Show Some Pride!

June is a pride month, a time set aside for members of the LGBTQ+ community (and their supporters) to celebrate and raise awareness for equality. Below is a small selection of LGBTQ+ books that the library has to offer which explore themes such as love, identity, and what it means to be yourself in a world telling you to conform.

Non Fiction

The ABC’s of LGBT+

By Ash Hardell

Page Count: 190
Published: 2016
Call #: J306.76 MARD

Ash Hardell is a youtuber who vlogs about their daily life. They promote education on LGBTQ+ topics and discuss the stigma that often surrounds being LGBTQ+. The ABC’s of LGBT+ is an essential guide for those questioning thier identity, teachers, parents, or anyone who wants to stay informed.

Availability: At the library– text / On Libby– text

Tomorrow Will Be Different

By Sarah McBride

Genre: Memoir
Page Count: 272
Published: 2018
Call #: 306.768 MCBRI

Sarah McBride is a transgender rights activist who knows all too well the struggle that transgender peole go through to be themselves. Sarah shares her personal struggle with gender identity, coming out, to being an LGBTQ+ rights activist in the midst of a heated presidential election. She gives insight in the struggles that trans people go through every day, and lets readers gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be openly transgender.

Availability: At the library– text / On Libby– none

Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story

By Jacob Tobia

Genre: Memoir
Page Count: 319
Published: 2019
Call #: 306.768 TOBIA

There are expectations that come with being labeled “male”, expecectations that Jacob Tobia quickly realized he did not want to uphold. As a child he was given the nickname “Sissy” because he was sensitive, creative, and glitter obsessed. In this memoir they revisit their childhood and explore the stereotypes they’ve faced. Jacob offers a bold blueprint for a world free from gender and makes you think about gender in a whole new way.

Availability: At the library– text / On Libby– none

Fiction

Call Me By Your Name

By Andre Aciman

Genre: Romance
Page Count: 256
Listen Time: approx. 8 hours
Published: 2007
Call #: F ACIMA BK. 1

This is the story of a sudden and powerful romance that blossoms between Elio, a teen who is learning what it means to love and Oliver, a grad student staying for the summer with Elio’s parents in thier clif-side Italian mansion. The two are unprepared for the consequences of their attraction which leads to an interesting internal struggle in each of their minds. In a mere six weeks the two expereince something they worry they will never find again: total intimacy.

Availability: At the library– text / On Libby– text and audio

When Katie Met Cassidy

By Camille Perri

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Page Count: 264
Published: 2018
Call #: F PERRI

Kentucky born Katie Daniels is a lawyer with everything going for her. She has a sucessful career, apartments in the best parts of town, and is engaged to the charming Paul Michsel. But when Paul suddenly breaks off the engagement Katie agrees to set aside her grief and agrees to have a drink with Cassidy Price, a woman she met at work. This novel breaks down the barriers of female sexuality.

Availability: At the library– text / On Libby– none

Middlesex

By Jeffrey Eugenides

Genre: Historical Fiction
Page Count: 529
Listen Time: approx. 21 hours
Published: 2003
Call #: F EUGEN

I had the pleasure of reading this novel a few weeks ago and was in awe of it’s engenuity. Middlesex follows the Stephanides family from Greece to Proibition era Detroit, Michigan- to understand why main character Calliope doesn’t seem like other girls. She uncovers a long hidden family secret, and realizes the genetic history that leads Callie to realize their gender is not what they thought.

Availability: At the library– text / On Libby– audio

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

By Mackenzi Lee

Genre: Young Adult / Historical
Page Count: 513
Listen Time: approx. 11 hours
Published: 2017
Call #: JF LEE / J ACD LEE BK. 1 GUID

Henry “Monty” Montegue was raised to be a gentleman, but that doesn’t stop him from behaving the way he’d like. His way of life (consisting of parting, gambling, and waking up in the beds of both men and women) are in danger of coming to an end as he embarks on a tour of Europe. As Monty travels with both his sister, Felicity, and his best friend Percy, on whom he has a massive crush, the trip takes many twists and turns that call into question everything he things he knows.

Availability: At the Library– text and audio / On Libby– text and audio