Good reads by LGBTQ+ authors

Every time I start a novel inspired by a real person, whose life has already been told a thousand times, I always wonder how the author will manage to say something new. A lot has been written about Rudolf Nureyev but if there's one thing that "Dancer" proves is that there's still much more to tell. What surprises the most in Column McCann's book is not what the Irish author adds to the myth of Nureyev but how he describes his everyday life. "Dancer" is a choral story in which people, whose paths have crossed that of the Russian ballet star, take the floor to talk about his tics, weaknesses and any artistic and human quality. The result is a symphony of unique voices coming from all over the world - from Ufa to Leningrad, from Paris to New York - that somehow, just like tiles in a puzzle, manage to put together a complex and fascinating image of the white crow. A narrative machine that works to perfection: marvellous!

In The End, It Was All About Love

There is a wealth of English-language writers in Berlin these days and one of the most exciting of them all is Musa Okwonga. His autobiographical novel of the city moves from general observations about dating and cake to the all too personal experience of suffering racist violence. This switching between the general and the personal is a clever device lending the narrative not just thematic contrasts but also intensely felt stylistic ones too. Alongside that, Okwonga incorporates some superbly written poetry into the narrative. For me, this book's greatest revelation was in questioning the narrative that immigrant or "expat" experience is a communal one and undercutting some of the steretypes we like to all too comfortably believe about the place where we live. (So brilliantly received has the book been that a German translation is forthcoming later this year)

The Unbroken

What a great debut, it is as if Clarke has never done anything else than writing. I'm very impressed by her worldbuilding, especially the inventive cursing ('Sky above and earth below')!
Clarke touches upon complex subjects such as identity, colonialism, and political intrigue and complicates them enough that it is hard for the reader to pick sides. Another wonderful portrait of how there isn't a binary good and evil, but a whole lot in between. I'm excited for the second book in "The Magic of the Lost" series.

Our Wives Under The Sea

There should probably be an argument made here that the journey is not about the destination, if Armfield's novel wasn't set up in a way that seems to suggest otherwise until the very last few pages. Switching between the perspectives of Miri, who recently got her wife back and is trying to find out why she came back different, and Leah, who is telling the story of her deep-sea mission gone awry, the crux of the story is the slow unravelling of the source of that trauma. So while I thoroughly enjoyed reading this high-tension study about loss and transformation, with a very interesting, "shape-of-water" -esque approach to the correlation between queerness and the sea, I couldn't help but be baffled by an ending that neither leaves things intentionally vague, nor manages to fully resolve anything. Nonetheless, this is a good book - but it had the potential to be great.

Fun Home

"A Family Tragicomic", so der Untertitel, ist die perfekte Bezeichnung für Alison Bechdels 2006 veröffentlichte und mehrfach ausgezeichnete Graphic Novel "Fun Home". Die Großartigkeit der Geschichte liegt dabei definitiv in Bechdels Darstellung ihres wundersamen Vaters, der vieles ist: Englischlehrer und Bestatter, pedantisch und mit einer Vorliebe für viktorianische Architektur. (In der Erzählerin kommt nicht nur einmal die Vermutung auf, sie seien vielleicht gar nicht die Bechdels, sondern die Addams Family. Leichen im Fun Home, Funeral Home, bestätigen diese Vermutung.) Was mit einem Augenzwinkern, einer karrikativen, sympathischen Darstellung beginnt, in der es nicht mehr als ungemein komisch ist, dass besagter Vater auch irgendwann eine Affäre mit Roy, dem männlichen Babysitter der Familie, hatte, dass er ab und an zum Psychologen geht, bekommt im Laufe der sieben größeren Kapitel eine sehr ernsthafte Note, und wird von der Autorin immer mehr mit ihrer eigenen Coming-Of-Age-(Coming-Out)-Geschichte verknüpft. Die gemeinsame Leidenschaft von Vater und Tochter, die Literatur, spickt die Graphic Novel zusätzlich mit Bezügen zu Proust, Joyce, Salinger und wird so zu einem grandiosen emotional-intellektuellen Leseerlebnis.

