My favourite reads of the last 12 months: 2025 edition


It's that time of year to choose your three favourite reads of the last 12 months on Shepherd (give it a go yourself). 

Here are mine:

https://shepherd.com/bboy/2025/f/am-kirsch

Find my best memoirs about surviving dysfunctional family, gender identity crisis, and murder

https://shepherd.com/best-books/dysfunctional-family-gender-identity-and-murder

If you missed my 2024 reading list: https://shepherd.com/bboy/2024/f/am-kirsch

The top 250 reads of 2025 from all readers: https://shepherd.com/bboy/2025 

My top ten of the last twelve months:

  • Ollie in Between by Jess Callans 
  • Redwood and Ponytail by K.A. Holt
  • Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick
  • It Rhymes with Takei by George Takei
  • Wish You Weren't Here by Erin Baldwin
  • The Redemption of Daya Keane by Gia Gordon
  • Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
  • The Children of Men by P. D. James
  • In Transit: Being Non-binary in A World of Dichotomies by Dex E. Anderson
  • Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition by Katie Rain Hill
My complete twelve-month reading list (in reverse chronological order):

  • Lessons From Cats for Surviving Fascism by Stewart “Brittlestar” Reynolds
  • Flamer by Mike Curato (banned in Alberta school libraries)
  • Blankets by Craig Thompson (banned in Alberta school libraries)
  • Out North. An Archive of Queer Activism and Kinship in Canada by Craig Jennex 
  • So Gay for You. Friendship, Found Family, & the Show That Started It All by Leisha Hailey & Kate Moennig
  • The T Guide by Gigi Gorgeous, Gottmik (a.k.a Kade Gottlieb) and Swan Huntley
  • The Penguin Book of Lesbian Short Stories by Margaret Reynolds (Editor)
  • The Social Sex: A History of Female Friendship by Marilyn Yalom and Theresa Donovan Brown
  • Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss
  • Spent: A Comic Novel by Alison Bechdel
  • They Called Us Enemy by George Takei 
  • Ollie in Between by Jess Callans
  • Redwood and Ponytail by K.A. Holt
  • My Shadow Is Pink by Scott Stuart
  • It Rhymes with Takei by George Takei
  • Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us by Jennifer Finney Boylan
  • Stars in Their Eyes: A Graphic Novel by Jessica Walton and Aśka
  • Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick
  • Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko
  • Melissa by Alex Gino
  • In Transit: Being Non-binary in A World of Dichotomies by Dianna E. Anderson
  • Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition by Katie Rain Hill
  • Wish You Weren't Here by Erin Baldwin
  • Baby Drag Queen by C.A. Tanaka
  • Oh Miriam!: Stories From An Extraordinary Life by Miriam Margolyes
  • Being Emily by Rachel Gold
  • Line Drive to Love by Angel Jendrick
  • The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
  • The Children of Men by P. D. James
  • The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
  • Just Happy to Be Here by Naomi Kanakia 
  • The Redemption of Daya Keane by Gia Gordon
  • Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

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