Second, they open, expand, and challenge my ideas about queerness. They show me something entirely new or different. They do not let me read idly, as an observer, or even as someone deeply connected to the material, heart beating fast in my chest, nodding along. Instead, they ask complicated questions about the nature of queer identity, and then force me to grapple with those questions. They invite me to look at — and interrogate — my own assumptions about queerness and queer lives and queer stories. The queer books I love the most are the ones that remind me that queerness is expansive and limitless, endlessly varied, ever-changing. They’re achingly familiar and shockingly new at the same time. These five books from 2020 are this kind of queer book. They shook me up in the best way. I read them, and they changed me, which is the highest praise I can offer any book. Looking for more great queer lit? Check out these nonfiction books on LGBT history and culture, and 40 of my favorite queer reads.
