LGBTQ Fiction bestsellers

“There aren't many books that can leave you wishing you were a parentless magical child feared by the rest of the society. But with characters like the ones in The House in the Cerulean Sea, you can't help but wish you belonged to such a wonderful, magical family. And the dialogue! You will not be able to drive while listening to it because you'll be laughing way too hard!”

“This gripping, diverse novel, set well after Earth's residents have scattered to Mars, other planets, and itinerant spacecraft, is as scientifically and sociopolitically plausible as any science fiction I've ever read or listened to. The characters, from a variety of alien species along with AI, have wide-ranging journeys that speak to our current reality and to issues of immigration, xenophobia, colonization, economic class, technological advancement, environmentalism, and more. The members of one species are all born female and becomes male later on, of another all use "they" pronouns, and of another are free with their touch and affection and find amusement in human hangups about touch. In the midst of all this complex representation emerges a story that stands alone as cohesive, meaningful, and powerful.”

“Fresh, irreverent, and funny, Red, White & Royal Blue is a delight and a treasure. With subtle jabs, Casey McQuiston pokes fun at both the public face of the British monarchy as well as the back-door politicking that dominates the U.S. political scene. The story follows the self-centered Alex Claremont-Diaz (America’s First Son) and his interactions with British Prince Henry of Wales. As hostility increases between two political scions forced into a sham friendship, we see the framework of political destiny and duty begin to fray. Little by little, hostility turns to something else entirely. This is a story about happiness — and, more importantly, honesty — for those who live their lives in the public eye.”

“This will be the most beautiful love story you read this year. This story curves and twirls and spirals along a golden, sparkly path of whirlwind romance and great expectations and finding one’s true self, and making mistakes and accepting imperfection and learning to change plans and go with the flow. Honey Girl is beautiful and lovely and you will laugh and you will cry and you will read passages aloud because they are as delicious as the first sticky sweet bite of a ripe orange straight from the tree. This book will transport you into the stars where you will dance among the constellations and marvel at the raw beauty of it all. As Grace Porter fell in love with Yuki Yamamoto, I fell in love with Honey Girl. ”

“Alix Harrow’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January was my favorite book last year, so I had incredibly high expectations when I picked up The Once and Future Witches. This book is very different, but I adore it just as much! Set in the late 1800s in a world with a slightly alternate history from ours, women are fighting for the vote and losing. Three wayward sisters decide to challenge the patriarchy by bringing back witchcraft. Told through familiar stories twisted in new ways, this book is incredible. You will not be able to put it down, from the beautifully written introduction to the pulse-pounding ending!”

“A chilling and captivating book taking place in a Norwegian village in the 1670s, The Mercies is a story of resilience. It follows Maren, who watched as all the village men died in a storm and has had to find a way to survive those losses, and Ursa, the daughter of a merchant who was married off to a witch hunter before being brought north. When their paths cross, both women’s lives are changed forever. This beautifully written story left me chilled. It is not often that I have to put down a book, but there were several times I had to walk away from this one to just sit and think about it. A must-read!”

“This fake-dating, opposites-attract romance is simply perfect. A social media astrologer is set up with her new business partner’s actuary sister. While the date goes terribly, how helpful it would be for both of them to have a date for certain upcoming events. The two leads are wonderful, flawed women with their own baggage and hang-ups (hello, family drama!), and it’s a joy to watch them fall in love with each other in spite of everything.”

“This was much easier for me to get into as an audio. I found it quite entertaining & sweet. I was laughing out loud at times. Klune has once again brought us a quirky & charming tale wrapped up in very different paper.”

“I listened to the audiobook of "The Pull of the Stars" by Emma Donoghue and was immediately pulled into the intense and vivid surroundings of a hospital ward in 1918 Dublin. It is the height of the flu epidemic and pregnant women who have the flu are quarantined together. Life goes on as babies are born and solutions found in spite of an understaffed hospital. It rings very true considering our own world pandemic at the present time.”

“The twelve Black British women who are the central characters in Bernardine Evaristo's GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER are so vastly different that when their connections are slowly revealed, like a spider web you didn't see until the light hits it just so, you'll settle in and become entranced. I loved this deep dive into a part of British culture that isn't often depicted. The form is unusual but once you give yourself over to it, you'll see why it works. I particularly loved the last part of the book which reminded me of enjoying a long leisurely meal and still leaving room for the perfect dessert. The ending was terribly satisfying. Highly recommend.”

