LGBTQIA+ Reads (YA)

These are some of our favourite titles -- in no particular order of preference (except alphabetical by the author's surname, of course!) -- that feature LGBTQIA+ characters or themes. Of course, there's way more than just this in our collection. Check out the Out On The Shelves booklists for more titles -- if you find any that we don't have, please let us know!

Updated June 19, 2024
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Wellington City LibrariesYouth team at Wellington City Libraries
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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens agenda
Albertalli, Becky
Paper Book
Now a major motion picture: Love, Simon, starring Nick Robinson and Katherine Langford! William C. Morris Award Winner: Best Young Adult Debut of the Year * National Book Award Longlist "A remarkable gift of a novel."--Andrew Smith, author of Grasshopper Jungle ...
Reps: gay, bisexual, lesbian
Basil and Oregano
Capriglione, Melissa
Paper Book
Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy is the finest school for the art of cooking with magic, and Basil Eyres is determined to be the top student. On the first day of her senior year, Arabella Oregano, the daughter of a renowned chef, joins the academy for her senior year as well. The two are instantly...

Reps: lesbian

The long way to a small, angry planet
Chambers, Becky
Paper Book
LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILEY'S WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 'A quietly profound, humane tour de force' Guardian The beloved debut novel that will restore your faith in humanity #SmallAngryPlanet

Reps: lesbian, gay, bisexual, diverse genders

I Wish You All the Best
Deaver, Mason.
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli, Mason Deaver's stunning debut will rip your heart out before showing you how to heal from tragedy and celebrate life in the process."Heartfelt, romantic, and quietly groundbreaking. This book will save lives." -- Becky Albertalli,...

Reps: nonbinary

Everything under the moon : fairy tales in a queerer light
Earp, Michael
Paper Book

Reps: gay, bisexual, aromantic, nonbinary

Pet
Emezi, Akwaeke
Paper Book
The stunning first YA novel from award-winning author Akwaeke Emezi, set in a city of the future where evil is said to have been eradicated

Reps: trans

Perfect on paper
Gonzales, S.
Paper Book
A bisexual girl who gives anonymous love advice to her school friends is hired by the hot new kid to help him get his ex back. Leah on the Offbeat meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before in this queer YA rom-com from Sophie Gonzales. 'Perfectly wonderful' - Becky...

Reps: bisexual

How (not) to ask a boy to prom
Goslee, S. J
Paper Book
"If you're looking for a novel to fill the To All The Boys I've Loved Before-shaped hole in your heart, this is the book for you." --Camille Perri, author of When Katie Met Cassidy How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom is a modern gender-bent young adult rom com from...

Reps: gay

Hani and Ishu's guide to fake dating
Jaigirdar, Adiba
Paper Book
Everyone likes Humaira "Hani" Khan--she's easy going and one of the most popular girls at school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can't be bi if she's only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she's in a relationship...with a girl...

Reps: bisexual, lesbian

Magical boy : a graphic novel. Volume 1
Kao Studios
Paper Book
A breathtakingly imaginative fantasy series starring Max--a high schooler chosen to become the next "Magical Girl." There's just one catch . . . he's a trans boy!Although he was assigned female at birth, Max is your average trans man trying to get through high school as himself. But on top of...

Reps: trans

Girls like girls : a novel
Kiyoko, Hayley
Paper Book
Trailblazing pop star, actor and director, Hayley Kiyoko debuts her first novel, a coming-of-age romance based on her breakthrough hit song and viral video, GIRLS LIKE GIRLS. It's not that you're not like other girls. It's just that you've never met a girl like you. And then....

reps: lesbian

The Extraordinaries
Klune, TJ
Paper Book
In Nova City, there are extraordinary people, capable of feats that defy the imagination. Shadow Star protects the city and manipulates darkness, and Pyro Storm is determined to bring the city to its knees using his power over fire. And then there's Nick who . . . well, being...

Reps: gay, bisexual, lesbian

Fake dates and mooncakes
Lee, Sher
Paper Book
Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians. Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a heartfelt, joyful rom-com by Sher Lee. Fake-dates, mooncakes and rich people problems. But love wasn't meant to be on the menu . . . Meet Dylan Tang: he juggles school and delivery...

Reps: gay

Ryan and Avery
Levithan, David
Paper Book
"David Levithan is an icon of queer young adult fiction. Romance, realism, and relationship drama - Levithan's stories are where my love for queer YA was born." - Alice OsemanFrom the New York Times bestselling author of EVERY DAY, this is a queer love story for the ages-told over the course of a...

