Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Since it's almost June, I figured I would start a conversation about Pride Reads. I know prompt #12 is about an LGBTQ+ protagonist, but I figure I am not the only one reading more than one pride themed book.

For June I plan to read the following pride insipred books:
In Other Lands
Juliet Takes a Breath
Every Heart a Doorway
Resilience

Kim & Kim Vol. 2
The Backstagers, Vol. 1
Princess Princess Ever After

Other books by LGBTQ+ authors that I read year this year for the pop sugar challenge:
I'm Just a Person
Not Your Sidekick
Not Your Villain
All the Birds in the Sky
All are recommended. All, but the last one, have LGBTQ+ protagonists.

And some recommended comics with LGBTQ+ protagonists from this year's reads:
Fresh Romance, Vol. 2 (also vol. 1)
Goldie Vance Vol. 3 (also vols. 1 & 2)
The Prince and the Dressmaker

Does anyone else have plans for Pride Month Reads?

Great list, Eujean2!

I just got the newest Cat Sebastian book, Unmasked by the Marquess, and I'm very excited to read it! I think I'll also try to finish Kai Ashante Wilson's The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps - I really liked another of the author's novels, A Taste of Honey, and I think this one is set in the same world.

I also have holds on Prince & Knight and The Prince and the Dressmaker, and I'd be delighted if they came in during June!

I have so much to read in June. 😥

Plan to reread the Lumberjanes series since I recently got vols 7 and 8, and Moonstruck, Volume One: Magic to Brew, which is a fantasy graphic novel about werewolf girlfriends. Also doing a group (re)read of The Song of Achilles.
There's a June prompt in the Summer Reading Challenge to read an LGBTQIA+ book, I have a few options for it but probably going to pick Rubyfruit Jungle. The SRC also has a prompt for "book featuring a father", for which I'm reading The Haunting of Henry Twist - I don't really know anything about this book aside from the cover description, but there's definitely some LGBT+ elements to the story.

Those are the definites but I'll see what else I read that could fit.

Well if there are any SFF fans out there here's what I've read for the year so far:

Provenance
The Black Tides of Heaven
New Moon
Wolf Moon
Carnival
Planetfall

Historical Fiction:
Fingersmith

Literary Fiction:
The Immortalists

All of them were great reads.

Oh, I already own Provenance and Fingersmith. Maybe.

Cendaquenta wrote: "Oh, I already own Provenance and Fingersmith. Maybe."

Provenance is maybe less specifically LGBTQ+. I just know the world was very diverse and I'm reasonably sure there was good representation all around.

Fingersmith on the other hand is most definitely LGBTQ+.

I read Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout earlier this year. Great read, especially for against me fans. I saved Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda to read in June.

I read lies my girlfriend told me! It’s really good!

My life and reading habits don´t really comply with reading themed months, but here are some LGBTQ+ books I´ve read and really enjoyed the last couple of years. Some have gender and sexual orientation as a main theme, and in some it is just a minor part of the story. This is all YA.

If I Was Your Girl
The Rest of Us Just Live Here
More Than This
Release
I'll Give You the Sun
Grasshopper Jungle
They Both Die at the End

I forgot, I'm also planning to read The Nowhere Girls in June. It has an F/F romance and an autistic protagonist! (Not sure if the autistic girl is involved in the romance - suspect not because, y'know, since when did neurodivergent/disabled people get love interests in media... 🙄)

Oh geez, I looked for this thread and didn’t se it, so started another one. :P

I have a lot of plans!

Nevada - dark comedy w/ a trans woman protagonist
Trigger and Pathogen - a (lesbian) medical examiner and cop team up and fall in love, and they solve crimes!
Peter Darling - Peter Pan grows up and resigns himself to live as Wendy Darling but knows he is really a man
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic - graphic memoir about family and coming out

Just read Planetfall by Emma Newman. Also a good pick for this month.

