LGBTIQA+ Reading List

 

Non-Fiction:

The ABC’s of LGBT+
Seeking a Deeper Understanding of Gender Identity?

The ABCs of LGBT+ is a #1 Bestselling LGBT book and is essential reading for questioning teens, teachers or parents looking for advice, or anyone who wants to learn how to talk about gender identity.

Bad Gays: A Homosexual History
An unconventional history of homosexuality

Based on the hugely popular podcast series of the same name, Bad Gays asks what we can learn about LGBTQ+ history, sexuality and identity through its villains, failures, and baddies.

Ace voices : what it means to be asexual, aromantic, demi or grey-ace
Drawing upon interviews with a wide range of people across the asexual spectrum, Eris Young is here to take you on an empowering, enriching journey through the rich multitudes of asexual life.

Do you see a story like your own?

Serving in silence? : Australian LGBT servicemen and women
Most people have heard of the United States' infamous `Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy, yet few know about Australia's own history of LGBT military service. In Serving in Silence? lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender servicemen and women share their personal stories for the first time.

Queerly autistic : the ultimate guide for LGBTQIA+ teens on the spectrum
In this empowering and honest guide for LGBTQIA+ autistic teens, Erin Ekins gives you all the tools you need to figure out and explore your gender identity and sexuality.

Adult Fiction:

Sizzle Reel
For aspiring cinematographer Luna Roth, coming out as bisexual at twenty-four is proving more difficult than she anticipated. Sure, her best friend and fellow queer Romy is thrilled for her-but she has no interest in coming out to her backwards parents, she wouldn't know how to flirt with a girl if one fell at her feet, and she has no sexual history to build off.
When she meets twenty-eight-year-old A-list actress Valeria Sullivan around the office, Luna thinks she's found her solution.

Something Wild and Wonderful
Alexei Lebedev's journey on the Pacific Crest Trail begins with a single snake. And it is angling for the hot stranger who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Lex is prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and months of solitude. What he isn't prepared for is Ben Caravalho. But somehow-on a 2,500-mile trail-Alexei keeps running into the outgoing and charismatic hiker with golden-brown eyes, again and again. It might be coincidence. Then again, maybe there's a reason the trail keeps bringing them together . . .

The Last Romeo
James is 34 and fed up. His six-year relationship with Adam has imploded, he hates his job making up celebrity gossip, and his best friend Bella has just announced she's moving to Russia.
Adrift and single in loved-up London, James needs to break out of his lonely, drunken comfort zone. Encouraged by Bella, he throws himself headlong into online dating, blogging each encounter anonymously as the mysterious Romeo.

Vita and the Birds
1938: Lady Vita Goldsborough lives in the menacing shadow of her controlling older brother, Aubrey. But when she meets local artist Dodie Blakeney, the two women form a close bond, and Vita finally glimpses a chance to be free.
1997: Following the death of her mother, Eve Blakeney returns to the coast where she spent childhood summers with her beloved grandmother, Dodie. Eve hopes that the visit will help make sense of her grief. The last thing she expects to find is a bundle of letters that hint at the heart-breaking story of Dodie’s relationship with a woman named Vita, and a shattering secret that echoes through the decades.

Wild Things
El Evans is stuck in a dead-end job, hopelessly in unrequited love with her best friend, Ray, and in need of a major life change.

After a New Year's resolution to 'Be More Wild', El is soon in possession of one (small) tattoo, one (bad) hangover and memories of one (very disappointing) threesome. . . but she's trying and surely it can only get better?

Young Adult:

We Are Totally Normal
Nandan’s got a plan to make his junior year perfect, but hooking up with his friend Dave isn’t part of it—especially because Nandan has never been into guys.
Still, Nandan’s willing to give a relationship with him a shot. But the more his anxiety grows about what his sexuality means for himself, his friends, and his social life, the more he wonders whether he can just take it all back.

Is breaking up with Dave—the only person who’s ever really gotten him—worth feeling “normal” again?

Zenobia July
Zenobia July is starting a new life. She used to live in Arizona with her father; now she's in Maine with her aunts. She used to spend most of her time behind a computer screen, improving her impressive coding and hacking skills; now she's coming out of her shell and discovering a community of friends at Monarch Middle School. People used to tell her she was a boy; now she's able to live openly as the girl she always knew she was.

None of the Above
When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She's a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she's madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she's decided that she's ready to take things to the next level with him.

But Kristin's first time isn't the perfect moment she's planned - something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy parts.

Love Frankie
Frankie is nearly fourteen and teenage life certainly comes with its ups and downs. Her mum is seriously ill with MS and Frankie can feel herself growing up quickly, no thanks to Sally and her gang of bullies at school.

