LGBT Stories that Affected Me/That I Love Part 1: YA Titles
In Honor of Pride month I posted this podcast (though I'm a bit behind on posting the blog)
https://anchor.fm/alchemyofgenres/episodes/LBGTQ-Titles-that-affected-me-in-some-way-efucsm
Feel free to check it out. Because it's so long; I am dividing the blog into 2 parts: YA & Adult Titles
on the podcast, it's from 0-about the 40 min mark.
I will be including appropriate Graphic Novel titles in the respective lists; but honestly, don't be afraid to check out the YA list, there are some amazing titles in there. Teens; if you want to check out adult titles, no one is stopping you, but just be aware they aren't holding any punches, and some titles may be too intense/graphic for your comfort levels (but hey, not all adults like those either....so, it's why I give a heads up).
Also a reminder that the library (any library but definitely SBPL) has a wide array of LGBTIQ+ books in their Nonfiction and Biography collections if you are looking for more information or real life stories.
This was a really sweet book. Yaichi is a stay at home dad (he helps manage a rental property, but it's on a flexible schedule so he can raise his daughter). He and Kara do very well with just the two of them (he is divorced). Then out of the blue Mike shows up to visit. Mike is Yaichi's twin brother's husband who has vowed to visit his beloved Ryoji's family now that he has unexpectedly passed away. Yaichi is very uncomfortable with his brother's sexuality as well as with this hairy Canadian dude staying with him, but the more he gets to know Mike, the more he realizes his own homophobia and how it helped drive a wedge between he and his brother. This 2 book series shows the growth of Yaichi as he learns more, and realizes that he has to set a better example for his daughter so that she never has to worry about whether or not he will love her or be embarrassed whatever her orientation may be. The gentle exploration of the micro-agressions present in Japan and the unconscious judgements Yaichi realizes he has made shine a mirror on what makes a family, and how love can grow given room and if you allow it to.
Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy is the first book in this series. All the girls are at a summer camp where they are supposed to be learning the art of being women; and really what they are doing is having adventures, saving the world and forging strong bonds of friendships among the 5 girls. Two of the girls are actually a couple, and aren't shy about it (except in the issue where the parents come by, and that is just because neither of them have officially outed themselves (though only one girl is worried about it).
This is just a fantastic, fun adventure series and like potato chips; you won't be able to stop at just one.
Totally Joe is the sequel to the Misfits, a book focused on Joe who is a 12 year old, out, gay young man who is working to figure out his life but not struggling with his sexuality at all, because he is perfectly fine with it. This whole series (each character gets a book) is really good and is fun but realistic so works with young teens and tweens perfectly. Joe is utterly adorable and I want to adopt him.
James St James is a celebrity all his own, and this is (so far) his only YA book. I found out recently it was made into a movie (it's on Netflix or Hulu, though I haven't watched it so no idea if it's good or not). Billy Bloom is the main character and he is not happy about his recent move from NYC to Florida. He has decided that he may be surrounded by rednecks but he is going to find his tribe, hold his own and make this work for him without compromising who he is......no matter what. This isn't a fantastical book, real danger and horrid things happen, but Billy is so determined and optimistic and comfortable with who he is that you just fall in love.....I also want to adopt him.
I mentioned this book on the alien encounter list; or maybe the LOL list (it's a good book either way); it's here because while it DOES do the whole trope of a bisexual person stuck in a triangle, Andrews decides to go into a different direction and just have them all work it out and be happy. The word polyamorous isn't mentioned, but that is exactly what it is when you have worked out an arrangement and are all ok with loving more than one person. So, it's nice to remind people that as long as everyone is cognizant and everyone agrees; it's all ok (remember consent is sexy; cheating is not). Also there are giant grasshoppers destroying the world, so.....yeah, this is a really fun book.
I forgot to mention this one in the podcast (or maybe I didn't but think I did....); anyway, I love every time Cohn & Levithan write together and you should totally read them all. THIS one is here because Naomi and Ely have grown up next door to each other in a NYC walkup and have always known that someday they would get married and live happily ever after. Naomi has held onto this truth despite Ely telling her he is gay, because she is sure that really, he'll get over it. Then, she sees him kissing a boy she had a date with (it was a terrible date and she didn't even like him....but why is he kissing Ely?) Ely is in love, and Naomi is finally confronting the fact that he really is gay and her happy ever after wedding just won't be happening.