I technically already read mine for this one, but I definitely went with Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, but I also like the following:

Call Me by Your Name - similar to the movie, but even better
Running With Lions - this releases June 8! I've met the author, he's super sweet and it's supposed to be a sweet book
Leah on the Offbeat - same author as Simon Vs. and in the same universe!

The ones I'm planning so far are:

Middlesex for monthly challenge
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda for my bookclub
Autoboyography which is set in a nearby town

I'll keep checking this thread for ideas.

Here is what I am looking at so far. Let's see if I do better at actually reading something from my initial list this month!

I have in paper:
Less - Pulitzer Prize winner
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Gracefully Grayson - trans
Love Is Love: A Comic Book Anthology to Benefit the Survivors of the Orlando Pulse Shooting
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo - delightful picture book

I have on audio:
Alan Turing: The Enigma - Started listening yesterday but fell asleep quickly so haven't really heard that much yet. From the bits I've heard so far though, it seems to be as much about math as Alan. The introduction sounds like a contemplation of Westworld lol
You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams: My Life in Stories and Pictures - Alan Cumming

Audio I'm considering:
Maurice - classic
Dreadnought - trans
Under the Udala Trees - Nigerian
Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was - Icelandic
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Speak No Evil - narrated by the wonderful Prentice Onayemi


Still looking for ideas? Check out the Audible Pride Month page

Hi! Any suggestions for pride month reads that would fit certain prompts? Please and thank you.

Stephanie wrote: "Hi! Any suggestions for pride month reads that would fit certain prompts? Please and thank you."

I could probably suggest some. Any specific prompts you're looking to fulfil?

The Black Tides of Heaven (fantasy) possible fits:
Book with an LGBTQ+ Protagonist
A book with a color in the title (I won’t assume black is your favorite but just putting it out there)
A book with characters who are twins

Planetfall (sci-fi):
A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
A book set on a different planet
A book about mental health (sort of- depends on if you interpret book to include fiction)

If SFF are not your thing, The Immortalists (literary fiction) fits:
A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
A book about death or grief (again if we’re including fiction)
A book published in 2018

Of the three of them, I think I rated them all 4 stars, but I was fondest of The Black Tides of Heaven. There is a cool story about the author that goes along with it. It’s short, and it makes you think. I still need to read the companion novella, but I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to more of Yang’s work.

Thank you! Specific prompts I still need books for are: A book involving a heist, Nordic noir, A novel based on a real person, A book with your favorite color in the title (pink), A book with song lyrics in the title, A book about or set on Halloween, A book that involves a bookstore or library, A cyberpunk book, and A book by an author with the same first or last name as you (Stephanie). Please and thank you.

Stephanie wrote: "Thank you! Specific prompts I still need books for are: A book involving a heist, Nordic noir, A novel based on a real person, A book with your favorite color in the title (pink), A book with song..."

For "based on a real person" - Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, which is partly based on the author's own life. Also heard of a book the other day called Confessions of the Fox, which is apparently based on a famous historical thief, but judging by the reviews it may be quite explicit.

For colour, literally the second result which comes up when you search "pink" is Pink, in which the MC is a lesbian teenager.

Don't have a lot of time right now so will need to get back to you on the others later.

Stephanie wrote: "Thank you! Specific prompts I still need books for are: A book involving a heist, Nordic noir, A novel based on a real person, A book with your favorite color in the title (pink), A book with song..."

If you loosely define heist to include cons Fingersmith is fantastic.

For general suggestions of LGBT books that I love I would recommend:

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - charming historical fiction
Fires of the Faithful - A really underrated fantasy/alt history with an LGBT protagonist who channels magical powers through music. Very unique.

Stephanie wrote: "Thank you! Specific prompts I still need books for are: A book involving a heist, Nordic noir, A novel based on a real person, A book with your favorite color in the title (pink), A book with song..."

I liked Six of Crows for a heist novel! such fun and a great read.

I'm reading The Invention of Wings which is based on a real person.

I liked Ready Player One for cyberpunk which is good times.

Sweetbitter and Caraval are both Stephanies. I haven't read either, but they're on my to read list.

