The Best LGBTQ+ Books to Read for Pride Month

LGBTQ+ voices and perspectives remain largely underrepresented in most forms of media, including film, TV, and music. When it comes to literature, it's a similar story: books by queer authors, featuring queer characters or exploring themes of sexuality and gender, have historically frequently been either overlooked or labeled as "niche," and therefore struggled to reach a wider audience.

But, just as on-screen visibility can have power, so too can inclusive storytelling on the page. To a marginalized reader, stumbling across a novel told from the point-of-view of a character with the same lived experience as them can be revelatory. It doesn't end there, though: a diverse bookshelf benefits everyone. Reading is, if nothing else, an innate act of empathy; of putting yourself, however temporarily, in another person's shoes. So whether you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community, would like to become more familiar with queer art, or simply enjoy a great summer read, we've got you covered with 25 recommendations for Pride season.

The list below is by no means exhaustive, instead offering merely a sampling of some of the most exciting and compelling reading material being published by LGBTQ+ authors, encompassing forms and genres as wide-ranging as memoir, literary fiction, personal essays, humor, true crime, young adult, romance, erotica, and comic book.