LGBTQ Literature

From Christopher Isherwood's enduring 20th-century classic Goodbye to Berlin to contemporary titles like Janet Mock's Redefining Realness, the titles in this study guide collection explore a range of ideas, issues, genres, and forms that speak to the LGBTQ community.

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Class, Identity: GenderTags Modern Classic Fiction, Indian Literature, LGBTQ

A Burning by Megha Majumdar is a contemporary fiction novel that explores issues of tribalism, community, social media, and how we get ahead in a harsh world. Although the book takes place in India, its reflections on hope, humanity, and society are recognizable to all readers. The novel follows the interconnected narratives of Jivan, Lovely, and PT Sir after a terrorist attack in India. Jivan and Lovely’s chapters are narrated in first person with dialect... Read A Burning Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: FriendshipTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2014Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: ImmigrationTags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Biography

A Cup of Water Under My Bed is Daisy Hernández’s 2014 coming-of-age story that centers the intersection of race, class, gender, and sexuality. The book received Lambda Literary’s Dr. Betty Berzon Emerging Writer Award in 2015. Hernández was also awarded the IPPY Award (Independent Publisher Book Award) for best coming-of-age memoir, and the book was a finalist for the Publishing Triangle Award. This memoir highlights the complicated dynamics that shape race, class, gender, and sexual... Read A Cup of Water Under My Bed Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, LGBTQ, Addiction / Substance Abuse

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Sports, Relationships, Children's Literature

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: DisabilityTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Drama / Tragedy, Relationships, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Depression / Suicide, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: AgingTags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Biography

Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: FamilyTags Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Humor

Publication year 2004Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: GuiltTags Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, LGBTQ

Almost, Maine is a play in two acts, and is comprised of a prologue, a four-scene first act, an interlogue, a four-scene second act (one of which has two different versions one can choose from), and finally an Epilogue. The title refers to an imagined town in Northern Maine, named Almost, that the playwright, John Cariani, writes, “doesn’t quite exist” (11). Each scene consists of at least two main characters, and, aside from the Prologue... Read Almost, Maine Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality

A Map of Home is a 2008 coming-of-age novel by Randa Jarrar. The novel follows the life of Nidali, a girl of Palestinian, Greek, and Egyptian descent who grows up between Kuwait, Egypt, and the United States. The novel contains three parts, each of which correspond to Nidali’s time in these three different countries. During her childhood, Nidali navigates extreme circumstances, grappling with violence, family conflict, and the backdrop of war, all while exploring her... Read A Map of Home Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & BetrayalTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Edwardian Era

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: RaceTags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, LGBTQ, History: World

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: WarTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: FameTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a 2018 novel by American video blogger Hank Green. Told in the first and second person, this speculative fiction follows a young woman after her video of what she believes to be a robot art installation goes viral. Her addiction to attention and the revelation that the Carl is an alien examines the consequences of fame and the nature of humanity when faced with the presence of aliens.Plot Summary While walking... Read An Absolutely Remarkable Thing Summary


Publication year 1987Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: CommunityTags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World, LGBTQ, Politics / Government

And The Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic is a work of investigative reporting by Randy Shilts, a reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle. Shilts covered the AIDS epidemic from 1982 for the only newspaper willing to give its full attention to the epidemic. Shilts examines the roots of AIDS beginning in 1976 to two events and focuses on the mysterious illness of a Danish physician working in Africa, Dr. Grethe Rask. Before... Read And The Band Played On Summary


Publication year 1993Genre Play, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Play: Drama, LGBTQ, History: U.S.

Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by the American playwright Tony Kushner is an epic story that spans two plays – Millennium Approaches, first produced in 1991, and Perestroika, which debuted in 1992. The entire two-part work premiered on Broadway in 1993. Angels in America is Kushner’s most well-known work and is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most significant American plays of the 20th century. Angels in America... Read Angels in America Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & AngerTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ

Mark Oshiro’s 2018 debut novel Anger Is a Gift is a work of contemporary fiction for young adults exploring the realities of police brutality and racist oppression people of color experience in America. This study guide uses the 2018 edition published by Tor (ISBN: 978-1-250-16702-6). Oshiro is a queer author of color, and this novel seeks to highlight the racial divide in America. He shows through this book that there is no universal American experience... Read Anger Is a Gift Summary


Publication year 1962Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Love / Sexuality, Depression / Suicide, Relationships, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Social Justice, American Literature, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Fantasy

An Unkindness of Ghosts is a 2017 science fiction/dystopian novel by Rivers Solomon set on a generation starship called Matilda, the political and labor organization of which resembles the antebellum American South. The ship left the ruins of Earth more than 300 years ago, heading towards a destination now forgotten by its residents. Most of the story is told from the perspective of Aster Grey, a resident of the “lower decks” who, like her neighbors... Read An Unkindness of Ghosts Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags African Literature, Education, Education, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 2020Genre Memoir in Verse, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Identity: IndigenousTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, LGBTQ, Biography

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Society: CommunityTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ

Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Poetry: Dramatic Poem

Publication year 2021Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: GratitudeTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction

Publication year 2012Genre Graphic Novel/Book, NonfictionTags Psychology, Psychology, LGBTQ, Biography

Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama is a graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel and the winner of the 2013 Judy Grahn Award for Lesbian Nonfiction. It is the follow-up to Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, which focuses on Bechdel’s sexual awakening and her relationship with her closeted bisexual father. Are You My Mother? interweaves memoir, dream interpretation, psychoanalysis, and literature to examine Bechdel’s complicated relationship with her mother.Plot SummaryThe non-linear narrative of Are You... Read Are You My Mother? Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Relationships, Bullying, Parenting, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz is a young adult fiction novel published in 2012. The novel won a Lambda Literary Award, a Pura Belpre Award, and a Stonewall Book Award. It was also named a Printz Honor Book and has achieved popularity on BookTok. Told from a first-person point of view, the book is a work of realistic fiction set in El Paso, Texas, in the late... Read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: RaceTags Romance, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags LGBTQ, Romance, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1964Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Depression / Suicide, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Natural World: Climate, Identity: Language, Identity: IndigenousTags Fantasy, Magical Realism, LGBTQ

Publication year 2000Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Health / Medicine, Gender / Feminism, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, LGBTQ, Biography

John Colapinto’s 1999 book As Nature Made Him is an expansion of his award-winning 1997 Rolling Stone article on the medical scandal surrounding David Reimer. David, raised as Brenda under the auspices of famous sexologist and child psychiatrist Dr. John Money, transitions back to a male gender identity during his teenage years. After Dr. Milton Diamond reveals the failure of Money’s theory of gender neutrality at birth, David’s story raises serious questions in the medical... Read As Nature Made Him Summary


Publication year 1956Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Nation, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, Arts / Culture, The Beat Generation, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

“A Supermarket in California” is a prose poem by the American poet Allen Ginsberg. Written in 1955, it appears alongside Ginsberg’s most well-known work, “Howl,” in his book Howl and Other Poems. Published November 1, 1956 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s City Lights Books as part of their Pocket Poets Series, Howl and Other Poems was subject to an obscenity trial in 1957 due to its use of sexually explicit language. The trial eventually ruled in the... Read A Supermarket in California Summary


Publication year 1998Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags LGBTQ, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Anne Carson's Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse reimagines the myth of Herakles and Geryon, the red winged monster whom Herakles slays in his tenth labor. Carson bases her version on fragments of the epic poem by Ancient Greek poet Stesichoros. Stesichoros' version of Herakles' tenth labor is unique in that it is told not from Herakles' perspective, but from "Geryon's own experience" (6). Using this as inspiration, Carson retells Geryon and Herakles' story... Read Autobiography Of Red Summary


Publication year 1992Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Southern Literature, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Bastard out of Carolina is a 1992 semi-autobiographical novel by American writer Dorothy Allison. It was a finalist for the National Book Award and was adapted for film in 1996. Set in Greenville County, South Carolina, where the author herself grew up in the 1950s, it chronicles the childhood and adolescence of Ruth Anne “Bone” Boatwright against the backdrop of poverty, class-based discrimination, and both physical and sexual abuse. Like much of Allison’s work, Bastard... Read Bastard Out Of Carolina Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Psychology, Psychology, Biography

Becoming Nicole, a nonfiction book by Washington Post journalist Amy Ellis Nutt, tells the story of Nicole Maines, a transgender girl who fights for acceptance in her family, at her school, and beyond. Published in 2015, the book chronicles Nicole’s early years as a boy named Wyatt, her adoption of a female name, a lawsuit involving her right to use the girls’ restroom at school, and her relationships with family and friends. Nutt also shows how... Read Becoming Nicole Summary


Publication year 1993Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Latin American Literature, LGBTQ, History: World, Biography

The autobiography of Cuban novelist and poet Reinaldo Arenas, Before Night Falls, details his life as a gay man under Fidel Castro’s regime and the consequences of his dissidence. It was published posthumously in 1993. Immediately named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, it has since been adapted into a movie and, later, an opera. Before Night Falls tells the story of Arenas’s life growing up in a... Read Before Night Falls Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self DiscoveryTags Realistic Fiction, Humor, LGBTQ, Music, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Content Warning: Better Nate Than Ever contains sensitive material, such as bullying and LGBTQ-related slurs.Better Nate Than Ever (2013) is the first book in a trilogy about Broadway hopeful Nate Foster; the next two titles in the series are Five, Six, Seven, Nate! (2014) and Nate Expectations (2018). The novel is intended for middle grade and young adult readers but may also appeal to adult fans of theater-related fiction. Author Tim Federle and the fictional... Read Better Nate Than Ever Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Self DiscoveryTags LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Gender / Feminism, Biography

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: SexualityTags LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Romance, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2019Genre Anthology/Varied Collection, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Society: CommunityTags Race / Racism, LGBTQ, Diversity, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags LGBTQ, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Fantasy

Marlon James’s Black Leopard, Red Wolf (2019) is a dark fantasy novel. It’s the first title in his Dark Star Trilogy, and a fusion of conventional epic storytelling, oral tradition, and creative folklore. A finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction, as well as one of Washington Post’s Top Ten Books of 2019, this novel had its film rights purchased only weeks after publication.Plot SummaryAn interrogation frames the story: Tracker, a mercenary, recounts his... Read Black Leopard, Red Wolf Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Romance, LGBTQ, African American Literature, New Adult, Love / Sexuality, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Relationships: Friendship, Society: CommunityTags LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionTags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Historical Fiction, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

Publication year 1918Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: BeautyTags Modernism, Education, Education, History: World, Romance, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

“Bliss” is a short story written by New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield. It was originally published in 1918 in The English Review and later republished in 1920 as a collection of short stories entitled Bliss and Other Stories. Katherine Mansfield was a contemporary of British writers such as Virginia Woolf (Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando), D. H. Lawrence (Sons and Lovers, Women in Love), and James Joyce (Ulysses, Dubliners). As a Modernist story, “Bliss” focuses on the... Read Bliss Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Siblings, Self DiscoveryTags Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 1993Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: SexualityTags Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Friendship, Society: CommunityTags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

Publication year 1987Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionTags Creative Nonfiction, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Philosophy, Philosophy

Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldúa presents the US-Mexico border as a space ripe for sociocultural, psychological, and historical deconstruction. Speaking from her own experiences growing up in South Texas, Anzaldúa redefines the boundaries between practice and theory, personal history and cultural critique, poetry and prose. Writing in both Spanish and English (and omitting translations at times), Anzaldúa writes as a Chicana woman, in the Chicano language, envisioning a new consciousness borne out... Read Borderlands La Frontera Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Disability, Relationships: Family, Relationships: FriendshipTags Disability, Psychology, LGBTQ, Science / Nature, Psychology, Mental Illness, Biography

Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant is Daniel Tammet’s memoir and his first published book. In it, he recalls his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood leading up to the point in his life when he became independent with a partner and a career. Born on a Blue Day was a New York Times best seller following its publication in 2006.Tammet is, as identified in the subtitle, an autistic savant... Read Born on a Blue Day Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionTags Romance, LGBTQ, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Class, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: WarTags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Military / War, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Irish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Breakfast on Pluto is a novel by the distinguished Irish writer Patrick McCabe, who is known for his experimental style and controversial themes. First published in 1998, the book contains elements of fantasy and historical fiction. It presents the narrative of “the life and times” of Patrick Braden, a transgender person growing up in Ireland and London during the 1960s and 1970s. Through Braden’s journey of self-discovery, McCabe portrays a country amid turbulent political, national... Read Breakfast on Pluto Summary


Publication year 1945Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Historical Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction, British Literature, LGBTQ

Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memoirs of Captain Charles Ryder (1945) is the ninth published novel by British novelist Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh, who published under “Evelyn Waugh.” It chronicles the life and relationships of Charles Ryder, particularly his complex friendship with the aristocratic Flyte family, during the interwar period in England. The novel was an immediate success, and, despite his later dislike, Waugh referred to it as his “magnum opus.” It has been... Read Brideshead Revisited Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gender / Feminism, History: U.S., Incarceration, Internet Culture / Social Media, Journalism, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Politics / Government, Psychology, Relationships, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Crime / Legal, History: World

Publication year 1997Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Romance, LGBTQ, Western, Modern Classic Fiction

“Brokeback Mountain,” by award-winning American author Annie Proulx, addresses themes of Masculine Sexuality and the Forbidden Love of Queer Romance, The Inescapable Effects and Momentum of Poverty, and Powerlessness and Loss of Hope. Like much of Proulx’s work, the story includes a strong sense of place. Wyoming’s unforgiving landscape figures prominently in “Brokeback Mountain,” and the film adaptation by the same name received acclaim for its cinematography as well as its unapologetic portrayal of queer... Read Brokeback Mountain Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Society: ImmigrationTags LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Immigration / Refugee, Biography

Publication year 2007Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: LanguageTags Romance, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction

IntroductionCall Me By Your Name by André Aciman is a piece of literary fiction in the subgenres of romance literature and queer literature. Published in 2007, the novel became a bestseller, received positive critical reception, and won the 2008  Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction. The 2017 film adaptation of Call Me By Your Name, directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer, won, among other accolades, the Academy Award for Best... Read Call Me By Your Name Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Fantasy, LGBTQ

Carmilla is a Gothic novella in which a young woman named Laura details her relationship with a vampire in the form of a young woman named Carmilla. The first event that Laura details in the novella is an episode from her childhood: a six-year-old Laura is attempting to sleep when she is visited by a mysterious young lady (later revealed to be the vampire Carmilla, or at least a representation of Carmilla) who bites her... Read Carmilla Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags Fantasy, Romance, Parody, LGBTQ, Class, Education, Love / Sexuality, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

Published in 2015, Rainbow Rowell’s young-adult fantasy novel Carry On: The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a spinoff of her young-adult novel Fangirl (2013) and the first book of the Simon Snow trilogy.Carry On, which was awarded a place on the Rainbow Project Book List in 2016, examines themes of love, power, and free will. Simon Snow is the Chosen One of a magical world. During his eighth and final year at the... Read Carry On Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: GenderTags LGBTQ, Fantasy, Grief / Death, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Diversity, Religion / Spirituality, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Publication year 1996Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: ColonialismTags Colonialism / Postcolonialism, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism

Cereus Blooms at Night (1996) is the first novel-length work of fiction written by Shani Mootoo, a Canadian author who was born in Ireland and grew up on the island nation of Trinidad. The novel was originally published in Canada and received critical acclaim there and internationally. It was a finalist for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and the Giller Prize and was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize. Mootoo is also a visual artist... Read Cereus Blooms At Night Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fame, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental HealthTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Satire, LGBTQ, Black Lives Matter, Business / Economics, Grief / Death, History: U.S., Incarceration, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Social Justice, Fantasy

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: CommunityTags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: World, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1816Genre Poem, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Natural World: Place, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: BeautyTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Love / Sexuality, LGBTQ, Religion / Spirituality, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gothic Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a key figure in the British Romantic Era of poetry wrote the Gothic narrative poem “Christabel” in two parts, the first in 1797, and the second in 1800. Though it was still unfinished, “Christabel” was published in 1816.“Christabel” is Coleridge’s longest poem, at almost 700 lines. It is also the least edited of Coleridge’s work. Most of the poem contrasts the innocent piety of Christabel with the experience and supernatural abilities of... Read Christabel Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Fairy Tale / Folklore

Publication year 2007Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Romance, Action / Adventure, Class, Love / Sexuality, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Grief / Death

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2007) is the first in the Mortal Instruments series of young adult urban fantasy novels, followed by City of Ashes. The book follows a seemingly ordinary 15-year-old girl as she learns she is descended from an ancient race of demon hunters. City of Bones is a New York Times bestseller and inspired several media adaptations, including a graphic novel of the same name (3rd World... Read City of Bones Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Romance, LGBTQ, Relationships, Depression / Suicide, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 1976Genre Poem, FictionTags Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, African American Literature, LGBTQ

Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Education, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Relationships, LGBTQ, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1949Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: MasculinityTags LGBTQ, Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, History: World

Confessions of a Mask is a novel by Yukio Mishima, first published in Japan in 1949. The novel takes place during and immediately after World War II and centers on the struggles of a young man named Kochan. It has significant elements of the coming-of-age (bildungsroman) and queer literature genres, as Kochan is a closeted gay man trying to navigate his complex inner life and sexuality in contrast with his carefully controlled outer persona. The... Read Confessions of a Mask Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: CommunityTags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Class, Incarceration, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Social Justice, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: World

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: FriendshipTags Romance, LGBTQ, Irish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Conversations with Friends is Irish writer Sally Rooney’s debut novel, published in 2017. Rooney wrote the novel when she was 25 and followed it up quickly with Normal People in 2018 and Beautiful World, Where Are You in 2021. All three works have garnered award nominations and the first two have been adapted into television series. Conversations with Friends tells the story of Frances and Bobbi— college students, best friends, and former girlfriends—and Nick and... Read Conversations with Friends Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Romance

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

Darius the Great Is Not Okay is a coming-of-age novel by Iranian American writer Adib Khorram. Originally published in 2018 by Dial Books, the novel echoes Khorram’s experiences growing up in a multiethnic family with a history of mental illnesses. The book, which is Khorram’s first, won the William C. Morris YA Debut Award in 2019 and is a popular BookTok read. A sequel entitled Darius the Great Deserves Better was published in August 2020. Content... Read Darius the Great Is Not Okay Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: War, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: FamilyTags Western, Historical Fiction, Military / War, LGBTQ, American Civil War, Race / Racism, History: World, Irish Literature

Days Without End (2016) is a novel by Irish author Sebastian Barry. Days Without End is Barry’s ninth novel and received considerable critical acclaim. The novel won the 2017 Walter Scott Prize, was listed at number 74 on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best books of the 21st century (2019 edition), and made BBC News’s 2019 list of the 100 most influential novels. The novel also won the 2016 Costa Book Award, making Barry... Read Days Without End Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionTags Immigration / Refugee, Race / Racism, LGBTQ, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Biography

Dear America—Notes of an Undocumented Citizen is a collection of essays written by Jose Antonio Vargas, published in 2018. The book relates the author’s struggle of coming to the United States from the Philippines in an illegal manner and growing up in America without the full documentation that would have made him a legal immigrant.As a 12-year-old boy in the Philippines, the author is surprised by his mother one morning. She rushes him to the... Read Dear America Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

Dear Evan Hansen is a novel published in 2018. It was written by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul. The authors adapted the novel from the original Broadway musical of the same name, which they also wrote. The musical premiered in July 2015 in Washington, DC, debuted on Broadway in 2016, and later won six Tony Awards in 2017, including Best Musical. This guide refers to the Poppy/Little, Brown, and Company edition... Read Dear Evan Hansen Summary


Publication year 1912Genre Novella, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: BeautyTags Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, German Literature, History: World, Education, Education, Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture

Death in Venice (1912) is a novella by celebrated German author Thomas Mann (1875-1955). The story follows Gustav von Aschenbach, a successful but aging writer who travels to Venice seeking inspiration and respite. There, he becomes infatuated with Tadzio, an exceptionally beautiful young boy whose ethereal presence awakens a profound and dangerous longing in Aschenbach. As Venice succumbs to a cholera epidemic, Aschenbach’s obsession leads to his downfall.Mann, the recipient of the 1929 Nobel Prize... Read Death in Venice Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Self DiscoveryTags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Humor, LGBTQ

Publication year 2010Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: GenderTags Sociology, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, LGBTQ

Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference, also known as Delusions of Gender: The Real Science Behind Sex Differences, is a 2010 work of feminist nonfiction by British psychologist and philosopher Dr. Cordelia Fine. Through an intensive but accessible review of neurological and sociological studies, the book debunks the idea that men and women have different brains. Nominated for numerous awards upon its publication, it went on to become a bestseller... Read Delusions of Gender Summary


Publication year 1905Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags LGBTQ, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gender / Feminism, History: World, LGBTQ

Desert Blood: The Juárez Murders is a 2005 thriller by American novelist, poet, and essayist Alicia Gaspar de Alba. The novel takes place in 1998 when Juárez, Mexico is experiencing a spate of brutal killings of poor young women and girls, mostly factory workers. The protagonist, Ivon Villa, is a women’s studies professor from Los Angeles who returns to her hometown of El Paso, Texas—just across the border from Juárez—to adopt a baby. When the... Read Desert Blood Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Identity: GenderTags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2020Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, History: World

Publication year 1973Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: GenderTags Gender / Feminism, Lyric Poem, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), American Literature, History: World, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

“Diving into the Wreck” is the title poem of Adrienne Rich’s 1973 National Book Award-winning collection. A 94-line, ten stanza free verse poem, the work encompasses Rich’s thematic concerns of radical feminism and art and examines how gender functions within the larger context of culture, literature, and oral tradition.Rich’s mid-career poem came about during a period of intense change in her life. While her earlier poems had been more traditional in form and topic, over... Read Diving into the Wreck Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionTags Humor, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, LGBTQ

Drama is a young adult graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier published in 2012. It is Telgemeier’s third book and her first fiction graphic novel—her first two were autobiographical. Drama is critically acclaimed and spent 240 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. This guide refers to the 2012 edition by Scholastic/Graphix.Plot SummaryCallie Marin is a seventh-grader at Eucalyptus Middle School. She has long, purple-dyed hair and likes to wear the color green. She also... Read Drama Summary


