Books to Read in Celebration of Pride Month
Book Roundup - Books to Read in Celebration of Pride Month
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Pride Month, celebrated every June, is a time dedicated to honoring the LGBTQ+ community, commemorating the Stonewall Riots of June 1969, and advocating for equal rights and social acceptance. The Stonewall Riots, a series of protests in New York City, are widely considered a pivotal event in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. Pride Month is marked by parades, events, educational activities, and celebrations that promote visibility and recognition of LGBTQ+ individuals and their contributions to society.
Reading about LGBTQ+ characters is important for several reasons:
Representation: Stories featuring LGBTQ+ characters provide much-needed representation. For LGBTQ+ individuals, especially young people, seeing themselves reflected in literature can be affirming and empowering. It helps them feel seen and valued, reducing feelings of isolation and promoting a sense of belonging.
Education and Awareness: For those who are not part of the LGBTQ+ community, reading about LGBTQ+ characters fosters understanding and empathy. It exposes readers to diverse perspectives and experiences, breaking down stereotypes and misconceptions. This awareness can lead to greater acceptance and support for LGBTQ+ rights and issues.
Cultural Enrichment: Literature that includes LGBTQ+ characters enriches the cultural landscape by presenting a wider array of human experiences and stories. This diversity enhances the depth and richness of the literary world, offering more varied and compelling narratives.
Social Change: Books and stories have the power to influence societal attitudes and norms. By normalizing LGBTQ+ characters and themes, literature can challenge prejudices and contribute to broader social acceptance and equality.
Mental Health: Representation in literature can have a positive impact on mental health. Seeing LGBTQ+ characters navigating challenges, forming meaningful relationships, and achieving their goals can provide hope and inspiration. It can also encourage LGBTQ+ individuals to seek support and embrace their identities.
Overall, reading about LGBTQ+ characters is a crucial aspect of promoting inclusivity, understanding, and respect in society. It helps build a more empathetic and equitable world, where everyone’s stories and identities are valued and celebrated.
Below I’m sharing a list of books that feature LGBTQ+ characters to read for Pride Month (as well as a few you can pre-order!)
24 Books to Read in Celebration of Pride Month
Surviving the Closet by Jo Deluzio
An essential exploration of LGBTQ2S+ experiences from the perspective of a woman who came out later in life —after 20+ years of marriage to a man—to a wide array of different points of view from others who also came out later. Part memoir, part social exploration, and all parts honest, this is a powerful and moving book that explores why women may come out later in life.
With both humour and insight, Surviving the Closet is essential reading for anyone—gay or straight. The right of women and all people with non-conventional sexual orientations or gender identities to live a safe and open life is a story of global human rights and a celebration of diversity.
How to Leave the House by Nathan Newman
From a Zadie Smith protégé, an outrageously funny and tenderly moving debut novel about a young university student named Natwest and his small-town odyssey in pursuit of a deeply embarrassing missing package he can't leave home without. A TV adaptation is already in the works with Newman as the showrunner.
Showmance by Chad Beguelin
Playwright Noah Adam's career is circling the drain when his first Broadway show is a flop that closes on opening night. He returns to his small, Midwestern town to hide out from the shame, but to his horror, his agent has secretly arranged for him to stage an amateur version of the career-ruining musical at the local community theater. Even worse, Luke, his high school bully is involved. As rehearsals begin, Noah is surprised by the cast's insights, the warmth of the town he'd dismissed, and the reality of what happened with Luke all those years ago, and he soon comes to realizes that things are not always what they seem. A sharply funny queer rom-com, SHOWMANCE is equal parts hilarious and heartwarming for fans of "Schitt's Creek" and readers of Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall.
I’ll Get Back to You by Becca Grischow
Emily Henry but make it gay! In this charming holiday romance, Murphy and Ellie's plan to fake-date their way through Thanksgiving goes immediately awry—but, perhaps, exactly the way they need it to. I'LL GET BACK TO YOU is Grischow's debut. Grischow is a ghostwriter of over two dozen books, including multiple bestselling romances.
QUEEN B: The Story of Anne Boleyn, Witch Queen by Juno Dawson
This next spellbinding installment of Juno's "irresistible" fantasy series Her Majesty's Royal Coven (Lana Harper) takes us back to the reign of Henry VIII and the origins of Her Majesty's Royal Coven under the beautiful, the bewitching, Anne Boleyn. A short novel within the HMRC universe, it can be read as a prequel or a standalone. Juno is the first trans author to top the UK's Sunday Times bestseller list and her book This Book is Gay was the third most challenged book of 2023, according to the ALA.
