray,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Briarley as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An m/m World War II-era retelling of Beauty and the Beast.During a chance summer shower, an English country parson takes refuge in a country house. The house seems deserted, yet the table is laid with a sumptuous banquet such as the parson has not seen since before war rationing. Unnerved by the uncanny house, he flees, but stops to pluck a single perfect rose from the garden for his daughter - only for the master of the house to appear, breathing fire with rage. Literally. At first, the parson can't stand this dragon-man. But slowly, he begins to feel theā€¦


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Book cover of So Not My Type

So Not My Type by Dana Hawkins,

Sophie Black has clawed her way up from coffee runs to project manager at a top Seattle ad agency. Sheā€™s laser-focused on her careerā€”until the CEOā€™s daughter, Ella Northwood, joins the team. Forced to work together on a high-stakes campaign, sparks fly as Sophieā€™s scrappy determination clashes with Ellaā€™s polishedā€¦

Book cover of Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles

'Nathan Burgoine Author Of Upon the Midnight Queer

From my list on queer books to help make the yuletide gay.

Why am I passionate about this?

As someone who struggles with the relentless ā€œFamily is everything!ā€ of the holidaysā€”a reality I share in common with a lot of queer peopleā€”Iā€™ve been a lover of queer holiday stories that work to counterbalance and center the chosen families so many of us queer people create. As a queer reader, Iā€™m always looking for more immersive stories about people like me, and during the holidays, Iā€™m all the more ready for happy stories of queer holiday joy. I also own a rescued husky, and queer holiday audiobooks help get me through those frosty Canadian winter walks.

'Nathan's book list on queer books to help make the yuletide gay

'Nathan Burgoine Why did 'Nathan love this book?

I re-listen to this one on audiobook every year while I bake my Christmas cookies and walk the dog, and every year, it helps conjure joy via the two men realizing theyā€™re right for each other despite some missteps. Thanks to some dire events, the main character, Toby, learns how to both stand up for himself and finally declare what it is he wants out of lifeā€”which happens to be Mr. Miggles, the town librarian (and also his boss).

Tristan Wright takes an already wonderful story and makes it entirely engrossing via his performance, and I have multiple ā€œYes!ā€ fist-pumping moments throughout (which, if Iā€™m walking the dog, makes people stare at me on the street). Also, Toby and his love interest, Mr. Miggles, are librarians, and this story has so much library love in it I felt like I was getting a warm hug.

By Eli Easton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Toby Kincaid loves being the junior librarian in his hometown of Sandy Lake, Ohio. He spends his days surrounded by books and chatting with the library patrons. He especially adores the head librarian, Mr. Miggles, who is kind, witty, knowledgeable about everything, and hopelessly addicted to Christmas. Sean Miggles is also pretty cuteā€”especially for an older guy who wears ties and suit pants every day. But Sean keeps himself at a distance, and thereā€™s a sadness about him that Toby canā€™t figure out. When Sean is accused of a crime he didnā€™t commit, he gives up without a fight. Tobyā€¦


Book cover of Triple Dog Dare

'Nathan Burgoine Author Of Upon the Midnight Queer

From my list on queer books to help make the yuletide gay.

Why am I passionate about this?

As someone who struggles with the relentless ā€œFamily is everything!ā€ of the holidaysā€”a reality I share in common with a lot of queer peopleā€”Iā€™ve been a lover of queer holiday stories that work to counterbalance and center the chosen families so many of us queer people create. As a queer reader, Iā€™m always looking for more immersive stories about people like me, and during the holidays, Iā€™m all the more ready for happy stories of queer holiday joy. I also own a rescued husky, and queer holiday audiobooks help get me through those frosty Canadian winter walks.

'Nathan's book list on queer books to help make the yuletide gay

'Nathan Burgoine Why did 'Nathan love this book?

Holiday Fauxmanceā€”i.e., fake dating for the holidaysā€”is a peppermint-scented novella catnip for me. Sashaā€™s family can be a bit much over her being single, which she knows comes from a good place but is relentless, so she makes up a girlfriend, which works until her eldest sister tries to call her bluff and dares her to bring her ā€œgirlfriendā€ home for the holidays.

