100 books like Two or Three Things I Know for Sure

By Dorothy Allison,

Here are 100 books that Two or Three Things I Know for Sure fans have personally recommended if you like Two or Three Things I Know for Sure. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Gideon the Ninth

By Tamsyn Muir,

Book cover of Gideon the Ninth

Ross Hightower and Deb Heim Author Of Desulti: An Epic Fantasy

From my list on complex storylines and bad-ass female characters.

By Ross Hightower and Deb Heim Author

Why am I passionate about this?

Ross and I have backgrounds in academia, in the finest liberal arts tradition. Although we are currently in the fields of Information technology and public health, between us we have read extensively in military history, sociology, economics, feminist theory, Buddhist philosophy, mythology and all manner of fantasy fiction. This list of books reflects our favorites, in large part because of their focus on character and historical world-building. We are always eager to share our favorite fantasy fiction with other readers who love deeply complicated stories with unforgettable characters.

Ross' book list on complex storylines and bad-ass female characters

Book cover of Age of Myth Book cover of Red Sister Book cover of Gideon the Ninth Book cover of The City We Became Book cover of The Thousand Names

Ross Hightower and Deb Heim Why did Ross love this book?

With a cover like a Halloween fever dream, I expected a lot of otherworldly gothic creepiness, which this book delivered. What I didn’t expect was Gideon, an unforgettable character whose unapologetic frankness is like a shot of whisky in what could otherwise be an overwrought space opera. It’s a bit of stretch to call this historical fantasy, but I love that the world-building implies a complex backstory both for the characters and their world. Which sets up a wonderfully weird juxtaposition of ancient and modern.  Set in a feudal world, inhabited by undead necromancer lieges and their cavalier servants, I kept thinking, “Did Gideon just say that *&^$ to her master?” Yes, she did. And I was there for every word.

Gideon the Ninth

By Tamsyn Muir,

Why should I read it?

24 authors picked Gideon the Ninth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

15+ pages of new, original content, including a glossary of terms, in-universe writings, and more!

A USA Today Best-Selling Novel!

"Unlike anything I've ever read. " --V.E. Schwab

"Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!" --Charles Stross

"Brilliantly original, messy and weird straight through." --NPR

The Emperor needs necromancers.

The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead nonsense.

Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth, first in The Locked Tomb Trilogy, unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as…

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Theft by Finding

By David Sedaris,

Book cover of Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002)

Yong Takahashi Author Of Observations Through Yellow Glasses: A Memoir Through Poems

From my list on to tickle your funny bone and break your heart.

By Yong Takahashi Author

Why am I passionate about this?

I was born in South Korea and moved to The United States when I was three years old. I grew up in Detroit where I was often the only yellow face in school. The trauma of trying to fit in played a significant role in my adult life. I have thought about writing a memoir for years. Several family members asked me not to name them. I decided to tell my truth through brief snapshots of a feeling or event. This way, I could show my journey from my perspective as I learned to walk between two opposing cultures. Observations Through Yellow Glasses: A Memoir Through Poems is the result.

Yong's book list on to tickle your funny bone and break your heart

Book cover of Running with Scissors: A Memoir Book cover of Night Book cover of Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002) Book cover of Older Sister. Not Necessarily Related: A Memoir Book cover of Educated: A Memoir

Yong Takahashi Why did Yong love this book?

For forty years, David Sedaris kept a diary filled with his successes, failures, overheard conversations, and secrets confessed by strangers. He adds humor to his memories which is a wonderful change from the traditional memoir. Even a boring day can make us laugh. This is the first of two volumes and is the better of the two.

Theft by Finding

By David Sedaris,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Theft by Finding as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One of the most anticipated books of 2017: Boston Globe, New York Times Book Review, New York's "Vulture", The Week, Bustle, BookRiot

An NPR Best Book of 2017

An AV Club Favorite Book of 2017
A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2017

A Goodreads Choice Awards nominee

David Sedaris tells all in a book that is, literally, a lifetime in the making.