The Bright Sword, A Novel of King Arthur By Lev Grossman
The long-awaited next novel from Lev Grossman, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Magicians trilogy. Praised by George R.R. Martin, Rebecca Yarros, and more, this dazzling epic turns the legend of King Arthur on its head – reinventing a 1400-year-old tradition to make it urgent, timely, and exciting again. Grossman's Camelot is a place full of diverse characters, including queer characters, thrust from the margins into the spotlight after Arthur's death; it's about nation-building and postcolonialism, about trauma and cycles of violence, about reckoning with a dark past and searching for a brighter, more inclusive future. Four starred trade reviews call THE BRIGHT SWORD "a fresh take on an extremely well-trodden legend" (Kirkus) that "honors past iterations while producing something entirely unexpected," "highly recommended" (Library Journal) and "satisfyingly epic… moving, entertaining" (Booklist).
A Thousand Times Before by Asha Thanki
Thanki uses the foundation of queer love to ask boundary-pushing questions about inheritance, family lineage, and personal choice. Faced with the question of whether or not to welcome a child into their relationship, Ayukta sits her wife, Nadya, down to reveal a long-kept secret: through a family tapestry passed down for generations, Ayukta can access the memories of the women in her family who came before her. What would it mean, to impart such an impossible burden on a child? Or to withhold such a beautiful gift? With her confession and subsequent retelling, Ayukta invites Nadya into her family lineage, carrying her through stories of migration, political unrest, and hope. Poetic and healing, A THOUSAND TIMES BEFORE examines what it means to carry our past with us and to pass it on.
Experienced by Kate Young
In a refreshing departure from others in the genre, the book celebrates queer joy without the trauma, offering readers a delightful story of love, self-discovery, and acceptance. EXPERIENCED opens with Bette, a thirty-year-old woman navigating her "coming out" journey, who finds herself head over heels for the perfect Mei. Bette is in love for the first time in her life. Finally, everything makes sense. Until it doesn't. When Mei suggests they take a break, Bette embarks on a three-month journey of queer dating, filled with laughter, heartache, and the unexpected. With its vivid portrayal of queer relationships, explicit yet genuine and touching depictions of intimacy, and a narrative that prioritizes friendships over romance, this novel enriches the world of LGBTQ+ romance fiction.
Love and Hot Chicken by Mary Liza Hartong
The debut of a dynamite new voice from the South, Love and Hot Chicken is a spicy and hilarious Tennessee story about family, friendship, fried chicken, and two girls in love.
Triple Sec by TJ Alexander
A jaded bartender is wooed by a charmingly quirky couple in this fresh and sizzling polyamorous rom-com, set in the glamorous world of high-end cocktail bars—from the acclaimed author of the “tender, decadent, and sparklingly funny” (Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author) Chef’s Choice.
The Bump by Sidney Karger
Sidney Karger, author of Best Men, returns with another heartwarming queer romance about a polar-opposite gay couple who go on the road trip of a lifetime to fix their relationship before their baby arrives. Karger is an award-winning screenwriter and director, known for his work on multiple comedy shows, and his books add a refreshing voice to our growing list of queer rom-coms. Centering the ups and downs of a millennial gay couple as they anticipate fatherhood, THE BUMP is a hilarious romance that fans of Steven Rowley and Casey McQuinston will love.
Looking for Love in all the Haunted Places by Claire Kann
Claire Kann’s adult debut The Romantic Agenda was lauded by outlets like Betches, Buzzfeed, and USA Today for its asexual representation and diversity wrapped in a delightful love story. Her newest novel does the same things her fans love her for, but adds a supernatural aspect that’s perfect for lovers of haunted house stories. After falling in love on the set of a paranormal investigation show, Lucky Hart is forced to choose feelings or career when the mansion she’s examining doesn’t want to share her attention. Starring a Black, Ace heroine, a single-dad hero, and a haunted house with a mind of its own, this is the perfect supernatural romance for Pride.
