Of course I read LGBTQ books year round, but in a shameless plug for my own LGBTQ novels, I’m sharing some of my favorite rainbow books!
Lesbian
by Victoria Lee
This past year, I served on a committee for a teen book award, and this book was one that immediately caught my eye. It has all the dark academia vibes: ghosts, secret societies, and creepy atmosphere. The mystery will keep you on your toes and the ending is one of those perfect endings you don’t expect but you should have seen coming.
by Casey McQuiston
I’m probably one of the few people who didn’t fall in love with Red, White and Royal Blue (it was a bit fanfiction-y to me), so I was reluctant to pick this one up. If it wasn’t for being a nominee for that book award committee, I might not have read it, which would have been very sad, because this book was fun from start to finish. I listened to it on audio, an experience I highly recommend.
Gay
by Helene Dunbar
I don’t think I expected to love this book so much. I picked it up while I was researching for my novel The Last Time We Met, needing information and atmosphere on being gay in the 1980s during the AIDS Crisis. The writing was so lovely and lyrical that I started reading every book by this author I could get my hands on.
by Alice Oseman
I started reading this series after seeing the author’s artwork on Tumblr, and after I read Solitaire, which was the only book by the author I could find at the library at the time. Given no other options, I ordered a copy of volume 1 from the UK, and have continued to do so for all the other books in the series since the publishing lag between UK to US is so long. This series is super adorable and very diverse, and there are several spin-offs that are graphic/novel hybrids that are wonderful cozy reads.
Bisexual
by Christina Lauren
Two reason I love this book: it’s about writing, and it also takes a very nuanced look at what it means to be queer in a Mormon community. The chemistry and complications between the two leads (one is a teen writer, the other is a young author leading a novel-writing workshop) were realistic. I actually forgot that one of the leads was bi until I read my own review! This bisexual book has a m/m relationship.
by Sophie Gonzales
Another book I probably wouldn’t have picked up if I hadn’t been on a book award committee. This is a romance but it’s so much more. The lead is a bisexual girl who gets asked by a guy to help her win back his ex-girlfriend, which sounds a bit trope-y but I assure you, it’s fun! This bisexual book has a m/f relationship.
Runner-Up:
by Cassandra Clare
I couldn’t leave off Magnus Bane, the bisexual warlock! While the Bane Chronicles has a few Magnus/Alec stories, you kinda have to read the whole Shadowhunters series to get a full view of their relationship. They were a backburner couple in the Mortal Instruments, and later got their own series with the Red Scrolls of Magic. These stories are a m/m relationship.
Trans & Nonbinary
by Austin Chant
I found out about this book from a book recommendation list for the enemies-to-lovers trope, which is one of my favorites. The beauty of this short book blew me away. The concept is that Peter Pan is Wendy Darling, and only by traveling to Neverland can he fully express his gender identity, and it’s written in such a way that any other interpretation of the canon Peter Pan feels wrong.
by Meredith Russo
Two best friends share the same birthday, and come together to celebrate each year. One of them has a secret: they are transgender, and as each year goes by, they struggle through the transition. Meanwhile, the other struggles with his feelings of attraction to his best friend. It’s not especially common to find a transgender character going through the entire range of transition, and I loved the shifts in the relationship between the two characters.
The Feeling of Falling in Love
by Mason Deaver
I received this book as an ARC and absolutely loved it. It was fun and tropey and had both a trans character and a nonbinary character. The setup is that the trans character has to go home for a family wedding, and needs a date. Since he broke up with his boyfriend, he does the only sensible thing: ask his awful roommate to go with him. And of course they have to share a room, so you get both enemies to lovers and the roommate trope all rolled into one fun dumpster fire.
Queens (and Kings)
by Julie Murphy
I just love the Dumplin’ series. They are all heart-warming and fun, and Pumpkin was no exception. Our main character would love to be a drag queen, and this story is about him finding the confidence to be out and proud in his small Texas town. His favorite drag queen is clearly based on the fabulous Ginger Minj who is one of my favorites as well.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
by Malinda Lo
While this book is mostly about a girl in the 1950s who falls for another girl at a nightclub, the nightclub features a drag king. I loved the historical details and atmosphere, and this book absolutely deserved all of the awards it has received.
Intersex
by Abigail Tarttelin
In this book that I consistently call in my head “Yellow Bicycle”, Max, who presents as male, finally reveals that he is intersex to his cousin and is raped. Shortly thereafter, Max discovers that he is pregnant. Needless to say, this adult book is heartbreakingly brutal at times, but also beautiful, too.
by Jeffrey Eugenides
I read this after reading The Virgin Suicides, intrigued by the title (at that time I lived in Middlesex County). I was not expecting that this would be about an intersex person (the book uses older terms like hermaphrodite). This book takes you on a journey as the main character exploits their unique features and travels back to Greece, where the main character’s ancestors were from, with many interesting stops along the way.
Asexual
by Alice Oseman
I was so hyped for this book to come out when I found out it was about an asexual character that, like, Heartstopper, I ordered it from the UK rather than wait for it to come out in the US. The struggles of identifying as asexual and giving up on the concept of a relationship like you see in romantic movies was so well done.
by Emily Victoria
While the main character is not explicitly labelled as asexual, it’s pretty clear, just like how her best friend isn’t explicitly labelled as nonbinary. This is simply a fast-paced standalone fantasy story about friendship with some cool worldbuilding. No romance at all, making it a good time for us asexual readers.
Ally
by Becky Albertalli
Molly’s the straight friend, and feels like she’s on the fringes of her very LGBTQ friend group. When her twin sister get a girlfriend, she becomes obsessed with fixing Molly up. But Molly is shy and doesn’t want to be pushed. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this one as much as I did!
Pansexual
by David Levithan
A wakes up every day in a different body. They drift along, with no idea where their life with go, until they meet Rhiannon. One day with her and they know they have to find her again. This novel was mind-bending, in a good way.
I struggled to think of a book with a pansexual character, and this was the only one that came up in my mind, so please recommend pansexual books below!
Are you ready for my shameless plugs now?
My novel Waiting Room is available to read online as a Paid Story on Wattpad and on the YONDER app. If you’ve already read Waiting Room, there is now a sequel in progress called Breathing Room (totally free on Wattpad!).
This is an angsty and heartwarming story about two boys who are total opposites: Ryan is a popular jock, while Andrew is an angry outcast. When they meet in a therapist’s waiting room, they begin to find a common ground.
And while I struggled to think of pansexual books, my Wattpad story The Last Time We Met could fit the bill somewhat – it’s all about soulmates who love each other no matter what body that soul encompasses.
James has always been able to remember bits of his past lives. When he meets Cedric at an antiques store, he feels an instant connection, and soon begins to remember multiples lives he and Cedric shared together. But when the pandemic hits, James begins to realize that each of those past lives ended in tragedy.
Now it’s your turn: recommend some good LGBTQ books, or tell me your favorites that I missed!
Kate Spofford, author 