Happy Pride Month, bookworms! This month and all year long, it’s incredibly important to celebrate LGBTQ+ books and authors! Today, we’re recommending our must-read books to celebrate Pride, and a few upcoming releases that you have to pre-order! Do you love a sweet contemporary? What about a thriller set in the summer, perfect for Summerween? Then you’ve come to the right place!
Content Warning: The Honey POP encourages mindful reading and urges readers to always check the author’s website for any additional content warnings.
Like We Were In Paris By Stephan Lee
Are you a fan of Heartstopper? Then you have to read Like We Were in Paris! Set over the course of one night in Paris, Ben is excited for his French Club’s trip to Paris, especially since it’s the city is where his parents honeymooned, and Ben hopes to connect with his late father’s memory there. But when Ben misses curfew and is locked out of his youth hostel alongside Tyler, a popular boy who is also Ben’s former friend and now nemesis, things are off to a rocky start. Now stuck together until morning, the two roam Paris together on misadventures across the city. While they can’t be any more different, could a night of croissants, kisses, and adventure lead to something more? This sounds adorable and the perfect read for the summer!
Order Like We Were in Paris here!
Content Warnings: racism, grief, death of a parent, homophobia, bullying
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT STEPHAN LEE:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE
Opting Out By Maia Kobabe & Swati “Lucky” Srikumar
Our next LGBTQ+ book recommendation is Opting Out! This graphic novel tells the story of Saachi, who, after starting the seventh grade, doesn’t understand why everyone is so focused on coupling up. Not interested in the boy/girl stuff, Saachi wishes that things could go back to the way they were, especially after she starts her period and feels more and more detached from her physical self. She does not want her body to change, nor does she feel like a girl or a boy. Couldn’t she just opt out of both genders?
Order Opting Out here!
Content Warnings: bullying, dysphoria, violence, transphobia, racism
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MAIA KOBABE:
INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SWATI “LUCKY” SRIKUMAR:
INSTAGRAM
The Dead Of Summer By Ryan La Sala
Ryan La Sala, author of the acclaimed book The Honeys, is back with another queer horror that’s perfect for the summer! Ollie is finally coming home to the island of Anchor’s Mercy after accompanying his mom as she battled cancer for a year. With his mom cancer-free, the two of them want to have the best summer ever. Except Ollie’s friends think he’s abandoned them, and their home holds a secret that may explain the illness of his mom and other locals.
As Ollie searches for the truth, a storm hits the island, and a horror rises. Now two weeks later, he is held aboard a military hospital ship, but the truth is dangerous, and Ollie suspects that his saviors aren’t here to save anyone. But to save everyone, Ollie will have to get back to Anchor’s Mercy before it sinks, taking down everyone he has ever loved with it. This sounds so spooky and the perfect read for Summerween!
Order The Dead of Summer here!
Content Warnings: body horror, death of a parent, death, violence, confinement, child death, mention of homophobia and suicide
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RYAN LA SALA:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
Spells To Mend Broken Hearts By Marissa Macy
Our next recommendation is an upcoming middle-grade release! In it, we follow Alex, who is struggling after moving to a new town, having no friends, and constantly dealing with her parents’ fighting. As she’s unpacking, Alex finds her grandmother’s book of small magic and tries a ritual to attract a friend. Alex doesn’t believe in this magic stuff, so it’s a total coincidence when Tess enters her life the next day…or so she thinks. The two girls form a fast friendship, and Tess makes Alex’s heart flutter as they work their way through the book’s numerous spells. But when Alex’s parents announce that they’re getting a divorce, and Tess wants to perform a ritual to win back her ex-boyfriend, Alex has to consider if the magic she felt with Tess was more than just friendship. We can’t wait to see what this has in store!
Release Date: September 15
Pre-order Spells to Mend Broken Hearts here!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MARISSA MACY:
INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE
The Unpoetic Life Of August Grey By Max Fischer
Last, but not least, we have The Unpoetic Life of August Grey! This novel-in-verse by Pushcart Prize-nominated poet, Max Fischer, follows August, who is dealing with extreme grief after the death of their best friend Waylon. When August earns a spot at a prestigious summer writing program in New York, they are excited to leave their small town and have a chance to heal while keeping their promise to Waylon to pursue their dream. But New York brings a tense reunion with their estranged father, and an unexpected arrival of Levi, an old crush of August’s who doesn’t know about their failed coming-out. As August deals with grief, secrets, and possibly new love, they have to decide if they can embrace their queer identity before the past threatens to drown their future.
Release Date: October 20
Pre-order The Unpoetic Life of August Grey here!
Content Warnings: grief, dysphoria, homophobia, transphobia
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MAX FISCHER:
INSTAGRAM
We hope you enjoyed our book recommendations for Pride Month! What books are you reading to celebrate Pride? Let us know in the comments below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPop! You can also visit us on Facebook and Instagram!
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