When Sally turns out to be not-so-mean after all, they strike up a friendship and are suddenly spending all of their time together. But soon Frankie starts to wonder about the feelings she has for Sally. She doesn't want Sally to just be her friend. She wants her to be her girlfriend. But does Sally feel the same?

I Think I Love You
Arch-nemeses Emma, a die-hard romantic, and more-practical minded Sophia find themselves competing against one another for a coveted first-prize trip to a film festival in Los Angeles . . . what happens if their rivalry turns into a romance?
Junior Fiction:

Proud of Me
Becky and Josh are almost-twins, with two mums and the same anonymous donor dad. Josh can't wait until he's eighteen, the legal age when he can finally contact his father, and he'll do anything to find out more - even if it involves lying.

Becky can't stop thinking about her new friend, Carli. Could her feelings for Carli be a sign of something more? Becky and Josh both want their parents to be proud of them...but right now, they're struggling to even accept themselves.

The Whispers
Since his mother's disappearance four months ago, Riley has become increasingly frustrated by the incompetence of the police and apathy of his family and friends. In desperation, Riley turns to the Whispers, creatures of legend that he believes can grant him his heart's desire. But Riley has secrets of his own - and finding the truth could cost him more than he is willing to give.

The Ship We Built
Rowan has too many secrets to write down in the pages of a diary. And if he did, he wouldn't want anyone he knows to read them. He understands who he is and what he likes, but it's not safe for others to find out. Now the kids at school say Rowan's too different to spend time with. He's not the "right kind" of girl, and he's not the "right kind" of boy. His mom ignores him. And at night, his dad hurts him in ways he's not ready to talk about yet.

But Rowan discovers another way to share his secrets- letters. Letters he attaches to balloons and releases into the universe, hoping someone new will read them and understand. But when he befriends a classmate who knows what it's like to be lonely and scared, even at home, Rowan realizes that there might already be a person he can trust right by his side.

The Art of Running Away
Twelve-year-old Maisie is an artist. When she's in front of her sketchbook or apprenticing at Glenna's Portraits, the family-run art shop her grandmother started, the world makes sense.
But when Glenna's Portraits falls on hard times, Maisie's plan to take over the shop when she's older and become a lifelong artist starts to crumble. In desperation to make things right, Maisie runs away to London to reconnect with her adult brother, hoping he might be the key to saving the shop.
But as Maisie learns about her family's past from Calum, she starts to rethink everything she's ever known. Maisie must decide not only if saving her family's art shop is worth it, but if she can forgive her parents for the mistakes they've made.

This Would Make a Good Story Someday
Sara Johnston-Fischer loves her family, of course. But that doesn't mean she's thrilled when her summer plans are upended for a surprise cross-country train trip with her two moms, Mimi and Carol; her younger sister, Ladybug; her older sister, Laurel; and Laurel's poncho-wearing activist boyfriend, Root. And to make matters worse, one of her moms is writing a tell-all book about the trip . . . and that means allllll, every ridiculous and embarrassing moment of Sara's life.

Picture Books:

Willow and the Wedding
Willow is back! This time she's so excited to be flower girl for her favorite uncle and his partner David's wedding. Willow just can't wait to help make it perfect. The beach ceremony! The dinner! The dessert! The dancing! But there's just one hiccup. Uncle Ash refuses to dance these days. A wedding with no dancing?! Willow makes it her mission to remind him of the joy he found in dancing years ago. On the evening of the wedding, Uncle Ash surprises them all and everyone dances in just the ways they were meant to.

Enough Love?
Willa had one dad, one mum, one home and a bird.
And that was enough.
So when Willa’s parents split up, she’s pretty sad. But at least they are still all hers. Until Dad meets Kevin and Willa’s family starts to grow … and keeps on growing. When will enough be enough? Or is there always room for more love?

My Own Way
Small children are often asked to choose between a gendered binary - boy or girl, pink or blue. This colourful picture book smashes these stereotypes and encourages the reader to follow their own way! "Girl or Boy?" What brings you joy? "Pink or blue?" It's up to you.

With vibrant illustrations and concise, poetic text, this powerful book teaches young children that there are no limits in what you can do and who you can be. You are unique!

Wrestle!
I love wrestling. When I grow up, I want to be just like my wrestling heroes: big and tough, with really huge muscles. The only problem is, my mums don't like fighting...

A funny story about identity, family and dressing up, inspired by the award-winning documentary, Gayby Baby.

