13 LGBTQ Stories of Love and Resilience

Resilience is a trait often associated with individuals from marginalized communities. And for good reason, as the world tends to require it of them more often. If you're looking for some LGBT books that aren't particularly fantastical, our list will help you find something to love and a way to live through it that you might not have known before. When you click links from this website, we may receive advertising revenue to support our research. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

13 Must-Read LGBTQ+ Novels

  1. When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
  2. Catch a Ghost by SE Jakes
  3. Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
  4. Superhero by Eli Easton
  5. Disobedience by Naomi Alderman
  6. Goodbye Paradise by Sarina Bowen
  7. His Truth by Riley Hart
  8. Treble Maker by Annabeth Albert
  9. Unsteady by Melissa Collins
  10. Henry's End by Julie A Richman
  11. Sinders and Ash by Tara Lain
  12. Secret by Kindle Alexander
  13. Locked in Silence by Sloane Kennedy

Stories Of Queer Resilience

In Depth

Love and resilience are two of the most enduring themes in literature. These two elements have been used in various plots and storylines, including novels that feature characters from the LGBTQ community. In no particular order, here are 13 LGBTQ stories that depict these subjects.

#1: "When the Moon Was Ours" by Anna-Marie McLemore. Miel and Sam are best friends who have their own strange personalities. Miel can grow roses out of her wrists, while Sam paints moons that he hangs on trees. Despite the odd reputation they have built, the two stay away from the Bonner sisters. The four beautiful siblings are rumored to be witches, and are after the roses coming from Miel. They believe that the flowers' scent works as a love potion. The main characters need to fend off the sorceress. But the antagonists are determined to use everything, including Miel's best-kept secrets, in order to get what they want.

#2: "Catch a Ghost " by S.E. Jakes. Prophet, a former Navy SEAL, is assigned a new partner named Tom. Together, they need to take on killers involved in underground cage matches. Things will not go smoothly for the two, considering that both want to work alone. Moreover, Prophet is constantly haunted by the ghost of his ex-lover and sidekick. As the protagonists are trying to build a better working relationship, they find themselves becoming attracted to each other.

As the protagonists are trying to build a better working relationship, they find themselves becoming attracted to each other.

#3: "Tales of the City" by Armistead Maupin. Mary Ann Singleton moves to San Francisco where she meets new friends of diverse backgrounds. There, she is introduced to Anna, the eccentric and open-minded landlady of 28 Barbary Lane. She also encounters Mona, an advertising executive who works for Edgar Halcyon's firm. Things get complicated when Anna starts having an affair with her boss, Edgar. Meanwhile, Mary Ann gets tangled up with the latter's son-in-law, Beauchamp. Their stories become crazier as more people come into the picture, like Mona's gay best friend, Michael, who decides to move in with her in her apartment.

#4: "Superhero" by Eli Easton. Jordan Carson is a gay artist who is struggling to find his place in school. His schoolmates only care about one thing: sports. Thankfully, he meets Owen Nelson in second grade. The two become best friends. As the school's champion wrestler, nobody messes with Owen. He always takes Jordan under his wing and makes him his sidekick. The main character is starting to fall in love with his best buddy. However, he knows that he needs to contain his emotions if he wants to keep their friendship intact.

#5: "Disobedience" by Naomi Alderman. Ronit is a lesbian who also happens to be the daughter of a respected rabbi. When her father dies, she comes home to her Orthodox Jewish family in London where she is greeted by many judgmental church mates. Her cousin Dovid, now a rabbi, and his wife Esti, one of her closest childhood friends, have ridiculed her in public frequently. To make the situation worse, the main character starts to recall her past when she and Esti were lovers. The book has been praised for touching on aspects of love, faith, and what people are willing to sacrifice for what they believe in.

To make the situation worse, the main character starts to recall her past when she and Esti were lovers.

#6: "Goodbye Paradise" by Sarina Bowen. For two decades, Josh and Caleb have been living in Paradise, a place where fast food, television and many other unnecessary "evils" are strictly prohibited. The Compound has kept everyone isolated from the rest of the world. There, two best friends have been keeping secrets. They love each other as more than friends. When Josh decides to escape the Compound, the main characters are thrown into different troubles that will test their relationship.

#7: "His Truth" by Riley Hart. Leo Mancini and Roman Cipriani have been close since their teenage years, despite their very different backgrounds. Leo is a judge's son, while Roman is the child of a criminal. Even with different family histories, the two fall in love and decide to run away. Things turn into a roller-coaster ride as both characters battle their inner demons. Leo tries to avoid becoming the man his father deemed him to be, while Roman is still in denial of his traumatic past.

#8: "Treble Maker" by Annabeth Albert. Cody Rivers and Lucas Norwood do not share the same passion for music. The former wants to be a popular rock star, while his friend is contented living a simple life. Cody knows that auditioning for an a cappella group is his best chance at getting into the music business. To form the team, he encourages Lucas to join in. The latter is already in love with his best buddy, so he agrees. Joining the singing group means that they need to go on tour and live together. This makes their friendship evolve into a more special, intimate relationship.

The latter is already in love with his best buddy, so he agrees.

#9: "Unsteady" by Melissa Collins. Micah Hudson and Jude MacMillian are both lonely teenagers. As they get to know each other, they start to form a bond that will lead to a deeper affection. At a young age, getting into an intimate relationship puts their friendship to the test. Ten years later, Micah is experiencing personal crisis and needs to find reasons to live. He realizes that he must have proper closure about his past with Jude. But doing so is not easy, as their situation is completely different from what it was before. Jude is still in the process of forgiving Micah. He is not sure if he is ready to have him in his life again.

#10: "Henry's End" by Julie A. Richman. The book tells the journey of a gay man named Henry Clark as he tries to find lasting love. While his friends are in serious relationships and some are already getting married, he is still struggling to find a lifetime partner. He goes to meet different kinds of men including those who like deviant sex. The novel is lauded for its effective depiction of various emotions that effectively connect with the reader.

#11: "Sinders and Ash" by Tara Lain. Mark "Sinders" Sintorella is a hardworking employee in a resort hotel who dreams of entering a fashion school. When he is not busy with his day job, he anonymously designs clothes. Things seem to be on track for him until he meets Ashton Armitage, the son of one of the richest men in the United States. The latter becomes attracted to the former. However, Ashton needs to remain closeted for a while. He is looking for a bride in order to keep his grandfather's inheritance. The complicated situation creates a story that conveys the struggles that many gay relationships face.

Things seem to be on track for him until he meets Ashton Armitage, the son of one of the richest men in the United States.

#12: "Secret" by Kindle Alexander. Dylan Reeves is the founder of Secret Networks, a successful social media site. He is married and has three kids whom he truly loves. His family is perfect, at least until a business offer from Tristan Wilder comes up. Tristan is a self-made millionaire and the CEO of his own company. He is determined to buy Dylan's firm no matter what the price. As the two pursue negotiations for a possible deal, Tristan begins to get attracted to Dylan. Dylan, on the other hand, does his best to ignore the attention he is getting. But the truth is, he has been keeping a secret about his true identity and his hidden desires for Tristan.

#13: "Locked in Silence" by Sloane Kennedy. Nolan Grainger is a successful concert violinist who has performed with some of the world's best symphonies. His life at present is far from what it was ten years ago. During that time, his ex-lover betrayed him, took all his money, and destroyed his career. Because of what happened, he decided to leave Pelican Bay for good. As he tried to pick up the pieces, his father suffered a stroke. This forces him to return to his hometown. There, he crosses paths with Dallas Kent, a local baseball star, who was Nolan's secret crush back in high school.