35 LGBTQ Books Everyone Should Read, Chosen by Queer Authors

Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin

Recommended by: Marissa Higgins, author of A Good Happy Girl

Genre: Literary fiction

Emily Austin’s second novel, Interesting Facts About Space, drops readers into the mind of Enid, a woman who is dealing with a lot at once: the death of her estranged father, reconnecting with her half sisters, starting a (rather complicated) romantic relationship and, oh, diving headfirst into paranoid thoughts that she’s being followed. While that might sound heavy, the novel, published in January 2024, is actually a lot lighter and funnier than you might expect. It is, perhaps, a bit twisted, which may be why Higgins recommends it for fans of Twin Peaks who love the humor of writer Samantha Irby.

Why they love it: “This sophomore novel is darkly funny literary fiction,” says Higgins. “[It] follows Enid, a lesbian who is obsessed with true crime and space, as she gets to know her half siblings and avoids her terrifyingly bald neighbor.” She loves it for being a smart, poignant follow-up to Austin’s bestselling debut, Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead, which she says was also called “bizarrely heartwarming.”

Looking for your next great book? Read four of today’s most compelling novels in the time it takes to read one with Fiction Favorites. And be sure to join the community!

VIA MERCHANT

Anyone’s Ghost by August Thompson

Recommended by: Author Marissa Higgins

Genre: Coming-of-age literary fiction

August Thompson’s debut novel, which hits shelves on July 9, 2024, tells the story of the friendship between Theron and Jake, beginning as teens during one summer in New England and speeding through to the crashes that permanently alter both their lives. Kirkus Reviews called it a “dirtbag Call Me by Your Name,” while Higgins recommends it for fans of that book and the show Ripley.

Why they love it: Higgins enjoyed this novel for its psychological thriller elements and slow-burn erotic obsessions. “Anyone’s Ghost details the unsettling and ultimately ill-fated relationship between two young men working together in rural New Hampshire, illuminating discussions of addiction, mental health in men and economic class,” she says.

VIA MERCHANT

The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo

Recommended by: TJ Alexander, author of Triple Sec

Genre: Horror

Lee Mandelo’s historical fiction–horror mashup, published in March 2024, centers on Leslie Bruin, who is assigned to work in a small, religious Appalachian town and quickly discovers some terrifying beliefs. An Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, The Woods All Black explores themes of bodily autonomy, reproductive justice and even trans romance. Alexander says it’s perfect for “horror fans who dig unsettling vibes and/or readers who are looking for a shorter story to get them into a summer reading groove.”

Why they love it: “I’m a huge scaredy-cat who can’t take a ton of jump scares, but this 1920s Appalachian horror novella was the kind of slow, creeping dread that really keeps me up at night and keeps me reading,” says Alexander. “I can’t say too much without spoiling the mystery, but I found it very satisfying in the end—the kind of catharsis that money can’t buy! Except I guess it can because you can and should buy this book.”

The Deviant's War The Homosexual Vs. The United States Of America By Eric Cervini

VIA MERCHANT

The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America by Eric Cervini

Recommended by: Yvie Oddly, drag performer, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race and author of All About Yvie: Into the Oddity

Genre: History

Historian Eric Cervini’s New York Times bestseller recounts how one astronomer turned activist was fired by the U.S. government during the Lavender Scare and the ways in which he and others fought back. A finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in History, The Deviant’s War relies on everything from firsthand accounts to declassified FBI records and more to piece together this important and often underreported part of queer history.

Why they love it: “I loved this book because it taught me just how little I knew about the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in America,” says Oddly. “This book chronicles the life of Frank Kameny and his lengthy battle against the federal government, so it’s a great read for history buffs and queer activists.”

VIA MERCHANT

Karaoke Queen by Dominic Lim

Recommended by: Sidney Karger, author of The Bump

Genre: Romance

When Rex finds out that an old flame needs help keeping their karaoke bar alive, he uses his drag alter ego to come to the rescue in the grandest of romantic gestures. Dominic Lim’s highly anticipated Karaoke Queen, which comes out on Sept. 17, 2024, is a novel Karger recommends for anyone seeking a “fun romantic comedy about music, family and a second chance at love.”

