Heads up: This post contains affiliate links for the recommended LGBTQIA+ books at no additional cost to you. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission.
No matter your identity, you deserve to be represented through LGBTQIA+ books and beyond — and inclusive representation in publishing is long overdue.
This Pride Month, celebrate with LGBTQIA+ books, from inspirational memoirs to irresistible romances, to essay collections and more. The 21 books I’ve chosen for this list honor the journeys of LGBTQIA+ individuals and the larger movement for love, acceptance and equality for all.
These 21 #OwnVoices selections are just the start of a reading list that will highlight a range of identities, communities, and experiences that beautifully exist — because we all deserve to be seen and accepted. We all deserve to have our stories heard.
???? Kids LGBTQIA+ Books (ages 3-11)
“Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it’s a good place to start.” – Jason Collins.'Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it's a good place to start.' – Jason Collins.Click To Tweet
1. “Lily and Dunkin” by Donna Gephart
Eighth-grader Lily Jo McGrother identifies as a girl but struggles to step into this identity, largely because she feels she still looks like a boy. When Dunkin Dorfman — who deals with bipolar disorder and also has a secret of his own — moves from his hometown in New Jersey, Lily and Dunkin meet, unraveling a friendship that highlights two young, brave souls who powerfully change each other’s lives.
One reader said: “Lily and Dunkin is a brave book. The author takes on the challenge of having her reader walk in the shoes of not one, but two characters whose experiences and true identities are attempting to break the surface. The story is raw, emotional, funny and at times unforgiving with its honesty.”
???? Get your copy here.
2. “My Rainbow” by DeShanna and Trinity Neal
Source: Booksource
Written by a mother and daughter, this vibrant LGBTQIA+ book shares the real-life experience of autistic and transgender Trinity, who doesn’t feel like she can be a girl without long hair. When mom comes to the rescue and crafts a rainbow-colored wig as lively and unique as her daughter is, Trinity finds the support and affirmation she’s needed all along.
One reader said: “Not only incredible because of the range of representation […] but also very incisive in terms of the different needs transfeminine people have. I have absolutely never read a book or seen anywhere in print, an acknowledgment that the standards are completely different for trans girls and cis girls, but I know it from my own experience. Very, very affirming.”
???? Get your copy here.
3. “I Am Jazz” by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
What happens when you know your outside appearance doesn’t match what you feel like on the inside? That was Jazz Jennings’ experience, who knew from the time she was two years old that she had a girl’s brain in a boy’s body. Confusing her family by preferring the color pink and wanting to be a mermaid, “I Am Jazz” is a story based on her real-life experience of affirming her identity long before many people think we’re old enough to understand them.
One reader said: “I personally loved the book because I think it is important to teach children at a young age about differences and how we should treat other people even if they are different from us. I Am Jazz speaks volumes about transgender youths and I think it is important to share with the world.”
???? Get your copy here.
4. “My Two Moms and Me” by Michael Joosten
A celebration of a variety of diverse, loving families, inclusive LGBTQIA+ books such as this one was written for the babies and toddlers of same-sex parents. It follows the lives of busy moms and their kids throughout their typical days. And like heteronormative families, they go on playdates, eat breakfast, enjoy swimming together and much more.
(Need a similar recommendation? Try “Daddy, Papa, and Me” by Leslea Newman!)
One reader said: “Loved this book. It’s quick and simple, but does a good job delivering the story in a way children will understand.”
???? Get your copy here.
5. “It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity” by Theresa Thorn
This sweet, straightforward exploration of gender identity gives children a deeper and clearer understanding of themselves and others. Paired with inclusive and child-friendly language and colorful art, “It Feels Good to Be Yourself” gives both young readers and parents the vocabulary to discuss this important topic with care and sensitivity.
One reader said: “Clear, readable, kid-friendly, gorgeous — basically everything I could want for this book!”
???? Get your copy here.
6. “Prince & Knight” by Daniel Haack
This modern fairy tale introduces the story of what happens when a noble prince (who’s supposed to find a princess to love) and a brave knight come together to battle a dragon threatening their kingdom. In the process, they find true love in a most unexpected place.
One reader said: “This is an adorable kid’s picture book about a prince who can’t find the right princess, because what he wants is actually a knight. There’s also a dragon. It’s utterly charming.”
(Be sure to check out the follow-up to this book, Prince & Kight: Tale of the Shadow King!)
???? Get your copy here.
???? YA LGBTQIA+ Books (ages 12-18)
7. “I Wish You All the Best Book” by Mason Deaver
Ben De Becker’s coming out to their parents as nonbinary results in them being kicked out of their home. When they’re forced to move in with their estranged older sister and her husband, Ben struggles with their parents’ rejection and anxiety disorder. This leads to a decision that they’d try to go unnoticed during their last year of high school.
