Happy Pride Month! What better way to celebrate than with the perfect book? Informative, imaginative, and inspiring, here our team have chosen a few of their recent favourite reads across all genres of LGBTQIA+ literature.
I first read Returning to Reims years ago and it blew me over. It’s a profound, fascinating memoir and sociological inquiry from French author and philosopher Didier Eribon, who returns to the place he left thirty years ago. He relates his experience of growing up working class and gay, his relationship with his homophobic father, and explores contemporary French politics and the forging of identities and principles of domination. One for readers of Edouard Louis and Annie Ernaux.
Alice
Published: 4th Apr '19
Format: Paperback
Price: £10.99
Bad Gays is a riotous, gossip-soaked stride through the villains of queer history. From the creators of the podcast of the same name, this book argues that homosexuality as an identity designation has politically failed, using the examples of “bad gays”: those who bolstered imperialism, helped maintain the nation state, facilitated fascism and racism, and displayed every manner of inadvisable behaviour. But their lives end up, in Lemmey and Miller’s hands, providing extraordinary insights not only into the periods in which these bad gays lived, but also on how understandings of sexuality and gender shift depending on history’s contingent course, and how these stories can inform us of the substance of contemporary queer lives.
Marc
Published: 30th May '23
Format: Paperback
Price: £11.99
Written in vignettes in the theme of different literary tropes, Machado offers up fragments of her time in an abusive relationship. Her brutal yet lyrical prose challenges a society that often dismisses abuse within queer relationships. With an intimacy and passion prevalent in each sentence, Machado picks apart her trauma and invites the reader along an emotional journey that was unlike any memoir I have ever read.
Selena
Published: 1st Oct '20
Format: Paperback
Price: £10.99
In Boulder (translated from the Catalan by Julia Sanches), Eva Baltasar paints the portrait of an alienated woman in a perpetual quest for freedom. At just under a hundred pages and part of a triptych exploring the lives of three queer women, Boulder is intense, beautiful and raw, and a powerful story of motherhood. I loved it.
Alice
Published: 2nd Aug '22
Format: Paperback
Price: £11.99
In this insightful essay, Garside delves deep into the hidden life of Schitt's Creek and explores all the ways in which creator Dan Levy demonstrated it is possible to write a sitcom without making any demographic the butt of the joke, and include meaningful representation. She demonstrates that Levy designed the show to be a safe space for queer people, down to seemingly innocuous details like the choice of wardrobe.
Ness
Published: 30th Jun '21
Format: Paperback
Price: £7.50
A novel devised in linked short stories, Cleanness demonstrates Garth Greenwell's beautiful facility with sentence-making. At times they seem to extend beyond reasonable length, and threaten to tip over into convolution: but if a sentence is a thought, then it should mirror the mind in the act of thinking, and complex thoughts deserve complex expression. Following Greenwell's folding, graceful syntax, the wonderful balance of his statements, the way his words topple into one another, mirrors exactly the manner in which his characters act on - and satisfy - their desires.
Marc
Published: 21st Jan '12
Format: Paperback
Price: £9.99
This is an essential examination of gender and its intersection with race and class. Alabanza writes about gender with generosity and candor, imbuing the text with elements of memoir while also exploring the endless possibilities and liberation of gender nonconformity. A must-read for everyone who wants to delve deeper into the politics of gender non-conformity.
Lily
Published: 4th Aug '22
Format: Hardback
Price: £16.99
Ashbery's poems are many things: full of jokes and wordplay; littered with references from every aspect of the culture; astute in their statements of queer desire, its fulfilment or its denial; and above all, they are full of evidence of a probing, brilliant mind constantly on the move, ceaselessly searching for new experiences, new angles from which to view life.
Marc
Published: 28th May '98
Format: Paperback
Price: £14.99
What Heather Love examines in Feeling Backward are the negative feelings associated with queerness: shame, isolation, unrequited yearning. But she does so with an acute sensitivity to historical experience, with an eye towards how these aspects of the gay past are at risk of being airbrushed out of contemporary discussions. The result is far from immiserating; her analyses of Walter Pater and Sylvia Townsend Warner especially display her immense clarity of thought, her depth of reading, and her great empathy.