Thanks! Will be checking out your suggestions

I can't believe the first week of June is already over!!

I'm not sure what I'll be reading for Pride month. I started a phenomenal book of poetry by Chen Chen: When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities. I started this for Asian American heritage month, but it certainly applies to Pride month also! I am really loving his poems and I highly recommend it (if you like modern poetry). I'm pretty sure this won a Lambda prize.

I also have Pink checked out from NYPL, so I'll be reading that soon.

And I'm ALWAYS up for some Elizabeth Bear, so I'll probably read something from her next.

Just in case all of these fantastic rec's from all of you aren't enough, here are some lists from NYPL that I just got in email.
Pride month events at NYPL (this is more a list of events than books, including author readings, movie, dances, and parties - possibly only interesting to NYC residents)
ALA's GLBT Book Month (includes activities, bookmarks, book lists, and reading group guides - some of their links are broken)
Rainbow book list for kids and teens
Over the Rainbow for adults
NYPL Staff picks for Pride Month

Powell's also has a nifty Pride page

http://www.powells.com/pride

I finished Peter Darling this morning, and highly recommend it! I can’t think of the right words, so I’ll just say SO GOOD!

Chrissy wrote: "I finished Peter Darling this morning, and highly recommend it! I can’t think of the right words, so I’ll just say SO GOOD!"

One of my favorites from 2017! Thrilled to see it getting some love here <3

Thanks to all who share lists!

How could I have forgotten Bingo Love in my initial list?!? It is really wonderful! (I kickstarted the book way back when & now it's being published by Image!)
Obviously it works for the LGBTQ+ Pop Sugar prompt. It may also work for different ethnicity and published in 2018. Additionally, it works for several Read Harder prompts (comic written by a person of color, a romance novel by/about a person of color, female protagonist over the age of 60.) And it works for the AyT prompt about a warm atmosphere. Basically, get your hands on this book and read it!

Just checking in to say that I am REALLY enjoying Pink (except I wish she called her parents "Mom and Dad" because each time she says "Pat" or "David," I have to pause and figure out who she's talking about again. Is this a "thing" in Australia to call your parents by their first names? or is this just an annoying quirk in this book?) It's fun and breezy YA, the teens sound very realistic, and the protagonist is sometimes kind of a self-centered oblivious jerk, which also feels very realistic (who among us is an angel 24/7????).

Nadine wrote: "Just checking in to say that I am REALLY enjoying Pink (except I wish she called her parents "Mom and Dad" because each time she says "Pat" or "David," I have to pause and figure out..."

I haven´t read "Pink" so I don´t know when it takes place, but I´m a 70s sorta hippie child, and I call my mom and dad by their first names, not "mom" and "dad", that´s how they brought us up. I think it was a thing to do with breaking the traditional, hierarchical family structures or something along those lines. This was in Denmark, and it wasn´t normal among my class-mates, but normal where we lived. (A 100 house-area on the outskirts of town, surrounded by other types of housing but still it´s own community). I was just thinking it might be a 70s thing.

It's set in the present, but she does stress that the parents are progressive-types, all about non-conforming etc etc. So I guess that's why. But it's making it harder for me to read and keep all the characters straight!

I think my non-community friends were also confused sometimes, that I didn´t call them mom and dad ;)

If you haven't read Alan Cumming's memoir... do it! It was wonderful. I also recommend the audio book because he narrates and his accent is amazing :)

I just finished They Both Die at the End and it was wonderful!

I’m curious if anyone has recommendations for non-YA books with asexual protagonists? The only one I’ve ever been able to find is Every Heart a Doorway, but I’d love more.

Rebecca wrote: "I’m curious if anyone has recommendations for non-YA books with asexual protagonists? The only one I’ve ever been able to find is Every Heart a Doorway, but I’d love more."

I've had some trouble finding non-YA ace rep, too, but I loved All the Wrong Places (m/m ace romance), and I've heard good things about Thaw (f/f ace romance).

If anyone has additional recs, I'd love to see them!

