In an often unwelcoming world, many LGBTQ+ people cultivate what they call "chosen family," creating networks of support that are vital in the best and worst of times. In honor of Pride Month, we recommend four books that speak to the power of queer community as an antidote to hate, intolerance and division.
These books, both fiction and nonfiction, share lessons from LGBTQ+ writers and community builders who explore futures where harmonious, inclusive and communal living is possible and beautiful. These books illustrate how LGBTQ+ people frequently seek liberation through collaboration, exhibit radical resiliency and offer new models for a bright and imaginative future together.
The Seattle Public Library's Reader Services team writes a monthly column for the Seattle Times that promotes reading and book trends from a librarian's perspective. Read the June 2024 article by Reader Services librarian Jane Singer and Teen Services librarian Eliza Summerlin on the Seattle Times website. You can find these titles at the library by visiting spl.org and searching the catalog.
In this fictional oral history set in the near future, we get a glimmer of an alternate world set 20 years after global movements have toppled capitalism, where activists, scientists, sex workers and queer people have reimagined a better, more communal life. Authors M.E. O'Brien and Eman Abdelhadi craft this future world through imagined interviews with, among others, a veteran of the 2045 war in Iran, a scientist working on ecological restoration and a survivor of an internment camp for refugees.
In the story, New York City becomes an epicenter of resistance, and insurrections rise across the globe, from Colombia to Palestine. Though the book offers alternatives to our current global systems, it also exposes the significant trauma and suffering that often accompany revolutions, which allows for contradictions to exist. As one character, Miss Kelley, remembers, "Everything for everyone … means we took something that was property and made it life."
"Girlfriends" by Emily Zhou
In her debut short story collection "Girlfriends," 20-something author Emily Zhou deftly captures the pain and transcendence of self-discovery in early adulthood.
Her stories capture dynamic characters stumbling through life experiences such as coming out to family members, experimenting with drugs, exploring sexuality and relationships, and dealing with toxic roommates and interpersonal dramas.
"Girlfriends" is perfect for lovers of "Detransition, Baby" by Torrey Peters, "Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl" by Andrea Lawlor or "Nevada" by Imogen Binnie. ("Girlfriends" is not yet in the Seattle Public Library's collection.)
Novelist Casey Plett draws from her own experience as a trans woman who grew up Mennonite in this book-length personal essay that weaves together memoir and criticism to meditate on the ways we define community.
In a world where we are increasingly divided from others and don't always see a clear path forward, Plett offers a skillful dissection of the joys, frustrations and even dangers of coming into contact with others through shared identity, culture or place. The book's chapters are short — some just a few sentences — allowing readers to chew on each idea.
This young adult novel has it all: a beautiful cover, a heartbreaking love story, anime fandom, marching band nicknames and an example of what chosen family can look like.
Lio Min's debut novel centers on the relationship between Suwa, a transgender music prodigy, and Santi, a newcomer to Los Angeles hoping to find a home in the high school marching band. The two boys develop a tender, intimate friendship that unveils a secret shared past.
The author, a music fan who has written pieces about artists including Mitski, Japanese Breakfast and Caroline Polachek, weaves in lush detail about songs and lyrics that make the story come alive with sound and color. (Bonus: You can listen to Spotify playlists that Min created from each character's point of view!)
Along with the sweet trust and love that Santi and Suwa cultivate, their larger community of friends and family offers a vision of what queer support can be.
For more LGBTQ+ book recommendations, visit the library's website.
- Jane and Eliza
This column is reprinted with permission from the Seattle Times.
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