Throughout 2024, LGBTQ-inclusive books continued to be targeted for bans and “soft censorship”. However, books that featured queer characters and themes related to sexual orientation and gender identity received strong support from readers and booksellers. Some favorites of the year included “Private Rites” by Julia Armfield, a queer and climate-dystopian version of King Lear; “Coexistence” by Billy-Ray Belcourt, a collection of short stories centered on young, gay Indigenous intellectuals; and “Housemates” by Emma Copley Eisenberg, a queer road-trip novel exploring themes of art and connection.
Other notable LGBTQ books of 2024 included “Little Rot” by Akwaeke Emezi, a thrilling literary fiction featuring a diverse cast; “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” by TJ Klune, a fantasy novel set in an orphanage for magical children; and “Exhibit” by R.O. Kwon, a novel about the relationship between two Korean American women. “American Teenager” by Nico Lang, a nonfiction book about the lives of trans youth, was also highly recommended, along with “The Pairing” by Casey McQuiston, a romantic novel about two bisexual exes reuniting on a European tour.
“In Universes” by Emet North, a science fiction and fantasy book about parallel worlds, and the reissued feminist novel “On Strike Against God” by Joanna Russ were also celebrated. These books highlighted diverse voices and experiences within the LGBTQ community, resonating with readers and providing them with meaningful and thought-provoking stories.
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