Exciting LGBTQIA+ Novels We Think You Need To Read Next

If you're on the look out for some feel-good LGBTQIA+ novels, we've got you covered. Meet Morgan in All the Things We Don't Talk About and Feyi in You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty. Alice Oseman, Daniel Howell and Steven Rowley are some of the authors we have included in our list of LGBT book recommendations.

If you're looking for our picks for the best LGBTQIA+ non fiction list read: The Essential Reading List Of The Best LGBTQIA+ Books

All the Things We Don't Talk About - Amy Feltman

All Morgan Flowers wants to do is disappear. Morgan, who was raised by their neurodivergent father, has always been troubled by the disappearance of their intriguing mother Zoe, particularly at a time when they are struggling with their first love and their gender identity. 

Morgan has been raised well by their father Julian, but isn't quite able to fill the void left by Zoe, who left for Europe on Morgan's first birthday. When Brigid, Zoe's girlfriend, dumps her, she abruptly returns to Morgan and Julian's lives, ready to upend the harmony they had so carefully created. Because they both understand what it's like to love and lose Zoe, Julian and Brigid have become unlikely pen pals. It is a story of betrayal and trauma alongside LGBTQ love and resiliency.

Some Girls Do - Dugan

Elite track sprinter Morgan is forced to change high schools late in her senior year after learning that being LGBT is against the code of conduct at her private Catholic school. She meets Ruby there, who enjoys working with her baby blue 1970 Ford Torino and taking part in regional beauty pageants to fulfil her controlling mother's fantasies. 

The two are attracted to one another and are unable to suppress their increasing feelings. Ruby isn't ready to come out just yet, despite the fact that Morgan—who is out and proud and willing to start over—doesn't want to have to keep their developing relationship a secret. Can they persevere as a team, each girl on a separate route to live her truth?

The Miseducation of Cameron Post - Emily Danforth

The first thing Cameron Post felt the night her parents passed away was relief. Relief that they would never find out that she had kissed a girl hours ago. Living with her conservative aunt in small-town Montana, Cameron finds it easy to hide her sexuality and blend in—that is, until she develops a close friendship with the attractive Coley Taylor.

Aunt Cameron's harsh measures are a result of her need to "fix" her niece.  Even though Cameron isn't entirely sure who her real self is, she now has to struggle with the price of being herself.

A brilliant and fascinating literary debut, The Miseducation of Cameron Post is about coming to terms with who you are and finding the confidence to live your life as you see fit.

'If Holden Caulfield had been a gay girl from Montana, this is the story he might have told-it's funny, heartbreaking, and beautifully rendered' - Curtis Sittenfeld

Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl - Andrea Lawlor

In 1993, Paul Polydoris works as a bartender at the only gay club in a political and party-heavy university town. He creates zines, has a best friend who is a lesbian, studies queer theory, and has a varied dating history. Paul is a shapeshifter, but he also has another secret. Paul transforms his body at will in a series of experiences that take him from Iowa City to Boystown to Provincetown and eventually to San Francisco - a journey through the rich queer records of struggle and pleasure. He oscillates wildly between being a Riot Grrrl and a leather cub, a Women's Studies major and a trade.

A fictional history of early 1990s identity politics during the height of ACT UP and Queer Nation is presented in Andrea Lawlor's debut book. 

The Boy with a Bird in His Chest - Emme Lund

Medical communities would refer to as Owen Tanner as a Terror, despite the fact that he has never met anybody else with a chatty bird in their chest. His mother realised she had to keep Owen away from the world as soon as Gail appeared between his ribs. When Owen bravely ventures forth in the midst of a forest fire after spending a decade in hiding, his life is irrevocably changed.

Owen is abruptly forced to leave the house that had formerly felt so claustrophobic and hide in plain sight with his uncle and cousin in Washington. There, he experiences the happiness of discovering a family among friends, of sharing a bird on his chest and receiving a warm hug, of falling in love and experiencing the heart-breaking pain.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Malinda Lo

A compelling tale of love and responsibility set in the 1950s in San Francisco's Chinatown comes from the acclaimed author of Ash.

