It is National LGBTQ Center Awareness Day. In honor of celebrating this occasion, here are five LGBTQ books you should be aware of.
Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans
A poetry collection about race, feminism and queer identity, Jasmine Mans explores what it means to be a daughter of Newark and America. Her path to adulthood as a queer black woman is showcased in gorgeous words.
With Teeth by Kristen Arnett
Sammie Lucas feels like a single mother raising a child–a child that is sullen and doesn’t want to bond with her. Sammie is resentful of her wife Monika who is absent while her son’s hostility increases during his teen years. For so long Sammie wanted to be the perfect queer family, but the environment is aggressive and falling apart. Can Sam fix this family? This book goes into the delicate fabric of family life.
Stone Fruit by Lee Lai
Bron and Ray are a queer couple who enjoy being eccentric aunties to Ray’s six year old niece, Nessie. their playdates and adventures are full of joy, which bring peace in the midst of family tension and personal issues. As the tension rises, Bron and Ray must isolate and fix their family ties. Ray must face her single mother sister and Bron must go see her overly religious teen sister. This graphic novel is in hues of blue and brings out the vulnerability between family.
The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch
Sky Baker is the only openly gay boy in his small town of Rock Ledge, Michigan. His goal is to hide and not ruin his senior year. He finally decides since its his last year, he has thirty days to ask his crush Ali to prom. A promposal like that is worth a shot. But when Sky’s plans are leaked by a homophobic hacker, it goes viral. Sky feels so alone until his classmates help him spend those thirty days hunting the hacker down.
Future Feeling by Joss Lake
Penfield R. Henderson is in a major rut. He lives in a depressing Bushwick apartment, doing dog walking for some cash and responding to B-list celebrity booty calls. And also obsessing over holograms of Aiden Chass, a trans man who is an influencer, documenting his transitional journey. When Aiden and Pen meet in real life, Pen becomes resentful. He uses his roommates, the Witch and the Stoner Hacker, to put a curse on Aiden. They access Aiden’s social media account and place the hex on a picture that they post. However, the spell affects another trans man named Blithe. Blithe is sent to the Shadowlands, a landscape where every trans person must journey to achieve true self. Now, Pen and Aiden must team up to find him.
For more Recommendations for LGBTQ books check out the article 5 Amazing LGBTQ Books to Honor Stonewall’s 50th Anniversary
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