LGBT+ Books On My Radar
Hey!
So just a quick update first of all, I am very busy with work and studying right now so my blog updates my be a bit sparse (as if they're not already). I'm going to update my blog once a week on a Friday until exam season is done, however this many not always happened due to exams I may have on Friday or if I don't have time to write a complete blog post so please be patient!
But I am updating my blog today and I wanted to talk about LGBT+ books, and whilst there has been so much more of these recently I wanted to make a post about a few I've been eyeing up that I don't think are getting enough attention.
1. Superior by Jessica Lack
2. All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by numerous authors
Genres: YA, LGBT, Historical Fiction
Synopsis: 'Take a journey through time and genres and discover a past where queer figures live, love and shape the world around them. Seventeen of the best young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens.
From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten.'
Why I want to read it: Whilst I haven't yet read any of the authors who are featured in this anthology, I have heard great things of some of them and there are a few there who I want to read - so maybe this a great way to start. Also, I love the idea of historical LGBT fiction and I can't wait to be to get my hands on several stories at once that carried that theme.
3. When the Moon was Ours by Anne-Marie McLemore
Genres: YA, Fantasy, LGBT
Synopsis: 'To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town. But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.'
Why I want to read it: Even without the LGBT representation this book sounds incredible, I've heard it mixes Latin and Pakistani mythology, and honestly I know nothing about either and mythology is always something I want to learn more about so I'm completely down for that. This story also includes a transgender boy which I don't think I've actually encountered in YA before, so I'm excited to read about that as well.
4. One in Every Crowd by Ivan E. Coyote
Genres: YA, LGBT
Synopsis: 'Ivan E. Coyote's wry, honest stories about gender and identity have captivated audiences everywhere. Ivan's eighth book is her first for LGBT youth, written for anyone who has ever felt different or alone in their struggles to be true to themselves. Included are stories about Ivan's tomboy youth and her adult life, where she experiences cruelty and kindness in unexpected places.
Funny, inspiring, and full of heart, One in Every Crowd is about embracing and celebrating difference and feeling comfortable in one's own skin.'
Why I want to read it: This is a collection of true stories and knowing that just makes me want to read it, and I know it will move me for that reason alone. Also, I'm hoping this will give a wide range a stories throughout the LGBT spectrum in a way that fictional books often can't.
5. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss and E.G.Keller (Illustrator)
Genres: Children, LGBT
Synopsis: 'HBO's Emmy-winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver presents a picture book about a Very Special boy bunny who falls in love with another boy bunny.
Meet Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lives with his Grampa, Mike Pence - the Vice President of the United States. But on this Very Special Day, Marlon's life is about to change forever...
With its message of tolerance and advocacy, this charming children's book explores issues of same sex marriage and democracy. Sweet, funny, and beautifully illustrated, this book is dedicated to every bunny who has ever felt different.'
Why I want to read it: I just want to fuck with Pence tbh, also all the proceedings are being donated to worthwhile charities so there's that too.
Thank you for reading! If you have any other suggestion please leave them below, and let me know if you've read any of these. Hopefully I will get to all of these this Summer!
So just a quick update first of all, I am very busy with work and studying right now so my blog updates my be a bit sparse (as if they're not already). I'm going to update my blog once a week on a Friday until exam season is done, however this many not always happened due to exams I may have on Friday or if I don't have time to write a complete blog post so please be patient!
But I am updating my blog today and I wanted to talk about LGBT+ books, and whilst there has been so much more of these recently I wanted to make a post about a few I've been eyeing up that I don't think are getting enough attention.
1. Superior by Jessica Lack
Genres: YA, LGBT, Fantasy
Synopsis: 'A superhero's intern falls in love with a supervillain's apprentice in this star-crossed LGBT YA story from The Book Smugglers.
Here's the thing about being a superhero intern: there's a lot less crime fighting than you think there will be, what with the whole liability issue and the administrative headache of constantly monitoring the Heroic Help Hotline. The most action that Jamie sees happens when he is kidnapped by the supervillain of the week--and then waits for his boss, Captain Superior, to show up and rescue him. Again.
On his most recent nabbing, Jamie gets to meet Tad, Terrorantula's new villainous apprentice. Even though they are supposed to be on opposite sides (or are they?), sparks fly almost immediately. So, when Tad offers to give Jamie much-needed self-defense classes, how could Jamie pass the opportunity to hang out with the coolest (and hottest) guy he knows?
But Tad has a secret--one that threatens the budding relationship between the two teenage sidekicks, and could destroy Captain Superior forever.'
