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Beth Sandland

LGBTQ+ Books To Add To Your Reading List This Pride

06/28/2020 · BOOKISH BLOG POSTS

June is Pride Month, and there are so many incredible books that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. From heart-warming YA reads, moving memoirs and contemporary fiction, here are a few that we think should immediately make their way onto your TBR list!



All Boys Aren’t Blue (George M. Johnson)

This is a series of personal essays by journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist, George M. Johnson. He explores his childhood, adolescence and college years. Covering topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy, this book both educates and celebrates. This story is raw, powerful, extremely honest and absolutely fascinating.

Clap When You Land (Elizabeth Acevedo)

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people. In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash. Separated by distance and secrets, the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. When it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other. This book has such a diverse ensemble of characters, it’s brilliantly written and the concept is so unique.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Taylor Jenkins Reid)

Aging and reclusive movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her life. She chooses unknown Monique Grant for the job, and regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her, Monique is determined to use this as a way to kick start her career. Evelyn shares her life story, revealing ruthless ambition, true friendships and a forbidden love, and Monique begins to connect with the actress. But as her story continues, it becomes clear that the two lives are woven together in tragic and irreversible ways. This is one of my all-time favourite books, and although it’s fiction, it touches on many real events, including the Stonewall riots.

Red, White & Royal Blue (Casey McQuiston)

What happens when the First Son of the United States falls in love with the Prince of Wales? Starting off despising each other, their relationship grows and turns into a secret love – a romance that could upend two nations. Can they find the courage and the power to be the people they are meant to be, and can they let their true colours shine through? This story is one that has appeared a lot over Instagram and on book blogs, and I can see why it’s so popular. I’ve listened to the audiobook of this, and it’s funny, entertaining and great escapism

This Is How It Always Is (Laurie Frankel)

Meet Claude. He’s five years old, the youngest of five brothers, and loves peanut butter sandwiches. He also loves wearing a dress, and dreams of being a princess. When he grows up, Claude says, he wants to be a girl.
The family wants Claude to be whoever Claude wants to be. They’re just not sure they’re ready to share that with the world. Soon the entire family is keeping Claude’s secret. Until one day it explodes.
This book is beautiful, and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. With a big, warm family at the heart of it all, This Is How It Always Is follows how the family deals with this, and their journey, and it’s wonderful to read.

Swimming in the Dark (Tomasz Jedrowski)

Set in 1980s Communist Poland, Swimming in the Dark is Jedrowski’s debut novel about a forbidden love between two men. University student Ludwik meets Janusz at a summer agricultural camp, and he is fascinated, though wary of this handsome, carefree stranger. But a chance meeting by the river soon becomes an intense, exhilarating, and all-consuming affair.

Call Me By Your Name (Andre Aciman)

Call Me by Your Name is the story of a sudden and powerful romance that blossoms between an adolescent boy and a summer guest at his parents’ cliffside mansion on the Italian Riviera. Each is unprepared for the consequences of their attraction, when, during the restless summer weeks, unrelenting currents of obsession, fascination, and desire intensify their passion and test the charged ground between them. Recklessly, the two verge toward the one thing both fear they may never truly find again: total intimacy. It is an instant classic and one of the great love stories of our time.

We Have Always Been Here (Samra Habib)

Samra Habib’s memoir is a story of faith, hope and love, and starts with her growing up as part of a threatened minority sect in Pakistan, and follows her arrival in Canada as a refugee, before escaping an arranged marriage at sixteen. When she realised she was queer, it was yet another way she felt like an outsider. So begins a journey that takes her to the far reaches of the globe to uncover a truth that was within her all along. We Have Always Been Here shows how Muslims can embrace queer sexuality, and families can embrace change.

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I am a multi-award winning blogger, photographer and writer from London. I’ve travelled to over 38 countries, lived out of a backpack for a year and love to scuba dive! This site is a destination for all things travel, lifestyle and my successful online book club.

