I love October. Even though it is not the case here in the desert, it really starts to mark the beginning of fall. It is Halloween month, and as excited as I am about that, I want to focus on its other importance: it is LGBT History Month. My favorite way to celebrate this month is by diving into LGBT literature. So, I will outline some of my favorites and I encourage you to check them out. They are not listed in any particular order:

1. Making a Tinderbox by Emma Sterner-Radley

I finished this a few days ago! It is the first lesbian fantasy story that I’ve come across that wasn’t fan fiction. Even though the story dragged on in parts, it had a lot of good attributes: developed characters, thought out worldbuilding, and the right amount of mystery and romance. Nessa and Elise are wonderful characters; I fell in love with them and their journey throughout the book. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

2. Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Abertalli

I read this with a friend in anticipation for the release of Love Simon. We both flew through this novel. The emails between Simon and Blue are adorable, and figuring out Blue’s identity takes some serious detective work. Go read this and then watch the movie. You won’t regret it!

3. Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Abertalli

(And if we are being real here, anything Becky Abertalli writes)

When it comes to LGBT young adult literature, Becky Albertalli produces fantastic work! This is the sequel to Simon, which is narrated from his best friend Leah’s perspective. It includes the lovable, original cast of characters from the first novel. I wish I had this book in high school, since Leah is one of the few bisexual characters that I feel that I can relate to.

4. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

This one contains ALL THE FEELS. I don’t want to give too much info, since this one is easy to spoil. Again, prepare to feel things before you read it.

5. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

When I was in high school, there was not nearly as much LGBT young adult literature as there is now. As a result, I got most of my LGBT lit fix through David Levithan’s novels. The main ideas that I remember from this novel were how accepting the community was and how diverse the characters are. It is pretty short, so if you are looking for a fun, quick read, you should give this one a try!

6. Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai

Out of all of the books I’ve listed, this one is the most serious. It is a coming of age story of a boy growing up in Sri Lanka. A lot goes on in this novel, so it requires focus, but is completely worth the work of reading it. Out of the many literary books I’ve read, this is one of my favorites.

7. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

This book doesn’t fall under this category per se, but it has well developed LGBT themes. It contains two stories that run parallel to each other, and they make great commentary on the current young adult genre. This is one of my all time favorites.

8. Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami

If you like weird stuff, Haruki Murakami is your guy. He has a fascinating way of storytelling that holds your attention, even if the plot gets a little slow. Part lesbian romance, part mystery novel, and all around strange, this is a wild ride from start to finish!

This month, I hope to complete and add two more books to this list:

• The Price of Salt (also known as Carol) by Patricia Highsmith
• Maurice by E.M. Forster

If you have thoughts on any of these books, ideas on what should be LGBT required reading, or have a fun book to share, please do so in the comments!