1) “Giovanni’s Room” By James Baldwin

James Baldwin is one of the most prolific LGBTQ+ authors in American history. His groundbreaking novel “Giovanni’s Room” is the epitome of queer literature. The story is set among the bohemian bars and nightclubs of 1950s Paris, France. Baldwin tells a tale of love and the fear of love through a passionate account of the intricate complexities of love, morality, and the human condition.

3) “Boy Erased” By Garrard Conley

In his memoir “Boy Erased,” Garrard Conley chronicles his experience in a 12-step gay conversion therapy program. Conley was raised in a fundamentalist home in Arkansas. Upon learning he was gay, Conley’s family forced him to choose between familial disownment and gay conversion therapy that promised to “cure” his sexual orientation. Conley’s book described the harm he endured in the program, detailing the counseling and intervention he received. “Boy Erased” was adapted into an Academy Award-nominated film in 2018.

5) “Detransition, Baby” By Torrey Peters

Torrey Peter’s provocative debut novel “Detransition, Baby” fearlessly explores the taboos of sex, gender, identity, and relationships through thoughtful, witty, and original prose.

Peters tells a story of the queer community, complex relationships, and creating a world we want to live in. This novel has been hailed as the first great trans realist novel. The story follows three women, both transgender and cisgender, whose lives collide after an unexpected pregnancy. Together, they must confront their innermost thoughts on sex, motherhood, and the true meaning of desire. 

7) “Wow, No Thank You” By Samantha Irby 

Not all queer literature needs to be serious to be influential. Samantha Irby is by far one of the funniest writers of contemporary American literature.

Her latest essay collection, “Wow, No Thank You,” explores the newest chapter of Irby’s life. This includes falling in love and marrying a woman, becoming a stepmother, being courted by Hollywood, and leaving Chicago to live in a small town in Michigan. Irby is unflinchingly honest in her point of view, which will no doubt leave you laughing out loud and wishing you were her friend. 

9) “The Price Of Salt” By Patricia High Smith

You might recognize the story of “The Price of Salt” in the recent Academy Award-nominated feature film adaptation, “Carol”. Based on Patricia High Smith’s own experience, “The Price of Salt” chronicles the entrancing drama of Therese Belivet, a routine-bound store clerk whose life is changed forever when she meets Carol Aird, a customer who comes into the store to buy her daughter a Christmas present. “The Price of Salt” is celebrated for the boldness of its time, centering and celebrating a lesbian romance that does not end in devastating tragedy or going back to the men in their lives. This book gives the reader hope that finding queer love, community, and creativity is possible and within reach. 

11) “The Prophets” By Robert Jones Jr.

“The Prophets” by Robert Jones Jr. connects the reader to both their strongest and softest self. An original and stunning debut novel, “The Prophet” is a new novel that deserves to be indoctrinated into classic queer literature. The story follows two enslaved young men, Samuel and Isaiah, who live on a Deep South plantation and form a forbidden union. They find refuge from the terrors of slavery in each other’s arms, fostering intimacy and sincere love in a world of vicious cruelty. 

13) “Tales Of The City: A Novel” By Armistead Maupin

The first in a series that later became a popular television show (and Netflix remake!), “Tales of the City” explores the daily goings-on in an apartment at San Francisco's 28 Barbary Lane. This is the first of nine novels that are both comedies and thoughtful character portraits. The series spans from 1978 to 2014. The stories were originally serialized in newspapers before taking final form in novel structure. 

15) “The Picture Of Dorian Gray” By Oscar Wilde

Renowned author Oscar Wilde delivers one of the subtle LGBTQ books in classic literature. In “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” Wilde tells the story of a man who does not age, while his hidden portrait gets older and older. The book challenges people to contemplate the meaning of art, sin, and design. If you are searching for a gothic and decadent camp novella, look no further.