Welcome to In Reading Color, a space where we focus on literature by and about people of color.
It’s officially Pride Month, so naturally I have more queer authors to share! I was speaking to Tirzah Price during a podcast recording about how I love that, compared to other heritage months, Pride is inherently joyous. The other heritage months can be, too, of course, but I think Pride has done an excellent job of centering joy in its celebrations more overtly. I’ve also noticed a push to do so with other heritage months within the past few months, which I love to see.
With that said, there is still the struggle to it. Queer people have been persecuted in this country forever, and continue to face discrimination in terms of employment, housing, and other avenues of daily life. These things get worse if someone is queer and BIPOC. Recently, the attacks on things like drag story hour and the book bans targeting queer stories have pointed at a renewed targeting of queer people that can only get worse if it’s not confronted.
If you’re able, here are a couple organizations to get involved with:
- Marsha P. Johnson Institute
- Okra Project
- Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP)
- Baltimore Safe Haven
I hope everyone has a safe Pride!
And, if you’re looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, and more drawn from our collective experience as power readers, booksellers, and bookish professionals, subscribe to The Deep Dive, a biweekly newsletter to inform and inspire readers. Your first read (The Power Reader’s Guide to Reading Logs & Trackers) is on the house. Check out all the details and choose your membership level at bookriot.substack.com.
Bookish Goods
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin Book Cover Print by CulturePackage
I love this minimalist print of an early release of Giovanni’s Room. $11+
New Releases
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
Cosby hits us with another banger of a Southern noir novel with All the Sinners Bleed. Titus Crowne is busy. He’s the first Black sheriff in Charon County, VA and his work is cut out for him. As he contends with everyday Virginia sheriff tasks (like guarding Confederate pride marches?!), a tragedy happens. A popular teacher in town is killed and before Titus can talk down the suspected student and get him to surrender, he’s shot by police. Soon enough, Titus finds out that the student — and other Black kids — had been abused by the teacher. The investigation also reveals dead bodies and secrets that point to a serial killer. Roxane Gay said it’s, “An excellent, gritty novel about how eventually, all sins must be reckoned with, one way or another.”
Happy Stories, Mostly by Norman Erikson Pasaribu, translated by Tiffany Tsao
In 12 dark and speculative stories, queer Indonesian writer Pasaribu uses Batak and Christian trappings to answer the question of how it feels to be almost happy. The characters in Happy Stories, Mostly are just at the cusp of joy, but never able to fully grasp it. Heaven has a department dedicated to archiving the prayers that go unanswered. A mother travels to Vietnam seeking closure for her son’s suicide. Each of these stories examines the consequences of colonialism, homophobia, and the insistence on heteronormativity.
More New Releases
Innards: Stories by Magogodi oaMphela Makhene (Short Stories, Historical, Contemporary)
Northranger by Rey Terciero, illustrated by Bre Indigo (YA, Queer Romance, Graphic Novel)
Pedro & Daniel by Federico Erebia, illustrated by Julie Kwon (YA, Queer)
Saint Juniper’s Folly by Alex Crespo (YA, Queer, Fantasy)
The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar (YA, Queer Foodie Romcom)
The Secret Summer Promise by Keah Brown (YA Queer Romance, Disability Rep.)
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim
This queer romance has a dual timeline, which travels back and forth between now and high school for Quito Cruz. Before becoming the New York City composer and piano player he is now, Quito was a gifted high schooler who got bullied for being gay. Once he joined his father’s choir class, he realized his talent for music and began giving popular jock Emmett Aoki singing lessons. The boys became friends and then secretly more, but this intimacy wasn’t carried over into adulthood. In the present day, Quito’s father has announced his retirement and expects Quito to get Emmett — who is now an action movie star — to perform at a fundraising concert. We follow along as the two slowly restart their romance, and as Quito experiences some self-discovery.
And Then He Sang a Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu
Roxane Gay, who is fairly active on Goodreads, is one of the few people whose book recs I will follow to the ends of the earth, and And Then He Sang a Lullaby is the first release from her imprint. Ani Kayode Somtochukwu is a Nigerian queer activist, and with this debut, explores the lives of queer men in a deeply homophobic country. When track star August leaves home to go to college, he seems to be doing pretty well initially. His grades are decent, he’s making friends, and there’s a girl that might become his girlfriend. But his thoughts constantly go to Segun, an openly gay student who works nearby. As the two become closer, Segun wants more than ever to be loved openly, while August’s true self remains guarded and hidden from the violence that surrounds them.
Thanks for reading; it’s been cute! If you want to reach out and connect, email me at erica@riotnewmedia.com or tweet at me @erica_eze_. You can find me on the Hey YA podcast with the fab Tirzah Price, as well as in the In The Club newsletter.
Until next time,
Erica