12 LGBT Books to Read Now
Pride month is over, but why not keep reading queer books all year round? These are a few I’ve loved - some that showed me to myself, and others that helped me understand other members of the LGBTQIA+ community more fully.
Lot by Bryan Washington
This is one of my recent favorites. It’s a collection of stories that circle around a half black, half Hispanic, gay man growing up poor in Houston. The author’s voice is what did it for me; it’s so vivid and clear.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
A first-generation, Vietnamese-American man’s letter to his mother. It’s poetic, stunning, and so insightful. I loved how he wrote about the first boy he loved; it’s devastatingly tender and raw.
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
A group of gay friends and lovers fighting the AIDS crisis in 1980s Chicago, with alternating chapters that flash forward thirty years to the people who survived. I was completely sucked into this sweeping story, and it was one of my favorite endings in awhile.
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Sarah Waters basically writes Victorian mystery novels with a splash of lesbian romance. All her books are great, but I’m especially fond of this one because it takes some delightfully unexpected turns.
The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
A tender, somewhat suspenseful novel about a woman quietly coming out to herself as she meets a powerfully seductive older woman. I personally think the book is much better than the movie (Carol) because you see so much more of what Therese feels for Carol. This was the first lesbian novel to give the characters a somewhat happy ending, which says a lot about how horrible and punishing the endings were before this. I certainly wouldn’t call it happy.
Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown
I adore this book’s main character, Molly Bolt. She’s funny, brazen, irreverent, and unapologetically herself. This was groundbreaking when it was published in 1973 because it showed a gay character with no shame, unwilling to apologize for just being herself. Maybe that’s why I loved her so much, but I missed her every time I stopped reading.
Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala
If you want a book that perfectly speaks to our culture’s current moment, this is it. It’s about a Harvard-bound young man from a Nigerian immigrant family, trapped between two cultures that don’t see his full humanity - where his sexuality and his skin color both put him in danger. It’s a heartbreaking story of what we lose when we can’t accept a person for who they are.
For Today I Am a Boy by Kim Fu
There’s something very tender about this book. It’s the story of a Chinese-Canadian man who knows they’re trans early on but isn’t able to come out because of intense cultural pressure. Their journey and self-discovery is lovely.
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
This book sat on my shelf for years until I finally read it for a book club, and I can’t believe I waited so long. It’s devastating and beautiful, and he treats a complicated character with so much care. A classic worth reading.
Prelude to Bruise by Saeed Jones
One of my favorite collections of poetry. You might know Saeed as Buzzfeed’s culture editor, but this is a far cry from a viral meme: it’s is a tender, angry, brilliant exploration of sexuality, race, and identity. I especially loved Boy at Edge of Woods; Daedalus, After Icarus; Jasper, 1998; Apologia; and History, According to Boy.
The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy
I remember reading Thanksgiving in Mongolia, the 2013 New Yorker essay that later became this memoir, and sobbing on a public bus. The book is just as good, and I was surprised to find that it’s a nuanced story of her turbulent marriage to a woman, same-sex parenthood, and her eventual love affair with a man - the essay completely hides her sexuality. Her writing is exceptional, and I love that she’s willing to show all her flaws with incredible insight and candor.
And the band played on by randy shilts
This is the canonical book on the AIDS crisis. It’s written by the lone reporter who actually covered the story from the beginning, and it shows. It’s compelling, incredibly thorough, and deeply personal. If you want to understand what happened, read this.
What are your favorite queer books? Share them in the comments!