The 2022 Pride Reading List: 72 New Books to Read All Year

Posted by Cybil on June 1, 2022


It’s time for our annual celebration of Pride Month, in which we highlight some of the best new and upcoming books with LGBTQ+ authors and themes! All titles are on shelves now or will be soon, and we’ve sorted the list accordingly.
 
Bear in mind that this is necessarily an incomplete list, since queer literature is pretty much stitched into the very fabric of the mainstream these days, we’re happy to say. We’ve kept the focus on books for adults, across multiple genres, and you’ll find both established authors, exciting debut writers, and the occasional beloved celebrity. (Is that Harvey Fierstein? Yes! Yes, it is!)
 
Scroll over the covers below to learn more about each book, and keep track of any leads via your Want to Read shelf. Happy Pride Month, everybody!

 

Available Now

Upcoming



Do you have a great Pride Month reading recommendation? Share it with your fellow readers in the comments below!

Check out more recent articles:
New LGBTQ+ Romances to Read for Pride (and All Year Long)
A Mystery Expert Recommends Queer Crime Series
June's Most Anticipated New Books

Comments Showing 101-127 of 127 (127 new)

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message 101: by Mariya (new)

Mariya Tumanova These books look so boring. I read mostly fantasy so it's sad to see a lack of queer fantasy books. :/


message 102: by Melanie (new)

Melanie Mitzner Great queer lit picks! Douglas Stuart - Ocean Vuong - Andrew Holleran. Check out my new novel Slow Reveal by femlit publisher Inanna Publications, York U., Toronto. Media coverage, excerpts, interviews on my website at melaniemitznerdotcom . Set in 1990s New York, the novel paints a portrait of artists who defy the arbiters of culture and challenge social norms. Art, addiction and family dynamics capsize the Kanes when they discover the parallel life of Katharine, film editor, mother, lover and wife.
“A poem is never finished, only abandoned,” wrote Paul Valéry, an outcome echoed in her decade-long affair with Naomi, a lesbian poet. Katharine’s marriage to Jonathan collapses in his struggle with sobriety when he’s ostracized for politicizing art and abandons his career for advertising. When her love for the poet prevails, Katharine's faced with confrontations from her two grown daughters, an installation artist and an aspiring writer, mired in addiction. Devotion and commitment are not the guardrails that keep thework or relationships on track but rather a form of entrapment.
A captivating story about relevance at the end of the 20th century, through a riveting portrayal of turbulent family life, impacted by art shaped by the media and influenced by social and political injustice. Success is redefined by the courage to embark on the artistic process, as risky, messy and unpredictable as building intimacy and trust in love.


message 103: by Candace (new)

Candace Grosse https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Love, Sorrow and the In-Between
by Gallagher Green

I love this book and it should definitely be on the list. Good for YA and adults. Everyone should read this book.


message 104: by Kate (new)

Kate I loved "The Thirty Names of Night" by Zeyn Joukhadar! Below is an excerpt of the Goodreads book description.

"Five years after a suspicious fire killed his ornithologist mother, a closeted Syrian American trans boy sheds his birth name and searches for a new one. He has been unable to paint since his mother’s ghost has begun to visit him each evening. As his grandmother’s sole caretaker, he spends his days cooped up in their apartment, avoiding his neighborhood masjid, his estranged sister, and even his best friend (who also happens to be his longtime crush). The only time he feels truly free is when he slips out at night to paint murals on buildings in the once-thriving Manhattan neighborhood known as Little Syria."


message 105: by Serena (new)

Serena Pridgen ⭐Anny⭐ (Book Princess) wrote: "Loveless by Alice Oseman came out in Germany earlier this year and I'm recommending it to everyone :) It's about a lesser known queer identity and the author is part of that community herself."

Just added it to my hold pile at the library thanks


message 106: by Elise (new)

Elise Kleuskens For any of the Dutch readers out here.

Nederlandse lezers, ik heb een tip voor jullie! Voordat alles beter werd van Rosemarijn Milo.

In Voordat alles beter werd leren we twee homoseksuele stellen kennen. Paul heeft een relatie met Stefan en Floor met Lisette. Het zijn de jaren 90 en homoseksualiteit is bepaald niet geaccepteerd. Daarnaast heerst de altijd aanwezige dreiging van aids. De twee stellen denken de ultieme oplossing gevonden te hebben: Paul trouwt met Floor en Stefan met Lisette. Met zijn vieren betrekken ze één woning in Amsterdam. Probleem opgelost! Maar is dat wel echt zo?