Lavash at First Sight by Taleen Voskuni
Following glowing reviews from The New York Times and for her debut novel, Sorry, Bro, Taleen Voskuni returns with LAVASH AT FIRST SIGHT—a heartfelt queer rom-com, this time featuring a pair of star-crossed lovers. With her indelible wit and care for showcasing Armenian culture, Voskuni delivers a Romeo and Juliet-esque tale about finding love in the wake of familial expectations.
Related: Kids Books to Read for Pride Month
The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio
Bridesmaids meets The Guncle by way of Bridget Jones in this clever LGBTQIA+ romantic story about a people-pleasing gay man code-switching between the hypermasculine and ultrafeminine worlds of his two soon-to-be-wed best friends. He’s always been the token gay best friend—but now, stuck between this warring bride and groom hurtling toward their one perfect day, Dom Marino’s finally ready to focus on something new: himself.
The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre
For readers of The House in the Cerulean Sea comes a fantastical story of found family, love, and acceptance from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ann Aguirre. When Iris Collins unexpectedly inherits a house from her great aunt, her failed B&B becomes a haven for other magical lost souls.
Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert
It’s Lore Olympus meets Helen Hardt in the fifth installment of this New York Times and USA Today bestselling sexy modern-day deconstruction of our favorite Greek myths. Aphrodite has never flinched at getting her perfectly manicured hands dirty, and she’s not about to start now—even if that means marrying Olympus’s enemy number one, the new Hephaestus...leaving a trail of broken hearts in their cruel wake.
New Adult by Timothy Janovsky
Nolan Baker longs to be “thirty, flirty and thriving” in this charmingly quirky LGBTQIA+ romcom that’s one part 13 Going on 30 and one part One Last Stop. When wishing to “skip the hard part” sends Nolan 7 years into his own future with a life—and self!—he barely recognizes, he’ll need the help of his once-best-friend to figure it all out and send him back if he ever truly wants to have a life worth living.
Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles
Bridgerton meets Poldark in this sweeping LGBTQIA+ Regency romance about smugglers, adventure, mystery, and forbidden love. When Major Rufus d’Aumesty unexpectedly becomes the Earl of Oxney, he finds himself living in a remote Norman manor on the edge of Romney Marsh, infamous for its blackguards and scoundrels. There, his position is contested both by his greedy uncle and by unexpected claimant Luke Doomsday, a dashing member of the local smuggling clan who should be his sworn enemy…
Glitterland by Alexis Hall
First in Alexis Hall’s Lambda Literary Award-nominated series, expanded and in print for the first time. Ash Winters was once the golden boy of the English literary scene, but mental illness has dragged him into a cycle of self-destruction. A chance meeting with brassy Essex-born Darian Taylor may be the first step Ash needs to rebuild his life—if he’s able to let go of the class prejudice and dangerous negative self-image that threatens to drown them both.
Late Bloomer by Melissa Giberson
Melissa Giberson longs for something she can’t quite put her finger on until, one night at the Y, she finds herself mesmerized by the sight of a naked woman and levels with herself for the first time: Am I gay? This revelation sends Melissa on a head-spinning journey of self-discovery, one that challenges everything she thinks she knows about herself, forces her to decide exactly how much she’s willing to risk for authenticity, and shakes the foundations of the family she’s fiercely determined to shield from the kinds of wounds she sustained during her own childhood. Torn between her desire to be true to herself and her desire to protect her children, she is consumed by fear and conflicting emotions.
As Melissa wades through the difficult dissolution of her marriage and struggles with how to come out to her kids, she is met with overwhelming support from the Jewish LGBTQ+ community. “Late Bloomer” is a triumphant exploration of a mother navigating grief and fear to ultimately accept herself with the support and love of her ‘found family’ in her LGBTQ community.
Big Gay Wedding by Byron Lane
An unashamedly proud, loud, and hilarious novel about a small town that’s forever changed by a big gay wedding, perfect for fans of Red, White & Royal Blue and The Guncle
Two grooms. One mother of a problem.
Barnett Durang has a secret. No, not THAT secret. His widowed mother has long known he’s gay. The secret is Barnett is getting married. At his mother’s farm. In their small Louisiana town. She just doesn’t know it yet.
It’ll be an intimate affair. Just two hundred or so of the most fabulous folks Barnett is shipping in from the “heathen coasts,” as Mom likes to call them, turning her quiet rescue farm for misfit animals into a most unlikely wedding venue.
