YA LGBT Books discussion

The Rainbow Awards have categories for adult LGBT books, but also for YA;

The list of finalists just posted, including some group member authors.

I had a member ask about keeping the list posted in order to challenge themselves to read all of the finalist books. Have you read some of these? Are you interested in trying to read the whole list?

Here are the finalists:

J.P. Barnaby -Aaron
-or the more YA, less intense version: A Broken Kind of Life
James Erich - Dreams
Brent Hartinger - The Elephant of Surprise
Gene Gant - The Battle for Jericho
Madison Parker - Play Me, I'm Yours
Laura Hughes - Don't Ask
Marcelino Rosas - Afuera: A Young Latino's Journey
Val Kovalin - Reach for the Moon
Huston Piner - My Life as a Myth
Bill Konigsberg - Openly Straight
Elliott DeLine - I Know Very Well How I Got My Name
Will Parkinson - Pitch
Dan Skinner - Memorizing You
Michael J. Bowler - Children of the Knight
Sherrie Henry - Last of the Summer Tomatoes
Jere' M. Fishback - Tyler Buckspan
Kris Jacen editor - Lost and Found anthology
Sara Alva - Social Skills

**be aware that some of these have edgy or potentially triggering content**

If you want to try out the challenge - Copy and paste the list in a comment box below. Then you can come back and note whatever you like about each book as you read it (rating, content, or just the date.)

Remember you can edit your own comment over and over, by clicking on the "edit" option to the lower right of the comment box. That lets you come back and update it. I'm going to give the list a try...

Kaje

J.P. Barnaby - Aaron: 4* - very angsty and intense, *triggering*
James Erich - Dreams
Brent Hartinger - The Elephant of Surprise
Gene Gant - The Battle for Jericho
Madison Parker - Play Me, I'm Yours
Laura Hughes - Don't Ask
Marcelino Rosas - Afuera: A Young Latino's Journey
Val Kovalin - Reach for the Moon
Huston Piner - My Life as a Myth
Bill Konigsberg - Openly Straight - 4* really enjoyed this one
Elliott DeLine - I Know Very Well How I Got My Name
Will Parkinson - Pitch
Dan Skinner - Memorizing You writing style didn't quite work for me
Michael J. Bowler - Children of the Knight
Sherrie Henry - Last of the Summer Tomatoes
Jere' M. Fishback - Tyler Buckspan
Kris Jacen editor - Lost and Found anthology
Sara Alva - Social Skills - 4.25* - slow, sweet, favorites, some sex

BTW, Val Kovlin has just put Reach for the Moon down to $1 at Amazon & ARe, if you're buying these. http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...

I read and enjoyed Bill Konigsberg's Openly Straight.

I just searched the catalog for the libraries in my state and none of the other titles are listed.

John wrote: "I read and enjoyed Bill Konigsberg's Openly Straight.

I just searched the catalog for the libraries in my state and none of the other titles are listed."

I can get the Brent Hartinger - The Elephant of Surprise as well. I don't know how many others are out in paperback, but my library doesn't have them. Some libraries might have the ebooks for loan.

The OSLRI catalog shows what's available in the Ocean State's 50+ library systems and EZone.

I'll check the HELIN catalog of local academic institution holdings tomorrow and see what I find there.

FYI for the younger readers or those easily disturbed: Aaron is available in a more-YA-friendly version titled A Broken Kind of Life, published through Dreamspinner's Harmony Ink Press imprint. It might be a better choice for those who are interested in taking this challenge but don't want the intensity of the original version. (I haven't read Aaron; I read A Broken Kind of Life and would let my 15-year-old read it if she wanted to.)

A Broken Kind of Life does, however, contain MAJOR triggers even though it is meant to be more YA-friendly.

Thanks Jo - I agree that Aaron is a very tough read.

Jo wrote: "FYI for the younger readers or those easily disturbed: Aaron is available in a more-YA-friendly version titled A Broken Kind of Life, published through Dreamspinner's Harmony Ink Press imprint. It ..."
Aaron is a tough read, so I have the YA version, also, to show kids I feel might benefit from it.

I put it up into the main list, so readers can choose.