Essential LGBTQ+ Books to Read for Pride (and All Year Long)
From graphic novel and romance, to nonfiction and memoir, there’s something for everyone.
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As an out author of fiction and nonfiction books, it is an unnerving time to be writing books about queer and trans lives and experiences. In fact, a recent report from the American Library Association (ALA) found that a record-high 4,240 book titles were targeted for banning in schools and public libraries in 2023, a 65% increase in bans from the year before. LGBTQ+ books are frequently targeted in these bans, making it more important than ever to read and spread the word about books by and about the LGBTQ+ community.
I started writing queer books because I couldn’t find stories that reflected the genderqueer/trans and gritty queer experiences of my communities. There have been few experiences more powerful for me as an author than visiting high school and college classrooms and hearing queer students reflect on how meaningful it was to see their lives and stories on the page. This is what makes the current wave of book bans targeting queer books even more dangerous. When we don’t see ourselves in books and other media, it’s hard to believe that we are valid and have a right to exist.
During Pride month, a lot of attention turns to LGBTQ+ culture, including its artists, creators and authors. For one colorful month, products as diverse as t-shirts and bagels are reimagined in a rainbow motif in a nod toward supporting (and earning money from) the LGBTQ+ community. But this largely corporate visibility during Pride month, known as rainbow washing, shouldn't be a 30-day limited engagement, especially as our rights are under attack. Instead of just reading gay books during Pride, challenge yourself to expand the diversity of books you read all year long.
This list contains books by gay, lesbian, trans and queer authors as well as fantastic reads with characters from across the LGBTQ+ rainbow of identities. These books inspire us, give us hope and show that our literary worlds can (and should!) be as beautifully diverse as the one we live in.
So whether you’re a fan of thrillers and crime, romance novels, humor, classics or new releases and literary fiction, we’ve got you covered. Add them all to your own TBR list, or pick up a handful as the perfect gift for the book-lover in your life. And once you're done here, head on over to the GH Book Club to check out even more feel-good reads.
Additional reporting by Lizz Schumer
Created for the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, this collection brings together first person accounts, news articles and other archival information about the riots. The collection also spotlights leading community organizers like Sylvia Rivera and others were key figures in the LGBTQ+ movement of the time. An engaging and educational read, this is the queer history lesson you never got in school and a book you'll want on your bookshelf year-round.
When a closeted Puerto Rican baby dyke from the Bronx travels to Portland, Oregon to intern with her favorite feminist writer, a juicy and unexpected journey of self-exploration begins! Thinking about herself for the first time at the intersections of race, sexuality and identity, Juliet is on a mission to figure out who she is and what it means for her future.
If you’re a fan of dark academia you won’t want to miss this read. In this book six magicians compete for membership in the powerful and prestigious Alexandrian Society. And if they have to make enemies out of their allies to get in, then so be it. For fantasy lovers looking for an LGBTQ+ alternative to Hogwarts, not tarnished by a creator’s transphobia, start with this one before diving into the sequel.
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In this poetic novel, a son writes a letter to his mother, who cannot read. It explores his love for her and unpacks the deepest secrets of masculinity, race and class. This tough but tender novel is about understanding yourself and queerly demanding to be heard.
Actor Elliot Page recounts his journey to understanding his gender in this New York Times bestseller. This book is full of intimate stories of his experience starring in the movie Juno, going to a queer bar for the first time, coming out as transgender and the backlash he experienced in Hollywood. This book is sure to inspire you to live authentically, regardless of what others say.
Did you come of age reading the queer classic Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinburg? This new story is a fresh take on the book that inspired so many of us. In this beautiful memoir, readers follow a queer Muslim immigrant coming to understand her own identity and sense of gender. The book also explores themes of desire and belonging.
This best-selling and often-banned graphic novel follows comic artist Kobabe (pronouns: e/em/eir) in eir journey of self discovery and gender exploration. The book explores coming out to family, medical trauma that comes as existing as a visible trans person and coming out as asexual. Exploring your own identities or trying to explain who you are to friends or family? Consider giving them this book to read and let it open the conversation for you.
