Pride: Recommendations

It wouldn’t be Pride without some excellent LGBTQIA+ recommendations to get you through the month. As there are already so many excellent recommendation lists out there, especially this amazingly comprehensive list by The Illustrated Page, my post is going to be focusing on some of my favourite LGBTQIA+ books or ones that I am most looking forward to reading!

N/B – These rep lists are not totally complete either because I haven’t read the book yet or I have read the book but forgotten some of the rep!

Historical Fiction

Dates! A Queer Historical Fiction Anthology by Various

• Comics & short prose collection
• Rep: QTIPOC, Trans, M/M, F-LGBT, Jewish

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

• One of my fave Queer historical fiction of all time. Described as ‘lesbian dickens’, Fingersmith is split between London slums and a grand old house which becomes the setting for a cunning plan
• Rep: F/F

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

• Set in 17th century Amsterdam w/ lots of mystery and many secrets
• Rep: M/M

The Last of the Wine by Mary Renault

• Set in Ancient Greece, 2 young Athenians compete in the Olympic Games, fight in Spartan Wars, and study under Socrates.
• Rep: M/M

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

• An absolute classic which blends themes of racism, queerness, slavery & feminism
• Rep: QTIPOC, f/f

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

• Beautiful retelling of The Iliad and the Trojan War, full of Ancient Greek culture and mythology, and tragedy
• Rep: M/M, M/F/M

Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls

• YA Historical Fiction about 3 young suffragettes from different backgrounds as they fight for their rights and their place in the world
• Rep: F/F

The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin

• Set in 1830’s murky London, a place of wickedness, shadows and mysterious disappearances of London’s poor
• Rep: F/F

Fantasy

An Accident of Stars by Foz Meadows

• An Epic fantasy book starring a cast of almost all women, set in a magical realm on the brink of civil war where 3 women’s fates become intertwined through ties of blood and magic
• Rep: Queer women, Aromantic, Polyamory

City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault

• A multi-layered political fantasy featuring an all LGBTQIA+ cast and featuring elves, magic, friendships and found families
• Rep: QTIPOC, Aromantic, Non-Binary, Disability

The Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault

• A supercute novel about a thieving baker and a determined police officer whose world’s are about to collide as they delve deeper into mysterious disappearances, political corruption, and witch discrimination
• Rep: QTIPOC, Aromantic, Demisexual, Non-Binary, Gender Fluidity, Disability, Fat

River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey

• 1890s America where mercenaries battle feral hippos in Louisiana’s bayou (SFF)
• Rep: Gay, Non-Binary, Fat, POC, Bisexual

Pantomime by Laura Lam

• A YA fantasy imbued with Victorian circus aesthetic which explores gender, sexuality, and identity
• Rep: Intersex, Asexual, Genderfluid, Bisexual

Contemporary

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

• An award-winning YA contemporary novel with themes of art and family at it’s heart
• Rep: M/M, Mental Illness

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

• Young Juliet is here to kick white feminisms ass, take names, and also discover a little bit about herself in the process
• Rep: QTIPOC, F/F, Fat

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

• Adolescence is a minefield of issues and it’s even harder when you’re trying to run away from the things that haunt you. With the support of new friends, Charlie learns about speaking up, making friends, falling in love, and self-acceptance
• Rep: M/M, Mental Health, Survivors

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

• A coming of age novel set in Montana which deals with complex issues such as forced coming out, Christian conversion camps, found families, and loving yourself
• Rep: Lesbian, Gay, F/F, Queer people of faith, QTIPOC, Two-Spirit, Disability

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

• Adam Silvera is on the phone and he’s here to break your heart with this YA contemporary set in a world where you’re notified that today is your End Day and you can use an app to find a fellow End Dayer to spend the day with
• Rep: M/M, QTIPOC

Non-Fiction

Yes, You’re Trans Enough: My Transition from Self-Loathing to Self-Love by Mia Violet

• So many young trans people fear that they aren’t “trans enough” to be trans, but Mia is on hand to share her journey of coming out, transitioning, and confronting transphobia
• Rep: Trans Woman

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde

• A collection of 15 brilliant poems and essays written by Lorde which explore the concept of difference according to sex, race and economic status
• Rep: QTIPOC, WoC

Queering Sexual Violence ed. by Jennifer Patterson

• A difficult topic but a very important one to consider, QSV refocuses queer survivors at the center of the anti-violence movement to amplify their voices and share their experiences
• Rep: Queer, Trans, Sex Workers, QTIPOC, Disability, Non-Binary

True Sex: The Lives of Trans Men at the Turn of the 20th Century by Emily Skidmore

