Happy Pride!
There are stacks of wonderful books that I could recommend you to read this month, but here are five of my favourites. This list has a little bit of everything, including joyous celebrations of queerness, the rejection of gender roles, and some of the best prose I’ve ever read. Whether you’re a long-time lover of queer literature, or you’re just starting to get curious about queer books, I think there will be something on this list for you. If you’d like more reading recommendations from me, head over to my website https://www.chloemichellehowarth.com/ and sign up to the newsletter.
Lots of love,
CMH xx
Now You See Me, edited by Jane Traies
One of the most beautiful non-fiction books I’ve ever read. This collection of biographies comes from conversations and interviews that Traies had with older lesbians. The secrecy, confusion, and joy is told so honestly in each chapter. Some heartbreaking, some uplifting, and some very funny stories. Really recommend this for those interested in queer history, and those who want to feel connected to queer elders.
Dogs of Summer by Andrea Abreu, translated by Julia Sanches
The maddest book I’ve read in ages. A story of two best friends on the brink of adolescence, who love and hate each other in equal measure. Violent, visceral, and shocking language that is so refreshing to read from a female protagonist. Perfectly disgusting, absorbing prose that I didn’t want to end. I think fans of Max Porter will enjoy this.
A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle
A celebration of queerness! Though marked by difficulties, discrimination, and grief, this book is so full of joy. I was so struck by the prose on the first page, and felt the love that Hardcastle had for their characters all the way through. A perfect novel for those who love stories about found families and community.
Palm Meridian by Grace Flahive
A novel about soulmates, lost love, and life in a lesbian retirement home in the year 2067. Such a great premise, the descriptions of the retirement home were so clever and funny. This was much more emotional than I initially expected, but in the best way. Definitely recommend this one to bring on holiday this summer.
Boulder by Eva Baltasar, translated by Julia Sanches
I love an embittered woman protagonist. Boulder is a wonderfully written novella about a woman who actively rejects what is expected of her as a woman, and yet ends up as a wife and mother with a mortgage. A sharp exploration of how far one character is willing to go, and how much of herself she is willing to leave behind, for the woman that she loves. This story really didn’t go where I was expecting it to! Second translation on this list by Julia Sanches, I’m a magnet to any book Sanches translates.
Chloe Michelle Howarth’s debut novel and sapphic sensation Sunburn can be found here. You can also pre-order her next book Heap Earth Upon It, a gothic tale of sibling rivalry and obsession, here.