Task #11: Read a debut novel by a queer author

[Lauren]

How We Fight For Our Lives is a memoir, not a novel, so while it's great and absolutely worth reading, unfortunately I don't think it would count here.

[〰️Beth〰️]

The Black Tides of Heaven

[Cheryl]

I listened to Texts from Jane Eyre by Daniel Mallory Ortberg on Overdrive. It was hilarious and I ended up buying a print copy.

[Jason]

Finishing up Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin for this challenge.

[Marie]

I am considering No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown

[Christi]

Dreadnought Danny Tozer is a closeted trans woman at the start ..."

Dreadnought was great, it fit right in with my MCU theme for the past few years, and Sovereign was good. Too bad I read them both last year. So I'm going with Graham Norton's Holding for this one. I love watching his show, so I'm interested to see how he does with fiction.

[Amelia]

Cheryl wrote: "I listened to Texts from Jane Eyre by Daniel Mallory Ortberg on Overdrive today. It's short, about 2 1/2 hours, but very hilarious. I think I'm going to buy a print copy at some point."

Thanks for this recommendation. I just read Texts from Jane Eyre and it was a fun choice for this prompt!

[Lauren]

I haven't read any of these, but here are a few I found that should fit:
The Third Life Of Grange Copeland by Alice Walker
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf

[Renata]

I read Red, White & Royal Blue. It's not a masterpiece, but its a highly enjoyable light read.

[Lavanya]

Hi,
Does “on earth we’re briefly gorgeous “ by ocean Vuong work for this challenge?

[Lavanya]

Ah ok. Is Virginia Woolf considered a queer author? I love her and I wanted to read Voyage out for a while

[Lauren]

Bonnie G. wrote: "Lavanya wrote: "Hi,
Does “on earth we’re briefly gorgeous “ by ocean Vuong work for this challenge?"

It is not a novel, so it doesn't work, but it does work for the prompt to read a book about a r..."

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a novel and is Ocean Vuong's debut novel so it should work....

[Lauren]

Bonnie G. wrote: "Lauren wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Lavanya wrote: "Hi,
Does “on earth we’re briefly gorgeous “ by ocean Vuong work for this challenge?"

It is not a novel, so it doesn't work, but it does work for th..."

It's listed under Novels on Ocean Vuong's Wikipedia page. On GoodReads it is tagged as Fiction and the book's description begins: "Poet Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love, and the redemptive power of storytelling." All of the top reviews mention that it is a novel. It may read like a memoir but it sounds to me like it is a novel....

[Bonnie G.]

Lauren wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Lauren wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Lavanya wrote: "Hi,
Does “on earth we’re briefly gorgeous “ by ocean Vuong work for this challenge?"

It is not a novel, so it doesn't work, but i..."

You are right. I read it and thought I was reading nonfiction! Sorry about that. Its wonderful.

[Alexis]

Lauren wrote: "I haven't read any of these, but here are a few I found that should fit:
The Third Life Of Grange Copeland by Alice Walker
[book:Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the W..."

Wicked had its moments, for sure, and the social allegory was on point. The end kind of fell apart for me though.

[Alexis]

Jason wrote: "Finishing up Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin for this challenge."

How is it? I was thinking about doing this one too.

[Ashley]

An Unkindness of Ghosts

[Stephanie]

Book Riot wrote: "Hello book people! Our rec post for this task is now live. https://bookriot.com/2019/12/18/read-..."

Can you change the prompt to "book" instead of "novel" or find a replacement for the Saeed Jones book? Novels and memoirs are so distinct--I'm not sure why they are considered interchangeable.

[Bonnie G.]

Stephanie wrote: "Book Riot wrote: "Hello book people! Our rec post for this task is now live. https://bookriot.com/2019/12/18/read-..."

Can you change the prompt to "book" inste..."

I am constantly grousing about this. It makes me nuts. It is like people do not understand the definition of "novel." Thank you!!

[Stephanie]

Bonnie G. wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "Book Riot wrote: "Hello book people! Our rec post for this task is now live. https://bookriot.com/2019/12/18/read-..."

Can you change the prom..."

I just think BR should stand behind the challenges they created, whether or not we do. Otherwise it seems very pointless.

[Bonnie G.]

Stephanie wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "Book Riot wrote: "Hello book people! Our rec post for this task is now live. https://bookriot.com/2019/12/18/read-..."

Can y..."

Agreed. Also the one about the cuisine, they recommended chef memoirs. Those are not about a cuisine.

[Bonnie G.]

message 26: by Bonnie G. (last edited Dec 18, 2019 11:58AM)Dec 18, 2019 11:55AM
Bonnie G. (narshkite) | 1082 commentsBook Riot wrote: "Hello book people! Our rec post for this task is now live. https://bookriot.com/2019/12/18/read-..."

I don't want to tell Book Riot how to do its job, but, How We Fight For Our Lives is a memoir, not a novel, and so does not fit this task. Also, I don't think Alyssa Cole identifies as queer, but I could be wrong about that. (Never mind on Alyssa Cole -- she is married to a man but identifies as bi so that one works.)

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[Stephanie]

Bonnie G. wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "Book Riot wrote: "Hello book people! Our rec post for this task is now live. https://bookriot.com/2019/12/18/read-......"

Yes, those recommendations were so all over the place I wouldn't know what to say about it. This one just has one wrong as Bonnie mentioned

[LdyGray]

I just read Gideon the Ninth for this challenge and absolutely loved it. Highly recommended!

[Sherri]

I finished Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett for this prompt.

[Dana]

I'm reading Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens. It's the 2019 debut novel (YA) by Tanya Boteju, who is a queer POC from Canada.

[Christine]

Ok I don't know the name of series and it's old. I read it when I was in my 20's. I'm 50 now so you knows its old. Takes place in San fresco. It follow a apartment building and it lead by a drag queen. There is straight and gay characters. This takes place before and during the Aids crisis. The author is a gay male. This series is famous and I'm sure you heard of it before. Its a great read. It was given to my gay roomate and I read it instead and really enjoyed it. Hope you find it!!

[Bonnie G.]

Tales of the City

[Christine]

Bonnie G. wrote: "Tales of the City"
Thank you I just couldn't think of that title. I read it probably 30 years ago so Its been awhile. If you haven't read it, do. Its a great read!!

[C.K.]

Bonnie wrote: "I'm really looking forward to reading Ocean Vuong's debut novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, for this one."

This is the one I read! It's amazing.

[Bonnie G.]

Read it and loved it. Heartbreaking and beautiful.

[Poppy]

Would Most Ardently count? It’s a retelling of Pride and Prejudice where Elizabeth is Latina and bi and Darcy is female. It’s a debut novel by Susan Mesler-Evans. I don’t know anything about her.

[Poppy]

Whoops, just saw her Goodreads profile, and she says she’s queer, so it counts.

[Leslie]

I just finished by Juliana Delgado Lopera. It is her debut novel. I enjoyed it. It has lots of Spanglish in it, if that's your thing.

[James]

Some older selections:
Junky by William S. Burroughs
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith

[Shelley]

I read Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee. He is a trans man and this debut novel won all sorts of awards. For me the sci-fi aspect was a bit too far removed but I can see why others enjoy it.

[Carolina]

I'm going to read The Near Witch as VE Schwab's debut

[Westiegirl]

I believe Reverie by Ryan La Sala meets the condition of this prompt. If it isn't please let me know! It was a good book!

[Jacob]

For this challenge, I read Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, which I greatly enjoyed for its detailed and intimate look at one woman's transformation and coming-of-age, even if the fairy tale interludes didn't always gel well with the rest of the story.

[[deleted user]]

For those who may be interested in an older novel, The Unlit Lamp by Radclyffe Hall is a good (if sad) read. Originally published in 1924, it centers around a young woman torn between loyalty to her overbearing mother and her friendship (and possibly more) with another woman.

[Marie]

Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

One of my favorite series and the first book by an author who identifies queer. I keep considering re-reading it, but I'm not sure I want to delve into a 14 book reread.

[Emerging]

Me again, with yet another question...lol! Does anyone know if Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly is a fit here? It's a debut novel and includes gay characters, but I have no idea how the author identifies.

[Claudia]

Crier's War by Nina Varela

[Amari]

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

[Emerging]

If anyone is looking for an outside-the-box suggestion, The Golden Gate by Vikram Seth would work. He is openly bi, and the book is a novel in verse and was his first novel. I haven't read it, but I do have it on my shelf. Just throwing it out there as a possibility for folks.

[Lisa]

Just finished . I don't typically read science fiction, but I liked this, more fiction than science although it was set in space.

[Virginia]

I read Fever King for this prompt.

[Sally]

Lisa wrote: "Just finished . I don't typically read science fiction, but I liked this, more fiction than science although it was set in space."

Read this last year, so can't use it here, but I recommend! Great fun, especially for fans of Firefly

[Octavia]

I read Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. It was not worth it.

[︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ Steph ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿]

I really enjoyed America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden.