Finding the Silver Lining (Overcoming Obstacles): Titles for Adults

 As part of our SB Reads 2021 partnership with the South Brunswick schools, this is a list of books matching the selected topic (silver linings) and everyone in the township is encouraged to find books to read and share in the discussion.  This is a small selection of books for adults.

Below is the link to the podcast if you want to listen:

Alchemy of Genres

Peter has had a lifetime of being "too much" (voice too high pitched, too swishy, too feminine); and while trying to turn to "be a real man" and not stand out, he is horribly unhappy and lonely.  He meets Andre through a dating app.  Andre seems too good to be true; he loves a man unafraid of exploring gender norms and his "fem side" and thinks Peter is amazing.  As they start to fall in love, and Peter learns to lean into being himself (and to explore what that is after a lifetime of hiding); he finds his life getting better all around: his creative juices are flowing, he is happier, he finds friends.  Unfortunately some of Peter's traumas from the past need to be dealt with before he can truly embrace the future and this man he is falling in love with.

I really enjoyed this book.  King shows all the ways dating apps, families and society penalize men who are outside gender norms, and then shows all the ways the freedom to be yourself can lead to joy.  He also leans hard into therapy as some traumas (abuse, mental issues, etc) don't magically go away; and it made the story feel more real watching Peter work his therapy and through his issues; not because of Andre but because he needed to be able to love himself.

I have mentioned this series (Soulbound) a time or two (I admit it, it's one of my favorites); but it works so well here that I couldn't skip it.  Patrick is a mage with a boatload of traumas to overcome thanks to his father trying to kill him when he's 8, to the Mage War that he fought & suffered a terrible soul-wound (causing him to lose his access to magical ley lines).  He is also promised to Persephone until he saves her daughter (who has taken residence in the body of Patrick's twin, under the control of his psychotic father who wants to be a god).  He meets Jono in NYC on a mission (he is a magical federal agent); and the gods command them to stay together.  The sparks were flying before they were forced into constant proximity; but now it's becoming so much more.....

Jono just wants a pack of his own.  The promise of that is what led him to accept a job offer and move from London, even though as a god-pack werewolf he isn't allowed to form a pack in NYC.  Can this mage BE his pack?  

The series about outcasts finding/making their own family while overcoming magical adversities is well written and immersive.

When Henry's long term partner dumps him for being "fat and boring", Henry is devastated.  He decides to work on getting in shape and maybe his ex will want him back.  As he begins to explore and make a life for himself, he finds that he is better off without his ex.  His trainer at the gym, Reed, is really supportive and sweet (and very hot) but why would he ever want to be more than friends with "fat and boring" Henry?  

Reed is looking for a man who sees him for more than a hot body and a training routine and Henry seems perfect, if only he would believe in Reed's attraction.  

This is a sweet romantic story about overcoming limitations (both perceived and actual) and learning to love yourself.  I love that Walker focuses on the characteristics of the characters and that both of them long to be accepted by someone who will look beyond the purely physical.

Wolfsong is the story of werewolves, but not really....truly it is at it's core the story of a young man, Ox, finding his place and his voice.  His father told him, and so many others as well, that he was stupid and slow and worthy nothing....but he finds people who support him and help him.  He finds love, but has to learn to accept it (as well as the whole magic & werewolf thing).  He has to find his strength when his prospective mate and the person he loves leaves on a mission that Ox doesn't agree with.

This is truly the strongest story in the whole Green Creek series.

Mark Wojcik is a blue collar mechanic with a side gig hunting monsters, like the ones who killed his family (and which few believe in, but exist nonetheless).  Mark has to build a network of other hunters, handle the PTSD from the event that changed his life, and find a way to make a living while still saving the world.  This book & series builds a story of a guy just trying to do the best he can, without any powers or abilities beyond the knowledge that magic & creatures & monsters exist.  

