Pride Month Reads

Held in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall uprising, Pride Month celebrates and affirms the worth and vitality of the LGBTQ community. Titles in this collection include notable fiction and nonfiction works by LGBTQ authors and those writing about LGBTQ topics, including Audre Lorde, Douglas Stuart, and Amy Ellis Nutt.

Publication year 1994

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Gender

Tags History: U.S., LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Sociology, History: World


Publication year 2019

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family

Tags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Biography


Publication year 1979

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 1956

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags LGBTQ, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Romance

Giovanni’s Room, originally published in 1956 and now regarded as a classic, is a romantic tragedy written by author and activist James Baldwin. The book follows American protagonist David’s life and relationships in France during the 1950s. David tries to come to terms with his sexuality after falling in love with Giovanni, an Italian barman, but he also seeks the safety of his heterosexual relationship with another American expatriate, Hella. Due to the story’s depiction... Read Giovanni's Room Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Gender / Feminism, Parenting, Psychology, Love / Sexuality, LGBTQ, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Sociology, Psychology, Self Help


Publication year 2000

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Education

Tags Diversity, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Social Justice, Sports


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, New Adult


Publication year 2019

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality

Tags Anthropology, History: World, Science / Nature, Race / Racism, Anthropology, Gender / Feminism, Sociology, Biography, Politics / Government

Gods of the Upper Air: How a Circle of Renegade Anthropologists Reinvented Race, Sex, and Gender in the Twentieth Century, was written by Dr. Charles King, and published in 2019 by Penguin Random House. King is a professor of International Affairs and Government at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and the author of 10 books, predominantly on the subject of society, government, and culture in Eastern Europe. Gods of the Upper Air is a New... Read Gods of the Upper Air Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Biography, Sports, Gender / Feminism, Health / Medicine, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)


Publication year 1953

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Religion / Spirituality, Race / Racism, American Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Go Tell it on the Mountain is a semi-autobiographical novel by James Baldwin. Published in 1953, the novel tells the story of a teenager in 1930s Harlem named John Grimes as well as his wider family, dealing with themes of religion, sexuality, and race. This guide uses an eBook version of the Modern Penguin Classics edition of the novel. Plot SummaryGo Tell it on the Mountain is set on the 14th birthday of the protagonist... Read Go Tell It on the Mountain Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Relationships, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Arts / Culture, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2018

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Bullying, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, LGBTQ


Publication year 1598

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Mythology, Renaissance, Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, British Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Romance, Classic Fiction

Hero and Leander is an epyllion (brief epic) by 16th-century English poet and playwright Christopher Marlowe. It can also be described as a mythological-erotic poem, one of a number of such poems that were published in England around this time, including Shakespeare’s Venus and Adonis. The poem is based on the ancient Greek story of two tragic lovers. The exact date of composition is not known but the poem was published in 1598, five years... Read Hero and Leander Summary


Publication year 428

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Play: Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Classical Period

Hippolytus is a tragedy by Euripides, originally produced in Athens at the City Dionysia of 428 BCE. The tetralogy to which Hippolytus belonged earned Euripides the first prize that year. According to ancient authorities, this was Euripides’s second attempt at a play on the myth of Hippolytus, his earlier play having apparently horrified contemporary Athenians with its allegedly sensational depiction of Phaedra. Euripides’s original Hippolytus no longer survives, but the revised play quickly came to... Read Hippolytus Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Animals, Science / Nature, Grief / Death, Biography

H Is for Hawk (2014) is British author Helen MacDonald’s award-winning memoir about her attempts to train a goshawk named Mabel in the wake of her father’s death. It is a memoir of grief, self-discovery, and the healing power of nature. MacDonald intersperses her descriptions of training Mabel with references to the memoirs of T.H. White, who writes about his own hapless attempts at falconry in the 1930s. The memoir was an instant bestseller and... Read H Is For Hawk Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality

Tags Psychological Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1978

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger