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.

We Are the Ants

by Shaun David Hutchinson

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Friendship, Death

Tags Magical Realism, LGBTQ+, Mental Illness, Bullying, Trauma & Abuse, Depression & Suicide, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson is a young adult science fiction novel that follows the coming-of-age story of Henry, a teenager whose life is in shambles. Hutchinson uses the first-person point-of-view of his protagonist to explore themes of family, grief, universal unknowns, and the development of identity. Published in 2016, Hutchinson’s novel questions the value of human life while incorporating science fiction elements to portray the smallness of human existence in the... Read We Are the Ants Summary

We Deserve Monuments

by Jas Hammonds

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Grandparents, Self Discovery, Community, Justice

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism

... Read We Deserve Monuments Summary

We Have Always Been Here

by Samra Habib

Publication year 2019

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Religion & Spirituality, Gender Identity, Community, Friendship, Family, Self Discovery, Conflict, Immigration

Tags Gender & Feminism, LGBTQ+, Immigration & Refugeeism, Religion & Spirituality, Biography

... Read We Have Always Been Here Summary

Welcome to the Monkey House

by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Publication year 1968

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Future, Politics & Government, Equality

Tags Science Fiction, Satirical Literature, Love & Sexuality, Postmodernism

“Welcome to the Monkey House” is a short story written by Kurt Vonnegut that was originally published in Playboy Magazine in 1968. It was republished in a short story collection entitled Welcome to the Monkey House that same year. Set in a not-too-distant dystopian future, Vonnegut uses science fiction to darkly satirize the moral restrictions on birth control in 1968. The characters of Nancy McLuhan, a suicide hostess responsible for administering lethal injections, and Billy... Read Welcome to the Monkey House Summary

Winger

by Andrew Smith

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Masculinity, Coming of Age

Tags Humor, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, LGBTQ+, Bullying, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Winger is a young adult novel written by American author Andrew Smith and first published in 2013. It belongs to the genre of contemporary early 21st century teen fiction and garnered recognition from the American Library Association (ALA), Publishers Weekly, and the Junior Library Guild. Because of Winger’s storyline involving LGBTQIA+ issues, it was also chosen as part of the ALA’s 2014 Rainbow List in 2014, made up of books for children and young adults... Read Winger Summary

Women In Love

by D. H. Lawrence

Publication year 1920

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Sexual Identity, Femininity, Masculinity

Tags Romance, Classic Fiction, Relationships, British Literature, World History

IntroductionWomen in Love by D. H. Lawrence was written from 1913-1917 and published in America in 1920, though it wasn’t published in Britain until 1921. The novel’s publishing was delayed due to its prequel, The Rainbow, being banned. The Rainbow and Women in Love were originally intended to be two parts of one novel, but the publisher ultimately decided to publish them separately. Both novels feature conversations about sexuality that were considered explicit in their... Read Women In Love Summary

Wordslut

by Amanda Montell

Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Language, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Politics & Government, Equality, Power & Greed

Tags Gender & Feminism, World History, Women`s Studies, Social Justice, Sociology

... Read Wordslut Summary

Young Mungo

by Douglas Stuart

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Masculinity, Mothers, Siblings, Coming of Age, Conflict, Social Class, Safety & Danger, Love

Tags LGBTQ+, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Bullying, Social Class, Trauma & Abuse, Love & Sexuality, European History, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

... Read Young Mungo Summary

Your Fault

by Mercedes Ron

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Fathers, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Love & Sexuality, Romance

... Read Your Fault Summary

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name

by Audre Lorde

Publication year 1982

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Sexual Identity

Tags Gender & Feminism, LGBTQ+, Black Arts Movement, Women`s Studies, Race & Racism, Classic Fiction, Biography

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name is a biomythography concerning the coming-of-age of poet Audre Lorde (1934-1992). This work of creative nonfiction conflates the author’s memoir—which spans from the time of her birth to her early twenties—with West Indian mythology and stories, as well as the author’s own poetry. In this way, the work exists as something other than a simple autobiography, as it emphasizes the importance of dreams, stories, and songs within the... Read Zami: A New Spelling of My Name Summary