Publication year 2003Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Humor, LGBTQ, Psychology, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Psychology, Mental Illness, Biography

Publication year 1593Genre Play, FictionTags Classic Fiction, Elizabethan Era, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ

Christopher Marlowe published the Elizabethan play Edward II in 1593, basing it on the life of the English king of the same name. The play, for the most part, is an accurate depiction of Edward II’s tragic reign and demise. It is highly stylized, however, according to the theatrical traditions of the time. Edward II is notable for its clever treatment of the homosexual relationship between the king and Gaveston, his consort. Over five acts... Read Edward II Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Indigenous, Relationships: FamilyTags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, LGBTQ, Magical Realism, Action / Adventure, Grief / Death, Race / Racism, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1990Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: SexualityTags LGBTQ, Education, Education, Gender / Feminism, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Philosophy

Epistemology of the Closet, published in 1990 in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, is a seminal work of queer studies by intellectual and activist Eve Sedgwick. The book bridges the gap between theory and practice by analyzing homoerotic relationships in literary and philosophical history, thereby calling social and political attention to a systemically marginalized group. The text is a progression of the analysis in Sedgwick’s previous work on homosocial relationships, Between Men: English Literature... Read Epistemology of the Closet Summary


Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, LGBTQ, Religion / Spirituality

Every Day is the 2012 young adult novel by David Levithan (Two Boys Kissing, Will Grayson, Will Grayson). The protagonist of this teen fantasy, who is referred to as “A,” is a 16-year old with a very strange life. Every day “he” wakes up in the body of a new person. One of the only things that remains consistent is that A is always A, no matter the body. A has their own thoughts and... Read Every Day Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Love / Sexuality, Religion / Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1999Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Disability

Publication year 1996Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Self Discovery, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: FearTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Magical Realism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, Music, Religion / Spirituality, Race / Racism, History: World, Canadian Literature

Fall on Your Knees (1996), first-time novelist Ann-Marie MacDonald’s ambitious multigenerational family saga set in the early decades of the 20th century, moves from the bleak coastal towns of Canada’s Cape Breton Island to the bustling New York City of the Jazz Era. Recalling both the psychological richness of William Faulkner’s family sagas set in Yoknapatawpha County and the dark passions in the Gothic tales of Flannery O’Connor, Fall on Your Knees follows three very... Read Fall on your Knees Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: SiblingsTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Parenting, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2023Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: MothersTags Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Play: Drama, LGBTQ, Humor

Publication year 1990Genre Play, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: GenderTags Play: Drama, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Disability, LGBTQ, Modernism, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction

Fefu and her Friends is a play by Cuban American playwright Maria Irene Fornés. It premiered in 1977 at the Relativity Media Lab, a small venue on New York’s Lower East Side. Set in 1935 New England, the play concerns a group of women who knew one another in college and gather for a reunion as adults. Within six months, Fefu was produced off-Broadway at the American Place Theatre, earning Fornés her second Obie Award... Read Fefu and Her Friends Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags LGBTQ, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Magical Realism, Asian Literature, Gender / Feminism, Fantasy

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: FamilyTags Romance, LGBTQ

Publication year 2002Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: SexualityTags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, LGBTQ, Gothic Literature, Victorian Period, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, History: World, Romance

A thrilling tale of thievery, betrayal, and mistaken identity, Fingersmith, by Welsh author Sarah Waters, tells the story of two women from two very different stations of life whose fates are inextricably linked. Set in the 1860s, Fingersmith is narrated alternately by Sue Smith (also known as Sue Trinder) and Maud Lilly. One is a young “fingersmith”—slang for a thief—lovingly protected from the worst of her world by Mrs. Sucksby; the other is an aristocratic... Read Fingersmith Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: CommunityTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, LGBTQ, African American Literature, Biography

Fire Shut Up in My Bones by the American author Charles M. Blow was published in 2014. The book is a nonfiction memoir of his childhood and early adulthood in the American South. Blow is unflinchingly honest in the details of his own abuse and how he carried that abuse with him for years. Blow is an op-ed columnist for the New York Times and an anchor for the Black News Channel. Fire Shut Up... Read Fire Shut Up in My Bones Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & BetrayalTags Fantasy, Spy / Espionage, Romance, LGBTQ

Publication year 2020Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: SexualityTags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction

Frankissstein is a novel by Jeanette Winterson that combines speculative and historical fiction in revisiting Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein. Winterson is a prolific author, known for her explorations of physical reality, gender, sexuality, and identity. Her first novel, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, won the 1985 Whitbread Prize for First Novel, and Frankissstein was longlisted for the 2019 Booker Prize. Winterson is a professor of Creative Writing at the University of Manchester, and... Read Frankissstein Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Fantasy, Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Magical Realism, LGBTQ, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 1987Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Romance, Southern Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Humor, Classic Fiction

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is a 1987 novel by American author and actress Fanny Flagg, who also wrote an award-winning screen adaption of the book. The narrative contains two interconnected stories that unfold several decades apart. The frame narrative, which takes place in Birmingham, Alabama between December 1985 and December 1986, depicts the developing friendship between a middle-aged housewife named Evelyn Couch and an elderly widow named Ninny Threadgoode. As the... Read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Indigenous, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: FriendshipTags Free verse, American Literature, Love / Sexuality, Science / Nature, LGBTQ

Publication year 2006Genre Graphic Memoir , NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Femininity, Identity: MasculinityTags LGBTQ, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Parenting, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Gender / Feminism, Biography

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (2006) is a graphic novel memoir written and illustrated by underground cartoonist Alison Bechdel. The book centers on Bechdel’s relationship with her late father Bruce Allen Bechdel, who died in what she believes was a death by suicide. Fun Home is a non-linear narrative that rehashes events from Alison Bechdel’s youth and adolescence. Her memories are presented in the comic panels, overlayed with her prosaic, retrospective musings in text boxes... Read Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic Summary


Publication year 1994Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, History: World, LGBTQ

First published in 1994, Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai won critical acclaim for its portrayal of a young man’s coming of age as a gay Sri Lankan during the civil war crisis. It won a Lambda Literary Award and the Books in Canada First Novel Award and tackles navigating sexuality, class partisanship, and emigration.Plot SummaryFunny Boy narrates the tale of young Arjie (Arjun) Chelvaratnam, a “funny” boy growing up in an upper-middle-class Sri Lankan home... Read Funny Boy Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: FamilyTags LGBTQ, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces (2014) is a young adult fiction novel by Southern Californian writer Isabel Quintero. It is a bildungsroman following Gabi’s transition to adulthood, her evolution as a writer, and her growing acceptance of herself. Gabi, A Girl in Pieces is Quintero’s first novel and earned various awards for young adult readers, including the California Book Award (2015 Gold Medal) and the William C. Morris Award for YA Debut Novel. This summary... Read Gabi, a Girl in Pieces Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self DiscoveryTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Sports, LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1994Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: GenderTags History: U.S., LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Sociology, History: World

Publication year 2019Genre Graphic Memoir , NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: FamilyTags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Biography

Publication year 1989Genre Book, NonfictionTags Gender / Feminism, Sociology, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), LGBTQ, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Published in 1990, Judith Butler's Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity is a seminal work in feminism and a foundational work in queer theory. This study guide is based on the 2006 Routledge edition of Butler’s text. Butler's primary aims in the work are to make a case for rejecting an essential female identity as the basis for feminist practice and to come up with an account of gender formation without recourse to... Read Gender Trouble Summary


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Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Genderqueer writer Alex Gino wrote George in response to an unfulfilled, youthful wish for a positive representation of a transgender person. The novel tells the story of ten-year-old George, who is anatomically a boy, but knows she is a girl. George has won the Stonewall Book Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the E.B. White Honor.The novel opens with George sneaking into the bathroom to look at her secret stash of girls’ magazines, concealing them... Read George Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & BetrayalTags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction

Publication year 1956Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: FearTags LGBTQ, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Romance

Giovanni’s Room, originally published in 1956 and now regarded as a classic, is a romantic tragedy written by author and activist James Baldwin. The book follows American protagonist David’s life and relationships in France during the 1950s. David tries to come to terms with his sexuality after falling in love with Giovanni, an Italian barman, but he also seeks the safety of his heterosexual relationship with another American expatriate, Hella. Due to the story’s depiction... Read Giovanni's Room Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Gender / Feminism, Parenting, Psychology, Love / Sexuality, LGBTQ, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Sociology, Psychology, Self Help

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction

Bernardine Evaristo’s polyphonic novel of modern Britain and womanhood, Girl, Woman, Other, won the 2019 Booker Prize. Evaristo was the first Black woman to receive this literary prize for books written in the English language. Employing an experimental, poetic form, the novel follows several generations of mainly Black, British women who interrogate the intersections of identity, Human Connectivity and Interdependence, Diaspora in Great Britain, and The Impact of Family Legacy. Girl, Woman, Other is Evaristo’s... Read Girl, Woman, Other Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: EducationTags Diversity, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Social Justice, Sports

Publication year 1939Genre Novel, FictionTags LGBTQ, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Christopher Isherwood’s novel, Goodbye to Berlin, was first published in 1939. The novel’s narrator, who is also named Christopher Isherwood, recounts his experiences living in Berlin, Germany from 1929 to 1933. Isherwood focuses the novel on the relationships he has with his friends and acquaintances and explores both the beautiful and unseemly parts of the city he calls home, all while the rise of Nazi influence grows steadily in the background.Goodbye to Berlin’s chapters are... Read Goodbye To Berlin Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Graphic Memoir , NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags Race / Racism, Politics / Government, September 11 Attacks, Relationships, LGBTQ, Grief / Death, Parenting, Social Justice, Immigration / Refugee, Biography

Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Relationships, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Arts / Culture, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure

Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Community, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Half Bad (March 2014) is the debut novel of author Sally Green. It is also the first book in a trilogy of the same name. The book became an instant bestseller because of its similarity to the Harry Potter series. Green followed Half Bad with Half Wild (2015) and Half Lost (2016). The Half Bad trilogy was eventually produced as the Netflix series entitled The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself. It ran for one... Read Half Bad Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Mental HealthTags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction

Publication year 2018Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Romance, LGBTQ, Bullying, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2019Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self DiscoveryTags Romance, LGBTQ

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Self DiscoveryTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 2017Genre Short Story Collection, FictionTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, LGBTQ

Her Body and Other Parties is a short story collection published in October of 2017 by debut author Carmen Maria Machado. The collection, which moves between the genres of fantasy, horror, and satire, was shortlisted for the 2017 National Book Award Fiction Prize and the International Dylan Thomas Prize. It won the 2018 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction, the Shirley Jackson Award, the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Prize, and the Bard Fiction... Read Her Body and Other Parties Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

Highly Illogical Behavior is the third Young Adult novel by John Corey Whaley, a former teacher turned full time YA novelist. Published in 2016, Highly Illogical Behavior was named an NPR Best Book of 2016, a Chicago Public Library Best Teen Fiction of 2016, among other accolades. Published by SPEAK, an imprint of Penguin Random House, this novel represents the Young Adult fiction genre often referred to as “Teen Fiction.” Like many YA novels, Highly... Read Highly Illogical Behavior Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self DiscoveryTags Romance, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2023Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: FriendshipTags Romance, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: SexualityTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Publication year 1956Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags The Beat Generation, Lyric Poem, Mental Illness, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Social Justice, American Literature, Education, Education, History: World, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

