The Texas Book Festival is reading with pride to recognize LGBTQ+ lived experiences reflected and championed in the pages of great storytelling. Below is a list of our recommended pride reads to celebrate LGBTQ+ authors, literature, and culture! Tag us on social media at @texasbookfest and #readwithpride to let us know what you are reading for pride month.
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
I guess 1985 was a long time ago, making Jeanette Winterson’s debut novel Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit a classic. Winterson’s writing contains so much craft and beautiful imagery, while still being about the lives of real people. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a coming-of-age story about a young girl torn between religion and her own sexuality, told with humor and sadness. — Claire Burrows, Deputy Director
The Work Wife by Alison B. Hart (Preorder now)
I’m a sucker for stories about navigating the glitz, glamour, and sometimes glib Hollywood life. Even more so, I’m quite fond of stories about the folks behind-the-scenes who are just trying to get by while creating paths for the stars to shine. A job is a job – even while working in Tinsletown. I am looking forward to reading Alison B. Hart’s The Work Wife, a tale of a personal assistant walking the tightrope of life working for a movie mogul and his family. What would you do to get the job done? — Ke’ara Hunt, Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Chase Berggrun’s R E D is a book-length erasure of Bram Stoker’s Dracula which creates a new narrative of gender transition and selfhood. More than clever and thoughtful, the chapters of R E D drip of hurt and want, particularly in lines like “A detail in a pool of blood / the body gathered in an awkward kink / I dress myself in easy anything.” — Gavin Quinn, Programs and Financial Coordinator
Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote
Truman Capote’s first novel is a dreamy coming-of-age story set in a decaying Mississippi mansion. As always, Capote writes with great tenderness, and while the book isn’t actually an autobiography, the characters and themes of his life percolate in this early work. You can see a foreshadowing of the brilliant, humorous, and tragic legend he would ultimately become. — Susannah Auby, Development Manager
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
Leah Johnson’s debut novel tells the story of high school senior, Liz Lighty, and her unexpected quest to become prom queen, a very big deal in her prom-obsessed Indiana town. Liz doesn’t fit in but, despite her intense social anxiety, agrees to participate in the contest in hopes that the prize money will get her one step closer to attending her dream college and living the life she’d always dreamed about. Once Mack, the new girl in town and fellow prom queen contestant, enters the scene, the rom-com vibes begin. This book was such a joy to read and Liz Lighty might just be my favorite YA character of all time. — Michelle Hernandez, School and Community Programs Coordinator
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
I am not a graphic novel expert with a Ph.D. in the topic like our own Claire Burrows, but I really enjoyed Bechdel’s coming-of-age memoir in which Bechdel traces her journey to self-awareness that she is gay as well as her complex relationship with her closeted gay father. Poignantly told with humor and honesty, Bechdel details the perspective of a child coming into the knowledge of herself, her family, and the world. The musical was great also, which I took my then-14-year-old son to when the show came through town and we both loved it. — Lois Kim, Executive Director
Heartfelt and funny, this fictional—and Pulitzer Prize-winning— portrait of a midlife author balancing a career and revisiting his past was one of my favorites of 2017. Read it before the next book in the series—Less Is Lost—releases this fall. — Matt Patin, Literary Director
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
David Sedaris never fails to impress, and though I’m only halfway through this essay collection, I can easily say this is the most I’ve laughed at reading a book in a long time. Sedaris approaches blunders in life with eager eyes and a pen in his hand, ready to turn any embarrassment or tragedy into stand-up comedy. That being said, the essays are not without merit, and while you may laugh your way through them, you’ll also inevitably feel some sort of truth about the human experience that lingers on your mind for weeks following their conclusion. — Olivia Hesse, Event Production and Logistics Coordinator