For those who want to immerse themselves in the community, history, and experiences of their fellow neighbors, what better way to start than with a book? Reading is a powerful act, and it can be a form of resistance during radical and oppressive times. While the rights of others in your community are being debated, it’s your responsibility to remain educated and informed. Free your mind from the noise. It might seem like an insignificant act, but purchasing a book by a queer author, reading their work, or recommending and reviewing it on Amazon holds more power than the powers that be would like you to think.
“Stag Dance” by Torrey Peters
This one is fantastic. I picked it up at the library serendipitously, having never heard of it before, and frankly, I just liked the cover art. What perfect timing to celebrate Pride! Stag Dance features four short stories, all centered around different queer experiences across various time periods. This collection challenges the reader to seriously reflect on the history, present, and future rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Wow, this is well done. Trigger warnings: abuse, animal cruelty, violence.
“Milk Fed” by Melissa Broder
Hilarious, heartfelt, and truly a well-done “rom-com” (a genre I rarely credit). Melissa Broder is one of my favorite authors, and her character’s navigation of dating her first girlfriend is so candid and honest. I think this is truly a feel-good, funny book. Themes of self-acceptance, insecurity, and struggles with self-image are set in Los Angeles. The couple finds themselves falling in love in Thai restaurants and Jewish bakeries. I love this one.
“In the Dream House” by Carmen Maria Machado
In the Dream House is honestly one of the most genre-blurring works I’ve read in a while. Machado has such a creative touch to her storytelling. The chapters, each a different version of “the dream house,” make her writing so compelling. The (semi-memoir?) is beautifully written, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this one also takes place in Iowa. Trigger warning: abuse.
“Blackouts” by Justin Torres
This historical fiction sheds light on the experiences of queer people. It employs non-linear storytelling, set in an institution where the narrator visits to help piece together their shared history after a mental fugue. This book has a very realistic element to the history of the stories told within its pages.
“Swimming in the Dark” by Tomasz Jedrowski
A truly heartbreaking love story that takes place in communist Poland. When two men get involved in a relationship, they could be prosecuted under their political administration. Would you betray a lover if it meant your freedom?
“Boulder” by Eva Baltasar
Translated from Spanish, Boulder is the story of a woman who works as a cook on a merchant ship and her experience falling in love with her partner, Samsa. It’s quick, intense, sensuous, and feels like you are burning with desire the entire read.
“Your Driver Is Waiting” by Priya Guns
A modern twist on the plot of Taxi Driver! Vulnerable but dark, this story meets at the intersection of interracial relationships, gender identity, and political upheaval. Wow, I wish I could read this one again for the first time. The ending of this one is truly explosive.
“Paul Takes the Form of a Moral Girl” by Andrea Lawlor
Wow! This one is a trip! The 23-year-old shape-shifting protagonist discovers he can assume any gender identity when taking other forms. Set in the ’90s, he finds himself strapped for cash, in gay clubs and Greyhound buses, and even Iowa City dive bars.
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Ugh, yes, you’ve probably already read it, and for good reason! This one is captivating. With its old Hollywood glamour, it tells the story of a reclusive film icon and the journalist tasked with telling her life story. The connection between them is a twist you won’t see coming.
Do any of these books sound like your next read?
SydNovak 
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