Hero

A staple to the science-fiction genre, The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a collection of Douglas Adam's works. Comedic and poignant, Adams pokes at the insanity of our lives and space, combining them into a headspinning story of survival. Even if science-fiction isn't your genre, I recommend reading it in your free time. There's a reason this book is considered a classic and it's a fun read.

A really hard-to-read must-read that will tug at your heartstrings. Maurice follows the titular characters as he understands his identity through his own perspective and other's perceptions of him.

I truly loved this book. It was amazing to read something that felt so realistic at times when it came to how Maurice was treated for being himself, as well as how he treated himself. Without spoilers, Alec saying "I know" was by far one of the most heartbreaking and heartwarming moments I have read as someone who was also closeted for a long time.

I also recommend the movie starring James Wilby, Hugh Grant, and Rupert Graves. It's a very good adaptation and stays true to the source material. If you find the book to be too slow, the movie is a good way to enjoy the story without missing too much.

This book is a written version of the speech Admiral William H. McRaven gave in 2014. It does not necessarily add anything to the speech so it's a 50/50 on what you prefer. I recommend the speech but if you prefer reading, then the book is for you.

An easy read with genuinely helpful advice. The tone is never preachy or judgey, as some self-help books can be, and the advice is simplified without feeling dumbed down. All of the advice is manageable and easy to digest. I've already found myself repeating some of the parts that stuck out to me! Even without sitting down and doing some of the exercises, just reading it has already helped me improve my day to day habits. I recommend getting a version you can annotate!

Orlando: A Biography is a fantastical period piece surrounding the titular character as they traverse life. It is beautifully written in Virginia's poetic voice and focuses on sexuality, identity, and societal expectations.

I cannot express my love for this book enough. I have never read something that so poetically encapsulates my own feelings of gender. Virginia Woolf's writing is hard to read at times due to the poetic aspects as well as old English, but taking the time to understand is well worth it. It's definitely not a quick read because of that, but it's an enjoyable one nonetheless.

If you're looking for an interesting and unique piece on queer identity set in the Elizabethan period, I can't recommend this enough. Absolutely in my top 10!