Pajtim Statovci, David Hackston
[isbn]
Pajtim Statovci’s Bolla is a moving and often difficult novel about the forces of war, within and without. Set in Kosovo, before and after the war, the forces of ethnic sectarianism and homophobia both lead to societal and individual breakdown, and drive people to commit unforgivable acts. Bolla is not without hope, but it makes clear that hope can only come after one faces the hardest questions.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Kacen Callender
[isbn]
Finally! The book demigender folk have been waiting for!
Felix Love is a demiboy who is going through interpersonal turmoil at school, at home, and online.
While Felix's story touches on subjects such as being Black, queer, and trans, it also involves a love triangle, school bullies, and online drama.
I highly recommend this book for everyone, but especially demigender folks and trans young adults who have been waiting for a young adult fiction... (read more)
Recommended by Rin S.
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Emily Austin
[isbn]
Gilda is an extremely anxious 20-something with a fear of dying. In Austin’s debut novel, she brings us deep into Gilda’s world through her internal dialogue, a continuous expressionless prose, through which we experience her intricate relationships and an unexpected mystery.
Recommended by Kim S.
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Rainbow Rowell
[isbn]
I am so, so excited for the conclusion to Rainbow Rowell’s Simon Snow trilogy! And I know that I’m going to be so, so satisfyingly sad when I finish it.
Recommended by Matt K.
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Jennifer Finney Boylan
[isbn]
Not only was Jennifer Finney Boylan’s story groundbreaking — one of the first works to put the transgender experience on the page and on the world stage — her writing is beautiful, honest, irreverent, and very funny to boot. When She’s Not There debuted in 2003, Boylan’s candor, determination, and outrageous wit were the perfect combination to open hearts and inspire a generation of trans folks. And now, as half our country continues to... (read more)
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Anne Carson
[isbn]
Like Anne Carson herself (Poet? Classicist? Translator? Modern-day oracle?), Autobiography of Red defies classification. Novel in verse? Epic poem? Modern retelling? Original narrative? It’s all of the above and more. Grounded in the surviving fragments of Stesichorus’s account of Geryon — the red monster killed by Heracles as one of his 12 labors — Carson masterfully weaves a tale both ancient and modern, with cameras and airplanes and... (read more)
Recommended by Madeline S.
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Jeanette Winterson
[isbn]
Trusting that truth was better than fiction, I first picked up Winterson’s memoir, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? It’s wonderful, but Winterson’s wry take on her Pentecostal childhood made me eager to reencounter the same themes and characters in novel form, where she could play outside the dictates of lived experience. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit didn’t disappoint. It’s rich and playful, blending autobiography with... (read more)
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Timothy Arliss OBrien
[isbn]
Most of my favorite poetry books are those with a strong concept, and this book is an exceptional example of that. Through a blend of traditional poems, and those based on memories, stories, and other forms, Happy LGBTQ Wrath Month lays out the inspiring journey of a queer person struggling with accepting themselves. The author has an effervescent magical touch in his free approach to structure and in his handling of numerous personal... (read more)
Recommended by Nicholas Y.
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Casey McQuiston
[isbn]
If you haven’t read Casey McQuiston’s debut, Red, White, and Royal Blue, then stop what you’re doing and go read that book. It’s a beautiful, hilarious, sexy, coming-of-age romance and it’s easily one of my favorite reads of all time. But now Casey McQuiston has a new book coming out in June that is arguably EVEN BETTER than RW&RB. The love story of August — a 23-year-old cynic — and Jane — a ’70s punk who is stuck in modern day... (read more)
Recommended by McKenzie W.
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Thomas Grattan
[isbn]
This debut novel follows a growing and changing family as it bounces through time from the ’90s to the ’60s to the present, and crisscrosses the Atlantic Ocean between Germany and the United States. The characters learn more about each other and their world as they navigate borders, ideologies, sexuality, and family dynamics. The Recent East is a rewarding, hopeful book, and Thomas Grattan is an author I look forward to reading... (read more)
Recommended by Adam P.
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Alison Bechdel
[isbn]
At first glance, Alison Bechdel’s new graphic novel may appear to be a whimsical tour of recent exercise fads, but The Secret to Superhuman Strength is actually a richly observed and philosophical memoir about self-realization, full of Bechdel’s masterful storytelling and, yes, whimsy.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Helen Oyeyemi
[isbn]
Peaces is an engrossing book with stunning twists and turns, not unlike the sparsely populated, luxurious train where the many mysteries unfold. It's also, somehow, about how your past shapes you and your relationships, and what it means to be seen and known. We're so lucky Helen Oyeyemi gifted us with this dazzling, surrealist gem of a novel.
Recommended by Michelle C.
