YA LGBT Books discussion
Book Related Banter
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What YA Friendly Book Are You Currently Reading?
Pedro wrote: "Hi guys! I read two books this week and I am finishing my third atm. I wanted to talk about one of them, in particular, because I think it might help people who have similar issues to my own. I hav..."I have heard of it. In fact, I have it on my Kindle to read, but I have not read it yet. Sounds like I need to move it to the top of the stack.
Mel wrote: "Pedro wrote: "Hi guys! I read two books this week and I am finishing my third atm. I wanted to talk about one of them, in particular, because I think it might help people who have similar issues to..."Mel it's a beautiful, beautiful book! I read it all in one night. It's heartbreaking but also full of hope =) Please let me know what you thought of it when you read it <3
Pedro wrote: "Mel wrote: "Pedro wrote: "Hi guys! I read two books this week and I am finishing my third atm. I wanted to talk about one of them, in particular, because I think it might help people who have simil..."I will do that. I'll make sure it is next up on my list.
Mel wrote: "Pedro wrote: "Mel wrote: "Pedro wrote: "Hi guys! I read two books this week and I am finishing my third atm. I wanted to talk about one of them, in particular, because I think it might help people ..."YAY =D I hope you'll love it as much as I did =) I've also read Wonder this week, by R.J.Palacio and loved it even more! But since that one is super known I didn't really mentioned it because prob everyone knows about it already.
Rob wrote: "Jayly wrote: "
This is the sequel to Proxy, which I loved for the gay lead, hopefully this one is as good."I started reading this at the weekend straight after finish..."
I didn't like that one as much. My thesis adviser set Proxy as required reading for my thesis which was an original novel with an entirely LGBT cast, and I devoured Proxy in a day, but I could not for the life of me get into Guardian. I think I didn't like it because half of my ship died in Proxy and I shipped that ship so hard.
It's also the reason I'm struggling through Dark Currents which is from the Emperor's Edge series and YA friendly...or at least I would willingly give it to a 16 year old without fear of content. anyway, SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS two of my favorite characters are plotting to kill my absolute favorite smol son character and I do not want. That being said, I know they won't succeed because I KNOW he's in later books. SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS.
Pedro wrote: "Hi guys! I read two books this week and I am finishing my third atm. I wanted to talk about one of them, in particular, because I think it might help people who have similar issues to my own. I hav..."I am reading at at the moment yeah, but because I have to finish two other books first, it's a little on hold. Also because it is triggering for me, it's all too familiar, but I'll finish it, it's a really good book :)
I too have anxiety disorder, and clinical depression (MDD).
Ulysses wrote: "Matthew J. Metzger's "The Suicidal Peanut," which I've just given five stars on Amazon and Goodreads. Loved it. Also a trans asexual author...A different, funny and really touching YA book."Wasn't that good? I really enjoyed a bit of a lighter take from him. He's now an auto-buy author for me.
I'm about to start Golden Boy
Shelley wrote: "I just finished Guyliner by Bailey. Five stars! Woot woot!!Also read Double Exposure by Sam Kadence. Five amazing stars! It's part of the Love Has No Boundaries Anthology: Volume 6. The anthologi..."
Just be aware that the LHNB anthologies other than Sam's story are very much adult M/M without a lot of limits.
Pedro wrote: "Hi guys! I read two books this week and I am finishing my third atm. I wanted to talk about one of them, in particular, because I think it might help people who have similar issues to my own. I hav..."I've read and enjoyed Suicide Watch - I reviewed it here - 4.5 stars - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It isn't totally dark, but it does as the title suggests get into depression and suicide as main themes. I thought it was well done though.
Kaje wrote: "Pedro wrote: "Hi guys! I read two books this week and I am finishing my third atm. I wanted to talk about one of them, in particular, because I think it might help people who have similar issues to..."That's a great review, Kaje. I'm sold that it needs to be next up for me. Thanks.
Kaje wrote: "Shelley wrote: "I just finished Guyliner by Bailey. Five stars! Woot woot!!Also read Double Exposure by Sam Kadence. Five amazing stars! It's part of the Love Has No Boundaries Anthology: Volume ..."
Oh, thank you Kaje. (Forehead slap) I didn't even think about the rest of the anthology. I just loved the book Double Exposure so much that was all I was focused on.
Darren wrote: "Pedro wrote: "Hi guys! I read two books this week and I am finishing my third atm. I wanted to talk about one of them, in particular, because I think it might help people who have similar issues to..."Darren it wasn't an easy read for me for the same exact reasons, but like they were saying, it isn't all dark, it's actually a book filled with hope and the ending was pretty perfect =) If you ever feel up to chatting let me know or message me.
