Here at LGBTQReads the sole non-donation income that keeps the site running does come from a certain website’s affiliate links, but don’t let that fool you into thinking we don’t love indies, especially the ones that carry small-press/self-pub queer books! To celebrate those very stores, here are a bunch of links to celebrate indie bookstore day the best way possible and get some amazing books in the process!
This will be an annual feature, so if a bookstore you love isn’t on this year’s list, it may be on next year’s! I obviously couldn’t feature every store or every book, but if this post sells a few books and even helps people find some signed copies of their faves, I feel good about it!
Note: I did not list a book as signed if the *listing* for the book did not say it, but many of these books were pulled from “Signed Books” lists on the sites. If you want a signed copy, double check!
Shop at…
Anderson’s Bookshop (Naperville, IL)
YA
- Kaleidoscope Song by Fox Benwell
- Proxy by Alex London
- Black Wings Beating by Alex London
- When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
- Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore
Book Culture (NYC Area)
Adult
- In at the Deep End by Kate Davies (preorder)
- Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
- Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (preorder)
The Brain Lair (South Bend, IN)
PB
- When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff (preorder)
MG/YA
- Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju (preorder)
- I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver (preorder)
- Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett (preorder)
- Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann
- If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann (preorder)
- The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag
- It’s Not Like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura
Adult
- River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
- Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Non-Fiction
- The Stonewall Riots by Gayle Pittman
Brazos Bookstore (Houston, TX)
YA
- His Hideous Heart ed. by Dahlia Adler (preorder)
- This is What it Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow
- The Afterward by E.K. Johnston
- It’s a Whole Spiel ed. by Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman (preorder)
- Death Prefers Blondes by Caleb Roehrig
- Sadie by Courtney Summers
Adult
- Everything Under by Daisy Johnson
- In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (preorder)
- Lot: Stories by Bryan Washington
Gay’s the Word
Books of Wonder (NYC, NY)
PB
- Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
MG
- The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake
- Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender
YA
- Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
- What if it’s Us? by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
- This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kheryn Callender
- Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy (signed)
- Look Both Ways by Alison Cherry
- Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova (signed)
- Rule by Ellen Goodlett (signed)
- For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig (signed)
- Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner
- Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand (signed)
- The Spy With the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke (signed)
- All Out ed. by Saundra Mitchell
- Unbroken ed. by Marieke Nijkamp
- The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston (signed)
- Jack of Hearts (and other parts) by L.C. Rosen
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
- History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
- They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
- Toil & Trouble ed. by Jessica Spotswood & Tess Sharpe
McNally Jackson (NYC, NY)
Adult
- Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett (preorder)
- Less by Andrew Sean Greer
- Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor
- Notes of a Crocodile by Qin Miaojin
- Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
Little Shop of Stories (Decatur, GA)
YA
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
- What if it’s Us? by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
- Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown
- The Meaning of Birds by Jaye Robin Brown
- All Eyes on Us by Kit Frick (preorder)
- Social Intercourse by Greg Howard
- Odd One Out by Nic Stone
- Anything Could Happen by Will Walton
- I Felt a Funeral in My Brain by Will Walton
- Running With Lions by Julian Winters
Fountain Bookstore (Richmond, VA)
PB
- Love is Love by Michael Genhart
- Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack
- Jack (Not Jackie) by Erica Silverman
- Pride Colors by Robin Stevenson
- From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea by Kai Cheng Thom
MG
- Drum Roll, Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
- Hazel’s Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow (preorder)
- Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle
- Where the Heart Is by Jo Knowles
- Hurricane Season by Nicole Melleby (preorder)
YA
- Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
- Pet by Akwaeke Emezi (preorder)
- The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle
- Boy Girl Boy by Ron Koertge
- The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
- Far From You by Tess Sharpe
Adult
- Edinburgh by Alexander Chee
- An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
- Sugar Run by Mesha Maren
Joseph-Beth Booksellers (OH/KY)
YA
- Ziggy, Stardust and Me by James Brandon (preorder)
- Noteworthy by Riley Redgate
- Final Draft by Riley Redgate
- If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
- Birthday by Meredith Russo (preorder)
- The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante
NA/Adult