“This book was adorable. Liz is a badass Black, queer female who should be an inspiration to all teens. The way that she navigates her identity is beautiful and, at times, heartbreaking.”

“'Because maybe what really matters isn’t whether something is true, or false. Maybe what matters is the story itself; what kinds of doors it opens, what kinds of dreams it brings.' This book was so good and paradigm shifting. It turns real life experience and hard, tragic ones at that (in this case, of being a trans girl of color who leaves home and tries to make a life for herself in the city, with its violence), into a beautiful, haunting fable. Once Upon a Time...”

“I listened to this on libro.fm and loved every second! Lovable cast of characters and super sweet love story. This book put a smile on my face and makes me smile when I talk about it with other people.”

“Something to Talk About is an incredible debut about a Hollywood showrunner, Jo, and her assistant, Emma, who realize the tabloids may be correct in thinking there is something romantic between the two of them. The slowest of slow-burn romances in the best possible way, Something to Talk About touches on the #MeToo movement, the meaning of consent, and what it means to be a powerful woman in Hollywood.”

“This is the novel John Boyne was born to write: A brilliant book of identity and redemption, both heartbreaking and humorous, intimate and expansive. Cyril Avery has been constantly reminded he doesn't belong, first by his adopted parents, then by the church and his country. As we follow him on his journey to acceptance, we are shown the cruelty of fate and the surprising kindness of ordinary people. Boyne perfectly constructs every story told, unveiling the humor and hypocrisy of humanity in each character and illuminating how the arc of Cyril's story is also the arc of modern times. An amazing feat from the first page to the last.”

“Pacing and timing set this alternate-world story apart: tension rises as political factions conflict and family trust dissolves, empowerment is hard to find and much, much harder to navigate, religion unwillingly provides narratives used to excuse economic injustice, a border wall looms higher in imagination (and fear) than in reality, and in the middle of it all, Daniela might - might - be falling in love, but is constantly confused by loyalties hiding behind other loyalties. The setting includes an apparently Latin American nation (not real), a religion (also not real), and queer teens (very real). But the stereotypes and glib fantasizing of popular dystopias are absent. The supposedly obligatory pointed allegory isn't there. The pressure to build a world like other worlds must have been enormous for newcomer Mejia, but the author doesn't cave to that pressure. That gives the book an exceptional power. It's a believable, frightening nail-biter of a coming of age story set in a time like our own, when the desire for justice and the desire for love conflict in the minds of young people everywhere.”

“The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee was truly a pleasure to hear! A deliciously dry sense of humor pervades this tale of English landed gentry making a tour of the Continent in the 1800s. However, this is no ordinary tour and these no ordinary lords. Unrequited love among the two male protagonists, a racial twist, parental abuse, maladies with no cures and more pervade this fast paced, adventurous novel complete with highwaymen, dukes, alchemy and pirates (sort of). Impossible to stop listening and extremely entertaining!”

“Some books change you, fundamentally alter something about who you are, how you think, how you feel. Whether it's a new feeling, or that they've opened your eyes to a part of yourself that you weren't aware of, I'm not sure, but what I do know is that Call Me By Your Name was, for me, one of those books. Even through the adolescent language and intensity of the protagonist, or perhaps because of it, this book made me feel something entirely new, or helped me to feel something old in a new way. It takes you back to the intense feelings of longing, of youthful attraction and obsession, and somehow does so both with bluntness and incredible prose. This was my second read (listen) of Call Me By Your Name, and it meant something more and something different this time through, and I imagine that this is that kind of book. The kind that no matter how many times I read it will become something new and something differently important upon every read.”

“People will often refer to a book as one that’s ‘unlike anything they’ve ever read before,’ but for maybe the first time in my reading life, I can honestly say that about K.M. Szpara’s Docile. This erotic speculative science fiction novel takes place in a frighteningly plausible future where people become ‘dociles’ — essentially indentured slaves working off debt — and explores themes of consent, capitalism, and the abuse cycle. A visceral reading experience that will challenge, confront, titillate, and disgust, Docile feels like a book we will be talking about for decades.”