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The best LGBTQ+ books of 2022, according to Lambda Literary

The Lambda Literary Awards — or the “Lammys” — highlight 24 LGBTQ+ books and authors across as many categories.
Illustration of three of the best LGBTQ+ books of 2022, according to Lambda Literary
Lambda Literary award winners include “Mouths of Rain: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought,” edited by Briona Simone Jones, “Punks: New & Selected Poems” by John Keene, “We Want What We Want” by Alix Ohlin, “Crossbones on My Life” by Mason J and “No Gods, No Monsters” by Cadewell Turnbull. Amazon

The Lambda Literary Foundation has announced the winners of its annual Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys."

The 24 LGBTQ+ award winners were chosen out of 120 finalists across categories like lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender fiction, poetry and nonfiction. Although the event has moved online, interim co-executive directors Cleopatra Acquaye and Maxwell Scales told us they’re as excited as ever about it. They've found moving things online “allows for more accessibility, creating room for people with various needs to be able to attend, but also opening the ceremony up for more people to join us from around the country and the world.” It’s also given them the opportunity to think about hybrid models for future Lammy awards, regardless of quarantine conditions. That way, as many people as possible can join, Acquaye told us, highlighting those who may be “isolated or in rural areas.”

The Lammys are especially significant this year — a recent study from the American Library Association found that half of the 10 most challenged and banned books in the U.S. were chosen for their LGBTQ content.

“At the end of the day, it’s a party,” Acquaye said. “It’s a time to celebrate and get loud about what we’ve accomplished, to grieve the artists that we’ve lost and to look cute while doing it.”

2022 Lambda Literary Award Winners

Below are the 24 winners of the 2022 Lambda Literary awards.

Bisexual fiction

We Want What We Want’ by Alix Ohlin

Bisexual nonfiction

Borealis’ by Aisha Sabatini Sloan

Bisexual poetry

Gumbo Ya Ya’ by Aurielle Marie

Gay fiction

100 Boyfriends’ by Brontez Purnell

Gay memoir/biography

Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir’ by Brian Broome

Gay poetry

Punks: New & Selected Poems’ by John Keene

Gay romance

Excellent Sons: A Love Story in Three Acts’ by Larry Benjamin

Lesbian fiction

Skye Falling’ by Mia McKenzie

Lesbian memoir/biography

The One You Want to Marry (And Other Identities I've Had): A Memoir’ by Sophie Santos

Lesbian poetry

Last Days’ by Tamiko Beyer

Lesbian romance

The Headmistress’ by Milena McKay

LGBTQ anthology

Mouths of Rain: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought,’ edited by Briona Simone Jones

LGBTQ children’s/middle grade

Calvin’ by JR and Vanessa Ford

LGBTQ comics

Stone Fruit’ by Lee Lai

LGBTQ drama

Mrs. Harrison’ by R. Eric Thomas

LGBTQ erotica

Big Joe’ by Samuel R. Delany

LGBTQ mystery

The Savage Kind’ by John Copenhaver

LGBTQ nonfiction

Let the Record Show’ by Sarah Schulman

LGBTQ speculative fiction

No Gods, No Monsters’ by Cadwell Turnbull

LGBTQ studies

Vice Patrol: Cops, Courts, and the Struggle over Urban Gay Life before Stonewall’ by Anna Lvovsky

LGBTQ young adult

The Heartbreak Bakery’ by A. R. Capetta

Transgender fiction

Summer Fun’ by Jeanne Thornton

Transgender nonfiction

Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness’ by Da'Shaun Harrison

Transgender poetry

Crossbones on My Life’ by Mason J

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