Seven Books to Read This Pride Month
- Marcelino Dumlao
- Jun 27, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 15, 2024
Happy Pride Month, everyone!
While the month has been filled with protests, pride parades, and summer publications, it’s a great time to highlight the queer authors found in the book community. LGBTQ+ issues are still a prominent discussion in human rights and activist movements, and even with the news of Thailand and Greece securing same-sex marriage, there are still struggles to further protect marginalized people from anti-queer policies. In particular, the ban on LGBTQ+ literature is still ongoing.
So before June ends, Iceblink presents seven books that you should read for Pride Month. These books are recommended for their diversity of intersecting identities, and hold significance as interesting reads across different genres.
As forewarning, each book does tackle subjects that might be uncomfortable for specific audiences. Make sure to research their respective content warnings before reading any further.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a Sci-fi novella set in a world of quiet solarpunk. On a moon named Panga, nature and technology have combined in equilibrium after the civilization’s robots have disappeared. The book focuses on Dex, a nonbinary tea monk centuries after the fact, who takes their time conversing with people they meet on their job and enjoying the therapeutic moments they have with one another. This changes when they find a robot named Splendid Speckled Mosscap, and they go on a journey, discovering what it means to find satisfaction in their day and age.
It’s a soft, comforting book that dives into a gentler future compared to the norm in science fiction. There are mentions of continuing societal issues throughout, but the story itself thrives in reassuring the audience of a sustainable world, and what it means to be happy. Similar to the atmosphere of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō, it is a must-read for anyone interested in the solarpunk genre.
My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is an autobiographical manga about, you guessed it, loneliness.
Through the eyes of the mangaka, Kabi Nagata, she explores the complicated feelings of mental illness, suicidal ideation, sexuality, and finding intimate connection in a society rife with homophobia and isolation. The story focuses on leading the readers through the mangaka’s feelings and thoughts over these topics, and goes into vulnerable depths that are honest and touching.
For anyone interested in the complicated feelings that come with being queer and mentally ill in an Asian society, this is a definite recommendation to readers.
The Spear Cuts Through Water is an MLM fantasy book where two warriors are tasked to escort a god to destroy the Moon Throne, a tyrannical family ruling a mighty empire. It utilizes different POV and tense changes to create a fantasy story crossing numerous threats, locations, and societal issues. Readers will see every commentary and insight into the many characters and landscapes that this trio meets. It’s a vast story—one where the narrative unfolds at every turn yet remains comprehensible throughout.
If you’re a fan of mythological epics such as The Odyssey, or books that love experimenting with POV formats like The Broken Earth trilogy, then The Spear Cuts Through Water might blow you away.
Hijab Butch Blues is a memoir of a queer Muslim immigrant, Lamya H. Her autobiography discusses a lot of her intersectionality and thoughts as diaspora, and how she tries to find her identity through the Qur’an despite discrimination from the Islamic and Western communities.
It’s a poignant commentary on making space for her queer identity—finding a home in a religion that doesn’t have to be as isolating as it seems.
For anyone struggling to find one’s self through religious identity or wants to see the stories of the Qur'an in a new light, this is a great place to start.
She Who Became the Sun is a queer historical fantasy book, this time, in China’s Yuan Dynasty. We follow the story of Emperor Taizu of Ming, a crossdresser taking her brother’s place after his untimely death, all to fulfill his prophetic destiny of being the country’s new leader. Along the way, two warriors will find themselves stuck between these events, where their opposing motivations lead them into political strife and love.
Despite the story’s busyness, the book tackles gender identity, themes of war, and the blurring of sexuality in a succinct manner; the book wants to discuss the complicated gender norms in Asian culture, and doesn’t shy away from it when it’s talked about.
It’s an interesting read for anyone invested in queer commentary within a gritty, war-torn setting.
Gideon the Ninth is a WLW gothic sci-fi novel all about necromancy. As the titular Gideon, she’s assigned as her house’s cavalier, and forced into an ancient building where what lies below may be deadlier than any drama up on the surface.
It’s the first out of its respective series, but it’s a fun book that slowly builds in suspense and intrigue, as the narrative spills into its sequels with a new set of mysteries to unravel.
Magic is involved. Deception is around the corner. The testing of life and death will be pushed to the brink.
A recommendation for anyone who loves explosive endings and funny bones.
For horror lovers, this anthology of LGBTQ+ essays is a special treat. Edited by Joe Vallese, It Came from the Closer is a series of memoirs, reflections, and literary analyses that discuss different horror movies.
Each contributor has their own perspective and thesis, but is brought on to tackle subjects such as the interesting contexts of queerness in the genre, or personal anecdotes that relate to the movie and queer identity.
From the Cuban horror “¿Eres Tú, Papa?” to Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”, there’s something here for everyone in what goes bump in the night.
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