Local Pride Month
Happy Local Pride from the Madison Public Library! We have assembled a team of queer staff members to put together a list of their favorite books. These books have inspired readers to take care of themselves, to value themselves, or to see themselves in the past, the future, and in other realms. Read through the list below and put your new favorite on hold!
I LOVED Sonya Renee Taylor's The Body Is Not An Apology. Simple, easy, inclusive without trying too hard, and relatable. She came to Madison and hosted a dinner for various book clubs and library staff, with a question and answer afterwards and then did a reading and presentation as part of a larger event at MATC Truax. I took away so many stories and ideas, and I met some of the most interesting people there. She is the most real and sincere person I've ever met in my life. -Jenn (she/her, they/them)
Heavy, but powerful and beautiful. It's about gender expression, labor organizing, trans people loving each other, and the gay rights movement of the 70's. -Fiona (they/them)
My favorite piece of LGBTQ+ nonfiction is The Bride was a Boy by Chii. It's an autobiographical manga detailing a Japanese trans woman's experience with transitioning and love. It's sweet and also informative. - Sea (they/them)
This memoir by Maia Kobabe really spoke to me and made my gender journey a lot less fraught. It's empowering to see someone else’s journey and to be able to recognize myself in the story. -Tina (ze/zer)
This is a book filled with photo spreads and brief interviews with trans teenagers. I really like the visual aspect of the book, since looking at the pages and thinking "oh, that person looks like me" can be really validating.- Linea (he/him)
This delightful graphic novel series that first began as a web comic is now into its 4th print volume (and soon to be a Netflix show too)! Unlikely friends, Nick and Charlie, begin to test the waters, exploring their feelings for each other, and remind us what those first butterflies of young love felt like. With a diverse cast of supporting characters, this series is lighthearted, fun, and just plain cute, while still honoring the challenges of being a queer teen.- Danny (he/him)
A Japanese/South Asian lesbian love story through decades, uniting and parting and uniting again. This book handles the complexities of love, identity, culture, and family while providing plenty of joy as well. This is the most relatable book I’ve read in years. - Savannah (she/her, they/them).