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Lee Lai
[isbn]
Lee Lai’s Stone Fruit is a full-length graphic novel, but gave me the same sense of satisfaction as a truly exquisite short story, with its small cast and contained physical universe. The emotional universe, however, is vast in the most subtle and satisfying ways.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Tj Klune
[isbn]
I loved this book! While the adult characters, Linus and Arthur, are wonderful, it's the magical youth that really stand out. By the end, you'll be rooting for every one of them to reach their dreams. This book was an absolute delight.
Recommended by Bethany O.
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Alexis Hall
[isbn]
Luc and Oliver are absolutely charming as we follow their fake dating antics, and the side characters all truly stand out with hilarious banter that make every part of this romance feel real. I still think about jokes and moments from this book months later, and I can't wait for others to fall for it as much as I did. If you liked Red, White, and Royal Blue, you will love Boyfriend Material!
Recommended by Bethany O.
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Kiran Millwood Hargrave
[isbn]
The storm that wipes out nearly all of the men from their small coastal fishing town doesn’t defeat Maren or the other women who must make do in time to survive winter conditions, leaving no time for the luxury of grief. This same gritty industriousness that pulled them through, however, will threaten to undo them when a new commissioner arrives in town, interpreting the women’s independence as dangerous, and ungodly. Gloriously stark, the... (read more)
Recommended by Aubrey W.
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Carmen Maria Machado
[isbn]
Devastatingly beautiful, In the Dream House is a work of traumatized text, made up of stunning vignettes and fragmented stories of one queer woman’s experience with an abusive lesbian relationship. It’s intermixed with literary theory and poignant observations about the nature and history of LGBTQ relationships and abuse.
Recommended by Alice G.
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Taylor Jenkins Reid
[isbn]
This is one of those books that makes you cry, laugh, scream, gasp, and when it's over... you wish you could forget it just to read it again for the first time. Evelyn Hugo is an actress who is finally ready to tell her story of fame in the ’50s-’80s, exploring her struggle with celebrity status, societal pressures, and her identity as a biracial, bisexual woman. Being adapted for TV by Freeform and the producer of The L Word.
Recommended by Alice G.
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Robert Jones Jr.
[isbn]
Winning comparisons to Baldwin and sharing the Southern-inflected lyricism of Faulkner and Jesmyn Ward, Jones Jr.’s debut novel evokes one plantation community with striking clarity and emotional depth. Jones Jr.’s fascinating ensemble cast, grounded in its women and the central love story, and his riveting style combine to make this novel unmissable.
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Cameron Awkward-Rich
[isbn]
These poems shine light on the realities of racial and gendered American violence both past and present, asking how to thrive as marginalized people, to flourish and fight back against the violence from the oppressors that threatens to consume the narrative. At once both loving and powerful.
Recommended by Cosima C.
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Trungles
[isbn]
This has become my new favorite deck. I love the ethereal, magical illustrations. Tarot decks are becoming more inclusive in their representation and this deck does it beautifully. I love that the creator included 4 different versions of the Lovers card so you can choose the one that resonates with you. Gorgeous art, an easy to read guidebook, and a cute storage box.
Recommended by Rose H.
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Aiden Thomas
[isbn]
Aiden Thomas’s magical YA debut is an ode to honoring your truth as it follows Yadriel, a trans Latinx teenage boy, as he tries to prove that he is a brujo to his conservative family and to himself. Cemetery Boys is the queer story I’ve been trying to summon this whole year and will return to for years to come.
Recommended by Rachel M.
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Alison Bechdel
[isbn]
Before Fun Home and Are You My Mother?, this brilliant creator brought us the long-running, hilarious, insightful, and heartbreaking comic strip, "Dykes to Watch Out For." My all-time favorite soap opera in cartoon form.
Recommended by Doug C.
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Trung Le Nguyen
[isbn]
I love the art and inventive storytelling in this stunning young adult graphic novel. Tien has a secret that he wants to share with his parents and he's trying to find the right words for it. Tien speaks mostly English, while his parents speak mostly Vietnamese. They connect as a family by reading stories together. Using a beautiful color palate, Trung Le Nguyen weaves together the family’s past and present with the fairy tales they share,... (read more)
Recommended by Jennifer H.
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Garth Greenwell
[isbn]
Exploratory and explicit, Cleanness by Garth Greenwell eagerly describes the intense feelings of simultaneous lust, shame, and romance — a precarious position familiar to queer readers. Sharply personal and yet universal, Greenwell's voice illuminates the difficulties of defining one's sexuality and navigating the murky waters of human desire.
Recommended by Alex Y.
