I’d love to write an “love is love” intro, and move briskly onto the books, but let’s be honest: we’re not living in kind, gentle, easy times. Recent headlines—at home and abroad—remind us that progress is neither permanent nor evenly shared. Rainbows are being welded onto company logos everywhere, but solidarity only matters if it means something.
So, this year’s recommended reading isn’t just a parade of queer joy (though there’s plenty of that, too). It’s a nod to writers pushing back—sometimes quietly, sometimes with both feet and a loud voice—against the idea that our stories are optional or up for debate. There’s more to LGBTQ+ fiction than coming-out drama or sassy sidekicks. These books are for anyone who knows that Pride is, at its heart, about claiming the space to be complicated, messy, and gloriously yourself—even when it isn’t easy.
Read these stories, share them, and—if you can—buy them. In 2025, it’s about more than waving a flag or changing a profile picture for a month. It’s about making room for all of us, and making sure nobody gets pushed out of the story.
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis
Here’s a book that goes straight to the heart of why Pride reading lists exist. Younis dives headlong into the clash between personal faith and public identity—no safe ground, no performative gestures, just the real work of figuring out who you are, what you believe, and how to live honestly when both community and self-doubt threaten to crowd you out. There are no pat answers—just sharp, funny, beautifully human writing. I’m jealous.
Green Dot by Madeleine Gray
This one came to me by way of my (award-winning) local bookshop, and it’s spot-on. Hera, a young queer woman, is knee-deep in the admin trenches of a Cardiff university—her life a steady pulse of email notifications and Tinder swipes. Then Arthur, an older, married academic, turns her sense of self upside-down. What stands out here is how Hera’s queerness runs through every corner of her life—her friendships, her boredom, her awkward missteps—without being turned into a headline.
Stag Dance by Torrey Peters
If you loved ‘Detransition, Baby’, you’ll want to grab this. Peters’s genre-defying collection is sharp and layered, filled with stories about trans identity, intimacy, and the wildness of wanting. It’s smart, subversive, and never preaches—just shows you the mess and beauty of figuring yourself out.
Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez
If you’re after a raw, uncompromising portrayal of being “other” in modern Britain, this is the book. Mendez tells the story of Jesse McCarthy, a young Black gay man navigating exile, faith, and re-invention. The writing is unsparing but deeply compassionate. It got under my skin and stayed there—essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what it means to dare to belong.
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
Casey McQuiston has become a byword for queer romcoms where the characters get to be messy, flawed, and fabulous. In The Pairing, two bisexual exes end up on the same holiday and, naturally, challenge each other to a hook-up contest. Why not? This is a love story, a battle cry, and a sharply observed study of friendship and second chances—joyful, witty, and so much fun.
Mo Fanning is a novelist and freelance communications consultant. His latest novel, Rainbows and Lollipops, is a tender, darkly funny story about grief, found family, and learning to live again. He writes character-led LGBTQ+ fiction with heart, humour, and honesty.