For forty years, David Sedaris has kept a diary in which he records everything that captures his attention-overheard comments, salacious gossip, soap opera plot twists, secrets confided by total strangers. These observations are the source code for…

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Her Body and Other Parties

By Carmen Maria Machado,

Book cover of Her Body and Other Parties: Stories

KC Grifant Author Of Shrouded Horror: Tales of the Uncanny

From my list on creepiest modern short story collections by women.

By KC Grifant Author

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an award-winning writer based in Southern California who creates internationally published horror, fantasy, science fiction, and weird West stories. Dozens of my short stories have appeared in podcasts, magazines, games, and Stoker-nominated anthologies, and I’ve authored several books. I am the co-chair and founder of the Horror Writers Association San Diego chapter, a short story instructor, co-creator of the Monster Gunslingers game, and member of writing organizations, including the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. I find speculative horror a fascinating lens by which to view challenges faced by underrepresented groups and women. I hope you enjoy these tales.

KC's book list on creepiest modern short story collections by women

Book cover of Slash-Her Book cover of Her Body and Other Parties: Stories Book cover of Good Girls Don't Die Book cover of How Lovely To Be a Woman: Stories and Poems Book cover of White Trash and Recycled Nightmares

KC Grifant Why did KC love this book?

I loved these unique takes and eerie, complex stories around women’s bodies, violence, and society. Powerful, strange, and haunting, these short stories left me with a lot to contemplate. I especially appreciated the homage to certain cultural references; for example, The Husband Stitch is a brilliant retelling of The Green Ribbon, a classic tale from In A Dark, Dark Room And Other Scary Stories.

I needed to sit and think about some of these stories afterward, as many are more experimental, layered with meaning, and open to interpretation. This original, powerful collection is a heavy read but undoubtedly worth it.

Her Body and Other Parties

By Carmen Maria Machado,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Her Body and Other Parties as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FICTION PRIZE 2017
SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2018

'Brilliantly inventive and blazingly smart' Garth Greenwell

'Impossible, imperfect, unforgettable' Roxane Gay

'A wild thing ... covered in sequins and scales, blazing with the influence of fabulists from Angela Carter to Kelly Link and Helen Oyeyemi' New York Times

In her provocative debut, Carmen Maria Machado demolishes the borders between magical realism and science fiction, comedy and horror, fantasy and fabulism. Startling narratives map the realities of women's lives and the violence visited on their bodies, both in myth and in practice.

A…

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The Angel of History

By Rabih Alameddine,

Book cover of The Angel of History: A Novel

tammy lynne stoner Author Of Sugar Land

From my list on queer books across time & genre.

By tammy lynne stoner Author

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a serial mover, living in 18 cities in three countries (so far) – though that has settled down (kinda) now that my lady and I find ourselves with three kids + a fish, kitten, and 100-pound dog. Wherever we land, we single-handedly support the entire local restaurant industry. My debut novel was lucky enough to do well and has inspired a short film, which will hopefully usher it down the long road to TV series… 

tammy's book list on queer books across time & genre

Book cover of Her Body and Other Parties: Stories Book cover of Gideon the Ninth Book cover of Two or Three Things I Know for Sure Book cover of The Angel of History: A Novel Book cover of Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002)

tammy lynne stoner Why did tammy love this book?

A few years ago we at Gertrude lit journal decided to answer the question that kept coming our way: What are some great books written by queer people with narratives that center on queer people? Before the pandemic made a mess of things, we ran GERTIE, a book club that chose two fabulous queer books every quarter. This was our very first book selection, and—like with many firsts, perhaps—it holds a special place.

The Angel of History takes place during one night in the waiting room of a San Francisco psyche ward when visits by the Devil and 14 Saints reveal the life of Jacob, a Yemen-born poet who was born in an Egyptian whorehouse. Yes, you read that right. 