Marc
Published: 30th Apr '09
Format: Paperback
Price: £25.95
In the first Monk & Robot novella, Sibling Dex meets Mosscap, one of the long-lost robots who disappeared into the wilderness. Together, they set out on a journey to find out, in a world where people have everything they could ever want for, what is it that they need. Immaculate worldbuilding as ever, with characters so real they feel like old friends. This book made me laugh, cry, and cringe, as only the very best of books can. If you haven't read any Becky Chambers, you're missing out!
Ness
Published: 1st Aug '21
Format: Hardback
Price: £17.99
Lawlor's debut novel is a glorious, sensory bildungsroman, following the titular, shapeshifting Paul. Filled to the brim with lust, intimacy, struggle and pleasure, Lawlor examines the breadth of the queer landscape in 90's America, and Paul's search to discover a queer community that will accept them for who they are.
Lily
Published: 22nd Feb '18
Format: Paperback
Price: £9.99
Body Work is a mixture of memoir and writing guide, tackling the issues that arise when writing autobiographical fiction and the complexities of writing and remembering trauma. Febos weaves aspects of her own life and writing into the text, creating a hybrid body of work that is both memoir and textbook. The perfect text for aspiring queer writers.
Lily
Published: 15th Mar '22
Format: Paperback
Price: £12.99
A bold debut from Andres N. Ordorica. At Least This I Know is a poetry collection that explores one's sense of belonging through diaspora, queer identity, loss, love, and so much more. Piercing, sincere and unapologetic.
Kira
Published: 27th Jan '22
Format: Paperback
Price: £9.99
A beautiful and brutal semi-autobiographical novel in which writing and language are shown as vital means of resistance. Our queens are a group of 'travesti' sex workers in Cordoba, Argentina; a found family who live in a queer boarding house overseen by an enigmatic and formidable house mother. Moments of magical realism grant the novel a dark fairytale feel.
Beth
Published: 1st Jun '23
Format: Paperback
Price: £9.99
A narrative-driven blend of biography and social history, exploring the lives of Black women and queer people living in NYC and Philadelphia at the turn of the twentieth century. Drawing upon archival material, letters, police reports and sociological studies, alongside more narrative and essayistic writing, Hartman tears at the seams of typical academic writing to produce a defiant and experimental book which blends genre and form.
Beth
Published: 4th Mar '21
Format: Paperback
Price: £12.99
Peters's writing rests so effortlessly on the pulse of modern life. Detransition, Baby has a contemporary relevance which peers beyond surface level, peeling back layers of queer pop culture, the online world and contemporary notions of beauty to create something that has true resonance. A deep dive into the psyche and vulnerabilities of characters you can't help but care for.
Beth
Published: 6th Jan '22
Format: Paperback
Price: £9.99
Narrated by the great niece of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, the story follows Mary as she attempts to make a name for herself in the male-dominated world of paleontology. What follows is an adventurous tale of mystery and intrigue, written in brilliantly sharp and subversive prose that explores queer identity, motherhood and prejudice with a gothic tinge.
Selena
Published: 4th May '23
Format: Hardback
Price: £16.99
An incredibly funny, educational and joyful book on queer women throughout history. From historical pirates, to authors, politicians and even famous athletes - each chapter covers a different queer woman in history whose story has so often been overlooked. Featuring many literary salons and tuxedos, the author interjects each story with generous doses of comic relief that make for a thoroughly entertaining read.
Selena
Published: 6th Oct '22
Format: Paperback
Price: £8.99
Audre Lorde should be essential reading in my opinion. Lorde described herself as a "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet" and this work is the absolute embodiment of that. With a powerful clarity of self, she discusses themes of oppression, racism, queer identity, motherhood and their intersectionalities. Lorde writes with a confidence and viscerality I have not experienced in another writer, even in the midst of the heaviest of topics there is always an everlasting element of hope.
Selena
Published: 2nd Oct '17
Format: Paperback
Price: £13.99
I adore this book. Deep Wheel Orcadia is written in gorgeous Orcadian dialect but the Engish translations are a gift for those who might struggle, encouraging you to engage with the Orcadian while providing wonderful, playful alternatives. Whilst unique in many ways, the central themes of the book - searching for inspiration, somewhere to feel as home or someone to love - are familiar and beautifully engrained in the overarching sci-fi narrative.
