By Sarah Bricker Hunt and Chris Azzopardi
It’s all too easy right now to get stuck in the grip of endless headlines and doomscrolling. If you’re feeling the weight of the world closing in, it’s time to unplug and escape into a different kind of world, perhaps one that includes fantastical forest homes — or Cher. Step away from the screen and lose yourself in one of these captivating reads that promise respite, inspiration and, at times, divine gay icon wisdom — recommendations from columnists Chris Azzopardi and Sarah Bricker Hunt.
Coming Home
by Brittney Griner
At first glance, Brittney Griner’s, “Coming Home” is primarily a harrowing account of her nine-month detention in Russia, where her identity as a gay Black athlete added layers of vulnerability to an already precarious situation — one that thrust Griner into harsh international scrutiny. The book goes well beyond the details of her 2022 arrest for carrying vape cartridges containing medical cannabis oil, however. Griner’s journey is one of redemption and hope, with a true love story at the center. The book, co-written with Michelle Burford, weaves Griner’s detention narrative with personal history, including her coming out story and her father’s initial rejection (“I ain’t raising no gay bitch!”) before their eventual reconciliation. Her relationship with wife Cherelle emerges as a source of strength throughout her ordeal, evidenced by tender details like finding comfort in touching Cherelle’s signature in a sudoku book. Now free and back playing basketball, Griner welcomed her first child with Cherelle in 2024. The book serves as both a suspenseful memoir and a warning about the risks LGBTQ+ athletes face in countries with anti-gay policies, even as lucrative overseas contracts continue to draw American players to these regions.
There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven
by Rubin Reyes, Jr
“There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven” by Ruben Reyes, Jr. marks a groundbreaking debut in speculative fiction, weaving LGBTQ+ and Latinx narratives into 12 short pieces that blur the lines between fantasy and reality. The collection includes both short and flash-fiction entries that explore queer experiences, immigration and cultural identity through a sci-fi lens (though, arguably, “sci-fi” isn’t a perfect description for the genre here). In one story, a gay son grapples with losing his homophobic father while imagining a more accepting alternate version. Another story reimagines the traditional immigration narrative, depicting Americans attempting to reach Mars while facing violent consequences if caught. Reyes, the son of two Salvadoran immigrants, tackles complex themes within the Latinx community, including internal discrimination and exploitation through stories ranging from a Latinx-owned company underpaying workers to a magical mango tree being exploited, perhaps a critical commentary on overlapping community intersectionalities. The book culminates in an interactive chapter where readers create their own immigration story. Throughout the collection, Reyes maintains a delicate balance between fantastical elements and harsh realities, making the work accessible to a broad range of readers beyond the sci-fi genre. His careful handling of queer and immigrant perspectives creates a unique contribution to both speculative and LGBTQ+ literature.
Kissing Girls on Shabbat
by Sara Glass
In her debut memoir, New York Times “Modern Love” contributor Sara Glass offers a raw and intimate memoir of growing up lesbian in Brooklyn’s strict Gur Hasidic community, where same-sex relationships are condemned and arranged heterosexual marriages are the norm.
Glass details her journey from a sheltered 19-year-old bride in an arranged marriage to her eventual emergence as an out lesbian at age 32. The memoir chronicles her secret relationship with a woman named Dassa, her complicated first marriage to Yossi and a subsequent marriage to another man — both driven by religious expectations and custody concerns for her children. The book explores the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in ultra-religious communities, where rejection of traditional marriage can mean complete ostracization. Glass describes harrowing experiences, including a traumatic childbirth delayed by religious constraints and the constant pressure to suppress her identity. While acknowledging positive aspects of her Hasidic upbringing, Glass ultimately advocates for those trapped between religious obligations and authentic sexuality. The memoir ends on a hopeful note, with Glass finally securing custody of her children and finding freedom to live openly. You’ll never read her “Modern Love” contributions the same way again.
A Boy Named Rose
by Gaelle Geniller
A gorgeously illustrated graphic novel nominated for a 2024 Eisner Award, A Boy Named Rose, focuses its tender narrative on 19-year-old Rose, a rising stage performer at the famed Parisian theater Le Jardin. Rose begins exploring feminine presentation while pursuing dance under the guidance of three mentors known as The Flowers. Set against the backdrop of Paris’s nightlife, the narrative blends themes of artistic expression, gender exploration and found family.
Geniller’s artwork captures both the glittering allure of cabaret life and intimate moments of personal transformation. The acclaimed work, translated from French by Fabrice Sapolsky, stands out for its celebratory approach to gender nonconformity and its portrayal of a supportive queer community within Le Jardin’s walls. While addressing serious themes of identity and social acceptance, the story maintains an uplifting tone, offering a refreshing perspective on LGBTQ+ narratives through its distinctly European sensibility — plus, it’s just so pretty.
Gay Girl Prayers
by Emily Austin
Emily Austin, already established through her debut novel “Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead,” makes a striking poetic entrance with “Gay Girl Prayers,” a collection that reimagines Catholic doctrine through a queer lens. Literally, Austin rewrites Bible passages in a way that reflects her lived experience growing up gay in a traditionally religious culture.
The work carefully reconstructs religious teachings to embrace LGBTQ+ experiences rather than reject faith entirely. Austin amplifies the voices of female figures who have been historically silenced by patriarchal interpretations, while simultaneously celebrating queer identity as sacred rather than sinful. The collection serves as a bridge between religious upbringing and queer identity, offering a path to reconciliation for those who have felt excluded from traditional religious spaces. Through her verses, Austin creates an inclusive vision of spirituality that maintains reverence while challenging conventional interpretations of scripture. Rather than dismantling religious tradition, she rebuilds it into a more welcoming structure that honors both faith and queer experience, demonstrating how ancient texts can be reinterpreted to embrace rather than exclude.