The best books to pick up this Pride Month and celebrate LGBTQ+ voices
Imy Brighty-Potts rounds up some super proud reads, for book fans of all ages.
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Your support makes all the difference.Pride month is a necessary time to reflect, educate and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, but it may also be when people of any age feel most comfortable coming out.So, here is a whole host of reads for people coming out at any age, or just for people who want to celebrate LGBTQ+ voices, and learn about their experiences.
For kids and teens…
Tales From Beyond The Rainbow: Ten LGBTQ+ Fairy Tales Proudly Reclaimed, adapted by Pete Jordi Wood (Puffin Classics/£11.99)
Global fairy tales have been joyfully reclaimed in this collection, with stories from across the world featuring LGBTQ+ characters. Representative of so many members of the community and brought to life with vibrant illustrations.
Me, My Dad And The End Of The Rainbow by Benjamin Dean (Simon and Schuster, £7.99)
A beautiful exploration of family, self-discovery and adventure for kids, that is underpinned by empathy and emotion. Warm, life-affirming goodness from a celeb journalist turned author.
Love Frankie by Jacqueline Wilson (Penguin Random House Children’s UK, £7.99)
The author who defined many millennials’ childhoods with countless classic reads also penned this brilliant tale of young LGBTQ+ love and friendship in the face of adversity.
Nate Plus One by Kevin Van Whye (Penguin, £7.99)
The romantic comedy every LGBTQ+ person needed growing up, this is a great read for teens, with global adventures, musical talent and young love. Heart-warming stuff.
Love Is Love by Matthew MacKinnon and Ryan Payne (Thread, £8.99)
Written by TikTok star couple MacKinnon and Payne, Love is Love is a brand new guide for Gen Z and younger to discuss coming out, essential things to know, as well as offering reassuring advice and an open door to the community.
Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman (Volume 5 is available to preorder for November 9, Hachette, £12.99)
Adapted into a much-loved Netflix show, Nick and Charlie are THE LGBTQ+ couple of Gen Z – and with welcoming conversations about gender identity, coming out and healthy relationships, the Heartstopper graphic novels series by Alice Oseman is a great pick for teens. The fifth volume is due out later this year.
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson (Harper Collins, £7.49)
Written by bestselling trans author Juno Dawson, Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is a tale of magic, mystery, love and identity – and looks set to become a YA classic.
For grown-ups…
The Pink Line: The World’s Queer Frontiers by Mark Gevisser (Profile Books, £10.99)
If you are looking for a deeper understanding of the need and fight for LGBTQ+ rights around the world, this book is for you. Gevisser explores the activists fighting for change and the socio-political landscape of LGBTQ+ rights across the world.
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters (Profile, £8.99)
A gorgeous tale of family, liberation and love, this hugely popular novel explores de-transitioning and its emotional and physical implications, acceptance, and the wild world of New York living.
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan (Hodder and Stoughton, £16.99)
This incredible murder-mystery novel is a feat of literary genius, engaging with themes of love, family and identity, while also weaving together an incredible narrative of LGBTQ+ struggle.
The Transgender Issue by Shon Faye (Penguin, £10.99)
A moving and insightful exploration of transgender rights, discrimination and liberation, this book is as educational as it is infuriating. Looking at everything from policing to sex work, employment to healthcare, Shon Faye has made her intelligent voice heard.The Stonewall Reader by Jason Baumann and Edmund White (Penguin, £14.99)
Released in 2019 for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, The Stonewall Reader is a chronicle of progress and reflection on the people who were both at the forefront and in the background of this vital movement. An excellent snippet of integral LGBTQ+ history.