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Nathanael
[isbn]
Hatred of Translation is a must-read for anyone interested in the practice, art, and theft (?) of translation. But this book is not easy (though if it were hard you could grasp it). Feel your hands slip off its oiled body as you try to wrestle it. Read it forwards and backwards and sideways and let it confound you. Let yourself forget about it, and then when you are ready, you will not be able to avoid the dead pigeon in the road.
Recommended by Adie B.
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Jennifer Finney Boylan
[isbn]
Accompanying Jennifer on her journey of self-discovery through reflecting on dogs’ predominant traits — honesty, loyalty, and determination, to name just a few — we are granted insights and lessons on a life crafted alongside these experiences. That we maybe aren’t so different from our canine friends is just another rewarding takeaway from this lovely and edifying memoir.
Recommended by Lucinda G.
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Kai Cheng Thom
[isbn]
Instead of focusing outward at the society that harms us, Kai Cheng Thom excavates the ways trans and queer folks reenact our traumas on each other and confronts the troublesome questions needed to forge a better path. How do we learn from the past when our foremothers have disappeared? What do we do when the revolution hasn't happened yet but babies do? How do we liberate our liberation from the cold heart of neoliberalism? What does it mean to... (read more)
Recommended by Cosima C.
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Casey Plett
[isbn]
Little Fish is a story centered around Wendy — a trans woman who, after a family death, begins to suspect her late Mennonite grandparent may have been trans too. While tackling the complexities of sex work, suicide, relationships, and harassment, author Casey Plett doesn't shy away from the fact that people and identity are messy, or that to be trans is to exist in conflicting modalities with the worlds we inhabit and the time that... (read more)
Recommended by Cosima C.
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Kai Cheng Thom
[isbn]
Author Kai Cheng Thom has a problem with the easily consumable trans narratives that cis people love so much, wherein trans people suffer through the trials and tribulations society inflicts like angelic sacrificial lambs. In her stunning Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars, she delivers us the cure. It's a memoir/not-memoir, featuring pantheons of trans goddesses as deeply complex as they are beautiful, knife fights in the name of fallen... (read more)
Recommended by Cosima C.
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John Elizabeth Stintzi
[isbn]
Vanishing Monuments follows Alani, a nonbinary artist, as they visit their childhood home in Winnipeg because their mother’s dementia worsens. Stintzi explores themes of love and distance, art and memory, and examines why we can take extreme measures to escape our birthplaces and birth families, how we can be pulled back to our roots, and what we may discover about ourselves should we decide to return.
Recommended by Adam P.
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Miranda July
[isbn]
The single word to describe The First Bad Man is unforgettable. Nobody writes characters like Miranda July. Nobody. Prepare to fall in love (and fall over laughing/crying). But seriously, just read the plot description! I'm dying all over again. How do you even come up with this stuff?! And not only that, how do you write it WELL? Okay, I'm going to go read it again now, bye.
Recommended by Adie B.
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Molly Wizenberg
[isbn]
Memoirist and food writer Molly Wizenberg has been married to the same man for nearly a decade, and has always thought of herself as a straight person, when a chance encounter at jury duty (of all places) develops into a crush. Deeper feelings soon emerge — feelings she is unwilling to dismiss and unable to ignore. This insightful memoir follows Molly as she realizes that gender, sexuality, and love are much more fluid and expansive than she’d... (read more)
Recommended by Adam P.
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Sam Lansky
[isbn]
It sounds too good to be true: a healer who can fix everything that’s wrong with you in just three days. But for Sam — a young writer struggling with intimacy, sobriety, physical health, and an unforgiving inner monologue — it’s an intriguing prospect. Broken People drew me in so completely I didn’t realize until Sam emerged from his three-day journey, changed, that something within me had shifted as well. This is a candid, deeply human... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
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Edouard Louis, Michael Lucey
[isbn]
At face value, The End of Eddy is a gripping autobiographical novel set in an impoverished village in France that recounts the childhood of the author, Edouard Louis. But it is much more than a coming-of-age story. As readers become acquainted with the horrors of growing up poor and gay in a conservative and macho-obsessed society, they come to realize the power of Louis's story. Edouard exerts himself to be a "tough guy" throughout the... (read more)
Recommended by Alex Y.
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Danez Smith
[isbn]
Danez Smith's new book of poems is a banger. It's like if Rihanna was your best friend and she did a song about one of your inside jokes that was actually about the most painful moment of your life but you had to find a way to laugh about it, and so she made it dance. It's that ridiculously good.
Recommended by Thomas L.
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Cameron Esposito
[isbn]
Save Yourself is a brave trek down a sometimes twisting, sometimes downright treacherous memory lane. Readers familiar with Esposito's stand-up will recognize some of these stories and be grateful for the deeper dive; those unfamiliar will delight in making her acquaintance; and all will have their hearts warmed by her missive of acceptance and kindness to her younger self. A frank, funny, and affecting read.
