By Rebecca Weigler, Charlotte Horsfield, Steph Carroll and Caitíe Woolridge
To celebrate Pride Month, here are some fantastic new LGBTQIA+ reads that will be hitting the shelves in June. Check them out.
Four Squares by Bobby Finger
18 June, Penguin Random House
Bobby Finger, acclaimed author of The Old Place, returns with a heart-warming and emotional novel set across the different time periods of one character’s life and its pivotal moments.
Between a vibrant nineties New York and the present day, senior citizen Artie Anderson navigates life as he finds himself in his area’s local queer community centre. Battling a feeling of loneliness since the passing of Abe, his ex-boyfriend, Artie had sworn off public gatherings and communication, preferring to live his retirement alone and far away from the emotions he has tried to hide.
But when this new society welcomes him with open arms and he meets other elderly members of the LGBTQIA+ community, he begins to see life through a different lens, realising that he can make every day count even when it feels like hope has been lost.
With tender and uplifting writing, Four Squares is a perfect novel full of friendship, love and community spirit, as well as an enchanting look at the New York of the past and present.
All About Yvie: Into The Oddity by Yvie Oddly
19 June, Greenleaf Book Group Press
For Pride Month, readers can step into the fabulously interesting personal (and very public) life events of the much-loved drag queen Yvie Oddly by reading this interestingly complex memoir.
This unique and unforgettable memoir is structured as a coming-of-age narrative where readers begin with Yvie’s not-so-mundane childhood. Readers will then move on to a fascinating exploration of Yvie discovering homosexuality. The memoir then examines the everyday effects of coming to terms with homosexuality and how it impacted Yvie’s perception of self, identity and place in society.
The narrative then covers the huge moments in Yvie’s life journey from Drag Race and how the hit television show transformed Yvie into a household name. Yvie faces many rejections and knocks on the journey to stardom and greatness but never shies away from the challenges – making the narrative all the more engaging.
The memoir ends positively with Yvie’s plans for the future and the realisation that after many struggles and knockbacks, you can make a living out of being a drag queen and celebrating who you are.
Hombrecito by Santiago Jose Sanchez
25 June, Riverhead Books
Sanchez brings a fresh voice to literature with this moving queer coming-of-age tale.
A young boy, his brother and his mother move their life from Columbia to Miami, leaving behind the boys’ absent father. But, with this new life, their mother essentially disappears into the backdrop of the ‘American Dream’.
The boy has embraced his queer identity and has grown in his new environment but his one constant, his relationship with his mother, has become fraught. She may have disappeared as soon as they hit American soil, but his mother is always on his mind.
He leaves Miami for New York, floating from man to man, desperately seeking something to fill the void to make him feel whole again. And then his mother invites him to visit Columbia with her, but going home means facing the person he’s become since he left. He wishes to find peace with his father and must come to terms with who his mother really is, finally learning her secrets.
This book is a tale of a young boy moving between cultures and finding himself. The young boy’s journey is one of love and belonging, told by a brilliant new talent who has a beautiful way with words.
Hot Summer by Elle Everhart
27 June, Penguin
From the author of Wanderlust comes a spicy reality dating novel perfect for those steamy poolside reads.
Cas Morgan is a bored single stuck hosting dating events for Friday, the dating app she works for. But when Cas’s company partners with Hot Summer, the steamiest of reality shows, her boss offers her a solution: become a contestant on Hot Summer in order to get brand deals, and she’ll get the promotion she’s been looking for.
The plan is clear: make it to the final and all Cas’s dreams come true. But as Love Island-esque escapades ensue, Cas finds herself increasingly drawn to fellow contestant Ada. Sparks fly and heat ignites as Cas’s feelings grow. Torn between her career goals and her feelings, Cas has a choice to make. How much will Cas sacrifice for her promotion? Will this be a true summer of love?
Comments