LGBTQ+ Summer Book Recs

What do a down and out clown, a turn of the century logger dance, and platonic (read: not at all platonic) flirting lessons have in common? They’re all plot points in some of the biggest queer books of 2025. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll learn about your LGBTQ+ elders. Get ready, because your summer reading list is about to get five books longer.

1. Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One, by Kristen Arnett

Arnett’s absurd and tender third novel follows a lesbian, Floridian clown (you heard me right) hell-bent on taking her career to the next level… when she’s not busy overdrawing her bank account, fighting with her distant (also-a-lesbian) mother, or having flings with suburban moms. Brilliant. Heartfelt. And very, very funny.

2. Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson, by Tourmaline

From writer, artist, and activist Tourmaline comes the first comprehensive biography of legendary Black transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson. From Johnson’s creative endeavors to her singular contributions to the early fight for gay rights, Tourmaline digs into the life of this often cited (but less often understood) queer artist and activist. Get ready to be inspired.

3. Flirting Lessons, by Jasmine Guillory

The popular romance author’s first queer novel, Flirting Lessons, follows a 30-year-old woman fresh off of a breakup and ready to put herself back out there. Her guide on this journey? A player-turned-flirting instructor on a two month vow of celibacy. What could possibly go wrong? What could maybe, just maybe, go right?

4. The Emperor of Gladness, by Ocean Vuong

Calling all literary fiction lovers, Ocean Vuong is back with another tale set in the working class communities that populate the Connecticut River Valley. In the town of East Gladness, Connecticut, a queer teenager’s fateful encounter with an elderly widow leads to an unexpected relationship that changes the course of both characters’ lives, all while painting a searing portrait of working class America.

5. Stag Dance, by Torrey Peters

Jealous ex-girlfriends. Boarding school coming-of-age romance. Chaos, Vegas-style. Gender-bending turn of the century loggers. All in just three stories and a novella from the bestselling author of Detransition, Baby. What’s not to love? Crack open the spine for a first-of-its-kind dive into a truly unique set of characters and the gender dynamics that consciously and unconsciously shape their lives.

What are you reading this summer?