Reps: gay, trans

Last night at the Telegraph Club
Lo, Malinda
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE; THE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR YOUTH LITERATURE; THE STONEWALL BOOK AWARD (YA); THE PRINTZ HONOR _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Reps: lesbian

The many half-lived lives of Sam Sylvester
MacGregor, Maya
Paper Book
An Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction Nominee "Look no further for your next favorite read, because The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester has it all- a gripping murder mystery that will keep you turning pages, ghosts, romance, and a...

Reps: aromantic, asexual, nonbinary

Every heart a doorway
McGuire, Seanan
Paper Book
Winner of the Hugo Award, Hugo Award for Best Series, Alex Award, Locus Award, and Nebula Award Nominated for the World Fantasy Award, British Fantasy Award, and Tiptree Honor List "A mini-masterpiece of portal fantasy -- a jewel of...

Reps: asexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, trans

I kissed Shara Wheeler
McQuiston, Casey
Paper Book
From the bestselling author of Red, White and Royal Blue and One Last Stop comes a debut YA romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need . . .Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she's spent the past four...

Reps: bisexual, lesbian, nonbinary

Red, white & royal blue
McQuiston, Casey
Paper Book
* Instant NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestseller * * GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER for BEST DEBUT and BEST ROMANCE of 2019 * * BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR* for VOGUE, NPR, VANITY FAIR, and more! * What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the...

Reps: gay

Heartstopper. Volume 1
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
*Now an acclaimed live-action Netflix series!* *Winner of Best Book I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time - TikTok Book Awards* Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and...

Reps: gay, bisexual, lesbian, trans, demisexual, asexual

Loveless
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE YA BOOK PRIZE 2021LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI CHILDREN'S & YA BOOK PRIZE 2022A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThe fourth novel from the phenomenally talented Alice Oseman, author of Solitaire and the graphic novel series Heartstopper - now a major Netflix series. It was all...

Reps: asexual, aromantic

Juliet takes a breath
Rivera, Gabby
Paper Book
Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving the Bronx and headed to Portland, Oregon. She just came out to her family and isn't sure if her mom will ever speak to her again. But Juliet has a plan, sort of, one that's going to help her figure out this whole "Puerto Rican lesbian" thing. She's interning with...

Reps: lesbian

Carry on
Rowell, Rainbow
Paper Book
Simon Snow just wants to relax and savour his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he'll be safe. Simon can't even enjoy the fact that...

Reps: gay

Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire
Paper Book
Now a major motion picture starring Max Pelayo, Reese Gonzales, and Eva Longoria! A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) This Printz Honor Book is a "tender, honest exploration of identity" (Publishers Weekly) that distills lyrical truths about...

Reps: gay

Wandering son. Volume one
Shimura, Takako
Paper Book
The fifth grade: the threshold to puberty and the beginning of the end of childhood innocence. Shuichi Nitori and his new friend Yoshino Takatsuki have happy homes, loving families and are well-liked by their classmates. But they share a secret that further complicates a time of life that is awkward...

Reps: trans

Lumberjanes [1] : beware the kitten holy
Stevenson, ND
Paper Book
Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together...and they're not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! Not only is it the second title launching in our new BOOM! Box imprint but...

Reps: lesbian, trans, nonbinary

The mermaid, the witch, and the sea
Tokuda-Hall, Maggie
Paper Book
In a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic, a desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial lady find a connection on the high seas. Aboard the pirate ship Dove, Flora the girl takes on the identity of Florian the man to earn the respect and protection of the crew. For...

Reps: genderfluid, nonbinary, bixesual, lesbian

On a sunbeam
Walden, Tillie
Paper Book
"Tillie Walden is the future of comics, and On a Sunbeam is her best work yet. It's a 'space' story unlike any you've ever read, with a rich, lived-in universe of complex characters." --Brian K. Vaughan, Saga and Paper Girls Two timelines. Second chances....

Reps: lesbian

Paper planes
Wood, Jennie
Paper Book
Former best friends Dylan Render and Leighton Worthington attempt to successfully navigate their way through a summer camp for troubled youth. They both need a good evaluation at the camp. Otherwise, they'll be sent away, unable to attend high school with their friends. While participating in camp...

Reps: asexual, nonbinary


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