June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the stories, contributions, and impact of the LGBTQIA+ community. Along with Henrico County’s recognition of Pride Month, we have some fresh reads that highlight LGBTQIA+ voices, as well as some classics to rediscover or enjoy for the first time. We hope these lists provide you with plenty of rainbow reads for your TBR (to-be-read) list. Happy Pride!

ADULTS

FRESH READS

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn – In this Industrial Revolution remix of Carmilla, one of the earliest known works of vampire fiction, wife Lenore has grown tired of her marriage to steel magnate Henry. But when they head to the British moorlands to host a hunting party, the mysterious Carmilla enters their lives, awakening something within Lenore that forces her to confront a crumbling marriage and a hunger from within.

Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars – Accountant by day and London drag star by night, Misty Divine is adding a new title to her resume: detective. After discovering her drag mother dead in her dressing room (poisoned by chocolates), Misty knows she must work quickly to clear her friends’ names and find the killer before they strike again.    

The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports by Michael Waters –Author Michael Waters sheds light on the stories of early trans Olympic athletes. He highlights 1930s sprinter Zdeněk Koubek and British field athlete Mark Weston, both of whom became global celebrities upon announcing their transitions. Waters argues that what could have led to a push for equality was ultimately overshadowed by World War II and Olympic bureaucracy, the latter of which has led to continued controversy around gender and sports today.

Passing Through a Prairie Country by Dennis E. Staples – Both Marion, a mid-twenties Ojibwe, and Glenn, an aspiring documentarian, encounter the dark force within a resort and casino on the Languille Reservation. Also referred to as “sandman,” this dark force is known for destroying casino patrons’ dreams and holding spirits hostage. With the help of his cousin, Marion must tap into his ability to navigate the spiritual world in order to have a fighting chance at defeating the sandman.

Don’t miss out on these other fresh additions to our collection:

CLASSICS

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin – Set in 1950s Paris, American expat David begins having a passionate affair with a man after his new fiancé, Hella, leaves on a trip. With Hella returning soon, David wrestles with the complexities of his heart and how to move forward.  

Orlando by Virginia Woolf (also available on Hoopla) – Virginia Woolf explores sexuality through the character of Orlando, who, at the beginning of the book, is a young nobleman during the Elizabethan era, and by the end of the book is a modern young woman living in the 1920s.

Discover (or rediscover) some classics:

TEENS

FRESH READS

Renegade Girls by Nora Neus – Set in 1880s New York, this graphic novel is inspired by real-life undercover reporter Nell Nelson and photographer Alice Austen. Encouraged by Alice’s street photography, Nell is determined to leave her society reporting days behind to cover more important issues. So when her friend is injured while working in a factory, Nell takes on her first undercover role as a seamstress, reporting on working conditions from the inside.

Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia – After a romantic gesture turns into humiliating public rejection, seventeen-year-old Bobby Ashton is not sure ever he’ll find his happily ever after. With zero plans for the summer, Bobby resigns himself to working in his uncle’s book store. But when a cute lifeguard named Luke walks through the doors, will Bobby open himself up to writing a new chapter?

Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries – Oberon, a teen living on the remote planet of Meridian, wakes up one morning with the power to conjure his dreams, and his old high school crush, in the real world. With new powers to control, can Oberon make his dreams (and rekindled crush) a permanent reality?

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran – A hurricane leaves a small Mississippi town overwhelmed by strange algae and a deadly creature lurking beneath its waters. As residents begin disappearing, the town’s corrupt harbormaster tasks Noon with the deadly creature’s capture. With the harbormaster’s daughter by her side, the two set off to confront the dark waters, past traumas, and a storm that lies ahead.

More recently released rainbow reads for teens:

CLASSICS

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz - Set in 1980s El Paso, Texas, 15-year-old Mexican Americans Ari and Dante develop a friendship. Seemingly opposites, the two friends bond over similar struggles as they come to terms with their insecurities, families, cultural and sexual identities, and their increasingly complicated friendship.

Nimona by N.D. Stevenson – A graphic novel mash-up of medieval culture and modern science about supervillain Lord Ballister and his young shapeshifting sidekick, Nimona, who join forces to fight and expose the nefarious schemes of the kingdom’s Institute of Law Enforcement and Heroics.

Additional rainbow reads from nearly a decade —or more!— ago: