June 7, 2026
Happy Pride
Happy Pride! This month, SBR joins the country, and indeed most of the planet, in celebrating and honoring the impact and importance that lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, transgender, and gender-nonconforming people have had on history, our culture, and our lives every day. Below are some of the just-published, or just-about-to-be-published books that indie booksellers are reading and recommending.
New Books for Pride, Recommended by Indie Booksellers
After Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal by Merlin Holland
The crackling, droll prose (inherited, perhaps) makes reading this book an utter joy. Even while my emotions rode a roller coaster of surprise, rage, and amusement.
– Kelly, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA
Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle
This book is such a fun, wacky, action-packed, cartoonishly gory thrill ride.
– Michael, Philosophers & Fools in Charleston, SC
The Summer Boy by Philippe Besson
How haunting and beautiful…This beautiful and tragic coming-of-age story will stay with me for a long time.
– Itzy, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, SC
The Body Riddle by Sam K. MacKinnon
A coming-of-age story that happens later in life. It captures the uncertainty of stepping into a new body and the panic of wondering if a decision can be right even after years of thinking it through.
– Chloe, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, NC
The Tuxedo Society by Paul Rudnick
I have recommended this book to several artsy-fartsy friends. It was interesting, lovely, and made me ache for days spent in the dark room.
– Itzy, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, SC
More Indie Bookseller Lists:
Books for Pride Recommended by Independent Bookstores
Featuring reviews of:
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John of John by Douglas Stuart, reviewed by Emily Tarr, Thank You Books in Birmingham, AL
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Body Double by Hannah Johansson, reviewed by Dominic, Book + Bottle in Saint Petersburg, FL
- Voice Like Mine by Deb Haaland, reviewed by Jan, Main Street Books in Davidson, NC
- Forgive-Me-Not by Maria Costa, reviewed by Ellie, A Novel Romance LLC in Louisville, Kentucky
- Axolotl-Ella by Kate Messer, Lian Cho (illus.) , reviewed by Erika, Righton Books in St Simons Island, GA
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, erviewed by Michelle, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, LA
- Bookseller Buzz: Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel, reviewed by Nancy, Bookmiser, Inc., Marietta, Georgia; Anderson, Page & Palette, Fairhope, Alabama; Amy, The Snail on the Wall, Huntsville, Alabama; Shan, Books on Third, Naples, Florid