Recommended by Tove H.
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Carter Sickels
[isbn]
In 1982, 18-year-old Brian left his Appalachian Ohio home, and moved to New York City, where he found community, friendship, and love. Six years later, Brian's new community has been thrown into crisis by the AIDS epidemic. After Brian's own diagnosis, and the death of many of his friends and his lover, Brian moves back home in hopes of reconciling with his family. Both Brian's mother and his younger sister help narrate this novel of a rural... (read more)
Recommended by Adam P.
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Douglas Crase
[isbn]
Thanks to this long overdue reissue from Nightboat Books (perhaps my current favorite publisher), I read more books by Douglas Crase than any other author in 2019. Enthusiasts of John Ashbery and Lorine Niedecker, take note: this book is not to be missed!
Recommended by Adam P.
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Paul Lisicky
[isbn]
Paul Lisicky’s memoir of his time on a writing fellowship in Provincetown during the height of the (initial stage of the ongoing) AIDS crisis does more in one paragraph than many books accomplish in their entireties; the richness of insight is evident in every passage.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau
[isbn]
Ari can't wait for school to be over so he can jettison his family responsibilities and get his band going. But Ari doesn't count on Hector showing up... that changes everything. This is a sweet coming-of-age story of two boys trying to find their way to each other, despite several road blocks. Ganucheau's gorgeous art beautifully illustrates Panetta's story about the way first love overwhelms us, and the way we try to navigate it.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Chana Porter
[isbn]
Gorgeous, hypnotic writing accompanies this futuristic story of the costs of what we become when we abandon our tangible identities. Without any moralistic presumptions, author Chana Porter explores this theme with an air of whim and genuine curiosity. Who are we without imposed constraints, and can we really be understood and loved when all known boundaries are removed?
Recommended by Aubrey W.
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Kathy Acker
[isbn]
While this may not be as good of an entry point as Blood and Guts in High School, this is truly Acker's masterwork: a captivating collage of sex, violence, love, and heartbreak, topped off with a provocative dollop of post-structural literary theory... think William Burroughs if he became a radical feminist.
Recommended by Cade M.
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Lou Sullivan and Zach Ozma and Ellis Martin
[isbn]
I love everything about this book, from the meticulous research, to the beautiful cover, to the stunning revelations it holds. Martin and Ozma have compiled a thoughtful, hilarious, sexy collection of Lou Sullivan’s personal diaries. Do you not know about Lou Sullivan yet? A trans icon if there ever was one, he paved the way for gay trans men, who had previously been barred from medical transition. This collection covers myriad topics: Sullivan’s... (read more)
Recommended by Kyan F.
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Kimberly King Parsons
[isbn]
A debut that entertains, stuns, and dazzles at every risk-taking turn. This is short story as art and it's mind-boggling that the two best stories, “Glow Hunter” (a sensory trip) and “Starlite” (a seedy hotel masterpiece), were not published before this book's release, making your purchase of this collection mandatory. Parsons is a force and her perfect blend of humor, longing, propulsive style, and humid southern atmospherics makes Black... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Hannah Templer
[isbn]
At first glance, this looks like just another fun sci-fi space adventure. But it is so much more than that. Lesbian gladiators in mech suits are trying to liberate princesses who are being forced into marriage. I found myself relating to these characters who felt trapped by a misogynistic society. The writing is fast-paced, the art is beautiful, and I loved watching them take on and mess up the patriarchy.
Recommended by Rose H.
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Saeed Jones
[isbn]
How We Fight for Our Lives might be one of the best memoirs that I've ever read, and as someone who reads a lot of memoirs, I don't say that lightly. It's obvious after reading this memoir that Jones is a poet. Each sentence appears carefully selected, poised and brimming with emotion. I would read a few pages at a time, not noticing that I was holding my breath the entire time until I exhaled. Jones is a rare talent: he is both funny... (read more)
Recommended by Katherine M.
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Andrea Lawlor
[isbn]
Simply put: this is the book I've been waiting for my whole life.
Recommended by Kyan F.
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James Baldwin
[isbn]
Wow, Giovanni's Room really ripped my heart out — and I loved every minute of it! Baldwin's distinctly American story is set in Paris, and the "most romantic city in the world" is an effective backdrop for this devastating exploration of repressed sexuality and squandered love, an exploration that is inspiring in its honest representation of American masculinity, bisexuality, and what's at stake in the battle between fear and love.
Recommended by Darla M.