Why they love it: “How can you not love a story set in the world of karaoke?” asks Karger. “Lim’s second novel after his debut, All the Right Notes, is a fresh, modern take on Tootsie with a splash of Kinky Boots.”

Swimming In The Dark By Tomasz Jedrowski

VIA MERCHANT

Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski

Recommended by: Author Yvie Oddly

Genre: Coming-of-age literary fiction

Swimming in the Dark is a heart-wrenching love story about two young men who meet at a summer agricultural camp—and the way in which their love is tested when politics enters the picture. Tomasz Jedrowski’s debut was longlisted for the Historical Writers Association Crown Award and named Best Book of the Year by NPR in 2020, the year it was published.

Why they love it: “This painfully beautiful story is about two boys who fall (hopelessly) in love in 1980s communist Poland. It’s short, and it’s sad, but I loved how effortlessly tender it was at every turn. Needless to say, I cried a lot, so I recommend this quick read for lovers of tragic romance,” says Oddly.

Tranny Confessions Of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout By Laura Jane Grace With Dan Ozzi Ecomm Via Amazon.com

VIA MERCHANT

Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock’s Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout by Laura Jane Grace with Dan Ozzi

Recommended by: Author Yvie Oddly

Genre: Memoir

Tranny gives readers a close-up of the rise of Florida band Against Me! and its lead singer, Laura Jane Grace, as she goes from punk rock singer to a trans advocate after coming out as trans herself. Need some convincing to pick up this 2017 memoir? It’s been named one of Billboard‘s 100 Greatest Music Books of All Time and has been praised widely by Publishers Weekly, the New York Times Book Review and celebrities like John Cameron Mitchell and Shirley Manson.

Why they love it: “I love this book because Laura Jane Grace is a rock goddess,” says Oddly. “Her stories are as powerful as she is poetic and always gritty. This book is a must for the realest of punks and radicals.”

VIA MERCHANT

Hombrecito by Santiago Jose Sanchez

Recommended by: Author Marissa Higgins

Genre: Coming-of-age

Hombrecito, which translates to “little man,” is a coming-of-age tale about a young Colombian immigrant’s journey to Miami with his mother and brother, as well as the complex emotions that evolve as they navigate life in this new home. But it’s also about what is revealed when you’re finally allowed to return to your motherland. Higgins recommends the novel (which comes out on June 25, 2024) for readers “who want a dynamic coming-of-age story that reads like poetry.”

Why they love it: Higgins says she loved Sanchez’s debut because it was “compelling and poetic,” and she especially enjoyed the “sharply drawn relationships with his parents.”

VIA MERCHANT

Idlewild By James Frankie Thomas

Recommended by: Author Sidney Karger

Genre: Coming-of-age literary fiction

Named one of the best books of 2023 by Vanity Fair, the Paris Review, NPR and more, Idlewild offers a fresh queer and trans perspective on the story of two adults reflecting on their intense Manhattan prep school friendship. “If you enjoyed Donna Tartt’s The Secret History or Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep, this one’s for you,” says Karger.

Why they love it: Karger calls James Frankie Thomas’s debut novel “deeply funny and specific” and enjoyed the “rich coming-of-age story tackling gender identity and sexuality.”

VIA MERCHANT

Cecilia by K-Ming Chang

Recommended by: Author Marissa Higgins

Genre: Literary fiction novella

Published in May 2024, Cecilia by K-Ming Chang is a slim volume that centers on what Higgins calls an “obsessive homoerotic friendship” between an office cleaner named Seven and her childhood friend Cecilia. A Kundiman fellow, Lambda Literary Award winner and National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree, Chang has written what Higgens describes as a novella that is “just vibes.”

Why they love it: “This is a strange and surprising novella with K-Ming Chang’s signature visceral imagery—a brilliant character study,” says Higgins. “The body horror here is not for the weak-stomached, but it is for the open-minded.”