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't recall when the question first surfaced, but the Telegraph Club, a lesbian bar, had its answer in full bloom as soon as she and Kathleen Miller passed by its flashing neon sign.

For two girls to fall in love in 1954 America is not a safe environment, especially not in Chinatown. Everyone is at risk from Red-Scare phobia, including Chinese Americans like Lily. Despite her father's hard-won citizenship, deportation looms above him, so Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love blossom.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty - Akwaeke Emezi

Nigerian author Akwaeke Emezi wrote the 2022 romance novel You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty. The story follows Feyi Adekola, a Nigerian American visual artist, as she recovers from the agony of widowhood and discovers new love. It is Emezi's first romance novel and third adult novel.

Feyi is about to get the chance of a lifetime to escape the oppressive heat of the City and take a fantasy island vacation complete with poolside cocktails, beach sunsets, and lavish meals. Additionally, when our heroine's former existence comes to an end, she might just be prepared to let someone new into her heart. She is falling for the one man she must never have, which is the only issue.

The Henna Wars - Adiba Jaigirdar

Nishat's family tells her after she comes out that she may be whatever she wants as long as she isn't herself. Muslim women are not lesbians. When Flavia enters Nishat's life, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to balance her desire to not lose her family with her need to not hide who she is.

Nishat is in awe with Flavia's beauty and personality. But when their lives intertwine, they become embroiled in a competition that stifles any love they might have for one another.

In at the Deep End - Kate Davies

A twenty-something Londoner learns that she may have been looking for love — and pleasure — in all the wrong places  (i.e. from men) in this beautifully disarming debut novel. Julia hadn't had sex in three years up until recently.  However, now... However, now:  

• a one-night stand claims she broke his penis;
• A sexually confident lesbian is staring at her while seeing controversial modern art
• She also questions whether shaving her pubic hair makes her a terrible feminist.

In the near future, Julia will discover that she has been looking for love and fulfilment in all the wrong places.

Only Mostly Devastated - Sophie Gonzales

Ollie believes he has found his Happily Ever After when he meets Will during the summer break. But once the summer is through, Will stops replying to his texts, and Ollie is left without the happy ending he had hoped for.

Due to a family emergency, Ollie is sent to Will's school across the nation and discovers that the kind, loving, and at-ease LGBT boy he knew during the summer isn't the one attending Collinswood High. This Will is a bit of a jerk, a basketball snob, and a class clown.

Ollie won't yearn for a man who isn't prepared for a committed relationship. Ollie notices his determination weakening as school life constantly brings them together, from music class to the lunchroom.

'Outrageously funny and terribly sweet, Only Mostly Devastated will tug at your heartstrings until they break, then weave you new ones made of pure gold.' - K. Ancrum

The Guncle - Steven Rowley

Patrick, often known as Gay Uncle Patrick, has always treasured his relationship with Grant and Maisie. To put it another way, he enjoys spending time with them when they travel to Palm Springs for extended stays. However, a catastrophe occurs, and Patrick finds himself unexpectedly acting as the child's primary guardian. Having struggled for years to survive after losing his great love, his acting career has stopped, and his lifestyle is hardly ideal for a six- and nine-year-old. He quickly understands the level of responsibility and that being larger than life does not exempt one from being a person.

You Will Get Through This Night - Daniel Howell

The Sunday Times bestselling author and entertainer offers a helpful manual on how to take charge of your mental health for today, tomorrow, and the days that follow.

This straightforward book by Daniel Howell, who wrote it in collaboration with a licenced psychologist and in an engaging, personal manner from the perspective of someone who has gone through it all, gives you the knowledge you need to understand your mind so you may be in charge and truly live. Each part of the voyage is broken up into three chapters:

• This Night: How to overcome your greatest challenges and be ready for anything.
• Tomorrow, make little changes to your behaviour that will have a major impact on your life.
• The Days Following - Take Care of Yourself in the Long Term and not just survive, but thrive.

I Wish You All the Best - Mason Deaver

Ben De Backer is forced to move in with their estranged older sister Hannah and her spouse Thomas—whom Ben has never even met—after Ben comes out to their parents as nonbinary.

