🏳️‍🌈 Pride Flag Book Tag 🏳️‍🌈

Happy Pride Month!!

I waited a full year to do this tag after seeing it on May’s blog.

I’d hoped to have read thousands more LGBTQIA+ books by now.

Oh well. I have plenty waiting in the wings.

May added black/brown to this tag last year for inclusivity.

I added some additional colors this year.

Let the celebrations commence.

 

red (life)

a book with a spirited protagonist totally proud of who they are. someone who gives you LIFE!

In Once and Future, Ari accepts her destiny.

I got mad Avatar: The Last Airbender vibes from her relationship with past Arthurs.

She is legion and powerful and ready to save the world from consumerism.

 

orange (healing)

a book that made you, as the reader, find a deeper meaning or catharsis in your own life

Excellent. More reasons to discuss How to Be Alone.

I’ve operated under the false belief that I am broken and solely responsible for every one of my failed relationships.

Lane’s descriptions of anxiety, down to her anxious/ambivalent attachment style, helped me realize that IT’S NOT JUST ME.

I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO FEELS THIS WAY.

Lane writes about a relationship with a sociopath who kept changing the rules of intimacy.

That essay hit many familiar emotional beats for me.

By the end, Lane realized that this relationship COULDN’T have worked – the other person WANTED HER TO FAIL.

What a relief – it’s not our fault when others choose to treat us poorly.

 

yellow (sunshine)

a book that fills you with so much joy it could brighten even your darkest day

Let’s Talk About Love. Full stop.

This book gave me ALL OF THE HOPES and explored an allo-ace romance in helpful detail.

I LOVE THIS BOOK.

 

green (nature)

a book that is set out of this world – a reality different from our own

(Hey – did y’all know that All Out is not, in fact, queer speculative fiction?

It is, instead, an anthology of queer historical fiction?)

Yeah…I had no idea.)

The worldbuilding in Girls of Paper and Fire is quite wonderful.

I really enjoyed the magic system.

I think the climax introduced bird people?

All right.

 

blue (peace)

a book where one of the characters finds peace with a difficult truth

I loved Far From Xanadu (later titled Pretend You Love Me.)

Mike has to make sense of cute (straight) classmate Xanadu’s mixed messages.

By the end, she accepts that Xanadu will never give her what she wants.

It…sucks.

Occasional reciprocation is so much worse than flat-out rejection. (Refer back to How To Be Alone)

I’ve wasted a lot of time trying to convince people to pay attention to me.

No, thanks. Not anymore.

 

purple (spirit)

a book that deals with LGBTQIA+ themes and religion

Oh, Georgia Peaches.

More queer religious protagonists, please.

Also…GUESS WHOSE PREORDERED COPY JUST CAME IN THE MAIL!?!?!?

The story is moving along at a fast clip and I am SO HAPPY that it’s (so far) living up to expectations.

Who is the culprit? A Reg Wiccan? A powerful Caster? A rogue Elemental? I think I know who it is, but WE SHALL SEE.

 

black/brown (inclusivity)

a book where one of the characters is a queer character of color / queer indigenous character

Ooh! Ooh! I know a book with a queer Asian protagonist!

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me is really, really good.

It’s the fastest read of all time! Just try it!

Runner-up: The titular protagonist of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is Cuban. (Additionally, the reporter character is biracial.)

I guarantee you will like this book in spite of yourself.

 

light blue/white/pink (trans rights)

a book featuring a trans, non-binary, or genderfluid character

The Prince and the Dressmaker runs on genderplay. It’s VERY sweet.

Once and Future features multiple genderfluid characters, Lamarack chief among them.

What We Left Behind concerns a character figuring out their gender identity at college while floundering in a long-distance relationship.

My FAVORITE genderqueer YA character is Charlie from Girl Made of Stars.

Charlie is solid. More power to Charlie.

 

gray/black/white/purple (ace rep)

a book featuring a character on the asexual spectrum

I’VE ALREADY MENTIONED LET’S TALK ABOUT LOVE, BUT IT DESERVES ANOTHER MENTION.

We have my VERY favorite The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. Ace Felicity is a hero to all.

(I guess Every Heart a Doorway has an ace protagonist, but I haven’t read it yet. I HAVE ALL MONTH. I’LL GET TO IT.)

Some good news: asexual characters tend to be more prevalent in fantasy lit. Have at it, fantasy fans!

 

There are tons more books out there and tons of rep to be found, cultivated, and encouraged.

This list is just to get you started.

Read away! Have fun!

HAPPY PRIDE!!!