Readers Say

The ultimate LGBTQ+ booklist for Pride Month 2024

Whether you are a member of the community, an ally, new to queer literature, or are simply looking for your next great read, we've got you covered with this LGBTQ+ booklist.

Amanda Darrow, director of youth, family and education programs at the Utah Pride Center, poses with books that have been the subject of complaints from parents on Dec. 16, 2021, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

By Annie Jonas

June 13, 2024

Research shows that reading fiction increases a person’s cognitive empathy, which is the understanding of the world from another person’s point of view. By putting yourself in someone else’s shoes – however temporarily – you can learn and understand experiences and perspectives both different and similar to your own.

Ocean Vuong offers to send free copies of his book to Texas following ban

With June being Pride Month, the act of reading can be a powerful and immersive way to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and its history. Whether you are a member of the community, an ally, would like to read more queer literature, or are simply looking for your next great read, we’ve got you covered with this LGBTQ+ booklist.

We asked our readers and local booksellers to share their favorite LGBTQ+ books, authors and recommendations for this Pride Month. The booklist generated from their responses spans a diversity of genres such as memoir, literary fiction, diary, humor, horror, young adult, romance, and the graphic novel.

Below, find 39 LGBTQ+ titles from readers and booksellers you should read this Pride Month.

Reader recommendations

“All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto” by George M. Johnson

In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue” explores the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.

Readers say: “Black, queer voices need to be heard by not only straight people but also white queer people.” – Eddie, Roslindale

“Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Heart-wrenching yet hopeful, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a profound coming-of-age story about two vastly different Mexican American teenagers who form a deep and somewhat inexplicable connection.

Readers say: “Tells such a beautiful story of young love! A story about learning to accept yourself, others around you, and opening yourself up to feelings that may be new to you. So well-written, and definitely one of my favorite LGBTQ+ books.” – Chris, Roxbury

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” is a historical drama novel that tells the story of fictional Old Hollywood star, Evelyn Hugo, who, at age 79, gives a final interview to unknown journalist, Monique Grant.

“The Tales of the City” series by Armistead Maupin

Tales of the City is an iconic series of ten novels written by American author Armistead Maupin from 1978 to 2024, depicting the life of a group of friends — gay, straight, and trans — in San Francisco.

Readers say: “Tales of the City was the first LGBTQ+ book I came across when I was growing up in the 1990s. At the time, I was watching Melrose Place and I viewed this book as a more accurate representation of what life was like in California in the 1970s. Soapy, warm, funny, and heart wrenching.” – Jayson C., Back Bay

“Valentine Lovelace Mystery” series by Nathan Aldyne

Two misfit sleuths search for a street hustler’s killer in this mystery series debut first published in 1980 and set in Boston’s gay scene. Daniel Valentine is a gay bartender and former social worker. Clarisse Lovelace is his straight pal who works in real estate. They make an unconventional investigative duo — but sometimes unconventional is exactly what’s called for. When Billy Golacinsky, a teenage street hustler, is found dead on the lawn of a homophobic lawmaker, everyone wants the case swept under the rug. Everyone except Valentine and Lovelace. Now they’re combing through Boston’s gay scene — from bars to bathhouses — in a time before AIDS, yet full of other dangers.

Readers say: “This four-book murder mystery series is set in 1980s Massachusetts – with three books set in Boston and the fourth in Provincetown. Gay social worker turned bar owner Daniel Valentine and his straight best friend Clarisse Lovelace find themselves at the center of multiple murders in their gay social group. Written by Beetlejuice screenwriter Michael McDowell, under the pseudonym Nathan Aldyne, the books offer a campy yet heartfelt time capsule of gay life in the Commonwealth 40 years prior.” – Will W., Dorchester

“We Are Mermaids” by Stephanie Burt

“We Are Mermaids” is a poetry collection in which Burt’s poems take on the voice of a thing or things: an airplane, a whale, geysers, flowers, otters, X-Men, sparrows, and werewolves, for example.

