Books are often forgotten in the current day and age. We now live in a supremely fast world where we stop for no one, not even ourselves. So this pride month, take a break and look back unto the first forms of mass media – books.
Here’s a list of some of the best LGBT books for you to get your hands on and delve into:
The Little Life:
The Little Life is a 2015 novel that took over 18 months to write by American Novelist Hanya Yanagihara. The story follows four friends: Jude, Malcolm, JB and Wilhelm. Furthermore, each of the boys is from different cultures and ethics, from different economic statutes and dreams.
The story follows the odd and mysterious life of Jude. It also shows how with time he comes to term with who he is or at least tries to. It’s a dramatized and melodramatic plot with exceptional depth in the struggles and hardships that one would face.
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda:
This is a young adult novel written by Becky Albertalli in 2015. But you probably know of Simon Spier from the commercial success of Love, Simon in 2018. It follows a closeted gay high school student who is to take matters into his own hands when a blackmailer discovers Simon’s e-mails written to another closeted classmate that he has fallen in love with.
It’s a teen drama that is light and fun. The name of the novel is a parody of the term “homosexual agenda”, a phrase that was commonly used by opponents of gay rights in the United States.
Tales of the City:
Tales of the City is a series of nine novels. American author Armistead Maupin wrote the series from 1978 to 2014. It follows the arrival of Mary Ann Singleton, a young woman from Ohio who visits San Francisco only to impulsively decide to stay.
Thereby, she finds an apartment, with a marijuana growing landlady Anna Madrigal. Mary Ann continues to become friends with other tenants in building with bisexual Mona Ramsey, heterosexual Brian, the roof tenant Norman and gay man Michael.
The story went on to become a mini-series on Netflix and was broadcast in June of 2019.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post:
The story follows Cameron, a 12-year-old girl who goes to live with her conservative aunt and grandmother after her parents die in a car crash. She develops a romantic relationship with her best friend but is caught, she is sent to a conversion camp.
In 2012, the book had its release. However, a film adaptation following the same in 2018 starring Chloe Grace Moretz as Cameron. The story is one of the few to talk about conversion therapy, showcasing the detrimental aspects of the same.
Disobedience:
Disobedience follows a rabbi’s lesbian daughter as she returns from New York to her Orthodox Jewish community in London. The novel was a debut by Naomi Alderman. The same became a film in 2017 with Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams.
Even though it was a controversial topic, it pushes boundaries making it get recognition and praise for its eye-opening plot story.
Fun Home:
A Family TragiComic: It chronicles the protagonist’s childhood and youth in rural Pennsylvania, focusing on her complex relationship with her father. The book, further, addresses sexual orientation, gender roles, suicide, emotional abuse and dysfunctional family life. It’s an artistic graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel.
Call Me by Your Name:
Call Me by Your Name is a 2007 novel by American writer André Aciman. It follows the blossoming love between a curious 17-year-old Jewish boy named Elio Perlman and 24-year-old American Jewish scholar named Oliver. Furthermore, the story is based in 1980s Italy. It became more popularized when it became a film. Furthermore, the film won both a BAFTA award as well as an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2018.
