5 LGBTQ+ Books for Pride Month

If you’re someone who enjoys reading LGBTQ+ novels, you’ve probably come across the common hurdle of not actually being able to find a lot of them. Even more difficult is finding LGBTQ+ books that are good, interesting and well developed. With Pride Month coming to an end in just a few days, I’ve put together a brief list of books that you can divulge in to get rid of the post-Pride blues.

 

1. Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

Annie on My Mind is probably an LGBTQ+ classic. It tells the coming of age story of two young girls who fall in love and conduct a secret relationship, against the backdrop of their homophobic society and families. There’s a real authenticity to Annie on My Mind and the prose is utterly accessible. At the end of the day, it’s a sweet story about two girls in love.

 

2. Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

Nina LaCour’s novel follows the story of a Emi, a young film set designer who is dealing with a recent break up. A mysterious letter leads Emi to Ava, who has a set of her own struggles. There were so many things that I absolutely loved about this book. LaCour has a way of writing a very distinctive voice. Emi felt like a very real person throughout the entire book. Her passion for film and set design is translated amazingly well, to the point that even the prose at time resembles movies; exactly how a film enthusiast would describe things. I also loved that this book could basically be a Hollywood rom-com. There’s not enough LGBTQ+ literature out there that’s upbeat and positive. Everything Leads to You is overwhelmingly positive – it’s sweet and quirky, and reading it left me with a warm feeling in my heart.

 

3. The Price of Salt by Patricia Highmore

Also goes by the name Carol, as in the recently adapted movie starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. The Price of Salt is the story of Therese, a young stage designer who comes across Carol during her day job in a department store. The two quickly forge a friendship and set out on a road trip across the United States. All the while, Therese is left questioning her feelings. I can’t vouch for the movie, as I have yet to see it, but I thought the book was wonderful. My favourite thing about this book was probably the two main characters and how they were developed; their affection for each other and how they expressed this in such vastly different ways.

 

4. The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

This is the coming of age story of Cameron Post. Living in a small town in Montana, Cameron is raised by her ultra-religious aunt Ruth. Cameron struggles to hide her sexuality from family and friends, whilst pining after her close friend Coley Taylor. The Miseducation of Cameron Post is another novel that spends a lot of time developing its main character. The way Danforth writes Cameron is wonderfully nuanced; from a young girl who blames herself for her parent’s death because she kissed a girl, to someone who is comfortable in exploring her sexuality, to somebody who feels she has to change who she is in order to please her family. Danforth ultimately creates a novel that is moving and heartbreaking.

 

5. Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz

There is only one word to describe Teeth and that’s bizarre. It’s the story of Rudy, a young boy who’s forced to move to a remote island in order to save his baby brother. On the island he meets Teeth, who makes him question his views of the world. Teeth is a novel that will leave you disoriented and questioning your own world views – in all the right ways. It’s unpredictable and wild.