From graphic novels to epic fantasies to novella memoirs, the LGBTQ+ books that I read and loved the most this year cover a fairly broad range of genre and emotional intensity.

My Favorite Books Read in 2022

Snapdragon by Kat Leyh. This middle grade graphic novel became a fast favorite because of its intergenerational friendship, its love of the unlovable animals, and its sweet queer representation.

People Change by Vivek Shraya. Everything Shraya writes gets right inside my head, and this novella about shifting identities over time, from a trans perspective but not only a trans perspective, has continued to pop up in my mind months later.

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. A decade-spanning epic historical fantasy set in China that explores gender and sexuality divorced from our modern understanding and labels, this is an absolute must read.

The Heart-Break Bakery by A. R. Capetta. This one snuck up on me, but it’s a pure and sugary good time with a lot of diverse queer representation that I don’t often see in books.

Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh. With two recommendations on this list, you can bet that Leyh’s future works are on my radar; this one is a delightful “fish out of water” mermaid story that celebrates body positivity and found family.

The Clothesline Swing by Danny Ramadan. A darkly hopeful book about war, trauma, refugees, and the love that can help us survive, this is a book that has fundamentally shaped my worldview.

Loveless by Alice Oseman. While this is definitely a very fun read, it makes the list for its stellar representation of a young girl wrestling with understanding and accepting her aromantic asexual identity, which I don’t see enough of!

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers. The sequel to Chambers’ first Monk & Robot novella, I liked this one even more as the duo enter human civilization and I get to see Mosscap’s reaction to satchels and money and babies.

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters. We are entering the age of the Messy Queer, and this book is prime evidence of why it’s so important to show trans and queer people as fully realized humans.

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes. This is YA at its best, using the genre to explore the intersection of class, race, sexuality, immigration, and more.

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What were some of your favorite books read in 2022? Leave a comment to let me know, and I’ll work on reading them in 2023!