50+ trans book recommendations for the Trans Rights Readathon and Trans Yearly Reading Challenge ranging from memoirs, nonfiction, romance, contemporary, YA and middle grade, and some SFF.

Rhys’ challenge: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/7f366573-a0b5-4fa7-b879-5aacfd85a926 

TRR challenge: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/ba8eac72-6aae-46c8-a21a-86f2b2b98037 

For more trans book recommendations, check out Rhys' Trans Books masterlist with over 1k books!

Shop my shelves on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/as-seen-on-booktube-booktok-bookstagram

TRANS YEARLY READING CHALLENGE 

1. A book with a trans man/boy main character: 

   • Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa 

   • “And They Were Roommates” by Page Powars

   • Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

   • Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith

   • The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons

   •  Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

   •  Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

   • Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

   • The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar

   •  The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver 

   • The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill 

   • The House of Now and Then by Edward Underhill 

2. A book with a trans woman/girl main character - 

   • Glitch Girl! by Rainie Oet

   • Joy to the World by Kai Shappley, Lisa Bunker

   • Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

   • Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi

   • Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

   • Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan

3. A book with a nonbinary main character -

   • The Beautiful Something Else by Alder Van Otterloo

   • Costumes for Time Travelers by A.R. Capetta

   • Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly

   • Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

   • A Prayer for the Crown Shy by Becky Chambers

   • Finna by Nino Cipri

4. A book with a disabled trans main character - 

   • “Read Between the Lines” by Bee Medina (Autistic lesbian, Juno is a trans girl)

   • The Prospects by KT Hoffman (ADHD) 

   • Pet by Akwaeke Emezi (Nonverbal/mute trans girl MC)

   • Long Macchiatos and Monsters by Alison Evans (disfigured hand, prosthetic leg)

   • Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield (On my TBR)

     t4t romance, character uses a mobility device. Two queer, disabled, Jewish teens find themselves stuck in a time loop--and falling love.

5. A memoir by a trans person - 

   • Pretty by KB Brookins

   • Horse Barbie by Geena Rocero

   • Homebody by Theo Parrish

   • Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

   • Welcome to St. Hell by Lewis Hancox

   • Skate for Your Life by Leo Baker

   • Continuum by Chella Man

   •  The Natural Mother of the Child: A Memoir of Nonbinary Parenthood by Krys Malcolm Belc (on my TBR)

   • Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak by Susan Kuklin

6. A general nonfiction book about trans people or trans history: 

   • Breathe by Maia Kobabe, Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier PHD

   • Gender is Really Strange by Teddy G. Goetz

   • (on my TBR) The Other Olympians by Michael Waters

   • Spectrums: Autistic Transgender People in Their Own Words by Maxfield Sparrow

   •  Both/And: Essays by Trans and Gender-Nonconforming Writers of Color by Denne Michele Norris with Electric Literature

7. A book with a trans asexual and/or aromantic main character: 

   On my TBR:

   • The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor

   • Tell Me How it Ends by Quinton Li

     TELL ME HOW IT ENDS features LGBTQ+, disabled, neurodivergent, cultural, and mental health representation. The main character, Iris Galacia, is a lesbian tarot reader with anxiety and autism. The second main character, Marin Boudreau, is an aromantic asexual non-binary person with ADHD.

   • Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White (aromantic)