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Have a blooming lovely weekend! I’m feeling rath Have a blooming lovely weekend! I’m feeling rather buoyed by the sunshine and hope it sticks around for a few more stupid little walks. Apparently there’s 3 Very Essential Rugby games on TV so you’ll probably find me shrivelling to a prune in the bath with a book or two...Have you got any ‘plans’? 🌾✨
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Feeling ultra Blue Peter with my very own pampas and palm installation made during a virtual class with @pampasandbloom yesterday. Going to pop it in my office! Giving me Bali vibes {ad: press event}
AD: “Alexa, bake me chocolate chip cookies”... AD: “Alexa, bake me chocolate chip cookies”...Okay so it’s not THAT clever, but my new hands-free voice assistant friend on the Amazon Echo 8 does do almost anything else I ask of it. Finding a new recipe, adding the ingredients to my shopping list, playing my audiobook whilst I cook and answering all my random trivia questions? Easy. The screen has really levelled up the experience and there are tens of thousands of things that Alexa can do, like sourcing you a recipe via BBC Good Foods. What would you use Alexa for? 🥛🍪 @amazonuk @alexa99 #AskAlexa
33 weeks ✨ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 👜 Tryi 33 weeks ✨
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👜 Trying to pack the hospital bags. I think I’ve got a pretty good list...Now how to organise it without looking like I’m checking in for a mini break?! I keep getting overwhelmed by the task and reverting to my natural state instead - lying down with a cup of tea and a creme egg.
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👩🏼‍⚕️ We saw the midwife this week and have a few extra scans and appointments over the next fortnight to ensure our diddy babe keeps growing nice and strong. I feel less stressed by it than I did last week and really can’t fault the NHS care we’re receiving 🙏🏼
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📝 I’ve got to present my birth plan to the midwife next week so that’s this weekends task. I feel very chilled about it (including plan B, C, D, E...) on account of our wonderful hypnobirthing sessions - I feel very open to and clued up on all of our options at the mo.
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🦆 It seems I’ve started to waddle whenever our stupid little daily walk lasts more than 20 minutes
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🧠 If something is missing, I’ve probably accidentally put it in the fridge...
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#33weeks #week34 #thirdtrimester
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Sending HUGS and spring vibes (blue skies, 99p daf Sending HUGS and spring vibes (blue skies, 99p daffodils and unlimited creme eggs ☀️🙏🏼) all round. Sending hugs if you’re feeling blue, sending hugs if you’re feeling hopeful. If the news is overwhelming - or disappointingly underwhelming. If your glass is feeling half full, half empty, or you can only spot a few sticky dregs lurking at the bottom. If you’re bored of your stupid little daily walk. If you’re juggling home schooling (or rather, ‘parenting at work’) and the return can’t come soon enough. If the Zoom logo haunts you in your sleep. If books and takeaways on a weeknight and new loungewear have lost their spark - if those things weren’t accessible to you in the first place. If you’re pregnant, or on maternity - this isn’t how it was ‘supposed’ to be. If you’re not, but wish you were. Sending hugs for all the lockdown birthdays, postponed weddings, struggling businesses, key workers and furlough-fatigued. Sending hugs if all you really, really want to do is ‘pop in for a cuppa’ with someone you love. There are lots of people feeling lonely within their own four walls, whatever those walls may look like. Sending a BIG hug that squeezes you tight and reminds you that however you’re feeling, it’s completely valid but you’re absolutely *not* alone. 💓🌸☕️
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The prize: Jo Malone Lime, Basil & Mandarin candle, Eat Drink Nap coffee table book and a dried floral arrangement in a glass vase.
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I think we could all do with some perking up. Fancy styling your coffee table with my favourite pieces?
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Not affiliated with Instagram or any of the featured brands. UK only postage due to combined weight of items!
AD: Monday morning and Zoom ready ☕️📝 My de AD: Monday morning and Zoom ready ☕️📝 My desire to wear make up is pretty low at the moment but I do feel undeniably more energised when I take the time to get ready in the morning. I’ve used @erborian_uk BB Cream for a good few years now; it’s based on Korean skincare and my favourite ‘no make up’ make up look. With SPF 20 (for that begrudging daily walk!), toning and anti-inflammatory properties and three shades that adapt to your skin tone, it’s the perfect #AlternativetoFoundation! Use BETH20 for 20% off at Space NK.
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Disclaimer: the first image has a preset applied that slightly alters the tones of the image. Please see the second image to see the product entirely filter free, as well as filter free videos on my stories!
16 weeks > 32 weeks. 🌱🤍
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It’s been a long and emotional week this end, including two nights on the antenatal ward. Thankfully baby and I are both completely fine but I found the voices of fear, guilt and self-blame shouting the loudest. The trauma of previous loss, which I’ve contained for quite a while now, crept up - how am I supposed to trust my body when it’s let me down before? I felt like a bad mum to a baby that hasn’t even been born yet. Seeing ‘previous losses’ scrawled on all my hospital notes made me worry they’d think I was just overly anxious or making a fuss (note: midwives are gold standard human beings and absolutely do not feel or treat you that way). But there’s another voice too, it’s just been a bit quieter this week; one that says we’re almost there. One that is a little bit in awe of what this body is doing and one that is very much wildly in love with the tiny human it’s busy growing bigger and stronger each day. 5 more weeks and then we’re ready whenever you are. 👶🏼🌈
