LGBTQI Book Recommendations
Carol or The Price of Salt By: Patricia Highsmith Plot: Based on a true story plucked from Highsmith's own life, Carol tells the riveting drama of Therese Belivet, a stage designer trapped in a department-store day job, whose routine is forever shattered by a gorgeous epiphany―the appearance of Carol Aird, a customer who comes in to buy her daughter a Christmas toy. Therese begins to gravitate toward the alluring suburban housewife, who is trapped in a marriage as stultifying as Therese's job. They fall in love and set out across the United States, ensnared by society's confines and the imminent disapproval of others, yet propelled by their infatuation. Carol is a brilliantly written story that may surprise Highsmith fans and will delight those discovering her work.
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda By: Becky Albertalli Plot: Not-so-openly gay Simon prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight.
None of the Above By: I. W. Gregorio Plot: A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she's intersex, and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school.
The Art of Being Normal By: Lisa Williamson Plot: David Piper has always been an outsider, but only his two best friends know the real truth: David wants to be a girl.
The Darkest Part of the Forest By: Holly Black Plot: As the Faerie world turns upside down, Hazel has to become the knight she once pretended to be.
The Summer I Wasn't Me By: Jessica Verdi Plot: The road signs leading to New Horizons summer camp promise a new life for seventeen-year-old Lexi. Ever since her mom found out she was in love with a girl, her broken family has been pulled even further apart. But Lexi swears she can change. Denying her feelings is harder than she thinks. And when she falls heads over heels for one of her fellow campers, Lexi will have to risk her mother's approval for the one person who might love her no matter what.
Luna By: Julie Anne Peters Plot: An unforgettable novel about a transgender teen's struggle for self-identity and acceptance.
I'll Give You the Sun By: Jandy Nelson Plot: At first, Jude and her twin brother are Noah and Jude; inseparable. Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude wears red-red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them. Years later, they are barely speaking. Something has happened to change the twins in different yet equally devastating ways . . . but then Jude meets an intriguing, irresistible boy and a mysterious new mentor. The early years are Noah’s to tell; the later years are Jude’s. But they each have only half the story, and if they can only find their way back to one another, they’ll have a chance to remake their world.
Far From You By: Tess Sharpe Plot: The first time, she's fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that'll take years to kick. The second time, she's seventeen, and it's no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky. When the cops deem Mina's murder a drug deal gone wrong, casting partial blame on Sophie, no one will believe the truth: Sophie has been clean for months, and it was Mina who led her into the woods that night for a meeting shrouded in mystery. After a forced stint in rehab, Sophie returns home to a chilly new reality. Mina's brother won't speak to her, her parents fear she'll relapse, old friends have become enemies, and Sophie has to learn how to live without her other half. To make matters worse, no one is looking in the right places and Sophie must search for Mina's murderer on her own. But with every step, Sophie comes closer to revealing all: about herself, about Mina and about the secret they shared.
This Song Is (Not) For You By: Laura Nowlin Plot: Ramona fell for Sam the moment she met him. It was like she had known him forever. He's one of the few constants in her life, and their friendship is just too important to risk for a kiss. Though she really wants to kiss him...Sam loves Ramona, but he would never expect her to feel the same way-she's too quirky and cool for someone like him. Still, they complement each other perfectly, both as best friends and as a band. Then they meet Tom. Tom makes music too, and he's the band's missing piece. The three quickly become inseparable. Except Ramona's falling in love with Tom. But she hasn't fallen out of love with Sam either. How can she be true to her feelings without breaking up the band?
Everything Between Us (Pink Bean) (Volume 3) By: Harper Bliss Plot: When PhD student and Pink Bean barista Josephine Greenwood meets her feminist idol Caitlin James she's starstruck. But when Caitlin starts showing a more than friendly interest in her, Josephine can't believe Caitlin's advances are genuine. Her issues with her own body and how people see her threaten to cut off any prospect of romance before it has the chance to blossom. Will Caitlin be able to break down the walls Josephine has built around herself and open her mind to the possibility of romantic happiness?
Rainbow Boys By: Alex Sanchez Plot: Jason Carrillo is a jock with a steady girlfriend, but he can't stop dreaming about sex...with other guys. Kyle Meeks doesn't look gay, but he is. And he hopes he never has to tell anyone -- especially his parents. Nelson Glassman is "out" to the entire world, but he can't tell the boy he loves that he wants to be more than just friends. Three teenage boys, coming of age and out of the closet. In a revealing debut novel that percolates with passion and wit, Alex Sanchez follows these very different high-school seniors as their struggles with sexuality and intolerance draw them into a triangle of love, betrayal, and ultimately, friendship.
