I like to participate in lots of book sharing memes on Instagram, Gentle Reader.
Since June is Pride Month, I decided to make my own to celebrate #ReadingPride.
Please feel free to gank this image and share as widely as you like, also to photograph or just Tweet/Post each day any queer reads you feel fit this criteria. The hashtag to follow is #ReadingPride.
I’m going to try to remember to do this each day, but in case I forget here’s my list.
30 Books to read for Pride (Gail Carriger’s Picks)
- First queer book I remember reading ~ Magic’s Pawn by Mercedes Lackey (read about my relationship with this book and the author here)
- A queer book that reminds me of home ~ Beyond the Sea by Keira Andrews (because of the isolated beaches)
- A queer book that has been on my TBR for too long ~ Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (I don’t know why I haven’t read this yet) alternatively Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole is also supposed to be great
- A queer book with a name or number in the title ~ Loving Jay by Renae Kaye (a great Sydney-based author) or Atom Bomb by the amazing Kilby Blades
- A queer book where the main character has a fun or interesting job ~ Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts by Lyn Gala (alien linguist)
- My favorite queer graphic novel (for kids or adults) ~ Brother by Yuzuha Ougi (brings new meaning to the word graphic) if that’s too much Seven Days is ADORABLE
- A queer book that I find myself rereading all the time ~ Earth Fathers are Weird by Lyn Gala (such a comforting book). Another queer book I reread constantly is AE Via’s Promises it’s just so sexy and sweet and bone achingly romantic, full of pining and sacrifices, and very hot sex
- A queer book with a happy ending ~ Taji From Beyond the Rings by R Cooper (it’s hard fought but happy)
- A queer book over 100 pages ~ Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey (long book, long series)
- My favorite queer genre novel (sci-fi, fantasy, horror, mystery) ~ Lodestar of Ys by Amy Rae Durreson (I have lots of these, but this one represents both genres so well – fantasy and gay romance), how about my favorite queer steampunk novel? Invitation by Nikki Wolfolk, the world building is insanely good
- A queer book I love from a genre I normally don’t read/like ~ The Truth in the Dark by Amy Lane (I generally don’t like fairy tale re-tellings, this is Beauty and the Beast)
- A queer book with a strong sense of place ~ Bitterwood by Rowan Speedwell (cold wooded winter atmosphere)
- A queer book that really made me think ~ Pansies by Alexis Hall (such a complicated take on childhood bullies, coping, revenge, reprisal, and forgiveness)
- A queer book that made me cry ~ Family Man by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton (the scene with his mom in the cafe)
- A queer book that made me laugh out loud ~ The Lightning-Struck Heart by TJ Klune (bone achingly funny)
- A queer book that is really personal to me ~ Bonfires by Amy Lane (it’s partly responsible for my becoming friends with Amy)
- My favorite queer book that is a sequel or spin off ~ A Fool and His Manny by Amy Lane (she has a whole Manny series but this is my favorite)
- My favorite queer book by a favorite author ~ For Real by Alexis Hall (Alexis Hall is a truly amazing writer who has written all kinds of queer in all kinds of genre, this is the only BDSM one, and it is truly remarkable and amazing)
- A queer book that changed my life ~ Knight of Ghosts and Shadows by Mercedes Lackey (for obvious reasons)
- My favorite queer book series ~ R Cooper’s Being(s) in Love series (I will read anything R Cooper writes)
- A queer book I recommend a lot ~ The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (it could have landed in many of these categories, it’s that good)
- A queer book that made me take action ~ Granddad’s Cup of Tea by Amy Rae Durreson (I have never waited so long and so hopefully to be able to recommend a story)
- A queer book by an author who is dead ~ The Last of the Wine by Mary Renault (such a painfully sad book from the queen of gay historical fiction)
- A queer book I wish I’d read when I was younger ~ Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (my life would be different if this book came out when I was a teen)
- Queer historical book with a strong sense of time ~ The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (the scion of Mary Renault’s first book, which is a work of genius)
- A queer superhero book or comic ~ Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee
- My favorite queer children’s picture book ~ Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack and Stevie Lewis (every kid should get to read this)
- A queer book that made me feel uncomfortable ~ Black Dog Blues by Rhys Ford (very violent)
- A queer book that made me fall in love ~ Frog by Mary Calmes (I fell in love with Mary Calmes)
- The queer book with my favorite ending ~ Cinderella Boy by Kristina Meister
I hope you enjoyed this list and really hope you’ll consider participating and suggesting your own favorite books!
- Find a list of all my queerest books here.
- Queering-Up Genre One Akeldama at a Time ~ Why I Write LGBTQ+ Characters
Yours (destined to be killed by a tumbling TBR pile),
Miss Gail
- Want more book recs from Gail? These goes to my Chirrup members once a month, because I love them bestest. Sign up here.
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BOOK DE JOUR
The 5th Gender (A Tinkered Stars Mystery as G. L. Carriger).
Your Vendor of Choice | Direct from Gail
Sci-fi queer romance meets cozy mystery in which a hot space station cop meets the most adorable purple alien ever (lavender, pulease!) from a race with 5 genders.
Boy Meets Boy says:
“This was smart and complex, contemplating human and alien nature as Carriger creates a fascinating species with their own complicated problems and foibles. Such contrasting dynamics always bring an interesting perspective in seeing ourselves from another point of view and to be more accepting and opening minded about others’ choices and beliefs.”
Gail’s Daily Tea Party
Tisane of Nifty
Lilliput cosplays Madame Lefoux
Writerly Tincture
These 2020 LGBTQ+ Romance Books Need To Be In Your TBR
Book Nibble
Mike and I reading the first 30 minutes of The Curious Case of the Werwolf that Wasn’t.
Tags: Book Rec List, Pride
First Gender bending read for me was Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness. Powerful perspective change for teen me. I am happily cis but hadn’t been even aware of alternatives before that (ok, almost 67 and had a pretty sheltered childhood). More recent read, a very thoughtful coming of nonbinary age novel for ya: Will Grayson Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green. I like the literary stylings as well as the character development.