This mystery story with a touch of supernatural (or not....it's kind of left in the air); is a story of overcoming obstacles on all sides.  Sydney detective August Shaw has been working on cold cases, while trying desperately to convince everyone that there is a serial killer targeting gay men, and has been active for years; but since the killings are posed as suicides no one will listen.  Then Senior Constable Jacob Porter finds a body in the woods of Tallowwood that matches the profile of August's cases and could be the break he needs.  Jacob Porter has his own obstacles he has fought all his life (being gay and aboriginal for instance), and he is an excellent police officer.  He believes August and together they start unraveling the pieces that someone desperately wants to keep them from finding.  Together they are stronger, and they are also falling for each other, adding to the danger if the killer finds them first, especially since they both fit the profile of his victims.

Jaunten is #1 in the Advent Mage series.  It centers on Garth, a young mage who has to flee in secret from his home country of Chahir because it is illegal to be a mage, and the consequences mean you and your whole family are executed if the secret it discovered.  When Garth realizes his magic is getting harder to hide, he runs to Hain.  The journey is difficult and he becomes a Jaunten (mystical mages with the ability to access the knowledge of everyone who has ever been a Jaunten); and once he is safely in Hain, he still has to integrate into a completely foreign country, learn a different language (made easier thanks to his Jaunten magic); go to mage school and learn to use his Earth powers which no one has seen in centuries.  There is so much against him, but he needs to step up and learn so he can make sure no one else dies for their magic.

 

This Urban Fantasy story is the ultimate story of overcoming adversity.  Kaylin was supposed to have died, sacrificed in a horrible fashion for a purpose no one understands; but for some reason the killings stopped....now 10 years later, they have started again and Kaylin needs to stop them.  She is no longer a powerless girl of 9, but a peace officer, a fighter and has also found a way to use the strange magic that is present due to magical tattoos found on all sacrifices (but since she didn't die, she is learning to use them).

She has to solve the mystery of who is killing children and why; at the same time she has to overcome her own ghosts and prejudices.

Kate Daniels dad really wanted to make her a psycho killer, for her own good.....no friends, no ties, just building her strength and knowledge until she can kill the man who killed her mother or die trying.  However, when her guardian is killed, Kate has to make alliances to solve the crime of who is setting the Shifter community against the People (necromancers who control vampires).  Kate is determined to do the right thing, even if it costs her life.

This beginning adventure is the beginning of Kate becoming her own person, and not the person her father wanted her to be; forming friendships, and maybe even finding love.

Eve Dallas has no memory of her childhood before she was found in an alley in Dallas at age 8.  She has worked hard to become a detective, tough as nails and needing no one.  This murder shouldn't be any different, but this time she meets someone who has also overcome much from a turbulent childhood and who recognizes her determination and admires her....Roarke, billionaire tech guy, and a suspect in the murder she is trying to solve.

This is another story that starts a series where the character begins to build a family out of various lost souls and in the process to shed her own demons.

Thane and Madden meet at a gay club and sparks fly.  Before they can leave and see where the spark takes them, the unthinkable happens.....someone enters the club and starts shooting.  Madden is shot, and his injuries to his hand mean he can't do his job as a tattoo artist, and isn't sure he will ever be able to again.  He is also suffering from PTSD from the incident and is having trouble functioning.  Thane is a firefighter and wants to help Madden as explore their relationship but first Madden has to accept help for his issues and go to physical therapy for his hand/arm in order to heal.  

This is a solid romantic novel showing real human reactions to trauma, and I really like the integration of therapy and a support system being an important part of recovery and the foundation of a solid romantic relationship.  Very well done.

Off Balance is set in New Zealand and features Judah who has had to leave his ballet career due to an illness that has no cure, but can be managed.  He is devastated and frustrated to return home, but meets Morgan, a fisheries officer; who helps him start to see that there might be a way to make lemonade out of lemons.  There is excitement (illegal activities) and sadness (loss of career) and moments of growth.  This is a story featuring a person with a lifelong illness and his journey to learning how to continue to have a fulfilling life; not wallowing in his issues.  Yes there are sad moments, but also triumphant ones; as well as coming to terms with being LGBT, his family's acceptance of his former career, his history & issues with bullying and the small town he's from as well as figuring out how to continue to have dance in his life but without forgetting his new limitations. So much to explore in an exciting and interesting love story.  

