Casey McQuiston, whose work is featured on NBC OUT’s Pride 30, told OUT that they write romantic stories with gay people in mind because they grew up in a conservative, evangelical environment — and want them to readers, especially gay readers, feel less alone. McQuiston’s books could reach at least 20 million LGBTQ+ adults in the United States, according to a investigation by the US Census Bureau (the Human Rights Campaign bets that number is even higher). With Pride Month in full swing, it’s a great time to browse books that explore the LGBTQ+ experience or, better yet, are written by LGBTQ+ authors.
To help you narrow down your choices, we’ve drawn on Good reads data on books written by LGBTQ+ authors and spanning a variety of genres – from political family dramas to Southern Gothic fables, from simple essays on self-actualization to collections of short story lyrics and poems – and tackling a variety of universal themes, such as identity and love. Based on this data, we recommend the following books based on a combination of their reviews, average ratings, and how often they landed on Goodreads members’ “want to read” lists.
‘Young Mungo‘ by Douglas Stuart
Good reads: Average rating of 4.45 stars out of 6,616 reviews
“Young Mungo” is a coming-of-age story about a fifteen-year-old boy named Mungo in 1980s Glasgow, Scotland, who falls in love with another boy named James. We follow Mungo as he struggles with his identity as a gay person (and that he hides it from his family).The novel begins when his mother sends him on a fishing trip with two strangers she met in her Alcoholics Anonymous group, who promise to learning to be more masculine.Throughout the rest of the book, we learn more about Mungo’s relationship with James and his house.
Good reads: average rating of 4.02 stars out of 7,372 reviews
We pointed out “Afterpartiesin our guide to the best books by AAPI authors — its author Anthony Veasna So won posthumously the John Leonard Award for Best First Book. In its simplest form, “Afterparties” is a collection of short stories centering on the children of Cambodian-American refugees who move to California, as the characters struggle with their immigration status and their sexuality, as well as their relationships. strained with their families. The work of Veasna So has been described as “dreadfully” funny by author Mary Karr, and “deeply empathetic” by her editor at Ecco, Helen Atsma.
Good reads: Average rating of 4.04 stars out of 125,601 reviews
McQuiston, whose work was highlighted on NBC OUT’s Pride 30, followed their hugely popular “Red, white and royal blue“with the romantic comedy”One last stop.” It’s a love story between two girls, August and Jane. There’s only one problem: Jane is “literally time-displaced from the 1970s.” (McQuiston said that she was inspired by the television show “Outlander”.) August, a pseudo-detective who has just moved to New York, will have to use his investigative skills to figure out how to bring Jane home.
Good reads: Average rating of 4.2 stars out of 75,339 reviews
Like many popular fantasies told recently, the “Under the whispering doorbegins with death (think workplace/afterlife combo comedy, “The Good Place”). Wallace died without having done much with his life – at least not much good. It then becomes the job of Hugo, who helps the dead man cross to the afterlife by ferry, to help Wallace come to terms with his situation. In the process, Hugo hopes to teach Wallace all the things he’s missed in life, things like love and beauty. Maybe Wallace will even become a better person because of it.
Good reads: average rating of 4.18 stars out of 5,132 reviews
Ocean Vuong follows her critically acclaimed poetry collection in 2016 “Night sky with exit woundsand her best-selling 2019 novel “On Earth, we are briefly beautiful“with another bestselling collection of poetry titled”time is a mother.” Using poetry as a vehicle, Vuong innovatively explores deep and heavy topics like grief in response to her mother’s death, as well as a sense of family and her own identity as a Vietnamese American in 2022.
Good reads: Average rating of 4.07 stars out of 2,347 reviews
“Yerba Buenais Nina LaCour’s first adult novel after writing primarily for young adults. It follows the journey of two women: Sara, who ran away from home at sixteen to eventually become a sought-after bartender in Los Angeles, and Emilie, who struggles with her desire for the community established by her Creole grandparents against her desire for independence. The two women meet at the titular Yerba Buena, a glamorous restaurant, and the story becomes both a tale of love and a search for purpose – and forging one’s own path.
Good reads: Average rating of 3.77 stars out of 1,205 reviews
If your brain has become a cesspool where only political news lives, give it a resting place with this democratic comedy. by Grant GinderLet’s not do this againis about a woman named Nancy who is running for the Senate and her adult children, who could stand in the way of her dreams – especially her daughter, Greta, who went to Paris to take part in an extremist demonstration (throwing bottles of champagne through business windows, no less). Nancy and her son, Nick, must get to Paris and find Greta before things get worse. (To save her campaign. Or, I’m guessing, her family.)