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Kai Cheng Thom and Wai-Yant Li and Kai Yun Ching
[isbn]
No matter how Miu Lan changes or who they become, their mother always loves them unconditionally! This fantastical and beautifully illustrated story is perfect for nonbinary and gender-nonconforming kids and their loved ones.
Recommended by Leanna M.
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Carmen Maria Machado
[isbn]
Carmen Maria Machado’s beautiful, fearless memoir, In The Dream House, spins her memories in a centrifuge and examines the constituent parts. By divvying the tale into tiny, delicate fragments, Machado makes the emotional pain more vivid while also putting the reader in the same removed, dissociative viewpoint that trauma victims often experience. This is one of the smartest and most moving books of the year.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Rainbow Rowell
[isbn]
So, you’ve averted the apocalypse: Now what? Simon was willing to sacrifice his magic to save the world, but even a voluntary sacrifice leaves a wound. Enter boyfriend Baz, best friend Penny, and the road trip of the century. What comes after the “Chosen One” narrative? What do you do after your life’s purpose has been fulfilled?
Recommended by Madeline S.
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Tom Spanbauer
[isbn]
"It's the responsibility of the survivor to tell the story."
The weight of this responsibility is taken seriously in Tom Spanbauer's tragic novel In the City of Shy Hunters. Following the central character Will as he navigates New York City at the height of the AIDS crisis in the late '80s and early '90s, readers will experience the devastation the disease wreaked on the gay population. It is a crushing tale of friendship, love, and... (read more)
Recommended by Alex Y.
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Sara Quin and Tegan Quin
[isbn]
As for so many, high school was a crucible for Sara and Tegan Quin, during which they discovered their identities and developed their voices. Alternating chapters, they share stories that are both universal and utterly unique, much like their music.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Tillie Walden
[isbn]
Mia works on a six-person restoration crew in outer space. As she reconstructs beautiful ruins throughout the galaxy, her memories simultaneously reassemble, revealing a tragic, tender love story. Triumphantly queer, heartwarming, and stunningly illustrated, Walden's masterful space epic has secured its place on my favorites shelf!
Recommended by Caroline M.
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Mady G. and J.R. Zuckerberg
[isbn]
This brief comic uses whimsical illustrations paired with straightforward text to introduce folks to queer and trans identities and to further educate others who may be questioning or looking to learn more about the queer community. If you're looking for resources to share with peers or loved ones that address these topics, this book serves as a perfect and accessible first choice.
Recommended by Haley B.
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André Aciman
[isbn]
Aciman returns to many of the characters in Call Me By Your Name, now 20 years older, as new relationships are formed and old ones are still honored. Like its predecessor, Find Me is a beautifully written reflection on discovering new love, but like its characters, this book is more reflective and wiser. This magnificent novel was a wonderful and unexpected gift.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Benjamin Moser
[isbn]
Benjamin Moser's extraordinary biography of Susan Sontag is a great gift to her many fans, and a wonderful introduction to those who might not know her work. Sontag: Her Life and Work is a remarkably thorough and utterly compelling portrait of one of the most important literary icons of the 20th century, and a necessary and intelligent companion to her work.
Recommended by Jill O.
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Carl Phillips
[isbn]
These poems are syntactically slippery; they digress, they double back, they split off in opposite directions, they turn to face themselves, they shimmer, they plunge. Phillips reminds me what I love best about poetry — the tending to mystery, which is at once a task of prolonged attention and also of turning away. These poems ache to the rhythms of love and loneliness, to happiness that is tinged by sadness, to questions that only become more... (read more)
Recommended by Darla M.
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Ocean Vuong
[isbn]
Poet Ocean Vuong's debut novel chronicles the coming of age of Vietnamese American Little Dog. His journey to adulthood is complicated by his absent father, mentally ill mother, the PTSD of his grandmother, and the revelations about his grandfather. Working through themes of family, war, immigration, tradition, rebellion, addiction, and abuse, Vuong's stunning prose is so packed with poetic language, it blurs the line between the two. Focusing on... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Franny Choi
[isbn]
Choi's collection is a brilliant exploration of how we choose to recognize or deny other people's humanity. The tension between "hard" and "soft" sciences, between machinery and emotion, art and artifice, the real world and an online one, human and cyborg, was a constant reminder of the way we make hard and fast distinctions between "us" and "them" — and what we lose in doing so. Implicating everything from gendered language to Twitter trolls,... (read more)
Recommended by Darla M.
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Jos Charles
[isbn]
This book is astounding in so many capacities — its queering of language, its commitment to ambiguity and opacity, its attentiveness to violence against trans bodies on the one hand and to beauty and wonder on the other. What I love most is the way I find myself having to sound out each and every word in order to really recognize the language I am reading — the alternate spellings of words not only allow for different possible readings of a word,... (read more)
Recommended by Darla M.