Bear (real name Derrick) has been raising his baby brother Ty (called the Kid a lot) ever since their mom took off when he was almost 18 and Ty was 5.  It's been 3 years since that happened with this book; and this book talks about the support he has had, the changes he is going through as he figures out himself and realizes that he is gay and in love with the big brother of his best friend (nicknamed Otter).  The second book in the series goes further with them building their family and their relationship.

Bear has had to overcome his own trauma of an absent neglectful parent as well as being thrown into a parental role he wasn't prepared for.  He struggles to come to terms with his sexuality in part because he is terrified someone will use it to take Ty away to foster care. 

The story is so carefully crafted;  each character has well developed characters and struggles to overcome.  Klune truly has a gift to take you inside the heart and mind of characters and make it feel like you are in the head of real people, not just fictional characters.  In true drama fashion, there is laughter, tears, joy, love and anger and none of it feels fake.

Claudia is on a camping trip with her brother up in the mountains of Northern California when a killer attacks them; killing her brother and injuring her.  She runs and finds help from a man in a cabin.  Shepard lives in isolation because it suits his nature as well as his career as a nature photographer.  Meeting Claudia was unexpected, and he never expected to see her again, until she comes back.  She can't stop thinking about him and wants to explore the idea of a relationship; however she is still traumatized by the shooting incident and being isolated, even with a handsome man who rescued her, is triggering.  

In Haven, Weatherspoon is exploring the nature of attraction (duh, it's a romance novel); but also is exploring trauma and how it influences your decisions.  Claudia has to work on herself and overcoming (or at least managing) her PTSD before she can really know if a relationship will work.

Alice has lived through a lot of trauma and abuse; bad enough that she had to fake her own death in order to be free.  She is a magical investigator and stumbles upon a conspiracy that runs the risk of exposing her secrets to the family she has run from.  She has also met a sexy werewolf, but has a lot of trust issues before she can really commit to anything.

This series is all about finding inner strength and overcoming the past.  Yes, it's a magical thing, but the reality is that even in the real world abusive situations happen and learning to live again is hard work.

This graphic novel is amazing but suffers from one of my pet peeves.....it is a "documentary novel"; meaning, it IS based on historical facts and people but some conversations and situations could not be verified or were altered and so it becomes fiction.

So frustrating because it reads like a biography; but it isn't....

Anyway, this book is about the life and work of Lewis Michaux, a Harlem bookseller who was a critical part of the Black Power movements of the 60's and 70's.  Michaux's bookstore was one of the centers of the community, allowing the community to buy or borrow books to learn about anything, sharing African American narratives and providing space for people to speak on topics of importance or to hear important speakers.  I wish more people would read this and learn of the obstacles Michaux overcame and how he built not only a bookstore but a movement.

The Last Herald Mage is a classic both of Lackey's Valdemar Universe but also in Fantasy novels.  This was the first time a major author included a gay character and didn't kill him off, but simply let him be.  And Vanyel is a pivotal figure in the history of the world, so his character not only lives but becomes legend.  

Vanyel has much to overcome, being bookish, musical and introverted in a family who only values physical strength and brawn.  When he escapes to Haven he realizes that his family was trying to "make a man out of him" but now that he is away, he finds others like himself and also love.  When a tragic accident destroys that love, Vanyel must find a way to move on and be the hero that Valdemar needs.  The resiliency of the character of Vanyel and the situations he has to deal with (magical and normal bullying behavior) still resonate today 30 years later.

Final note:  I didn't go into any nonfiction or biographies for this list, because as adults we can find those...and there are many.  Go explore the shelves at your local library on any topic that resonates.  Learn about historical people and circumstances about which you know little.  Education never gets old and learning new perspectives and new ideas or facts is the true fountain of youth.  Go explore!