Books like Spinning

A quiet, visually stunning journey through the chill of the ice rink and the warmth of finding your own voice. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Spinning.

hushed
chilly
lonely
nostalgic
atmospheric

01
On a sunbeam
Tillie Walden
A breathtakingly gorgeous, slow-burn journey through space that feels like a warm hug from a found family.
Shares:
- nostalgic
- melancholic
- earnest
- first love
02
Times I Knew I Was Gay
Eleanor Crewes
A gentle, funny, and deeply relatable exploration of the messy, non-linear journey to figuring out you're queer.
Shares:
- nostalgic
- earnest
03
Are you listening?
Tillie Walden
A surreal, emotionally resonant road trip through a magical-realist Texas that explores the quiet spaces of trauma and healing.
Shares:
- lonely
- atmospheric
- melancholic
- earnest
04
Tomboy
Liz Prince
A funny, heartfelt exploration of the messy middle ground between boyhood and girlhood, fueled by punk rock and adolescent angst.
Shares:
- nostalgic
- reflective
05
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me
Mariko Tamaki
A tender, beautifully illustrated exploration of the messy line between the love we crave and the love we actually deserve.
Shares:
- melancholic
- earnest
06
Gender Queer
Maia Kobabe
A deeply vulnerable, beautifully illustrated journey through the messy, confusing, and ultimately joyful process of finding the right words for who you are.
Shares:
- vulnerable
- earnest
07
Messy Roots
Laura Gao
A visually engaging, heartfelt journey through the intersections of queer identity and the Chinese-American immigrant experience.
Shares:
- reflective
- vulnerable
- earnest
08
How to Be Ace
Rebecca Burgess
A candid, deeply validating graphic memoir about the messy, anxious, and ultimately joyful journey of figuring out who you aren't, so you can embrace who you are.
Shares:
- vulnerable
- earnest
09
This One Summer
Mariko Tamaki
A beautifully rendered, sun-drenched ache of a story that captures the exact moment childhood begins to slip away.
Shares:
- nostalgic
10
I Am Not Okay With This
Charles Forsman
A stark, deadpan exploration of teenage alienation where repressed trauma manifests as uncontrollable, destructive power.
Shares:
- queer awakening
11
Fun Home
Alison Bechdel · 2006
A darkly funny, deeply literary graphic memoir that dissects the complicated legacy of a closeted parent and a daughter's own queer awakening.
Shares:
- nostalgic
- melancholic
- earnest
- queer awakening
12
Courage
Raina Telgemeier
A warm, deeply validating hug of a graphic memoir that makes the terrifying, isolating feelings of childhood anxiety feel manageable and shared.
Shares:
- nostalgic
- vulnerable
- earnest

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