Celebrate Pride 🏳️🌈 & Juneteenth 📚
Book recommendations for our collective liberation
Silent Book Club believes everyone deserves a welcoming space to connect through books, and our incredible queer chapters are shining examples of this mission in action. From Seattle to Chicago, Salem to Denton, these communities are more than just book clubs; they're vital havens of affirmation, connection, and joy. Join us as we shine a spotlight on how these inspiring organizers are creating inclusive spaces where every reader can truly belong.
In honor of Pride month and Juneteenth, we’ve curated a Collective Liberation Bookshelf on Bookshop.org stacked with voices that resist, reimagine, and rise. The books in this collection celebrate queer joy, Black brilliance, resistance, and the kind of freedom that lives in both protest and poetry. Many thanks to the community members who suggested titles to include!
Books we loved this month
Atmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins Reid - I devoured Taylor Jenkins Reid's latest novel. It's a thrilling, emotionally charged journey about Joan, a brilliant astrophysicist finding her voice and passion. It explores unexpected love and self-discovery, and portrays the groundbreaking ambition of women at NASA in the 1980s. —Guinevere
Come Alive!: The Spirited Art of Sister Corita, by Julie Ault et al - I recently finished this study of Corita Kent, who spent the 1960s “battling the political and religious establishments, revolutionizing graphic design and making some of the most striking—and joyful—American art of her era, all while living and practicing as a Catholic nun.” —Laura
The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon - An epic fantasy that delivers on scale and substance. Shannon builds a detailed world filled with political tension, complex characters, and a slow-burning plot that’s worth the investment. It’s a powerful story with queerness at its core, and a great read for anyone craving depth and imagination without the fluff. Loved it! —Jazmyn
In this action-packed eco-thriller, the bonds of family—and the power to save Earth—are put to the test. Order your copy today!
Bookmarks
Book-related links and other good stuff online
The Best Queer Nonfiction Since 2000, According to Kirkus Book Riot
Fired Librarian of Congress speaks out The Guardian
Diabolus Ex Machina Everything Is A Wave
100 Years of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture NYPL
Why Green Apple Books in the Richmond has survived nearly 60 years Mission Local
Margo Jefferson, The Art of Criticism No. 6 The Paris Review
What happened to the bestselling young white man? Vox
Pride Month NYPL
Jason Reynolds' favorite thing is being alone NPR
Storytelling for Advocacy ALA (webinar sign-up)
Facebook banned Rebecca Solnit for writing about LA protests San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
The Subversive Joy of BookTok New York Times
Judge denies American Library Association’s request to halt Trump’s dismantling of Institute of Museum and Library Services AP News
SBC in the news
Want to Read More This Year? Try a Silent Book Club RealSimple
5 Things Making Me Happy (Silent Book Club is #4) Gretchen Rubin
Grab a drink at a silent book club speakeasy with Detroit bookstore Alcott's Attic USA Today
Silent Book Club to offer summer escape for adult readers Laredo Morning Times
Modderfontein Silent Book Club launches Youth Month book drive Citizen.co
The Silent Book Club is a dream come true for introverts who love reading Yay Cork
Still lesen mit fremden (Silent reading with strangers) Bücher lesen mit Lucia (Reading books with Lucia)
SLO's Silent Book Club—not so silent—offers a safe and inclusive space for reading enthusiasts New Times SLO
Reigniting love for reading The Star
Craving More Books This Year? Discover the Silent Book Club Soy Carmin
Book time and blossom time Frontiersman
The Quiet Strength: Building Community and connection as an Introvert Conversations and Connections to Amplify and Inspire (podcast)
De San Francisco à Paris, le succès grandissant des clubs de lecture... silencieux Le Figaro (paywall)
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