Best LGBTQ Books 2022
Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington by James Kirchick
Whether it’s the World War II–era gay spymaster who used seduction as a tool for American espionage tool or the the devoted aide Lyndon Johnson treated as a son until it was discovered he was gay, Kirchick’s Secret City researches and illuminates just how homosexuality shaped presidential administrations in the 20th century.
Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak
Did you know a violent slave uprising in Haiti had a rippling effects in France? In this exciting, provocative historical novel, a 1700s bisexual, Black heiress flees from Saint-Domingue to Paris, only to find herself caught up in the French Revolution—and those of infamous agitator Robespierre and his mistress.
Queerly Beloved by Susie Dumond
A heartwarming lesbian rom-com debut, semi-closeted baker Amy (she’s fired from her job at a Christian bakery) turned bridesmaid-for-hire meets an attractive new-to-town engineer named Charley, and the fireworks are immediate.
Let’s Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder
In this sharp, hilarious and surprisingly tender story, politician Nancy Harrison is determined to win a seat in the Senate—and she’s almost there. But there are two things standing in her way: her own kids. Nick and Greta are grown but adrift; Nick is drowning in his pursuit to write a musical and Greta is letting her life slip by. But when Greta makes headlines for her involvement in an extremist group’s protest in Paris, Nancy and Nick must race to find her, not just for the sake of the campaign, but her own as well.
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
Nigerian writer Akwaeke Emezi (The Death of Vivek Oji) is back with their deeply heartfelt romance novel about a woman who wants to feel alive again, five years after her husband’s death. Her best friend insists she get back into the dating scene, but Feyi isn’t quite ready. Then an unexpected, steamy encounter at a rooftop party transforms into a whirlwind summer with a perfect guy—that is until she locks eyes with his father. With a bright future on the horizon and a second chance at love, Feyi must figure out who she’s ready to become, and how to honor her grief while releasing her past.
We Do What We Do in The Dark by Michelle Hart
Mallory is a freshman in college and immediately taken by a successful, elegant (and married) older woman at the university’s gym. Still reeling from her mother’s death a few months prior, she’ll shut herself off from the rest of the world and begin an elusive affair that will drastically transform her life.
The Women’s House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison by Hugh Ryan
In the mid-century, a Greenwich Village detention center housed queer women and trans people, imprisoned for the crimes of being poor and improperly feminine—among those incarcerated was Angela Davis. Historian Hugh Ryan explores the history of the Women’s House of Detention and the little-known lives of those incarcerated New Yorkers.
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
There’s one thing that’s kept Chloe Green going since her move from Southern California to a small town in Alabama: becoming her high school’s valedictorian. But when her valedictorian rival, Shara Wheeler, kisses her one month before graduation, Chloe is left hunting for answers—and Shara herself. She’s vanished, and Chloe will have to work with Shara’s quarterback boyfriend and her bad-boy neighbor to untangle the cryptic notes they’ve each received. Can they find Shara and drag her back before graduation?
Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong
Delve into this deeply intimate poetry collection by award-winning writer Vuong. Following the devastating loss of his mother, he’s confronted with the paradoxical issue of honoring your grief while simultaneously trying to survive it. This compelling collection of poetry drives right to the heart of our humanity and speaks to both the phenomena of recovery and the catastrophe of breaking apart.
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
In this magical, provocative story, four young witches join the royal coven of Queen Elizabeth I, swearing an oath to their government and their queen. Decades later, the coven is still intact, but the four friends have walked decidedly different paths. One is a housewife, one is a country vet, one is the High Priestess of the coven and the other is supposedly a traitor. But when the very existence Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is threatened, all four witches must decide where their loyalties lie.
She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott
Alex Blackwood and Molly Parker couldn’t be more different; Alex is flirty and headstrong while Molly is awkward and quiet. But when Alex’s girlfriend breaks up with her for being selfish, she’s desperate to prove her wrong and win her back. This is where Molly comes in, with her hopeless crush on cool-girl Nora Myers. Hoping to show her ex that she’s not as selfish as she claims, Alex takes Molly under her wing to get the girl of her dreams. But are the two falling for each other instead?
