Letter L
LGBTQ+
Exploring LGBTQ+ identities and experiences through themes of belonging, relationships, self-acceptance, community and personal growth.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best books to read about lgbtq+?
A good place to start is the fiction, nonfiction, and poetry suggested in this reading list. They each explore this theme differently, so you can select what you are connecting with the most.
Can reading really help with lgbtq+?
Yes, although it should not be viewed as a substitute for therapy. The right book can help you articulate feelings you have struggled to explain, offer reassurance that you are not alone, and provide a new perspective. Sometimes that insight is exactly what you need; at other times, it can encourage you to seek further support.
Who curates the LGBTQ+ reading list?
Bijal Shah, a bibliotherapist, founder of Book Therapy and The Book Therapy Method and the author of Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading (Hachette, 2024). She has spent over ten years matching readers to books for all kinds of emotional and life themes, including lgbtq+.
Do I need a Book Therapy membership to see the full lgbtq+ list?
Yes. The full LGBTQ+ reading list, with my notes on each book and the personal reading tools, lives inside the Book Therapy membership. You also get the whole A to Z of Book Prescriptions, the journalling, and writing tools and reading progress tracking.
Are these lgbtq+ books suitable if I've never read anything on the topic before?
Yes. The list is deliberately diverse in order to ensure there is something for everyone, whether that's a short memoir, a poem to sit with over a cup of tea, or a novel to properly disappear into. If something feels too close to what you're going through right now, you have the option to put it down. And another book on the list might be more helpful.
Related reading lists
If LGBTQ+ resonates, these companion themes from the A–Z of Book Prescriptions may meet you next.
Letter L
Loneliness
Exploring the experience of feeling disconnected or unseen and the human need for meaningful companionship and belonging.
Letter L
Leadership
Exploring how we guide, influence and support others while developing confidence, responsibility and self-awareness.
Letter L
Love
Exploring love in all its forms, romantic, familial and platonic, how it begins, deepens, falters and endures, and what it teaches us about ourselves.
Letter L
Letting Go
Exploring the difficult art of letting go, of people, plans, control, past selves and old stories, and the freedom that can follow release.
Letter R
Reinvention
Exploring opportunities to begin again, redefine ourselves and create a new direction at any stage of life.
Letter R
Relocation
Exploring the practical and emotional adjustments involved in creating a life, identity and sense of home somewhere new.