- Out on Good Behavior by Dahlia Adler
- The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
- Off Campus by Amy Jo Cousins
- What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell
- Lover’s Mercy by Fiona Zedde
Malaprop’s (Asheville, NC)
YA
- Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
- The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus (preorder)
- The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World by Amy Reed (preorder)
- Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF Venable
Murder by the Book (Houston, TX)
Adult
- A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
- The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall (preorder)
- The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka
Myst Galaxy Books (San Diego, CA)
YA
- Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert
- A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo
- Ruse by Cindy Pon
- The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston
- Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston
- The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding
- Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
- Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas (preorder)
- And I Darken by Kiersten White
Adult
- An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Northshire Bookstore (NY/VT)
YA
- Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
- Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan
- Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin
- The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman
- The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan
- We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia
- Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
- Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
- Spinning by Tillie Walden
Adult
- Leading Men by Christopher Castellani
- The Ashford Place by Jean Copeland
- Willa & Hesper by Amy Feltman
- Royal Court by Jenny Frame
- Sugar Run by Mesha Maren
- Northern Lights by Raymond Strom
Oblong Books (Rhinebeck, NY)
MG
- Drum Roll, Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
- Felix Yz by Lisa Bunker
- Star Crossed by Barbara Dee
- George by Alex Gino
YA
- Inkmistress by Audrey Coulthurst
- The Spy With the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke (signed)
- Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp
- This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
- The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie
- Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skrutskie
- Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF Venable
Adult
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (signed)
- Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
- Casting Lacey by Elle Spencer
One More Page Books (Alexandria, VA)
YA
- The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake (preorder)
- The Resolutions by Mia Garcia (signed)
- Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett (preorder)
- Reverie by Ryan La Sala (preorder)
- Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh (signed)
- Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig
- White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig
- Death Prefers Blondes by Caleb Roehrig
- A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith
- Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley
- Pulp by Robin Talley
- Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde
- The Brightsiders by Jen Wilde
- Going Off Script by Jen Wilde (preorder)
- How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters (preorder)
Park Road Books (Charlotte, NC)
YA
- I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver (signed preorder)
- Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith (signed preorder)
- We Are Okay by Nina Lacour
- The Brilliant Death by Amy Rose Capetta
- The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan
- Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria
- Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake
Adult
- Clio Rising by Paula Martinac (signed preorder)
- Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
- Sugar Run by Mesha Maren (signed)
- The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang
- The Psychology of Time Travel by Karen Mascarenhas
- On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (preorder)
- Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
Poetry
- shame is an ocean i swim across by Mary Lambert
- Aftermath by Thomas March
- Take Me With You by Andrea Gibson
Parnassus (Nashville, TN)
MG/YA
- Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake
- The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake
- How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake
- Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake
- Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert
- The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller
- Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney Stevens
Adult
- The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
- Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller
- Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (preorder)
Powell’s (Portland, OR)
MG/YA
- Unicorn Tracks by Julia Ember
- The Tiger’s Watch by Julia Ember
- The Seafarer’s Kiss by Julia Ember
- The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman
- At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson
- We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia (signed)
- The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller
- Hero by Perry Moore
- Marco Impossible by Hannah Moskowitz
- Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz
- A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz
- If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
- Birthday by Meredith Russo
- Keep This to Yourself by Tom Ryan (preorder)
- Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz
- Timekeeper by Tara Sim
