The best LGBTQ+ novels

Gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans lives at the centre. Ranked by tier, then by how often the lists chose them.

22 novels, ranked best first

The Line of Beauty is the highest-rated LGBTQ+ novel, on 6 of the 16 lists it could have made.

The Novel Index earns a small commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our rankings. More about how we earn.

The Line of Beauty

Alan Hollinghurst, 2004

Essential

Critics' Darling
Prize Winner

On 6 of the 16 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.95 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

A Little Life

Hanya Yanagihara, 2015

Essential

On 6 of the 15 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.35 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Girl, Woman, Other

Bernardine Evaristo, 2019

Essential

Readers' Favourite
Prize Winner

On 4 of the 14 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.49 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

The Safekeep

Yael van der Wouden, 2024

Acclaimed

Prize Winner

On 3 of the 11 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.54 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:42, 10 Nov · Details

Middlesex

Jeffrey Eugenides, 2002

Acclaimed

Prize Winner

On 3 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £8.57 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Orlando

Virginia Woolf, 1928

Acclaimed

Critics' Darling

On 3 of the 16 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £7.85 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Giovanni's Room

James Baldwin, 1956

Acclaimed

Critics' Darling

On 3 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £7.99 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Memoirs of Hadrian

Marguerite Yourcenar, 1951

Acclaimed

On 2 of the 11 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.99 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Days Without End

Sebastian Barry, 2016

Rising Star

Critics' Darling
Prize Winner

On 5 of the 14 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.19 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Shuggie Bain

Douglas Stuart, 2020

Rising Star

Readers' Favourite
Prize Winner

On 3 of the 13 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £7.99 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:42, 10 Nov · Details

The Green Road

Anne Enright, 2015

Rising Star

Critics' Darling

On 3 of the 15 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.49 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

The Great Believers

Rebecca Makkai, 2018

Rising Star

Critics' Darling

On 3 of the 15 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £6.99 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Fingersmith

Sarah Waters, 2002

Critics' Darling

On 3 of the 20 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £8.91 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Women in Love

D.H. Lawrence, 1920

Critics' Darling

On 2 of the 15 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £3.99 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

The Disappearers

Marlon James, 2026

On 1 of the 8 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £16.41 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:42, 10 Nov · Details

A Place Called Winter

Patrick Gale, 2015

On 2 of the 16 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £10.52 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:42, 10 Nov · Details

Tales of the City

Armistead Maupin, 1978

On 2 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.99 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

The Gustav Sonata

Rose Tremain, 2016

On 2 of the 16 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.45 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:42, 10 Nov · Details

The Passion

Jeanette Winterson, 1987

Critics' Darling

On 2 of the 19 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.19 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

The Night Watch

Sarah Waters, 2006

On 2 of the 16 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £10.49 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

Jeanette Winterson, 1985

On 2 of the 19 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.19 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

John of John

Douglas Stuart, 2026

On 1 of the 10 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £16.44 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:42, 10 Nov · Details

Lists used on this page

The 100 best novels of all time, The Guardian (2026). Original list
The 100 best books of the 21st century, The Guardian (2019). Original list
The 100 greatest British novels, BBC Culture (2015). Original list
100 novels that shaped our world, BBC Arts (2019). Original list
100 Best Novels (board's list), Modern Library (1998). Original list
The 100 best books of the 21st century, The New York Times (2024). Original list
Bokklubben World Library, Norwegian Book Clubs (2002). Original list
Booker Prize (winners and shortlists), Booker Prize Foundation (1969-). Original list
Women's Prize for Fiction (winners and shortlists), Women's Prize Trust (1996-). Original list
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (winners and finalists), Columbia University (1918-). Original list
Costa (Whitbread) Novel Award (winners and shortlists), Costa (1971-2021). Original list
Walter Scott Prize (winners and shortlists), Abbotsford Trust (2010-). Original list
British Book Awards: Fiction Book of the Year (winners and shortlists), The Bookseller (1990-). Original list
National Book Award for Fiction (winners and finalists), National Book Foundation (1950-). Original list
Readers' top 100 novels, The Guardian (2026). Original list
The Big Jubilee Read, BBC Arts and The Reading Agency (2022). Original list
The Great American Read, PBS (2018). Original list
Waterstones Book of the Year (winners and shortlists), Waterstones (2012-). Original list
100 Books to Read in a Lifetime, Amazon.co.uk (2014). Original list
Oprah's Book Club picks, Oprah's Book Club (1996-). Original list