The Angel of History

By Rabih Alameddine,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Angel of History as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Washington Independent Review of Books, Literary Hub, and Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year



An Unnecessary Woman

won the California Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the PEN Open Book Award and was a Best Book of the Year for the Washington Post, Kirkus, NPR, Amazon, Christian Science Monitor, Newsday, The Boston Globe, and The Wall Street Journal

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I Kissed Alice

By Anna Birch, Victoria Ying (illustrator),

Book cover of I Kissed Alice

Heather DiAngelis Author Of Speech and Debacles

From my list on queer YA exploring mental health.

By Heather DiAngelis Author

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve struggled with mental health for most of my life, as have family members and friends I love. It’s extremely important to me that we normalize discussions of mental health so that we can find the best solutions. Anxiety and depression have been major themes in all of the young adult novels I’ve written; it’s my little way of furthering these conversations with the people who need them. I hope you’ll find these suggestions relatable, enjoyable, and question-inducing!

Heather's book list on queer YA exploring mental health

Book cover of The Gravity of Us Book cover of I Kissed Alice Book cover of Deposing Nathan Book cover of The Music of What Happens Book cover of Darius the Great Is Not Okay

Heather DiAngelis Why did Heather love this book?

Anna Birch’s I Kissed Alice is an enemies-to-lovers story about two gifted artists, Rhodes and Iliana, at a school for the arts who despise each other in person but fall hard for each other’s online fanfiction personas. Rhodes’s depression and anxiety consume her in the race to win a prestigious scholarship and navigate a complicated dynamic with her alcoholic mother. I found Rhodes’s on-page therapy sessions incredibly refreshing and relatable, something I don’t see enough of in YA fiction. The characters in this story are unlikeable and flawed—extremely so—but for that reason, my heart clenched often at their actions, assumptions, and reactions. Bonus points for the beautiful fanfiction graphics illustrated by Victoria Ying.

I Kissed Alice

By Anna Birch, Victoria Ying (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Kissed Alice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Rhodes and Iliana couldn't be more different, but that's not why they hate each other. Hyper-gifted painter Rhodes has always excelled at the Alabama Fine Arts Academy despite a secret bout of creator's block, while transfer student Iliana tries to outshine everyone with her intense work ethic. But since only one of them can get the coveted Capstone scholarship, and the competition between them grows fierce.
They both escape the pressure on a fanfic site where they are unknowingly collaborating on a webcomic. Their anonymous online identities I-Kissed-Alice and Curious-in-Cheshire begin to fall in love, despite being worst enemies in…

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Some Girls Do

By Jennifer Dugan,

Book cover of Some Girls Do

Dahlia Adler Author Of Home Field Advantage

From my list on queer teen athletes.

By Dahlia Adler Author

Why am I passionate about this?

My newest YA novel, Home Field Advantage, is your typical cliché sports romance between a high school quarterback and aspiring cheer captain…except that they’re both girls. Sports is such a fascinating setting for queer YA to me, because it adds a whole extra social dynamic of being teammates and how that can work for or against you, depending on the culture and who you are. It’s also a great venue for subversion of gender norms, which is always welcome to me! And in general, I really just love protagonists who are really passionate about what they do. If they happen to be queer as well, that’s just a nice bonus!

Dahlia's book list on queer teen athletes

Book cover of Man o' War Book cover of Some Girls Do Book cover of Like Other Girls Book cover of The Passing Playbook Book cover of She Drives Me Crazy

Dahlia Adler Why did Dahlia love this book?

Dugan is one of my absolute favorite authors of queer YA, and this romance between out-and-proud track star Morgan and closeted Ruby is a perfect illustration why, merging a fun high school setting and passionate main characters with the very relevant situation of managing your public level of queerness. It’s thoughtful and sweet, romantic and funny, and above all, real. 

Some Girls Do

By Jennifer Dugan,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Some Girls Do as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this YA contemporary queer romance from the author of Hot Dog Girl, an openly gay track star falls for a closeted, bisexual teen beauty queen with a penchant for fixing up old cars. Now available in paperback!