Why I want to read it: I was surprised I had never heard of this before it popped up on my amazon recommended list, and then when I read the synopsis I was even more surprised. This book sounds amazing - a superhero's intern falling for supervillain's apprentice? - Sign me the fuck up. Does that not just sound like everything you've ever wanted? I love the idea. The best thing about this though is it's cheap, as it's only seems to available in ebook form on amazon - which is a shame in some ways, but it's really great if you're a poor student like me. I am so excited to read this and I'm hoping I'll do it soon as with my exams coming up, I need quick, short reads so I can focus on my revision rather than my reading.
Synopsis: 'A superhero's intern falls in love with a supervillain's apprentice in this star-crossed LGBT YA story from The Book Smugglers.
Here's the thing about being a superhero intern: there's a lot less crime fighting than you think there will be, what with the whole liability issue and the administrative headache of constantly monitoring the Heroic Help Hotline. The most action that Jamie sees happens when he is kidnapped by the supervillain of the week--and then waits for his boss, Captain Superior, to show up and rescue him. Again.
On his most recent nabbing, Jamie gets to meet Tad, Terrorantula's new villainous apprentice. Even though they are supposed to be on opposite sides (or are they?), sparks fly almost immediately. So, when Tad offers to give Jamie much-needed self-defense classes, how could Jamie pass the opportunity to hang out with the coolest (and hottest) guy he knows?
But Tad has a secret--one that threatens the budding relationship between the two teenage sidekicks, and could destroy Captain Superior forever.'
Why I want to read it: I was surprised I had never heard of this before it popped up on my amazon recommended list, and then when I read the synopsis I was even more surprised. This book sounds amazing - a superhero's intern falling for supervillain's apprentice? - Sign me the fuck up. Does that not just sound like everything you've ever wanted? I love the idea. The best thing about this though is it's cheap, as it's only seems to available in ebook form on amazon - which is a shame in some ways, but it's really great if you're a poor student like me. I am so excited to read this and I'm hoping I'll do it soon as with my exams coming up, I need quick, short reads so I can focus on my revision rather than my reading.
2. All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by numerous authorsGenres: YA, LGBT, Historical Fiction
Synopsis: 'Take a journey through time and genres and discover a past where queer figures live, love and shape the world around them. Seventeen of the best young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens.
From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten.'
Why I want to read it: Whilst I haven't yet read any of the authors who are featured in this anthology, I have heard great things of some of them and there are a few there who I want to read - so maybe this a great way to start. Also, I love the idea of historical LGBT fiction and I can't wait to be to get my hands on several stories at once that carried that theme.
3. When the Moon was Ours by Anne-Marie McLemoreGenres: YA, Fantasy, LGBT
Synopsis: 'To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town. But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.'
Why I want to read it: Even without the LGBT representation this book sounds incredible, I've heard it mixes Latin and Pakistani mythology, and honestly I know nothing about either and mythology is always something I want to learn more about so I'm completely down for that. This story also includes a transgender boy which I don't think I've actually encountered in YA before, so I'm excited to read about that as well.
4. One in Every Crowd by Ivan E. CoyoteGenres: YA, LGBT
Synopsis: 'Ivan E. Coyote's wry, honest stories about gender and identity have captivated audiences everywhere. Ivan's eighth book is her first for LGBT youth, written for anyone who has ever felt different or alone in their struggles to be true to themselves. Included are stories about Ivan's tomboy youth and her adult life, where she experiences cruelty and kindness in unexpected places.
Funny, inspiring, and full of heart, One in Every Crowd is about embracing and celebrating difference and feeling comfortable in one's own skin.'
Why I want to read it: This is a collection of true stories and knowing that just makes me want to read it, and I know it will move me for that reason alone. Also, I'm hoping this will give a wide range a stories throughout the LGBT spectrum in a way that fictional books often can't.
5. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss and E.G.Keller (Illustrator)Genres: Children, LGBT
Synopsis: 'HBO's Emmy-winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver presents a picture book about a Very Special boy bunny who falls in love with another boy bunny.
Meet Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lives with his Grampa, Mike Pence - the Vice President of the United States. But on this Very Special Day, Marlon's life is about to change forever...
With its message of tolerance and advocacy, this charming children's book explores issues of same sex marriage and democracy. Sweet, funny, and beautifully illustrated, this book is dedicated to every bunny who has ever felt different.'
Why I want to read it: I just want to fuck with Pence tbh, also all the proceedings are being donated to worthwhile charities so there's that too.
Thank you for reading! If you have any other suggestion please leave them below, and let me know if you've read any of these. Hopefully I will get to all of these this Summer!
When the Moon was Ours sounds really interesting and captivating. I love books about or inspired by mythology. Thanks for introducing it to me!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteI know! It sounds so good and different (also that cover though)