The Best-Smelling Books In The World

Party Report: Aesop's 4th Annual Queer Library

Brands can’t get enough of books. But long before Miu Miu passed out books and popsicles at popups and SSENSE started interviewing buzzy authors, Aesop has been stocking its annual Queer Library, where stores in New York, LA, London, and Toronto give out free books by queer authors during Pride weekend. 

The beauty of Pride is that there are a million ways to celebrate: watching Twinks vs. Dollz battle it out in a warehouse arena, raving under the K bridge, listening to Brat start to finish at Three Dollar Bill. On Thursday, we started Pride with Aesop’s Queer Library party in the Meatpacking District, where the store’s shelves were transformed into a library, filled with beautiful works by a majority of POC writers — from classics like James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room to new releases like Geena Rocero’s Horse Barbie.

us <3

In lieu of a reading (let’s face it…we don’t always need a reading!), West Dakota moderated a panel with writers and Black Futures editors Kimberly Drew and J Wortham, along with activist Chi Ossé, in which they discussed what libraries mean to them. TLDR: They’re not only the place many of us found our first smutty YA novels, but cradles of abundance, especially if you grew up without a lot of money. Afterwards, West Dakota, dressed in sexy librarian garb that made us consider learning the Dewey Decimal System, gave a riveting drag performance to Björk’s “It’s Oh So Quiet.” We’ve seen a lot of drag in our day: Willy Wonka drag, Gwyneth Paltrow in court drag, Eric Adams drag, and even Lamb Chop drag, and now library drag joins the ranks of unforgettable performances. 

Sure, corporate Pride is awkward. We’ve all seen Target’s “Gay O.K.” shirts. In the wake of calls against corporations to simply not treat Pride as a branding exercise, a lot of companies have shied away from it. But Aesop’s Queer Library is an example of how corporate pride doesn’t have to be overthought — it can be as simple and meaningful as the gesture of a free book. This year’s Queer Library reading list goes hard. Below, find two of our recommendations from the Aesop’s list, as well two of Language Arts-approved queer reads :)

BLACK FUTURES, edited by Kimberly Drew and J Wortham - One World

A gorgeous tableau of a book that captures what it’s like to be Black and alive right now, Black Futures is an ambitious and mesmerizing portrait told in essays, interviews, memes, tweets, poetry, and more.

ON EARTH WE’RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS by Ocean Vuong - Penguin

I accidentally first bought this book in a large print edition but ended up being really grateful for that because I enjoy his work on a sentence to sentence level so much. He is a master of balancing the real and the poetic, of writing scenes that even in their mundanity, feel like they contain the whole breadth of human emotion. 

100 BOYFRIENDS by Brontez Purnell - MCD X Fsg Originals

This punky short story collection, which follows a gaggle of Black, broke, queer men, is one of the most alive books I’ve ever read. A week after I finished it, I went to a club in LA and saw, amongst sweaty, shirtless bodies, fog, and red lights, Brontez themself — an experience of shock and exhilaration akin to reading the book. - Sophia

BIG SWISS by Jen Beagin - Scribner

Jen Beagin’s absurd and brutally funny love story follows Greta, a Hudson Valley sex therapist’s transcriptionist who accidentally becomes infatuated with a new client, a woman she affectionately calls Big Swiss. It’s all a fantasy until she recognizes Big Swiss’ voice IRL and begins to slowly weave their lives together. Consider it required reading for anyone who has ever been affected with romantic obsession that manifested into light-to-moderate stalking. - Layla

P.S. If you’re in New York, Aesop’s Gansevoort Street location has a few extra books that they will be giving out through the end of the week.