Good reads: Average rating of 3.97 stars out of 1,466 reviews
“You made a fool of death with your beauty”, by Akwaeke Emezi, is a book whose title describes the plot well: a young bi woman becomes fascinated by a man five years after the death of the love of her life. Of course, it’s not that simple: the man she’s in love with is actually the father of her new boyfriend. Emezi asks tough questions through their work that should resonate with readers. Questions like, is it possible to embrace your future while honoring your grief? And how far would any of us be willing to go for another chance at true love?
Good reads: Average rating of 3.83 stars out of 4,680 reviews
“summer sonby Lee Mandelo is a Southern Gothic tale with a modern twist. It tells the story of Andrew and Eddie, two best friends, who do everything together, that is, until Eddie dies of an apparent suicide. Andrew then embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind Eddie’s death and uncovers secrets he never knew existed, as well as a family history filled with blood and death. Plus, Andrew has a ghost to contend with, one that only started appearing after Eddie’s death – a ghost with bleeding wrists who wants revenge.
Good reads: Average rating of 3.59 stars out of 10,253 reviews
Nghi Vo »The chosen and the beautiful“, which was also on our list of best books by AAPI authors, is a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald”Gatsby the magnificentbut from the perspective of Jordan Baker, who is recast as an adoptive, queer Vietnamese socialite who grew up in the richest and most exclusive circles of the Jazz Age. Unfortunately, privilege doesn’t protect her from discrimination, and Jordan finds herself exoticized by her peers — and possibly discriminated against by Congress.
Good reads: Average rating of 4.29 stars out of 750 reviews
You (should) know David Sedaris. The man wrote some of the most formative essays of my youth, some about his dysfunctional upbringing in North Carolina as a gay child and others about his obsessive tendencies as a grown man, found in the 2000s “Speak to me nicely one day“and 2004”Dress your family in corduroy and denim.” “Happy-Go-Luckyis another collection of personal essays, this time exploring the pandemic and what he called “battle-scarred America” in the aftermath of our political and societal struggles. That said, it continues to be very funny – vacuuming his apartment twice a day and considering, through writing, how sex workers and acupuncturists make a living in confinement.
Good reads: average rating of 4.02 stars out of 1,466 reviews
Jill Gutowitz always makes me smile on the hellish site that is Twitter dot com, and now you can read a collection of his essays – which describe how his life has been influenced by popular culture (from Taylor Swift to “Orange Is The New Black”) – to see what I find so charming and remarkable in his perspective. “Girls Can Kiss Now: Essaysexamines identity, desire, self-esteem, and how pop culture throws back to us what’s already there — and sheds light on the way forward.
Good reads: Average rating of 4.2 stars out of 347 reviews
by Edgar Gomez”High risk homosexual” is a very funny memoir that sits on the mantle of my fireplace with more pages than are useful – the universally accepted sign of a great book. Gomez describes his journey to self-acceptance (the acceptance of both his queer identity and his identity as a Latinx man) from Orlando to Los Angeles, where he was considered – by a doctor, no less – to be a homosexual high-risk, the title of the book. being taught to keep those important parts of himself hidden away, we watch as Gomez challenges his upbringing and learns to love himself.
Good reads: Average rating of 4.05 stars out of 371 reviews
Dylan Marron is an actor, writer, and activist, whose award-winning podcast, “Conversations with People Who Hate Me,” turned into a book with a similar – but longer – title:Conversations With People Who Hate Me: 12 Things I Learned From Talking To Strangers On The Internet.” The premise is simple: Marron looks back on years of conversations with strangers on the internet who hate him for his socially progressive views — and what those conversations revealed. It serves as both a reflection of Marron’s experiences and a guide for anyone hoping to have a difficult conversation with someone who feels estranged from them.
Good reads: Average rating of 4.26 stars out of 73 reviews
In 2017, Danica Roem became America’s first openly trans person to be elected to the US state legislature, when she was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates – and in the process overthrew the incumbent. anti-LGBTQ from Virginia, Bob Marshall. In his memoirs,Burn the Page: A True Story of Burning Doubts, Blazing Trailers and Triggering Change“, Roem gets real with her readers and details how to turn the lowest points in your life into your greatest strengths. She describes how to become the author of your own destiny, how to take the narrative you were given and rewrite it. in your own words.
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