Heel bijzonder boek!


message 107: by Evelyn (new)

Evelyn Evertsen-Romp Zoe wrote: "So excited to read some amazing LGBTQ+ books this month! Also idk why but the cover of Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall gives me Mr Bingly and Mr Darcy energy"

Hahahahaa I already read this book, but now I'll have to read it again, with your comment in mind. Hilarious and spot on!


message 108: by Andrew (new)

Andrew ⭐Anny⭐ (Book Princess) wrote: "Loveless by Alice Oseman came out in Germany earlier this year and I'm recommending it to everyone :) It's about a lesser known queer identity and the author is part of that community herself."

I'm reading it now - and loving it!


message 109: by BookHunter (new)

BookHunter Johnny the Walrus by Matt Walsh should be in this collection.


message 110: by BookHunter (new)

BookHunter Another LGBT book that should be included is Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier.


message 111: by Ronald (new)

Ronald E I attended a "Friends of the Library" meeting recently and had the honor to meet author Steven Rowley. His book "UNCLE" was the topic. I enjoyed the book.


message 112: by Ronald (new)

Ronald E Sorry. I made a mistake in my last comment. The book was entitled GUNCLE by author Steve Rowley. I enjoyed the book and met the author in person at the Friends of the Library guest event in Palm Springs, California. As a member of ONE ARCHIVES, I will send a copy to them.


message 113: by MuntahaZad (new)

MuntahaZad Scott wrote: "Vasyl wrote: "how to hide this top bar from my page? thanks!"

AdBlock takes care of it nicely."


Vasyl wrote: "how to hide this top bar from my page? thanks!"

I thought you were trolling, but it worked! THANKSSSSSSSSSSSSS


message 114: by Rachel (new)

Rachel Harper I’d like to offer my new novel THE OTHER MOTHER, to this list.

It was named a Best Book of May by TIME magazine and is an Amazon Editor’s Pick.

The genre is literary fiction. It’s a family saga about a young man searching for the father he never knew, who ends up learning that he’s the product of a lesbian relationship and has another mother he never knew.

Readers have said: “the plot is so propulsive, I can’t stop reading;” “beautiful and tender;” and “truly amazing, I loved everything about it.”

Please add it to your list and let me know what YOU think.

Thanks!


message 115: by r-yun (new)

r-yun Happy Pride Month, folks!


message 116: by Irene (new)

Irene Ilia wrote: "I'd love to see more fantasy/sci-fi, horror, detective books written by queer authors, tbh. The list has barely any."

Check out Biding Time by Lyn Gardner /. Lesbian Vampires. Could not put it down.


message 117: by Jenn (new)

Jenn A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske, Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo, Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune, the entire Tales from Verania series by TJ Klune, and The Extraordinaries series by TJ Klune, Docile by KM Szpara, Bath Haus by PJ Vernon, Both of the Aristotle and Dante books


message 118: by Sam (new)

Sam Currently reading Blackfish City and absolutely loving it! It is a weird dystopian fantasy by Sam J. Miller. The representation in the book is so well done 🤌 I was already sold with the mention of an Orcamancer, as I too am whale obsessed, but then Soq’s non-binary energy just slid in and made me even more excited about the rest of this book!

Happy Pride, everyone! 🏳️‍🌈


message 119: by Rachel (new)

Rachel I really loved Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist, and I just started Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May as well as A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson.


message 120: by Stephen (new)

Stephen The House in the Cerulean Sea is perfect YA gay magical realism romance ❣️🌈🔥


message 121: by Stephen (new)

Stephen Bobby wrote: "When is heterosexual month...keep me informed!!"

Lame!


Kagehina_Lover (〃^▽^〃) Any book by F.T. Likens is a great lgbt+ read for ya


message 123: by Shane (new)

Shane Hill Let us celebrate the people that leave this lifestyle.....they are the ones worthy of applauding.....


message 124: by Shirley (new)

Shirley Schwartz I think South of Broad by Pat Conroy should be on this list.


message 125: by sunny (new)

sunny ♡ THESE COVERS???!!?!?%?% so stunning omg


message 126: by Anna (new)

Anna Kennedy Please add “In the Dream House” by Carmen Maria Machado to this list!


message 127: by Maria (new)

Maria “Beyond Any Experience” by Anne E. Terpstra! It’s an amazing novel by a very talented debut author. Check it out if you’re interested in F/F.


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