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Jeanette Winterson
[isbn]
Veering between satire, romantic reverence, and meditation on the nature of intelligence, Frankissstein explores how the ongoing quest for the future often comes at the expense of the present.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Eli Clare
[isbn]
I first encountered Eli Clare’s slim memoir in a graduate course on Disability Theory, but to be honest what really struck me at the time — and has stayed with me in the years since — is Clare’s way of integrating the seasonal shifts and geography of Oregon into his powerful story of navigating life as a trans man with cerebral palsy. Exile and Pride does an astonishing job of conveying the parallel experiences of personal and... (read more)
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Charles D'Ambrosio
[isbn]
Charles D'Ambrosio's essays are excitingly good. They are relevant in the way that makes you read them out loud, to anyone who happens to be around. Their subjects include Hell House, a Christian haunted house in Texas designed for conversion; Mary Kay Letourneau (at the time of her trial); whaling rights for the Makah Tribe in Alaska; his brother's suicide; and the title piece, about life in a Russian orphanage. D'Ambrosio's essays do what good... (read more)
Recommended by Jill O.
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Tom Spanbauer
[isbn]
“If you’re the devil, then it’s not me telling this story.” How can a book that opens like that not be the perfect combination of intimate and epic? Tom Spanbauer’s iconic tale of the (very quirky, very particular) Old West follows the lives of Idaho madam Ida Richlieu, widowed prostitute Alma Hatch, Montana cowboy Dellwood Barker, and narrator “Shed,” a half-Shoshone bisexual young man seeking love in a hostile world. Written with his brilliant... (read more)
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Edie Windsor, Joshua Lyon
[isbn]
Edie Windsor rose to national prominence as the named plaintiff in United States v. Windsor, the case that ended the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. Important as that contribution was, it tends to overshadow the incredible life she lived before and after the day that Supreme Court decision came down. Her memoir, finished posthumously with added information from interviews and historical context by coauthor Joshua Lyon, tells the full... (read more)
Recommended by Keith M.
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Tan France
[isbn]
Naturally Tan is a deep dive into this pop culture icon's life. Tan's unique experiences will inspire readers to accept themselves for who they are and find the courage to live their truths.
Recommended by Alex Y.
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Tom Spanbauer
[isbn]
It's been a year since I first laid eyes on this book, and I'll tell you not one day has passed that I haven't thought about it. Tom Spanbauer's The Man Who Fell in Love With the Moon has been out since the early 1990s, but the story of Shed and his extraordinary life in Excellent, Idaho, is just as fresh and exciting today. Drawing upon tropes of the colonized Western genre and exploring the landscape of his own unique style, Spanbauer... (read more)
Recommended by Alex Y.
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Jacob Tobia
[isbn]
Jacob Tobia's debut memoir is a wonderful and timely piece of writing. Those who find themselves outside the gender binary have so often been either robbed of their voices or consigned to limiting narratives that don't reveal the full complexity of their experiences. As society begins to grapple with nonbinary people's issues, Tobia blasts open a path in which other nonbinary writers are sure to follow. In Sissy, Tobia writes about how... (read more)
Recommended by Dion M.
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Olivia Gatwood
[isbn]
To the girls who walk the dark with their keys Wolverined between their fingers, who hover uneasily between fear and anger and desire, who crave the panopticon of the male gaze as strongly as they resent it: Life of the Party is the book for you. Describing the collection as true crime poetry, Olivia Gatwood uses the form to deconstruct female experience through acts of violence, both external and internal. Most interestingly, she... (read more)
Recommended by Lauren P.
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Kristen Arnett
[isbn]
Depressed taxidermist Jessa-Lynn tries to be her family’s source of reason, only to repeatedly come up against her own emotional demons and her family’s eccentricities. Mostly Dead Things is absolutely fabulous: a quintessential Floridian novel, riotously strange and discomfiting, and at the same time deeply human.
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Caleb Crain
[isbn]
I loved all the characters in Caleb Crain's Overthrow, and how the narrators bounced between them, while keeping the plot moving forward. Poetry, history, law, and queerness intermingle — all things that get me excited about a book. Not since I read Ben Lerner’s 10:04 have I felt like a novel captured the fraught relationships between humans and technology in late capitalism. I love a big novel with social concerns. If Henry... (read more)
Recommended by Adam P.
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Alexander Chee
[isbn]
In this collection of essays, Alexander Chee weaves his personal and political memory and history into a detailed fabric depicting his life as a queer writer in the world today. I was left feeling moved, inspired, and perhaps even somehow healed through Chee's piercing observations and insights.
Recommended by Adam P.