I just finished
The Winner's Trilogy
, by Marie Rutkoski. I like the series (although I liked her earlier Kronos Chronicles even better), and was pleased when a significant supporting character in the third book whom I'd been reading as queer acknowledged himself as such in the canon. Now I just need to hope for Rutkoski to give that character his own story. ;-)
Pedro and Kaje, thanks for those replies. I will finish the book after I finished The Ghost of Buxton Manor then :)
Gabby wrote: "Jayly wrote: "
I'm currently reading: The Bane Chronicles. If you're not familiar with Magnus Bane, let's just say he's a very gay warlock obs..."I have read the series and I must say, he is an AMAZING CHARACTER.
I just finished the book "Two Boys Kissing" and I also just recently finished a book called "Girl Mans up" which were both equally fantastic. I am starting a couple books at once like "One Man Guy" and "Annie on My Mind."
Claire wrote: "I just finished the book "Two Boys Kissing" and I also just recently finished a book called "Girl Mans up" which were both equally fantastic. I am starting a couple books at once like "One Man Guy"and "Annie on My Mind."..."I enjoyed both of those books - I hope you like them.
Claire wrote: "I just finished the book "Two Boys Kissing" and I also just recently finished a book called "Girl Mans up" which were both equally fantastic. I am starting a couple books at once like "One Man Guy"..."I Loved Two Boys Kissing! I really wanna read One Man Guy and Annie on my mind so I'm looking forward to your input so that I can decide weather or not I should read them =D
Lori wrote: "What are you reading? Let us know what you think of it and if it's a book that should go on our bookshelf, feel free to add it. Please keep in mind that this is a YA group so books suggested should..."KINGSLEY by Carolyn O'Neal is a YA novel with strong and compelling LGBT characters. It doesn't begin LGBT but takes that turn in the 2nd half so is definitely worth reading. Especially good for readers also interested in the environment and women's rights. It's rated 5 stars on Amazon with 30 reviews, pretty good, I think. Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Kingsley-Carol...
Not Your Sidekick
- I'm trying to catch up on books of the month, and I loved the last one I read by this author.
I'm in the midst of
Murder Is Bad Manners
. It's decently written, but, despite that and its short chapters, I keep finding my attention wandering -- partly because I think Daisy treats Hazel discourteously more often than she should, when they're meant to be best friends. Also, I keep getting all the girls' Miss Such-and-Such teacher suspects confused, which makes investment in the central mystery tricky. I'm continuing to read primarily in the hope that Hazel one-ups Daisy in their detecting efforts and they then manage to even out their relationship more.
Claire wrote: "I just finished the book "Two Boys Kissing" and I also just recently finished a book called "Girl Mans up" which were both equally fantastic. I am starting a couple books at once like "One Man Guy"..."Hmm, All of those are on my TBR. I'll be watching to see what you think of them.
I just finished reading Symptoms of Being Human
It was a good book, and gave an accurate sort of slice-of-life feel to what it is like in being genderfluid. Though everyone experiences things differently, I feel like it was accurate and I really enjoyed reading it. It's so refreshing to find a book that's not just about homosexual relationships (which I read all the time tbh). You don't see many books in the perspective of someone who experiences gender differently than what books usually portray.
It was a good book, and gave an accurate sort of slice-of-life feel to what it is like in being genderfluid. Though everyone experiences things differently, I feel like it was accurate and I really enjoyed reading it. It's so refreshing to find a book that's not just about homosexual relationships (which I read all the time tbh). You don't see many books in the perspective of someone who experiences gender differently than what books usually portray.
Ayla wrote: "I just finished reading Symptoms of Being Human It was a good book, and gave an accurate sort of slice-of-life feel to what it is like in being genderf..."
This is still on my TBR list so I'm happy to see that you enjoyed it and that it gives a fresh perspective.
Tully wrote: "I am just starting the audio of Golden Boy today on a long drive."This is next on my TBR pile.
Just finished Fake It
- a fun, fast story about a gay high school senior trying to decide his path in life, and the poor-rich-boy he begins falling for. A bit tropey, but well done, with interesting characters, and sex hinted at but not on page. Mostly first person from Jack's POV, with occasional 3rd person snippets that didn't annoy me.(Also read quasi-paranormal The House on Fremont Drive - the sex is a bit borderline for YA and the resolution kind of drops the plot threads, so it started better than it ended.)
I just finished Noggin
- This is about 16 year old Travis who underwent cryogenesis after being diagnosed with a terminal cancer, which resulted in his head being attached to another person's body. After being frozen for 5 years, he wakes up to find his friends have not only gotten older, but have some issues and news of their own. His best friend is still in denial about being gay and his girlfriend is engaged to another man. With all of these changes, Travis feels like he's stuck in the past and forced to live in the future.It was very engaging read and really makes you think about a lot of life issues.
Wow, interesting premise. Jackie.I'm reading Shut Your Face, Anthony Pace! - really good so far. The warning suggests some sex content though so it's borderline for YA. But has some important topics about family and personality, handled with a light touch so far.
