It’s Pride Month, so if you’re looking for the perfect LGBTQ+ book to get lost in, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, look no further, because Goodreads have just the thing
It’s Pride Month – a time where it’s important to listen to, and uplift the LGBTQIA+ community. We should be listening to their stories, both real and fictional, and ensuring that we’re being as diverse as possible in our daily lives. This, of course, includes reading a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction about people who are not straight.
So, when I saw Goodreads had a ‘read the rainbow’ challenge, I was thrilled. The list has many titles, from fiction to nonfiction and even young adult if you prefer to read those. All the books are recently published, so you’ll likely need to pop to your local bookstore or library to get your hands on them. When you’re making the purchase, you know you’re directly helping an LGBTQIA+ author and their career, so it’s well worth it.
There are 135 books on the list, and of course, I’ve barely scratched the surface of reading as many as I’d like to. However, I have read many LGBTQ+ books, so these are the ones that I highly recommend.
1. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Quintessentially Taylor Jenkins Reid, this book is absolutely stunning and had me sobbing several times throughout it. As early as around page 70, which is incredibly rare for me! At its core, it’s a love story about two queer women in the 1980s and all the struggles that came with it. It’s seriously heart-wrenching.
The women are training to go into space – and with that comes a lot of responsibility. Loving someone of a different gender is one of them. But they don’t let other people impact their epic love story, and if they reach for the stars together, hopefully they’ll be able to be happy together, forever… right?
So many people are raving about this one on social media, and I completely understand the hype. If I could rank this 6/5, I 100% would.
2. Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One by Kristen Arnett
This book is angst at its finest, and I absolutely loved it. It horrified me, made me chuckle, and left me wanting more – three things my favourite books tend to do.
It’s unique, weird as anything, but it’s also so much deeper. It’s a look into childhood trauma, grief, accepting yourself, all from the perspective of a lesbian clown who has an obsession with MILFs.
Cherry is one of the messiest main characters I’ve read about in a long time, but I was rooting for her despite her flaws.
Jokes aside, and there are many in this book that will make you laugh, the story is guaranteed to pull at your heartstrings in a big way. A huge recommendation from me, and I can’t wait to see what else the author has in store for the future.
3. Talk To Me by Munroe Bergdorf
Munroe Bergdorf’s latest book is so important. It tells you how to deal with tricky conversations with confidence, and how to be armed with as much knowledge as you need to debate and discuss with others.
You may think that you ‘can’t make a difference’ in this world, where many activists are already speaking up about things you agree with.
But the fact is, it doesn’t matter how much of a difference you make, or how small the room is that you’re standing up for your rights in.
Ultimately, little acts of defiance can lead to big change, and this is what we need to see in the world right now, at a time where things seem quite scary.
Munroe writes in a very frank and candid way, but I think that’s perfect for this type of book. It certainly equips you with the tools to change people’s minds, accept when you’re wrong, and know when to protect your peace and step away from a situation.
I also adored her book ‘Transitional,’ which came out in 2023, which is part memoir, part manifesto for action, and I’d highly recommend you add that to your reading list, also.
Which book will you read for Pride Month? Let me know in the comments…