Pride Month is officially here and that can only mean one thing: time to load up your reading list with stellar queer stories.
Of course, you should be mixing gay books into your to-be-read pile no matter what time of year, but this month, as you celebrate Pride, queer books can be the perfect way to explore the breadth and diversity of the LGBTQ community.
Fortunately for anybody looking for a great gay read, the book world is filled with a bevy of queer stories of all genres.
Whether you’re looking for a meditative poetry collection about queer identity and mental health, a deep dive into the New York City’s ballroom culture in the ’80s and ’90s, a comic about a group scouts who find themselves plagued by supernatural creatures at camp, or a coming-of-age story about a shapeshifter who is navigating life and dating, there is a queer book out there for you.
Here are 13 very gay and very good books you should read this Pride Month.
1. Less, Andrew Greer
Andrew Greer’s 2018 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Less starts off with a character in crisis: our protagonist Arthur is a struggling novelist, feeling existential as he approaches his 50th birthday, and, to make matters worse, he’s just received an invitation to his ex-boyfriend’s wedding. Instead of despairing, Arthur says “NOPE” and instead embarks on a haphazard literary world tour. But what sells the book is Greer’s resounding heart and humor, making this tale of romantic misadventures as funny as it is earnest.
2. Under the Udala Trees, Chinelo Okparanta
Under the Udala Trees is a book about star-crossed love. The novel follows the life of Ijeoma, a young girl who, at the start of the book, is sent away from her family in order to stay safe during the Nigerian civil war. While away, Ijeoma meets Amina, another girl also separated from her family. The two begin a brief relationship… only to find out that their love is forbidden. What follows is a beautiful novel about love and hardship as Ijeoma is sent home, forced into an unhappy marriage with a man, all the while grappling with her attraction to women.
3. madness, sam sax
Don’t forget to add a bit of poetry to your reading list this Pride Month! If you’re looking for a collection to start with, check out sam sax’s collection madness. The poems in this collection cover everything from sexuality to mental health to culture and heritage, but what shines through and connects each of these threads is sax’s incredibly thoughtful and evocative prose.
4. At Certain Points We Touch, Lauren John Joseph
This is a beautifully-written novel about a messy love affair. Told by an unnamed narrator, At Certain Points We Touch chronicles ten years of their life, most of which entangled with a man named Thomas. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how much toxicity you can stomach) they can never reunite, because years before the book begins, Thomas died (not a spoiler — it’s mentioned in the first chapter). Joseph’s novel is told across time and continents, and while the story is not linear and at certain points meandering, it’s no less riveting.
5. Nevada, Imogen Binnie
Nevada follows Maria, a young trans woman living in New York City, trying to navigate the punk scene while also working in retail. When Maria’s girlfriend breaks up with her by revealing that she’s been cheating, Maria’s world is turned upside down. On a quest to escape it all, Melanie embarks on a cross country road trip where she meets James, a stoner living in Nevada who is just as lost as Maria. As the book jumps between both James and Maria’s perspectives, Nevada offers a thoughtful look at identity and the trans experience.
6. Yerba Buena, Nina LaCour
Yerba Buena, the first adult novel from bestselling YA author Nina LaCour, is a modern sapphic love story. Centered around characters Sara and Emilie, Yerba Buena is a heartwarming novel that doesn’t pull punches about how we bring our past hurts into current relationships. Sara and Emilie are brought together by chance and find each other again and again. This book is for any romance fans who want a bit of elevated prose. Plus, if you love food and cocktails, look no further: The titular Yerba Buena is a restaurant where our lovers meet.
7. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel
Fun Home is a graphic memoir about coming out and finding love, centered around two people. The book documents Alison Bechdel (who also came up with the Bechdel test), her experience exploring her attraction to women, and the way that her father resisted her identity. But, after Alison’s father is hit by a car and killed, she reflects on his past and realizes that he may have had his own struggles with his sexual identity.
8. How To Write An Autobiographical Novel, Alexander Chee
To read Alexander Chee’s essay collection How To Write An Autobiographical Novel is to stand in a hall of mirrors, watching as a single person, and all of the identites that compose them, is reflected from all angles. The essay collection is a deep dive into Chee’s past as he documents his expereinces as a gay rights and HIV/AIDS activist, a rose gardener, a writer, and more. But at the core, the book explores how we use writing to shape who we are and how who we are shapes our writing.
9. They Both Die At The End, Adam Silvera
As the title probably suggests, They Both Die At The End is not what we could a “happy” book. The novel follows a day in the life of two boys, Mateo and Rufus, who get early morning calls from Death-Cast telling them that today is the day that they’re going to die. Though initially strangers, Mateo and Rufus are soon brought together through the Last Friend app, a social network that connects people on their last day alive. But as Mateo and Rufus embark on a quest to check items off their bucket list while they still have time, their friendship grows into something more, ultimately exploring what happens when we fall in love with someone we know we only will have a very limited time with.
10. Red, White, & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston
Casey McQuiston’s Red, White, & Royal Blue has had a cult following since its 2019 release. The novel follows the story of First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz and his nemesis Prince Henry; not only does RWRB utilize the enemies-to-lovers trope, but also the fake relationship trope as Alex and Henry stage a fake friendship in order to smooth over American/British relations. Beloved by romance fans everywhere, RWRB will come to life in an Amazon Prime movie adaptation coming in August 2023 — so be sure to read it by then.
11. In the Dream House, Carmen Maria Machado
Machado’s memoir of domestic abuse in a queer relationship is both devastating and innovative. Told in vignettes (all titled Dream House as ___), In the Dream House dissects Machado’s past, yes, but also societal assumptions about lesbian relationships and pop culture from Disney to Star Wars. The book is as original as it is heart-wrenching. Before you read, know that there are discussions of emotional abuse and manipulation.
12. Memorial, Bryan Washington
Memorial is a nuanced, funny novel about queerness, race, and family. Benson, a Black daycare teacher, and Mike, a Japanese-American chef, are playing house together in Houston. Just when Mike’s mother arrives to visit, he learns his father is ill in Japan. While Mike goes to say goodbye to his father, his mother stays with Benson. Memorial is about who we consider to be family and why.
13. Detransition, Baby, Torrey Peters
Peter’s 2021 novel centers around three women and, well, a baby. Reese is a trans woman who fell out with her ex, Amy, after Amy detransitioned to live as a man, Ames. Ames still knows himself to be a woman, but living as one was too difficult. While Ames believes he’s sterile because of hormone replacement therapy, he then impregnates his cis coworker Katrina; he also doubts his ability to be the masculine parent. Meanwhile, Reese has always wanted a child. What could possibly go wrong? Detransition, Baby is a witty yet reflective look into womanhood and the lives of trans women.
The story was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2019 and 2023.
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