18 Canadian books to read for Pride Month

June is Pride Month. Celebrateby checking out theseCanadian books.

Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead

JonnyAppleseedis a novel about a two-spirit Indigiqueer young manwho has left the reserve and becomes a cybersex worker in the big city to make ends meet. But hemust reckon with his past when he returns home to attend his stepfather's funeral.

Jonny AppleseedwonCanada Reads2021, when it waschampioned by actor Devery Jacobs.

It was onthe longlist for the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prizeand the shortlist for the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction and was afinalist for theAmazon Canada First Novel Award.

• Why Joshua Whitehead wroteJonny Appleseed

Joshua Whitehead is a two-spirit, Oji-nhiyaw member of Peguis First Nation, currently pursuing his PhD. He is also the author of the poetry collectionfull-metalindigiqueerand is the editor of the anthologyLove afterthe End.JonnyAppleseedis his first novel.

The Next Chapter13:46Francesca Ekwuyasi on Butter Honey Pig Bread

Francesca Ekwuyasi on her Canada Reads 2021 book, Butter Honey Pig Bread

Butter Honey Pig Breadby Francesca Ekwuyasi

Butter Honey Pig Breadis a novel about twin sistersKehinde and Taiye, and their mother, Kambirinachi. Kambirinachi believes she was a spirit who was supposed to die as a small child. By staying alive, she is cursing her family a fear that appears to come true when Kehinde experiences something that tears the family apart, and divides the twins for years. But when the three women connect years later, they must confront their past and find forgiveness.

Butter Honey Pig Breadwas championed by Roger Mooking onCanada Reads2021.

• Francesca Ekwuyasi explored food and forgiveness in her first book

Francesca Ekwuyasiis a writer, filmmaker and visual artist. Her writing has appeared in the Malahat Review, Guts and Brittle Paper, and she waslonglisted for the 2019 Journey Prize.Butter Honey Pig Breadis her first book. She currently lives in Halifax.

The Sunday Magazine14:06Writer Billy-Ray Belcourt on why love and joy can be acts of rebellion for Indigenous people

Ahead of Tuesday's results for the Governor General's Literary Awards, Billy-Ray Belcourt joins Piya Chattopadhyay to discuss his memoir A History of My Brief Body which has been nominated for a non-fiction award and how love and joy can be liberating practices for Indigenous people.

Tales from the Bottom of My Soleby David Kingston Yeh

Tales from the Bottom of My Soleis a sequel to David Kingston Yeh's debut novelA Boy at the Edge of the World.This time, protagonist, formerhockey playerDaniel Garneau,is dealing with the sudden return of his long-lost sibling, whois now a trans man named Luke. At the same time, his exMarcus is planning the premiere of his one-man show which could further throw a wrench into his new relationship.

• Why David Kingston Yeh's debut novel, A Boy at the Edge of the World, explores 'sex, love and intimacy'

Yehis aToronto-based writerand LGBTQcounsellor. He is also the author of the novelA Boy at the Edge of the World.

A History of My Brief Bodyby Billy-Ray Belcourt

Billy-Ray Belcourtwas the youngest-everwinner of the Griffin Poetry Prize. He was also the first First NationsRhodes scholar from Canada. But he was once a young boy, growing up inDriftpileCree Nation in Alberta.A History of My Brief Bodytells his story: how his family was impacted by colonialism and intergenerational trauma, yet still hold joy and love in their hearts and lives; how he came into his queer identity; how writingbecame both a place of comfort and solace and a weapon for a young man trying to figure out his place in the world.

• Why Billy-Ray Belcourtfelt more empowered after winning the Griffin Prize

Belcourtis a poet, writer and academic from DriftpileCree Nation in northern Alberta. He is a Rhodes Scholar andearned his PhD in English at the University of Alberta. His debut collection of poetry,This Wound is a World,won the 2018 Griffin Poetry Prize. He is also the author of the poetry collectionNDN Coping Mechanisms.

Chosen Family43:19S3 E7: Not your typical parent with andrea bennett

Mothers day has Thomas a little triggered as he talks to Tranna about the complex relationship he shares with his mom. Its the perfect opportunity for these two to talk to award-winning writer, andrea bennett, whose brilliant collection of essays, Like a Boy but Not a Boy, examines and redefines parenthood from a non-binary perspective. Also on the show is the delightfully fabulous Richie Shazam, co-host of the new OutTV series, Shine True, a makeover that centres trans and non-binary folkswho doesnt love a good a glow up?

Like a Boy but Not a Boyby andrea bennett

Like a Boy but Not a Boyis a collection of essays by non-binary poet and writer andrea bennett as they explore parenthood, gender, mental illness, creativity, mortality and identity and how it all interconnects.Like a Boy but Not a Boyis about forging your own path and accepting yourself, and finding family, love and faith on your own terms.

bennettis an editor, journalist and poet from Montreal. Their work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, the Walrus and Reader's Digest.Like a Boy but Not a Boyis their first book.

