Budget Picks: LGBTQ+ Best Sellers That Earn Their Keep

Sophia Bush reads her own memoir, so audiobook buyers get the story in the voice of the person who lived it. She covers One Tree Hill, her years on Chicago P.D., and marriage and divorce in the public eye. Customer feedback is positive, though there is less detail on what readers specifically praise than for other picks here.

This satirical thriller follows a washed-up author who appropriates a young gay man's story. Buyers say it hooked them and they couldn't put it down. Some reviewers point out noticeable spelling errors, and others find the narrator unlikeable, which is where this pick falls short.

Douglas Stuart's Booker-shortlisted Oprah's Book Club pick follows a young man returning home to the Isle of Harris and the father he can't fully be himself around. Reviewers call it beautiful, and many say the ending ties things together well. Several also describe it as depressing, and a few found it slow going.

Marlon James's novel about the killing of a gay man in 1988 Kingston was shortlisted for the Booker and longlisted for the National Book Award. Reviewers call it brilliant and thought-provoking. They also warn that it is a slow, difficult read and can be traumatic, so expect to put in effort.

Customers describe this enemies-to-lovers hockey romance as addictive, and many call it one of the best books in the series. Readers say Ilya's dry humor makes them laugh and cry. It is book two of a seven-book series and the basis of a hit streaming show, so if it hooks you, there's plenty more to read. The new audio edition, narrated by Cooper North, also includes a supplemental PDF.

Eli McCann's comic novel follows a Utah quilting circle that brings in two young gay men to beat its rivals. Readers compare it to getting a warm hug and praise its humor and relatable characters. Most say it reads easily, though a few struggled to finish it.

Brian Belovitch recounts coming out three times, as a queer teen, as a trans woman in New York's nightlife scene, and later as an HIV-positive gay man during the AIDS crisis. Customers praise its raw honesty, and several call it one of the best memoirs they've read. It is an older title, which shows it has kept finding readers years after release.

Ann Leckie returns to the Imperial Radch with a standalone novel, so you don't need to buy earlier books to follow it. Readers enjoy the prose but are split on the story and characters, and some found it thin on depth. That makes it a riskier buy than the others here.

Book one of Game Changers follows a closeted hockey captain and the smoothie-shop guy he can't stay away from. Buyers call it a sweet, satisfying romance with realistic struggles. Starting here means you get the full series from the beginning.

Stephen Chbosky's coming-of-age novel spent more than a year as a #1 New York Times bestseller, and buyers still call it a must-read. Its letter format and emotional ending make it a favorite many readers come back to. The ALA recognized it as a Best Book for Young Adults and for Reluctant Readers.