Enter neighbor Kennedy, who is beautiful, available, andā€”bonusā€”sheā€™s also an actress and in need of a gig. This book is sweet and cute and the couple drew me in from the start, and I canā€™t express how much I loved the low-angst content. Their connections came from genuine emotions coming out of the pretending and the scene where they eventually come clean about the deception. I could not stop laughing.

By Georgia Beers,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Triple Dog Dare as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sasha Wolfe has been talking up her new girlfriend to her overbearing mother for months, and when her skeptical sister dares her to invite this new squeeze over for family Christmas, Sasha accepts the challenge. After all, how hard can it be to bring your nonexistent girlfriend home for the holidays?


Book cover of The Call is Coming from Inside the House: Essays

A.G.A. Wilmot Author Of Withered

From my list on manage mental health while reading spooky.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m fascinated by the intersection of mental health and horror specifically because of how the two seem (to me) to speak to one another. Both mental health and horror are confronted best by shining a light on them, by addressing them fully, personally. Horror makes intangible things tangible, I think, for the average person; and for those of us who struggle or have struggled with our mental health, it gives us the tools to detail the experience for others, to, hopefully, elicit understanding if not empathy.

A.G.A.'s book list on manage mental health while reading spooky

A.G.A. Wilmot Why did A.G.A. love this book?

Allysonā€™s book is a collection of essays on the intersection of queerness, identity, and pop cultureā€”horror primarily. Which means, yeah, it was practically engineered for me.

I found much to love and much to relate to within these pages. The way she weaves together personal experience, horror tropes, and urban legends is masterful, and I found the descriptions of gatekeeping and how it results in questioning oneā€™s identity/place in things to hit rather personally.

By Allyson McOuat,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Call is Coming from Inside the House as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From Allyson McOuat, author of the popular 2020 New York Times Modern Love essay ā€œThe Ghost Was the Least of Our Problems,ā€ comes her debut essay collection

In a series of intimate and humorous dispatches, McOuat examines her identity as a queer woman, and as a mother, through the lens of the pop culture moments in the ā€™80s and ā€™90s that molded her identity. McOuat stirs the ingredients required to conjure an unsettled spirit: the horrors of pregnancy and motherhood, love and loss, the supernatural, kaleidoscopic sexuality, near-miss experiences, and the unexplained moments in life that leave you haunted.

Throughā€¦


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Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction. 

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band, they rob the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive pegasus. Thanks to Maraniā€™s mysterious invulnerability,ā€¦

Book cover of How to Bite Your Neighbor and Win a Wager

MN Bennet Author Of The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil

From my list on queer indie fantasy books.

Why am I passionate about this?

I donā€™t know if I have an expertise in queer indie fantasy (quite the opposite, in fact). I just know as a queer person who loves magical worlds, I want to help elevate as many of them as possible. Over the past few years, Iā€™ve aimed to read almost exclusively queer books with a focus on indie books (well, any indie books really). My hope is for other people to find and uplift indie books. There are so many beautiful hidden gems that just need a little more exposure to find their reader homes.

MN's book list on queer indie fantasy books

MN Bennet Why did MN love this book?

This book has so many tropes that I despise, such as miscommunication, deceit/manipulation, and third-act breakups. Yet somehow, Bryn managed to execute them all with such finesse that I fell in love.

Both main characters are adorable in completely different ways. Wes is such a confident goof, while Vincent is so sad and adorable that I just want to hug him. The romance is cute but fades to black. However, there are apparently some spicy short stories that follow up with the lives of Wes and Vincent. I need to get my next dose of these cute boys.

By D. N. Bryn,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Bite Your Neighbor and Win a Wager as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Vincent Barnes has suffered four years as a vampire, and theyā€™ve been the most miserable years of his pathetic life. Too poor for black market blood, he feeds from sleeping humans to survive. He tries to never intrude on the same prey twice, but after a single delicious taste of a long-lost childhood neighbor, he canā€™t help returning for seconds.

Wesley Garcia has been waking up with fang marks. Lucky for him, he needs a vampireā€”to use as bait. Heā€™s certain Vitalis-Barron Pharmaceutical killed his mother, but to gain access to their covert research labs, he has to bring themā€¦


Book cover of Four
Book cover of Dark and Deepest Red
Book cover of Foxen Bloom

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