Let’s Talk Bookish: Pride Month Book Recs!

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme that was originally created and hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books starting in August 2019, and was then cohosted with Dani @ Literary Lion from May 2020 to March 2022. Book Nook Bits has hosted since April 2022, with Dini at Dini Panda Reads as co-host from February 2025.

Before I get into this week’s prompt, I need to talk about Divination Hollow Reviews (yes, it ties in, I promise!). This month, we’re celebrating Pride in Horror over there, so if you are looking to dive into more content for Pride and find new stuff to read, watch, listen to, definitely go check it out. And, secondly, in September we’re hosting our second Queer Your eReader book blast event! This event will feature free books across Horror, Romance, Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Mystery/Thriller. The event takes place on 20th September, so bookmark the page and mark your calendar for more queer books.

Let’s Talk Bookish June 6th: Pride Month Book Recs!

Prompts: Happy Pride Month!  To celebrate, we’d love to hear about your favourite LGBTQIA+ books, why you love them, and what books you’d recommend for a summer Pride reading list. Are there any new releases you’re looking forward to reading this Pride Month?

There are so many excellent queer books out there, and it’s truly always so hard to narrow them down for lists like this! For this post, I’ve gone for ones I’ve read most recently and given 5 stars, while also trying to include a bit of a mix re genre. And as mentioned above, don’t forget to head over to DHR for more queer books this month!

We Can Be Heroes: A Survivor’s Story by Paul Buston – Adult – Memoir – I definitely recommend this one! Chronicling queer history, which has historically been orally passed down and largely consisted of rumours, is something we’ve only explicitly been able to do recently. And Buston does an excellent job here of reflecting the ‘queer scene’, filtering it and the AIDs crisis through his experiences. Absolutely a must read.

Voyage of the Damned by Frances White – Adult – Fantasy/Mystery – a murder mystery on board a ship where the passengers have magical powers. And it’s very queer. What more could you want?

Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson – Young Adult – Contemporary Romance – this sapphic romance about two girls at a music festival is a definite must on any summer reading list. These two are adorable, and I love that we get to see queer relationships in YA. Also, I’d recommend anything by Leah Johnson at this point.

Seven Devils / Seven Mercies by L. R. Lam and Elizabeth May – Adult – Sci-Fi (Space Opera) – this is an excellent duology with a majority female cast and multiple queer characters. I loved both of them.

Gay Britannia: Celebrating LGBTQ+ History in Britain – Adult – Non-Fiction/History/Biography – put this on your reading list for June. It’s an excellent listen, with a variety of different perspectives. It’s more a collection of shows than audiobook, and it’s very educational regarding the queer experience, and something I’d urge younger members of the queer community to listen to. You don’t have to agree with all the contributors’ views, but I do think it’s important for us to be aware of what older queer folks experienced, no matter who they are now.

Love That Journey for Me: The Queer Revolution of Schitt’s Creek by Emily Garside – Adult – Non-Fiction/Pop Culture – if you haven’t read Emily’s work yet, why? If you have any interest in queer TV, you have to check out her books. I insist!

Her Princess at Midnight by Erica Ridley – Adult – Historical Fantasy Romance – I adored this! A sapphic Cinderella retelling which sees our heroine falling for the prince’s sister. A wonderful novella, and perfect for curling up outside with a nice cold drink on a sunny afternoon.

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea – Young Adult – Horror – something about this book makes me feel like it’s also a good summer list addition. It’s fantastic queer horror, and Shea has a brilliant style that grabs you so completely it becomes impossible to let go.

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle – Adult – Horror – more queer horror, and this by an author who has not only proven love is love, but also demonstrated an incredible talent for horror. Read this, read Camp Damascus – both fit with summer reads!

Gay Aliens and Queer Folk: How Russell T Davies Changed TV by Emily Garside – Adult – Non-Fiction/Pop Culture – I told you I insist, and here’s another of Emily’s excellent books to dig into. It’s a brilliant look at Russell T Davies’ career, focusing on his impact on queer and Welsh TV. Honestly, I recommend this book to everyone.

The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield – Adult – Historical/Fantasy Retelling – this is an excellent sapphic retelling of the epic of Brynhild. I adored it.

I’m not the best at keeping up with new releases, but in general there are books I’m looking forward to reading over the summer, including Queer Your eReader books. I also have some queer titles that are older and I’m hoping to read soon – The Stars Too Fondly, In Memoriam, and Hazel Hill Is Gonna Win This One especially.

And if you have any recommendations or queer books you’d include on a summer reading list, please do let me know!