The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Can someone help me find a positive gay or lesbian character. Thanks!

My first thought was Brokeback Mountain?

I think I'll be reading Maurice A Novel by E.M. Forster. He wrote it in the early 1900s, 1913 or so I think, but it didn't get published until the 1970s because the subject matter was pretty scandalous in his time.

I see a lot of people are reading Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist for this one. I've added it in tentatively, as I've wanted to read it for ages, but I'm not sure who the gay/lesbian character is!

I'm reading A Case of Exploding Mangoes
by Mohammed Hanif

Best books with gay/lesbian characters
A Listmania! list by "lodibear"


1. Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
The list author says:
"A great feelgood book about friendship and relationships in general"

2. The Berlin Novels by Christopher Isherwood
The list author says:
"Captures the feel of another time and place. Basis for the film Cabaret"

3. A Boy's Own Story (Picador Books) by Edmund White
The list author says:
"An early classic. One of the first books I read with a gay theme."

4. Memoirs of Hadrian: And Reflections on the Composition of Memoirs of Hadrian (Penguin Modern Classics) by Marguerite Yourcenar
The list author says:
"Historic, without being boring. I cannot figure it out."


5. Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder (Essential Penguin) by Evelyn Waugh
The list author says:
"a masterpiece"


6. Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing by May Sarton
The list author says:
"a quiet novel about a woman reflecting upon her past"


7. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (Penguin Modern Classics) by Carson McCullers
The list author says:
"Member of the Wedding ain't too shabby either"

8. The City and the Pillar by Gore Vidal
The list author says:
"Yes, Myra Breckenridge is funnier"

9. Was by Geoff Ryman
The list author says:
"Tracks down the real Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz"

10. The Hours by Michael Cunningham
The list author says:
"I don't know how many people have said, I don't understand this! Three women in alternating chapters. Duh!"

11. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon
The list author says:
"Everything he writes is excellent"

12. Father Of Frankenstein by Christopher Bram
The list author says:
"Basis for the film Gods and Monsters"

13. Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
The list author says:
"Soon to be a major motion picture."

14. The Well of Loneliness (Virago modern classics) by Radclyffe Hall
The list author says:
"Don't be lesbian without it!"

15. Giovanni's Room (Penguin Modern Classics) by James Baldwin
The list author says:
"Another must read."

16. Maurice (Penguin Modern Classics) by E.M. Forster
The list author says:
"A must read"

17. An Arrow's Flight by Mark Merlis
The list author says:
"Love in the time of Achilles"

18. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The list author says:
"Read it, if you haven't read it already"

19. Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
The list author says:
"It's not like The Waltons"

20. The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren
The list author says:
"There has not been another novel like it. Ground-breaking, considering when it was written."

21. Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai
The list author says:
"Coming of age in Sri Lanka"

22. Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown
The list author says:
"Written before she became Catwoman"

23. Dancer from the Dance by Andrew Holleran
The list author says:
"Read it a long, long time ago. Don't remember it, but it belongs to the ABCs of gay lit"

24. Oranges are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
The list author says:
"Young lesbian girl gets beaten up by Christian parents"

25 Prep by Sittenfeld
The gay character has a rocky start in high school at (Groton) but ends up okay in life.

One of my favorite audiobooks is Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. It is funny and a quick read.

Sarah wrote: "Can someone help me find a positive gay or lesbian character. Thanks!"

I just posted a list of books for you. Lots of great choices on it.

Shannon wrote: "My first thought was Brokeback Mountain?"

I just posted a list with some great other choices too.

SuzieR wrote: "I see a lot of people are reading Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist for this one. I've added it in tentatively, as I've wanted to read it for ages, but I'm not sure who the gay/lesbian..."
It appears there are several of them!!!! Nick and Nora are the not gays, the rest of the band is gay. Leviathan is a great writer. Here is one review
Cohn and Levithan contribute alternating chapters in this high-energy romance that follows two high-school seniors through a single, music-fueled night in Manhattan. Nick, the "nonqueer bassist in a queercore band," is playing with The Fuck Offs, when he spots his ex-girlfriend, Tris. Once offstage, he propositions a girl he has never met, hoping to make Tris jealous: "Would you mind being my girlfriend for five minutes?" Norah, also heartbroken (and hoping Nick will drive her home), agrees. What begins as a spontaneous ploy turns into something surprising and real in the course of one night as Nick and Norah roam Manhattan, listen to bands, confront past hurts, and hurtle toward romance. The real-time pacing may slow some readers, and a few Manhattan in-jokes ("Hunter from Hunter") may exclude teens in the wider world. Still, many readers will respond to the tough, clever, amped-up narratives, which include mosh-pit coarse language (Nick sound-checks the microphones with the words "Fuck. Shit. Cock," for example) and the characters' wild yearning for love, and music, which feels powerful and true. Gillian Engberg

This is just so hard for me because I hate to say it but I'm not sure how I feel about the whole issue. I mean I think it's wrong for others to discriminate against you. I guess I just don't know how to put it into words.

