Happy Pride! Read These Very Gay Books
By Greg ManiaTo celebrate Pride and the upcoming release of my debut memoir, Born to Be Public, in paperback, I've put together a book list that's gayer than my prom photo. Every book on this list bursts with heart, humor, and everything in between. And, like Cheesecake Factory menu, there's something for everyone: thriller, western, literary fiction, stories, history, humor, memoir, essay—you gay-name it. Whatever book(s) you choose to read and support, I hope you end up treasuring them as much as I do.
Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993
Sarah Schulman
$40.00 $37.20WHY DO I STILL REMEMBER HOW TO PLAY "HOT CROSS BUNS" ON THE RECORDER BUT DIDN'T LEARN ANY QUEER HISTORY UNTIL I WAS IN MY TWENTIES? I wish I had this book growing up. This is the latest from literary luminary and thinker Sarah Schulman—and it's required reading for all.
Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons
John Paul Brammer
$26.00 $24.18I have to fight the urge to tattoo one of JP Brammer's Tweets across my sternum at least once a day. Be it from his uproariously funny Twitter or his beloved advice column, '¡Hola Papi!,' Brammer's voice is a universal balm—and how lucky are we to now to spend time with it from cover to cover.
Afterparties: Stories
Anthony Veasna So
$27.99 $26.03The literary community was devastated to learn of this young author's passing before getting a chance to see his highly anticipated collection of stories make its sure-to-be impactful mark on the world. Please consider pre-ordering and supporting in honor of his life and words.
Justine
Forsyth Harmon
$19.95 $18.55Sometimes I feel like a book was specifically written for me, which is a gift few authors possess. 'Justine' is one of those books. A Long Island teenager becomes infatuated with a Stop & Shop cashier? Inject it directly into my veins.
Kink: Stories
$17.99 $16.73
An anthology co-edited by two literary superstars featuring (insert hot-and-bothered emoji here) stories by even more literary superstars? Smash that "Add to Cart" button, fam!!!!
Love Is an Ex-Country: A Memoir
Randa Jarrar
$26.00 $24.18Memoir is my favorite genre to read, and it's ones like this that reignite my love for the category. Jarrar, a queer Muslim and single mother, seeks to understand her fraught connection to the word home. I felt like I was in the passenger seat from beginning to end, which is my favorite way to experience memoir.
Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing: Essays
Lauren Hough
$16.95 $15.76Listen: putting this book down was the hardest thing. How does one board a plane with a wit as sharp as Hough's????
Outlawed
Anna North
$26.00 $24.18I missed this book approximately four minutes after I finished it. A queer, feminist western is something I didn't know I needed in my life until I read this book, and now I'm forced to practice patience—not my strong suit!—until the the television adaption is available for binging.
Girlhood
Melissa Febos
$27.00 $25.11Like a Werther's Original, I want to turn over every sentence Melissa Febos writes in my mouth, savoring every morsel of flavor. I don't usually highlight or underline in my books, but my copy of 'Girlhood' looks like it got into a fight with a Sharpie highlighter and lost.
Yes, Daddy
Jonathan Parks-Ramage
$25.00 $23.25I stared into space for a good twenty-seven minutes after reading this book—but in a good way. This book zigs when you think it's going to zag, and vice versa—unequivocally deeming Parks-Ramage a writer-to-watch.
100 Boyfriends
Brontez Purnell
$17.00 $15.81As the brand ambassador of gay dysfunction, I endorse this book.
Milk Fed
Melissa Broder
$26.00 $24.18So here's the story from A to Z, you wanna get with me, you gotta read this book.
Detransition, Baby
Torrey Peters
$27.00 $25.11If you're queer and reading this book list, chances are you've already read this book, which is great. But what I need you to do now is buy a copy for someone you love! Donate a copy to your nearest Little Free Library! Replace a Gideon bible in a hotel room with a copy of this book!!!!
Image Control: Art, Fascism, and the Right to Resist
Patrick Nathan
$26.00 $24.18Patrick Nathan is hot AND smart? In this economy???? (While you're at it, get his gripping debut novel, 'Some Hell,' which bursts with the beauty, depth, and magnetism that only one Patrick Nathan can deliver.)
Burn It All Down
Nicolas Didomizio
$28.00 $26.04A mother-son duo that goes on a crime spree? Please and thank you.
Darryl
Jackie Ess
$16.95 $15.76*THE* premier cuckold novel of the year, Jackie Ess's 'Daryl' is popping up all over the place—and with good reason. This novel nails it with the humor, and is sure to become the gospel to spread inside and outside the literary community.
For more homosexual hijinks, follow me on Twitter.