YA LGBT Books discussion

This thread is for nominations for the YA LGBT book that you would like to see the group read in July 2013.

Anything we haven't already read is welcome. 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.

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.)

Okay the poll is now closed: VOTE results for July BotM

Voting went through midnight July 3rd. And the winner is Proxy by Alex London - discussion thread will be up shortly.

Because I want this genre read and I don't believe we have read a graphic novel/manga. Here are two nominations:

A + E 4ever by Ilike Merey

Wandering Son by Shimura Takako

Cool idea - are these available in ebook? Does ebook work for manga?

My library has these both, but some people don't have that access so I'm curious.

It's really difficult to find books that everyone can find or purchase in this group. With all the authors out there, one would think that they would want the benefit of being a reviewed book (book of the month) in the YA LGBT Genre enough to offer up some read for reviews for the book of the month.
I can tell you that in many of the other groups that I belong too, authors would beg for the privilege.
Go figure?

Tammy K. wrote: "It's really difficult to find books that everyone can find or purchase in this group. With all the authors out there, one would think that they would want the benefit of being a reviewed book (book..."

It is hard, although we've done okay. I don't mind free book offers after a book is chosen, but am reluctant to choose a BotM based on free books being available. We do have the "Read to Review" feature where authors can offer free copies for reviews without having to win a vote.

Kaje wrote: "Tammy K. wrote: "It's really difficult to find books that everyone can find or purchase in this group. With all the authors out there, one would think that they would want the benefit of being a re..."

Kaje, I should have worded that differently.
It is difficult to choose a book when so many of the titles that I would recommend cost $5.00 and up. I think about the fact that not everyone can drop down a chunk of change for a novella.
So I go back and forth with what is available for free out there that I feel also fits in this genre and rules for this genre.
With those two elements to consider, I wish that there were more authors of YA LGBT (as generous as you are) who would be willing to have a freebie day at the end of the month, with the hopes (but not the promise)of being selected as a book of the month.
Did that make more sense?

I looked in my public library and found this one Michael Griffo I do not see it as being marked already ready by the group.
Maybe others might be able to find it in their libraries?

Tammy K. wrote: "I looked in my public library and found this one Michael Griffo I do not see it as being marked already ready by the group.
Maybe others might be able to find it in th..."

Strike that it was reviewed November 2011

I'm going to nominate Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.

Here's the blurb: The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

I really enjoyed the book. It's a bit of a parody of the airplane crash thing and a bit of a social commentary as well. It was fairly funny, and I enjoyed the diversity of the cast. Without giving too much away, there's multiple LGBTQ characters of multiple identities, and there's also multiple people of color and a disabled character. I also think it did a really good job of being a critique of beauty pageant culture without necessarily devaluing everything about traditional femininity.

@ Tammy. I do know what you meant - just would want the offer to come after the vote maybe? Cost is definitely a consideration. I'm lucky enough to have a great local library for YA. Freebies would be cool where possible. I definitely would welcome a winning book offer of free copies, especially to the actual YA members.

I'm going to nominate Double Exposure - this is a free release, a 37 page short story; right now it's available from an adult site, but I bet Sam could also upload it to Goodreads for free download here. Reviews are very good so far.



Double Exposure

STORY INFO:
Genre: contemporary, young adult
Tags: cross-dressing, coming of age, visual arts, high school, sweet no sex
Word count: 12,750


A high school boy helping out his aunt on a photo shoot is asked to fill in as a model but as a girl, not a boy. The session leads to a kiss with another boy from school and opens the door to many emotions, dreams, and self-discovery.

Photo Description:
A beautiful young man looks outward through a tumble of messy, long, blond hair.

The Boy From Brighton by Geoffrey Knight

Eleven-year-old Charlie thinks he is invincible. He is convinced he has a clock for a heart, which makes it impossible for him to die or feel the sort of heartache his mother always feels every time she and Charlie must flee another abusive loser who doesn’t deserve a woman like Charlie’s mum.

So yet again Charlie and his mum find themselves at Aunty June’s in Brighton on the south coast of England. But while Charlie’s mum seeks refuge, Charlie himself lets his curiosity get the better of him in his latest attempt to prove his own immortality.

That’s when he meets him.

The boy who saves Charlie’s life.

The boy from Brighton.

---

I haven't read this but the reviews seem to quite enjoy it.

There are quite a few nominations this month!!

Here are a few books that I want to read/have read (Not sure whether the group has read them or not...)

(It's about 9 pages, and free too!!)

Blurbs (No spoilers, just wanted to keep the post short :)
-Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite: (view spoiler)[ From the heart of an intersex teen, one who must ultimately choose male or female—family or true love—comes the story of a deeply emotional and perilous journey home. This is a young adult novel unlike any other—an authentic portrayal of the issues faced by a child growing up with a sexually ambiguous body.

Jameson can be like other boys after minor surgery and a few years on testosterone Well, at least that’s what his parents always say. But Jamie sees an elfin princess in the mirror, and male hormones would only ruin her pretty face. For him to become the man his parents expect, Jameson must leave behind the hopes and dreams of a little girl. But what is so wrong with Jamie’s dreams that they can’t be her life? (hide spoiler)]

-Glitter: (view spoiler)[ I kept tripping over my feet, tripping over my words, and eventually gave up talking all together. You continued to smile anyway.

Words: 2,869 (approx) (hide spoiler)]

-The Benefit of Ductwork: (view spoiler)[ Andy was six when he was adopted by the men he calls Dad and Pops. At seventeen, he has almost escaped his early years and found security in his dads' loving home. But his neglected early childhood taught Andy that nothing good can be his forever. When his parents decide to foster Kyle, a young gay teenager in need of a place to stay, Andy can't help wondering if he's going to lose his dads to the new kid.

