YA LGBT Books discussion
Archived BOM Nominations
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October 2014 Book of the Month - POLL POSTED - VOTE
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"A heartfelt, laugh-out-loud-funny story of romance, family, and self-discovery. Alek Khederian should have guessed something was wrong when his parents took him to a restaurant. Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and criticizing the menu, Alek’s parents announce that he’ll be attending summer school in order to bring up his grades. Alek is sure this experience will be the perfect hellish end to his hellish freshman year of high school. He never could’ve predicted that he’d meet someone like Ethan. Ethan is everything Alek wishes he were: confident, free-spirited, and irreverent. He can’t believe a guy this cool wants to be his friend. And before long, it seems like Ethan wants to be more than friends. Alek has never thought about having a boyfriend—he’s barely ever had a girlfriend—but maybe it’s time to think again."
It's a new YA m/m romance just published this year, and it looks super cute!

Kaje, it depends what book is chosen. I get my books only from libraries or bookstores. I don't have a Kindle, and I don't read books on my laptop. So e-books are out. If the BOTM is only published in digital format, I can't participate. I think the nomination process is fine as it is, but I do think there should be a rule that people cannot nominate their own books. Sometimes it feels like the only reason a lot of people even join this group is for self promotion. That also might help cut down on the number of e-books that are nominated each month.


Go there to comment on the process and changes we might make.
And keep this thread for October Book of the Month nominations so we don't lose the books in the conversation.


Here's the blurb:
There’s nothing like the first time. Whether it’s a first crush, first date, first kiss, or finding tolerance and approval for the first time, for gay, lesbian, bi, and trans teens—or those still exploring and discovering their sexuality and identity—these important firsts can shape the rests of their lives. Gathering the courage to come out to their families, admit their feelings to a friend, or go to school presenting as the people they really are can be a struggle. But with the support of their allies and their own inner strength, the brave young people in these stories take the first steps toward happiness and living on their own terms. From sweet stories of newly discovered love, humorous accounts of awkward dinners and dances, to fights for acceptance and even survival, the teens in this anthology must face new challenges and rise to meet them. These are the first times they’ll never forget.
Midnight in the Maze by J. Leigh Bailey
A Warrior from a Different Tribe by S.A. Garcia
His World by Eric Gober
Just Right by John Goode
It's In Their Kiss by Kevay Gray
It's Not Our Fault by Charli Green
Courting Billy Roth by Nick Hasse
Dressed to Swim by Renee Hirsch
Beautiful by Ella Lyons
First Date by Nicole McCormick
Step by Step by Emily Moreton
Kissing Scars by Jo Ramsey
Dear Cody by Eric Renner
Dating My Best Friend by Caitlin Ricci
Summer Crush by SR Silcox
When Wolverine Met Taylor by Andrea Speed
Me and My Friend by Emery C. Walters
Kiss and Makeup by Allison Wonderland


Here's the blurb:
There’s nothing like the first time. Whether it’s a first crush, first dat..."
Sounds good but I don't have the extra money to spend right now. I am on a waiting list from lendle.com to get a loan through Amazon and probably won't vote for it but I may end up buying it if it wins just to join.

When Sadie tells Colette that she needs her old friend to join her on a family vacation to the Greek Islands, one that leaves in only a few days, Colette is shocked to hear their old magic word: need. And she finds herself agreeing.
Colette tries to relax and enjoy her Grecian surroundings but it’s not easy to go on vacation with the person who hurt you most in the world. When the reason for the trip finally surfaces, Colette finds out this is not only a fun vacation. Sadie has kept an enormous secret from Colette for years...forever. It’s a summer full of surprises, but that might be what Colette needs.

Sounds like a good choice too. I like having a variety to vote on :)
Whether a book is marked "read" or "to read" is a matter of how the person who shelved it put it in. Only the books already on the "book of the month" shelf are books we've already had for discussion.

Actually, that was probably me. I'm never sure whether to mark something "read" or "to read." I normally leave it at the default "read" unless it hasn't been published yet. And a lot of the books I added were still forthcoming when I added them.

"currently reading" is the only one that matters, because it links the cover to the group header.


Well, I appreciate all the checking around. I'm sort of fumble-fingered with GR. I know some things that work, and I do those, and the rest are a mystery. :)


Thanks. I might take you up on that. (Although right now "organizing" and "neat" are kind of pipe dreams. Keeping the current stuff moving is goal enough.)

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
"Ryan had lost everything. His mother recently died of cancer, and his father had completely shut down after her death. His father even dragged him away from the city he'd grown up in, forcing him to leave all of his friends to move to a tiny, backwater town called Turnbridge, hundreds of miles from anything remotely interesting. Even the school's social scene seemed to revolve around activities and sermons at the local church.
Then he met Chance. Chance was quiet and friendly, and was an extreme social outcast due to his sexual orientation. He was also obsessed with an unsolved murder that had taken place two years previously. Everyone was convinced it was a suicide. Everyone except Chance, who believed the victim had been targeted due to his homosexuality.
Ryan didn't believe him until the accidents started, all seeming to focus around Chance. With the local culture so hostile toward the gay population, there were too many suspects and not nearly enough time as they tried to stop a killer who hunted in the name of God."

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
"Ryan had lost everything. His mother recently died of cancer, and his f..."
Wow, that looks good! And, only $2.99 at Amazon, B&N, and KOBO.


"Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the story of how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.
To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He's stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition."
Its a great read from an author already on the book of the month list, but is vastly different from the style and theme of that book, Stick.
*edit* I forgot to mention that there is a a mild sex scene late in the book, so this one would probably be in the 16+ age-range.


"Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the st..."
Sounds really interesting - thanks for adding it to the list.
"Stick" was very well written (contemporary coming of age drama)


I'm going to nominate one of my favorite LGBT young adult novels, The Miseducation of Cameron Post. This one caused quite a stir over the summer when it was removed from a summer reading list in Delaware because of gay content (but then said it was due to utterances of the F word, which also occurred in other books on the list which were not banned). Plus it's from a mainstream publisher, so there shouldn't be any issues finding it in paperback/hardcover (and it's likely in many libraries).
"When Cameron Post's parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they'll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.
But that relief doesn't last, and Cam is soon forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone (as her grandmother might say), and Cam becomes an expert at both.
Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship--one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to "fix" her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self--even if she's not exactly sure who that is.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding the courage to live life according to your own rules."

I've kept the votes private, but made the totals show so people can adjust their votes if they like. We'll see how that goes.
Voting will be open through midnight Oct. 5th.
Books mentioned in this topic
First Time for Everything (other topics)One Man Guy (other topics)
First Time for Everything (other topics)
First Time for Everything (other topics)
My Best Friend, Maybe (other topics)
More...
This thread is for nominations for the YA LGBT book that you would like to see the group read in October 2014.
Anything we haven't already read is welcome - it need not be a new release. Check our book-of-the-month bookshelf if you are wondering whether a book has already been read by the group.
Please post a link to the book, copy the blurb, and give us a few words about why you think this would be a good choice. If it has edgy or potentially 16+ content please also note that - we'd be happy to have it on the list, but want members to be aware. Remember that books do have to be appropriate for an under-18 readership.
Books that lost a previous vote can to be nominated again, (and authors are allowed to nominate their own books if they feel moved to do so.)
Nominations will close Midnight Sept 28th, or sooner if we get twelve books nominated.
Nominations are now closed. The poll will be up shortly.
The poll is now posted here: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
I've kept the votes private, but made the totals show so people can adjust their votes if they like. We'll see how that goes.
Voting will be open through midnight Oct. 5th.