11 Queer Books We Can't Wait to Dive Into This Summer
By Sam Manzella and Chris Rudolph
With traveling out of the picture for the time being (damn you, 'rona!), getting lost in a good book is next best escapade. Below, we've compiled a list of 11 forthcoming titles—either by LGBTQ authors, featuring LGBTQ storylines, or both!—for your browsing pleasure. Happy reading!
Camp by L.C. Rosen
In his follow-up to the critically acclaimed Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts), gay Young Adult author L.C. Rosen transports readers to Camp Outland, a fictional summer camp for LGBTQ teens. There, 16-year-old Randy Kapplehoff, a frequent flyer at Camp Outland, rebrands himself as "Del," a buff, straight-acting dude and the total antithesis of his true theater gay self. His objective? To catch the eye of athletic, #Masc4Masc Hudson Aaronson-Lim, his longstanding camp crush who doesn't know he exists. Hijinks ensue, naturally. —Sam Manzella
Rainbow Revolutionaries: Fifty LGBTQ+ People Who Made History by Sarah Prager
This Middle Grade book from journalist and author Sarah Prager (Queer, There, and Everywhere) highlights 50 LGBTQ historical figures who made a significant contribution to society and culture. Those featured run from the gamut from tennis legend Billie Jean King to Chinese emperor Wen of Han. Rainbow Revolutionaries also includes a map, timeline, glossary, and bold illustrations by Sarah Papworth. —SM
Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith
Stay Gold follows Pony, a trans boy who's "going stealth" (read: passing as cisgender to avoid any trouble) at his new high school in Texas. Meanwhile, he attracts the attention of Georgia, a cis girl who's convinced she needs to put a pause on dating...until sparks begin to fly with Pony. The novel is the YA debut from Tobly McSmith, a transgender writer whose previous work includes musical parodies like Friends! The Musical Parody. —SM
The New Queer Conscience by Adam Eli
The New Queer Conscience is part of Penguin Random House's Pocket Change Collective, a series of short nonfiction books from leading contemporary activists and creatives. It also marks the literary debut of activist and 2018 Logo30 honoree Adam Eli, known for his work with Voices4, an international LGBTQ advocacy group. The short volume elucidates a key ethos at the heart of Voices4's mission: Queers anywhere are responsible for queers everywhere. —SM
The Deviant's War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America by Eric Cervini
In his nonfiction debut, Eric Cervini traces the origins of the fight for queer rights in the U.S. back to the wrongful termination of a gay government employee that predated the 1969 Stonewall Riots, often cited as the watershed moment for queer liberation in America. Pulling from court documents, FBI records, and upwards of 40,000 personal documents, the acclaimed queer historian sheds light on one man's legacy as an early (and largely secret) champion of LGBTQ equality. —SM
The Groom Will Keep His Name by Matt Ortile
In his debut essay collection, Matt Ortile, a veteran essayist and managing editor at Catapult, is getting personal. Using past "relationships and whateverships" as his anchor, Ortile walks readers through his own journey toward radical self-love. The Groom Will Keep His Name includes meditations on growing up as a Filipino immigrant in Las Vegas, Nevada; becoming a "Vassar Girl" in college; and building a home as a gay adult in New York City, where options—and opinions—are abound. —SM
The State of Us by Shaun David Hutchinson
Dean and Dre are two teenage boys who fall in love. The only problem is that their parents are the Republican and Democratic candidates running for President of the United States. The State of Us is serving us major Red, White, & Royal Blue vibes, and we're not mad about it. Sounds like the perfect escape from the real political fight for the White House happening this year. —Chris Rudolph
Broken People by Sam Lansky
First there was Ordinary People, Difficult People, Normal People, and now there's Broken People, Sam Lansky's debut novel following his acclaimed memoir, The Gilded Razor. Broken People is being described as a novel, but it follows Sam, a writer who recently moved to L.A. after his alcohol- and drug-fueled life in New York imploded, which is what Lansky did IRL. Sam hears of a shaman "who promises ancient rituals, plant medicine and encounters with the divine—seems convincing," so he signs up for a weekend with the medicine man. What could go wrong? —CR
Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood by Trixie Mattel and Katya
Fact: RuPaul's Drag Race queens Trixie Mattel and Katya are biological women. So, of course, they are the perfect pair to share all of their tips on beauty, cooking, money, and how to be the perfect modern woman. The Feminine Mystique? More like The Feminine Mistake! The library really is open for these skinny legends. —CR
Tomboyland by Melissa Faliveno
In her debut essay collection, writer and Sarah Lawrence College professor Melissa Faliveno transports readers to the Midwest, a region of the country that, not unlike the idea of a "tomboy," resists neat categorization. The book blends personal essays with culture reporting to explore the liminal spaces Faliveno—and so many other queer folks—inhabit and navigate each and every day. —SM
I Have Something to Tell You by Chasten Buttigieg
Following in the footsteps of his husband, former Democratic presidential candidate, Pete Buttigieg, Chasten Buttigieg is releasing his own memoir, which details his journey from his childhood in rural Michigan to becoming a teacher and being thrown into the spotlight as part of a presidential campaign. If his book is anything like his lovable Twitter persona, then we can't wait to crack it open. —CR
