Make sure to bring these reads on holiday with you!
BY VIOLET NEWTON-WILD, IMAGE BY PEXELS
Looking for the perfect queer read this summer? From timeless classics and heart-racing romances to authentic non-fiction, here are some of the best LGBTQIA books to add to your reading list.
Orlando by Virginia Woolf (1928)
A groundbreaking queer classic that was centuries ahead of its time, Orlando is one of the earliest examples of trans fiction. Inspired by Woolf’s longtime lover Vita Sackville-West, Orlando explores a complex awakening of sexual orientation and identity.
Woolf explores gender fluidity through the character of Orlando, who changes sex from male to female over the course of 300 years. Rich with poetic language and vivid Elizabethan landscapes, Orlando is both thought-provoking and accessible, making it the perfect quick summer read.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982)
A powerful, emotional, and resilient classic, The Color Purple unfolds through a series of raw and honest letters. It follows Celie, a Black woman living in poverty in rural Georgia, as she endures abuse and misogyny while exploring her sexuality. Walker depicts the brutal realities of racism and gendered violence, but with the introduction of blues singer Shug Avery, the novel blossoms into a story of queer love, pleasure, and self-liberation. This is a deeper, emotionally resonant read that is ideal for long summer days.
The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2017)
If you are after glitz, glamour, and a queer icon this summer, The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo delivers it all. From old Hollywood secrets to forbidden love, this page-turner is packed with plot twists, scandal and a deeply moving queer romance!
Now an aging recluse, Evelyn summons magazine reporter Monique to reveal the truth behind her seven marriages and the love of her life, Celia St. James. Set against the backdrop of 1950s Hollywood, the novel explores themes of queer identity during an era that condemned individuals into secrecy to protect themselves from a judgmental and unaccepting public and press. The scandalous life of this authentic and complex superstar dominates the page and pulls you completely into her world.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (2021)
One Last Stop is the ultimate queer romcom for your beach bag with themes of travel, meet-cutes, mystery, and sapphic romance. When protagonist August meets her love interest Jane on the subway, she thinks it is just another chance encounter until she discovers Jane is from the 1970s and stuck in time. It is up to August to help Jane recover her memories and uncover the truth of who she is — and of course, they fall in love along the way! Jane’s reflections as an Asian lesbian in the early ‘70s offer a glimpse into queer history.
Rosewater by Liv Little (2023)
Rosewater, Liv Little’s stunning debut, follows Elsie, a queer Black poet drifting through life and consumed by existential dread. One day everything unravels when she is suddenly evicted. After moving in with her childhood friend Juliet, what begins as a lifeline transforms into something deeper. Rosewater balances tragedy with humour, tenderness, and joy. It is a beautiful and powerful ode to queer love and friendship.
Love In Exile Shon Faye (2025)
Shon Faye’s memoir offers an interesting and refreshing exploration of love. Part personal reflection, part self-help, it captures Faye’s journey as a trans woman who once convinced herself that she was an “exile” from the exclusive world of heterosexual romance.
The book recognises that we fall in love within the constraints of a capitalist patriarchy, and that feeling excluded from love is not a personal failing but, as Faye writes, “symptomatic of a much larger problem in our culture,” a consequence of the “techno-capitalist dystopia” we inhabit. She compares romance to addiction in the way there is the similar desire for a euphoric feeling and attraction.
What A Girl Wants by Roxy Bourdillon (2025)
DIVA’s editor-in-chief Roxy Bourdillon’s debut book, What A Girl Wants: A (true) Story of Sexuality And Self-Discovery, is out now. Unapologetic, powerful, and full of joy, it is a compelling journey of self-discovery. Full of wit and nostalgia, Roxy shares her story about the reality of growing up as a queer woman.
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