20 Queer Books By LGBTQ Authors That People Absolutely Adore

Okay, lemme find my library card.

We recently asked members of our BuzzFeed Community to share their favorite queer books written by LGBTQ authors, and they really came through. Here are just a few of their great selections:

1. This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender (formerly Kheryn Callender)

Balzer + Bray

"It's a great coming-of-age romantic story featuring queer POC."

—chriss4c5152d01

Get it from Amazon for $9.29 or Bookshop for $10.11.

2. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde

Crossing Press

"Lorde is such a powerful storyteller and her words create magic."

—eleuthera

Get it from Amazon for $15.29 or Bookshop for $16.52.

3. An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Akashic Books

"It's probably one of the best books I've read. It’s set in the future on a spacecraft, where the society resembles the antebellum South. The main character, Aster, is trying to find out the truth about her mom's death. She is autistic, queer, and non-cis. The book is an intense read, but worth it in my opinion."

—dandelionqueer

Get it from Amazon for $12.29 or Bookshop for $14.67.

4. Birthday by Meredith Russo

Flatiron Books

"Morgan and Eric are born on the same day at the same time. The book follows the two through the years while Morgan deals with gender dysphoria and both experience the pressures of being a teenager."

—ace_of_haerts

Get it from Amazon for $9.49 or Bookshop for $17.47.

5. The Not Your Sidekick series by C.B. Lee

Interlude Press

"Lee does an excellent job of crafting diverse, interesting, and complex characters. Beyond that, her worldbuilding is unparalleled. I was drawn into her story immediately."

—funkyflea

Get it from Amazon for $12.99 or Bookshop for $15.63.

6. Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

Speak

"The protagonist is a lesbian woman of color, but the love story is the main focus of the novel. While there is certainly room in literature for books about queer struggle, it’s also nice to have a cute, well-written YA romance that happens to be gay."

—funkyflea

Get it from Amazon for $10.99 or Bookshop for $10.11.

7. Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead

Arsenal Pulp Press

"It's written by a Canadian, First Nations, two spirit poet and novelist as his debut novel. It was our first book club selection back in 2018 and was well received."

—joshuawaflerthomas

Get it from Amazon for $13.31 or Bookshop for $14.67.

8. The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis

Balzer + Bray

"It’s about a teenage boy who realizes he’s gay and develops feelings for his best friend, but his strict traditional Greek mother would reject him if she knew he was gay. It’s a heartbreaking story that resonates with anyone who’s had a bad experience with coming out and it’s based on the author’s own life and experiences, so it feels especially personal."

—eeoo

Get it from Amazon for $8.99 or Bookshop for $9.19.

9. I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver

Push

"It is about Ben and their experience coming out as non-binary to their family. I finished it in one day and cried."

—nonbsyd

Get it from Amazon for $10.99 or Bookshop for $16.55.

10. My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Nagata Kabi

Seven Seas

"It's a sweet and poignant graphic novel about a young Japanese girl struggling with mental health and her sexuality. I really enjoyed it. It's about personal growth but also has sex scenes presented in a lovely way — neither crude nor saccharine."

—rur2

Get it from Amazon for $12.08 or Bookshop for $12.87.

11. History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

Soho Teen

"It's really heart-wrenching and emotionally dynamic."

—harleyquinn2606

Get it from Amazon for $10.99 or Bookshop for $10.11.

12. Going Off Script by Jen Wilde

Swoon Reads

"It's a story about a gay girl who's interning for her favorite television show and ends up writing a script for the show."

—lightheart16

Get it from Amazon for $11.39 or Bookshop for $16.55.

13. We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

HarperCollins Publishers

"The story is unique and interesting, the pacing is excellent, and the forbidden romance is a delicious slow burn between two badass women. I couldn't put it down."

—k47f255e17

Get it from Amazon for $9.39 or Bookshop for $10.11.

14. The Brilliant Death by Amy Rose Capetta

Viking Books for Young Readers

"It's just a genuinely good book about magic, political intrigue, loss, sacrifice, and forbidden romance. The worldbuilding, prose, and character development are amazing."

—thewitchofthewoods

Get it from Amazon for $10.99 or Bookshop for $10.11.

15. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Alfred A. Knopf

"It follows a boy named Paul and he goes to a school where gender rules and ideas about sexuality are non-existent. Paul has his own coming-of-age story throughout the book, but the other characters and the setting really give this story life."

—derekm490729edc

Get it from Amazon for $8.49 or Bookshop for $9.19.

16. Dating Sarah Cooper by Siera Maley

SM Books

"It's about best friends who start a fake relationship only to figure out they have feelings for each other."

—currentlove42

Get it from Amazon for $10.99 or Bookshop for $10.99.

17. Perspective by Cameron R Spence

Austin Macauley

"This recent debut novel follows the pressures of modern life within the gay community. It focuses on relatable relationships and addiction in a way that still has a certain wit and charm. More importantly, it doesn’t represent the main character as a victim, but openly and honestly gives us a different perspective."

—camerons4773f22ed

Get it from Amazon for $9.95 or Bookshop for $9.15.

18. Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

Arthur A. Levine Books

"It's an amazing coming-of-age story about Rafe, who's tired of being the stereotypical gay kid and changes schools. He gets a fresh starts and meets Ben, a kind, smart jock and history geek."

—simonlholland5

Get it from Amazon for $8.89 or Bookshop for $9.19.

19. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Riverhead Books

"It's historical fiction and the characters are so complex and the story is incredible. I was gripped the entire time, and it's also a great commentary on the class divides in Victorian London. I recommend all her books, she's a vivid and fantastic writer."

—anyavlee

Get it from Amazon for $11.69 or Bookshop for $16.56.

20. Something Like Summer by Jay Bell

CreateSpace Publishing

"The first in a series, Something Like Summer has also been adapted into a musical."

—lemonfresh98

Get it from Amazon for $14.99 or Bookshop for $14.99.

Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Looking for more ways to get involved? Check out all of BuzzFeed's posts celebrating Pride and our relaunched LGBTQ page.

Ryan Pattie / BuzzFeed