Reading the Rainbow

Dauphin County Library System
  • 3.0 (4)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Reading the Rainbow is hosted by the LGBTQ+ staff of the Dauphin County Library System in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. We work with tens of thousands of books. When we come across a great queer story, we want everyone to know about it! From scifi and contemporary, to romance and YA, we'll read it all, as long as it's good and gay!

  1. 49. Mutual Interest

    11/25/2025

    49. Mutual Interest

    If you've ever wished for an early 20th century book that combines capitalism with a lavender marriage and a winking narration style, Olivia Wolfgang-Smith's Mutual Interest should be on the top of your TBR pile! Hosts Amber and Jamie discuss the class difference between eccentricity and ending up in an asylum, the joy of found family, and how a walrus exhibition can become a meet cute.

    35 min
  2. 48. Anger Is a Gift

    11/10/2025

    48. Anger Is a Gift

    Hosts Benjamin and Amanda discuss Mark Oshiro's Anger Is a Gift. The YA novel focuses on Moss, a Black queer teenager living in Oakland, California, who along with his friends, work to bring their community together to address concerns after a tragic event in their increasingly militarized school. As always, if you're interested by the book following the podcast, consider purchasing it from your local bookstore or borrowing it from your public library!

    39 min
  3. 47. Monstrilio

    10/16/2025

    47. Monstrilio

    Right on time for Spooky Season, hosts Em and Ben discuss Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova! This horror story opens with the death of a child and examines how the characters cope with their grief, including removing a portion of the body and growing a new creature from it. A creature that, despite what its mother desperately wishes, is not a clone of her little boy. As always, if you're interested by the book following the podcast, consider purchasing it from your local bookstore or borrowing it from your public library!

    44 min
  4. 46. Compound Fracture

    09/17/2025

    46. Compound Fracture

    Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White is a Young Adult novel about a generational blood feud in a fictitious West Virginian town, and the efforts of a young trans man desperate to hold the local ruling family to account for their underhanded deeds. Hosts River and Em also discuss growing up queer in a small town, the beauty and bleakness of Appalachia, and the effect of labor unions on working class families. This is more violent than most of the books we cover for the podcast. Please listen to the content warning given at the beginning to determine if this is an episode you wish to listen to.

    37 min
  5. 45. Hijab Butch Blues

    08/01/2025

    45. Hijab Butch Blues

    Hijab Butch Blues describes Lamya H's coming of age as she explores what it means to be a queer devout Muslim woman. Growing up in an culture where it seemed no one else was like her, Lamya found kinship in an unexpected place: the Quran. Through reading the traditional stories from a queer perspective, Lamya discovers a sense of belonging. Hosts Madysen and Goldie discuss the challenges faced by immigrants, growing up queer in a religious environment, and the similarities between the Bible and the Quran.

    19 min
  6. 44. Boys Run the Riot

    03/18/2025

    44. Boys Run the Riot

    Trans high school student Ryo is learning the importance of having people to open up to, and that first perceptions of a person are not always as they seem in the manga Boys Run the Riot by Keito Gaku. Ryo is a boy, but nobody knows that and the only way he gets any relief is by wearing masculine-presenting clothing. Then, one day, he runs into a classmate he didn't expect at a pop-up clothing shop and makes an unlikely friend. Hosts Em and Cas discuss the struggles of being a trans high school student, clothing as armor, and the intricacies of gender exploration in this week's episode.

    34 min
  7. 43. Someone You Can Build a Nest In

    03/04/2025

    43. Someone You Can Build a Nest In

    Shapeshifting monster Shesheshen is on the run when she meets Homily, a human, who she is instantly drawn to, in the book Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell. Hosts Annika and Goldie explore some of the questions  this story asks, such as:  Is it wrong to tell your girlfriend that you want to eat her mom? What is a monster, and do we all have to see the same things as beautiful? And what does it mean to want to build a life with someone instead of eat them? Other highlights include "monster enthusiasts," mobility assistants (which may or may not be someone else's femur),  stories for those who don't usually get stories, and literal gender fluidity.

    24 min
  8. 42. Most Ardently

    02/18/2025

    42. Most Ardently

    Most Ardently reimagines Pride and Prejudice's protagonist as a closeted transboy in Regency London. Oliver, as he's known in this work, is intrigued by the family's new acquaintance, a handsome and aloof Darcy. Join non-Austenite hosts Em and Dani as they discuss molly houses, queer friendships, and more while delving intoMost Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa. Em and Dani say it's worth considering even if you're not a Jane Austen fan! If you love this take on the classic, consider checking out the rest ofRemixed Classics series!

    27 min
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3
out of 5
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About

Reading the Rainbow is hosted by the LGBTQ+ staff of the Dauphin County Library System in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. We work with tens of thousands of books. When we come across a great queer story, we want everyone to know about it! From scifi and contemporary, to romance and YA, we'll read it all, as long as it's good and gay!

Information

  • Creator
    Dauphin County Library System
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Dauphin County Library System
  • Show Website
    Reading the Rainbow