American Beat-era poet Allen Ginsberg began writing “Howl” as a private recollection for friends, though he later published the long poem in his 1956 book Howl and Other Poems. Also known as “Howl: For Carl Solomon,” the poem cemented Ginsberg’s status as a prophet-poet in the romantic literature vein of Walt Whitman and William Blake (two major influences). “Footnote for Howl,” written in 1955, is the final portion, though it’s not always included with the... Read Howl Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Identity: RaceTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Western, Race / Racism, Immigration / Refugee, History: World, LGBTQ

Publication year 2017Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Biography

Content Warning: Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body describes and references rape and sexual violence, emotional abuse, and verbal abuse.Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body (2017) is a memoir by Roxane Gay that addresses the emotional, physical, and psychological effects of sexual assault—and how they tie into self-image. Though Gay’s memoir centers her body, food, and self-image, she also confronts society’s fatphobia—the world’s unwillingness to accept fat people as they are due to assumptions about... Read Hunger Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Language, Natural World: Climate, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Survival Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism

Hurricane Child is a middle-grade debut novel by Kacen Callender. The realistic fantasy and coming-of-age book was published in March 2018 by Scholastic Press and received the Stonewall Book Award and the Lambda Literary Award in 2019. (While the author’s name on the cover is Kheryn, they are trans and prefer to be called Kacen.) Callender was born in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, where Hurricane Child is set. Kacen is a queer Black writer... Read Hurricane Child Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Mental Illness, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: FathersTags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Relationships, Depression / Suicide, Bullying, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Meredith Russo’s 2016 young adult novel, If I Was Your Girl, focuses on the experiences of Amanda, an 18-year-old trans girl going through her senior year in a new school.A few critics point out what Russo herself acknowledges in an author’s note that follows the text: the novel glosses over some of the obstacles faced by most trans teens—the protagonist has no issues passing, is able to get gender-confirming surgery at a very young age... Read If I Was Your Girl Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Romance, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Magical Realism, Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction

I’ll Give You the Sun (2015) is an award-winning novel penned by Jandy Nelson about relationships, art, and destiny. It follows the story of twins Noah and Jude Sweetwine who once shared a close relationship but find themselves barely speaking to each other two years after their mother’s death.Jandy Nelson is an American author who writes young adult fiction. I’ll Give You the Sun is her second novel, which won numerous awards and honors, including... Read I'll Give You the Sun Summary


Publication year 1978Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Language, Identity: Mental HealthTags Health / Medicine, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Disability, History: World, LGBTQ, Philosophy

Susan Sontag’s 1978 book Illness as Metaphor is an 87-page work of critical theory exploring the language we use to describe disease and its victims. The work was originally published in the New York Review of Books as three long-form essays. Sontag wrote Illness as Metaphor while undergoing treatment for breast cancer, though not mentioned in the text. This genre—critical theoretical examinations of social and cultural events or phenomena—was where Sontag established her reputation. Illness... Read Illness As Metaphor Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Society: Immigration, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Play: Drama, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Jewish Literature, Gender / Feminism, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & BetrayalTags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

Publication year 2019Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Arts / Culture, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Biography

Carmen Maria Machado’s memoir In the Dream House chronologizes her experiences in an abusive relationship with a woman. In the Dream House was published in 2019 and won the 2021 Folio Prize and the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Nonfiction. The memoir discusses potential modes for queer representation through the use of multiple narrative techniques. As of 2022, Machado lives in Pennsylvania with her wife and works at the University of Pennsylvania.This guide is... Read In the Dream House Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ, Fairy Tale / Folklore

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Race, Identity: Mental HealthTags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Race / Racism, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Gender / Feminism, African American Literature, Post-War Era, Southern Literature, History: World, LGBTQ

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Midlife, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & BetrayalTags Romance, Humor, LGBTQ, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Self DiscoveryTags LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction

The novel Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead was originally published in 2018 by Arsenal Pulp Press. Whitehead, a queer Indigenous writer from Peguis Frist Nation, uses the auto-fictional character of Jonny to explore the intersections of LGBTQ+ and Indigenous identity. The novel was a 2021 Canada Reads Winner and the winner of a Lambda Literary Award. It was also a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year and longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.This... Read Jonny Appleseed Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, American Literature

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags History: World, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mythology, LGBTQ, Indian Literature

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Magical Realism, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Fantasy, Gender / Feminism, Romance, LGBTQ, Action / Adventure

Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: ColonialismTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Animals, Love / Sexuality, LGBTQ, History: World, Historical Fiction, Canadian Literature

Publication year 1976Genre Novel, FictionTags Latin American Literature, Education, Education, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

In Manuel Puig’s novel Kiss of the Spider Woman, Luis Alberto Molina, a hairdresser, and Valentin Arregui Paz, a Marxist revolutionary, are roommates in a Buenos Aires prison from September to October of 1975. Without the use of a narrative voice, Puig uses dialogue, prison reports, and stream-of-consciousness to tell the story. The majority of the novel is written in dialogue.Molina, serving eight years for the “corruption of minors” is animated and sociable, unlike Valentin... Read Kiss of the Spider Woman Summary


Publication year 1988Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FriendshipTags Asian Literature, Japanese Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Romance, LGBTQ

Kitchen is the debut novel of Japanese writer Banana Yoshimoto. This short book is a riveting narrative about relationships and how they are tested by extreme circumstances. Kitchen is comprised of two separate stories that are unrelated aside from their focus on interpersonal relationships and the ordeals people endure while on journeys of self-discovery. The overall narrative addresses the themes of death, isolation, and self-forgiveness. By placing its characters in tragic circumstances, the novel investigates... Read Kitchen Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Food, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Self Discovery, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Family, Relationships: FriendshipTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Love / Sexuality, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Publication year 2019Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Friendship, Self DiscoveryTags Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: SexualityTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Relationships, Class, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: MothersTags Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Self Discovery, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: SexualityTags LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Humor

Written by Andrew Sean Greer and published in 2017, Less is a satirical comedy novel. It portrays the journey of Arthur Less, who after a difficult breakup plots a round-the-world trip to better understand himself. It won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.Plot SummaryApproaching 50, Arthur Less sits in a hotel lobby waiting to be picked up for a literary event. He is a writer and will be interviewing another writer, albeit a sci-fi author... Read Less Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The FutureTags LGBTQ, Humor, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1997Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: ImmigrationTags Memoir / Autobiography, Historical Nonfiction, History, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, History: World, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction, Biography

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: GenderTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Romance

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: FriendshipTags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart was originally published in 2016. A coming-of-age novel set in contemporary America, the book tells the stories of two unique and inspiring teenagers who find themselves and each other. Lily and Dunkin was named one of NPR’s Best Kids’ Books of 2016, one of Amazon’s Top 20 Children’s Books of 2016, and one of YALSA’s picks for Best Fiction for Young Adults in 2017. This guide is based on... Read Lily and Dunkin Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Lyric Poem, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality

Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Philosophy, Gender / Feminism, Politics / Government, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Social Justice, Education, Education, LGBTQ, Philosophy

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: GenderTags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ, Bullying, Depression / Suicide, Parenting, Love / Sexuality, Social Justice, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Diversity, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Arts / Culture

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Identity: FemininityTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1971Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: ClassTags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Arts / Culture, Class, Love / Sexuality, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Maurice (1971) is a coming-of-age novel and love story by English author E. M. Forster. Like much of Forster’s work, it straddles the realist and modernist eras; stylistically, it resembles the literature of the 19th century, but its themes—in particular, its depiction of unconscious experience—anticipate the work of writers like Virginia Woolf and D. H. Lawrence. Drafted between 1913 and 1914, it was not published until 1971—one year after Forster’s death—because of its subject matter;... Read Maurice Summary


Publication year 2002Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ

Middlesex is a 2002 novel by Jeffrey Eugenides that tells a multigenerational, epic tale of a Greek family who immigrates to the US. The narrator, Calliope (or Cal) tells the story of how his grandparents, Lefty and Desdemona Stephanides, flee their homeland during a time of war and uncertainty, settling in the US. They harbor a family secret that changes the course of the narrator’s life: They’re brother and sister, and carry a genetic mutation... Read Middlesex Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Colonialism, Identity: GenderTags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags LGBTQ, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

More Happy Than Not (2015) is Adam Silvera’s debut novel. It was well received and marked Silvera’s entrance into the growing field of queer young adult fiction. In the Author’s Note, Silvera speaks about his own sexuality and the difficulty of feeling “wrong” when surrounded by his straight friends. This insight and a deft writing hand have allowed him to produce several books featuring young queer protagonists, such as the acclaimed They Both Die at... Read More Happy Than Not Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: GuiltTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: CommunityTags LGBTQ, Romance, Race / Racism, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: MothersTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Publication year 2017Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: FathersTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Arts / Culture

Publication year 1997Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental HealthTags Humor, LGBTQ, Biography

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Relationships: FriendshipTags Race / Racism, Poverty, LGBTQ, Black Lives Matter, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1936Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: MothersTags Modern Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, LGBTQ, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Nightwood, by Djuna Barnes, was first published in 1936. It tells the story of Robin Vote and the lives of those she becomes entangled with as she struggles with her desires and need for freedom. While set mostly in 1930s Paris, the novel is cosmopolitan in nature, with action also taking place in Vienna, Berlin, and various parts of America. This book is an example of modernist literature from the period between world wars and... Read Nightwood Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Humor, Action / Adventure, Fairy Tale / Folklore

Nimona is a young adult graphic novel created by N. D. Stevenson and published in 2015 by HarperCollins. It is based on Stevenson’s webcomic, also titled Nimona, which was published in 2012 and earned Slate magazine’s 2012 Cartoonist Studio Prize for Best Web Comic of the Year. The graphic novel adaptation also received critical acclaim, earning the 2016 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint and becoming a 2015 National Book Award Finalist.Nimona is a... Read Nimona Summary


Publication year 1987Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: MothersTags Afro-Caribbean Literature, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ

No Telephone to Heaven is the critically-acclaimed 1987 sequel to Michelle Cliff’s first novel, Abeng. This novel continues the semi-autobiographical story of Cliff’s Jamaican-American heroine, Clare Savage. Clare—just as Cliff—was born in Jamaica, moved to New York, and pursued university studies in London.The novel opens with Clare traveling across the Jamaican countryside with a revolutionary resistance group. The group members have settled on farmland formerly owned by Clare’s grandmother. They use this land to grow food... Read No Telephone to Heaven Summary


Publication year 1930Genre Poem, FictionTags Lyric Poem, LGBTQ

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Colonialism, Society: EconomicsTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, History: U.S., Natural Disaster, Parenting, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Publication year 1976Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: LanguageTags Lyric Poem, American Literature, Arts / Culture, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction, Biography

