Books by LGBTQIA+ authors, as well as those with queer characters, show us that our literary world can be as beautifully diverse as the one we live in. Everyone deserves to see their lived experiences reflected in the pages of a great book. If you’re looking for good reads with great representation, here is a shortlist of new books available on our shelves.
Adult Titles:
Boy Underground by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Steven Katz is the son of prosperous landowners. Although his parents don’t approve, he’s found true friends in Nick, Suki, and Ollie, sons of field workers. But Steven is in turmoil as he begins to acknowledge feelings for Nick amount to more than friendship. When the bombing of Pearl Harbor draws the US into World War II, bonds deepen and the fear of being different falls away. But after Nick unexpectedly disappears one day, Steven’s life focus is to find him. On the way, Steven finds a place he belongs and a lesson about love that will last him his lifetime.
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Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
It has nothing to do with the fact that Olivia is as beautiful as ever and the sparks between them still make Margot tingle. As they spend time in close quarters, Margot starts to question her no-strings stance. Olivia is everything she’s ever wanted, but Margot let her in once and it ended in disaster. Will history repeat itself or should she count her lucky stars that she gets a second chance with her first love?
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High-Risk Homosexual: A Memoir by Edgar Gomez
A debut memoir about coming of age as a gay, Latinx man in a culture of machismo, Gomez’s High-Risk Homosexual opens in the ultimate anti-gay space: his uncle’s cockfighting ring in Nicaragua, where he was sent at twelve years old to become a man. The story then moves through the queer spaces where he learned the joy of being gay and Latinx, including Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, a drag queen convention in Los Angeles, and the doctor’s office where he was diagnosed a “high-risk homosexual”.
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The Other Man by Farhad J. Dadyburjor
Heir to his father’s Mumbai business empire, Ved Mehra has money, looks, and status. He is also living as a closeted gay man. Thirty-eight, lonely, still reeling from a breakup, and under pressure from his exasperated mother, Ved agrees to an arranged marriage. He regrettably now faces a doomed future with the perfectly lovely Disha Kapoor. Then Ved’s world is turned upside down when he meets Carlos Silva, an American on a business trip in India. As preparations for his wedding get into full swing, Ved finds himself drawn into a relationship he could never have imagined—and ready to take a bold step.
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Read Between the Lines by Rachel Lacey
When she discovers that romance author Brie, the woman she’s fallen in love with online, is responsible for terminating her bookstore’s lease, Rosie Taft closes her heart to love until Brie writes her way to a happy ending.
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Teen Titles:
Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei
Seventeen-year-old Mickey James III is a college freshman, a brother to five sisters, and a hockey legacy. With a father and a grandfather who have gone down in NHL history, Mickey is almost guaranteed the league’s top draft spot. The only person standing in his way is Jaysen Caulfield, a contender for the #1 spot and Mickey’s infuriating (and infuriatingly attractive) teammate. When rivalry turns to something more, Mickey will have to decide what he really wants, and what he’s willing to risk for it. This is a story about falling in love, finding your team (on and off the ice), and choosing your own path.
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If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales
Best friends and members of a popular British boy band find their once-easy rapport straining under the pressures of fame and their management’s decision for gay singer Reuben to stay in the closet.
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The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska
In a snow-cloaked kingdom, two rival servants–one who desperately wants to win the approval of the Red Jaga and the other who hopes to escape the Black Jaga–compete for the pure heart of a prince, only to discover they might be falling for each other instead.
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Pixels of You by Yuko Ota
In a near-future New York City of cyber augmentation and artificial intelligence, Indira and Fawn, two competitive interns in an art gallery, work together on a photography project, turning a rivalry into a friendship and perhaps something more.
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Love Somebody by Rachel Roasek
Seventeen-year-old overachiever Sam attempts to encourage a love connection between her athletic ex-boyfriend Christian and her academic rival Ros while trying not to fall for Ros herself.
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Children’s Titles:
Calvin by JR and Vanessa Ford
A transgender boy prepares for the first day of school and introduces himself to his family and friends for the first time.
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Love, Violet by Charlotte Sullivan Wild
Shy Violet attempts to show another girl how she feels on Valentine’s Day.
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The Pronoun Book: She, He, They and Me! by Cassandra Jules Corrigan
A fun and beautifully illustrated book that celebrates gender diversity through educating young children on pronouns. The book teaches pronoun etiquette, why it is so important, and how it relates to us. It covers they/them pronouns, trans and non-binary identities, and neo-pronouns with a dedicated section for adults.
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Obie is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar
A coming-of-age story about transgender tween Obie, who didn’t think being himself would cause such a splash.
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Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas
Brian has always been anxious, whether at home or in class or on the basketball court. His dad tries to get him to stand up for himself, and his mom helps as much as she can, but after he and his brother are placed into foster care, Brian starts having panic attacks. And he doesn’t know if things will ever be ‘normal’ again. Ezra’s always been popular. He’s friends with most of the kids on his basketball team–even Brian, who usually keeps to himself. But now, some of his friends have been acting differently, and Brian seems to be pulling away. Ezra wants to help, but he worries if he’s too nice to Brian, his friends will realize that he has a crush on him. But when Brian and his brother run away, Ezra has no choice but to take the leap and reach out. Both boys have to decide if they’re willing to risk sharing parts of themselves they’d rather hide, but if they can be brave, they might just find the best in themselves—and each other.