Pride Month is underway, but between Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and "Challengers," queer moments in pop culture in 2024 are just getting started. And if you're looking for a book to match the heat of the summer, look no further.
Who else better to ask than Steven Rowley, author of June 2023 Read With Jenna pick "The Celebrants," and Byron Lane, author of "Big Gay Wedding"? The novelists and husbands, who became engaged through the acknowledgements of Rowley's book, picked their top books to celebrate Pride this summer.
"The books on this list pay homage to the diverse experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, ranging from a thrilling mystery, touching romances, and inspiring memoirs," Rowley and Lane tell TODAY.com. "They celebrate both personal journeys and the broader quest for love, happiness and acceptance."
Keep reading for the top six choices for Pride Month and beyond.
"Hall of Mirrors" by John Copenhaver
Judy Nightingale and Philippa Watson, the familiar heroines from Copenhaver’s first book of this trilogy, "The Savage Kind," are now on the hunt for Adrian Bogdan, a serial killer protected by powerful government entities.
And when Roger Raymond, a popular mystery novelist, dies in a fire, his lover and writing partner Lionel Cane refuses to believe it was a suicide.
"As the two parties’ goals intertwine, past and present crimes collide," Rowley and Lane said. "Set in 1950s McCarthy-era Washington, DC, Hall of Mirrors is a gripping mystery with secrets, danger, and a race to uncover the truth."
"The Male Gazed" by Manuel Betancour
In this memoir, Manuel Betancourt writes about the social pressure to appear strong, manly and straight while growing up in Bogotá, Colombia, and crafts a set of essays that explore masculinity.
"Through personal anecdotes and cultural criticism, Betancourt reflects on his desires shaped by pop culture icons, from telenovela stars to Disney princes, dissecting the fragility and eroticism of masculinity," Rowley and Lane said. "This book demonstrates that to gaze at men remains a subversive act, providing readers with unique insight into intimacy and the struggles of internalizing toxic masculine ideals as a gay man."
"The Bump" by Sidney Karger
Wyatt Wallace and Biz Petterelli couldn't be more opposite — Wyatt is a pragmatic director, and Biz is a spontaneous writer. But opposites do attract, and the pair are in a fully committed relationship.
And when the couple's due date for their baby together through surrogacy looms, tensions and doubts are running high. So instead of going on their planned babymoon trip to California, the pair embark on a cross-country road trip.
"Through an impromptu baby shower, unexpected detours, and confronting old wounds, 'The Bump' explores the highs and lows of impending fatherhood," Rowley and Lane said.
"The Lookback Window: A Novel" by Kyle Dillon Hertz
"Dylan, a survivor of three years of sex trafficking, grapples with his past while navigating his present life with his fiancé, Moans," Rowley and Lane said. "Nothing was done to give Dylan justice after the trafficking, but when a groundbreaking new law offers him a chance to seek retribution against his abusers, he must confront his past head-on."
Rowley and Lane added that "The Lookback Window" highlights the resilience of many in the queer community who have been able to find healing and radical self-acceptance after abuse and loss.
"We Could Be Heroes" by Philip Ellis
"We Could Be Heroes" is a classic friends to lovers tale, with a superhero twist. Patrick is an aspiring actor betting that his latest superhero movie will launch his career, and Will is a secondhand bookseller and part-time drag queen. The pair spark a friendship after a serendipitous meeting, and as their friendship blooms, so does the possibility of love, Rowley and Lane said.
"Will Patrick be the hero Will has longed for, or is it Will who holds the key to saving Patrick? 'We Could be Heroes' is a touching celebration of queer joy and a romance that reminds readers that not all heroes wear capes, some wear high heels and a wig," the pair added.
"Leg" by Greg Marshall
Rowley and Lane describe Greg Marshall's memoir, “Leg,” about his life as a gay man living with cerebral palsy as a “tribute to resilience and authenticity."
"If you were to witness Greg’s life through VHS tapes, you’d see a whirlwind of tales and tender moments," Rowley and Lane said. "From a limping teenager wondering why he’s crushing on half of the Utah Jazz to realizing he’s in not one but two closets — as a gay man and as a man living with a disability."
The book celebrates those living with disabilities, especially in the queer community, Rowley and Lane add.