Throughout her life, Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979) suffered many losses. Her father died before her first birthday and her mother entered a mental institution when Bishop was only five, leaving her to the guardianship of maternal and paternal grandparents. Later, Bishop’s lover committed suicide in Brazil, prompting Bishop’s return to the US. “One Art” (1976) alludes to several of these prominent losses, though the poem objectively approaches loss. “One Art” defines loss as a special form... Read One Art Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Raised by his mother, Rose, and his grandmother, Lan, Little Dog grows up in a lower working-class neighborhood of Hartford, Connecticut, beginning in the early 90s. Troubled by loss and abuse, Little Dog, at age 28, decides to write a letter to his illiterate mother, using it as a method of exorcising his demons, exploring the loss and trauma that shaped his and his family’s lives, and the love and beauty that defines their lives... Read On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: GenderTags Romance, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Humor, Magical Realism, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2013Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags LGBTQ, Politics / Government, Immigration / Refugee

Publication year 1985Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family, Relationships: MothersTags LGBTQ, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is the debut novel of Jeannette Winterson, originally published on March 21, 1985 by Pandora Press in London. The story is a semi-autobiographical novel that closely follows the childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood of Jeanette, who, like Winterson, is adopted into a Pentecostal Evangelist household and raised in the church. As she grows, she comes to terms with her sexuality as a lesbian and faces condemnation and judgment from... Read Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit Summary


Publication year 1928Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: GenderTags Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, British Literature, Modernism, History: World, Fantasy

Orlando: A Biography is a novel published in 1928 by the English author Virginia Woolf. It tells the story of Orlando, a member of the English nobility who is born a male in 16th century England. Around the age of 30, Orlando mysteriously changes into a woman and lives for centuries without visibly aging. Author Jeanette Winterson called Orlando “the first trans novel in English.” (Winterson, Jeanette. “’Different sex. Same person’: How Woolf’s Orlando became... Read Orlando Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Language, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Fate, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ, History: World

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Community, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Western, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, American Literature, History: World

Publication year 2023Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Self Discovery, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: FriendshipTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ

Publication year 1929Genre Novel, FictionTags Psychological Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Passing is a riveting novel by African-American writer Nella Larsen. As a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, Larsen’s work often dealt with what it meant to be black in America. One facet of the so-called “Negro problem,” and one that other writers tackled as well, was the concept of “passing,” which entailed black people pretending to be white, in order to avoid discrimination and gain access to the privilege of whiteness... Read Passing Summary


Publication year 1905Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: ClassTags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Depression / Suicide, Finance / Money / Wealth, Education, Education, LGBTQ

Willa Cather’s short story “Paul’s Case” was published in 1905 in McClure's Magazine. In its original iteration, the story was titled “Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament,” but it was later shortened to the current title. The story became a popular one of Cather’s, in part because it was one of the only few that she allowed to be anthologized, but also for the debates over its interpretation. “Paul’s Case” was turned into a TV... Read Paul's Case Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: FamilyTags Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 1988Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: MasculinityTags Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, LGBTQ, Philosophy

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Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, African Literature, Black Lives Matter, Children's Literature, Magical Realism

Akwaeke Emezi’s Pet, published in 2019, is a Speculative Fiction/Fantasy novel intended for Young Adult readers. Named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time, Pet was also a finalist for the 2019 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. The novel received the Stonewall Book Award, which recognizes achievement in LGBTQIA+ literature. Emezi, a non-binary Nigerian Igbo and Tamil writer who uses they/them pronouns, is also the author of two novels... Read Pet Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Arts / Culture, Depression / Suicide, Grief / Death, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction

Picture Us in the Light is a young adult novel written by Kelly Loy Gilbert and published in 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Gilbert is the author of three young adult novels, all of which focus on the young Asian American experience. Picture Us in the Light is written in the first-person perspective of protagonist Danny Cheng, but Gilbert includes flashbacks to China to connect Danny to a past his parents have... Read Picture Us in the Light Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: RaceTags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 2020Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Gender / Feminism, History: World, LGBTQ

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, LGBTQ, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2004Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: War, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Education, Education, Philosophy, Arts / Culture

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Relationships: Teams, Identity: SexualityTags Romance, Sports, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: FriendshipTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: MusicTags Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, LGBTQ

Jacqueline Woodson’s 2019 Red at the Bone is a work of fiction that centers on the coming together of two dissimilar families because of a teen pregnancy. Highly acclaimed and award-winning author Woodson offers a counternarrative to the familiar tale of teenage pregnancy while considering how identity intersects with class, race, sexuality, gender, and history. This study guide was created with the aid of the Riverhead Books 2019 hardback edition. Plot SummaryThe novel opens 80... Read Red at the Bone Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Biography

Redefining Realness is the 2014 memoir of Janet Mock, the editor of People.com who came out in 2011 as a trans woman via a Marie Claire profile. The book is a work of creative nonfiction, chronicling Mock’s trajectory from a lonely and unhappy child who does not feel understood to a fiercely independent and self-motivated young adult. Since her disclosure in 2011, Mock has become a prominent trans advocate who people respect for her honesty... Read Redefining Realness Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags LGBTQ, Romance, Modern Classic Fiction

Red, White & Royal Blue is the debut novel of author Casey McQuiston. When first published in May of 2019, it created an immediate sensation and rose to the top of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists and earned awards from NPR, Kirkus, Library Journal, and others.Red, White & Royal Blue is the story of a gay romance between FSOTUS (First Son of the United States) Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry, a... Read Red, White, and Royal Blue Summary


Publication year 1941Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Mental HealthTags Southern Gothic, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, American Literature, Southern Literature, Classic Fiction

Reflections in a Golden Eye (1941), Carson McCullers’s second novel, is set at an American Southern army base during the 1930s and portrays the lives of six interconnected people who are alienated from themselves and the world in different ways. Though the story involves murder, voyeurism, sadism, self-mutilation, and repressed gay desire, it examines these topics through the filter of quotidian domestic life. Reflections in a Golden Eye is one of the few works of... Read Reflections in a Golden Eye Summary


Publication year 1996Genre Play, FictionTags Poverty, LGBTQ, Drama / Tragedy, Music, Romance

Jonathan Larson, who wrote the book, music, and lyrics, began working on the American rock opera Rent in 1989, when playwright Billy Aronson sought a collaborator for an adaptation of Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Bohème (1896) set in contemporary New York City. Later, Larson completed the project on his own with Aronson’s blessing and credited him for his contributions.Rent was an immediate hit, lauded for broaching the issue of HIV/AIDS, depicting LGBTQ+ identities, and including... Read Rent Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2002Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Humor, Psychology, Psychology, Biography

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs was first published in 2002 as a memoir. After several of the figures it features sued for defamation and dishonesty of its claims, however, it was recategorized as a book. It can also be classified as a bildungsroman since it follows the adolescent growth of its narrator and protagonist. Running with Scissors was adapted into a feature film in 2006.This guide uses the 2002 Picador edition of the book.Content... Read Running With Scissors Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Action / Adventure

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Gender, Society: CommunityTags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, History: World

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Mothers, Society: ClassTags Realistic Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Romance, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Music, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1984Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Society: CommunityTags Race / Racism, LGBTQ, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: RevengeTags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Action / Adventure

Published in 2015, Leigh Bardugo’s young adult fantasy novel Six of Crows, the first in a two-part series, received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, VOYA, and Kirkus Reviews. A fantasy heist story, the novel shifts between the alternating points of view of five teenagers who team up to pull off the ultimate prison break.Six of Crows begins in Ketterdam, an invented version of 17th-century Amsterdam, and the novel’s main characters hail from the seedy criminal... Read Six of Crows Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Publication year 2020Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Fantasy, Magical Realism, LGBTQ, Children's Literature

Publication year 1963Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Relationships: FamilyTags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, American Literature, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2003Genre Novel, FictionTags Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, Race / Racism, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ

Southland is a 2003 crime novel written by Nina Revoyr. The award-winning novel is her second; her first novel is The Necessary Hunger. Revoyr was born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and a Polish American father and is known for her engaging prose about aspects of Los Angeles that often go unseen. In Southland, Revoyr addresses themes of racism, redemption, justice, and family while telling the story of a forgotten neighborhood. Revoyr weaves details... Read Southland Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Society: WarTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Military / War, Italian Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture

Publication year 1993Genre Novel, FictionTags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Stone Butch Blues is a 1993 semi-autobiographical novel by writer and activist Leslie Feinberg. Jess, the narrator of Stone Butch Blues, spends the space of the novel looking for a way to authentically exist in the world at large. Her childhood is one of pain and trauma. As a very young child, Jess briefly experiences a nurturing environment in the home of her Dineh neighbors but her father, suspicious of Native Americans, forbids her from... Read Stone Butch Blues Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Memoir in Verse, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, LGBTQ, Depression / Suicide, Relationships, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Published in 2016, the young adult novel Symptoms of Being Human by musician and author Jeff Garvin focuses on the coming of age of gender-fluid teenager Riley. In addition to other awards, the book was a Lambda Literary Award Finalist, was included on the 2017 Rainbow Book List, and was named the Nutmeg Book Award Winner.Note: Out of respect for the main character’s gender fluidity, Riley Cavanaugh is referred to with the singular pronouns they/them/theirs.Plot... Read Symptoms of Being Human Summary


Publication year 1978Genre Novel, FictionTags Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Humor, Classic Fiction

Originally published in 1978 by American author Armistead Maupin, Tales of the City is the first installment in a nine-book series of the same name published between 1978 and 2014. The novel takes place in San Francisco in 1976, as a young woman named Mary Ann Singleton, seeking a change in her life, moves to the city and resides at 28 Barbary Lane. There, she finds herself intertwined with her neighbors and their complex lives... Read Tales of the City Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ

Tell the Wolves I’m Home is the 2012 debut novel of author Carol Rifka Brunt. In it, 14-year-old narrator June Elbus wrestles with her grief over the death of her uncle Finn Weiss, who died of AIDS. Set in 1987 New York at the height of the AIDS crisis, the novel confronts the stigmas surrounding the disease through June’s parents and sister, who blame Finn’s long-term partner, Toby Aldshaw, for transmitting AIDS to Finn. As... Read Tell the Wolves I'm Home Summary


Publication year 1914Genre Poem, FictionThemes Natural World: Objects, Identity: LanguageTags LGBTQ

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionTags Crime / Legal, Race / Racism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Social Justice

The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime that Changed Their Lives (2017) is a work of narrative nonfiction by Dashka Slater, a journalist and children’s book author. The book covers an event that happened on November 4, 2013, when two high school students were riding the same city bus and one set the other on fire.The interaction between these two teenagers lasts just a matter of minutes, but the events... Read The 57 Bus Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: MothersTags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Biography

Writer and professor Maggie Nelson’s The Argonauts, originally published in 2015, is a work of “autotheory”— it combines Nelson’s personal experiences of marriage and motherhood with reflections on the writing process, queer and feminist theory, and psychoanalysis and developmental psychology. This blending of genres gives the book its unconventional form; unlike a more traditional memoir, The Argonauts jumps backwards and forwards in Nelson’s life as she explores ideas and images related to pregnancy, sexuality, identity... Read The Argonauts Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Relationships, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Education, Philosophy

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction

Publication year 1933Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: WarTags LGBTQ, Arts / Culture, French Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography

Publication year 1896Genre Poem, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: ForgivenessTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Incarceration, Grief / Death, History: European, LGBTQ, Religion / Spirituality, British Literature, Victorian Period, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Victorian Literature / Period, History: World, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1986Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Indigenous, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: CommunityTags Historical Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Relationships, Depression / Suicide, LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Religion / Spirituality

