BIOGRAPHIES

2025 curated booklist

Hine Toa: A Story of Bravery

Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku

In the 1950s, a young Ngāhuia is fostered by a family who believe in hard work and community. Although close to her kuia, she craves more: she wants higher education and refined living. But whānau dismiss her dreams. To them, she is just a show-off, always getting into trouble, talking back and running away.

In this fiery memoir about identity and belonging, Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku describes what was possible for a restless working-class girl from the pā. After moving to Auckland for university, Ngāhuia advocates resistance as a founding member of Ngā Tamatoa and the Women’s and Gay Liberation movements, becoming a critical voice in protests from Waitangi to the streets of Wellington.

Category: Non-Fiction, Biography, NZ Author
Representation: Takatāpui, lesbian
Content Warnings: Discrimination, sexual violence

ISBN: 9781775542322
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

Hijab Butch Blues

Lamya H.

When Lamya is fourteen, she decides to disappear. It seems easier to ease herself out of sight than to grapple with the difficulty of taking shape in a world that doesn’t fit.

She is a queer teenager growing up in a Muslim household, a South Asian in a Middle Eastern country. But during her Quran class, she reads a passage about Maryam, and suddenly everything shifts: if Maryam was never touched by any man, could Maryam be… like Lamya?

Written with deep intelligence and a fierce humour, Hijab Butch Blues follows Lamya as she travels to the United States, as she comes out, and as she navigates the complexities of the immigration system – and the queer dating scene.

At each step, she turns to her faith to make sense of her life, weaving stories from the Quran together with her own experiences: Musa leading his people to freedom; Allah, who is neither male nor female; and Nuh, who built an ark, just as Lamya is finally able to become the architect of her own story.

Category: Non-Fiction, Biography
Representation: Faith, lesbian, non-binary
Content Warnings: Abuse, islamaphobia, suicide, racism, homophobia

ISBN: 9781785788512
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring

Brad Gooch

In the 1980s, the subways of New York City were covered with art. In the stations, black matte sheets were pasted over outdated ads, and unsigned chalk drawings often popped up on these blank spaces. These temporary chalk drawings numbered in the thousands and became synonymous with a city as diverse as it was at war with itself, beset with poverty and crime but alive with art and creative energy. And every single one of these drawings was done by Keith Haring.

Keith Haring was one of the most emblematic artists of the 1980s, a figure described by his contemporaries as “a prophet in his life, his person, and his work.” Part of an iconic cultural crowd that included Andy Warhol, Madonna, and Basquiat, Haring broke down the barriers between high art and popular culture, creating work that was accessible for all and using it as a means to provoke and inspire radical social change. Haring died of AIDS in 1990. To this day, his influence on our culture remains incontrovertible, and his glamorous, tragically short life has a unique aura of mystery and power.

Brad Gooch, noted biographer of Flannery O’Connor and Frank O’Hara, was granted access to Haring’s extensive archive. He has written a biography that will become the authoritative work on the artist. Based on interviews with those who knew Haring best and drawing from the rich archival history, Brad Gooch sets out to capture the magic of Keith Haring: a visionary and timeless icon.

Category: Non-Fiction, Biography
Representation: Gay
Content Warnings: Abuse, homophobia, character death, police brutality, sexual activity, substance use/abuse

ISBN: 9780062698261
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

Homebody

Theo Parish

In their comics debut, Theo Parish masterfully weaves an intimate and defiantly hopeful memoir about the journey one nonbinary person takes to find a home within themself. Combining traditional comics with organic journal-like interludes, Theo takes us through their experiences with the hundred arbitrary and unspoken gender binary rules of high school, from harrowing haircuts and finally the right haircut to the intersection of gender identity and sexuality–and through tiny everyday moments that all led up to Theo finding the term “nonbinary,” which finally struck a chord.

“Have you ever had one of those moments when all of a sudden things become clear…like someone just turned on a light?”