VIA MERCHANT

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender

Recommended by: Author TJ Alexander

Genre: Young adult fantasy

A New York Times and indie bestseller, Infinity Alchemist follows a budding alchemist named Ash who yearns to learn magic but is relegated to working as the groundskeeper of the Lancaster College of Alchemic Science. When apprentice Ramsay catches Ash secretly learning alchemy, she makes him a deal: She’ll keep his secret so long as he helps her with a much greater task. On the hunt for queer books aimed at teens? Alexander says it’s perfect for YA readers seeking a “magical fantasy world that’s beautifully written and affirming.”

Why they love it: “I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading this intricate fantasy tale,” says Alexander. “This book has everything: family drama, political intrigue, exquisite world-building, a gorgeous romance, action and adventure… What more could I (or anyone) want?”

An Island Princess Starts A Scandal By Adriana Herrera

VIA MERCHANT

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

Recommended by: Alison Cochrun, author of Here We Go Again

Genres: Romance/historical fiction

The second book in author Adriana Herrera’s Las Leonas book series, this steamy romance novel follows Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan, an artist who decides to have one final summer of fun in Paris with her two best friends before she marries a man she does not love. Until, that is, she meets a duchess named Cora and makes a business decision that sparks a scandalous reawakening in both women. Cochrun recommends this one “for romance readers who love steamy sexual tension, feminist heroines and interesting historical settings.”

Why they love it: “Herrera is the queen of steam, and this sapphic historical romance, set in 19th-century Paris, is Herrera at her best,” says Cochrun. “Cora and Manuela have incredible chemistry that sears right off the page, and I was rooting for them from the first chapter.”

VIA MERCHANT

Family Meal by Bryan Washington

Recommended by: Ash Beckham, inclusion activist, motivational speaker, leadership educator and author of Step Up: How to Live with Courage and Become an Everyday Leader

Genre: Literary fiction

An Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Literature & Fiction, this 2023 book about two former best friends who reconnect after loss is the height of heartfelt. Through Family Meal, award-winning author Bryan Washington dives into themes of hope and friendship, taking readers from LA to Houston to Osaka. Beckham recommends this one for “fiction fans who love books with characters and relationships as complicated as our own.”

Why they love it: “I loved every aspect of the book. Whether it was the descriptions of food that make your mouth water, the relatable bond and heartbreak that comes from those who have known us the longest or the compelling secondary characters that add to the rich fabric of the story, Family Meal has it all,” says Beckham.

Something Wild And Wonderful By Anita Kelly

VIA MERCHANT

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly

Recommended by: Author Alison Cochrun

Genre: Romance

The second book in Anita Kelly’s Nashville Love series, Something Wild & Wonderful is a heartwarming story of two men who meet while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Kirkus Reviews called it a “deeply satisfying, romantic story worth getting lost in.” We recommend it to anyone who enjoys a tender, slow-paced love story and, of course, to fans of the Nashville Love romance book serie s.

Why they love it: “I love all of Kelly’s books, but this one holds a special place in my heart,” says Cochrun. She appreciates that it’s a quiet, character-driven romance written with “gorgeous prose and packed with … emotional resonance.”

The Lgbtq+ History Book Big Ideas Simply Explained

VIA MERCHANT

The LGBTQ+ History Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

Recommended by: Author Ash Beckham

Genre: History

For anyone seeking a deep dive into queer history, look no further than 2023’s The LGBTQ+ History Book, which offers over 300 pages of stories, charts, graphics, quotes and more. From the Stonewall Riots to Black and Latine ballroom culture, Sappho’s poetry to a biography of Audre Lorde, a wealth of information lives inside this book, just waiting for readers eager to learn more about LGBTQ+ history.

Why they love it: “This book is an encyclopedic summary of queer history,” says Beckham. “From ancient Greece to U.S. marriage equality and beyond, this book illustrates the global gay through line across civilizations. I recommend [it] for LGBTQ+ community members and allies who want the facts on LGBTQ+ history across time and national boundaries.”

