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Celebrate Epic Pride on Tour!

Event date: 
Friday, June 16, 2023 - 7:30pm to 8:30pm

This event takes place in person at Charis and on crowdcast, Charis' virtual event platform. This event is free, but registration is required for virtual attendance. Click here to register to attend virtually. Please read the in-person event guidelines at the bottom of this page to be sure you can participate in the event.

Charis Presents Epic Pride, an Epic Reads tour featuring some of the most acclaimed YA authors to celebrate Pride Month with you and chat about their newest releases featuring LGBTQIAP+ characters! The panel includes Moderator: Becky Albertalli (she/her) (Imogen, Obviously), Abdi Nazemian (he/him) (Only This Beautiful Moment), Jason June (he/him/she/hers) (Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball), and Sonora Reyes (they/them) (The Luis Ortega Survival Club).

A purchase of one of the authors’ new books from Charis is required to get books signed (and you can also bring books from home!). 

Becky Albertalli is the number one New York Times bestselling author of William C. Morris Award winner and National Book Award longlist title Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (now a major motion picture, Love, Simon); The Upside of Unrequited; Leah on the Offbeat; the Simonverse novella Love, Creekwood; What If It’s Us (cowritten with Adam Silvera); Yes No Maybe So (cowritten with Aisha Saeed); and most recently, Kate in Waiting. Becky lives with her family in Atlanta. You can visit her online at www.beckyalbertalli.com.

Abdi Nazemian is the author of Like a Love Story, a Stonewall Honor Book, and The Authentics. His novel The Walk-In Closet won the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Debut Fiction. His screenwriting credits include the films The Artist’s Wife, The Quiet, and Menendez: Blood Brothers and the television series The Village and Almost Family. He has been an executive producer and associate producer on numerous films, including Call Me by Your Name, Little Woods, and The House of Tomorrow. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband, their two children, and their dog, Disco. Find him online at www.abdaddy.com.

Jason June is gay and femme and loves nothing more than a good pair of heels. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Out of the BlueJay's Gay Agenda, and more books about queer love and lust and chaotically gay shenanigans. He lives in Austin, TX, with his husband and their Pomeranian, Pom Brokaw, both of whom would be his escorts to the Gaybutante Ball. Find JJ on social media @heyjasonjune or on his website, heyjasonjune.com.

Sonora Reyes is a queer second-generation immigrant who is the bestselling author of The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School. They write fiction full of queer and Latinx characters in a variety of genres. Sonora is also the creator and host of #QPOCChat, a monthly community-building Twitter chat for queer writers of color. They currently live in Arizona, in a multigenerational family home with a small pack of dogs who run the place. You can visit them online at sonorareyes.com.

In-person event guidelines: 

  • All attendees must wear a face mask at all times inside the building 

  • We will begin seating people at 7:00 PM ET.

  • This event will be live-streamed via crowdcast. Click here to register to attend virtually.

  • As a reminder: If you are not feeling well, please do not come to the event.

  • If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or to request specific accessibility accommodations, please contact info@charisbooksandmore.com or call the store at 404-524-0304

If you would like to watch the virtual event with computer-generated captions, please watch in Google Chrome and enable captions. If you have other accessibility needs or if you are someone who has skills in making digital events more accessible please don't hesitate to reach out to info@chariscircle.org. We are actively learning the best practices for this technology and we welcome your feedback as we continue to connect across distances.

By attending our event you agree to our Code of Conduct: Our event seeks to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), class, or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from this event and all future events at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to info@chariscircle.org immediately.

Event address: 
A Charis Hybrid (in-person + virtual) Event
184 S. Candler Street
Decatur, GA 30030
Imogen, Obviously By Becky Albertalli Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9780063045873
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Balzer + Bray - May 2nd, 2023

A Stonewall Honor Book · A New York Times and Indie bestseller!

“A big-hearted, deeply vulnerable, love-bubbly tumble through self-discovery.” — Casey McQuiston, author of #1 New York Times bestselling I Kissed Shara Wheeler


Only This Beautiful Moment By Abdi Nazemian Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9780063039377
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Balzer + Bray - May 9th, 2023

Stonewall Book Award Winner * A Best Book of the Year from the Guardian, ALA Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and BookPage


Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball By Jason June Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9780063260030
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: HarperTeen - May 23rd, 2023

The next LGBTQ+ young adult rom-com from New York Times bestselling author Jason June (author of Jay’s Gay Agenda and Out of the Blue). 


The Luis Ortega Survival Club By Sonora Reyes Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9780063060302
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Balzer + Bray - May 23rd, 2023

From the bestselling author of the National Book Award Finalist The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School comes a revenge story told with nuance, heart, and the possibility of healing. An ideal next read for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson.


Event Summary: 
Charis Presents Epic Pride, an Epic Reads tour featuring some of the most acclaimed YA authors to celebrate Pride Month with you and chat about their newest releases featuring LGBTQIAP+ characters!