A whole spectrum of people will be drawn to Theo’s storytelling, from trans or questioning teens and adults, to folks who devoured Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe or The Fire Never Goes Out by ND Stevenson, to any person looking to dive a little deeper into the way gender can shape identity. Throughout the book, Theo’s crystal-clear voice reminds the reader that it’s okay not to know, it’s okay to change your mind, and it’s okay to take your time finding your way home.

“We are all just trying to find a place to call our own. We are all deserving of comfort and safety, a place to call home.”

Category: Non-Fiction, Biography, Comic/Graphic Novel
Representation: Non-binary
Content Warnings: Homophobia, transphobia

ISBN:  9780063319592
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

Not That I’d Kiss a Girl

Lil O’Brien

A heartbreaking and hilarious true story of coming out as gay in New Zealand

Lil O’Brien accidentally outed herself to her parents at the age of nineteen when they overheard her talking to a friend about liking girls. Half an hour later she found herself on the side of the road, with instructions to come back and pick up her suitcase the next day.

What follows is a heartbreaking yet hugely funny story of a young Kiwi girl – the deputy head girl from a posh private school – coming to grips with her sexuality in the face of stark disapproval from her parents. Bit by bit, Lil finds the inner strength to pull herself into an entirely new world.

Along the way she’s called out for looking too straight in a gay bar, tries to break in to the lesbian in-crowd and figures out how to send her internet lover back to America. She falls in lust over a knotted soccer shoelace, explores how the hell to have sex with a girl and dates four women at once – unsuccessfully.

Lil’s story is an insightful and honest look at how you figure out whether you’re gay, bi or whatever – and deal with what comes next. It’s an essential read for anyone who’s had to fight for who they are and what they believe in.

Category: Non-Fiction, Biography, NZ Author
Representation: Lesbian
Content Warnings: Homophobia, racism, mental illness, substance use/abuse, sexual activity, fatphobia

ISBN:  9781988547589
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

XOXY: A Memoir

Kimberly M. Zieselman

Meet Kimberly, a regular suburban housewife and mother, whose discovery later in life that she was born intersex fuelled her to become an international human rights defender and globally-recognised activist. Charting her intersex discovery and her journey to self-acceptance, this book movingly portrays how being intersex impacted Kimberly’s personal and family life, as well as her career. From uncovering a secret that was intentionally kept from her, to coming out to her family and friends and fighting for intersex rights, her candid and empowering story helps breakdown barriers and misconceptions of intersex people and brings to light the trauma and harmful impact medical intervention continues to have on the intersex community. Written from a non-queer perspective, and filled with much-needed, straightforward information and advice about what it means to be intersex, this is a vital and timely resource for intersex people and their families, as well as the general reader.

Category: Autobiography, Non-Fiction
Representation: Intersex
Content Warnings: Discrimination, mental illness, sexual activity

ISBN: 9781785928376
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

Gender Queer: A Memoir

Maia Kobabe

In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Then e created Gender Queer. Maia’s intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fan fiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: It is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

Category: Autobiography, Non-Fiction, Comic
Representation: Non-binary, asexual
Content Warnings: Sexual activity, transphobia, homophobia, mental illness

ISBN: 9781637150726
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

Messy Roots: a Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American

Laura Gao

After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, riding water buffalos and devouring stinky tofu, Laura immigrates to Texas, where her hometown is as foreign as Mars–at least until 2020, when COVID-19 makes Wuhan a household name. In Messy Roots, Laura illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter. Insightful, original, and hilarious, toggling seamlessly between past and present, China and America, Gao’s debut is a tour de force of graphic storytelling.