The Next Chapter2:20Bahar Orang on Where Things Touch

Physician Bahar Orang talks about writing her debut essay collection Where Things Touch while in medical school.

Where Things Touchby BaharOrang

Bahar Orang is a physician-in-training. She's also a poet. InWhere Things Touch,Orang tries to find the beauty in her clinical encounters andredefines and reimagines what beauty is and how it's defined. She explores intimacy, queerness, love, memory and asks what makes beautyfrom physical attributes to human connection.

• Bahar Orang'sWhere Things Touchis a thoughtful exploration of beauty in a fast-paced world

Orang is a writer and physician-in-training. Her writing has appeared in Arts Medica, Hamilton Arts & Letters and Guts.Where Things Touchis her first book.

Chosen Family45:01S3 E1: Star Power with Jessica Lanyadoo

Thomas and Tranna kick off an all-new season in a world that feels turned upside down. Who better to turn to for advice on navigating these difficult days than superstar astrologer, Jessica Lanyadoo, who takes Chosen Family into the stratosphere with a deep dive on all things astrology. Plus T and T share their current obsessions: Kama La Mackerels debut poetry collection, Zom-Fam, and Backxwashs breakthrough album, God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It.

ZOM-FAMby Kama La Mackerel

InZOM-FAM,Kama La Mackereltells a coming-of-age story of a child growing up in the 1980s and 1990s on the island ofMauritius. This child doesn't conform to a specific gender and searches for a vocabulary and a narrative that includes and understands them.This poetry collection tells a new story of Mauritius's history, one that includes and celebrates the queer and trans stories that helped shape the island's history.

• 9 artists who are making a difference

La Mackerelis aMauritianartist, educator, poet and translator from Montreal.CBC Arts named themone of nine artists who were making a difference in Canada in 2016.They have translated several Canadian works from English into French, includingI'm Afraid of Menby Vivek Shraya.ZOM-FAMis their first book.

The Next Chapter12:48Cicely Belle Blain on Burning Sugar

Poet and activist Cicely Belle Blain on her debut collection of poetry, Burning Sugar.

Burning Sugarby Cicely Belle Blain

Burning Sugaris a poetry collection that explores Black identity, history and the impact of colonizationon Black bodies.Burning Sugarilluminates how systems, society and culture are all structured to reinforce racism. But it also explores and celebrates the nuance and joy in life.

• Cicely Belle Blain explores Black identity and history through their powerful poetry

Cicely Belle Blain is a poet and activist originallyfrom London, U.K., andnow liveson the lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, in Vancouver.They foundedBlack Lives Matter Vancouver. CBCRadio named them one of150 Black women and non-binary people making change across Canadain 2018.Burning Sugaris their first book.

17:12Ivan Coyote on Care Of

Ivan Coyote talks to Shelagh Rogers about Care Of: Letters, Connections and Cures.

Knot Bodyby Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch

Knot Bodyis a poetry collectionby queer mixed race Arab poet Eli TareqEl Bechelany-Lynch that confronts racism, capitalism, ableism, transphobia and fatphobia. It's about the limits we have in and on our bodies and how those limits define how we connect with the world and how we can break these limits down to remake a more inclusive world.

Bechelany-Lynch is a poetfrom Montreal. Their work has appeared inThe Best Canadian Poetry,The Puritanand The New Quarterly. They were longlisted for the 2019CBC Poetry PrizeforNancy Ajram Made Me Gay.

Care Ofby Ivan Coyote

Care Ofis a collection of moving correspondence Ivan Coyote wrote in the early daysof the COVID-19 lockdown, in response to lettersand communicationsthey had received, some of which dated back to 2009.The correspondenceranges from personal letters to Facebook messages to notes received after performing onstage,Coyote told CBC Radio host Dave White onAirplay.

• 5 books that inspired storyteller and writer Ivan Coyote

Ivan Coyote is a writer, storyteller and performer from Yukon. They havewritten more than a dozen books, created four short films and released three albums combining storytelling with music, and are known for exploring gender identity and queer liberation in their writing. Their other books includeTomboy Survival Guide,Rebent Sinner,Gender Failure,One in Every Crowdand the novelBow Grip.Coyote won the 2020 Freedom to Read Award, in recognition of their body of work that examines class, gender identity and social justice.

The Next Chapter17:19Joshua Whitehead and Darcie Little Badger on Love After The End

Joshua Whitehead and Darcie Little Badger talk to Shelagh Rogers about Love After The End.

it was never going to be okayby jaye simpson

it was never going to be okayis a collection of poems that explores intergenerational trauma, Indigeneity andqueernessbyOji-Cree non-binary trans woman writer jaye simpson.

it was never going to be okaywon the 2021 Indigenous Voices Award for English poetry.

• Indigenous youth say care system repeats horrors of the past

simpson is an Oji-Cree non-binary trans woman writer who lives in Vancouver. Their work has been featured in This Magazine, Prism International and Room.it was never going to be okayis their first book.

What If We WerebyAxelle Lenoir

What If We Wereis about teen girls Nathalie and Marie who have had a secret game they've played since childhood: What If We Were? The more creative and challenging the premise the better. But when a new girl comes to town, and joins their game, their worlds are turned upside down. Can they make it through this round with their friendship, and their hearts, still in one piece?

Axelle Lenoiris a cartoonist from Quebec. She is also the author of the graphic novelCamp Spiritand theMertownvilleseries.

The Family Wayby Christopher DiRaddo

InThe Family Way,Paul, a gay man about to turn 40, is asked by his friends, the lesbian couple Wendy and Eve, to father their child. Over the course of 18 months, Paul must confront his own relationship with his father, his notion of family and grapple with what fatherhood will mean for his own relationship.

Christopher DiRaddo is a novelist and producer from Montreal. He is a former CBC Literary Prizes coordinator and is the current president of the Quebec Writers' Federation. He is also the author of the novelThe Geography of Pluto.

The Next Chapter13:51Catherine Hernandez on her novel Crosshairs

Catherine Hernandez's second novel, Crosshairs, takes place in a chilling dystopian future where a fascist regime seeks to eliminate all those deemed "Other."

Stone Fruitby Lee Lai

Stone Fruitis a comic about a queer couple,Bron and Ray, and the ups and downs a relationship goes through as it begins to fall apart.Stone Fruitexplores family, identity and relationships through Bron and Ray's journey.

Lee Laiis an Australian cartoonist who now lives in Montreal.Stone Fruitis her first book.

Love after the End

Love after the Endis an anthology of nine speculative fiction stories that imaginea utopian future for LGBTQ and two-spirit people, curated and edited by poet and novelistJoshua Whitehead. The stories range in scope and creativity but all centre onLGBTQ and two-spirit peopleand have a happy ending.

• Joshua Whitehead reflects on music and the surprising connection he made with a neighbour while in isolation

Contributors includeNathan Adler, Darcie Little Badger, Gabriel Castilloux Calderon, Adam Garnet Jones, Mari Kurisato, Kai Minosh Pyle, David Alexander Robertson, jaye simpson and Nazbah Tom.

The Subtweetby Vivek Shraya

InTheSubtweet, Neela Devaki's song is covered by internet-famous artist Rukmini. Whenthe two musicians meet,a transformative friendship begins. But, as Rukmini's star rises, jealousy creeps in, and Neelasends out a highly-destructive tweet thatblows up theirfriendship.

• Vivek Shraya on the power of unpacking pain and writing with urgency

Vivek Shraya is a writer, artist and musicianfrom Alberta. Her booksinclude the novelShe of the Mountains, the poetry collectioneven this page is white,the essayI'm Afraid of Menand the comic bookDeath Threat.

Witchmarkby C.L. Polk

Witchmarktakes place in a world similar to Edwardian England. During the aftermath of a major war, a young doctor named Miles Singer must hide his magical healing gifts or be committed to witches' asylum. When a patient's death exposes Miles' powers, he knows he must figure out what happened before it's too late. And to do so, he must forge an alliance with a family he despises and rely on a very handsome stranger.

• C.L. Polk hopes Canada Reads contenderThe Midnight Bargainwill 'shine a light' on power of fantasy

BothThe Midnight BargainandWitchmarkare fantasynovels written by Polk that include rivalry, romance,magic and mystery.Witchmarkis the first book in Polk's Kingston Cycle trilogywhich also includesStormsongandSoulstar.

Crosshairsby Catherine Hernandez

Crosshairsis a dystopian novel about a near-future wherea queer Black performer named Kay and his allies join forces against an oppressive Canadian regime that is rounding up those deemed "Other" in concentration camps. A near-futureToronto is ravaged by climate change.It is a situation that has led to massive floods, rampant homelessness, unemployment and starvation. In this chaos, a government-sanctioned regime called the Boots seizes the opportunity to force communities of colour, the disabled and the LGBTQ2S into labour camps called workhouses in the city.

• Catherine Hernandez's latest book is dystopian fiction that feels frighteningly real

Catherine Hernandezis a former theatre professionaland daycare provider from Scarborough, Ont. She is also the author of the novelScarborough,which is being adapted into a feature film.CBC Books named Hernandez a writer to watch in 2017.