Niamh
Published: 14th Oct '21
Format: Paperback
Price: £10.99
Preciado's controversial, eyebrow-singeing philippic takes inspiration from Kafka's "Report to an Academy" to lay out a precise, impassioned case against psychoanalysis, transphobia, and 'the regime of sexual difference.'
Marc
Published: 2nd Jun '21
Format: Paperback
Price: £12.99
I have never read anything quite like Edinburgh. Do be warned that it isn't about Edinburgh at all - or, at least, only in a very peripheral sense, in Chee's conjuring of weblike metaphors of plague and fire, buried history, magic, survival and shame. It follows the adolescence and early adulthood of Fee, a gay Korean American boy who in the mid-1980s is abused by his choir director and, in the unspooling aftermath, blames himself. The plot moves along quite quickly, but the language feels infinitely rich - like you could read a single page over and over and discover something new each time. And the ending! This is one of those books that made me feel, for days after I'd finished it, like I was walking around with a molten core.
Amos
Published: 15th Nov '18
Format: Paperback
Price: £10.99
I was so moved by Couplets, a 100-page poem chronicling the speaker's growing awareness and exploration of her queer identity as she leaves her long-term partner for another woman; I did, in fact, weep lightly into my mug of tea as I read the final sections. The frankness and clarity of Maggie Milner's language makes it an accessible book for even very casual poetry readers like me, and the sly half-rhymes and wonderful, surprising specificity in her every turn of phrase had me rapt.
Amos
Published: 2nd Mar '23
Format: Hardback
Price: £12.99
100 Queer Poems was a landmark anthology for queer poetry. Two wonderful poets (Mary Jean Chan and Andrew McMillan) created a conversation between classic queer poets and contemporary queer poets, resulting in an incredibly diverse selection. You could get lost in this book, picking a poem here and there and discovering the work of both old and new queer voices that you may not yet have read.
Helena
Published: 2nd Jun '22
Format: Hardback
Price: £12.99
To prove that he has what it takes to be a brujo, Yadriel launches himself into an investigation to find his missing cousin. But when he tries to summon his spirit, it's the fascinating Julian who appears instead. As they team up to uncover what's happening in the streets of Los Angeles, the real question is: how will they ever let each other go? Atmospheric and steeped in latinx culture, this book had me from the first page to the last.
Ness
Published: 4th Aug '22
Format: Paperback
Price: £8.99
Taylor's second novel follows a circle of friends and lovers living in a university town in the Midwest, as they find their places alongside – and search for connection in – each other. Overlapping narratives cast unique shadows on the tangled webs of this community, connected through art, work, sex, money, poetry, dance, abuse, pain, and love.
- Molly
Published: 22nd Jun '23
Format: Hardback
Price: £18.99
After being outed at her previous school, Yami is determined to blend in at the next one. This proves difficult at a very white, very Catholic school, especially when family life is causing problems and she begins to fall for another queer student. This is a heartwarming novel that is unafraid to dig into the more intense aspects of Yami's life, whilst also highlighting the joys that come with embracing who you really are.
Molly
Published: 4th May '23
Format: Paperback
Price: £8.99
Jones guides us through lesbian and bi culture in the 21st century, from MUNA, Meryl and mullets to Carol, club culture and coming out. Combining both journalistic interviews as well as memoir and personal perspective, this work makes visible aspects of queer existence that are constantly evolving.
Molly
Published: 2nd Jun '22
Format: Paperback
Price: £10.99
This retelling of The Frog Prince is such a gem! The artwork is dreamy and tender, with little whimsical touches of humor hidden in the details. I admired how it represented themes of solitude and isolation - in regards to queerness, but also in regards to gentle, bookwormy introversion. And, of course, it's the perfect story for anyone looking for a good old-fashioned fairytale ending.
Amos
Published: 11th May '23
Format: Paperback
Price: £7.99
This short story collection is unapologetically queer in every sense of the word. Addressing gender (or lack thereof), sexuality, racism, sexism and so much more, I found each story to be independant and yet simultaneously moving as one with the others. The characters were lively and the themes covered were incredibly timely. I can't wait to read more from this author.