The reason I love this book so much is it really examines not just the awareness of a friend being LGBT but the extra empathy & time needed for a friend to really listen to what that means.....and also that sometimes as we grow up, our dreams change, and it's ok. So good.
This is another Levithan collaboration; this time with John Green. This is the story (in alternating voices) of two boys named Will Grayson, how they meet and how each of their lives is affected by their growing friendship as well as by their interactions with those around them (groups of friends, schoolmates, etc). There are some touch moments (bring tissues for some heartfelt moments); but really it is a sweet and loving story of how a straight guy and a gay boy can be friends; and how said straight boy gets comfortable with having friends who aren't straight and it's ok.
Love Simon is the name of the movie they based on this book (Haven't watched it yet, almost afraid to); but if you don't know; the book is about Simon who is still closeted but is blackmailed and outed; and also about him kinda falling in love with an anonymous boy online that he is desperate to figure out the identity of. It is sweet & romantic, uncomfortable and real. You should read it.
Aristotle has a brother in prison and is stigmatized because of his "thuggish" background. Dante is Mr. Know It All, smart & yet naive. They meet at the pool, start to chat and you get to watch these two lovely boys build a relationship. This is such a lovely beautiful book, with tension but little angst and lots of love. It won all the awards, but I fell in love with it in spite of them (which says a LOT, since I rarely like the same things as those on award committees). Definitely read this book.
Lee's book combines a bit of fantasy into historical fiction and a dash of humor for a winning story that has it all. It's set in 1800s England, but perhaps without ALL the bits (or maybe it was more promiscuous than I thought?) Anyway, Monty is a gentleman born, but he is failing at it on purpose determined to never be the man his father is (he truly is horrible); but after his latest scandal, Monty's father has had enough. He gets to do his Tour of the Continent; but after that, he will buckle down, learn what he needs to learn, marry a good girl and be a gentleman; or his father will kill him. Monty fools around with boys and girls, but definitely learns more towards boys, but the one he is pretty sure he is in love with is his best friend. Percy has his own issues, as he is the illegitimate son (and the only son) of his father, but his mother was an islander (want to say Jamaican, but I don't really remember). When his mother dies, she sends him to his father's people and his father accepts him and raises him. When he passes away, the burden of raising him falls to his Aunt & Uncle. He and Monty have grown up together but Percy never forgets (or is allowed to forget) he is a person of color, he is illegitimate and his security is at the whim of others. Nonetheless, the two set off on a tour of the Continent and then......everything goes wonky. Monty steals something that turns out to be important, people are chasing them with ill-intent, Monty and Percy may be falling in love (what?); and Monty's sister just wants to sneak away somewhere that will allow her to learn medicine so she can be a Doctor. Yup, a LOT happening, but with humor and hijinks thrown into the mix....a really good book. Can't wait to read the sequel.
Empress of the World is a romance set on a college campus with two girls there for a high school camp (it's been awhile so I forget what kind of camp). I do remember it being very sweet with some angst and some stress but overall a lovely book. I liked the sweetness of the story, and the strength of the character building in this.
Almost Perfect is a hard read. It's harder because the viewpoint and the narrator is not who you have the most sympathy for, but he is who you see grow. Logan is a guy's guy, and he is utterly fascinated with the new girl in school, Sage. She isn't allowed to date, but they sneak off as often as they can.....but then she tells him her secret, she was born male and has transitioned. Logan is angry, confused, still in love and not sure what it says about him. The scenes where he overreacts and acts in anger (yeah, trigger warning....assault happens here); are really hard to read. What made me fall in love with this though was Katcher bringing us in as Logan works through his anger to realizing that he still loves her, that he should never have hurt her and now he is truly lost. Watching Logan grow, to realize that Sage truly is a girl, and that he shouldn't care about her trans status is a hard journey. Sage's reactions and strength are amazing. This is not an easy book, and it's messy but life is sometimes. Katcher did an amazing job, and this book made me a permanent fan of his writing.