But there are forces, both within this modern new family and in the town itself, that really don’t want to see this handsome couple march down the aisle. It’ll be the biggest, gayest event in the town’s history if they can pull it off, and after a glitter-filled week, nothing will ever be the same. Big Gay Wedding is an uplifting book about the power of family and the unconditional love of a mother for her son.
Nigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi
From Ibi Zoboi, bestselling, award-winning author of American Street and co-author of Punching the Air, comes a bold new YA coming-of-age story, which explores race, feminism, and complicated family dynamics, about a girl whose father is the leader of a Black liberation group. The ideal next read for fans of Roxane Gay, Jacqueline Woodson, and Elizabeth Acevedo.
Warrior Princess. That’s what Nigeria Jones’s father calls her. He has raised her as part of the Movement, a Black separatist group based in Philadelphia. Nigeria is homeschooled and vegan and participates in traditional rituals to connect her and other kids from the group to their ancestors. But when her mother—the perfect matriarch of their Movement—disappears, Nigeria’s world is upended. She finds herself taking care of her baby brother and stepping into a role she doesn’t want.
Nigeria’s mother had secrets. She wished for a different life for her children, which includes sending her daughter to a private Quaker school outside of their strict group. Despite her father’s disapproval, Nigeria attends the school with her cousin, Kamau, and Sage, who used to be a friend. There, she begins to flourish and expand her universe.
As Nigeria searches for her mother, she starts to uncover a shocking truth. One that will lead her to question everything she thought she knew about her life and her family.
From award-winning author Ibi Zoboi comes a powerful story about discovering who you are in the world—and fighting for that person—by having the courage to be your own revolution.
Sapphire Storm by Christopher Rice writing as C. Travis Rice
Ethan Blake has dedicated his life to satisfying other people’s appetites. At forty-three, he’s finally landed his dream job—head pastry chef at an exclusive resort. Now he’s got a jet-setting career that’s taken him to romantic locations all over the world. But years before, after his parents threw him out for being gay, Ethan supported himself in a manner he’d rather keep under the covers today.
Roman Walker is a twenty-five-year-old fitness celebrity awash in thirsty followers. But when he walks through the doors of Sapphire Cove, it’s not just to oversee the menu for his celebrity client’s wedding. Decades ago, Roman and Ethan crossed paths on a New York street corner during a terrible, life-changing moment that scarred them both. Now Roman’s back for revenge.
But when his plan goes wildly off the rails, Roman suddenly finds himself at the center of an even stranger and darker plot concocted by his most famous client. Well-versed in the ways of the wealthy and the entitled, Roman’s former target offers to be his strongest ally during a moment that might derail the young man’s newfound career. But the experienced older man’s offer also ignites an irresistible and forbidden attraction that threatens to consume them both, even as it exposes old secrets and incurs the wrath of the powerful and the famous.
The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
A Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises—especially to ourselves—by the bestselling and celebrated author of The Guncle.
It’s been a minute—or five years—since Jordan Vargas last saw his college friends, and twenty-eight years since their graduation when their adult lives officially began. Now Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle find themselves at the brink of a new decade, with all the responsibilities of adulthood, yet no closer to having their lives figured out. That’s not for a lack of trying. Over the years they’ve reunited in Big Sur to honor a decades-old pact to throw each other living “funerals,” celebrations to remind themselves that life is worth living—and living well.
But this reunion is different. They’re not gathered as they were to bolster Marielle as her marriage crumbled, to lift Naomi after her parents died, or to intervene when Craig pleaded guilty to art fraud. This time, Jordan is sitting on a secret that will upend their pact.
A deeply honest tribute to the growing pains of selfhood and the people who keep us going, coupled with Steven Rowley’s signature humor and heart, The Celebrants is a moving tale about the false invincibility of youth, and the beautiful ways in which friendship helps us celebrate our lives, even amid the deepest challenges of living.
The Boy in the Rain by Stephanie Cowell
It is 1903 in the English countryside when Robbie, a shy young art student, meets the twenty-nine-year-old Anton who is running from memories of his brutal childhood and failed marriage. Within months, they begin a love affair that will never let them go. Robbie grows into an accomplished portraitist in the vivid London art world with the help of Anton's enchanting former wife, while Anton turns from his inherited wealth and connections to improve the conditions of the poor. But it is the Edwardian Era, and the law sentences homosexual men to prison with hard labor, following the tragic experience of Oscar Wilde. As Robbie and Anton's commitment to each other grows, the world about them turns to a more dangerous place.
