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.

The Rain God

by Arturo Islas

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Memory, Shame & Pride, Disability, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Language, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Environment, Place, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Immigration, Religion & Spirituality

Tags LGBTQ+, Arts & Culture, Race & Racism

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The Rez Sisters

by Tomson Highway

Publication year 1986

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Death

Tags Drama, Realism, Humor, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, Canadian Literature

The Rez Sisters by Tomson Highway is a two-act play that was first performed in 1986 at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. After being translated into French by Jocelyne Beaulieu, “Les Reines de la réserve” premiered by Théâtre Populaire du Québec in 1993. A version of the play in the Cree language was performed in 2010, and Canadian performances with Indigenous actors have been staged in the 2020s. Highway’s play re-envisions the 1965 play... Read The Rez Sisters Summary

The Romance of the Rose

by Guillaume De Lorris

Publication year 1230

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Social Class, Beauty

Tags Narrative Poem, Symbolic Narrative, Romance, Medieval, French Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Romance of the Rose, or Roman de la Rose in the original French, is an allegorical poem written between the years 1225 and 1278 by two authors, Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun. De Lorris wrote the first three chapters of the work from 1225-1230, and de Meun added nine additional chapters from approximately 1269-1278. Not much is known about either author, but the poem became a foundational piece of medieval literature, particularly... Read The Romance of the Rose Summary

The Sacrifice

by Shantel Tessier

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Sexual Identity, Loyalty & Betrayal

Shantel Tessier’s 2023 novel, The Sacrifice, is a dark revenge romance set in a violent fantasy world where patriarchal power and wealth are inherited, and loyalty is forged through brutality. The story follows Laikyn Minson, who on her wedding day is forced into an arranged marriage with the ruthless Tyson Crawford, a powerful member of an organization known as the Lords. Tyson’s motives are not love but a long-simmering revenge plot against Laikyn’s family. He... Read The Sacrifice Summary

The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1

by Neil Gaiman

Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Family, Truth & Lies, Apathy, Conflict, Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Loyalty & Betrayal, Literature, Justice, Fate

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Arts & Culture, Love & Sexuality, Grief & Death

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The Score

by Elle Kennedy

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Grief, Guilt, Love, Sexual Identity, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class

Tags New Adult, Sports, Romance

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The Secrets We Kept

by Lara Prescott

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Self Discovery, Sexual Identity, Politics & Government, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Russian Literature, World History

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The Shampoo Effect

by Jenny Jackson

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Nostalgia, Regret, Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Birth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Place, Friendship, Community, Economics, Art, Fame, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt

Tags Literary Fiction, Domestic Fiction

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The Shards

by Bret Easton Ellis

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Hate & Anger, Coming of Age, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, LGBTQ+

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The Sicilian Inheritance

by Jo Piazza

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Forgiveness, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Revenge, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Horror & Suspense, Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction

... Read The Sicilian Inheritance Summary