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The book that inspired the Tony-winning musical, this graphic novel is a powerful queer coming of age story you won’t be able to put down. In college, Bechdel comes out as a lesbian, at which time she realizes that her father was also gay. This is a book about self discovery, family secrets and overcoming family trauma and legacies to build your own life.
If you’re looking for a steamy read to heat things up this Pride season, look no further than Book 1 of The Game (and the rest of the 13 books so far in the series). This is a pick for those readers who enjoy well-written realistic BDSM — none of that “fifty shades” nonsense. This is a well-written novel centering beautiful consensual kink. With a full cast of compelling gay characters, this story is one that will pull you in, and leave you literally begging for the next books in the series.
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A great Pride read pick for readers of all ages, including adults who enjoy curling up with a gentle fantasy. This graphic novel follows a blacksmith apprentice as she meets enchanting characters and begins to learn about the tea dragons. From gay mentors, to a soft crush, this beautifully illustrated book is sure to make you feel cozy and seen. It also makes a great coffee table book.
In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado
This stunning memoir plays with structure and form as it takes us through an abusive relationship and what that does to a person. In a world where many people still believe abuse only occurs when a man is involved, Machado's work is essential.
When Sol falls for a widow when she brings her late wife's notes to the archive where he works, it kicks off a whirlwind romance. One that's complicated by Sol's vampirism, which means he can't go outside during the day. Oh, and he's been illegally living in his office, where some strange stuff has started happening. This darkly funny novel tackles grief, transphobia and love with a fiercely original touch.
Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen
This accessible book takes readers on an engaging exploration into sexual attraction, and what happens if you don’t experience it. Part memoir, part cultural criticism, this book not only breaks down what asexuality is (and isn’t), it also encourages readers to think about what asexuality tells us about gender roles, consent and more — regardless of how you personally identify.
The re-release of this foundational book on gender is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding transgender people better, or for anyone questioning their own gender. Bornstein takes readers through a fun, fantastical and complicated journey through gender exploration into self-actualization. A self-described nonbinary diesel femme dyke, Bornstein has and continues to pave the way for all of us to find the labels that fit us best.
A federal judge running from the truth, a U.S. marshal running from his past and the world on the brink of war — the stakes couldn't be higher in this political thriller. Bauer’s romantic novel is full of the kind of intense suspense that is sure to pull you in and keep you guessing, page after page, late into the night.
The fan-fic obsessed romantic Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush. As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a new town far from home, she's determined to find romance. But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends in the Shakespeare Society, Georgia ends up in the middle of her own comedy of errors. This is a wise, warm and witty story of identity and self-acceptance, especially perfect for those who are exploring their own attractions.
Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story by Jacob Tobia
As a kid, Jacob was called "sissy" for being creative, sassy, and obsessed with glitter. But as they got older, they began to identify with different, more neutral words like "gay," "transgender" and "nonbinary." This story of gender revolution calls out the stereotypes that were probably rampant in many of our childhoods in a book that will make you laugh and cry, maybe even at the same time.
This experimental gay fiction is a winner of the National Book Award for Fiction. This is a story about queer legacies, storytelling, desire and belonging. A young man goes to the desert to visit a dying man who he only previously briefly met but has been haunted by. The novel is a story about losing and finding yourself and a theme through the book is early twentieth century queer researcher Jan Gay, whose work about the community was mostly ignored. This brilliantly queer book reads a bit like a puzzle, where the reader is left thinking about what stories are kept hidden, and the memories we hold.
Selected a best book of the year by The New York Times, this powerful memoir is a coming-of-age story about a Black, gay man from the South working through his hopes, fears and desires. Jones is a celebrated poet and his distinctive lyrical voice is beautiful and clear through this vulnerable examination of the intersections of race and queerness. In this book, Jones explores his place in his family and community on his challenging journey through his gay adolescence and how it shaped him into who he is today.
This gay dark comedy explores the real meaning of "normal." Balancing seriousness with complex comedy, this novel is dark and compelling. The book opens with Jeff waking up in a hospital's psychiatric ward, thinking he belongs anywhere but there. Over the course of his 45 days inpatient stay, he begins to build relationships with the other teens hospitalized with him. This novel is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking for both teen and adult readers.
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