Blurb: First love - coming of age - family - acceptance
When Charlie was eight years old, his mum bought him a microscope for his birthday. Since then, he's known how he wants to spend his life. There have been trials, and challenges, but now - finally - the day is here for him to start college with his lifelong friend Anthony Pace.
Anthony is a red-haired force of nature. He writes poetry about their enemies and eagerly participates in all Charlie's science experiments without understanding a word. Every morning, he waits at the end of their street so they can get the bus together.
But things are changing.
Families are important, and complex. Charlie's mum hasn't been well, and his relationship with Anthony begins to shine like a different star in the sky.
Can everything come together in this explosion of physics and chemicals that Charlie calls life? Will Anthony Pace ever share his poems with the world, and can the Chihuahua, Princess Arabella, ever learn to stop licking
I just finished the first two books in Sam Kadence's Vocal Growth series (book 1: On the Right Track; book 2: Unicorns and Rainbow Poop). They are tough reads because of the content, which touches on bullying, abuse, neglect, domestic violence, rape, body dysmorphic disorders, and addiction. Sam does a great job handling the dark topics, often diving into the psyche of the victim after the abuse then contrasting it with another character who offers hope to the victim. The series almost always has a positive end for the queer characters, but the second book does end on a sour note (hopefully a cliffhanger that leads to a third book).Good reads overall if you're not sensitive to the topics.
That ending for book 2 drove me crazy! I really hope too, Rez, that a third book will appear.
Reading Underworld by Meg Cabot second in the Abandon series and I really like it. It's based on the Hades and Persephone myth. But modernized and a stronger female lead.
I recently read (and loved) this book: Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel and decided to try another one by the same author, If You Could Be Mine and although it has a feel problems so far (the MC refering to men dressed as women as "abnormal" and being overall weird) it's enjoyable. Both books are about middle-eastern lesbians, and very relatable. I would recommend!
Just finished reading Lies We Tell Ourselves and it was AWESOME. I also thought it was very relevant to race relations in the United States today. I think the author did a great job of showing both sides of what people are thinking and their thought processes. It's also an LGBTQ YA book. Great read.I also read two other LGBTQ YA books this year that were outstanding:
1. Girl Mans Up
2. Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit
3. Of Fire and Stars (To Read)
I'm currently working on Highly Illogical Behavior
. This is a great read so far. The chapters alternate between a boy named Solomon who has agoraphobia resulting from panic disorder, and a girl named Lisa who wants to go to college in psychology and decides to "Treat" Solomon in order to write an essay about him and earn a scholarship (without telling him of course). If you like LGBT books that also talk about mental illness, you'll enjoy this one. Also, if you like Star Trek, there are a lot of Next Generation References. Solomon even turned his garage into a Holodeck! It's very well written.
Sam wrote: "I recently read (and loved) this book: Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel and decided to try another one by the same author, If You Could Be Mine and although it ..."I just finished Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel and also really enjoyed it! I marked her other one you mentioned as to read.
Currently reading the ARC of The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid. I don't know what I think about it yet.
I'm still finishing We Are the Ants - the writing is very good, but there is a definite "why do we even bother" darkness to the MC viewpoint that might be triggering for depression.
I've finished Georgia Peaches And Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown, and I LOVED it! It's about a teenage out-and-proud girl who has to move to a super conservative town and makes a deal with her father to pretend to be straight. It deals a lot with coming out and homophobia, even with being queer and having faith. I highly recommend!
Taryn wrote: "Currently reading the ARC of The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid. I don't know what I think about it yet."I also started reading it some time ago! How far in are you?
Kaje wrote: "I'm still finishing We Are the Ants - the writing is very good, but there is a definite "why do we even bother" darkness to the MC viewpoint that might be triggering for depression."I read it some time ago too, I think it might be my favourite book, actually
I recommend pre-ordering this book: https://www.amazon.com/Senior-Year-Wh...
This is definitely something that would interest you guys!
Kiana wrote: "I recommend pre-ordering this book: https://www.amazon.com/Senior-Year-Wh...
This is definitely something that would interest you guys!"
Congratulations on your upcoming book release. Is it a contemporary? The blurb reads like it could also be fantasy or alternative universe?
You may also want to list it in the appropriate month for "New releases".
I'm just under halfway through Secret Heart by Danielle Dreger and am loving it! Main character is the guitarist and songwriter in a punk rock band, who's been out as a lesbian for a while. Love interest is a popular girl who's always thought she was straight but falls for the MC. Fairly generic in some ways but REALLY great characterisation and I think the chemistry between the pair of them is fantastic!
Cool - we're always looking for good books that are not gay middle class white teen guys, (who are wonderful, but still dominate the books.) Secret Heart sounds good.
Michael wrote: "I'm reading 
for the 3rd time! We are reading for my school's book club"How was it? I just bought a copy.
YA LGBT Books
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Has anyone out there read it or heard of it?