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every LGBTQ+ book you need to read

Purple Star emoji 76 items
my favorite lgbtq fiction, non-fiction, and poetry
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fiction

dive into rich worlds featuring LGBTQ+ characters
 
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a stunning & painful depiction of gay love in 1950s Paris, by one of the greats
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
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the perfect cozy Christmas WLW romcom
Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
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not sure what I expected from a book about de-transitioning, but it wasn't this
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
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Ocean Vuong's complex relationship with his Vietnamese mother takes center stage, and the writing is gorgeous
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
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evocative, sensory writing paired with a love story for the ages
Yerba Buena book by Nina LaCour
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a queer and AAPI re-telling of The Great Gatsby? just as glamorous & sexy as the original!
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
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an absolute must-read for fans of dating reality TV
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
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one of the best short story collections I've ever read
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
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almost criminally hot and also… time travel?
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
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a young Nigerian man who has never been quite understood shows up dead… what happened and why?
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
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there is a reason this book is so immensely popular
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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Alyssa Cole is one of the best in the romance game
Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole
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The Catcher in the Rye but lesbians
Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown
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a gender anarchist journey
Paul Takes the Form of A Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor
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an absolute classic and the basis for the movie "Carol"
The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
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the power of summer love at the cusp of adulthood
Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman
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my favorite gender-bending classic
Orlando: A Biography by Virginia Woolf
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I want to escape into bright falls
Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake
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luminous short stories about women+ desire
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
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for my fantasy lovers
The Fifth Seasonby N.K. Jemisin
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such a weird book… in a good way?
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
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poetry

stunning & evocative queer poetry
 
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Donika Kelly writes poetry about trauma, memory, and sanctuary
The Renunciations: Poems by Donika Kelly
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a call for the understanding of the experiences of butch Black women
Daylight: Poems by Roya Marsh
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how do we survive - and who gets to survive?
The Tradition by Jericho Brown
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I love everything Danez Smith does and this was one of their first
[insert] boy by Danez Smith
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a powerful voice
Black Queer Hoe by Britteney Black Rose Kapri
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what does it really mean to be who we are?
Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson
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nonfiction

learn something new about LGBTQ+ historurey and cult
 
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you'll never believe all the queer, feminist lessons we can learn from under the sea
Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals by Alexis Pauline Gumbs
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queer autotheory that examines love, gender, family & parenthood. a staple
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
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more autotheory that will make you think
A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt
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a beautiful coffee table book that covers all the basics
Seeing Gender: An Illustrated Guide by Iris Gottlieb
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the basis of so much that we know today
Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde
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what is pleasure & what does it have to do with social justice spaces?
Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown
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even if you're not a teacher, you will learn SO much you never knew
Understanding and Teaching U.S. LGBT History
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drop your misconceptions about LGBTQ+ populations in red states
Real Queer America by Samantha Allen
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a trans woman's sharp exploration of masculinity
I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya
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an exploration of the ways we form identities
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee
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because your $ex education almost certainly failed you
Girl Sex 101 by Allison Moon
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you won't believe how many queer people have always been there - in plain sight
Queer, There, and Everywhere Sarah Prager
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a thoughtful exploration on an under-represented identity
Ace by Angela Chen
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a powerful manifesto
Unapologeticby Charlene Carruthers
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one of the most important books you'll ever read, IMO
Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown
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memoir

powerful stories told by the individuals themselves
 
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Elliot Page's story of discovering his gender & sexuality as a young, famous actor
Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Page
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what happens when you lose a parent and find a loved one… all at once?
Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz
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I highly recommend the audio book, where Brandi ~sings to you~
Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile
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I can't describe this book but I can tell you that you need to read it YESTERDAY
Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller
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an important & literary depiction of same-sex intimate partner violence
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
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part memoir, part biography: one researcher becomes obsessed with Carson McCullers
My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland
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Janet Mock was one of the first trans people in the public eye, and her memoir is well worth the read
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood by Janet Mock
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as fun to read as JVN is to watch
Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self Love by Jonathan Van Ness
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memoirs like this create space
We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib
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a memoir of Black, queer boyhood
All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
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an enjoyable memoir by the sports legend herself
One Life by Megan Rapinoe
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young adult

there are so many wonderful young adult LBGTQ+ stories - great for adults too!
 
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the most popular girl in school… kisses you and vanishes a month before graduation?!?
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
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incredibly diverse & sweet, featuring a trans main character & an awesome friend group
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
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a love story between two boys from very different political & religious backgrounds
Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
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Safi has basically re-written Gilmore Girls to feature two queer women, one Indian-American and one Mexican and Jewish
Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi
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a prince and the son of the president of the US - what could go wrong?
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
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representation at its finest, pushing the boundaries of queer feminist world-building.
That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston
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one neighbor is from an ultra-conservative Evangelical family, the other is gender-fluid
Quiver : A Novel book
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witty historical fiction that will teach you about lesbian Pulp fiction in the 1950s
Pulp by Robin Talley
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historical fiction that demonstrates that queer teens have always been around
All Out by Saundra Mitchell
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if possible, I liked this even more than Love, Simon
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
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a beautiful young love story with an exciting backdrop of Hollywood
Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
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an outstanding coming-of-age journey
Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
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devilishly good historical fiction that normalizes gay relationships
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
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one of the first LGBTQ+ stories I ever read, and still just as good
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
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a must read for the teen in your life - and for you
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
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graphic novels

 
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a lighthearted coming of age story full of pop culture references
The Times I Knew I Was Gay by Eleanor Crewes
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the most perfect graphic novel (and also most perfect show!)
Heartstopper, Vol. 1 book Alice Oseman
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queer women can be f***bois too!
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki
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I LOVE TILLIE WALDENNNN ahhhh this is so beautiful
On A Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
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an adorable modern fairy tale
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
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a compendium of the classic comic strip that put Alison Bechdel on the map
The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel
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if you're new to the queer community, this illustrated guide will teach you the basics
Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker
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the best of the best
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomicby Alison Bechdel
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