- Forgive Me if I’ve Told You This Before by Karelia Stetz-Waters
- My Myself & Him by Chris Tebbetts (preorder)
NA/Adult
- Cottonmouths by Kelly J. Ford
- Under a Falling Star by Jae
- Vow of Celibacy by Erin Judge
- Perfect Pairing by Rachel Spangler
- Edge of Glory by Rachel Spangler
- Longing and the Lack by C.M. Spivey
Quail Ridge Books (Raleigh, NC)
YA
- Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Books by Jaye Robin Brown
- The Meaning of Birds by Jaye Robin Brown
- I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver (preorder)
- We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
- Over You by Amy Reed
- The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed
- The Last to Let Go by Amber Smith
- Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith
The Ripped Bodice (LA, CA)
PB
- Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian/Mike Curato
- Maiden & Princess by Daniel Haack and Isabel Maduro/Becca Human (signed)
YA
- Under the Lights by Dahlia Adler
- Something Like Summer by Jay Bell
- Style by Chelsea M. Cameron
- Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin
- Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
- Seven Tears at High Tide by CB Lee
- Not Your Sidekick by CB Lee
- Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
- Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (signed)
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
- Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi (signed)
NA/Adult
- Sweet and Sexy by Jeff Adams
- Out on Good Behavior by Dahlia Adler
- Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault
- Marriage of Unconvenience by Chelsea M. Cameron
- Chef’s Table by Lynn Charles
- Olympia Knife by Alycia Constantine
- A Royal Romance by Jenny Frame
- Stuck Landing by Lauren Gallagher
- Tales from Perach by Shira Glassman
- The Mystic Marriage by Heather Rose Jones
- Vow of Celibacy by Erin Judge
- Blueberry Boys by Vanessa North
- In the Middle of Somewhere by Roan Parrish
- A Gentleman in the Street by Alisha Rai (signed)
- Definitely, Maybe, Yours by Lissa Reed
- A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice (signed)
- Hush by Jude Sierra
- Better Off Red by Rebekah Weatherspoon (signed)
- The Fling by Rebekah Weatherspoon
- At Her Feet by Rebekah Weatherspoon (signed)
The Strand (NYC, NY)
YA
- Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake
- This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kheryn Callender
- Dreadnought by April Daniels
- We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
- Runebreaker by Alex Kahler
- We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
- Not Your Sidekick by CB Lee
- Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
- Ash by Malinda Lo
- Black Wings Beating by Alex London
- Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
- All Out ed. by Saundra Mitchell
- Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
- Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro
- They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
- Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley
Adult
- The First Bad Man by Miranda July
- When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri
- Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
- A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Third Place Books (Seattle, WA)
PB
- Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack, ill. by Stevie Lewis
- Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
MG
- Felix Yz by Lisa Bunker
- Zenobia July by Lisa Bunker (preorder)
- George by Alex Gino
- The Whispers by Greg Howard
YA
- Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
- Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
- We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia
- By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery (preorder)
- Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Adult
- My Brother’s Husband, Vol. 1 by Gengoroh Tagame/Anne Ishii
- Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala
- Everything Under by Daisy Johnson
- My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Nagata Kabi
- She of the Mountains by Vivek Shraya
- Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead
Nonfiction
- Boy Erased by Garrard Conley
- On Christopher Street: Transgender Stories by Mark Seliger
Poetry
- masquerade by Cyrus Parker (preorder)
- Don’t Call Us Dead by Danez Smith
Trident Booksellers and Cafe (Boston, MA)
YA
- Run by Kody Keplinger
- The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
- The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
- All Out ed. by Saundra Mitchell
- The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus (preorder)
Adult
- Less by Andrew Sean Greer
- Who is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht
- The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka
Writer’s Block Bookstore (Winter Park, FL)
YA
- Island of Exiles by Erica Cameron
- Assassins: Discord by Erica Cameron
- The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman
- Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
- Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
- Out of Salem by Hal Schrieve
- Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley
Adult
- Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett (preorder)
- My Education by Susan Choi
- Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn (preorder)
- Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn
- Stray City by Chelsey Johnson
- Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta
- Tin Man by Sarah Winman

Luke can uncross almost any curse—they unravel themselves for him like no one else. So working for the Kovrovs, one of the families controlling all the magic in New York, is exciting and dangerous, especially when he encounters the first curse he can’t break. And it involves Jeremy, the beloved, sheltered prince of the Kovrov family—the one boy he absolutely shouldn’t be falling for.