Morgan, an elite track athlete, is forced to transfer high schools late in her senior year after it turns out being queer is against her private Catholic school's code of conduct. There, she meets Ruby, who has two hobbies: tinkering with her baby blue 1970 Ford Torino and competing in local beauty pageants, the latter to live out the dreams of her…

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My Autobiography of Carson McCullers

By Jenn Shapland,

Book cover of My Autobiography of Carson McCullers: A Memoir

Sara B. Franklin Author Of The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America

From my list on the stories we tell about women.

By Sara B. Franklin Author

Why am I passionate about this?

Judith Jones became an important mentor and mother figure to me in my twenties, in the wake of my parents’ deaths. Her personal wisdom and guidance, which I received both in knowing her personally and from the incredible archive she left behind, have been invaluable to me during a particularly tumultuous and transformative decade in my own life. I wrote The Editor as I was coming into my full adulthood, and the books on this list helped shape my thinking along the way at times when I felt stagnant or stuck or needed to rethink both how to write Judith’s life and why her story is so vital to tell.

Sara's book list on the stories we tell about women

Book cover of The Living Mountain Book cover of Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches Book cover of Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning Book cover of My Autobiography of Carson McCullers: A Memoir Book cover of The Baby on the Fire Escape: Creativity, Motherhood, and the Mind-Baby Problem

Sara B. Franklin Why did Sara love this book?

This book fundamentally reshaped my notion of how biography–especially biographies of women–can be written. Shapland felt intimately connected to McCullers as a person and as a writer and also had an inkling there was more to her personhood than previous biographical treatments suggest.

By inhabiting McCullers’s spaces and putting herself in proximity to the writer’s material past, Shapland demonstrates the ways in which convention has limited both the stories we tell and, thus, the possibilities we can envision for our lives as women. 

My Autobiography of Carson McCullers

By Jenn Shapland,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked My Autobiography of Carson McCullers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of the Publishing Triangle Judy Grahn Award for Lesbian Nonfiction, Phi Beta Kappa Christian Gauss Award, and a Lambda Literary Award


Finalist for the National Book Award


Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction


How do you tell the real story of someone misremembered—an icon and idol—alongside your own? Jenn Shapland’s celebrated debut is both question and answer: an immersive, surprising exploration of one of America’s most beloved writers, alongside a genre-defying examination of identity, queerness, memory, obsession, and love.


Shapland is a graduate student when she first uncovers letters written to Carson McCullers by a…

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One Last Stop

By Casey McQuiston,

Book cover of One Last Stop

Dana Hawkins Author Of Not in the Plan

From my list on swoony, sapphic RomComs.

By Dana Hawkins Author

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a contemporary romance writer, mom, queer, dog-lover, and coffee enthusiast. I have a deep love of the genre, particularly sparkly and swoony, sapphic romcoms, with a borderline obsession with happily-ever-afters. Knowing I will always have a happy ending while smiling through pages gives me the comforting hug I sometimes need. My goal is to spread queer joy in my writing and provide a safe, celebratory, and affirming space for my readers to escape reality.

Dana's book list on swoony, sapphic RomComs

Book cover of Read Between the Lines Book cover of It's A Fabulous Life Book cover of One Last Stop Book cover of The Romance Recipe Book cover of Delilah Green Doesn't Care

Dana Hawkins Why did Dana love this book?

I’ve heard people say this book is “magical,” and that description is spot on.

I cannot get over how cute this book was! A sprinkle of magic, found family, finding yourself, and amazing descriptions of the city. This book gave me so many sparkly feels. I begged for the two characters to get together and rooted for the MC from page one. The plot was phenomenally creative, genuinely like nothing I had ever read within contemporary romance.

I finished this book faster than any other book of the year. 

One Last Stop

By Casey McQuiston,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked One Last Stop as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don't exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can't imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there's certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.

But then, there's this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges…

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The Weight of the Stars

By K. Ancrum,

Book cover of The Weight of the Stars

Jas Hammonds Author Of We Deserve Monuments

From my list on stories by Black authors to give you all the feels.

