10 Books for the Overlap of Latinx Heritage and LGBTQ History Months

DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links for Amazon and Indiebound. Purchasing products through these links do not raise the cost on your bill, however, using the links allows me to earn a small commission.

Welcome to the first day of LGBTQ History Month! But also, welcome to the 17th day of Latinx Heritage Month! Since the latter doesn’t start on the first of a month, that means these two wonderful month-long holidays overlap, but only for 15 days. I wanted to compile a list of books to read for myself at first. Then I realized this is something I should share on my blog.

Some of these books I’ve read; others have been recommended to me. All of them feature at least one character who is Latinx and queer. Here are 10 books that are perfect to read during the overlap of Latinx Heritage Month and LGBTQ History Month!

♠ The titles with a spade symbol after them are OwnVoices for both Latinx and queer rep in the book.

Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore ♠

Content Warnings: Violence/physical abuse; Colorism (challenged); Detailed discussion of menstrual cramps and menstruation
Genre: Magical
Representation: Latina main characters; F/NB relationship + more
Age Range: Young Adult

Every time Anna-Marie publishes a book, I swear I love it even more than the last somehow. This is her most recently published novel (although another is just around the corner) and I think it’s perfect for the overlap of Latinx Heritage Month and LGBTQ History Month. Blanca & Roja is a fractured fairy tales inspired by Snow White and Rose Red as well as Swan Lake. It tells a story of family, colorism, love, and identity. Blanca and Roja are Latina sisters that aren’t from a specified Latinx country, and Blanca’s love interest is a non-binary character.

More By This Author: When The Moon Was Ours (2016), Wild Beauty (2017), Dark and Deepest Red (2020)

My Review | Goodreads | IndieBound | Amazon

We Set The Dark On Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia ♠

Content Warnings: Genre-appropriate violence; Classism; Sexist comments/language (most unchallenged); Internalized queerphobia; Spousal abuse
Genre: Dystopia
Representation: Fully Latinx cast; Female main character with a female love interest
Age Range: Young Adult

Looking for a different kind of fantasy? Here’s a dystopian story with an entirely Latinx cast. I listened to the audiobook version of this, which is narrated by the amazing Kyla Garcia. I loved every aspect of this book from the world-building to the depth of the characters to the plot Mejia has set up. Gosh, I’m so excited for the sequel to drop next year because this first book ruined me and I can only imagine what the next will do to me.

My Review | Goodreads | IndieBound | Amazon

Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno ♠

Content Warnings: [The ones that contain spoilers have been published in white text. Please highlight the text if you wish to see the content warning] Death of a loved one, heart attack; Grief; Mentions of death; Anxiety; Absent parent(s); Discussions of pregnancy
Genre: Romance
Representation: Bisexual Cuban-American + more
Age Range: Young Adult

Several people have told me about the casual bi rep in this story and man, I’m so ready for it. Recently, I’ve been a lot more into romance and contemporary stories and this one sounds perfect for me, so I’m hoping to finish it this month.

Goodreads | IndieBound | Amazon

Like Water by Rebecca Podos

Content Warnings: Ableist slur (challenged), anxiety, biphobia, drunk driving, hereditary disease, homophobia, sex scene (minor description), sick parent (Huntington’s Disease)
Genre: Contemporary, romance
Representation: Mexican-American queer main character, genderqueer love interest
Age Range: Young Adult

I absolutely adored this book when I read it, enough to make a playlist for it. As you can tell from the content warnings, this story deals with a lot of different topics, but they’re all handled beautifully. Although I can’t relate to all of it first-hand, I felt myself connecting with pretty much all of these characters because Podos writes them so well. Another thing that stuck out to me is that it’s a Young Adult novel about a girl who has just graduated high school but isn’t going to college, which we don’t see much of in the age group.

My Review | Goodreads | IndieBound | Amazon

Anger Is a Gift by Mark Oshiro ♠

Content Warnings: Police brutality, violence; Character death; Blood; Panic attacks; Transphobia, homophobia; Racism; Classism
Genre: Contemporary
Representation: Queer Latino main character
Age Range: Young Adult

Admittedly, I started reading this a few months ago and had to put it down because the story is intense, and that’s just because it’s so real. It deals with a lot of nasty topics that everyday teens and kids in America have to deal with, and it just wasn’t something I could handle at the time. However, from what I have read of it, I can tell you that it’s 100% worth picking up if you have the energy. It’s a beautiful yet heart-wrenching story.

