The 2021 Pride Reading List: 75 New Books to Read Now

It's June, which means it's time to celebrate Pride month in honor of the LGBTQ+ community! This year, we wanted to highlight the hot-off-the-presses new queer books from both beloved authors and rising star debut writers alike. All of these books have been published in the U.S. from the beginning of the year through June and are ready to be added to your Want to Read shelf!
You'll see we divided these books into adult fiction, young adult fiction, and nonfiction categories. And within these categories you'll find a wealth of genres, topics, and voices to fit every reading mood. Scroll over the covers below to learn more about each book. Happy Pride!
Adult Fiction
Young Adult Fiction
Nonfiction
Do you have a great Pride Month reading recommendation? Share it with your fellow readers in the comments below!
Check out more recent articles:
Readers' Most Anticipated Books of June
C.L. Clark's Recommendations for LGBTQ+ Speculative Fiction
Casey McQuiston Welcomes Readers Aboard New Time-Slip Romance
Check out more recent articles:
Readers' Most Anticipated Books of June
C.L. Clark's Recommendations for LGBTQ+ Speculative Fiction
Casey McQuiston Welcomes Readers Aboard New Time-Slip Romance
Comments Showing 1-50 of 55 (55 new)
message 1:
by
Samiksha
(new)
Jun 02, 2021 12:42AM

reply
|
flag

Do read this extraordinary book. It is heart wrenching but ultimately a triumph of love over death. It is a dancing love letter from Derek to his husband.

Beneath the Streets is a fictionalised version of the Jeremy Thorpe / Norman Scott affair, by Adam McQueen. It is so convincing I thought the author must have been part of the London Gay Scene in the mid 70's. (I was surprised to read at the end that he was born after the events described.)
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth is not an easy read because of its immense length. Indian authors don't do sex (and when they do, e.g. Salman Rushdie, it is so bad you wish they hadn't bothered) but there is clearly a homosexual relationship between Maan Kapur and Firoz Khan (the book is about love across boundaries of religion and caste, sex between 2 men was illegal before 2018).

Do read this extraordinary book. It is heart wrenching but ultimately a triumph of love over death. It is a dancing love letter from ..."
Thank you for that recommendation. It looks like a great read 👍


How about The Cabin at the End of the World?

I wholeheartedly second this recommendation. It is a beautiful book!




I'm not sure about some but I know that both Scotty Cade and Andrew Grey are gay. They both have husbands.


This novel made me laugh, cry, and think, which is what the best novels do. Frankel's story is fiction but is informed by her experience raising a transgender child. It's a beautifully written story. I don't give many books 5 stars but this one was deserving of 5 stars on my scale.

I would be really grateful if the lists of books that Goodreads send me contains the old fashioned thrillers, mystery and spiritual genre of bookd

Another Country - James Baldwin
Go Tell It on the Mountain – James Baldwin
Bromosexual - Daryl Banner
Bittersweet= Nevada Barr
My Brother’s Best Friend – Caldwell Brothers Book # 1 - Aiden Bates & Ali Lyda
Suited For You – Caldwell Brothers Book #2 – Aiden Bates
Love Lessons – Caldwell Brothers Book #3 – Aiden Bates
Sweet on You – Caldwell Brothers Book #4 – Aiden Bates
Love Me Again – Caldwell Brothers Book #5 – Aiden Bates
Love Hurts – Caldwell Brothers Book # 6 – Aiden Bates
Omega Brew – Carter’s Crossing series Book #1 – Aiden Bates
Omega’s Past – Carter's Crossing – Book #2 – Aiden Bates
Omega’s Teacher – Carter's Crossing – Book #3 – Aiden Bates
Omega’s Crush – Carter's Crossing – Book # 4- Aiden Bates
Omega’s Home – Carter's Crossing Book # 5- Aiden Bates
Touch and Go – Vanguard Tower series Book #1 – Aiden Bates
Lost and Found – Vanguard Tower series – Book #2 – Aiden Bates
Body And Soul – Vanguard Tower series Book #3 – Aiden Bates
Fire and Ice – Vanguard Tower series Book # 4 – Aiden Bates
Rise and Fall- Vanguard Tower series Book #5 – Aiden Bates
Rubyfruit Jungle - Rita Mae Brown

If you think you have to be queer in order to enjoy books about queer people/themes, you might want to step back and examine that. We're just people.

I agree, and it's frustrating, isn't it? I'd highly recommend Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex - I've never felt so seen by a book in my life.





Very true. Maybe check out TJ Klune's How to Be a Normal Person, a wonderful and hilarious novel with an ace MC.

This whole list features books by lgbtq+ authors or characters that identify as such in honor of Pride Month. Did you not realize what list you were looking at?





The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics <-- regency F/F
The Problem Client <-- shifter M/M series
The Boss series starts out with one closeted bi and one clueless bi, and ends with 3 rich disaster bis in a poly relationships (MMF)

i definitely agree, maybe try alice oseman's Loveless, the main character is ace-aro and it's pretty good :)
do tell me if there are more ace/aro books to read

Go to Amazon and type in ace/aro books. There is about 4 or 5 pages of titles both fiction and non-fiction.

I wonder if there just aren't that many books available? If you know of any, please recommend. TY

1) thanks for acknowledging that other people have equal rights to yours
2) you are in a list recommending LGBTQ+ related books during Pride month
3) you don't have to be "queer" to enjoy this type of book
4) if these books aren't to your taste then simply search for other new books
5) Goodreads can't curate a separate list based on who may or may not want only heterosexual content. Wait a month and I'm sure there will be new books recommended for you that aren't LGBTQ+ related (see point #2 about it being Pride month)