Author and Editor royalties from this book will go to Lambda Legal. (hide spoiler)]

The Dead Will Rise First


(There is definatly some violence and gore. Some mentioning and alluding to sexual abuse too.)

I personally think this is a wonderful book and is way more then just a "zombie" story and definitely deserves a lot of attention =D (not that im biased or anything =P)

Heres the discription:
The Christian rapture occurs and the now soulless bodies of Christians are left to terrorize all those left behind. TJ flees across Texas with his best friend, Ryan, and the remnants of his family, hoping for happiness, struggling just to survive. As they trek farther and farther South toward the coast, TJ and Ryan find comfort and love with one another. Their relationship is tested and they labor to stay alive and stay together in a world that God has unfortunately started to pay attention to.


This is my personal review which you can also find on the books page:

"I cant begin to describe how incredibly powerful this book is, it is truly one of a kind. I couldn't put it down once I had started reading it. You cant help but be swept up into this brilliantly written story set in a newly post-raptured world, cant help but be immersed completely into the lives of TJ and those few who are trying to survive with him.

Logan Kain skilfully captures what it is to be a gay teen who is in love, believes in god and the raw hope, anger and confusion that goes along with it. Sexuality and religion play big key roles in The Dead Will Rise First but it is handled in a tactful, yet honest way that doesn't over power the other great aspects of the book and also in a way that doesn't make you feel like an opinion is being forced on you. This book will move you, lift you up and tear you down and in the end leave you with a very touching message and you definitely wont want to leave its pages."

We have done The Benefit of Ductwork last year, but the others all look like great suggestions. We'll have plenty of good choices this month. Poll will go up at the end of the day.

Kaje wrote: "We have done The Benefit of Ductwork last year, but the others all look like great suggestions. We'll have plenty of good choices this month. Poll will go up at the end of the day."

Okay, cool :) I wasn't quite sure.

Proxy by Alex London is a great book that features an lgbt main character. I think everyone would enjoy it. It's set in a dystopian city and would spark the interest of any reader that liked the hunger games and the divergent trilogy!

Mark wrote: "Proxy by Alex London is a great book that features an lgbt main character. I think everyone would enjoy it. It's set in a dystopian city and would spark the interest of any reader that liked the hu..."

That sounds interesting:



Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.

Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.

Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid.

I'd like to nominate The Necessary Hunger , by Nina Revoyr.

As a star basketball player in her last year of high school, Nancy Takahiro's life is about to change forever. Faced with the college recruitment process and unsure of where her skill will take her, Nancy is not prepared for meeting Raina Webber, an All-State shooting guard whose passion for basketball is matched only by her talent.

When Nancy's father and Raina's mother move in together, the girls are faced with the challenge of negotiating their already intense friendship and rivalry. As Nancy's love for Raina grows and both prepare to leave inner city neighborhood that has nurtured them, they find themselves looking toward a future that is no longer easily defined.

Set against a backdrop of racial tension between the Asian American and African American communities of Los Angeles and infused with tenderness and passion. The Necessary Hunger explores not only the intricacies of the game of basketball, but also the very nature of the relationships young women create in the face of the odds that are stacked against them.

I would guess from the book's synopsis that there may be a little edgier content. I think it sounds intriguing, though, with very diverse potential appeal.

Wow, this will be a tough vote. Thanks for the nominations. People often use these threads for checking out recommended reads too. And if any book you nominate isn't on our group bookshelf it would be great if you add it (or ask me if you don't know how/want to.)

Ah, I didn't know Proxy had a LGBT MC.

That happened with Scars too. Surprised me in a good way :) It's nice to see more diversity in YA books, especially popular ones.

Deliver Us From Evie by M.E. Kerr
16-year-old Parr Burrman and his family face some difficult times when word spreads through their rural Missouri town that his older sister is a lesbian, and she leaves the family farm to live with the daughter of the town’s banker.

NOMINATIONS are now CLOSED.

The poll will be posted soon.

Okay the poll is up: Go VOTE here for July BotM - 11 nominations, so lots to choose from. I've repeated the list below so you can easily click on links to check them out.

A + E 4ever by ilike merey (graphic novel)
Wandering Son: Volume One by Shimura Takako (graphic novel)
Beauty Queens Libba Bray
Double Exposure by Sam Kadence (short story)
The Boy From Brighton by Geoffrey Knight
Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite by Lianne Simon
Glitter by Ayla Starr (very short story)
The Dead Will Rise First by Logan Kain (violence, edgy background)
Proxy by Alex London (dystopian)
The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr
Deliver us from Evie by M.E. Kerr

Edwin wrote: "Because I want this genre read and I don't believe we have read a graphic novel/manga. Here are two nominations:

A + E 4ever by Ilike Merey

[bookcover:Wandering S..."

If you don't know, they made a 12 part anime for
the Wandering Son manga. It can be seen on line
or downloaded if anyone is interested in watching it.

Teresa wrote: "If you don't know, they made a 12 part anime for
the Wandering Son manga. It can be seen on line
or downloaded if anyone is interested in watching it.
..."

very cool. Do you have a link?

You can watch it online here:

http://www.crunchyroll.com/hourou-mus...

There is a site to down load it, but I can't find it now. If someone wants it I will get when I get home.

Enjoy

Wow that is awesome. Thanks Teresa. I was not aware there was an anime and I am in crunchyroll all the time! Thanks for the link :)

You are welcome. Enjoy.

Poll closed..
http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/86...

And the winner is Proxy by Alex London - discussion thread will be up shortly.