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Ferrett Steinmetz
[isbn]
Picture a faraway space station, one with the most exclusive and imaginative restaurant in the universe. Mix together a flamboyant impresario and a starving young philosopher about to give up on life, and then give them the task of making the most exotic soup imaginable. Space Soup! I love a novel that makes me hungry.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Casey McQuiston
[isbn]
This book is not only #relationshipgoals, it's also #governmentgoals. Sweet and vulnerable and so real, this book immediately made it to my top five. When the First Son and the Prince of England clash in an incident of international proportions, they are forced to make nice for the sake of both their countries. But what starts as a strained truce soon develops into a real friendship, and then grows into something more... I cried at the end of... (read more)
Recommended by Azalea M.
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Melissa Duclos
[isbn]
Duclos writes an affecting love story with her debut novel of expats escaping their complicated lives at home and looking for meaning elsewhere. Sasha and Liz both flee to Shanghai, and when they meet, they finally feel connected to something. Their love is sweet, and they're both drunk with it, but there is darkness around which they try to tiptoe. Exploring themes of home, loneliness, identity, relationships, and the ennui of the expat... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Daniel Haack, Isabel Galupo, Becca Human
[isbn]
This is a sweet story about a lady knight who falls in love with a princess. What I adore about this book is that it normalizes LGBTQ+ love and reminds us that queer stories aren't inherently "mature." LGBTQ+ children need these stories as well. The art is bright and lively and shows beautifully multicultural characters. Representation matters so much for children and I am so glad that this book exists. It is a great follow-up to Prince and... (read more)
Recommended by Rose H.
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Philippe Besson, Molly Ringwald
[isbn]
Lie With Me is the story of a queer teen romance in 1980s France and the reverberations that are felt for decades after. The story is told in reflections by one of the boys, now a famous novelist, with depth and nuance. Philippe Besson, as translated by Molly Ringwald, has written a smart and moving story of the mysteries of love and of repression.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Chris Dennis
[isbn]
This lively debut serves up a varied array of stories exploring the link between personal desires and social hierarchy.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Bryan Washington
[isbn]
For those who spent their childhood Sundays at church, Lot is a symbol of God's capriciousness; for those who didn't, the word can refer to a quantity, a space, a fate — it depends on the context. The ambiguity and flexibility of the title suits these tales of struggle. As they navigate the bigotry that is so ingrained in American culture and fight against the infinite indignities and frustrations that are inevitable to poverty, these characters... (read more)
Recommended by Lauren P.
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Samantha Allen
[isbn]
Samantha Allen traveled thousands of miles looking for thriving queer individuals and communities in America’s most conservative states. She found them. And in telling their stories and her own, she overturns many of the narratives held by those of us in coastal cities.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Timothy Arliss OBrien
[isbn]
I've read many other stories written in verse before, but in most of them, the individual poems aren't really standalone pieces like in this work. You can open this collection at any point and find a short, intriguing, thought-provoking poem, but when read together, they slowly unfold the mystery of one woman's life, delving into a psychological exploration of her mental health and her questioning of reality. It's a stimulating literary trip,... (read more)
Recommended by Nicholas Y.
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Timothy Arliss O'Brien
[isbn]
This collection of poetry and creative short prose is destined to be one of my favorite reads of 2019 and probably of all time. This book is uplifting, yet dark, whimsical, yet hard-hitting. O'Brien uses a variety of written forms, like poetry, essay, lists, prayers, daydreams, even a recipe, to tell his story as an LGBTQ+ individual working through his struggles with Christian faith, his trauma from conversion therapy, and his own battles with... (read more)
Recommended by Nicholas Y.
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Allen Ginsberg
[isbn]
I consider this collection a part of queer history. This read is vulgar and blunt, but very real. Ginsberg's work puts me in the mindset of someone who is defeated, howling, but accepting it as truth.
Recommended by Rin S.
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Uzodinma Iweala
[isbn]
Uzodinma Iweala writes a coming-of-age tale that is so blistering and so timely, it's a wonder. Meredith and Niru have a long-standing friendship, but it is an unruly mixture of attraction, first love, confusion, jealousy, and rejection. Iweala picks apart themes of parenting, young adulthood, tragedy, and the misunderstandings that can sometimes catch fire and blow up into the daily news. Wonderfully done, with straightforward prose, Iweala... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Nancy Garden
[isbn]
This story is another teen romance like any other, but instead of a boy/girl relationship, two girls fall in love. I wish I had this book in high school to help me through the romance book phase, because I never felt like I resonated with the stereotypical, straight, teen love novels. This book is amazing for any teen looking for the right fit for a romance novel, or an adult who never got to experience this romantic phenomena.
Recommended by Rin S.