Confessions of the Fox

There is something very unique and important about the way that Rosenberg's debut novel tampers with history. Its hero, Jack Sheppard, is one of the most notorious criminals London history has to offer - he is also, at least in this story, trans. From this slight but significant change onwards unspools a strange, mischievous thing that interlaces the trans experience with the precarious state of being a rogue and life in (and of) the city. By placing all of this inside the narrative frame of a historian discovering the material and encountering all sorts of discrimination on his journey to publish it, Rosenberg cleverly lends a modern political (but still funny) context to his playful agenda. I was in awe of the elegance and ease with which he brings all these seemingly disparate elements together - if I'm taking one star off, it is only because the thread of the plot gets lost a bit in the second half. But this one is more about atmosphere than plot anyways: and in that, it excels.

We Had To Remove This Post

When the danger of social media culture will pass into the realm of posthumous scholarly examination, this novel will surely be one of the works cited. It's one of the few truly sentient seeming novels on the topic so far and goes to some much darker places than Lockwood's "No One Is Talking About This".
Kayleigh is a young women in debt and without much options, which is why she reluctantly accepts the job as content moderator for an unnamed social media company. At first the gruesome job seems to be outweighed by the fierce loyalty and friendship of her co-workers, as well as a new relationship with one of her colleagues. Gradually though, things deteriorate: some people start believing the conspiracy theories their paid to monitor and Kayleigh's girlfriend is acting increasingly distanced. A slim, compulsively readable and chilling little masterpiece that views internet culture through a laser sharp and merciless lense.

Plain Bad Heroines

Now this was an enjoyable and spooky quarantine read.
Though unfortunately not all of its tantalising mysteries were fully resolved it was captivating to me from start to finish. I love me a gothic tale - and why not throw in a little (okay a LOT of) lesbianism and set it in two different but interconnected timelines? Plus I enjoy being told a story by an omniscient narrator who addresses their readers as "Dear Readers". This tone reminded me of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" by Lemony Snicket.

Bolla

I happened to pick up Statovci's debut novel ("My Cat Yugoslavia") once when visiting my folks in London and since then I have awaited his two subsequent (translated) books with a huge sense of anticipation. For my money though, 'Bolla' shows him at his very best. It tells the story of Arsim, a young literary scholar at universtiy in Pristina and the passionate relationship he has with Milo?, a Serb medical student at the same university. The narrative switches between their two perspectives as Arsim has to leave Kosovo at the outbreak of the war then. Unremittingly grim, it is a tale of human cruelty and of the dangers of obsession overtaking ambition, which is not particularly pleasant to read but whose urgent style (in an excellent David Hackston translation) and unremitting descent into awfulness will drive you to keep on going and then stay with you for a very long time indeed.

Solo Dance

Written in a lyrical but precise style, Solo Dance by Li Kotomi (tr. Arthur Reiji Morris) tells the story of a young lesbian woman from Taiwan who migrates to Japan after an incident that leaves her heavily traumatized. This novel tackles depression and death, while also focusing on hope and the importance of (queer) communities. No other book impacted and impressed me as much last year. If you love the classics Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin or The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, this one is probably for you!

You Exist Too Much

Some books leave you breathless and overwhelmed. There's not much more to say for this recommendation other than: please, just read it!

The title speaks for itself. This book is about the fear of being too much that shows up when a person becomes more important to you. The main character fears that she overwhelms others and is just like her mother always said, too much.

This book is magnetic. I was at a drag show in a small queer bar in Prenzlauer Berg with the Book still under my arm and a gorgeous drag queen from the show looked at the book and said to me, 'If someone tells you that you're too much, this person is definitely not enough for you'.

I want to read this book over and over again. I'd love to buy it in bulk and hand out copies of it to absolutely everyone.

Zaina Arafat describes the search for balance between too much and not enough and the place in life that belongs to us.

Acts of Service

Lillian Fishman's debut novel is sure to be one of the best this year. In precise, unflinching prose she tells the story of the young New Yorker Eve, who seems committed to her long-term girlfriend but finds herself driven in a fit of dissatisfaction to post some nude pictures of herself online. Through that act she gets pulled into a complicated love affair with Olivia and Nathan, an affair that is as much about sexual needs and gratification as it is about power dynamics and a recalibrating of ones sense of self. Fishman isn't afraid of honing in on her subject, the gnarly politics of sex, and writes about it assuredly and beautifully. It's rare to find a topic this fraught being written about with such frank curiosity and verve, attuned to a sensual language while never losing the cooly questioning voice behind it. Considering this is a debut, this seems even more astonishing and promises great things for the author's future projects.