When Aidan Became a Brother
When Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. His parents gave him a pretty name, his room looked like a girl's room, and he wore clothes that other girls liked wearing. After he realized he was a trans boy, Aidan and his parents fixed the parts of life that didn't fit anymore, and he settled happily into his new life.
Then Mom and Dad announce that they're going to have another baby, and Aidan wants to do everything he can to make things right for his new sibling from the beginning--from choosing the perfect name to creating a beautiful room to picking out the cutest onesie. But what does "making things right" actually mean?

Biographies:

Caught in the Act: A Memoir
Behind this rise to national and global fame is a story of searching for and finding oneself. Told with Courtney's trademark candour and wit, Caught in the Act is about our journey towards understanding gender, sexuality and identity. It's an often hilarious and at times heartbreaking memoir from a beloved drag and entertainment icon. Most of all, it's a bloody good time.

The Other Mother
I'm Jen Brister: stand-up comedian, middle-aged adolescent, and mum. But not that mum - I'm the other one.

A very funny, very honest look at parenting life, from IVF awfulness to crying over the pages of sleep training manuals. This is a book for any parent who feels they don't fit the mould of a traditional family.

As beautiful as any other : a memoir of my body
When Kaya Wilson came out to his parents as transgender, a year after a near-death surfing accident and just weeks before his father's death, he was met with a startling family history of concealed queerness and shame.

As Beautiful As Any Other weaves this legacy together with intimate examinations of the forces that have shaped Wilson's life, and his body: vulnerability and power, grief and trauma, science and narrative.

Perfectly queer : facing big fears, living hard truths, and loving myself fully out of the closet
Jill had a happy, healthy 20-year relationship with her college sweetheart, two wonderful kids, and rescue cat from the Humane Society. They lived in a nice suburban home with a white picket fence and owned a small bar that was rated one of the "Best Mom & Pop" businesses in Tampa Bay. From the outside, everything looked perfect.

Perfectly Queer takes the reader on Jillian Abby's poignant and painfully funny rollercoaster of self-discovery as she identifies and eventually accepts herself as a lesbian just before her 40th birthday. Living her new truth means leaving behind a life that, by societal standards, is nearly perfect.

Baggage : tales from a fully packed life
Baggage chronicles the actor's life in Hollywood and the ways in which work has repeatedly whisked him away from personal calamities to sets and stages around the world.
Taking us through the highs and lows of his career, his struggle with mental health, each failed relationship or encounter with a legend (Liza! X Men! Gore Vidal! Kubrick! Spice Girls!), every bad decision or moment of sensual joy, Alan Cumming shows how every experience - good or bad - has shaped who he is today: a happy, flawed, vulnerable, fearless middle-aged man, with a lot of baggage.

Young Adult Graphic Novels:

Skim
"Skim" is Kimberly Keiko Cameron, a not-slim, would-be Wiccan goth who goes to a private girls' school in the early '90's.
When her classmate Katie Matthews is dumped by her boyfriend, who then kills himself possibly because he's (maybe) gay the entire school goes into mourning overdrive. It's a weird time to fall in love, but that's what happens to Skim when she starts meeting secretly with her neo-hippie English teacher, Ms. Archer.

Heartstopper Vol. 1
Charlie and Nick are at the same school, but they've never met ... until one day when they're made to sit together. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance.

But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is more interested in Charlie than either of them realised.

Bloom
Now that high school is over, Ari is dying to move to the big city with his ultra-hip band, if he can just convince his dad to let him quit their struggling family bakery. Though he loved working there as a kid, Ari cannot fathom a life wasting away his days over rising doughs and hot ovens. But in the midst of interviewing candidates for his replacement, Ari meets Hector, an easy-going guy who loves baking as much as Ari wants to escape it. As they become closer over batches of breads, love begins to bloom . . . that is, if Ari doesn’t ruin everything.

Stars in Their Eyes
In this debut graphic novel, pop culture-obsessed Maisie can't wait to get to her first Fancon. But being a queer, disabled teenager with chronic pain comes with challenges. Can Maisie make it through the day without falling over, falling in love or accidentally inspiring anyone?

Then she meets Ollie, a cute volunteer who she has a lot in common with. Could this be the start of something, or will her mum, who doesn't seem to know what boundaries are, embarrass her before she and Ollie have a chance?

A quick & easy guide to they/them pronouns
Archie, a snarky genderqueer artist, is tired of people not understanding gender neutral pronouns.
Tristan, a cisgender dude, is looking for an easy way to introduce gender neutral pronouns to his increasingly diverse workplace.

The longtime best friends team up in this short and fun comic guide that explains what pronouns are, why they matter, and how to use them.

They also include what to do if you make a mistake, and some tips-and-tricks for those who identify outside of the binary to keep themselves safe in this binary-centric world.
A quick and easy resource for people who use they/them pronouns, and people who want to learn more!