For immediate release | February 13, 2023

¾«¶«´«Ã½ Rainbow Round Table announces Top 10 Book List

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CHICAGO - The Over the Rainbow committee of ALA’s Rainbow Roundtable considered 298 titles in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry during 2022. This year’s selection saw books of every genre featuring the diversity of queer identities. In a year where queer stories have been challenged at libraries, these authors and publishers made the choice to create, imagine, envision, reflect, and share queer narratives loudly.

The Over the Rainbow Committee is charged with promoting and improving the quality and accessibility of LGBTQIA+ literature through the creation of an annual annotated bibliography of books for general adult readership. Committee members select titles that exhibit commendable literary quality and significance, authentic LGBTQIA+ content and are recommended for adults over age 18. The Over the Rainbow Book List Committee (OTR) coordinates with other Rainbow Round Table committees to promote the improved quality and accessibility of LGBTQIA+ literature.

In years past, this committee as released the annotated short list, as well as the list of Top 10 Selections. This year, with the recent challenges to make queer literature less accessible, the committee has voted to release the short list and Top 10 as usual, but also provide a complete list of all titles that were considered for the final bibliography – to increase visibility, access, and knowledge of the titles, authors, and publishers who make sure our stories are heard.

You can find the annotated short list .

The complete list of all titles which were provided to the committee for consideration can be found .



The Top 10 selections in fiction and non-fiction selected by the Over the Rainbow Committee are the following:

  • Burning My Roti: Breaking Barriers as a Queer Indian Woman by Sharan Dhaliwal. Published by Hardie Grant Books.
  • Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman. Published by Penguin Books.
  • Fine: A Comic About Gender by Rhea Ewing. Published by Liveright Publishing.
  • Like a House on Fire by Lauren McBrayer. Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
  • Ma and Me: A Memoir by Putsata Reang. Published by MCD Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
  • The Other Mother by Rachel M. Harper. Published by Counterpoint.
  • Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield. Published by Flatiron.
  • Siren Queen by Nghi Vo. Pulished by TorDotCom.
  • Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress. Published by Ballantine Books.
  • You Better Be Lightning by Andrea Gibson. Published by Button Publishing.

ABOUT RAINBOW ROUND TABLE

The Rainbow Round Table (RRT) – formerly known as the GLBTRT - of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½, is the oldest professional association for LGBTQIA+ people in the United States. It is committed to serving the information needs of the LGBTQIA+ professional library community and information and access needs of individuals at large. It is home to Rainbow Book Month, a nationwide celebration every June, and the Stonewall Book Award, the first award honoring LGBTQIA+ books. The Rainbow Round Table is committed to encouraging and supporting the free and necessary access to all information, as reflected by the missions of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ and democratic institutions.

For information on empowering readers and fighting censorship, visit

ABOUT AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, ¾«¶«´«Ã½has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit .

Contact:

Kevin Strowder

Director

Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services

kstrowder@ala.org