Luna is the story of a M to F trans person as she struggles to live her true life. The story is told through her siblings; the brother who hates this and the sister who encourages her to live her truth. This is not an easy book, but if you have never encountered a trans person or have never thought about how difficult it might be, this would be a good book to start with. Also you can pretty much read anything by Julie Anne Peters, she is amazing with so many good books.
This is a book I really wish more people would read......it's about Johnny who falls in love with the sound of Debbie Harry singing in French. It just touches him, makes him want to dance, to sing, to BE Debbie Harry. His girlfriend isn't afraid of his uniqueness but encourages it. When he says he wants to wear a dress, she helps him pick one out. She introduces him to drag shows, helps him with makeup, and watches him practice all while supporting him and loving him. I love this because while the words non-binary or any of the current terminology aren't mentioned (it's an older book); the fact that Johnny can be into girls (and thus "straight") but also like and feel pretty wearing women's clothing is wonderful. I love that the author didn't bring in extra shame, only his own worries; and allowed the girlfriend to be so encouraging and loving while never stigmatizing. This is an amazing book. Please read it, give it some circulation at your library, show it some love.
This book wins the award for best book with the worst cover ....ever. It is so hard to get people to take it out. I forgot to bring this up on the podcast, so bonus title! This is Gabi's story, a Latina girl born out of wedlock (not a teen mom, but her illegitimacy is a big part of her back story, so it matters), determined to "do better" and indeed pushed to do so. She is struggling to find herself, trying to help around the house but also get into a good college; while also overcoming stigmas and prejudices (about being a girl, about being smart, about LGBT people, about what it means to be Latina). This is a really good book that needs more love.....really.
That's it for part 1, all about teen titles, but available to be read by anyone who wants to try. =)
https://anchor.fm/alchemyofgenres/episodes/LBGTQ-Titles-that-affected-me-in-some-way-efucsm
Feel free to check it out. Because it's so long; I am dividing the blog into 2 parts: YA & Adult Titles
on the podcast, it's from 0-about the 40 min mark.
I will be including appropriate Graphic Novel titles in the respective lists; but honestly, don't be afraid to check out the YA list, there are some amazing titles in there. Teens; if you want to check out adult titles, no one is stopping you, but just be aware they aren't holding any punches, and some titles may be too intense/graphic for your comfort levels (but hey, not all adults like those either....so, it's why I give a heads up).
Also a reminder that the library (any library but definitely SBPL) has a wide array of LGBTIQ+ books in their Nonfiction and Biography collections if you are looking for more information or real life stories.
This was a really sweet book. Yaichi is a stay at home dad (he helps manage a rental property, but it's on a flexible schedule so he can raise his daughter). He and Kara do very well with just the two of them (he is divorced). Then out of the blue Mike shows up to visit. Mike is Yaichi's twin brother's husband who has vowed to visit his beloved Ryoji's family now that he has unexpectedly passed away. Yaichi is very uncomfortable with his brother's sexuality as well as with this hairy Canadian dude staying with him, but the more he gets to know Mike, the more he realizes his own homophobia and how it helped drive a wedge between he and his brother. This 2 book series shows the growth of Yaichi as he learns more, and realizes that he has to set a better example for his daughter so that she never has to worry about whether or not he will love her or be embarrassed whatever her orientation may be. The gentle exploration of the micro-agressions present in Japan and the unconscious judgements Yaichi realizes he has made shine a mirror on what makes a family, and how love can grow given room and if you allow it to.
Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy is the first book in this series. All the girls are at a summer camp where they are supposed to be learning the art of being women; and really what they are doing is having adventures, saving the world and forging strong bonds of friendships among the 5 girls. Two of the girls are actually a couple, and aren't shy about it (except in the issue where the parents come by, and that is just because neither of them have officially outed themselves (though only one girl is worried about it).
This is just a fantastic, fun adventure series and like potato chips; you won't be able to stop at just one.