8. A book with a BIPOC trans main character written by a BIPOC trans author:

   •  Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

   •  Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

   • Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan

   • Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

   • The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons

9. Bonus: A poetry collection by a trans author: 

   • Grief Slut by Evelyn Berry

   • There are Trans People Here by H. Melt

   • it was never going to be okay by jaye simpson

   • Disintegrate/Dissociate by Arielle Twist

10. Bonus: A graphic novel with a trans main character: 

    • Welcome to St. Hell by Lewis Hancox

    • Magical Boy by The Kao

    • Stone Fruit by Lee Lai

    • Homebody by Theo Parrish

11. Bonus: A book with a T4T romance: 

    • The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver

    • A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander

    • Caroline’s Heart by S.A. Chant

    • Long Macchiatos and Monsters by Alison Evans 

    • Ship Happens by Mason Deaver

12. Bonus: A book with a queer trans man main character - 

    • A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander

    • Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander

    • Peter Darling by S.A. Chant

    • Coffee Boy by S.A. Chant

13. Bonus: A book with a queer trans woman main character - 

    • Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

    •  Stone Fruit by Lee Lai

    • (on my tbr) Hot Girls with Balls by Benedict Nguyen

    •  (on my tbr) Best Woman by Rose Dommu

14. Bonus: A book with a trans main character that is Indie -

    • Read Between the Lines by Bee Medina

Trans Rights Readathon 2026

1. Transmasc and trans man representation 

   • Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White

   • The Prospects by KT Hoffman

   • A Gentleman's Gentleman by TJ Alexander

   • Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander

2. Transfemme and trans women rep: 

   • Who I Was with Her by Nita Tyndall

     There are two things that Corinne Parker knows to be true: that she is in love with Maggie Bailey, the captain of the rival high school's cross-country team and her secret girlfriend of a year, and that she isn't ready for anyone to know she's bisexual. But then Maggie dies, and Corinne quickly learns that the only thing worse than losing Maggie is being left heartbroken over a relationship no one knows existed. And to make things even more complicated, the only person she can turn to is Elissa--Maggie's ex, and the single person who understands how Corinne is feeling. As Corinne struggles to make sense of her grief and what she truly wants out of life, she begins to have feelings for the last person she should fall for. But to move forward after losing Maggie, Corinne will have to learn to be honest with the people in her life...starting with herself

   • Awakened by A.E. Osworth

     A coven of trans witches battles an evil AI in the magical coming-of-middle-age romp about love, loss, drag shows, and late capitalism.

1. Nonbinary, Agender, Genderqueer, and Other Gender Expansive Rep 

   • Gender Fluid: Both Can Be True by Jules Machias

   • Agender - “The Heartbreak Bakery” by A.R. Capetta 

1. Intersectional Trans Rep outside of your own experience 

2. 2Spirit, Indigiqueer and Indigenous Gender Expansive Rep

   • it was never going to be okay by jaye simpson

   • A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt

   • Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead

This book is a riotous mess of emotion: it’s funny and heartbreaking, full of loneliness and loss, harsh one moment and full of gentleness the next. Jonny is a twenty-something Two-Spirit Indigiqueer just living his life, paying the bills with his job as an online sex worker and hanging out with his friends. When his mom’s boyfriend dies, he has a week to find enough money to get back to the rez for the funeral. Over the course of the week, he goes about his life, reflects on his childhood, and shares memories of his mom and grandmother. It’s a thoughtful, introspective novel about a character with a singular voice, pulsing with life.

1. A Book Featuring Trans Joy, Love, and/or Resistance

   • Romance: Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao

     a steamy slow-burn romance starring a trans woman discovering she’s bi and finding her happily ever after.

   • Resistance: Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars by Kai Cheng Thom

2. A Book About Trans Youth and/or Imagining Trans Futures

   • Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

   • The Beautiful Something Else by Alder Van Otterloo

   • Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

   • Glitch Girl! by Rainie Oet

   • Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

3. A Book by or Featuring Trans Elders, or a Trans History Book

   A work by or about trans elders, like a memoir or biography, or a trans history book.

   • The House of Now and Then by Edward Underhill (Talks about trans history & elders through trans elder characters)

   • Horse Barbie by Geena Rocero 

   • Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

   • (On my TBR) A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder by Ma-Nee Chacaby

1. A Book Recommended by a Friend/Bookseller/Librarian

To support me on my journey to launching my own imprint dedicated to publishing the queer and trans books I wish existed, become a paid member. (As low as $5). Get full access to my private Discord (offered to free members too), exclusive content every week, and my utmost appreciation.

Your monetary support has a significant impact, helping me continue to create content and supporting me on my journey to launching my own imprint.