Louise Erdrich’s The Beet Queen, published in 1986, is a sequel to her award-winning debut novel, Love Medicine. The Beet Queen was followed by two other novels in the series, Tracks and The Bingo Palace. Though most of The Beet Queen’s characters are non-Indigenous, the series as a whole is concerned with issues facing Indigenous Americans, particularly those living on tribal lands in Minnesota and North Dakota. Characters and storylines are woven throughout the four... Read The Beet Queen Summary


Publication year 1958Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: SexualityTags Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, LGBTQ, British Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Society: Community, Self DiscoveryTags Gender / Feminism, Self Help, Psychology, Social Justice, Diversity, Race / Racism, Psychology, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine

Publication year 2003Genre Novel, FictionTags French Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Food

The Book of Salt is a 2003 novel by Monique Truong. Set in the 1920s and 1930s, the novel focuses on Binh, a young, gay Vietnamese cook in French-colonized Vietnam. Binh flees Saigon, and after spending time at sea as a cook, he lands in Paris and eventually answers an ad for a position in the household of Gertrude Stein and her lover/companion, Alice B. Toklas.Binh navigates the limitations of colonialism while exploring his emerging... Read The Book of Salt Summary


Publication year 1990Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: MusicTags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Indian Literature, LGBTQ

The Buddha of Suburbia, by Hanif Kureishi, is a coming-of-age novel that explores significant themes of identity, class, and race in 1970s London. Karim Amir, the protagonist and narrator, tells the story of his maturation against a backdrop of political and social change, as he attempts to create himself, discover his place in life, and grow up. Told in the first person, Karim narrates his life from age 17 to about age 23.The Buddha of... Read The Buddha of Suburbia Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: MusicTags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 1980Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: CommunityTags Health / Medicine, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Disability, Biography

Audre Lorde was a poet, essayist, activist, and memoirist whose writings on lesbian feminism and race were integral to second-wave feminism. Lorde was born in New York City on February 18, 1934 to Grenadian immigrant parents. She attended Hunter High School, where she edited the school’s literary magazine. She published her first poem, which had been rejected by an English teacher, in Seventeen magazine. She later attended Hunter College, where she trained to become a... Read The Cancer Journals Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Self DiscoveryTags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: FriendshipTags LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Disability, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: FriendshipTags Romance, Humor, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 1934Genre Play, FictionTags Classic Fiction, Play: Drama, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, LGBTQ

Lillian Hellman wrote The Children’s Hour in 1934. It was the first of Hellman’s many major plays, and she wrote it while working in producer Herman Shumlin’s office as a play reader. She asked Shumlin to read a draft of the play, and he immediately offered to produce it. It appeared on Broadway within the year. The play is based on a real-life event that occurred in Edinburgh in 1810. A student accused her school’s... Read The Children's Hour Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Class, Self Discovery, Identity: RaceTags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, History: World, Magical Realism

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Urban Development, Information Age, African American Literature

Publication year 1982Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: ColonialismTags Gender / Feminism, American Literature, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, History: World, LGBTQ

The Color Purple is an epistolary novel—a novel told in letter form—in which Alice Walker traces the gradual liberation of Celie, a poor, Black woman who must overcome abuse and separation from her beloved sister Nettie. Set in the South and an unnamed African country during the 1930 to 1940s, the novel is a study in the ways in which Black women use their faith, relationships, and creativity to survive racial and sexual oppression. Several... Read The Color Purple Summary


Publication year 1994Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, History: World, Social Justice, LGBTQ, Politics / Government

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Colonialism, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags History: World, Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Gothic Literature, Georgian Era

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Children's Literature

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: SexualityTags LGBTQ, African Literature, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2019Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Self Discovery, Society: CommunityTags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Mythology, Afrofuturism

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Parenting, Psychology, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Identity: GenderTags Fantasy, Gender / Feminism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ

The Fifth Season is the first installment of author N. K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy—a “science fantasy” series that blends scientific explanation with the magical or supernatural elements of the fantasy genre. After its publication in 2015, the novel received the 2016 Hugo Award recognizing excellence in science fiction or fantasy writing. Jemisin was the first black woman to win the prize, and went on to break another record when her sequels to The Fifth... Read The Fifth Season Summary


Publication year 1963Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionTags LGBTQ, Existentialism, African American Literature, Black Lives Matter, Creative Nonfiction, Race / Racism, History: World, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time (1963) comprises two autobiographical essays in which the author confronts the racial issues and tensions that he believes corrupt and deform American life and the American dream. Baldwin’s essays exemplify and precursor many of the elements and arguments central to the Civil Rights movement. Please note: Throughout the text, Baldwin uses the racial labels/language common at the time he was writing. This study guide, which uses the Vintage Reissue... Read The Fire Next Time Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 1986Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: GenderTags Romance, Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, American Literature, French Literature, History: World

The Garden of Eden is a novel by American author Ernest Hemingway, who is regarded as one of the most important writers of the 20th century. Hemingway had worked on the novel for 15 years at the time of his death in 1961. It was published posthumously in 1986. Though controversial, the novel has been heralded as an important example of Hemingway’s work and was adapted into a film of the same name in 2008... Read The Garden of Eden Summary


Publication year 1991Genre Novel, FictionTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality

The novel follows the adventures of an immortal vampire named Gilda over eight chapters, each set in a different location and year in the United States. Spanning the 200 years between 1850 and 2050, the novel charts African American history from the period of enslavement through abolition, segregation, the Black Power movement, and into an imagined dystopian future of economic and environmental collapse. Told by an omniscient narrator, the stories in each chapter have their... Read The Gilda Stories Summary


Publication year 1945Genre Play, FictionTags Southern Gothic, LGBTQ, American Literature, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction

Tennessee Williams, who wrote The Glass Menagerie in 1944, refers to the work as a “memory play” (750). Now recognized as one of the greatest American playwrights in history, The Glass Menagerie launched Williams’s career. The play is heavily influenced by Williams’s own life. The character of Laura is based on Williams’s older sister, Rose (alluded to by Laura’s nickname, Blue Roses), who was subjected to a botched lobotomy that rendered her mentally disabled and... Read The Glass Menagerie Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: FamilyTags LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction

The Great Believers (2018) is the fourth novel by Chicago-based writer Rebecca Makkai. The novel alternates between the stories of a group of friends—most of them gay men diagnosed with AIDS—in Chicago during the mid-80s to the early 90s—and the story of a woman searching for her estranged daughter in Paris, 30 years later. The Great Believers won several awards, including the ALA Carnegie Medal, Los Angeles Times Book Prize, ALA Stonewall Award, and the... Read The Great Believers Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags LGBTQ, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Parenting, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: FriendshipTags Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Children's Literature

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: FriendshipTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Irish Literature

The Heart’s Invisible Furies is a novel written by John Boyne, author of 14 novels and a short story collection. Originally published in 2017, this historical fiction chronicles of the life of a gay man living in Ireland in the 20th and 21st centuries. It won the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award in 2018.Other works by this author include The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, All the Broken Places, and A Ladder to the Sky.This... Read The Heart's Invisible Furies Summary


Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: ForgivenessTags Mythology, Fantasy, Children's Literature, LGBTQ, Action / Adventure

The Hidden Oracle (2016) is the first installment in Rick Riordan’s The Trials of Apollo, a five-book fantasy series for young readers. Inspired by Greek and Roman mythology and history, the books follow the fallen god Apollo on a quest to rescue the five Oracles from a group of foes. The Trials of Apollo series takes place in the same universe as Riordan’s popular Percy Jackson oeuvre. Praised for its humor, The Hidden Oracle earned... Read The Hidden Oracle Summary


Publication year 1976Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: CommunityTags Sociology, Philosophy, Love / Sexuality, Psychology, LGBTQ, Post Modernism, Education, Education, French Literature, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy

Michel Foucault was a French philosopher and theorist whose most significant works were first published in the 1960s and 1970s. Throughout his career, he examined the mechanisms of power and challenged accepted historical narratives, working to show how institutional power shapes the field of possible knowledge to its own advantage. The History of Sexuality, published in three volumes between 1976 and 1984—with a fourth volume published posthumously, in draft form, in 2018—examines the development of... Read The History of Sexuality Summary


Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction

The Hours is a 1998 novel by the American author Michael Cunningham. It is an homage to Virginia Woolf’s 1923 novel Mrs. Dalloway (of which the working title was “The Hours”). Mimicking Woolf’s stream-of-consciousness narrative style, Cunningham re-situates her characters and themes within a modern context, making them his own. The story follows three different women, in three different decades, affected by Mrs. Dalloway over the course of one June day in each of their... Read The Hours Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community, Identity: SexualityTags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Romance, LGBTQ

The House in the Cerulean Sea (2020) is a queer fantasy novel by TJ Klune, Lambda Award-winning author of The Extraordinaires and the Green Creek series. Klune is a queer author whose works often explore supernatural elements. Many mythological species feature in this novel, while other books focus on werewolves, ghosts, and the like. The book explores themes of Nature Versus Nurture, The Perpetuation of Prejudice, and Found Family.Klune’s work, particularly The House in the... Read The House in the Cerulean Sea Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, LGBTQ, Asian Literature, History: World

Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: FriendshipTags Mythology, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Children's Literature, Romance

The House of Hades is the fourth of five books in the Heroes of Olympus series, which follows seven Greek and Roman demigods on a quest to prevent the rise of the earth goddess Gaea, who is bent on destroying the world.The House of Hades was written by Rick Riordan, a New York Times bestselling author who explores Roman and Greek Mythology in these two series. Riordan is the publisher of an imprint with Disney... Read The House of Hades Summary


Publication year 1958Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, LGBTQ

Publication year 1902Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: MasculinityTags LGBTQ, Classic Fiction, Travel Literature, Gender / Feminism, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Fantasy, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Religion / Spirituality, LGBTQ, Age of Enlightenment, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a historical fantasy novel by the American author V.E. Schwab published in 2020. It chronicles the story of Addie LaRue, an 18th-century Frenchwoman who gains eternal life through a bargain with a demonic entity. However, the deal comes at a great cost: Everybody who meets Addie immediately forgets her. A New York Times bestseller, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue received a 2020 Goodreads Choice Award nomination for... Read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Race, Society: Nation, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Flora/plants, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Romance, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Food, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: European, History: World, Immigration / Refugee, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Military / War, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Race / Racism, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2001Genre Play, FictionTags LGBTQ, Play: Drama, Social Justice, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy

The Laramie Project is a play by Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project in response to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man, in Laramie, Wyoming. Kaufman and the other company members visited Laramie on six occasions and interviewed residents, members of the police force, and Matthew’s friends, in an attempt to understand what happened, and why. They were also interested in the possibility that theatre, more than any other medium... Read The Laramie Project Summary


Publication year 1969Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Society: ColonialismTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

The Left Hand of Darkness is a speculative fiction novel published in 1969 and written by Ursula K. LeGuin. Set in LeGuin’s fictional Hainish Universe, in which life developed on the planet Hain instead of Earth, the novel explores the meeting of two different civilizations and their struggles to understand one another. Gender plays a strong role in the story, as protagonist Genly Ai comes from a planet that considers binary gender the norm, whereas... Read The Left Hand of Darkness Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: ClassTags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, LGBTQ, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Natural World: Space & The UniverseTags LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy

