13 LGBTQ+ Books to Read and Enjoy Before Spring Is Over
05/30/23
We love a queer book!
Summer may be approaching fast, but there's still time to catch up on all the LGBTQ+ books that have come out or are coming out soon.
Included in the list below is a sapphic romance from Alexandria Bellefleur and the first book from The Advocate's contributor Zachary Zane. Lesbian Jesus herself Hayley Kiyoko released releasing a young adult novel based on her viral music video for "Girls Like Girls." Elliot Page is also releasing his memoir Pageboy which explores trans visibility, sex, and relationships.
Check out the whole list below.
What queer books are you reading right now?
Boyslut
You might know Zachary Zane from his work as a contributor for The Advocate or his “Sexplain It” column for Men’s Health. But now, this bisexual activist is embarking on a new chapter with Boy Slut. Part memoir and part manifesto, Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifestois a series of essays that confront stereotypes about sex, sexuality, and shame.
Dykette
If you’re in the mood for a sexy novel that explores the messiness of queer relationships, Dykette should be on your list. In her debut novel, Jenny Fran Davis follows three queer couples as they take a 10-day trip to upstate New York, and everything they think they know seems to unravel.
A Trans Man Walks Into a Gay Bar
When trans writer Harry Nichols found himself at the end of a 5-year relationship with his girlfriend, he made a shocking self-discovery: not only was he single, but he was also gay. Nichols’ A Trans Man Walks Into a Gay Bar explores what it’s like to be a trans man in the gay community.
Ander & Santi Were Here
Since they released their debut novel Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun in 2021, Jonny Garza Villa has taken the Young Adult genre by storm. In April, they will release another YA novel, Ander & Santi Were Here, which revolves around a nonbinary Mexican-American teen who falls for a waiter at their family’s taqueria.
Flux
Jinwoo Chong’s debut novel Flux transcends both genre and theme. Combining aspects of neo-noir and speculative fiction, Flux explores themes of grief, trauma, and queer Asian identities against the backdrop of time travel and crime.
Girls Like Girls
Hayley Kiyoko, or “Lesbian Jesus,” as she is also known, has had an incredible few years with two albums, several headlining tours, and mainstream queer visibility in an industry that is often straightwashed. Later this spring, she’ll add author to her list of accomplishments with Girls Like Girls, a YA novel based on her viral music video “Girls Like Girls.” Girls Like Girls comes out on May 30.
Hi Honey, I’m Homo!
There’s nothing like a good exploration of LGBTQ+ media representation that makes you realize how far queer representation has come in the last several decades. In Hi Honey, I’m Homo, podcaster and YouTuber Matt Baume traces the history of queer comedy and how it has influenced the American sitcom over time.
I Have Something to Tell You – For Young Adults: A Memoir
In September 2020, Chasten Buttigieg released a memoir about growing up gay in the Midwest and meeting his husband, the former Democratic presidential candidate and current transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg. Now, he’s releasing a young adult adaptation of the memoir, which focuses on his youth.
Leg: The Story of a Limb and the Boy Who Grew from It
If you couldn’t get enough of Ryan O’Connell’s Special for its depiction of a gay man living with cerebral palsy, you’ll be excited to hear about Greg Marshall’s poignant memoir Leg, which explores similar themes. Leg: The Story of a Limb and the Boy Who Grew from It comes out on June 13.
Pageboy: A Memoir
In December 2020, Elliot Page came out as transgender, and since then, he has used his massive platform to advocate for trans rights. In June, Page will release a memoir called Pageboy that will cover topics ranging from mental health and trans visibility to sex and relationships. Pageboy comes out on June 6.
The Financée Farce
If you haven’t yet read one of Alexandria Bellefleur’s sapphic romance novels, you need to drop everything at once. After her dazzling Written in the Stars trilogy comes a new standalone novel called The Fiancée Farce, which involves fake dating, wealthy heirs, and a swoon-worthy romance.
Stars Collide
Rachel Lacey is the queen of sapphic romance novels. Last year, I could not put down Read Between the Lines, which was Lacey’s queer take on You’ve Got Mail. Now she’s taking her protagonists from the bookstore to the stage with Stars Collide, a slow-burn romance about two famous singers who fall for each other.
The Late Americans
Brandon Taylor’s The Late Americans has already been named one of the most anticipated books of 2023 by Elle and Vulture, and I personally cannot wait to read it. Set in Iowa City, The Late Americans revolves around a group of friends and lovers as they embark on a year of self-discovery and examines the intersections between gender, chosen family, race, and class.
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