There's still some time left in Pride month to read a book written by a member of the LGBTQ+ community! Here are some of our favorites that came out this year:
Other WRAL Top Stories
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
"In this riveting, insightful, and very funny debut, Torrey Peters paints an unforgettable portrait of three women, trans and cis, who wrestle with questions of motherhood and family-making. Destined to be a 21st century classic, Detransition, Baby will definitely keep you up late and might destroy your book club, but in a good way.” ~Andrea Lawlor
The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel
The first book in nine years from the acclaimed author of Fun Home, Bechdel’s newest graphic memoir chronicles her lifelong love affair with exercise, all set against the backdrop of fitness fads we’ve had through history. The secret to superhuman strength lies not in six-pack abs, but in something much less clearly defined: facing her own non-transcendent but all-important interdependence with others.
Hola Papi : How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons by John Paul Brammer
From popular LGBTQ advice columnist and writer John Paul Brammer comes a hilarious, heartwarming memoir-in-essays chronicling his journey growing up as a queer, mixed-race kid in America’s heartland to becoming the “Chicano Carrie Bradshaw” of his generation. In his own words, this book is for: young queer people with blue hair and a passion for justice, moms (really!), gay influencers, aspiring writers and journalists, over-caffeinated twitter junkies, and anyone looking for a good laugh.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Kaley says: "Escape the pandemic timeline with this quirky romantic comedy and its lovable, diverse cast of characters. August and Jane's time-slip romance is interspersed with pancakes, drag shows, and decades' worth of clues about Jane's identity. If you liked Red, White and Royal Blue, you'll enjoy this one, too. And just a little suggestion: try making the Su Special at home; it's worth it."
We are Watching Eliza Bright by A.E. Osworth
In this thrilling story of survival and anger inspired by the events of GamerGate, a woman has her whole life turned upside down after speaking out against workplace hostility–and inadvertently becomes the leader of a cultural movement. Eliza Bright is living the dream as an elite video game coder, the first woman to ascend that high in the ranks—and some people want to make sure she’s the last. When Eliza’s workplace harassment report is dismissed, she' takes her frustrations to a journalist. She's fired and doxxed, and becomes a rallying figure for women everywhere. But she's also enraged the beast comprised of online male gamers—their unreliable chorus narrates our story. Soon, Eliza is in the cross-hairs of the gaming community, taken under the protection of the Sixsterhood Collective, to keep her safe from The Inspectre, a vicious male super-fan determined to exact his revenge on behalf of men everywhere.
Future Feeling by Joss Lake
This is one you’ll never see coming, an unexpected delight from indie press Soft Skull. An embittered dog walker obsessed with a social media influencer inadvertently puts a curse on the wrong man, sending him to the Shadowlands (the dreaded emotional landscape through which every trans person must journey to achieve true self-actualization). The Rhiz (the quasi-benevolent big brother agency overseeing all trans matters) orders the dog walker and influencer to team up and retrieve the lost soul in this wildly inventive, delightfully subversive, genre-nonconforming debut novel about illusion, magic, technology, kinship, and the emergent future.
Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor
On a dozen different "Most Anticipated" lists, Booker Prize finalist Brandon Taylor has been hailed by Roxane Gay as "a writer who wields his craft in absolutely unforgettable ways." Filthy Animals, a collection of linked stories, is psychologically taut and quietly devastating. It is a tender portrait of the fierce longing for intimacy, the lingering presence of pain, and the desire for love in a world that seems, more often than not, to withhold it..