Our Five Non-Fic Pride Month Recs

We’ve almost reached the end of pride month, marking the halfway point of 2025 (is that the A/W book releases I hear calling us in the near-distance???). You’ll probably have watched your Instagram feed and TikTok fyp fill up with a rainbow of recs. So here at Chapter 25, we thought we’d add our two pennies to the mix. Or how about, five? Our recs will be purely non-fiction based, a collection of contributions from queer writers from all backgrounds, that will hopefully educate and enlighten you with fresh perspectives. They’re also all new releases from this year, some even releasing only this month, so we can guarantee there should be a book you’ve never read before on our list. 

1. Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer, Dylan Mulvaney (Sphere, 2025)

Many of you will recognise this author from her sensational series ‘Days of Girlhood’ on Tiktok. Dylan Mulvaney’s transparent documentation, as she navigated what it means to be a girl in the twenty-first century, had been both an escape for many and a tool to help those working through their early days of transitioning. Now, Mulvaney has released a recounting of her life so far, from both her pre-transition and everything since - not forgetting the time Mulvaney was forced to disappear from her delicate space on the internet after a slew of hatred was directed at her for working with a particular brand. 

Why should you read Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer? Well, Mulvaney’s easy candor and obvious compassion-above-all-else nature makes the read a delight; much like her videos, this feels like you’re conversing with an old friend. And may we all have the time for friends like Dylan Mulvaney. 

2. Deep House: the Gayest Love Story Ever Told, Jeremy Atherton Lin (Allen Lane, 2025)

A love story transcending Lin and his partner, ‘Famous’, Deep House is both a memoir and a history on lgbtq+ culture and the (often brutal) resistance it has faced. In an interview for The Face magazine, Lin explained, “The notion that our story is not just our own, but is connected to those who came before us, comes really naturally to me.” Deep House leans into the politics of '90s America, acting as the arch for Lin’s personal history at the time. The writing and tone of this book may be jarring for some, but for many this will be a memoir that allows them to feel further connected to a steeped, and frequently ignored, history.

Why should you read Deep House: the Gayest Love Story Ever Told? If you want to learn a little more about queer history this pride month, but struggle to read general historical non-fiction, Lin’s memoir provides the education and pairs it with a love story you won’t want to miss out on. 

3. Forest Euphoria: the Abounding Queerness of Nature, Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian (Spiegel & Grau, 2025)

Upon first glance of this recommendation, you may be thinking we’ve gone a little rogue. But this fascinating deep-dive into our biological world and the inherently queer nature of it is a must-read. Kaishian is the perfect storm for this kind of book: a deep-rooted love (pardon the pun) for our planet, an education and career in mycology, and a desire to help people learn about the limitations societies have impressed on themselves in regards to gender. Between anecdotes of her personal challenges, as Kaishian grappled with her own sexuality and identity, and thoroughly-researched case studies on gender and sexuality in nature, Forest Euphoria will provide new insight for readers on how we should see the world. 

Why should you read Forest Euphoria: the Abounding Queerness of Nature? For anyone (like me) who’s a little plant-obsessed, this book will tie in your niche love with lgbtq+ themes, highlighting the fact that queerness, as the title states, can be found everywhere you look. 

4. The Dad Rock that Made Me a Woman, Niko Stratis (University of Texas Press, 2025)

If you’re looking for a new playlist for Pride 2025, look no further than Niko Stratis’ The Dad Rock that Made Me a Woman. The memoir follows Stratis’ transition, using the dad rock genre to dog-ear different times within her life, both before and after transitioning. It also speaks on gender norms (with a heavy focus on male-dominated structures) and queer culture in working-class, rural backgrounds. 

Why should you read The Dad Rock that Made Me a Woman? This book interlinks music and queer culture from a new perspective; although hopefully as we continue to see more trans authors populate our shelves we will see more stories like Stratis’ and find ourselves within them. 

5. All the Parts We Exile: a Memoir, Roza Nozari (Knopf Canada, 2025)

Last, although by no means least, we have Nozari’s All the Parts We Exile. While this may be another memoir we’re asking you to add to your TBR list, Nozari’s story speaks on themes that go beyond sexuality. As the only child in her family born outside of their home country of Iran, Roza Nozari spends much of her time grappling with the veil that separates her from her own family. The exploration of her family begins to shine a light on her mother, and her agency in a life prior to Roza’s very existence. It is as Nozari begins to piece together her family’s previous life and her own journey of the self that we begin to understand her complicated feelings towards her sexuality. 

Why should you read All the Parts We Exile: a Memoir? The themes on familial, cultural and personal identity are flawlessly blended in Nozari’s history; it appears the book could reach out and leave any person touched by her experiences. It’s a reminder that we’re not a singular thing, but multiple. But also that we are the ones to arrange their importance relative to our wishes. 

And, with that, we have our five non-fiction Pride Month recommendations for you! We hope if you choose to pick up any of these that you let us know what you think!! Happy pride everyone, if you need me I’ll be at my local library ordering in copies of all the amazing books I saw while writing this piece.