June is a jam-packed month with a multitude of activities, from Pride parades and festivals to one-off events scattered throughout the month. With all the hustle and bustle of the month, you are probably going to be looking for some alone time to unwind and decompress from the excitement. Might we suggest some elevated reading time?! You can cuddle up with a good book and marijuana of your choice to learn more about queer history, get lost in a fantastical world, or just catch up on your ever-growing to be read (TBR) list. If you need some reading recommendations here are five queer books that we love and highly recommend!
Go Tell It On the Mountain by James Baldwin
Go Tell It On the Mountain is a classic that many had to read in high school, though let’s be real, none of us really took it seriously then. But now, if you pick it up, I am sure that the impact and meaning of this novel will hit a lot harder and encourage some deeper reflection. The book is an autobiographical novel that follows John Grimes in 1930s Harlem. Heralded as one of the top 100 novels, Go Tell It On the Mountain is a must-read for all, but essential for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg
This choice is for fans of autobiographies and nonfiction writing. This novel is an autobiography deeply rooted in the politics of queer life, spanning labor to activism. Explore the experiences of stone butch lesbians with this novel and learn about how Feinberg worked to change the world. As a commitment to changing the world, Feinberg made Stone Butch Blues completely free to read ahead of the book’s 20th anniversary online at LeslieFeinberg.net.
I’m Not Hungry But I Could Eat by Christopher Gonzalez
This book is a collection of fiction short stories that centers Puerto Rican bisexual men. The stories exemplify vulnerability, desire, and yearning in ways that have largely been ignored in literature when it comes to bisexual men, but most especially bisexual men of Puerto Rican ethnicity. This collection of stories is both hilarious and heartwarming. This recommendation is also an attempt at bringing bisexual men into the spotlight, as they are so often ignored and erased from stories.
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Many reading lists often overlook more diverse authors, which largely ignores Indigenous literature. This is a shame, as the literary works emerging from Indigenous communities are incredible, such as Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. If you are a lover of out-of-this-world books that are more fantastical than you will love this one. It features queer and trans representation to a degree you probably aren’t used to, but will absolutely appreciate.
The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde by Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde is a lesbian historical figure who rarely needs an introduction. Still, just in case, she was a Black, lesbian, poet, mother, and warrior who penned many classic pieces, from poems to essays, that have been influential in Black feminism, social justice, activism, and the queer lived experience. The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde is the entire anthology of Audre Lorde’s poetic works. The book is organized into ten sections, each of which is a previously published book of poems or a collection from a specific point in time. This anthology encourages the reader to sit with and dig deeper into Lorde’s poetic works in ways that many of us have not had the time or encouragement to do.
I hope that these books allow you to explore your identity and lived experiences in greater depth if you are part of the queer community. If you are not, I hope that you learn more about the queer community from these books and expand your view and perception of the world through them. Happy reading, friends, and happy Pride!