VIA MERCHANT

The Transgender Issue by Shon Faye

Recommended by: Juno Dawson, author of Queen B: The Story of Anne Boleyn, Witch Queen

Genre: Political nonfiction

Published in 2021 by trans journalist Shon Faye, The Transgender Issue offers readers an introduction to trans politics, highlighting the fight for trans rights in the face of systemic transphobia. Tackling topics like health care, class, incarceration, sex work and more, this work of nonfiction offers a thorough exploration of trans identity.

Why they love it: “If, like most people, you’re a little confused as to why there’s so much fuss about the trans community in the media right now, this book is a clear-eyed, sane exploration of the state of transgender politics—essential reading for anyone invested in LGBTQ rights,” says Dawson.

VIA MERCHANT

Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen

Recommended by: Philip Ellis, author of We Could Be Heroes

Genres: Horror/humor

GLAAD Award–winning journalist Samantha Allen has written the perfect satire of popular reality dating shows, and you won’t want to put this one down. Patricia Wants to Cuddle revolves around a fictional TV show called The Catch, which pits four women against one another in pursuit of an eligible bachelor, and they all come with an agenda. Named one of the best books of 2022 by NPR, Chicago Review of Books, Them and more, it’s a book Kirkus Reviews calls a “one-of-a-kind queer horror comedy for people who watch The Bachelor and The X-Files back to back.”

Why they love it: “I love novels that blur the lines between genres, and Patricia Wants to Cuddle straddles its clashing tones perfectly,” says Ellis. “It’s both a razor-sharp satire of dating shows like The Bachelor and the fandoms that surround them, and a horror story about a remote island and the cryptid who preys on unwitting tourists. Bloody good fun.”

VIA MERCHANT

We the Animals by Justin Torres

Recommended by: Aaron H. Aceves, author of This Is Why They Hate Us

Genre: Coming-of-age

Justin Torres’s 2012 debut, the bestselling, award-winning We the Animals, centers on a young half–Puerto Rican boy coming of age in a household with three brothers. O, the Oprah Magazine called the novel “honest, poetic and tough” and said “it makes you reexamine what it means to love and to hurt.” The book has even been adapted into an award-winning film, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.

Why they love it: “Told in a series of fleeting, emotionally dense vignettes, this short but impactful novel is about queer adolescence and growing up in a dysfunctional family,” Aceves says. “The main character’s experience of his intersectional identity—gay and Puerto Rican—especially resonated with me as a queer Latino.”

VIA MERCHANT

A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood

Recommended by: Steven Rowley, author of The Guncle Abroad

Genre: Classic

A moving day-in-the-life snapshot of a gay, middle-aged widower and English professor named George, A Single Man is set in Southern California in the 1960s and explores grief in a whole new way. When it was published in 1964, it was revolutionary, and it’s since become a real classic piece of literature. The novel has received plenty of praise and was even adapted by fashion designer Tom Ford into a 2009 film starring Colin Firth.

Why they love it: “[This book] allowed me not only a sense of what loving another man felt like but also the kinds of stories it was possible to tell as a gay writer,” says Rowley.

VIA MERCHANT

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby

Recommended by: Andrea Bartz, author of The Spare Room, and Michelle Gagnon, author of Killing Me

Genres: Essays/humor

Samantha Irby, the fiercely popular writer behind the blog Bitches Gotta Eat and author of multiple books, delivers another rip-roaringly funny essay collection with 2020’s Wow, No Thank You. In it, Irby tackles her new life as both a 40-year-old woman “with neck pain and no cartilage in [her] knees” and a successful author living with her wife in a liberal town in a red state. The book became a No. 1 New York Times bestseller and winner of a Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Nonfiction.

Why they love it: “Irby is one of the funniest writers of our time, and every one of her essay collections is packed with vulnerability, wit and passages that turn you into That Person Giggling in Public,” says Bartz. “Just thinking about Wow, No Thank You makes me crack up—it gets deeply real about … turning 40, trying to fit in, the horrors of dating and, um, certain intestinal difficulties.”