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Airlie Anderson
[isbn]
From the perspective of an agender person, this is a book I wish was available when I was growing up. The story is very simple, yet colorful and self-explanatory. It's probably a good book to read to any age group of elementary school students, especially when they're reaching that age where they start to question the world around them and have queries that don't necessarily have an easy answer. In summation, it's okay to be this, that, or... (read more)
Recommended by Rin S.
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John Glynn
[isbn]
Told in staccato observations and reflections, Out East is a perfect beach read. Over the course of a summer’s worth of booze-soaked weekends at Montauk, John makes new friends and unpacks new feelings in a truly millennial coming-of-age story.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Joshua Whitehead
[isbn]
Intimate and earnest, like a late-night conversation with a friend, Whitehead's novel captures the challenges of leaving home and being an outsider no matter where one goes. Weaving together Jonny’s memories of reservation life with his present one as an online sex worker in Winnipeg, the titular character ruminates on the grit it takes to get by.
Recommended by Robin A.
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Britta Lundin
[isbn]
Claire is obsessed with the show Demon Heart. She writes fan fiction and "ships" the two male main characters together. When she gets the chance to go to a Demon Heart convention she wins the opportunity to meet the cast and crew! She then makes it her mission to try to convince the show runner to have more queer representation. In the process, Claire meets a super cute girl who she might have a crush on?! I loved this story and... (read more)
Recommended by Hannah B.
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Waters, Sarah
[isbn]
Fingersmith is Sarah Waters's lush Victorian lesbian masterpiece — a novel about the intricate roles we play to survive in the cultures we live in, while pursuing what is forbidden across class, gender, and sexuality. Full of twists and turns, Waters queers the Dickensian novel to create something much more thrilling and erotic. Fingersmith is also the story upon which Korean director Park Chan-wook's gloriously excessive film... (read more)
Recommended by Cosima C.
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Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
[isbn]
YA greats Albertalli and Silvera’s collaboration is more than a love story: it’s an ode to the people whose edges line up with ours like puzzle pieces, who shape our lives and bring out the best in us. A summer — a life — can change in a single moment, if we open our hearts and let it.
Recommended by Madeline S.
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David Small
[isbn]
In Small’s stunning graphic novel, Russell’s stumbles through a world of bullies, desires, kindnesses, and griefs play out against evocative, minimalist drawings that both capture and resist nostalgia for small-town life in the 1950s. Home After Dark is a haunting, startlingly quiet work that nonetheless speaks volumes about the essential disquiet of mid-century masculinity.
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Andrew Sean Greer
[isbn]
I really can't sum it up better than Ann Patchett: "I recommend it with my whole heart." Arthur Less is the most endearing character I've read in ages. Less somehow manages to be poignant, sweet, smart, and sharp, while also causing me to snort-laugh multiple times. The novel feels lighthearted and fun on the surface, but I found myself thinking about the themes and deeper meanings for a long time after I was finished.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Ivy Atoms
[isbn]
I never thought a surreal comic about gay puppygirls in love and in art school (and, after their tragic suicides, in hell) would ever make me cry, but here we are. Pinky, the performance artist of the relationship, literally gives her life to art and Pepper (the painter) follows soon after. There's something so brilliant about a depiction of hell that leans into the worst of Catholic guilt so as to thoroughly subvert it: a hell where queer... (read more)
Recommended by Cosima C.
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JY Yang
[isbn]
JY Yang is a queer nonbinary Singaporean writer who self-describes as a postcolonial intersectional feminist, and their sublimely gorgeous fantasy world that we first see in The Black Tides of Heaven reflects these identities in its every facet. Its aesthetic is an Eastern twist on steampunk (silkpunk), and our protagonists — twins — are perfect reflections of each other until they slowly develop their own personalities and, wonderfully,... (read more)
Recommended by Cosima C.
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Jessica Love
[isbn]
The art and the colors will dazzle your eyes, and the story of discovery and unconditional love will warm your soul. Gorgeous and awe-inspiring, this book is an absolute stunner.
Recommended by Jordan S.
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Jeffrey Eugenides
[isbn]
This engrossing, amazing story of a person born intersex won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize. Eugenides skillfully walks the line between heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny, rendering the novel so emotionally accurate and insightful that it reads like a memoir. Beautifully written and remarkable in its scope and accomplishment, Middlesex is a masterpiece!
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Mackenzi Lee
[isbn]
The surface level of this book is a fast-paced, inebriated, bisexual romp across Europe, but it tackles many important social issues along the way while providing a cheeky and diverse cast of characters that you are guaranteed to fall in love with. Lee's ability to discuss issues like racism and abuse (and many more) while keeping the core of the story a fun adventure novel set in the 18th century was seamless and deserves all the praise.
Recommended by Brianna B.
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