Less

Less is soon to be back on a journey across America which makes it high time to remind people of his superb first appearance in Andrew Sean Greer's 2018 Pulitzer Prize winning tour de force. There are few books I enjoy recommending to people more than this fictional account of a world tour undertaken by a struggling novelist in an attempt to avoid going to his ex-partner's wedding. The premise is joyfully silly and the writing elevates this to being a proper prizeworthy novel rather than the frippery it may sound like. The sequel sounds every bit as silly (if not more so) but I have little doubt Greer will have us obsessed by Less's petty foibles and major problems all over again.

Rainbow Milk

Paul Mendez is one of a group of emerging and exciting new voices, which also includes Bryan Washington and Brandon Taylor, who write about the experiences of gay people of colour. His debut about a young, gay, black Jehova's Witness from the Midlands seems never even to have heard of taboos. Uncompromising but compassionate, Mendez chronicles his protagonist's life from runaway to sex worker, to the more or less safe haven of his chosen London family. Jesse's story is beautifully framed by that of his grandfather, who arrived in Britain as part of the Windrush generation, only to come up against the harsh realities of xenophobia and racism. The account of Jesse's youth was equally compelling, if not for the faint of heart. Mendez admittedly lost me a bit in the later part, where he seemed to be more interested in interior design and the advantages of Bose loudspeakers than his character's inner lives. However, "Rainbow Milk" is still an accomplished and daring debut.

My Policeman

Having chosen this one as a "summer read" (50's Brighton seemed irresistible), I was pleasantly surprised by how good it actually was. The triangle love story might be one of those worn out tropes, but it's reinterpreted here in an intriguing way that comes mostly through perspective. "My Policeman" is told in alternating turns by Marion, who becomes wife of Tom, and Patrick, who becomes his lover. The title-giving policeman Tom himself remains interestingly illusive that way, hidden to the reader and himself behind a façade of suppressed wants and needs. The result is less of a grand if tragic gay romance, and more a sad, subtle and intimate portrait of three people utterly destroying one another, or rather being destroyed by societal restrictions of their time. A very well-composed story, saying something loudly through its quiet, subdued voices.

The New Life

Despite its generic title, Crewe's debut novel about two unhappily married couples in Victorian London did leave an impression. "The New Life" - named after a fictional society campaigning for sexual freedom - is, contrary to expectations, less concerned with telling a tragic tale about heroic resistance, and more interested in painting a realistic picture of the hardship of lives lived outside of the norm and, partly, outside the law. What might have been a plot with a slightly conventional structure is elevated by the complex relationship at its center, which is not that of two lovers (even though there is an abundance of love stories in here, in every shape and form). Rather, it is the dynamic of two entirely different people who still decide to work together towards the same goal. These opposing mentalities juxtaposed with their increasing co-dependency lay the foundation for possible (self-)destruction and make this novel a powerful study of survival in times of oppression.

The World and All That It Holds

I have to say I'm surprised about the overwhelmingly good reviews this novel has received, as it didn't quite hit the spot for me, even though it has all the right ingredients (queer love story, historical setting, a very literary approach). While there are a few great scenes - including an unusual perspective on the assassination of Franz Ferdinand that serves as an opening passage - the mostly non-linear plot leaves them all a bit unstructured and robs them of lasting emotional sustenance. That is a shame, because I do really enjoy Hemon's wittily tragic, slightly off-kilter writing style - it simply felt like there was some discrepancy between his stylistic vision and the topics he was actually writing about. And as a side note: I loved the way German phrases were thrown in here and there, as an expression of the narrator's bilingualism - but they are (if not intentionally grammatically awkward) in dire need of some editing!

Less is Lost

My first irritation with Andrew Sean Greer's hotly anticipated sequel to the side-splittingly funny "Less" was the title. From the first social media whispers about this book, I had been referring to it as "Less is More" - a title I felt no comic writer worth their salt could pass up on. Sadly however the real title is all too apt for a book which replicates the formula of its predecessor far too closely and only changes the setting from that of a world tour to a road trip across America for the novels' hapless author protagonist. Greer won the Pulitzer for "Less" partly because he was so obviously mocking the literary world and himself. It was refreshing and challenging ... and very very funny. Halfway through this book (which does still have lots of good jokes and set pieces) I found myself - I am afraid - more bored than refreshed. Let's hope that there is rather more (pun intended) to come from Greer in the future.

