June, LGBTQ+ Pride Month, is just around the corner. Especially now it is a great time to educate yourself and read LGBTQ+ stories, whether you are a part of the community or not. Here I have collected a few suggestions from my own readings to give you a place to start depending on what genres you like and what kind of representation interests you:

Nonfiction

If you are a fact lover, want to educate yourself, and fill in knowledge gaps, nonfiction may be the way for you! Here are some short books (below 200 pages) and some autobiographical works to put LGBTQ+ history and people in the spotlight:

Short Books

• Queer Wars is a 2016 book that focuses on the global state of LGBTQ+ rights. With its broad focus and slim 176 page volume, it offers a great first entry point.

• People of Pride: 25 Great LGBTQ Americans is a 2021 eBook giving short biographical insights. With only 65 pages, this is incredibly accessible and a great start into LGBTQ+ history.

• The Bi-ble: New Testimonials is an essay collection focusing on bisexual experiences. With 165 pages of separate contributions, this is a casual way to get more aquatinted with LGBTQ+ voices and experiences.

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Autobiographical Books

• Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, And Finding My Place is the story of a young transgender man, but also includes a lot of general information that is presented in a beginner-friendly way. Additional resources are also offered to those interested. At 320 pages and from a young millennial’s point of view, this memoir is sure to appeal to a wide audience.

• If you are more interested in an artistic memoir, Before I Had the Words may be of interest. It is a memoir of another transgender man and at 257 pages also very approachable. Some more knowledge may be needed to follow the events, but the lyrical writing offers an engaging focal point.

• Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded, while more focused on childhood neglect and trauma as well as growing up in poverty, offers deeply touching insight into one lesbian’s experiences. At 256 pages this is another short read!

Fiction

While facts are well and good, fiction is another great way to present varying experiences, digest historical and contemporary issues, and center different voices. From Young Adult to Middle Grade to Historical Fiction, the possibilities are incredibly broad! Here are some books of different themes and genres with primary LGBTQ+ characters:

• A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo is both a parody of Marlon Bundo’s A Day in the Life of the Vice President and a beautiful story of its own. Centering around a gay bunny named Marlon Bundo who finds love and gets married, this 35 page picture book is just a delight!

• If sweeping fiction covering decades is more your speed, both A Ladder to the Sky at 336 pages and The Heart’s Invisible Furies at 736 pages might interest you. These books center gay main characters and accompanies them through life, across multiple countries, fortunes, and misfortunes. A Ladder to the Sky focuses on a young wannabe writer and his quest to become a published author, while The Heart’s Invisible Furies has an adopted boy who struggles to conform in heavily catholic Ireland and tries to find his place in the word. Both books are by the same author and offer a vast insight into gay experiences in the 20th century.

• What If It’s Us is a great and emotional gay romance set in New York, gripping and even cinematic at times. At 448 pages and a sequel coming out at the end of the year, this book sweeps you off into the big city and is sure to delight.

• We are Okay invites you to contemplate and take time to digest your feelings. Set in winter as the protagonist reunites with an old friend she has been avoiding, this tender book focuses more on other topics than the main character’s relationships with girls. Yet, that is part of what makes this story worth a read since LGBTQ+ narratives extend beyond the identity-focused and the classic coming out. At a slim 208 pages, this is a perfect read to cozy up inside with.

• Another book with LGBTQ+ characters focused on emotional matters as well as a big mystery is Radio Silence. This book centers around a girl and a boy who become friends and work on a podcast together as well as trying to navigate school, relationships, and the ever elusive question of what to do after graduation. With gay, agender, and demisexual characters, this diverse 405 page book grips you and doesn’t let go. In general I can only recommend the other books this author has written, especially Loveless which has an asexual main character discovering herself at university.

• I Wish You All The Best is all about young Ben who has come out as nonbinary and was kicked out by their parents. Now they have to learn how to navigate their new life living with their somewhat estranged sister, going to a new school, as well as other new experiences. Nonbinary representation is generally rare, but a nonbinary protagonist is even rarer. This 329 page book is a great insight into the complicated family relationships LGBTQ+ children may have and the feelings associated with being in the closet, being out, and navigating the world as an LGBTQ+ individual.

• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a story about two boys who fall in love set in 1987. This coming-of-age story very much embodies the confusion and struggle of trying to figure out who you are, features an accepting family, and a very sweet blossoming relationship. At 360 pages and with a sequel coming out this fall, this book will keep you engaged through long hot summers to come.

• I could talk about LGBTQ+ books all day, but to close it out a middle grade read centered around a questioning character. Rick is all about that transition into middle school, family relationships, friendships, and exploring yourself. This loose sequel to George comes in at 240 pages and an audio version is freely available on Spotify. Having a wide variety of LGBTQ+ characters represented in all kinds of stories, including showing readers that not having everything figured out is completely okay, matters.

I hope you found something that interests you. If I should do a part 2, let me know!