And let’s just say she’s not alone in her love for this book. “I’ll preface this by saying that, outside of psychology texts for work, I’m not a big reader of nonfiction. So even after a friend forcibly pushed this collection of essays by the divine Samantha Irby into my hands, I was reluctant to dive in,” admits Gagnon. “Well. Five minutes later, I couldn’t stop laughing. If you’re a fan of David Sedaris, you’ll gobble up any of Irby’s books. This one is my particular favorite, mainly because it was the first I encountered, but I’ve read them all.”

VIA MERCHANT

At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O’Neill

Recommended by: Brandon Schultz, author of Bookstore Cats

Genre: Historical fiction

In Irish author Jamie O’Neill’s 2001 novel, At Swim, Two Boys, Jim and Doyle make a pact to swim to a distant island on Easter and claim the space for themselves. But of course, parents and fate have different plans for the boys in this tragic story of young love. Written in stream-of-consciousness prose, the book has earned comparisons to the work of greats like James Joyce, whose A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man was published in 1916, the year this historical fiction novel is set.

Why they love it: “My favorite coming-of-age story, it’s an elegant and often unsettling look at two working-class boys discovering themselves, each other and their country leading up to Ireland’s Easter Uprising of 1916. It’s heroic, insightful, endearing and, like all good love stories, tragic,” says Schultz.

VIA MERCHANT

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

Recommended by: George M. Johnson, author of Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I’d Known

Genre: Essays

James Baldwin’s first nonfiction book is a collection of 10 essays that had previously been published in top magazines like The New Leader and Harper’s Magazine. Published in 1955, Notes of a Native Son describes what it meant to be Black in America in the 1940s and ’50s, leading up to the Civil Rights Movement.

Why they love it: “Notes of a Native Son is a classic. And as a Black, queer writer, we don’t have as many texts as we should from the past that give us context into life from a Black, queer lens. His book does that and more, as it speaks to race issues in America, many of which I still face today, and lays a groundwork for the work I do in that same right.”

VIA MERCHANT

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

Recommended by: Minna Dubin, author of Mom Rage: The Everyday Crisis of Modern Motherhood

Genre: Memoir

This impactful 2020 memoir by award-winning author Carmen Maria Machado takes a long, hard look at a previous abusive relationship and the impact it had on her life. Exploring each chapter through a different trope, In the Dream House tackles themes of religion, history, queer stereotypes, fairy tales and even a haunted house, bringing Machado’s pain and the factors that caused it to light.

Why they love it: “I loved the way Machado structured the book into tiny chapters so that each one felt representative of the fractured and out-of-control feeling of being in an abusive relationship,” says Dubin. “All minority groups are under societal pressure to perform perfection (the model minority) in public because we desperately want to be accepted and treated as equals and because we’re each seen as representative of the larger group. As a result, published stories of abusive queer relationships are rare, and this visibility and representation offered by In the Dream House is hugely important, aside from the fact that it’s a powerful and beautifully written book. I devoured it.”

VIA MERCHANT

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Recommended by: Author Steven Rowley

Genres: YA graphic novel/romance

This adorably sweet story about two teenage boys who become unexpected friends (and maybe more) gained a massive following as a web comic before finding publishing success: The 2019 YA graphic novel quickly hit the New York Times, USA Today and national Indie Bestseller lists. But the success of the Heartstopper series (which now includes six volumes) has expanded beyond the page. In 2022, Alice Oseman created the Netflix adaptation, winning the story an even wider fan base and critical acclaim. A third season will be released on Oct. 3, 2024.

Why they love it: “Oseman’s work follows in the footsteps of other great LGBTQ+ graphic novels, like Fun Home by Alison Bechdel,” says Rowley. “There’s something so powerful about seeing these characters drawn on the page when gay people spent much of history in the shadows.”