They come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist as they battle an anxiety illness made worse by their parents' rejection and attempt to blend in at a new school. 

Ben tries to get by the second part of his senior year without drawing attention, but Nathan Allan, a humorous and dynamic student, chooses to take him under his wing, foiling his plans. What began as a tragic set of circumstances seems to be turning out for the better as Ben and Nathan's friendship develops and their feelings for one another shift.

"Heartfelt, romantic, and quietly groundbreaking. This book will save lives." - Becky Albertalli, New York Times

Juliet Takes a Breath - Gabby Rivera

With so many questions, Juliet's mind is a jumble.

• Will she still be loved by her wonderful, crazy Puerto Rican family if they learn she is gay?
• Will working with her favourite author during an internship help her decide what sort of feminist she wants to be?
• Why doesn't her girlfriend answer her calls?

Juliet is about to discover what it really means to come out to the world, to her family, and to herself during a summer filled with profound explorations of sexuality and identity, gay dance parties, and a liaison with a motorcycling librarian.

The Color Purple - Alice Walker

The Color Purple is a 1982 novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. The Color Purple is the famous story of Celie, a young black girl raised in poverty and segregation, in the heart of the American South between the wars.

She was frequently assaulted by the man she refers to as her "father," had her two children taken away, lost her cherished sister Nettie, and was forced into a loveless marriage.

Then, she encounters the glamorous Shug Avery, a singer and magician who has taken control of her own future. Over time, Celie learns the strength and joy of her own soul, which sets her free from her past and brings her back together with the people she loves.

Heartstopper Volume 1 - Alice Oseman

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. An LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between and now a Netflix hit. Despite attending the same school, Charlie and Nick had never interacted before being forced to sit next to each other one day. They get along well and soon Charlie finds himself deeply attracted to Nick, despite the fact that he doesn't think he has a chance.

However, love has a tendency of surprising us, and neither of them realised how much Nick cares about Charlie.

Heartstopper is about mental illness, friendship, and love. It includes every little detail of Nick and Charlie's life that when put together, form a bigger, more universal story that speaks to all of us.

Xx - Angela Chadwick

Rosie and Jules seize the opportunity to change history when they learn about ground-breaking clinical research that allows two women to give birth to a female child.

Right-wing movements and fear-mongering politicians are eager to capitalise on the controversies surrounding Ovum-to-Ovum (o-o) biotechnology and inflame public anxiety. What will happen to the birth rate of young boys? Is there a dark plot to exterminate males at work?

Jules and Rosie make an effort to shield their infant from prying eyes in this toxic political environment. However, their connection is scrutinised when word of Rosie's pregnancy is leaked to the public, and they are forced to question the commitment of those who are closest to them as well as fight off a wave of hatred that threatens to tear them apart.

The Great Believers - Rebecca Makkai

Yale Tishman, the head of development for a Chicago-based art gallery, is about to pull off an incredible coup by giving the gallery an unparalleled collection of paintings from the 1920s. However, as his career takes off, the AIDs epidemic's devastation spreads all around him. His friends are dying one by one, and after his friend Nico's burial, he discovers that his partner has the virus and may potentially be afflicted. Fiona, Nico's younger sister, is the only person he still has.

Fiona is searching for her estranged daughter, who joined a cult and vanished in Paris thirty years later. She discovers herself ultimately struggling while living with an old friend who is a well-known photographer who captured the Chicago pandemic.

Detransition, Baby - Torrey Peters

Reese was very close to having it all: a wonderful relationship with Amy, a New York apartment, and a career she enjoyed. She had a life that trans women in earlier generations could only hope for; the only thing lacking was a child. Then, everything broke down, and now, three years later, Reese is still in self-destruct mode and relies on married men to keep her company when she's lonely.

Reese finds herself interested when her ex calls to inquire about her desire to become a mother. After being assaulted in the street, Amy de-transitioned to become Ames, switched professions, and had an affair with his supervisor Katrina under the assumption that he was infertile. Katrina is now pregnant. Can the three of them raise the child as a unit despite their unorthodox family structure?

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