Readers say: “Shed your Selkie skin and dive right into this entrancing book of poetry. Holy sea cow – Burt puts the ‘MAN’ in manatee.” – Polly T., Jamaica Plain

Bookseller recommendations

“A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers

“This is the book I turn to after spiraling over climate change and the whole state of things. Cozy solarpunk with a nonbinary tea monk narrator; philosophical agender robots; lush descriptions of nature; kind, sustainable technology… it all seems so possible. Both beautiful and quick, a perfect teatime read.”
– Evie Bauer, bookseller, Papercuts Bookshop

“Bad Girls” by Camila Sosa Villada

“Sosa Villada’s novel reads like a Greek epic, starring the trans sex workers of Córdoba, Argentina. It’s full of epic similes, invocations of saints, and occasional metamorphoses. Ultimately, it’s a hero’s journey of a narrator longing to return to the love denied her since her youth. Bad Girls doesn’t shy away from the violence and horror of a transphobic society – but it nevertheless paints a portrait of love that community and found family can provide.”
– Maxim Tamarov, bookseller, Papercuts Bookshop

“Bathe the Cat” by Alice B. McGinty, David Roberts

“Bathe the floor? Sweep the dishes? This riotous romp of a picture book follows a frantic family as they try to get some chores done — with no help from the family cat, who keeps scrambling the list of chores with hilarious effects.”
– Alex Schaffner, community engagement coordinator, Brookline Booksmith

“Between Certain Death and a Possible Future” by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

“An enthralling and incisive anthology of personal essays on the persistent impact of the AIDS crisis on queer lives. This wide-ranging collection includes 36 personal essays on the ongoing and persistent impact of the HIV/AIDS crisis in queer lives. Here you will find an expansive range of perspectives on a specific generational story — essays that explore and explode conventional wisdom, while also providing a necessary bridge between experiences.”
– Alex Schaffner, community engagement coordinator, Brookline Booksmith

“Enlightened Transsexual Comix” by Sam Szabo

“An outlandish, absurd graphic novel debut starring a 3-eyed, 3-boobed, rarely-clothed alien protagonist with some radical ideas about gender. Prepare to bookmark every other page – the jokes just do not stop. But by the end, this biting satire also becomes something deeply sincere and heartfelt.”
– Avery Batsimm, Papercuts Bookshop

“Fadeout” by Joseph Hansen

“Published fifty years ago, a time when being gay was illegal in 49 out of 50 states, Joseph Hansen’s first Dave Brandstetter novel shattered stereotypes and redefined the Private Eye novel as we know it. Set in the mid-1960s, “Fadeout” centers on the disappearance of a southern California radio personality named Fox Olson.”
– Alex Schaffner, community engagement coordinator, Brookline Booksmith

“Faebound” by Saara El-Arifi

“Fans of Cruel Prince and Eragon will love this sapphic Africana fantasy full of warring clans, political intrigue, and seduction! Fast-paced and expansive, this magic system and society are unlike any other. Prepare for betrayal, existential crises, and bad decisions as you join Yeeran on and off the battlefield.”
– Sarah Heilman, bookseller, All She Wrote Books

“Greta & Valdin” by Rebecca Reilly

“This book is hilarious. I laughed out loud to myself throughout. Nearly every character is queer, and their experiences are each so varied and fleshed out that their voices will stick with you long after you’ve closed the book. There aren’t that many books available here in the US set in New Zealand by NZ authors, let alone ones by a Maori author focused on a contemporary Maori-Russian family, and this one is a gem!”
– Emma Tolerton, bookseller, Papercuts Bookshop

“Hearts Still Beating” by Brooke Archer

“When given a chance to start over, why does humanity repeat the same pattern over and over again? In this dark and immersive post-apocalyptic landscape, society’s fear of the “other” is broken down by two ex-best friends on opposing sides. Because we all know that when you need to change society, you call a teenager. Full of banter and poor leadership, this book might actually give you some hope!”
— Sarah Heilman, bookseller, All She Wrote Books

“Horse Barbie: A Memoir of Reclamation” by Geena Roce ro

“This is the memoir of a trans pageant queen from the Philippines who went back into the closet to model in New York City, and later found self-acceptance by embracing her true self. This award-winner has love – for oneself as well as one’s communities – at its center, and is such an uplifting read that it also appears on BPL’s Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month booklist!”
– Morgan H., youth services librarian, Boston Public Library

“Idlewild” by James Frankie Thomas

“A darkly funny story of two adults looking back on their intense teenage friendship, in a queer, trans, and early-Internet twist on the Manhattan prep school novel. Idlewild is a tiny, artsy Quaker high school in lower Manhattan.”
– Alex Schaffner, community engagement coordinator, Brookline Booksmith