For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens.
Ryan McCullough and Gabby Hart are the unlikeliest of friends. Introverted, anxious Gabby would rather do literally anything than go to a party. Ryan is a star hockey player who can get any girl he wants—and does, frequently. But against all odds, they became not only friends, but each other’s favorite person. Now, as they face high school graduation, they can’t help but take a moment to reminisce and, in their signature tradition, make a top ten list—counting down the top ten moments of their friendship:
Rumor Mora fears two things: hellhounds too strong for him to kill, and failure. Jude Welton has two dreams: for humans to stop killing monsters, and for his strange abilities to vanish.
Even gods can be slain
Being the middle child has its ups and downs.
Bells Broussard thought he had it made when his superpowers manifested early. Being a shapeshifter is awesome. He can change his hair whenever he wants, and if putting on a binder for the day is too much, he’s got it covered. But that was before he became the country’s most-wanted villain.
Chase Payne is a walking contradiction. He’s the most powerful psychic in the Community, but the least respected. He’s the son of the Community’s founder, but with his tattoo sleeves and abrasive attitude, he’s nothing like his charismatic family. No one knows what to make of him, which is how he wound up locked in a cell on the Farm yet again. But this time, the only man he’s ever loved is there too.
NFL football player Isaiah Blackwell lost his husband three years ago and is raising their teen son alone. He lives his life as quietly as his job allows, playing ball to support his family but trying not to draw unwanted attention. His quiet life is shaken up when a mutual friend introduces him to Victor, a visiting principal ballet dancer who is everything Isaiah is not.
THE RULES ARE SIMPLE: You must be gifted. You must be younger than twenty-five. You must be willing to accept the dangers that you will face if you win.
In Savannah Espinoza’s small New Mexico hometown, kids either flee after graduation or they’re trapped there forever. Vanni never planned to get stuck—but that was before her father was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, leaving her and her mother to care for him. Now, she doesn’t have much of a plan at all: living at home, working as a performing mermaid at a second-rate water park, distracting herself with one boy after another.
Ryan, Harley and Miles are very different people–the swimmer, the rebel and the nerd. All they’ve ever had in common is Isaac, their shared best friend.
The whole city is searching for Hasryan—some for revenge and justice, others to save their friends. Yet no one knows where to find him except Lord Arathiel Brasten, who vanished 130 years ago only to magically return.
Tony Quinn has a knack for figuring people out. He likes labels, likes to be able to put everyone and everything in tidy boxes. As a theater director, it allows him to run a production without too much drama. But when he meets Gentry—“call me Gee”—in a bar one night, he discovers that some people aren’t so easily defined.
Adda and Iridian are newly-minted engineers, but in a solar system wracked by economic collapse after an interplanetary war, an engineering degree isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. Desperate for gainful employment, they hijack a colony ship, planning to join a pirate crew at Barbary Station, an abandoned shipbreaking station in deep space.

Letting queer characters and characters of color have space in their own stories, especially when those characters are being written by authors from our own communities. Characters with marginalized identities need space to grow and evolve in their own stories, they need room for realistic portrayals of the obstacles they face, and they need chances at happy endings.
Anna-Marie McLemore (she/her) was born in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and taught by her family to hear la llorona in the Santa Ana winds. She is the author of THE WEIGHT OF FEATHERS, a finalist for the 2016 William C. Morris Debut Award, and 2017 Stonewall Honor Book WHEN THE MOON WAS OURS, which was longlisted for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature. Her latest is WILD BEAUTY, and BLANCA & ROJA is forthcoming in fall of 2018.