Category: Autobiography, Non-Fiction, Comic, Young Adult
Representation: Lesbian, diverse sexualities
Content Warnings: Racism, homophobia, religion, sexual activity

ISBN: 9780063067776
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen

Arin Andrews

Seventeen-year-old Arin Andrews shares all the hilarious, painful, and poignant details of undergoing gender reassignment as a high school student in this winning memoir. We’ve all felt uncomfortable in our own skin at some point, and we’ve all been told that it’s just a part of growing up. But for Arin Andrews, it wasn’t a phase that would pass. He had been born in the body of a girl and there seemed to be no relief in sight. In this revolutionary memoir, Arin details the journey that led him to make the life-transforming decision to undergo gender reassignment as a high school junior. In his captivatingly witty, honest voice, Arin reveals the challenges he faced as a girl, the humiliation and anger he felt after getting kicked out of his private school, and all the changes, both mental and physical, he experienced once his transition began. Arin also writes about the thrill of meeting and dating a young transgender woman named Katie Hill and the heartache that followed after they broke up. Some Assembly Required is a true coming-of-age story about knocking down obstacles and embracing family, friendship, and first love. But more than that, it is a reminder that self-acceptance does not come ready-made with a manual and spare parts. Rather, some assembly is always required.

Category: Autobiography, Non-Fiction
Representation: Transgender
Content Warnings: Discrimination, self-harm, suicide, transphobia, homophobia

ISBN: 9781481416764
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto

George M. Johnson

In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia.

A New York Times Bestseller!
Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, Today Show, and MSNBC feature stories

From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.

Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren’t Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson’s emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.

Category: Autobiography, Non-Fiction
Representation: Gay, BIPOC
Content Warnings: Sexual violence, sexual activity, homophobia, racism, transphobia, violence, mental illness, character death, substance use/abuse, religion, police violence/brutality

ISBN: 9780374312718
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

Not That I’d Kiss a Girl

Lil O’Brien

Lil O’Brien accidentally outed herself to her parents at the age of nineteen when they overheard her talking to a friend about liking girls. Half an hour later she found herself on the side of the road, with instructions to come back and pick up her suitcase the next day.

What follows is a heartbreaking yet hugely funny story of a young Kiwi girl – the deputy head girl from a posh private school – coming to grips with her sexuality in the face of stark disapproval from her parents.

Bit by bit, Lil finds the inner strength to pull herself into an entirely new world. Along the way she’s called out for looking too straight in a gay bar, tries to break in to the lesbian in-crowd and figures out how to send her internet lover back to America. She falls in lust over a knotted soccer shoelace, explores how the hell to have sex with a girl and dates four women at once – unsuccessfully.

Lil’s story is an insightful and honest look at how you figure out whether you’re gay, bi or whatever – and deal with what comes next. It’s an essential read for anyone who’s had to fight for who they are and what they believe in.

Category: Autobiography, Non-Fiction, NZ Author
Representation: Lesbian
Content Warnings: Discrimination, substance use/abuse

ISBN: 9781988547589
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure

Lewis Hancox

A groundbreaking memoir about being a trans teen, in the vein of FUN HOME and FLAMER… and at the same time entirely its own.

Lewis has a few things to say to his younger teen self. He knows she hates her body. He knows she’s confused about who to snog. He knows she’s really a he and will ultimately realize this… but she’s going to go through a whole lot of mess (some of it funny, some of it not funny at all) to get to that point. Lewis is trying to tell her this… but she’s refusing to listen.

In WELCOME TO ST. HELL, author-illustrator Lewis Hancox takes readers on the hilarious, heartbreaking, and healing path he took to make it past trauma, confusion, hurt, and dubious fashion choices in order to become the man he was meant to be. It’s a remarkable, groundbreaking graphic memoir from an unmistakably bold new voice in comics.

Category: Autobiography, Non-Fiction, Comic
Representation: Transgender
Content Warnings: Transphobia, homophobia, disordered eating/eat disorder, bullying, sexual activity, mental illness

ISBN: 9781338824438
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen

Jazz Jennings

At the age of five, Jazz Jennings’s transition to life as a girl put her in the public spotlight after she shared her story on national television. She’s since become one of the most recognizable and prominent advocates for transgender teens, through her TV show, interviews, and social media.