Goodreads | IndieBound | Amazon

Life Is Wonderful, People Are Terrific by Meliza Bañales ♠

Content Warnings:
Genre: Historical fiction
Representation: Queer Xicana main character
Age Range: Adult

This is really the only book on this list that talks about queer (and Latinx) history, so it probably fits the LGBTQ History Month aspect of this list more than the others. (Although there are a couple that you could spin to be about history on this list as well.) Set in the 1990s, there’s a lot going on in this book. I mean, the synopsis alone tells us that Missy Fuego is off to college, and the first in her family to do so, where she encounters everyone from neo-nazis to hippies and deals with racial politics and exploring her queer identity. So yeah, it sounds like a busy story but definitely one I’m looking forward to.

Goodreads | Amazon

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Content Warnings: Emotional abuse and neglect; Strained family relationships; Homophobia; Racism; Descriptions of sexual acts (all consensual); Grief of a lost parent; Mentions of attempted sexual assault; Description of a panic attack; Forced public outing; Descriptions of alcohol/drug use
Genre: Romance, Dramedy
Representation: Bisexual Mexican-American main character, gay love interest + more
Age Range: New Adult

If you haven’t heard about this book, you’re either new to the book community or really good at avoiding major news. (If it’s that latter, please hit me up, because I’d love to know how to block out all major news.) In its simplest form, it’s a story about the First Son of the United States and the Prince of Wales falling in love after being sworn enemies for a number of years. On top of that, we have discussions and social commentary about race, class, gender, sexuality, politics, and so much more. The author is not Latinx, but the queer rep is OwnVoices.

My Review | Goodreads | IndieBound | Amazon

The Last 8 by Laura Pohl ♠

Content Warnings: PTSD; Depression; Discussions of suicide attempts, suicidal ideation; Self-harm
Genre: Dystopia
Representation: Aromantic bisexual Latina main character + more
Age Range: Young Adult

So I haven’t read this one either, but it sounds like a very different type of dystopian book than We Set the Dark on Fire. It’s set in what very clearly was our world, and it’s apparently got aliens in it. Very different. I’m excited for the overall concept of this plus the aromantic-but-not-asexual rep and the fact that there’s no romantic subplot slapped on simply to give readers a little something everything. Also! The author is Brazilian, and I’m not sure if Clover is as well, but I wanted to make sure I included that because you don’t always see Brazil included in Latinx stuff. (Which is a different conversation, but for the purposes of this post, I’m including them.)

Goodreads | IndieBound | Amazon

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Content Warnings: Sexual assault, Statutory rape; Abortion; Physical domestic abuse; Racism; Cheating; Serious Illness; Homophobia, biphobia; Alcoholism; Death of loved ones; Mentions of suicide
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Representation: Bisexual Cuban-American main character + more
Age Range: Adult

Although the story is not told by an OwnVoices author for the queer or Latina rep, this story has been super hyped ever since it released. The idea of an actress who’s lived a secret life that she’s ready to tell-all about now sounds like an amazing set up for a story that’s both contemporary and, in a way, historical fiction. I haven’t read it myself, so I can’t tell you what I think of it, but I am super excited for it. Maybe one of these days my hold will come in.

Goodreads | IndieBound | Amazon

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera ♠

Content Warnings: Depression; Suicide, descriptions, attempts, discussion; Homophobia, violence against queer characters, homophobic slurs on the page; Internalized homophobia; Domestic abuse; Self-harm; Ableism;
Genre: Contemporary
Representation: Gay Puerto Rican main character + more
Age Range: Young Adult

One of these days I will read an Adam Silvera book. I’ve heard a million great things about each of them, but I never feel like I’m in the right headspace to start any of them. When I finally do, I think this will end up being the one I pick up first, though. I love the idea of and social commentary on controlling emotions (in other words, medically controlling your emotions to stay happy all the time) and I love to see different perspectives of it. Not to mention, the synopsis on Goodreads says the book “confronts race, class, and sexuality.” It sounds like a wonderful book all around.

More by this author: History Is All You Left Me (2017), They Both Die At The End (2017), What If It’s Us (2018)

Goodreads | IndieBound | Amazon