Pride in Publishing: How Queer Stories Shape Readers

Happy Pride 🌈💖! In this episode of Book Lounge by Libby, we’re celebrating LGBTQ+ voices and the power of queer storytelling.  In the first half of the show, Joe sits down for heartfelt, honest conversations with authors Andrew Joseph White, Juno Dawson, Susie Dumond, and Emily Austin. Each shares their unique experience as a queer writer—what inspires them, the challenges they face, and the joy of connecting with readers who see themselves in their stories.  Then, our guest hosts Carmen, Cece, Jananie, Kayla, and Meara return to the lounge with a list of incredible Pride Month reads to add to your TBR—this year and every year.  Want to watch the video version of our show? Watch now on the Libby App YouTube channel!    Time Stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:16 Intro 00:07:56 Juno Dawson & Susie Dumond 00:53:10 Andrew Joseph White 01:27:56 Emily Austin 01:51:19 Midroll Break - Plot Threads 01:52:36 Book Recommendations 02:55:36 Outro Guest Host Recommendations:   Carmen's Picks:  Blackouts - Justin Torres  The Sunbearer Trials - Aiden Thomas  These Vengeful Gods – Gabe Cole Novoa  Bad Girls – Camila Sosa Villada  Cece’s Picks:   Juliet Takes a Breath - Gabby Rivera  Love & Other Disasters - Anita Kelly  Hell Followed With Us – Andrew Joseph White  Jananie’s Picks:  Fundamentally – Nussaibah Younis  The Legend of Meneka – Kritka H. Rao  Marriage of a Thousand Lies – SJ Sindu  Kayla’s Picks:   Felix Ever After- Kacen Callender  Monstrilio- Gerardo Sámano Córdova  It Came from the Closet – ed. Joe Vallese  Meara’s Picks:  This Princess Kills Monsters - Ry Herman  The Space Between Worlds - Micaiah Johnson  That Inevitable Victorian Thing - E.K. Johnston  Joe’s Picks:  Messy Roots – Laura Gao  Bath Haus – PJ Vernon  Hombrecito – Santiago Jose Sanchez  Follow the Guests & Guest Hosts:  Segment 1:  Part 1:  Juno Dawson - ⁠Instagram⁠  Susie Dumond - ⁠Website⁠  Part 2:  Andrew Joseph White - Website  Part 3:   Emily Austin - Website  Segment 2:   Carmen - @tomesandtextiles Linktree   Cece -  @ceceewing_ Linktree  Jananie K. Velu – @thisstoryaintover Website   Kayla - @booksandlala Linktree   Meara -  @mearaisreading Links  Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode in Libby. Library friends can add these titles to their digital collections for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. Check out our Cumulative List for the whole season, or this list for today’s episode!    Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog!  We hope you enjoy this episode of Book Lounge by Libby. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can watch the video version of our show on the Libby App YouTube channel. Keep up with us on social media by following the Libby App on Instagram!   Want to reach out? Send an email to [e-mail]. Want some cool bookish swag? Check out our merch store at: https://plotthreadsshop.com/!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices