Jeremy & Andy's Best Books for Gay Men | LGBTQ+ Spectrum List Included

Okay, so just finished reading this one recently and while the premise (pretend to be something you're not to get someone to like you) initially feels wrong right from the beginning, the overall journey the main character goes through, is a great coming of age, self-realisation story that helped it make our top 10 list.

With great characters from the entire rainbow of the queer community and storylines, a lot of us LGBTQ+ individuals could relate to, it only left us asking one thing: where the hell were these fun gay, inclusive camps when WE were growing up!?

Sex, drugs and rock n' roll! That's supposed to be what it's all about right? Well, through the eyes of frontman Jake Shears from like, the super amazing Scissor Sisters, it definitely was! 

If you love a good biography (we have read a many) then this is a great bio where Jake takes you through growing up gay in America in the 80s and 90s and right up to when the Scissor Sisters made it big.

A behind the scenes looks is always fun and it's what lures us towards an autobiography initially, but his storytelling is unapologetic, honest and just plain fun.

Futuristic, sci-fi themes meet gay romance; there's a little for everyone in this one! Don't let the title scare you off. Yes, it sounds a tiny bit depressing, but at least they're being upfront with you? 

You'd think with a title like that that it would prevent you from forming any character attachments right from the beginning, but sure enough, these boys will pull you in, take you on an adventure with them and leave you hoping the title doesn't ring true! 

We won't spoil the ending for you, but this is another must read from LGBTQ author Adam Silvera that should make your pride month reading list!

So happy to have this one on the list! Are you looking for a great book for your children to help them understand the modern world around them and the different people they'll encounter growing up? 

This book is the perfect fit. Jeremy is currently reading this with his pupils at school and seeing the impact it has had on their understanding and empathy for people from the LGBTQ+ community has been so inspiring. It's the story of a child named George, struggling to come to terms with their gender identity at home and at school. 

Hiding their secret from family, friends and teachers can prove challenging, but it is a beautiful story about acceptance and understanding.

Okay, so without giving too much away, it turns out that George was not the only one in that story who was struggling with their identity. 

Opening this book was like wrapping myself in a familiar blanket again. Isn't it always the way - so many of us feel like we're hiding the biggest secret, only to find out that sometimes it's those we least suspect who are fighting their own inner battle. 

The story of Rick will resonate with a lot of LGBTQ+ youth and we can't stress enough how amazing it is to see this kind of visibility in children's literature. One of Jeremy's students ran into the classroom recently yelling, 'Did you know there's a sequel to George?! And we have it in our library!' 

These are fantastic books to read with your children if teaching your children about the diverse world around them is at the top of your priority list.

Obviously, we all know this one by its film title, 'Love, Simon' but like most great films, it all began with a great book!

If you've read our recent top 10 films, you'll know this one made our list there too, but like most books, there's always that extra layer of depth to the character and that is exactly what you get with main character Simon in this novel. 

Having watched the film first (and obviously loved it), it was actually a treat to read the book after as it felt like you were getting so much more. So don't skip this one because you've already seen the film; get ready to know Simon in a whole new light.

Um, who DIDN'T have a crush on Prince William or Harry growing up in the late 90s/early 00s? This book is what we all dreamt of. It might be full of cheese but it's an indulgent love story nonetheless and such a guilty pleasure.

A modern-day romance involving America's First Son and the UK's Prince of Wales. They may start out as rivals but as the story goes on, there's a little (or maybe a lot) more there between these two. 

We had heard about this book from so many others so had to give it a read ourselves and we were not disappointed. If you're looking for something profound, you'll need to look elsewhere, but if you want a bit of romance and easy reading to leave the workweek behind, this is it!

If we only had this in our local library when we were growing up! An amazing book for those LGBTQ+ teens navigating the world and coming out. It covers everything from actually coming out, to dealing with bullies, sex, and body image. 

Not only acting as a helpful guide from the author himself but full of guest celebrity appearances from the likes of Drag Race Alumni Courtney Act and Actor Stephen Fry. No subject is off-limits and it really answers the questions you've been either too embarrassed or afraid to ask someone else.

We were so happy to have seen this book in so many shop windows and libraries on display out and proud; a sign of how things really have changed over the last decade.

Speaking of Drag Race Alumni, this was another fun read from one of Drag Race's most famous faces: Willam. Like, it is literally a guide on how to suck less at 37 different things in life. Is it funny?

Yes! Is it full of helpful tips amongst the sarcasm and self anecdotes? Yes! Is a lot of it highly inappropriate? Definitely! We enjoyed this light-hearted read and it definitely made us laugh out loud a more than a few times. 

Who knew we needed to know how to suck less at things like revenge or not letting people know you're dumb, or like, insulting someone effectively? Well, there's something for everyone here. Oh, and if you're like us, you'll definitely need to consult the 'Dragtionary' at the back to decipher some of the interesting and almost always questionable terminologyy, like 'dragamuffin' or 'shablamgela'.

So selling point here - the book begins with a foreword from Mister Ru Paul Charles himself. Would you expect anything less as the best friend of the diva herself? 

Michelle Visage is kind of everywhere these days: Strictly Come Dancing, almost every variation of Drag Race around the globe, game shows, and panel shows here in the UK. We love her and Ru's podcast 'What's The Tee?' so felt we'd enjoy her book and we were not wrong! 

We all know Michelle as the loud and proud Diva on TV and she's got tonnes of advice on how to be your best Diva self, supported by fun life stories along the way. If you're a fan of Michelle, you can't go wrong with this read.