Read the best LGBTQ+ books for adults to celebrate Pride Month, Banned Book Week, and beyond. I share my top ten book recommendations below, followed by even more of the most popular adult bestsellers and award-winners to choose from.
You’ll truly walk a mile in someone else’s shoes with these fiction and non-fiction picks, which showcase characters often silenced in books. Let’s get literary!
Best LGBTQ+ Books for Adults: Romance and Beyond
TOP PICKS
The most popular LGBTQ+ fiction books are the tear-jerker A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, the coming-of-age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and the Hollywood glam story about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
- Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx: historical romance
- The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai: historical fiction about friendship and found family
- The Guncle by Steven Rowley: contemporary fiction family dramedy
- The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne: historical and literary fiction
- The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin: historical family drama
- The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe: contemporary fiction about friendship
- A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara: contemporary fiction about friendship and found family
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: contemporary fiction about friendship
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: historical romance
- This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel: contemporary family drama
My Reviews of These Diverse LGBTQ+ Novels
METHODOLOGY
The best LGBTQ+ books are literary works that explore themes related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender experiences, identities, and relationships. These books often highlight diverse perspectives and contribute to representation in literature. They foster empathy, understanding, and representation with maximum impact.
Nearly all were five-star reads for me, and they all remain very memorable to me to date.
Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
You may have seen the popular movie, but have you read the book?! Technically, Brokeback Mountain is a short story, but its impact is that of an epic saga.
It’s the story of two male ranch hands who come together in romance one lonely summer. They continue to meet each year as they otherwise live their lives as if they were heterosexual.
It’s my all-time favorite short story, and it’s well worth reading, even if you’ve seen the movie. It’s beautifully told through literary prose and is bound to haunt you for years to come.
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
The Great Believers is another book that has had a profound impact on me. It hasn’t left my mind since I read it a few years ago.
Set amidst the AIDS pandemic of the 1980s and 1990s, it exquisitely weaves the beauty of art and what remains together with the tragedies of friends and lovers dying off one by one.
One chapter, in particular, is one of the most poetic works of fiction I have read. (You’ll know which one it is when you read it — trust me.)
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
The Guncle was a book I picked up because everyone on social media was raving about it. I’m happy to report that it did not disappoint!
It’s the story of a formerly famous Hollywood actor who cares for his young niece and nephew after a family tragedy. At the same time, he’s coping with another tragic loss of his one great love.
In comical and heartwarming ways, the summer brings together this unlikely trio as they begin to heal. This is the kind of book that makes your heart swell, and the sequel is also not to be missed by fans who want the same “feels” all over again!
Related Post: The Guncle Reviews
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
The Heart’s Invisible Furies is one book that tops many avid readers’ lists of favorite books of all time. It’s a character-driven novel that follows a gay man in Ireland from the 1940s to the present day as he navigates his sexuality during turbulent times and pivotal historical events.
At the same time, it tracks his estrangement from his unwed Catholic teen mother throughout the decades.
The story itself is nothing short of epic, and the dialogue, in particular, is some of the most perfectly written you will ever read. I passed my copy to my mother-in-law, who also raved about it.
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
The Immortalists is one of my all-time favorite books about dying. (Yes, I know this is a depressing subject, but it’s also very real.)
It’s the story of four adult siblings whose dates of death were predicted when they were children. It tackles the ultimate question of how knowing your date of death changes your life.
While I loved each sibling’s storyline, the LGBTQ+ one felt the most emotional and impactful. This family drama novel takes you on a decades-long journey and makes you think about the most pressing of all life’s questions simultaneously.
Related Post: The Immortalists Summary
The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe
The Knockout Queen is probably the most underrated book I’ve ever read. I don’t often hear readers talking about it, yet it is one of the best-written books.
It follows the unlikely friendship between Bunny, a tall and strong volleyball player with a violent streak, and Michael, her gay, self-destructive neighbor. Both have complicated families and feel alienated.
Set in a California suburb and high school, this coming-of-age novel dives deeply into an unlikely friendship, particularly after Michael falls in love and an act of violence tests the bond.
It explores themes of identity, violence, and loyalty in a very literary way for fans of character-driven novels.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
A Little Life is one book that readers consistently earn rave reviews.
It’s a lengthy and emotionally charged novel about four college friends in New York City. Central to the story is Jude, whose traumatic past and struggles with his sexual identity, abuse, and self-worth unfold throughout the book.
The novel explores intense themes of friendship, love, and survival, with significant LGBTQ+ plots, including Jude’s relationships with his friends and romantic partners.
It’s a tearjerker that shows the profound impacts of trauma and the power of “found family.” You’ll never forget it.
Related Post: A Little Life Book Summary
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
When I picked up The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I expected another stereotypically angsty coming-of-age novel about alienated teens in high school. What I got was one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Observant Charlie is a quiet high school freshman who navigates his new experiences through letters to an anonymous friend. He shares the love and personal growth he experiences after being included by a group of unique friends. This is especially impactful, as Charlie has experienced dark trauma that he carries with him.
This novel exquisitely explores themes of identity, acceptance, and the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ persons in a high school setting. It conveys the famous message:
“We accept the love we think we deserve.”
Related Post: The Perks of Being a Wallflower Summary | The Perks of Being a Wallflower Books Mentioned
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid book (and I have read them all). It’s also the book I most often recommend because virtually everyone loves it. It’s been a bestseller for several years now.
It’s the story of an aged, glamorous Hollywood actress recounting her life story and the truth behind each of her seven husbands.
So, what’s LGBTQ+ about that? Well, I hate to be vague, but I think you need to read the book to learn that. Trust me, it’s worth it. You’re just about guaranteed to love it as much as everyone else.
Related Post: Taylor Jenkins Reid Books in Order
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
This Is How It Always Is is another book that everyone loves.
At its core, it’s a transgender narrative about the process of parenting a very young transgender child. The reader embarks on the journey and steps right into this family’s shoes as they try to figure it all out while living it.
This book is special because of how intimate and tender the writing feels.
More Inclusive Literature with LGBTQ+ Representation
There are so many great pride books out there that I wanted to include even more than my top 10 for you to consider. Some of these I’ve read, but they didn’t quite make my top 10, whereas others are celebrity book club picks, banned books, and/or books I know to be very popular with readers.
- Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman: bestseller and major motion picture
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker: a classic and a major motion picture
- Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters: bestseller, one of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, PEN/Hemingway Award Winner
- Gender Queer by Maira Kobabe: Stonewall Award Winner
- Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin: One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years
- On Earth We Were Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong: bestseller and winner of the Stonewall Book Award and the Publishing Triangle Award
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: a classic
- The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith: major motion picture Carol
- Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: bestseller, GoodReads Choice Award Winner for Best Debut and Best Romance, movie adaptation
- Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: bestseller
SHOP THESE BOOKS
Recap
START WITH THE TOP 3 LGBTQ+ BOOKS FOR ADULTS
- A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules
