By Caitlin Taylor So
Happy pride month, dear readers! However you may identify and show up in the world every day, we want to celebrate everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. Here are some books you can dive into this month and all year round.
- The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
Based on a true story from Patricia Highsmith herself and the future inspiration behind the critically acclaimed 2015 film Carol, The Price of Salt follows Therese Belivet whose life trajectory is forever changed after Carol Aird visits the department store where Therese works. Carol is stuck in a marriage as stifling and demoralizing as Therese’s job. The two fall in love and in defiance of a world determined to ostracize them, they set out on a trip until the world they wish to escape catches up to them.
- On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
To live in a world of Ocean Vuong’s creation means to retrace your familial history, finding the epicenter in Vietnam, and to write about generational trauma, violence, and addiction as they are shaped by race, class, and masculinity directly to your mother who cannot read. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is a stunning and resounding novel that will find you at your most vulnerable no matter your background.
- The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
After Theo and Kit broke up on a transatlantic flight on the way to their dream European food and wine tour, there was no turning back. As time passes, Theo is now a hustling bartender and aspiring sommelier and Kit bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. The unused European food and wine tour voucher, which is good for four years after its original date, is set to expire, and both Theo and Kit separately make the same decision to finally use their ticket. Trapped on a three week tour with delicious food and beautiful views together, there might be something else the pair is craving…
- Bellies by Nicola Dinan
Tom and Ming are instantly drawn to each other and after just one night, they know their lives are meant to be intertwined. From London to Kuala Lumpur to New York to Cologne, the couple are together through it all as Ming simultaneously navigates her transition. Tom and Ming will be forced to confront the different shapes their lives have taken since they first met and figure out the place they hold for each other moving forward.
- Loveless by Alice Oseman
Georgia doesn’t know what romance looks like for her: she’s never been in love, kissed anyone, or even had a crush. While she gets her fill of romance from fanfiction, she’s sure she’ll find “her person” somehow some way. When she stumbles on new terms that might apply to her identity and experience—asexual and aromantic—she’s never been more unsure about anything.
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Born and raised in Queens, Caitlin Taylor So is a Chinese-Vietnamese writer who is passionate about prioritizing and amplifying marginalized voices. She graduated from Emerson College with a degree in publishing and marketing. Her writing can be found on Business Insider, PopSugar, WebMD, and Her Campus Media.