“I Kissed Shara Wheeler” by Casey McQuiston

“This was a really fun read! I would have loved to read something like this when I was in high school and it’s never too late! Chloe Green teams up with two others who also kissed Shara Wheeler to track her down using clues left by Shara. Along the way we explore friendship, gender, and teen-hood while our characters learn more about themselves than they expected.”
– Emma Tolerton, bookseller, Papercuts Bookshop

“Inferno” by Eileen Myles

“Finally! Dante’s Divine Comedy for weird dykes who like writing. Michelle Tea fans should read.”
– Evie Bauer, bookseller, Papercuts Bookshop

“Just Lizzie” by Karen Wilfrid

“Eighth grader Lizzie doesn’t share her peers’ preoccupation with flirting and crushes, and it makes her feel lonely. A science lesson on asexual reproduction in plants prompts Lizzie to look up whether people can also be asexual, and she learns that she’s not alone at all. Wilfrid is from the Greater Boston area, and we love spotlighting local authors! We enjoyed the sweet characters almost as much as we enjoyed the excellent ace-spectrum representation.”
– Morgan H., youth services librarian, Boston Public Library

“Knock, Knock, Open Wide” by Neil Sharpson

“‘Knock Knock, Open Wide'”‘ weaves horror and Celtic myth into a terrifying, heartbreaking supernatural tale of fractured family bonds, the secrets we carry, and the veiled forces that guide Irish life.”
– Alex Schaffner, community engagement coordinator, Brookline Booksmith

“Lady Eve’s Last Con” by Rebecca Fraimow

“Ruth Johnson and her sister Jules have been small-time hustlers on the interstellar cruise lines for years. But then Jules fell in love with one of their targets, Esteban Mendez-Yuki, sole heir to the family insurance fortune. Esteban seemed to love her too, until she told him who she really was, at which point he fled without a word. Now Ruth is set on revenge – at least that’s the plan. But Ruth hadn’t accounted for his older sister, Sol, a brilliant mind in a dashing suit… and much harder to fool.”
– Alex Schaffner, community engagement coordinator, Brookline Booksmith

“Not One Day” by Anne Garreta

“A book in/on the delicate balance between fiction and nonfiction. Garreta’s prose on desire and exploration of memory is wonderful, and Emma Ramadan remains a fantastic translator. There’s much more going on here, but it’s better if I don’t spoil the twist.”
– Evie Bauer, bookseller, Papercuts Bookshop

“Open Throat” by Henry Hoke

“This little book packs a big punch. Narrated by a queer mountain lion living in Griffith Park in ‘ellay’ navigating, hunger, drought, complex feelings about gender and sexuality, and the park’s human visitors. Endearing and brutal (and at times funny), it is a searing commentary on humanity, climate change, and simply being alive. I had the urge to re-read it as soon as I finished.”
– Emma Tolerton, bookseller, Papercuts Bookshop

“Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl” by Andrea Lawlor

“Far and away one of my fave queer novels. 90s magical realism, shapeshifting and smut galore. Accompany Paul as he travels to the Michigan Womyn’s Fest, P-Town, and San Francisco. Fun and heart breaking in equal measure.”
– Evie Bauer, bookseller, Papercuts Bookshop

“Pig” by Sam Sax

“This imaginative and singular poetry collection interrogates the broadest ideas surrounding the humble pig—farm animal, men/masculinity, police and state violence, desire, queerness, global food systems, religion/Judaism and law—to reimagine various chaotic histories of the body, faith, ecology, desire, hygiene, and power.”
– Alex Schaffner, community engagement coordinator, Brookline Booksmith

“Pomegranate” by Helen Elaine Le e

“A gripping and powerful novel of healing, redemption, and love, following a queer Black woman who works to stay clean, pull her life together, and heal after being released from prison in Boston. It’s always such a treat to read books set in our city! This one balances joy with heavier topics like addiction and incarceration in a truly masterful way.”
– Morgan H., youth services librarian, Boston Public Library

“Roaming” by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tama ki

“Roaming is a fictional graphic novel written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, and published on September 12, 2023. The novel follows three Canadian college students visiting New York City for a spring break trip in 2009.”
– Alex Schaffner, Brookline Booksmith

