Have you had a chance to watch Heartstopper, Season 2? The tender, heartwarming coming-of-age screen adaptation of Alice Oseman’s graphic novel series has captured the hearts of fans of all ages, and perhaps no character is as dear to librarians as the ever-reading Isaac. Here is a sampling of the many books Isaac is seen reading in Season 2!
Angela Chen’s Ace: What Asexuality Tells Us About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex breaks down desire, attraction, and romance in an accessible book for readers of all sexualities. As an asexual woman of color, Chen is thoughtful in exploring how asexuality intersects with race, gender, class, and disability, integrating her own experiences in as well as interviews with many other ace people. Without giving too much away, this book affirms identity as well off-screen as it does on-screen.
The whole crew heads to Paris on a school trip, where Isaac is spotted reading How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are by Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, and Sophie Mas. This collection of essays by four Frenchwomen offers a tongue-in-cheek take on Parisian life, including their thoughts on the essential women’s wardrobe, beauty tips, and hot takes on romance.
Art is a core part of the Heartstopper universe. While touring the great museums of Paris, Isaac pages through The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel. A celebration of women artists across the ages, Hessel highlights the work of artists from the margins, including those who are queer, non-Western, and otherwise typically excluded from art history.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman in Isaac’s hands, as Washington State is one of the locations featured in the young adult novel! This story follows Rumi, who is sent from her home in Washington to stay with her aunt in Hawaii following the death of her sister in a car accident. With complex characters and deep relationships, the centering of family, both birth and found, feels like a perfect fit for the Heartstopper universe.
For a cheeky nod to the show’s creator, Isaac is spotted with Alice Oseman’s own Loveless, a young adult book that stars Georgia, a college freshman exploring her romantic and sexual identity.
The rest of the titles read by Isaac on the show can be found at Isaac’s Reading List!
~ posted by Jane S.
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