Winter break is the best time to get cozy near the fireplace with a great book. Here are some great book recommendations with LGBTQ+ themes.

Trans: A Memoir by Juliet Jacques

Fresh out of college, Juliet Jacques struggles to escape a dead-end job and find her place as a publisher, all while navigating a world where transgender identities go largely unacknowledged. Jacques weaves politics, art, film, music and football into a cohesive account on the process of transitioning. She uses her unique brand of self-deprecating humor and brutal honesty to redefine the reader’s understanding of what it means to be alive.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, she’s relieved that they’ll never find out about the kiss. Cameron’s guilt over her attraction to girls becomes even more tangled, though, when her Aunt Ruth, now her legal guardian, finds out that she is gay. God’s Promise — the boarding school Aunt Ruth hopes will cure her niece from gayness — ironically delivers Cameron her first queer community.

Boy Erased: A Memoir by Garrard Conley

Garrard Conley was given an impossible choice when he was outed to his family at age 19 — participate in conversion therapy or lose his family and his faith. Conley confronts his shadowed Baptist, Arkansas childhood and explores the crushing complexities of faith, family and sexuality. A near-perfect balance of heartbreak and triumph, Conley’s memoir is a testament to the strength of love.

Dancer from the Dance: A Novel by Andrew Holleran

Anthony Malone is searching for meaningful companionship in New York City’s 1970s gay scene. His search takes him to baths, discos, deserted parks and orgies, and eventually to Andrew Sutherland, a speed addict, socialite and drag queen. The dance mentioned in the title ends up becoming a sobering metaphor for the life Malone and Sutherland create with one another.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

In a series of letters addressed to an unknown recipient, Charlie — a shy and clinically depressed high school freshman — takes the reader through the pain and promise of teenage life as an outsider. Though the story isn’t LGBTQ+ in its focus, its insights about making friends and crafting a legacy resonate on a seriously personal level for those in the LGBTQ+ community. It’ll leave you feeling infinite.

Enjoy these books, and have a happy and healthy break.

Michael Sessa is a newspaper and online journalism major. His column runs biweekly. He can be reached at msessa@syr.edu.

Published on December 11, 2018 at 7:11 pm

Contact Michael: msessa@syr.edu | @MichaelSessa3