Ben and Beatriz by Katalina Gamarra
In this captivating retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Beatriz Herrera is a fierce queer biracial woman who would do anything for her sweet cousin, Hero—including spending a week at the ridiculous Cape Cod mansion of Ben Montgomery. Ben is white, wealthy and privileged, but he struggles to relate with the politics and expectations of his conservative family. Although she’s regrettably hooked up with Ben before, they could not be more different—and he is the last person she’d want to be with now. But as their assumptions begin to unravel and their hookups turn into something real, they’re left wondering if it’s possible to hold space for one another.
Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour
Sara Foster and Emilie Dubois have damaged pasts of their own—ones they’d prefer to keep hidden. At high-end restaurant Yerba Buena, Sara is the renowned bartender, Emilie is the flower arranger and there is no denying the sparks that fly. But when their pasts, and the choices they’ve made, begin to catch up with them, the two decide if their blossoming romance can overpower it all.
The Kingdom of Sand by Andrew Holleran
A nameless gay man moves to Florida to look after his parents—during the height of the AIDS epidemic—and struggles to leave afterward, chronicling the agonies of illness, death and being an aging gay man in a small town.
Open Deeply by Kate Loree
Therapist Kate Loree offers a guide into the non-traditional and sometimes challenging world of consensual non-monogamy. In this compassionate and insightful new release, Loree shares advice on how to navigate the lifestyle and develop the necessary skills to form healthy and happy relationships. Told through the experiences of her clients as well as her own, Loree’s Open Deeply acts as both a guide for consensual non-monogamists and for anyone who may need a helping hand to learn compassion and understanding in their own relationships.
What We Give, What We Take by Randi Triant
In Triant’s latest LGBTQ coming of age novel, a 1960s escape artist leaves her disabled teenage son, Dickie, and joins the Amazing Humans, a carnival to entertain troops in Vietnam, where she performs for war-injured children who serve as a reminder of the son she regrettably left behind. Decades later, Dickie’s life is stable, but just like his mother, he struggles to escape the troubled past he so desperately wants to forget.
Out of the Blue by Jason June
Dive into this flirty YA romance about a human-hating merperson named Crest (yes, you read that right) who has just embarked on a month-long land excursion all merfolk must endure. During it, they must help one human in order to return to their society and become an elder. If they fail, they’re cursed and remain a human forever. So when human lifeguard Sean asks for Crest’s help to make his ex-boyfriend jealous, Crest readily agrees—and their sordid opinions of humans begin to change.
A Little Bit Country by Brian D Kennedy
Emmett Maguire wants nothing more than to be the biggest gay superstar in country music. Luke Barnes hates country music because of the pain it’s caused his family. But when the two meet, sparks fly and they become inseparable—that is until a long-lost family secret between Emmett’s country music idol and Luke’s grandmother is brought to light.
Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee
This sweet and zesty enemies-to-lovers follows Theo and Gabi, two people who have been always been rivals. Their parents own competing cafes and Gabi’s subpar soccer skills have cost their team one too many games, so it’s no surprise that the two have been at odds. But when a new cafe comes to town threatening both of their family businesses, they’ll need to win back their customers without some newfound feelings getting in the way.
Girls Can Kiss Now by Jill Gutowitz
This collection of vulnerable yet hilarious essays by Gutowitz reveal how pop culture acted as a fun-house mirror so to speak as she’s considered her self-worth and identity—reflecting, refracting and distorting society’s values and facilitating a significant cultural shift. Her personal experiences and sharp observations give a fresh take on how the mainstreaming of lesbian culture has impacted our society in a positive way, toward a forward-looking future. America made LGBTQIA+ history not long ago. Look back at reactions to legalizing same-sex marriage in 2013.