“Scorched Grace: A Sister Holiday Mystery” by Margot Douaih y

“A lesbian, former punk rocker now Catholic nun in New Orleans decides to be a sleuth detective after a mystery fire breaks out at her catholic school. You had me at lesbian, former punk rocker turned nun!”
– Christina Pascucci-Ciampa, Owner, All She Wrote Books

“The Borrow a Boyfriend Club” by Page Powars

“In order to convince his classmates (and himself) that he’s masculine enough, Noah attempts to join the Borrow a Boyfriend Club, an underground club that allows students to pay for a pretend boyfriend. This is one of my new favorite books! My coworkers and I adore the humor, the character development, the nostalgia of a first crush, and how friendship plays just as important a role as romance. This is also a debut novel, and I’m already excited to read what Powars writes next!”
– Morgan H., youth services librarian, Boston Public Library

“The Deep Dark: A Graphic Novel” by Molly Knox Osterta g

“This book will reach INTO your chest. Generational trauma, familial and romantic relationships, metaphorical closets and coming out, self-sabotage, what it’s like to be young and queer/trans, and how all of these things affect us. This story has a lot to say, and it does it magnificently.”
– Alex Mancini, buyer, All She Wrote Books

“The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich” by Deya Muniz

“Queer romance! Cross-dressing! So so so many cheese puns! The perfect middle grade graphic novel for anyone who wishes princess stories had less men saving the day and more grilled cheese.”
– Avery Batsimm, bookseller, Papercuts Bookshop

“The Saint of Bright Doors” by Vajra Chandrasekera

“The Saint of Bright Doors’ is a 2023 fantasy novel by Sri Lankan author Vajra Chandrasekera. The novel follows the story of a man trained from a young age to assassinate a prominent spiritual leader, in a fictional city with supernatural ‘bright doors.’ In 2024, the novel won the Crawford Award for fantasy literature.”
– Alex Schaffner, Brookline Booksmith

“The Spirit Bares Its Teeth” by A.J. White

“YA gothic horror set in 19th century England, starring a trans boy who can commune with the dead! This book will make you scream, with terror (only read if you can stomach body horror), with rage (the British Empire really was the absolute worst), and sometimes even with joy. Silas is an incredibly lovable protagonist (trans and autism representation!) and I just want to give him a hug and tell him everything’s going to be okay.”
– Avery Batsimm, bookseller, Papercuts Bookshop

“They Ain’t Proper” by M.B. Gu el

“Non-binary rancher Lou orders house plans but receives a mail-order wife instead. They’d rather Clementine leave them alone, but she’s determined to get them to open up. If you’ve ever wanted to try reading a Western but are put off by the lack of diversity, this is the book for you – not only is it queer, but the cast is almost entirely Latine! Both laugh-out-loud funny and heartwarmingly tender, this work has become a comfort read for many of us.”
– Morgan H., youth services librarian, Boston Public Library

“This Is How You Lose the Time War” by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladston e

“This book has everything: gorgeous, brain-melting prose, time-breaking sci-fi, and a beautiful sapphic love story at its center. It’s also an epistolary, and a collaboration between two writers at the top of their games, trading letters back and forth. And all that in under 200 pages!”
– Avery Batsimm, bookseller, Papercuts Bookshop

“We Both Laughed in Pleasure” by Lou Sullivan

“Sullivan kept comprehensive journals from age 11 until his AIDS-related death at 39. Sensual, lascivious, challenging, quotidian and poetic, the diaries complicate and disrupt normative trans narratives. Entries from twenty-four diaries reveal Sullivan’s self-articulation and the complexity of a fascinating and courageous figure.”
– Alex Schaffner, Brookline Booksmith

“Women! In! Peril!” by Jessie Ren Marshall

“LOVED this book so much! Strong ‘Her Body and Other Parties’ vibes, and I am a sucker for good short stories, especially the stories that stick with you, and leave you with all the feels (bad, good, and indifferent).”
– Christina Pascucci-Ciampa, owner, All She Wrote Books

“Zami” by Audre Lorde

“‘Zami: A New Spelling of My Name’ is a 1982 biomythography by American poet Audre Lorde. It started a new genre that the author calls biomythography, which combines history, biography, and myth.”
– Alex Schaffner, Brookline Booksmith