Jazz’s openness has led to bullying and mistreatment from those who don’t understand her choices. She’s fought for the right to use the girls’ bathroom and to play on a girls’ soccer team, paving the way for others. And in this book, Jazz faces an even greater struggle—dealing with the physical and social stresses of being a teen. But being on the front lines of trans activism doesn’t stop Jazz from experiencing the joys of growing up, from day camp to first dates.

Jazz Jennings is one of the youngest and most prominent voices in the national discussion about gender identity. This remarkable memoir is a testament to the power of accepting yourself, learning to live an authentic life, and helping everyone to embrace their own truths.

Category: Autobiography, Non-Fiction, Young Adult
Representation: Transgender
Content Warnings: Transphobia, homophobia, bullying, sexual activity, mental illness, suicide

ISBN: 9780399554674
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

Gender Failure

Ivan E. Coyote & Rae Spoon

Ivan E. Coyote and Rae Spoon are accomplished, award-winning writers, musicians, and performers; they are also both admitted “gender failures.” In their first collaborative book, Ivan and Rae explore and expose their failed attempts at fitting into the gender binary, and how ultimately our expectations and assumptions around traditional gender roles fail us all.

Based on their acclaimed 2012 live show that toured across the United States and in Europe, Gender Failure is a poignant collection of autobiographical essays, lyrics, and images documenting Ivan and Rae’s personal journeys from gender failure to gender enlightenment. Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, it’s a book that will touch LGBTQ readers and others, revealing, with candor and insight, that gender comes in more than two sizes.

Category: Autobiography, Short Stories, Poetry
Representation: Transgender, non-binary, lesbian, diverse sexualities, diverse genders
Content Warnings: Discrimination

ISBN: 9781551525365
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

We Have Always Been Here

Samra Habib

Samra Habib has spent most of her life searching for the safety to be herself. As an Ahmadi Muslim growing up in Pakistan, she faced regular threats from Islamic extremists who believed the small, dynamic sect to be blasphemous. From her parents, she internalized the lesson that revealing her identity could put her in grave danger.

When her family came to Canada as refugees, Samra encountered a whole new host of challenges: bullies, racism, the threat of poverty, and an arranged marriage. Backed into a corner, her need for a safe space–in which to grow and nurture her creative, feminist spirit–became dire. The men in her life wanted to police her, the women in her life had only shown her the example of pious obedience, and her body was a problem to be solved.

So begins an exploration of faith, art, love, and queer sexuality, a journey that takes her to the far reaches of the globe to uncover a truth that was within her all along. A triumphant memoir of forgiveness and family, both chosen and not, We Have Always Been Here is a rallying cry for anyone who has ever felt out of place and a testament to the power of fearlessly inhabiting one’s truest self.

Category: Autobiography, Non-Fiction
Representation: Lesbian, BIPOC
Content Warnings: Religion, sexual violence, islamophobia, homophobia, suicide, racism, transphobia, bullying, abuse

ISBN: 9780735235007
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

Alison Bechdel

Alison Bechdel’s groundbreaking, bestselling graphic memoir that charts her fraught relationship with her late father.

Distant and exacting, Bruce Bechdel was an English teacher and director of the town funeral home, which Alison and her family referred to as the “Fun Home.” It was not until college that Alison, who had recently come out as a lesbian, discovered that her father was also gay. A few weeks after this revelation, he was dead, leaving a legacy of mystery for his daughter to resolve.

In her hands, personal history becomes a work of amazing subtlety and power, written with controlled force and enlivened with humor, rich literary allusion, and heartbreaking detail.

Category: Autobiography, Non-Fiction, Comics/Graphic Novels, Adult
Representation: Lesbian, gay
Content Warnings: Abuse, character death, discrimination, homophobia, substance use/abuse, suicide

ISBN: 9780618477944
Find it in your local library (WorldCat)