Queer History
Friendship & Culture
& a beach read!
If you’re looking for a quick monthly roundup, check out the best books I read in June below! As always, the entire month’s reviews can be found on Bookshop. Tap the image above to look at everything I read and reviewed!
The Meaning of Pride |
This gorgeous book is like historical artistic poetry. The reader is all at once empowered to relish in our history and be a part of shaping the future.
We fight for liberation because we don’t have it yet. Same sex marriage rights isn’t liberation (and don’t get me started on the laws surrounding disabled folks getting married & their benefits getting cut), being allowed to exist in public isn’t liberation.
I love the way that the text invites the reader to reflect on their own experiences and identity, as well as acknowledging the need for Pride overall. This book was published by @harperkids & purchased by me.
Evelyn Hooker and the Fairy Project |
Have you heard of the DSM? It’s used to categorize mental illnesses and conditions, and being LGBTQ+ was considered one. This MG nonfiction book talks about Evelyn Hooker, an ally and scientist whose research was the basis for removing “homosexuality” as a diagnosable condition.
The back matter from Sarah Praeger is excellent, and the introduction includes a history of the Indigenous tribes that are the original land stewards of where Evelyn grew up.
Stitch By Stitch: Cleve Jones & the AIDS Memorial Quilt |
@maginationpress | This beautiful & touching biography fully embodies what I mean when I say we lost a generation of elders in the queer community.
During the AIDS crisis (cough Reagan’s-genocide-attempt cough), activist Cleve Jones wanted to honor those lost with a quilt. It has since snowballed into a globally recognized & viewed art project that embodies the living history that our community is creating everyday.
Chef’s Choice |
Alright I gotta pop in here real quick and tell y’all that if you’re looking for the cutest t4t romance beach read this summer, pick this up asap!
If you read Chef’s Kiss, you’ll remember Simone’s pithy roommate named Luna. I think I actually commented in my review of CK that I wanted more scenes with her because she was hilarious.
Terrible cook Luna needs to make some quick cash, and decides to be the hired girlfriend of a tiny French elf on a frenzied mission to claim his inheritance. Hijinks ensue, as it always does when queers gather and things start to heat up in and out of the kitchen…
I very rarely read adult fiction, I just have so many depressing nonfiction books to get through and then get angry about, what can I say. But TJ Alexander is a delightful author and knows how to get me hook line and sinker. This is a wonderful book full of trans joy, love, and representation. It’s written FOR us, the queer community.
Also, it’s Pride Month! So make more of an effort to support queer authors & creators more this month than I KNOW that you all already do throughout the year. Exposure isn’t the same as a paycheck, it doesn’t pay the bills. Kindly sent by the publisher, opinions are my own!
Time for an occasional announcement!
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