Originally published via a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2014 and then by Hodder & Stoughton in 2016, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is Becky Chambers’ debut novel set in her fictional universe, the Galactic Commons. The novel is a science-fiction space opera concerned with the crew of the Wayfarer, a ship that bores wormholes between systems. Much of the plot serves as a backdrop for exploration of the emotional connections between the... Read The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: SexualityTags LGBTQ, Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Asian Literature, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1997Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Relationships: FamilyTags Magical Realism, LGBTQ

Written by acclaimed American author Ann Patchett, The Magician’s Assistant is a piece of contemporary literature that explores life after grief, the nature of love, and the power of family dynamics. Told in two parts, one set in Los Angeles and the other in small-town Nebraska, the novel emphasizes the importance of setting and environment in the development of identity.The author of nine novels and the recipient of numerous awards, Ann Patchett is an outspoken... Read The Magician's Assistant Summary


Publication year 1947Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Siblings, Society: ClassTags Play: Drama, Absurdism, French Literature, Drama / Tragedy, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

Jean Genet’s play The Maids (or Les Bonnes) premiered in Paris at the Théâtre de l’Athénée in 1947. By this time, Genet was already an established novelist and playwright, but this one-act play was his first foray into the conventions and aesthetics of the movement now known as the Theatre of the Absurd. The Maids is based on the true story of the Papin sisters, two maids who shocked France in 1933 by murdering their... Read The Maids Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: BirthTags Gender / Feminism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline is a science fiction novel set in a post-apocalyptic Canada where climate devastation ravages the world and the Canadian government’s Recruiters hunt Natives for the dreams that are woven into their bone marrow. Millions have died in the wake of global warming, and those who remain have experienced such extensive trauma that they have lost the ability to dream. Dimaline describes a world plagued by natural disasters, with vivid descriptions... Read The Marrow Thieves Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: CourageTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: FearTags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World

Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

Written by Emily M. Danforth and published in 2012, The Miseducation of Cameron Post depicts lesbian teen Cameron Post’s coming of age in Miles City, Montana. The book, which comprises three parts—“Summer 1989,” “High School 1991-1992,” and “God’s Promise 1992-1993”—explores themes of homosexuality, grief, and religion. Danforth, who grew up in Miles City, draws from her own experiences of “growing up gay in the 1990s.” In 2018, LGBTQ culture advocate Desiree Akhavan directed the YA... Read The Miseducation of Cameron Post Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Satire, Bullying, Diversity, LGBTQ, Education, Modernism, American Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Misfits is a young adult novel by bestselling American author James Howe. The first of four in The Misfits series, the novel chronicles a group of unpopular seventh graders’ participation in a contentious student council election. The series inspired No-Name Calling Week, a bullying-prevention initiative that has been held by schools across the country.Plot SummaryThe Misfits is told from the perspective of Bobby Godspeed, a seventh grader living in Paintbrush Falls, New York. Bobby... Read The Misfits Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Finance / Money / Wealth, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Parenting, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death, Class, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: SiblingsTags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: GuiltTags LGBTQ, Romance, Arts / Culture, Grief / Death, Health / Medicine, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: GenderTags Romance, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Humor

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Community, Relationships: FriendshipTags Historical Fiction, The Lost Generation, LGBTQ, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, French Literature

Publication year 1987Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: NationTags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, History: World, Magical Realism, Romance, LGBTQ

British author Jeannette Winterson reimagines events from Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign in her 1987 novel The Passion. The novel is a work of historical metafiction that follows Henri, a young French soldier, and Villanelle, a vivacious Venetian, as they navigate war and love in early 19th-century Europe.The Passion begins in Henri’s voice; he’s a young, bright-eyed soldier in Napoleon’s army who dreamed of being a drummer but is assigned to cook instead. After coming to the... Read The Passion Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Romance, LGBTQ

Welsh historical-novelist Sarah Waters’s sixth novel, The Paying Guests (2014), tells the tale of a mother and daughter in 1920s London who must take on lodgers to afford their house. The result of taking on these paying guests is a devastating love affair and a terrible crime. The novel was nominated for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction, became a New York Times Best Seller, and was ranked as the best book of 2014 by... Read The Paying Guests Summary


Publication year 1999Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is Stephen Chbosky’s first novel and was published in 1999. It is young adult fiction and a coming-of-age tale told from the perspective of Charlie, a freshman in high school. The epistolary novel is comprised of a series of letters that Charlie writes to someone he calls “friend,” although he has never met this friend in person. He makes it immediately clear that he wants to remain anonymous with... Read The Perks of Being a Wallflower Summary


Publication year 1890Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Classic Fiction, British Literature, Victorian Period, Irish Literature, Arts / Culture, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, History: World, Fantasy, LGBTQ

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a work of Gothic horror by fin-de-siècle Irish writer Oscar Wilde. Originally released as a novella in 1890, it was published in its complete form in 1891 and sparked public outcry for its perceived amorality. The work chronicles the life of Dorian Gray, a fictional 19th-century British aristocrat, in his pursuit of beauty and pleasure—a pursuit he shared with Wilde, who was a leading figure in the aesthetic literary... Read The Picture of Dorian Gray Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Music, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ

Elizabeth Acevedo’s award-winning 2018 young adult novel, The Poet X, brings to life the inner world of protagonist Xiomara Batista. Xiomara is 15 years old, and from her bedroom in Harlem, she writes poetry in order to put on the page all the feelings and ideas she cannot seem to be able to say out loud. Xiomara resigns herself to writing in her notebook and sharing her thoughts with only a few trusted individuals until... Read The Poet X Summary


Publication year 1967Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Masculinity, Identity: SexualityTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Western, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Addiction / Substance Abuse, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1952Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: SexualityTags LGBTQ, Romance, Historical Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction

Patricia Highsmith published The Price of Salt in 1952 under a pseudonym, Claire Morgan, because of the lesbian relationship between the two main characters—Therese and Carol. The Price of Salt is a romance, mystery, and coming-of-age tale. Highsmith wrote many short stories and over 20 novels. Like her other works, The Price of Salt contains autobiographical elements; like Therese, Highsmith worked at a department store, became captivated by a woman she met there, and was... Read The Price of Salt Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags LGBTQ, Romance, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Children's Literature, History: World

Publication year 2014Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags LGBTQ, Education, Education, Biography

The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood is a memoir published in 2014 by Richard Blanco, President Barack Obama’s inaugural poet, whose works include “América” (1998), “The Island Within” (2012), and “One Today” (2013). Blanco describes his childhood living in Miami with parents and grandparents who’d immigrated to America from Cuba. It offers a picture of his family’s nostalgia for Cuba and his simultaneous struggle to relate to a world he’s never seen. His... Read The Prince of Los Cocuyos Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & AngerTags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Romance

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Historical Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, History: World, Grief / Death, Health / Medicine, Relationships, WWI / World War I, LGBTQ, Irish Literature

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Self DiscoveryTags Irish Literature, LGBTQ, Romance

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: FamilyTags Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Mental Illness, Religion / Spirituality

The Rest of Us Just Live Here, a novel by critically acclaimed young adult (YA) author Patrick Ness, tells the story of Mikey, a high school senior living in a fictional town in the state of Washington. The novel follows Mikey as graduation approaches and he navigates the anxieties and uncertainties of love, friendship, and the fear of leaving behind everything he’s grown up with. Ness, the author of the widely lauded Chaos Walking trilogy... Read The Rest of Us Just Live Here Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Society: ClassTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Class, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), LGBTQ, Biography

Publication year 1985Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Magical Realism, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Gender / Feminism, African Literature, African American Literature, French Literature, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2020Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: FameTags Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, LGBTQ

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2017) is a work of historical fiction by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The novel follows Monique, a journalist struggling to make a name for herself until she receives an offer to interview the mysterious and reclusive 1960s Hollywood starlet, Evelyn Hugo, about fame, scandal, and love. The novel is a study of human nature that explores The Cost of Fame, The Oversexualization and Commodification of Women’s Bodies, and the difficulty... Read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Satire, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, LGBTQ, Journalism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World

Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: FateTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, History: European, Mythology, History: World, Fantasy, Romance

The Song of Achilles, author Madeline Miller’s bestselling novel, retells the events of Homer’s Iliad. Published in 2012, the book reimagines the relationship between ancient Greek Trojan war heroes Achilles and Patroclus. Narrated in the first person by Patroclus, the narrative explores themes central to ancient Greek mythology, notably the immutability of fate and the pursuit of glory.The novel begins with Patroclus narrating his birth and early childhood. Son of King Menoitius, the undersized and... Read The Song of Achilles Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: FateTags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Romance, LGBTQ

Erin Morgenstern, best-selling author of The Night Circus, published The Starless Sea in 2019. This work of magical realism interweaves separate stories with shared plots, themes, and characters. The book addresses ideas such as the concept of story, its meaning, and the nature of beginnings and endings, along with fate, free will, and what it means to become part of a narrative. This guide references the Knopf Doubleday first edition.Plot SummaryZachary Ezra Rawlins, an Emerging... Read The Starless Sea Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Disability, Society: Community, Identity: SexualityTags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Grief / Death, Class, African American Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Flora/plants, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Fantasy, Mythology, Romance, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, LGBTQ, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Psychology, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Natural World: Flora/plantsTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Race / Racism, American Civil War, African American Literature, Grief / Death, History: U.S., Love / Sexuality, Post-War Era, Military / War, History: World

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Chinese Literature, Fantasy

The Tiger Flu by Larissa Lai is a work of dystopian speculative fiction first published in 2018 by Arsenal Pulp Press, an independent publisher based in Vancouver, Canada. With its focus on futuristic technologies that merge and manipulate human biology, The Tiger Flu can be subclassified as a cyber/biopunk thriller. The book won the 2019 Lambda Literary Award, which recognizes and celebrates the best LGBTQ books of the year. A Chinese Canadian, lesbian writer, Larissa... Read The Tiger Flu Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: FateTags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, LGBTQ

Publication year 2015Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Lyric Poem, History: U.S., Race / Racism, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Social Justice

“The Tradition” by Jericho Brown is written from the perspective of a collective “we.” This group planted colorful perennial flowers, including aster, nasturtium, and delphinium (Line 1); filmed the flowers they planted blooming; then watched this video on fast forward (“Sped the video to see blossoms / brought in seconds,” Lines 11-12). At the end of the poem, the reader discovers that the collective “we” narrating the poem are Black men, and the sped-up video... Read The Tradition Summary


Publication year 1986Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Community, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags LGBTQ, Health / Medicine, American Literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1928Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Romance, Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction

The Well of Loneliness is a 1928 novel by British author Radclyffe Hall. Banned upon publication due to its lesbian theme, it tells the story of Stephen Gordon, an upper-class Englishwoman and who struggles as a lesbian with the confines of society. A subsequent obscenity trial generated significant publicity for the book, and it has since become a landmark of lesbian fiction.  Plot SummaryAfter 10 years of marriage, Sir Philip and Lady Anna Gordon are... Read The Well of Loneliness Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Society: ImmigrationTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Politics / Government