VIA MERCHANT

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

Recommended by: Maria Ingrande Mora, author of The Immeasurable Depth of You

Genre: Fantasy

Published in 1987, award-winning author Ellen Kushner’s debut novel has since become a cult classic. The first in the World of Riverside fantasy book series (there are three in total), Swordspoint follows the life of Richard St. Vier, a master swordsman who finds himself thrust into a series of duels and difficult decisions that blur the line between heroism and villainy. The novel has received praise from the likes of George R.R. Martin and was even inducted into the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards Hall of Fame.

Why they love it: “This classic genre-bending queer novel challenges the reader to drop expectations and submit to the flow of the story. It is so rewarding,” says Mora. “This is my all-time favorite book.”

Red, White & Royal Blue By Casey Mcquiston

VIA MERCHANT

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Recommended by: Author Brandon Schultz

Genre: Romance

Casey McQuiston’s New York Times bestselling Red, White & Royal Blue tells the story of Alex Claremont-Diaz, the bisexual first son of the United States, and his arch nemesis, England’s (very gay and very closeted) Prince Henry. Naturally, an enemies-to-lovers romance ensues. The book became the feel-good novel of 2019, winning Goodreads Choice awards for Best Debut and Best Romance the year it was released and earning the Best Book of the Year title from Vanity Fair, Vogue, NPR and others. A few years later, it’s still one of the most popular gay books on shelves, and its recent film adaptation has been another win.

Why they love it: “At the opposite end of the seriousness spectrum [from the other book he recommended]: a ridiculous romance between the first son and the English heir—a total beach read that’s a lot more fun than you’ll want to admit,” Schultz says.

VIA MERCHANT

No Ashes in the Fire by Darnell L. Moore

Recommended by: Author George M. Johnson

Genre: Memoir

No Ashes in the Fire is a difficult but vital memoir of growing up Black and queer by award-winning author and Black Lives Matter activist Darnell L. Moore. In it, he recounts his earliest memories of harassment as a frightened 14-year-old at the hands of three neighborhood boys who tried to set him on fire. A New York Times Notable Book of the Year in 2018, Moore’s memoir details the long and difficult journey from being the victim of bullies to becoming an outspoken advocate for liberation in a society that often struggles with notions of justice.

Why they love it: “Darnell Moore’s No Ashes in the Fire became one of my inspirations to write All Boys Aren’t Blue. It was a book written by a friend and mentor that gave me the agency to also tell my own story. It impacted the way I process the traumatic things in my own life and gave me the license to find my own voice to also tell my story.”

VIA MERCHANT

We Do What We Do in the Dark by Michelle Hart

Recommended by: Author Steven Rowley

Genre: Romance

When college freshman Mallory meets an older, married woman at her university gym, her life is turned upside down. Embarking on an affair that wholly consumes her, Mallory falls into a world of isolation that follows her even after the affair comes to an end. Publisher’s Weekly called Michelle Hart’s 2022 debut novel, We Do What We Do in the Dark, “auspicious and breathtaking.”

Why they love it: “I was recently moved by [this book], which explores through a contemporary lens the price queer people have paid for years of solitude and secrecy,” says Rowley. “It made me think of how my life truly began when I was able to embrace who I was.”

VIA MERCHANT

VIA MERCHANT

Recommended by: Author Juno Dawson

Genre: Literary fiction

This bestselling debut novel by author Torrey Peters was chosen for Roxane Gay’s Audacious Book Club and named one of the best books of 2021 by a bevy of publications, including Vulture, Time, Bustle and Marie Claire. A story centered on three (trans and cis) individuals, Detransition, Baby tackles both what it means to be a woman and what it means to have a family.

Why they love it: Dawson highly recommends this breakthrough novel about a complicated “throuple,” noting that Sarah Jessica Parker is also a fan. “The novel even featured on Carrie’s bookcase in And Just Like That,” says Dawson.

