Books to Broaden Your Understanding of Gender Identity
Embark on a journey of understanding and empathy with these insightful reads. Each book offers a unique perspective on gender identity, helping you to challenge preconceived notions and embrace diversity. Open your mind and heart with these transformative stories.
This Is How It Always Is
337 pages
This book offers a heartfelt exploration of family dynamics and the complexities of gender identity, making it a compelling read.
A Closed and Common Orbit
303 pages
Becky Chambers excels at crafting diverse worlds that challenge traditional gender norms, making her series a refreshing and thought-provoking experience.
Real Queer America
196 pages
This book documents a road trip through LGBTQ communities in conservative areas, highlighting the strengths and love within these communities. It's a heartwarming read that captures the LGBTQ experience with accuracy and is also a fast read.
The Left Hand of Darkness
369 pages
This novel offers a unique perspective on gender, making it a thought-provoking read that challenges conventional views.
The Transgender Issue
This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the experiences of transgender individuals in contemporary British society, especially for those who may not be familiar with the topic.
No Way, They Were Gay?
237 pages
A contemporary adult fiction that explores the lives of a trans man and a nonbinary transfeminine person.
Little Fish
245 pages
WINNER, Lambda Literary Award; Firecracker Award for Fiction; $60,000 Amazon Canada First Novel Award In this extraordinary debut novel by the author of the Lambda Literary Award-winning story collection A Safe Girl to Love, Wendy Reimer is a thirty-year-old trans woman who comes across evidence that her late grandfather—a devout Mennonite farmer—might have been transgender himself. At first she dismisses this revelation, having other problems at hand, but as she and her friends struggle to cope with the challenges of their increasingly volatile lives—from alcoholism, to sex work, to suicide—Wendy is drawn to the lost pieces of her grandfather’s life, becoming determined to unravel the mystery of his truth. Alternately warm-hearted and dark-spirited, desperate and mirthful, Little Fish explores the winter of discontent in the life of one transgender woman as her past and future become irrevocably entwined.
The Child of Auschwitz
256 pages
This adult science fiction novel features a compelling story about a trans woman.
Detransition, Baby
353 pages
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The lives of three women—transgender and cisgender—collide after an unexpected pregnancy forces them to confront their deepest desires in “one of the most celebrated novels of the year” (Time) “Reading this novel is like holding a live wire in your hand.”—Vulture One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century Named one of the Best Books of the Year by more than twenty publications, including The New York Times Book Review, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Time, Vogue, Esquire, Vulture, and Autostraddle PEN/Hemingway Award Winner • Finalist for the Lambda Literary Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Gotham Book Prize • Longlisted for The Women’s Prize • Roxane Gay’s Audacious Book Club Pick • New York Times Editors’ Choice Reese almost had it all: a loving relationship with Amy, an apartment in New York City, a job she didn't hate. She had scraped together what previous generations of trans women could only dream of: a life of mundane, bourgeois comforts. The only thing missing was a child. But then her girlfriend, Amy, detransitioned and became Ames, and everything fell apart. Now Reese is caught in a self-destructive pattern: avoiding her loneliness by sleeping with married men. Ames isn't happy either. He thought detransitioning to live as a man would make life easier, but that decision cost him his relationship with Reese—and losing her meant losing his only family. Even though their romance is over, he longs to find a way back to her. When Ames's boss and lover, Katrina, reveals that she's pregnant with his baby—and that she's not sure whether she wants to keep it—Ames wonders if this is the chance he's been waiting for. Could the three of them form some kind of unconventional family—and raise the baby together? This provocative debut is about what happens at the emotional, messy, vulnerable corners of womanhood that platitudes and good intentions can't reach. Torrey Peters brilliantly and fearlessly navigates the most dangerous taboos around gender, sex, and relationships, gifting us a thrillingly original, witty, and deeply moving novel.
Transgender History
210 pages
This book is a great starting point for anyone interested in history and social movements, providing a solid foundation before diving into more personal narratives.
Over the Top
288 pages
This memoir is a heartfelt exploration of identity and self-acceptance, making it a must-read for anyone looking to understand different perspectives.
Campbell Biology
1488 pages
"For the last three decades, Campbell Biology has been the leading college text in the biological sciences. It has been translated into 19 languages and has provided millions of students with a solid foundation in college-level biology. This success is a testament not only to Neil Campbell's original vision but also to the dedication of hundreds of reviewers (listed on pages xxviii-xxxi), who, together with editors, artists, and contributors, have shaped and inspired this work"--
Conundrum
193 pages
This short memoir dives deeply into the personal experience of feeling like you were born the wrong gender, making it a fascinating read for those curious about gender identity.
Black Sun
496 pages
From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Resistance Reborn comes the “engrossing and vibrant” (Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Riot Baby) first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic. A god will return When the earth and sky converge Under the black sun In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial even proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world. Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain. Crafted with unforgettable characters, Rebecca Roanhorse has created a “brilliant world that shows the full panoply of human grace and depravity” (Ken Liu, award-winning author of The Grace of Kings). This epic adventure explores the decadence of power amidst the weight of history and the struggle of individuals swimming against the confines of society and their broken pasts in this “absolutely tremendous” (S.A. Chakraborty, nationally bestselling author of The City of Brass) and most original series debut of the decade.
Crossing
273 pages
Pajtim Statovci’s Crossing offers an illuminating interior monologue of a person transitioning gender, making it a thought-provoking read.
Lilith's Brood
893 pages
Octavia Butler’s Lilith’s Brood trilogy is a sci-fi masterpiece that provides insightful considerations of gender, making it a unique and enriching experience.
Histories of the Transgender Child
353 pages
This book offers a collection of personal stories and pictures from trans individuals, showcasing their early lives and relationships. It's a powerful way to build empathy and understanding.
Cemetery Boys
271 pages
A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas's New York Times-bestselling paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys, described by Entertainment Weekly as "groundbreaking." Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him. When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave. Praise for Cemetery Boys: Longlisted for the National Book Award "The novel perfectly balances the vibrant, energetic Latinx culture while delving into heavy topics like LGBTQ+ acceptance, deportation, colonization, and racism within authoritative establishments." —TeenVogue.com "This stunning debut novel from Thomas is detailed, heart-rending, and immensely romantic. I was bawling by the end of it, but not from sadness: I just felt so incredibly happy that this queer Latinx adventure will get to be read by other kids. Cemetery Boys is necessary: for trans kids, for queer kids, for those in the Latinx community who need to see themselves on the page. Don’t miss this book." —Mark Oshiro, author of Anger is a Gift
Freshwater
205 pages
Akwaeke Emezi's Freshwater is a captivating read that showcases some of the best prose in English, making it a must-start for anyone interested in unique storytelling.
Blue Boy
288 pages
This book offers a deep insight into the struggles of identity, as the main character grapples with being true to himself. It's a compelling read that can help you understand the complexities of personal identity.
The Death of Vivek Oji
256 pages
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi is another brilliant work that highlights the author's exceptional writing style and deep exploration of identity.
Felix Ever After
310 pages
A Stonewall Honor Book * A Time Magazine Best YA Book of All Time From Stonewall and Lambda Award–winning author Kacen Callender comes a revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time. Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after. When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle.... But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself. Felix Ever After is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognizing the love you deserve. "Felix is attending an ultracompetitive arts summer program to have a better shot at a full scholarship to Brown when someone posts Felix’s dead name beside photos of him, pre-transition, in the school’s lobby. Felix’s plot to get revenge throws him onto the path of love and self-discovery." (Publishers Weekly, "An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List")