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Note: you are never, ever overreacting, silly or a nuisance if you flag a change/reduction in baby’s movements. Please do contact your maternity unit immediately - even if it’s midnight or you only called the day before. An anterior placenta, like I have, is also definitely not a reason not to call if you’re in the slightest bit worried.
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#32weekspregnant #thirdtrimester #pregnancyafterloss
AD: Pyjamas by 7pm (okay 5...the daylight is givin AD: Pyjamas by 7pm (okay 5...the daylight is giving me away!) your end too babes? ☕️ Do yourselves a super quick favour and download the @hastensbeds Restore app right now. It’s completely free and full of music and soundscapes especially designed to bring you what you need at different moments of the day. Perhaps that’s a calm wake up, a mid-morning pick me up, something for the 4pm slump or soothing bed time tones. When do you most need a helping hand? Click the link in my bio to download it free now ✨ Soaking up all the home comforts this week 🏡
I’ll be honest, I wanted a Belfast sink for two I’ll be honest, I wanted a Belfast sink for two reasons. To fill with flowers and to bath a baby in. These gorgeous red roses were sent by a client so Boy Beth thinks he’s off the hook this weekend! 😝 Do you celebrate Valentines Day? We don’t usually but honestly any excuse at the moment...Chinese New Year takeaway tonight, Pancake day on Tuesday...
31 weeks 🤍 The thought that we could meet our b 31 weeks 🤍 The thought that we could meet our baby as soon as in 6 - or a max of 11 - weeks time is quite all consuming. I’m really starting to feel excited now!
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🧘🏼‍♀️ Hypnobirthing: we’re doing a 1-1 course with @thebloommeexperience and if I could pick just *one* single thing that has brought the most value to my pregnancy, it’s these sessions with Claire. I feel so much calmer, my husband knows exactly how to support me and it’s allowed me to carve space for my fears following loss whilst genuinely looking forward to birth with excitement.
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☕️ Antenatal: we started our antenatal classes this week. It’s a bit weird doing them over Zoom and I’m a tad sad about it because we joined for the local friends over the course content. However I’m trying to remain positive!
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🐙 Baby octopus: baby is head down where I hope they’ll stay for the remaining weeks! Despite my anterior placenta, elbows, knees, feet and fists seem to come from all angles and I find it more hilarious than I should that my whole belly shakes when baby gets hiccups.
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🐣 Nesting: I’ve got this urge to get everything done, prepped, ordered and organised...so I guess that’s nesting kicking in! The wallpaper goes up in the nursery tomorrow and I can’t wait for the wardrobe to arrive this month so I can start washing and putting away tiny clothes.
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👶🏼 Name: I think...we’ve got the one. But how do you know for sure?! It feels such a huge thing to commit to.
Last week, when it was Spring for all of 12 hours Last week, when it was Spring for all of 12 hours ☕️💐☀️
Little nose, I sit here (I no longer see my toes) Little nose, I sit here (I no longer see my toes) and I wonder, who will you be? As I count down these last weeks of just you and me 🤍
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Our keepsake baby scan embroidery was made by @hopeandharthq - because she’s all kinds of talented and brilliant, she’s also booked up. However rumour has it she’s opening slots in her order book again soon so give her a follow to be updated!
Happy birthday to my número uno 💘 A snoozy, fo Happy birthday to my número uno 💘 A snoozy, foodie lockdown birthday rounded off by a celebratory two hour zoom antenatal class (sorry...). You’re a 💎 x
(ad) Mini throwback to a 19 week bump and one of t (ad) Mini throwback to a 19 week bump and one of the loveliest days modelling for @georgeatasda’s #BareTheBump campaign. I love that they’re celebrating motherhood in all its diverse journeys and forms and was totally honoured to have been a part of this shoot. Replacing the ‘dress like a mum’s and the ‘just you wait’s and the ‘you’re not allowed to do that’s with pure positivity and celebration of the wonder that is the female body. 🤰🏻💓
My current 3 lockdown saviours: ⠀ ✨ Books. Fic My current 3 lockdown saviours:
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✨ Books. Fiction, non-fiction, audiobooks. I’m currently devouring them. The escapism is wonderful and so is the reduced screen time.
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✨ Gousto. We’ve been using it for months now! It saves us money, gives lots of variety, means we have a much better division of labour in the kitchen and as we order the ‘4-5’ people portion options, we only have to cook every other night or so as there’s always leftovers!
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✨ TLC. Online yoga, putting fresh PJs on every night, going to bed earlier. A scented eye pillow & aromatherapy spray from small business @spritzwellness is such a dream. Something as small as lying down with it (can also warm or cool it first)  for 10 mins can give you such a boost. If you don’t fall asleep for 4 hours...
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What’s keeping you going?
Got dressed in actual clothes today. Okay, took a Got dressed in actual clothes today. Okay, took a photo in actual clothes. OKAY I put stretchy jersey back on straight after and I have no ragrets. Not even a single letter. 🍦✨
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