USA TODAY International Edition
Take pride in reading LGBTQ literature this month
Coronavirus may have killed the fun, but it can’t kill the pride.
Pride Month during a socially distanced coronavirus pandemic might be lacking in parades and festivals, but it won’t be lacking in good queer books. For all this year’s many problems, 2020 has been stacked with killer LGBTQ literature: hilarious essay collections, soul- baring memoirs, critically acclaimed literary fiction – whatever you’re in the mood for.
In June, as we celebrate LGBTQ lives and honor those who stood up for equality at the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan, sit down with one of these 10 recently published books that celebrate, examine and champion gay lives. 1. “Untamed,” by Glennon Doyle. In this inspirational memoir, the motivational speaker tells the story of divorcing her husband, coming out to her family and finding love with Olympic soccer player and now- wife Abby Wambach.
2. “Good Boy,” by Jennifer Finney Boylan. The New York Times columnist writes a memoir of her gender transition through her relationship with seven beloved dogs who were with her at pivotal moments. “Everything I know about love I learned from dogs.”
3. “Save Yourself,” by Cameron Esposito. Queer stand- up comic and actress Esposito finds the humor in the fraught, tackling sexuality, gender and equality in a memoir about growing up gay in a devout Catholic home.
4. “Something That May Shock and Discredit You,” by Daniel M. Lavery ( as Daniel Mallory Ortberg). The co- founder of the feminist literary site The Toast and Slate advice columnist puts his dazzling wit and humor on display in a “memoiradjacent” collection of essays that touches on topics as wideranging as Lord Byron, the Bible and “House Hunters” in his exploration of self as a transgender man. 5. “Real Life,” by Brandon Taylor. Wallace, an extremely introverted gay black graduate student from Alabama with a history of trauma, is a biochemistry student at a Midwestern university rife with racism and homophobia. Everything about him is at odds with his surroundings, and over the course of an intense weekend, things come to a head.
6. “Wow, No Thank You.” by Sa
mantha Irby. In her third volume of essays, queer writer Irby (“We Are Never Meeting in Real Life”) shares more humorous and biting life reflections, mining some of life’s most embarrassing moments for insights and chuckles. 7. “All My Mother’s Lovers,” by Ilana Masad. Maggie’s mother, who was never comfortable with her queer daughter’s sexuality, suddenly dies in a car crash, leaving behind five sealed envelopes addressed to men she’s never heard of. In flight from her, Maggie goes on a road trip to deliver each letter personally and discover what these men meant to her mother. USA TODAY gives the book 8. “Once a Girl, Always a Boy,” by Jo Ivester. When Jeremy Ivester was born, his parents thought they had a daughter. But over the years, it became clear they had a son. This intimate portrait ( written by his mother) charts Jeremy’s journey from childhood through transition to his emergence as an advocate for the transgender community. 9. “Under the Rainbow,” by Celia Laskey. A small town in Kansas, labeled the most homophobic town in the U. S., is thrown into turmoil when a group of LGBTQ social activists moves in, on a crusade to change hearts and minds. 10. “Shuggie Bain,” by Douglas Stuart. Sweet, lonely Shuggie grows up in 1980s Scottish public housing in a heartbreaking work of addiction, identity, sexuality and love. The only person who truly loves and accepts him is his mother, Agnes, but her all- consuming alcoholism eclipses everything.