It’s Sci-fi but it’s definitely not YA: Luna: New Moon has an asexual protagonist. There are several MCs and there is just one but that’s one I read and enjoyed.

Rebecca wrote: "I’m curious if anyone has recommendations for non-YA books with asexual protagonists? The only one I’ve ever been able to find is Every Heart a Doorway, but I’d love more."

Dread Nation - one of the protagonists MIGHT be asexual, hard to tell, things might change in later books.

I just found this list on GoodReads for ace characters. It does not specify protagonists.
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6...

I have heard good things about The Cybernetic Tea Shop. At 65 pages, It's probably more of a short story.

Thank you for the recs, everyone! :)

Rebecca wrote: "I’m curious if anyone has recommendations for non-YA books with asexual protagonists? The only one I’ve ever been able to find is Every Heart a Doorway, but I’d love more."

Not the protagonist by any means but Enjorlas from Les Misérables is my favourite asexual character to the extent that fanfics that put him into sexual relationships (especially straight ones) infuriate me! Let him just focus on his revolution alright!

This is probably embarrassing to admit but Les Mis fanfic was how I even learned what asexuality was! I think at this point I’ve read every asexual Enjolras fic multiple times (and, you know, started contributing my own because that tag is still so small!)

I think it's amazing that for a book written in the 19th century that it's pretty much canon.

Rebecca wrote: "I’m curious if anyone has recommendations for non-YA books with asexual protagonists? The only one I’ve ever been able to find is Every Heart a Doorway, but I’d love more."

The World According to Garp. Garp's mother is asexual. Garp himself is most definitely heterosexual, but there are some minor characters who are lesbians and a secondary character who's trans.

Rebecca wrote: "Thank you for the recs, everyone! :)"

Rebecca I’m so sorry- I just realized the book I recommended (Luna: New Moon) - the MC is autosexual not asexual. I still recommend it, it’s a great read, but I wanted to let you know just in case you did try it. There is a very broad representation of the LGBTQ+ community though.

Rebecca wrote: "I’m curious if anyone has recommendations for non-YA books with asexual protagonists? The only one I’ve ever been able to find is Every Heart a Doorway, but I’d love more."

https://www.queeromanceink.com/ If you head there and search by identity you can find any LGBT subset you want including Ace.

Ninestar Press has a lot of Ace/Aro books here https://ninestarpress.com/product-cat...

Sarah wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Thank you for the recs, everyone! :)"

Rebecca I’m so sorry- I just realized the book I recommended (Luna: New Moon) - the MC is autosexual not asexual. I still recommend it, it’s a..."

No problem at all! Pickings are so sparse I'm definitely open to anything that's ace-spec.

Rebecca wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Thank you for the recs, everyone! :)"

Rebecca I’m so sorry- I just realized the book I recommended (Luna: New Moon) - the MC is autosexual not asexual. I still recomm..."

You’re right- ace characters are very underrepresented. I think that’s why when you said that my head went right to that book because it was literally the first time I’d seen something in that spectrum. I just know when I’m looking for something specific or have my expectations set and then the book doesn’t meet them it can be disappointing.

I have found myself reading a LOT of queer fiction this year!

First, I will start by saying that I am gay, and I get a lot of gay fiction recommended to me by way of that fact.

So far this year I have read:
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Call Me by Your Name
The Heart's Invisible Furies (I did not know this once was going to be gay going into the book, so I was so pleasantly surprised)
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

While the above books were centered around Queer themes, I have also read Artemis and The Female Persuasion, which both contain Queer characters, and Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body was written by a Queer woman.

Of these, I would DEFINITELY recommend: Hunger, The Heart's Invisible Furies, Fun Home, and Aristotle and Dante

Some other great LGBT novels include Carry On, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Lure, and anything by David Sedaris.

I also was really excited to see an LGBT+ novel win the Pulitzer this year (Less) and want to pick up The House of Impossible Beauties.

Sorry, as you can tell this is a topic that gets me super excited.