But when Ben meets Nathan Allan, everything changes. A story about celebrating life, friendship and love, Ben and Nathan’s vulnerable, blossoming friendship and romance exemplifies what it’s like to find light in dark places.
One reader said: “This book has not been undersold in the least. It is heartfelt, loving, difficult, and wonderful in every way. It is indeed quietly groundbreaking and will, without a doubt, save lives.”
???? Get your copy here.
8. “Cinderella Is Dead” by Kalynn Bayron
Considered captivating “wholly original,” “Cinderella Is Dead” takes on the age-old fairytale in a refreshing way. Check out this riveting summary about the author’s LGBTQIA+ twist on a beloved classic:
“It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again. Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her stepsisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all—and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew.”
One reader said: “Wowwww this was so amazing that I can’t even put it into words. It engages feminism, homophobia and lies in such a way that it’s not only intriguing but beautiful!”
???? Get your copy here.
9. “The Stars and the Blackness Between Them” by Junauda Petrus
This sapphic story shares the lives of two 16-year-olds, Audre and Trinidad, who come from two different backgrounds, yet find love and happiness in a world that seems determined to deny them both. Sharing the perspectives of growing up in a religious environment and being confused about your identity, “The Stars and the Blackness Between Them” features themes about love, grief, homophobia, race and more.
One reader said: “This is my favorite read of the year, hands down. Juanada Petrus is a fabulous storyteller. She managed to incorporate so many people’s lives in many dimensions into this book and it didn’t feel overwhelming or extraneous or unnecessary.”
???? Get your copy here.
10. “Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas
Source: Goodreads
When his traditional Latinx family struggles to accept his transgender identity, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo (“wizard” in Spanish). To do that, he enlists the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza and performs the ritual, aiming to find the ghost of his murdered cousin to set it free. What he doesn’t expect to happen is summoning an entirely different ghost, which turns out to be Julian Diaz — a rebel Yadriel winds up falling for.
One reader said: “Aiden Thomas lured me into their imaginative and vibrant narrative with an enchanting mix of mystery and magic, then hooked me on their winning characters. The sense of fall was immediate then, the swiftness and depth of it. I wanted to hold time like a breath in my chest, and never stop reading.”
???? Get your copy here.
11. “A Curse of Roses” by Diana Pinguicha
Try not purchasing this LGBTQIA+ book immediately with this captivating synopsis about a Portuguese love story: “There’s a famine plaguing the land, and Princess Yzabel is wasting food simply by trying to eat. Before she can even swallow, her magic — her curse — has turned her meal into a bouquet. She’s on the verge of starving, which only reminds her that the people of Portugal have been enduring the same pain. If only it were possible to reverse her magic, then she could turn flowers into food. Fatyan, a beautiful Enchanted Moura, is the only one who can help, but she’s trapped by magical binds. She can teach Yzabel how to control her curse — if Yzabel sets her free with a kiss…”
One reader said: “The story is intense but it’s an impressive debut and one that I think will speak to queer people who have been raised in conservative, religious families and perhaps came to recognize their queerness later in life.”
???? Get your copy here.
12. “Dawnfall” by RoAnna Sylver
Who do you identify as? That’s who you can become and journey as through this interactive, choose-your-own-adventure story — a concept not commonly seen among LGBTQIA+ books! Here, you can choose a male, female, nonbinary, or a gender; gay, straight, bisexual, asexual, or aromantic character, define your relationship (if you want one!) as monogamous or polyamorous, all while you fight against a pirate called the Ghost — or you can join her rebellious quest. In this story, you decide it all.
One reader said: “As a nonbinary, aromantic asexual person, it’s almost impossible to find media that represents me. Dawnfall is the first time I’ve really gotten to see myself on the page.”
???? Get your copy here.
???? Adult LGBTQIA+ Books (ages 18+)
13. “The World Unseen” by Shamim Sarif
In the 1950s in South Africa, free-spirited and rebellious café owner Amina falls for Miriam, a traditional young Indian wife and mother. Living two completely different lives, Amina’s courage to drive a taxi and set up a cafe with a Black man in an Indian community and apartheid-torn country turns Miriam’s world upside down. When they find themselves unexpectedly attracted to each other, they go down a journey of doubting the unfounded rules of their world that divides people by race, class and gender.
Leigh learned about this book and author through an LBGTQAI romance writer part of The Workshop, her growing writing community, who said she always wanted to write the kind of romance we often typically only find between men and women — and this book is a perfect example of the kind she wants to write.
One reader said: “One of the best books I have ever read. Love how it has multiple themes, not just the lesbian one. It gives critical examples of apartheid, women, domestic violence, rape, and the lesbian piece is critical. I have recommended it to many people.”
???? Get your copy here.
14. “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong
Where do I begin to describe this book? “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” is a raw, heart-wrenching letter from a Vietnamese son to his illiterate mother. Exploring and unearthing his family’s history in Vietnam, race, class, addiction, trauma, culture and masculinity, this book shares Ocean Vuong’s honest and tender revelations about himself and the numerous worlds he exists in.
