Great beach reads for Pride Month
NEW YORK - There's never a bad time for a good summer read, and as we continue to observe Pride Month, we celebrate the unique voices that are brought to the forefront to inspire and enlighten with some notable books, perfect for the beach.
CBS2's Dick Brennan has some of the top titles for the season.
"I think just a page turner," said Sarah Burke, editor-in-chief of Them, an online site that covers LGBTQ+ news and culture.
That's how she sets the criteria for a good LGBTQ+ summer read.
"Something that is really going to draw me in and engross me, and I would say all of these novels definitely do that," Burke said.
The website Them says the list was compiled with something for everyone, from young adult, to memoirs, to darker themes, cultural satire, and short stories - as in "Rainbow Rainbow" by Lydia Conklin, which explores a broad range of LGBTQ experiences
"It's both dark, but also funny, but one that you can kind of really flip through, you know, when you're at the beach," Burke said.
Another title topping the list is "Gods of Want" by K-Ming Chang.
"Stories about queer, Asian American women's experiences are honestly still pretty rare," Burke said.
"There are so many really exciting books by other queer authors coming our right now, other queer and trans authors. So it's really exciting to be included among them," said Davey Davis, the Brooklyn-based author of "X."
Davis' novel is described as slightly noir sci-f, where marginalized people disappear.
"It's campy too, and that's like a very queer thing, where it - like, I mean - for it to be taken seriously. But there's also an element of it's sexy," Davis said.
Also beach-worthy according to Burke is "All This Could Be Different," a debut novel by Sarah Thankam Matthews, "Don't Nobody Give A ---- What Happened to Carlotta" by award-winning writer James Hannaham, and Brenda Lozano's "Witches."
"We all are obsessed with true crime right now," Burke said. "But also has a lot of beautiful themes of identity woven in."
"Enjoy Me Among My Ruins" by Juniper Fitzgerald explores complex themes in a hybrid memoir. Casey Parks' "Diary of a Misfit" is another title in this category.
"It's part memoir writing part reportage. And it's about growing up as a queer person in the American South," Burke said.
For a younger audience, there's "The Kings of B'more."
"A really sweet book about two young Black teenagers growing up in Baltimore, one of them is moving away. And they kind of have this final day to celebrate their friendship," Burke said.
A theme of celebration, for Pride, or anytime and anyone. As Burke says, a good book is something to be enjoyed by everyone.
"These are books that I think everyone would enjoy... even if they aren't, you know, within the LGBTQ community," Burke said. "But it's also really important to directly support the work of LGBTQ people. And I think this is one great way to do that."
For the full list of the recommended reads, CLICK HERE.