Queer Books Everyone Should Read Once in Lifetime

These queer classics celebrate love, identity, and resilience—essential reads for every human, everywhere, anytime. 

1

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin 

A heartbreaking exploration of love, shame, and self-acceptance. Baldwin’s prose feels both raw and timeless. 

2

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 

A tender, epic romance rooted in Greek mythology. A fan-favorite for its beauty and heartbreak.

3

Orlando by Virginia Woolf  

A gender-bending masterpiece that’s part fantasy, part social critique, and entirely unforgettable. 

4

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston  

A feel-good, swoon-worthy love story between a prince and the First Son—pure serotonin in pages. 

5

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel 

A graphic memoir blending dark humor and family secrets. Bechdel’s art and honesty hit hard.

6

Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman 

Sensual and emotionally charged, this story of first love is both tender and bittersweet. 

7

The Color Purple by Alice Walker 

A soul-shaking novel about sisterhood, survival, and love amidst oppression—powerful and deeply human. 

8

Boy Erased by Garrard Conley 

A brave memoir on conversion therapy and self-discovery that will leave you shaken and inspired.