• Often left out of history, even queer history, Trans Men are brought to the forefront in this historical examination of their lives and experiences during the turn of the 20th century
• Rep: Trans Men, M/M, M/F

Trans Britain: Our Journey from the Shadows ed. by Christine Burns

• A comprehensive book which takes us on a journey to discover more about trans history and the lives of trans people living in Britain today
• Rep: Trans Women, Trans Men, Non-Binary, Trans People of Faith

Comics/Graphic Novels

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill

• Meet Greta, a blacksmith’s apprentice, and all of the wonderful friends she makes as she journeys into the lost lands of the tea dragons
• Rep: POC, Disability, M/M

Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe

• Definitely not a family friendly story, Rat Queens is full of female mercenaries who drink, kick ass and mess shit up. Featuring a Rockabilly elven mage, a hipster dwarven fighter, an Athiest human cleric, and a charming little halfling thief
• Rep: WoC, F/F

Lumberjanes by Various

• The most adorable little gang of badass girls who are at a camp for hardcore lady-types where they earn badges and fight monsters and stuff
• Rep: WoC, F/F, Trans, Lesbian

Beyond: the Queer SFF Comic Anthology by Various

• A wholesome anthology filled to the brim with cute as hell Queer SFF featuring all kinds of fantastical creatures, friendships, families, and occupations
• Rep: Queer, QTIPOC, WoC, F/F, M/M, Trans, Polyamory, Gender-Fluidity, Interspecies, Interracial

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

• As much millennial as you can cram into one comic, Nimona is a great and uplifting comic which is full of magic, sharks, subversive tropes, dragons and Saving Things
• Rep: M/M

Science Fiction

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

• The first book in an amazing sci-fi series, set aboard the Wayfarer ship which is packed full of diverse crew and loveable characters who are on a mission tunnelling wormholes into deep space.
• Rep: Interspecies, F/F, Gender-Fluidity, AI/Human, Short Stature, Disability, PoC

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

• (sssh, yes I am including them both) The second book in the series, this time focusing on the journey of a female AI who has been relocated into a human body and follows her as she learns to negotiate the universe (with feet!), make friends, and find her place in this new world of hers
• Rep: PoC, Gender-Fluidity, Interspecies, Disability, Neurodivergence

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon 

• Taking place onboard the HSS Matilda, described as being a ship version of the American South, An Unkindness of Ghosts features an amazingly diverse cast and explores issues such as slavery, colonialism, transphobia, and difference whilst being set entirely in space!
• Rep: Intersex, Autism, PoC, Mental Illness, Non-Binary, Queer, Aromantic, Asexual

Love Beyond Body, Space and Time ed. by Hope Nicholson

• A collection of indigenous SFF which focuses on LGBT and two-spirit characters
• Rep: own voice Natives, Two-Spirit, Trans Women, Queer, Trans Masculine, Non-Binary

Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi

• Alana Quick is a talented sky surgeon who is having to turn her hand instead to engineering as a way of making ends meet and cope with her chronic illness. So when a cargo vessel drops by her yard, Alana can’t help but stow away in the hopes of striking lucky but things turn out to be more difficult and dangerous than she predicted
• Rep: QTIPOC, WoC, Disability, Polyamory, Asexual, Poverty, F/F, Mental Illness

Beyond Binary: Genderqueer and Sexually Fluid Speculative Fiction ed. by Brit Mandelo

• A collection of 17 stories which push the boundaries of what is possible and go far beyond the binary in stories which redefine concepts of sexuality, gender and identity
• Rep: Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Sex Work, Gender-Fluidity, Asexual

Failure to Communicate by Kaia Sønderby

• With an autistic female MC who works as the Head of Xenoliaisons on a first contact ship, a diverse array of characters, amazing worldbuilding, and a fantastic story, Failure to Communicate is one of my all-time favourite books!
• Rep: Autistic woman, Polyamory, PoC, Bisexual, F/F/M, Synesthesia

Planetfall by Emma Newman

• 22 years have passed since Renata Ghali and a brave colony from Earth set out across the universe in pursuit of a planet which promised to reveal the truth about how to save humanity. But since making Planetfall, nothing has happened other than accumulating earth-shattering secrets and much, much more…
• Rep: PoC, Disability, Hoarding Disorder, F/F, QTIPOC

Have you read any of these and enjoyed the LGBTQIA+ rep?
Are some of these new discoveries for you that you want to check out?
Do you have any other Pride recc’s?

Hope you all enjoyed this list and please keep your eyes peeled for more exciting Pride lists coming over the next month including Cute Queer Comics, and LGBTQIA New Discoveries!

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