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionTags Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera is a young adult, science fiction novel published in 2017. Set in a dystopian alternate version of New York City in September 2017, the book follows two teenagers, Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio, who both have been notified by Death-Cast that they will die by the end of the day. Death-Cast, the defining feature of Silvera’s dystopia, is a company that predicts citizens’ deaths and notifies... Read They Both Die at the End Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: RevengeTags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Community, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Immigration / Refugee, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Bullying, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, History: Asian, Natural Disaster, Parenting, Military / War, Race / Racism, Religion / Spirituality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: EducationTags LGBTQ, Humor, Self Help, Love / Sexuality

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

This Is How It Always Is, a novel by Laurie Frankel, was published in 2017. It was a New York Times best seller, one of People magazine’s Top 10 Books of 2017, and a Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick.Plot SummaryDr. Rosie Walsh is pregnant with her fifth son, Claude. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her writer husband, Penn Adams, and their four boys. At the beginning of the book, Rosie reflects... Read This Is How It Always Is Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novella, FictionThemes Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

This Is Where It Ends is the 2016 young adult novel by Marieke Nijkamp. As Principal Trenton concludes the annual first-day-of-spring-semester speech at Alabama’s Opportunity High School, Tyler Browne locks students inside the auditorium and commits a school shooting that leaves thirty-nine people dead. Narrated in four different first-person accounts, by seniors Autumn, Sylv, Tomas, and Claire, This Is Where It Ends traces the fifty-five minutes, from 10:00 to 10:55 a.m., that encompass moments before... Read This Is Where It Ends Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Relationships: MothersTags Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, LGBTQ

Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self DiscoveryTags History: World, Victorian Literature / Period, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, LGBTQ, Victorian Period

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: SexualityTags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: GenderTags LGBTQ, Fantasy, Relationships, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Class, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Publication year 1996Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Society: ClassTags Gender / Feminism, History: World, LGBTQ, Politics / Government

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Language, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Fantasy

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Disability, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Disability, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Music, Identity: SexualityTags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Music, Grief / Death, Race / Racism, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Depression / Suicide, Love / Sexuality, Parenting, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

David Levithan’s 2013 young adult novel Two Boys Kissing is narrated from the perspective of the gay men who died during the 1980s HIV/AIDS epidemic. This chorus, resembling that of ancient Greek theater, observes the novel’s present-day characters—several gay teenage boys in neighboring American small towns—as they explore love, relationship, and identity. The central narrative follows two boys, Harry and Craig, who attempt to break the Guinness World Record for longest continuous kiss by kissing... Read Two Boys Kissing Summary


Publication year 1995Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Self DiscoveryTags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Love / Sexuality, Biography

Two or Three Things I Know for Sure is a 1995 memoir by American author and activist Dorothy Allison, a native of Greenville, South Carolina. A coming-of-age story that examines feminism and lesbian identity in the context of the patriarchal norms of the South, the book uses both narrative and photographs to tell the stories of the women in Allison’s family and their complex relationships with the men who both loved and abused them. Her... Read Two or Three Things I Know for Sure Summary


Publication year 1991Genre Poem, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: RaceTags LGBTQ, Black Arts Movement, Poverty

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: SexualityTags LGBTQ, History: World, Historical Fiction

Published in 2015, Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta is historical fiction set during and after the Nigerian Civil War, written in a style of literary realism that incorporates elements of Nigerian folklore. Under the Udala Trees can is also categorized as LGBT+ literature—it won “Best Lesbian Fiction” in the 2016 Lambda Literary Awards.Plot SummaryOur first-person narrator Ijeoma is a young Igbo girl living in Ojoto during the Nigerian Civil War. After her father... Read Under the Udala Trees Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2004Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: SexualityTags Gender / Feminism, Sociology, LGBTQ, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental HealthTags Disability, Self Help, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Diversity, Science / Nature, Psychology, LGBTQ, Mental Illness

Publication year 2020Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Self Help, Biography

Published in 2020, Glennon Doyle’s Untamed is her third memoir. An accomplished writer, philanthropist, and activist, Doyle documents her lifelong journey of self-discovery and uses personal experiences to encourage women on their own respective journeys towards freedom. Through the intersections of gender, sexuality, religion, and race, Doyle unpacks the social conditioning that affects the lives of all humans, particularly women. Ultimately, Doyle offers a reflective guide to navigating life by looking internally and honoring one’s... Read Untamed Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Community, Relationships: FamilyTags Sports, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

Us Against You is a realistic fiction novel by Swedish author Fredrik Backman and was originally published in Sweden in 2017 by Bokförlaget Forum. In 2018, Washington Square Press (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) published Us Against You with a translation by Neil Smith. Backman is lauded for his depictions of small-town Swedish life and his ability to capture the many identities that even the smallest towns embody. Although his novels are about Sweden... Read Us Against You Summary


Publication year 1997Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Identity: SexualityTags Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, History: U.S., Class, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Social Justice

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

We Are All Made of Molecules (May 2015) is by young adult and middle-grade author Susin Nielsen. Nielsen spent many years as a scriptwriter for Canadian television shows, including Degrassi Junior High. Her writing focuses humorously on the trials and tribulations of being a teenager. Like the characters in We Are All Made of Molecules, Nielsen lives in Vancouver, Canada. Her other titles include Word Nerd (2010), Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom (2010)... Read We Are All Made of Molecules Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

We Are Okay is the story of an 18-year-old girl, Marin’s, experience with grief, loss, and sadness. Marin’s mother dies in a surfing accident when she’s almost 3; she is raised near that same beach in San Francisco by her grandfather, Gramps. The narrative is divided between Marin’s present in New York and her past in California. The present-day events occur in December during the winter break of Marin’s first year in college; the past... Read We Are Okay Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Magical Realism, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Bullying, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Depression / Suicide, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson is a young adult science fiction novel that follows the coming-of-age story of Henry, a teenager whose life is in shambles. Hutchinson uses the first-person point-of-view of his protagonist to explore themes of family, grief, universal unknowns, and the development of identity. Published in 2016, Hutchinson’s novel questions the value of human life while incorporating science fiction elements to portray the smallness of human existence in the... Read We Are the Ants Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism

Publication year 2019Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Gender, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: ImmigrationTags Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Immigration / Refugee, Religion / Spirituality, Biography

Publication year 2014Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: DisabilityTags Humor, Inspirational, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Disability, LGBTQ, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Biography

Josh Sundquist is a cancer survivor, Paralympic ski racer, motivational speaker, and stand-up comedian. Sundquist’s memoir Just Don't Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made It Down the Mountain was published in 2010 and became a national bestseller. While his first memoir showed how he was able to overcome health challenges to become a sporting hero, his second book We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story (2014) deals with the most... Read We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarassingly, A True Story Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionTags Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

We The Animals is the 2011 debut novel by Justin Torres. The novel tells the story of three brothers living in upstate New York, and it’s narrated in the first person by the youngest brother, who goes unnamed. In this summary, he will be called, “the narrator.” The novel’s structure comprises 19 vignettes that function as windows onto the lives of the brothers and their family. This study guide uses the 2011 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt... Read We The Animals Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, LGBTQ, Religion / Spirituality, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Romance, LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction

Publication year 2016Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours (2015) is a collection of nine short stories written by Helen Oyeyemi. The stories feature some recurring characters, and all contain a literal or metaphorical key. Oyeyemi is a popular British author whose works include Mr. Fox (2011) and Boy, Snow, Bird (2014). She does not consider her works to be “magical realism,” but that is the genre where they are most often placed, as they tend to... Read What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours Summary


Publication year 2003Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction

Published in 2003, Carla Trujillo’s novel What Night Brings is set in the late 1960s in a town outside San Francisco. The novel centers on Marcía Cruz, an 11-year-old Chicana girl struggling with her sexual orientation and domestic abuse amidst a larger backdrop of the Vietnam War and a crisis of faith in America.What Night Brings is Trujillo’s first novel, but not her first published work relating to its central themes. She edited an anthology... Read What Night Brings Summary


Publication year 1998Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, American Literature, Education, Education, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionTags LGBTQ, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature

What We All Long For, written by Dionne Brand and published in 2005, tells the overlapping stories of four friends in their early- to mid-20s as they navigate Toronto as queer people, people of color, and children of immigrants.Content Warning: The source material and this guide contain instances and discussions of suicide, racism, and abuse.Tuyen is a queer woman and the daughter of Vietnamese immigrant refugees. When her parents fled Vietnam, they were separated from... Read What We All Long For Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Relationships: FamilyTags Inspirational, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, LGBTQ

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Jewish Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: SiblingsTags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Romance, Fairy Tale / Folklore, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, History: World

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: FriendshipTags Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, LGBTQ, Magical Realism, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Mental Illness, History: European, Immigration / Refugee, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

White Is for Witching, published in 2009, is Helen Oyeyemi’s third novel, for which she received the Somerset Maugham Award. A finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award, White Is for Witching explores both traditional horror and the horrors of racism. Oyeyemi’s novels often center the experience of historically marginalized groups, which perhaps reflects her own background as a Nigerian-born English citizen who attended Cambridge University. White Is for Witching frames histories of racism as supernatural... Read White Is for Witching Summary


Publication year 1891Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: SexualityTags Love / Sexuality, Lyric Poem, Education, Education, American Literature, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1980Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Wild Seed is a science fiction novel written by Octavia Butler in 1980. It is sequentially the first book in a sequence of “Patternist” books written by the same author, though it was the fourth book published in that series. These include Mind of My Mind (1978), Clay’s Ark (1984), Survivor (1977), and Patternmaster (1976). Wild Seed takes place over different centuries and continents, beginning in Africa in 1690 and ending in America just before... Read Wild Seed Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Humor, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Bullying, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Winger is a young adult novel written by American author Andrew Smith and first published in 2013. It belongs to the genre of contemporary early 21st century teen fiction and garnered recognition from the American Library Association (ALA), Publishers Weekly, and the Junior Library Guild. Because of Winger’s storyline involving LGBTQIA+ issues, it was also chosen as part of the ALA’s 2014 Rainbow List in 2014, made up of books for children and young adults... Read Winger Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: ClassTags Humor, LGBTQ, Diversity, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Biography

Publication year 1992Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: MarriageTags Romance, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

Written on the Body is a short novel by British author Jeanette Winterson. Several international publications followed the original 1992 publication of the book. The text, which is a first-person narrative, is directed at an adult reading audience. The narrative, which presents accounts of numerous love affairs, also ruminates on the nature of love, fidelity, spirituality, and death. Winterson, who was raised by members of a Pentecostal Church, trained as a missionary and started to... Read Written On The Body Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Narrative / Epic Poem

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Romance, LGBTQ, African Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Bullying, Class, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, History: European, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: CommunityTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ

Publication year 1982Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: SexualityTags Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Black Arts Movement, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Race / Racism, Classic Fiction, Biography

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name is a biomythography concerning the coming-of-age of poet Audre Lorde (1934-1992). This work of creative nonfiction conflates the author’s memoir—which spans from the time of her birth to her early twenties—with West Indian mythology and stories, as well as the author’s own poetry. In this way, the work exists as something other than a simple autobiography, as it emphasizes the importance of dreams, stories, and songs within the... Read Zami: A New Spelling of My Name Summary