21 LGBTQ-Authored Books You Should Read & Queer-Owned Bookstores You Should Browse

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“Now you wanna talk about reading? Let’s talk about reading.”–Venus Xtravaganza, Paris is Burning


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Books

Dapperq Style: Ungendering Fashion

By Anita Dolce Vita

9780062986214

From the editor-in-chief of leading queer style magazine dapperQ, a bold, beautiful, and inclusive collection that encourages everyone to be comfortable expressing their own personal style however they choose.

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Saved by the Bellini: & Other 90s-Inspired Cocktails

By John Debary

9781454947080

Whether you were born in the ’90s or are longing for them, this themed cocktail book by acclaimed bartender John deBary is the perfect ’90s nostalgia gift for yourself or anyone else. Plus, it features a foreword by Saved by the Bell star Tiffani Thiessen, certifying Saved by the Bellini as a true testament to the decade!

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Perfectly Queer: Facing Big Fears, Living Hard Truths, and Loving Myself Fully Out of the Closet

By Jillian Abby

9781401970741

This humorous, heartwarming memoir follows a wife and mother’s journey of self-discovery and acceptance as she comes out as a lesbian in her late 30s.

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The Black Queen

By Jumata Emill

9780593568545

Nova Albright was going to be the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High–but now she’s dead. Murdered on coronation night. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Other Black Girl will love this unputdownable thriller.

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Pageboy: A Memoir

By Elliot Page

9781250878359

NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK by Salon, The Week, Elle, Bustle, and more.

Full of intimate stories, from chasing down secret love affairs to battling body image and struggling with familial strife, Pageboy is a love letter to the power of being seen. With this evocative and lyrical debut, Oscar-nominated star Elliot Page captures the universal human experience of searching for ourselves and our place in this complicated world.

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We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film

By Tre’vell Anderson

9781368081733

A groundbreaking look at the history of transgender representation in TV and film, by an of-the-moment and in-demand culture reporter.

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When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era

By Donovan X. Ramsey

9780525511809

A kaleidoscopic account of the crack cocaine era and a community’s ultimate resilience, told through a cast of characters whose lives illuminate the dramatic rise and fall of the epidemic

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Twilight Man: Love and Ruin in the Shadows of Hollywood and the Clark Empire

By Liz Brown

9780143132905

The unbelievable true story of Harrison Post–the enigmatic lover of one of the richest men in 1920s Hollywood–and the battle for a family fortune.

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Money Magic: Practical Wisdom and Empowering Rituals to Heal Your Finances

By Jessie Susannah Karnatz aka The Money Witch

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This fun-to-read guide to personal finance features a combination of practical advice and mystical rituals designed to help you manifest your money goals.

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Ruby

By C. de Lériger

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A new private detective for a new age. When former drag queen and jewel thief, Star, decides to make big changes to her life, her world is turned upside-down after the murder of a close friend and co-conspirator, Ruby. Star works full time as a contract writer (Greg), but her biggest passion is working as a crime-solving detective (Stacie). Thinking on her heels, she uses her former connections and street-gained experiences to right wrongs in an attempt to make amends. The loss of Ruby drags Star back into a world that paints a target on her back. Now, solving this mystery seems to be her only way out.

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The Cod Father Part II: A Coming Out Story

By Reynold Rod

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The Cod Father is loved by all the fry in his family. So when he tells the story of his long lost love, Rain Bow, Shelly and the Blowfishes dive into action.

This story explains that family should love you as you are. We should all be more compassionate and caring towards each other’s differences. Shelly, Who, Tea, & Duh are swimming examples of what it means to be an ally! Even if all they do is LOVE The Cod Father UNCONDITIONALLY!

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Bookstores

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Tubby and Coos

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Local, Queer-Owned Traveling Independent Book Shop in New Orleans

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Sour Cherry Comics

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Lesbian-owned comic book store in San Francisco

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All She Wrote Books

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An intersectional, inclusive feminist and queer indie bookstore that celebrates and amplifies underrepresented voices, spanning across all genres in Somerville, MA.

Shop now Use code QUEERENCY for 10% off your purchase!


Under the Umbrella Bookstore

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Queer little bookstore / safe, sober, and accessible space for queers in Utah

Shop now Use code QUEERENCY for 5% off your purchase in June


Book Woman Austin

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The only feminist bookstore in Texas. Established 1975 . Queer-Owned and Queer and Trans Run. Located on Tonkawa, Comanche and Apache land (Austin, TX)

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Bettie’s Pages

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Books, Vintage, & More is a retail space designed to inspire community in Lowell, MI.

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Dreamers & Make-Believers Books

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Baltimore’s newest community bookstore, comic book shop, and coffeehouse!

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Dreamers & Make-Believers Books

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Small independent LGBTQIA+ shop based in the U.K. – lovers of all things geeky and queer.

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ShopQueer.co

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ShopQueer.co is an independent, LGBTQ+ owned bookshop that splits its profits with queer authors

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