Light From Uncommon Stars

If you're intending to pick up this book, which I would highly recommend, buckle up, because it will take you on a turbulent space voyage of emotions. On board with you: our flawed but loveable heroine Katrina Nguyen, teenage runaway and violinist, and an only partly human cast of quirky characters. You'll visit an intergalactic hideout disguised as a donut shop, various music competitions influenced by a literal demon and a historically patriarchal violin shop on the cusp of change. The queer rep here is wonderfully nuanced - there's hard-hitting depictions of Katrina's experience as a trans woman, heartwarming found family moments and a joyful lesbian romance. While it has its lengths and some moments that I found to be a tad too solemn, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey this book took me on.

Red at the Bone

"Red at the bone" is a deeply moving and stirring black family story, a perfect optimistic power story! It touches on so many topics, current and ongoing, from the Tulsa massacre to 9/11, from cradle to grave in three generations: racism, poverty, ambition and class issue, love, cancer, unwanted motherhood and great fatherly love, emancipation, diverse sexualities - in short, all forms of identities - and interweaves them all masterfully on just 200 pages! Woodson´s novel is bursting with strong characters, is challenging and sensitive, and from the chapters' changing character perspectives results a polyphonic sound of the Afro-American community. Woodson has written an impressive book that focuses on the developmental moments of the protagonists, who, even in difficult life moments, demonstrate a belief in coping that amazes!

Acts of Service

When We Fell Apart

Never assume. Do you really know someone? Lover, friend, relative, yourself? Reality is illusive, questionable, fluid, and frightening when death is involved. Soon Wiley poses the questions in his first novel "When We Fell Apart." and his main character, "Min" seeks the answers. A fast paced and introspective tale on the search for a social identity when inclusion in groups defined by your ethnicity reject you. Timely subjects are explored throughout this clever story of self discovery.
Strong female characters provide Min with an education in the complexities of relationships and the vagaries of young love.

Plain Bad Heroines

Acts of Service

Young Mungo

I might have slightly mixed feelings about this book but, let's be honest, I was always going to give it five stars - just look at that cover! Finally, no longer the tasteful outline of a male head to hint at the gay content within - this one just straight-up puts the snog on the cover!
Stuart's second novel is again a highly gripping and wonderfully alive thing- the Glasgow setting is captured thouroughly and lovingly, the characters seem to step fully formed from the page. Like Stuart's debut, it is set in a poor working class neighbourhood, peopled with an almost Dickensian set of misfits and a grim background indeed for the tender story of first love. My slight reservation here was the abundant (and I mean abundant) violence, primarily directed at Mungo. The tale of a horrifying fishing trip turned nightmare runs through the novel and ramps up the tension. Apart from that it's a gorgeous love story, a novel of class, sexuality and visceral beauty with an almost perfect ending

The House in the Cerulean Sea

This book needs to be better known! I can't recall ever reading a story as wholesome as this one; especially in the predominantly gloomy Fantasy genre.
Just as in "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children", the plot revolves around orphaned youths with magical abilities - one more endearing in their quirks that the other. That's about the only common thread though. While the "Miss Peregrine's" series relies on the spooky and strange atmosphere, the crux of the matter in this story is the character development of the protagonist, Linus. His evolution from miserable case worker defined by the "Rules and Regulations Handbook" to a happy healthy human surrounded by loved ones is heart-warming and simply delightful! Moreover, Klune advocates for diversity and openness towards those who are different than 'normal' in an unobtrusive way.
Reading this wonderful book made my heart ache in so many ways. It has a very good chance of becoming my favorite this year - and it's only January!

The New Life

In at the Deep End

This brilliantly written debut made me laugh so much - and continued to do so even when the story got more serious. It is a novel about so many things: obsession, desire, devotion, rejection, self-sabotage, control, self-esteem, friendship, and a lot of sex.
The protagonist Julia, who discovers her sexual identity anew and comes out as lesbian, directly walks into a toxic relationship with the artist Sam. The author Davies brings Julia really close and understands to narrate with lightness and tension. This read gives so much pleasure because Davies writes in a nuanced way about feelings and emotions, and how they can be twisted. The text negotiates openness and the aim to escape patriarchal structures. There is a lot to be discovered, a lot to laugh and to be fearful about - a fantastic book that will move you!