Kira
Published: 4th Jan '22
Format: Paperback
Price: £11.99
This is not only an auto-fiction masterpiece but a queer literature classic, forward in its frank discussion of growing up queer in a small working-class community. Covering religion, adoption, estrangement, teenage crushes, the working-class experience, desire and so much more. A staple for those who have enjoyed Douglas Stuart's work and if you enjoy this, I highly recommend going on to read Winterson's memoir Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
Kira
Published: 14th Oct '21
Format: Paperback
Price: £9.99
Yvette Taylor’s Working-Class Queers investigates the underrepresentation and intersection of being queer and working-class by critiquing the policy, theory and practice that have maintained queer middle-class privilege at the expense of working-class queers. A thought-provoking and powerful read that brings new insight to the queer and working-class intersection.
Kira
Published: 20th May '23
Format: Paperback
Price: £19.99
A joyous Children's picture book that highlights 25 incredible trail blazers from past and present who were transgender, non-binary and genderqueer, including the likes of Laverne Cox, Elliott Page and Marsha P. Johnson. Educational, fun, interesting and most importantly, inclusive.
Kira
Published: 28th Apr '23
Format: Hardback
Price: £16.99
Imogen, Obviously is an honest representation of lesbian crushes and relationships throughout teenagehood. A beautiful coming-of-age narrative and realisation of one's sexuality as a teenager when everything feels like it's the end of the world and has to be resolved overnight. A best friend's to lovers trope, I loved how this book explored the fluidity of sexuality.
Kira
Published: 11th May '23
Format: Paperback
Price: £8.99
I absolutely adored Mr Loverman and I think everyone should meet Barrington Jedidiah Walker. Evaristo’s protagonist is a seventy-four year old, Antiguan born, man-about-town who must break up his fifty-year marriage of convenience and face his preconceptions about homosexuality. Whilst exploring the impact of race, colonialism and cultural heritage on Britain’s older Caribbean community, Evaristo paints a vivid portrait of a lovable rogue and his clan throughout the decades.
Euan
Published: 18th May '23
Format: Paperback
Price: £8.99
A really important book that looks at the difficulties of the immigration and asylum system in the US, and details the struggles faced by the author when growing up gay in Nigeria whilst trying to raise awareness of the fight against AIDS. This is a vivid, deeply moving and oftentimes intensely sad read that is also fascinating and enlightening.
- Jack
Published: 7th Jul '22
Format: Hardback
Price: £18.99
A book that wasn't widely popular at the time of its release in the 1960s, but that has garnered a wider readership during successive reprints, this novella focussed around Cassandra's love for her sister Judith - to the point that she'll do anything to stop her sister's wedding - is a brilliantly contemporary take on family dynamics and the difficulties of accepting change. This is a really absorbing read featuring a fascinating and complex central character.
- Jack
Published: 19th Jul '18
Format: Paperback
Price: £9.99
I hadn't read Danez Smith until this year but their powerful and urgent writing is something I'll be returning to and reading more of. Visceral and moving, these poems that explore being gay and black, and living with HIV, induce both anger and tears through their beauty and sensitivity.
- Jack
Published: 18th Jan '18
Format: Paperback
Price: £12.00
It was brilliant to host an event for Naoise Dolan's new book, The Happy Couple, at the shop recently. A sharp, engaging and humorous story of the events surrounding a particular wedding, featuring a host of characters, all queer (something that's happily taken for granted throughout), and their relationships to the couple at the centre of things. A great new hardback read for Spring.
- Jack
Published: 25th May '23
Format: Hardback
Price: £16.99
Launched in late 2020 and founded by Kath Pierce and Thomas Anderson-Fletcher, this local LGBTQIA+ magazine was a huge win for the gays of Edinburgh (and beyond!) Their Summer 2023 issue is a joyous ode to the trans community with a trans flag takeover just in time for Pride celebrations. Always packed full with incredible queer folk, events, books, interviews and so much more, why wouldn't you want to support such an incredible team?
- Kira
Published: 1st Dec '24
Format: Magazine
Price: £10.00