Leah Johnson, the author of (Aug ’20 YA Pick) and Rise To The Sun, shares five of her favorite books to read during Pride Month and beyond that should be on your summer reading list.

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

Kalynn’s debut, Cinderella is Dead was one of my absolute favorite reads of 2020, and this time she’s back with a sophomore fantasy about familial legacies, dark forces, and Black girls wielding great power that absolutely does not disappoint.

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus

This book is as heartbreaking as it is healing. A beautiful, lyrical portrait of queer Black girls finding love, even when it seems impossible.

The Girl and the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

I devoured this sweet love story in one sitting. A pitch-perfect graphic novel about friendship, first love, and learning to all of the parts of yourself that you’ve been afraid of.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Malinda Lo was, for so many of us who write and read books about queer girlhood, the first introduction we had to seeing ourselves reflected on the page. Her latest book continues that legacy with this startlingly beautiful historical coming-of-age.

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen

Not sure I’ll ever stop raving about this book. Funny characters, spot-on dialogue, and all of the enemies-to-lovers rom-com goodness you could ask for.