YA Book Recommendations for Pride Month (2023 Edition) 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

Here we are again in pride month! It certainly is a joyous time of year, but in the past few years, it’s been a difficult one, too. All across the country, we have seen waves of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and the rhetoric that queer people are unnatural and wish to convert your children has spread like wildfire. We’ve also seen a dangerous increase in book bans—particularly by queer authors and authors of color. Books with diverse perspectives aren’t harming children—depriving children of these books is the dangerous part. Now more than ever is it important to read diversely: there’s never any harm in seeing a different perspective through literature. And if you’re really that concerned about “protecting the children,” maybe you should advocate for stricter gun laws instead of worrying about drag queen story hour.

In past years, I’ve split this post up into multiple (organized by genre), but I decided to make it all one post this year to keep it all more organized.

For my previous pride month lists, see below:

• 2022: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Contemporary/Realistic Fiction
• 2021
• 2020: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Contemporary/Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

KEY:

• MC: main character
• LI: love interest
• SC: side character

Enjoy this month’s Pride Month book recommendations!

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S YA PRIDE MONTH RECOMMENDATIONS (2023 EDITION)🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

CONTEMPORARY, REALISTIC FICTION, AND NOVELS IN VERSE:

• Nothing Burns as Bright as You – Ashley Woodfolk: bisexual MC, sapphic LI | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School – Sonora Reyes: lesbian MC, lesbian LI, bisexual and gay SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Man o’ War – Cory McCarthy: pansexual & nonbinary MC, bisexual & agender LI, asexual, lesbian, and queer SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• The Heartbreak Bakery – A.R. Capetta: agender & bisexual MC, nonbinary & demisexual LI, queer, trans, polyamorous, aroace, and sapphic SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster – Andrew Mosqueda: bisexual MC, lesbian LI | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Not My Problem – Ciara Smyth: lesbian MC, lesbian LI | ⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Follow Your Arrow – Jessica Verdi: bisexual MC, lesbian, pansexual, and trans SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️
• The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali – Sabina Khan: lesbian MC, gay SC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• A Million Quiet Revolutions – Robin Gow: gay trans masc MCs, nonbinary and queer SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SCIENCE FICTION:

• All That’s Left in the World – Erik J. Brown: gay MC, bisexual MC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• Hell Followed With Us – Andrew Joseph White: queer & trans masc MC, gay LI, queer SCs |⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come – Jen St. Jude: lesbian MC, lesbian love interest, gay SC, asexual SC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Across a Field of Starlight – Blue Delliquanti: nonbinary MCs, trans & queer SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• On the Edge of Gone – Corinne Duyvis: bisexual and lesbian SCs (queer author) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• Adaptation – Malinda Lo: bisexual MC, lesbian LI, gay SC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️

HISTORICAL FICTION:

• The Reckless Kind – Carly Heath: asexual MC, achillean MCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club – Malinda Lo: lesbian MC, lesbian LI | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin – Kip Wilson: lesbian MC, queer SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

FANTASY, MAGICAL REALISM, AND PARANORMAL:

• Bone Weaver – Aden Polydoros: bisexual MC, gay MC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• The Many Half-Lived lives of Sam Sylvester: asexual & nonbinary MC, bisexual LI, aroace and queer SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Little Thieves – Margaret Owen: asexual/demisexual SCs, lesbian/sapphic SCs, nonbinary/gnc SCs (no labels used —fantasy setting) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• The Lost Girls – Sonia Hartl: bisexual MC, sapphic LI, aromantic SC, questioning/ace SC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• I Am the Ghost in Your House – Mar Romasco-Moore: bisexual MC, lesbian LI, nonbinary and trans SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
• That Dark Infinity – Kate Pentecost: bisexual MC, sapphic LI | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• Lakelore – Anna-Marie McLemore: nonbinary MCs, queer SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• House of Hollow – Krystal Sutherland: bisexual MC, lesbian SC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Not Good for Maidens – Tori Bovalino: asexual MC, bisexual SC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! What are your favorite queer reads that you’ve read recently? Have you read any books on this list, and what did you think of them? Tell me in the comments!

Today’s song:

That it for this year’s pride month recommendations! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!