LGBTQ Literature

From Christopher Isherwood's enduring 20th-century classic Goodbye to Berlin to contemporary titles like Janet Mock's Redefining Realness, the titles in this study guide collection explore a range of ideas, issues, genres, and forms that speak to the LGBTQ community.

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Arts / Culture, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Community, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Half Bad (March 2014) is the debut novel of author Sally Green. It is also the first book in a trilogy of the same name. The book became an instant bestseller because of its similarity to the Harry Potter series. Green followed Half Bad with Half Wild (2015) and Half Lost (2016). The Half Bad trilogy was eventually produced as the Netflix series entitled The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself. It ran for one... Read Half Bad Summary


Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Literary Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 2018

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Bullying, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, LGBTQ


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Chinese Literature


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Self Discovery

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ


Publication year 2017

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, LGBTQ

Her Body and Other Parties is a short story collection published in October of 2017 by debut author Carmen Maria Machado. The collection, which moves between the genres of fantasy, horror, and satire, was shortlisted for the 2017 National Book Award Fiction Prize and the International Dylan Thomas Prize. It won the 2018 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction, the Shirley Jackson Award, the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Prize, and the Bard Fiction... Read Her Body and Other Parties Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

Highly Illogical Behavior is the third Young Adult novel by John Corey Whaley, a former teacher turned full time YA novelist. Published in 2016, Highly Illogical Behavior was named an NPR Best Book of 2016, a Chicago Public Library Best Teen Fiction of 2016, among other accolades. Published by SPEAK, an imprint of Penguin Random House, this novel represents the Young Adult fiction genre often referred to as “Teen Fiction.” Like many YA novels, Highly... Read Highly Illogical Behavior Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness


Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery

Tags LGBTQ, Health / Medicine

Hot Milk (2016) is a novel written by South African and British author Deborah Levy. It follows Sofia Papastergiadis, who has been caring for her mother, Rose, through Rose’s hypochondria-driven illnesses. Sofia and Rose go to Almeria, Spain, to seek treatment from Dr. Gomez. While there, Sofia must confront her mother’s dependency on her and question what she wants in her own life. Levy explores themes of The Struggle for Independence, The Complexities of Sexual... Read Hot Milk Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Sexuality

Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 1956

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags The Beat Generation, Lyric Poem, Mental Illness, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Social Justice, American Literature, Education, Education, History: World, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

American Beat-era poet Allen Ginsberg began writing “Howl” as a private recollection for friends, though he later published the long poem in his 1956 book Howl and Other Poems. Also known as “Howl: For Carl Solomon,” the poem cemented Ginsberg’s status as a prophet-poet in the romantic literature vein of Walt Whitman and William Blake (two major influences). “Footnote for Howl,” written in 1955, is the final portion, though it’s not always included with the... Read Howl Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race

Tags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Western, Race / Racism, Immigration / Refugee, History: World, LGBTQ


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ

How to be Both is a 2014 novel by Scottish author Ali Smith. The narrative explores common threads of grief, identity, and memory from the perspectives of recently bereaved 16-year-old English schoolgirl George and a character named Francescho, inspired by the real 15th-century Italian artist Francesco del Cossa. The book, exploring themes such as The Impact of Grief on Personality, Ambiguity as an Inescapable Feature of Life, and Everyday Resistance to Injustice, was a critical... Read How to Be Both Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride

Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Biography

Content Warning: Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body describes and references rape and sexual violence, emotional abuse, and verbal abuse.Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body (2017) is a memoir by Roxane Gay that addresses the emotional, physical, and psychological effects of sexual assault—and how they tie into self-image. Though Gay’s memoir centers her body, food, and self-image, she also confronts society’s fatphobia—the world’s unwillingness to accept fat people as they are due to assumptions about... Read Hunger Summary