Totally Joe is the sequel to the Misfits, a book focused on Joe who is a 12 year old, out, gay young man who is working to figure out his life but not struggling with his sexuality at all, because he is perfectly fine with it. This whole series (each character gets a book) is really good and is fun but realistic so works with young teens and tweens perfectly. Joe is utterly adorable and I want to adopt him.
James St James is a celebrity all his own, and this is (so far) his only YA book. I found out recently it was made into a movie (it's on Netflix or Hulu, though I haven't watched it so no idea if it's good or not). Billy Bloom is the main character and he is not happy about his recent move from NYC to Florida. He has decided that he may be surrounded by rednecks but he is going to find his tribe, hold his own and make this work for him without compromising who he is......no matter what. This isn't a fantastical book, real danger and horrid things happen, but Billy is so determined and optimistic and comfortable with who he is that you just fall in love.....I also want to adopt him.I forgot to mention this one in the podcast (or maybe I didn't but think I did....); anyway, I love every time Cohn & Levithan write together and you should totally read them all. THIS one is here because Naomi and Ely have grown up next door to each other in a NYC walkup and have always known that someday they would get married and live happily ever after. Naomi has held onto this truth despite Ely telling her he is gay, because she is sure that really, he'll get over it. Then, she sees him kissing a boy she had a date with (it was a terrible date and she didn't even like him....but why is he kissing Ely?) Ely is in love, and Naomi is finally confronting the fact that he really is gay and her happy ever after wedding just won't be happening.
The reason I love this book so much is it really examines not just the awareness of a friend being LGBT but the extra empathy & time needed for a friend to really listen to what that means.....and also that sometimes as we grow up, our dreams change, and it's ok. So good.
This is another Levithan collaboration; this time with John Green. This is the story (in alternating voices) of two boys named Will Grayson, how they meet and how each of their lives is affected by their growing friendship as well as by their interactions with those around them (groups of friends, schoolmates, etc). There are some touch moments (bring tissues for some heartfelt moments); but really it is a sweet and loving story of how a straight guy and a gay boy can be friends; and how said straight boy gets comfortable with having friends who aren't straight and it's ok.
Aristotle has a brother in prison and is stigmatized because of his "thuggish" background. Dante is Mr. Know It All, smart & yet naive. They meet at the pool, start to chat and you get to watch these two lovely boys build a relationship. This is such a lovely beautiful book, with tension but little angst and lots of love. It won all the awards, but I fell in love with it in spite of them (which says a LOT, since I rarely like the same things as those on award committees). Definitely read this book.
Luna is the story of a M to F trans person as she struggles to live her true life. The story is told through her siblings; the brother who hates this and the sister who encourages her to live her truth. This is not an easy book, but if you have never encountered a trans person or have never thought about how difficult it might be, this would be a good book to start with. Also you can pretty much read anything by Julie Anne Peters, she is amazing with so many good books.
This is a book I really wish more people would read......it's about Johnny who falls in love with the sound of Debbie Harry singing in French. It just touches him, makes him want to dance, to sing, to BE Debbie Harry. His girlfriend isn't afraid of his uniqueness but encourages it. When he says he wants to wear a dress, she helps him pick one out. She introduces him to drag shows, helps him with makeup, and watches him practice all while supporting him and loving him. I love this because while the words non-binary or any of the current terminology aren't mentioned (it's an older book); the fact that Johnny can be into girls (and thus "straight") but also like and feel pretty wearing women's clothing is wonderful. I love that the author didn't bring in extra shame, only his own worries; and allowed the girlfriend to be so encouraging and loving while never stigmatizing. This is an amazing book. Please read it, give it some circulation at your library, show it some love.
This book wins the award for best book with the worst cover ....ever. It is so hard to get people to take it out. I forgot to bring this up on the podcast, so bonus title! This is Gabi's story, a Latina girl born out of wedlock (not a teen mom, but her illegitimacy is a big part of her back story, so it matters), determined to "do better" and indeed pushed to do so. She is struggling to find herself, trying to help around the house but also get into a good college; while also overcoming stigmas and prejudices (about being a girl, about being smart, about LGBT people, about what it means to be Latina). This is a really good book that needs more love.....really.
That's it for part 1, all about teen titles, but available to be read by anyone who wants to try. =)
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