By Jas Hammonds Author

Why am I passionate about this?

When people ask me what makes me fall in love with a book, good characters will always be my first answer. And by good, I don’t mean perfect individuals who make no mistakes. I mean characters who make me feel something, whether it’s rage or hope or longing or disgust. As an author, I like filling my stories with messy, desperate characters who aren’t afraid to show emotion. And as an introverted flight attendant, I spend a lot of time observing people and I’m often fascinated by what I discover. The best stories—like people—have layers and depth to their characters. I like finding out what’s underneath.

Jas' book list on stories by Black authors to give you all the feels

Book cover of The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be: A Speculative Memoir of Transracial Adoption Book cover of The Space Between Worlds Book cover of In the Key of Us Book cover of The Weight of the Stars Book cover of Deep in Providence

Jas Hammonds Why did Jas love this book?

I try to limit the amount of physical books I purchase because my apartment is already overflowing with them. But there are some books so good, I need a copy of my own—The Weight of the Stars is one of those. Told in short, micro-fiction style chapters is the story of Ryann, a girl who dreams of traveling to space but doesn’t see a way out her trailer park on the “wrong” side of town. But then she meets Alexandria, a mysterious loner who is angry at the world because her own mother is an astronaut who volunteered for a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system. Lush and heartbreaking, this queer, big-hearted book cemented Ancrum as one of my must-read authors.

The Weight of the Stars

By K. Ancrum,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Weight of the Stars as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

Ryann Bird dreams of travelling across the stars. But she settles for acting out and skipping school.

Until she meets Alexandria, a furious loner. After a horrific accident leaves Alexandria with a broken arm, the girls are brought together despite themselves - and Ryann learns Alexandria's secret: Her mother is an astronaut on a one-way trip past the edge of the solar system.

Every night, Alexandria waits for radio signals from her mother. And now Ryann lifts Alexandria onto the roof day after day, until the silence between them grows into friendship . . . . and eventually something more.

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All The Things She Said

By Daisy Jones,

Book cover of All The Things She Said

Amelia Abraham Author Of We Can Do Better Than This: 35 Voices on the Future of LGBTQ+ Rights

From my list on queer stories to expand your thinking.

By Amelia Abraham Author

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been writing about LGBTQ+ culture for magazines and newspapers for almost a decade, and am a voracious consumer of queer stories. Queer literature makes our various needs and desires as a community come alive on the page, and helps us to connect with and understand one another. Reading LGBTQ+ books is a way to learn about contemporary queer life, and work out what more we can be doing to help those more marginalised than us. 

Amelia's book list on queer stories to expand your thinking

Book cover of Cleanness Book cover of All The Things She Said Book cover of The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice Book cover of Gay Bar: Why We Went Out Book cover of Detransition, Baby

Amelia Abraham Why did Amelia love this book?

Recently published and super accessible, this book is a modern catalogue of lesbian and bi culture for women. It looks at the recent evolution of queer female visibility in the mainstream and across pop culture, asking what material changes this visibility has for the life of queer women everywhere. It’s funny and pacey and broad in scope, as it asks: How is lesbian culture changing?

All The Things She Said

By Daisy Jones,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked All The Things She Said as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

______________________________________________________________________________________

'an explicitly inclusive, thoughtful, joyful read' - REFINERY 29

'This "love letter of sorts" to inclusive queer women's culture is perfect for anyone who's just come out, wants to know what the heck's going on or has yearned for an entire chapter dedicated to the film Carol.' - DIVA

'An introspective dive into the fast-moving world of queer culture, Daisy unpacks some of the 21st century's biggest lesbian and bisexual moments to paint a portrait of what modern-day queerness looks like.' - GAY TIMES

'Daisy Jones effortlessly explores queer culture' - COSMOPOLITAN
______________________________________________________________________________________

A modern, personal guide to the…

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Book cover of Gideon the Ninth
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Book cover of Her Body and Other Parties: Stories

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