One reader said: “No review. Just a list of adjectives: Brutal, raw, devastating, beautiful, incandescent, stunning. The author didn’t write this book; he opened his heart and just let it bleed all over the pages. Reading it cracked mine open and turned me inside out.”
???? Get your copy here.
15. “Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls” by T Kira Madden
A memoir about Kira Madden’s coming-of-age experience, this story explores her inner reckoning with desire as a queer, biracial teenager in Boca Raton, Florida — “a place where she found cult-like privilege, shocking racial disparities, rampant white-collar crime and powerfully destructive standards of beauty hiding in plain sight.” Through a story that explores addiction, trauma, race, objectification and grief, we learn about everything Madden had to overcome to be who she is.
One reader said: “This memoir in essays is so incredibly powerful and heartbreaking. I’m in awe of Madden’s raw talent—this beautiful tribute to her complicated family and herself.”
???? Get your copy here.
16. “Fat and Queer: An Anthology of Queer and Trans Bodies and Lives” by Miguel M. Morales, Bruce Owens Grimm, TJ Ferentini
Source: Fat & Queer
How’s this for LGBTQIA+ books celebrating their pride? “We’re here. We’re queer. We’re fat.” Enough said, right? A compilation of prose, poetry, fiction and nonfiction essays about being fat and queer, this anthology represents a community of people and bodies that are often overlooked, spoken for and counted out. It “challenges negative and damaging representations of queer and fat bodies and offers readers ways to reclaim their bodies, providing stories of support, inspiration and empowerment.”
One reader said: “This anthology combined so many voices that are not normally given a place to be heard. It gave life to a wide variety of experiences and there were definitely insights I will carry with me.”
???? Get your copy here.
17. “In the Dream House” by Carmen Maria Machado
Recapturing her harrowing experience in an abusive same-sex relationship, Carmen Maria Machado’s memoir is “candid and radically inventive,” not to mention remarkably complex. It dissects the cultural representations of psychological abuse and her journey of grasping everything shaping her identity and present reality: religious adolescence, her sexual identity, the stereotype of lesbian relationships as safe and soft and more.
One reader said: “What a hell of a memoir…I have never read anything like this in my life. This book tore me up. I mean I was sobbing in some sections, but it was such an important read and one I didn’t even realize I needed.”
???? Get your copy here.
18. “Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex” by Angela Chen
This nonfiction book features lived experiences and stories from interviews Angela Chen held with hundreds of people who identify within the ace spectrum, from writers to researchers, to podcasters, to college students. Leading a discussion about the impacts of compulsive sexuality and sexual norms, readers say the chapters dig deeply into the intersections of asexuality, leading to one ultimate truth: We’re all freer when we decide who we are and what we want, regardless of societal pressures, expectations and norms.
One reader said: “This was an incredibly illuminating exploration of asexuality, both on its own terms but also in contrast to allosexuality. I really enjoyed the exploration of how different asexual people come to understand this part of their identity, why our culture puts so much emphasis on the presence of sexual desire as a key component of partnerships, and different expressions of asexual identity.”
???? Get your copy here.
19. “The Prophets” by Robert Jones, Jr.
This LGBTQIA+ book tells the raw story of two enslaved young men, Samuel and Isaiah, on a plantation in the Deep South, who find forbidden love and refuge in each other.
One reader said: “This is a soul-stirring, ambitious, and stunning debut from Robert Jones Jr., an epic and intimate look at the history of slavery and the love that dare not speak its name.”
???? Get your copy here.
20. “The Other Mothers” by Jennifer Berney
Jennifer Berney always knew she wanted a baby. But as a lesbian, that reality proved to be more complicated for her than heterosexual people pursuing the same dream. This intimate and compelling story about love, family and identity highlights the difficulties and injustices queer families face when they want to do just that — be family. LGBTQIA+ books like these shine a light on the leaps and bounds we still need to make within our medical-industrial complex.
One reader said: “Jennifer Berney’s memoir on the struggles and triumphs of lesbian love, conception, motherhood and family — and of how devastating the patriarchal models for medicine, fertility, family and society remain — is a terrific, enraging, and uplifting read.”
???? Get your copy here.
21. “With Teeth: A Novel” by Kristen Arnett
Author of the New York Times-bestselling book “Mostly Dead Things.” author Kristen Arnett tells a surprising and moving story of two mothers, one difficult son and the limitations of marriage, parenthood and love.
One reader said: “This was my MOST anticipated release of 2021, and I am so happy to say that it wrecked me. This might very well be my favorite of Kristen Arnett’s work because it pulls from all of her previous projects, especially ‘Mostly Dead Things,’ her parrot story, and her Barbie essay. Stressful, jarring, and unbearably honest, ‘With Teeth’ wrestles into your brain and stays there.”
???? Get your copy here.