VIA MERCHANT

Playing the Palace by Paul Rudnick

Recommended by: Author Philip Ellis

Genre: Romance

Who doesn’t love a royal romance novel? Published in 2021, Playing the Palace follows Carter Ogden, a brokenhearted American event planner who suddenly meets and quickly begins dating the openly gay Prince of Wales. But as anyone who’s followed a royal relationship knows, everyone—and we do mean everyone—has an opinion on the couple, and the spotlight can create plenty of challenges. But don’t worry: It’s a rom-com, so you’ll find plenty to swoon over in this one.

Why they love it: “BookTok sensation Red, White & Royal Blue is certainly the best-known royal rom-com out there, but I strongly urge you to also pick up Playing the Palace, in which a neurotic party planner from New Jersey becomes entangled with a British prince,” says Ellis. “As escapist summer reads go, it’s pretty much perfect: Every page is more irreverently hilarious than the last.”

VIA MERCHANT

This Is Why They Hate Us by Aaron H. Aceves

Recommended by: Author Maria Ingrande Mora

Genre: YA romance

When Aaron H. Aceves’s debut young adult novel was published in 2022, it became an American Library Association Rainbow Book List Selection and Cybils Award finalist. This Is Why They Hate Us centers on Enrique “Quique” Luna, a queer teen whose only goal one summer is to finally get over his crush on a boy named Saleem. But his plan to get with a slew of other romantic prospects is not at all what he expected.

Why they love it: Mora loves this particular book because the “queer teens feel so achingly real in this beautifully messy coming-of-age story.”

VIA MERCHANT

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

Recommended by: Authors Juno Dawson and Aaron H. Aceves

Genre: Classics

James Baldwin is, without a doubt, one of the most famous Black gay writers of all time. Many are familiar with his If Beale Street Could Talk (which was adapted for film in 2018), but Giovanni’s Room, published in 1956, was among his most controversial and most overtly queer works. (It’s also one of the most famous LGBTQ books of all time.) The story revolves around an American man who meets an Italian bartender named Giovanni at a gay bar in Paris, and it highlights the struggles of his various relationships with men.

Why they love it: “The undisputed LGBTQ classic is enjoying something of a resurgence on TikTok, with good reason,” says Dawson, calling it a “must-read even 60 years on.”

Aceves couldn’t agree more. “When people ask me what my favorite book of all time is, this is the answer I give them,” he says. “Of course, because it’s James Baldwin, the writing is at times lyrical and breathtaking and at others disarmingly frank. It’s a novel I reread often, and [I] find myself coming away with a new outlook on life.”

VIA MERCHANT

Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski

Recommended by: Author Andrea Bartz

Genre: Mystery

An Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Real Easy by New York Times bestselling author Marie Rutkoski is a compelling murder mystery that will have you questioning everything with each flip of the page. “It’s a riveting whodunit set in a Midwestern strip club in the ’90s, where dancers begin to disappear,” says Bartz. Named a New York Times Best Crime Novel of 2022, Real Easy made a number of must-read lists, thanks to Rutkoski’s superb storytelling skills.

Why they love it: “Fans of beautifully written, character-driven mysteries à la Tana French and Jane Harper, take note: Real Easy is about to become your new favorite thriller,” says Bartz. “Beneath the gorgeous prose and crackling suspense is a thoughtful meditation on femininity, trust and the roles women play.”

VIA MERCHANT

Passing Strange by Ellen Klages

Recommended by: Author Philip Ellis

Genres: Historical fiction/romance

From World Fantasy Award–winning author Ellen Klages comes a story about the intersecting lives and loves of six women living in 1940s San Francisco. Playing with themes of magic, pulp, comedy, forbidden romance and queer history, Passing Strange is one of those lesbian books you’ll quickly recommend to all your friends. Klages’s book was even a finalist for the 2017 Nebula Award for Best Novella.

Why they love it: “I adored this novella about the interconnected lives of a group of queer women navigating love and anti-LGBT laws in 1940s San Francisco,” says Ellis. “Unlike many other historical lesbian romances, however, Passing Strange is shot through with flourishes of magical realism: While the inner lives of Klages’s characters are painted in rich, realistic detail, it also reads like the best kind of fairy tale.”

VIA MERCHANT