The World and All That It Holds

The Left Hand of Darkness

For years, the sci-fi classic with that intriguing title "The Left Hand of Darkness" had been on the top of my to-be-read-pile, waiting for the right mood to come along (for some reason in the middle of summer I very urgently needed to read about a planet completely covered in ice). What I find difficult about reading science fiction is the extensive amount of world-building that can be hard on someone who is not familiar with the genre. Fortunately, Le Guin is such a great writer that even the most detailed passages about Gethenian society seemed a lot less bland than they would have been in the hands of someone who is not this subtle and skilled with language. But at the centre of the story and worth all that trouble: the beautifully complex love(?) story between the male human protagonist and the neither female nor male Lord Estraven. These characters and the many ways in which they transform and complete one another do make this book outstanding amongst its genre competitors.

Gender Queer

Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood

Queer

Fine

Squad

Spinning

History Comics: The Stonewall Riots

Yas Queen

Kisses for Jet

Pocket Positivity: RuPaul

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me

Fun Home

The Essential Dykes to Watch Out for

The Pairing

Eating, drinking, f***ing and yearning while travelling through Southern Europe, a second chance romance and a HEA - what's not to like?!

Land of Milk and Honey

In this speculative novel culinary decadence meets climate disaster dystopia, in a time when only the rich elite have access to food and the rest world is slowly dying. Even though it was full of unlikable characters I was quickly hooked into this disturbing world, quite an intriguing novel.

Little Rot

What a wild ride, a mixture of Lagos noir and dark romance, sometimes very violent and in the end really sad - be prepared!

Freakslaw

This book is weird and strange, an visceral gothic read with a fantastic cast of characters and an intriguing plot of revenge - much recommended!

One Love

This is such an engaging queer love story which is ultimately about self-love and acceptance of who you are. I loved the dual voices of Danny and Guy and the skipping in time in their 20 year long friendship. I really enjoyed reading this!

Middlesex

You Should Be So Lucky

This historical queer romance was so good that I have to add all of her books to my TBR - such an endearing, heart warming love story set in 1960ies New York and the world of Baseball (which I still don't get), a must read!

Love in the Big City

Plätschert dahin...
Leider hat mich die Geschichte nicht wirklich überzeugt, vielmehr plätschert die Handlung etwas seicht vor sich hin: die Geschichte beginnt mit der Hochzeit von Youngs langjähriger Freundin Jaehee und widmet sich dann in unzähligen Rückblenden ihrer gemeinsamen Studienzeit.
Sie waren kein Paar, da Young ja homosexuell ist, haben aber als beste Freunde viel Zeit miteinander verbracht.

Mir hat der emotionslose, abgeklärte Erzählstil leider nicht gefallen, in dem nüchtern darüber palavert wird, wie Young selbst genauso wie Jaehee tagein tagaus nichts anbrennen lassen, wilde Partys feiern und jede Nacht mit jemandem anderen verbringen. Aus meiner Sicht eine Aneinanderreihung von Belanglosigkeiten ohne Höhen und Tiefen.

Rainbow Black

This one deals with a lot, coming of age and satanic panic in the 1990s, a murder mystery and courtroom drama with queer fugitives moving to Canada - an wildly engrossing read that I could not put down!

Family Meal

I loved this raw, but subtle novel about grief, loss, love, friendship, self-destruction and (found) family. The characters and their stories will stay with me for a long time after I teared up quite a few times - a must read!

Looking for queer books?

Then you are right here. Our booksellers have put together a selection for you. From hot new releases to classics of gay and lesbian literature, you're sure to find something here.
The books are a mixed bag of genres and subjects: from novels to mysteries and thrillers, from comics to young adult books, there's something for everyone.
Our site is constantly renewed, because the colleagues at the English Bookshop have the latest titles in their hands every day. And what they like goes on this page with queer book tips.
Incidentally, we use queer on this site as a collective term that includes all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Queer novels tell of new experiences

The protagonists of the novels and crime novels often design their identities freely and love far from conventional ideas. Often, however, the books also deal with painful exclusion and prejudices that the protagonists are confronted with and thus draw attention to social conflicts. Whether as a gay romance, coming-out novel or bisexual love story, the experiences of queer people couldn't be more different.
We love diversity and hope you will find your new favorite book here.

Good reads by LGBTQ+ authors

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Queer novels tell of new experiences