Wendy wrote: "SuzieR wrote: "I see a lot of people are reading Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist for this one. I've added it in tentatively, as I've wanted to read it for ages, but I'm not sure who ..."

Hmmmm ... thanks for that Wendy! I'll keep it on the list ...

I picked Hero for this task.

Wendy/Cynthia -- I'm not sure if either of you saw my question yesterday in the general "Questions" folder about this task.

Would it be okay to read a book about a transgender character as well as gay or lesbian? I have several good books on my TBR shelf that pertain to transgender situations. It is also another sexual minority.

Thanks! -Krista

Magic's Pawn is the start of a Trilogy focusing on Vanyel, the Last Herald-Mage. The novel features a positive gay character.

Shannon wrote: "My first thought was Brokeback Mountain?"

Brokeback Mountain is a short story/novella. Only shown as 66 pages on Goodreads.

Krista wrote: "Wendy/Cynthia -- I'm not sure if either of you saw my question yesterday in the general "Questions" folder about this task.

Would it be okay to read a book about a transgender character as we..."

As long as there is no suicide (not positive), transgender positive characters would be excellent-please recommend the book to me too!

Sarah wrote: "This is just so hard for me because I hate to say it but I'm not sure how I feel about the whole issue. I mean I think it's wrong for others to discriminate against you. I guess I just don't know h..."

You don't have to be a proponent of an issue to read about it. So try Boy Meets Boy and David Leviathan will make you laugh. It's a fun read and not preachy. The audio is especially fun.

Wendy wrote: "Krista wrote: "Wendy/Cynthia -- I'm not sure if either of you saw my question yesterday in the general "Questions" folder about this task.

Would it be okay to read a book about a transgender ch..."

Here's a few that I've pulled from my friend's READ shelf that she's rated highly. She has two adult transgender kids.

She's Not There A Life in Two Genders
Parrotfish
The Testosterone Files My Hormonal and Social Transformation from Female to Male
Luna
She's Not the Man I Married My Life with a Transgender Husband

Hey Wendy, would Light Before Day by Christopher Rice work? I don't think the main character is gay, but he's a journalist investigating a serial killer that preys on young gay men.

Krista wrote: "Wendy wrote: "Krista wrote: "Wendy/Cynthia -- I'm not sure if either of you saw my question yesterday in the general "Questions" folder about this task.

Would it be okay to read a book about ..."

Great list. Thanks.

Candace wrote: "Hey Wendy, would Light Before Day by Christopher Rice work? I don't think the main character is gay, but he's a journalist investigating a serial killer that preys on young gay men."

That doesn't seem so positive for the gay guy!!! LOL

Wendy wrote: "Candace wrote: "Hey Wendy, would Light Before Day by Christopher Rice work? I don't think the main character is gay, but he's a journalist investigating a serial killer that preys on young gay men..."

LOL, good point! Here's another one for you - would you consider it okay if the AUTHOR was gay and not necessarily the character? I know David Sedaris is gay and his books are usually pretty funny/somewhat positive :).

Vellum The Book of All Hours by Hal Duncan

Sarah wrote: "This is just so hard for me because I hate to say it but I'm not sure how I feel about the whole issue. I mean I think it's wrong for others to discriminate against you. I guess I just don't know how to put it into words."

I know what you mean, and I never know how to express my thoughts on the subject either.

I'm going to read Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. I was hesitant about it at first, for the exact same reason you're hesitant, but the movie was really cute, so I'm not too worried now. The gay characters are not the main characters, but are very funny guys.

I would also recommend My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park. The gay character IS one of the three main characters, but it was very... tame... if you get my meaning.

Both of those books are young adult fiction, so they're mostly just cute little books where one or two of the characters happen to be gay, rather than the whole book being focused on gay issues.

For those who like fantasy books, Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner books are good. The first book is Luck in the Shadows

Candace wrote: "Wendy wrote: "Candace wrote: "Hey Wendy, would Light Before Day by Christopher Rice work? I don't think the main character is gay, but he's a journalist investigating a serial killer that preys on..."

Sedaris' books are always about himself too so they are always gay. LOL.

Oh, there you are, Wendy. I posted this in the questions folder, but you probably didn't see it:

Would Mrs. Dalloway work for your task? I've been looking around online and there seems to be some discussion of lesbian themes/inclinations, perhaps not unlike The Color Purple, however I don't think anyone self-identifies as a lesbian. (I might be wrong--I haven't read it!) What say you?

Thanks!

Would Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe A Novel be one? I was always under the impression that Ruth and Idgie were lovers.

Grace wrote: "Would Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe A Novel be one? I was always under the impression that Ruth and Idgie were lovers."

I'm trying to remember if Flagg actually wrote that they were, or if it was left to interpretation. Great book (and movie) though!

I was thinking of reading Sacred Country for this task. Would that work?

I'm not sure, it's been so long since I've read it. I know it said they were in love and Idgie was very manly but I don't know if it explicitly said it or not. Another one I came across just now was The Education of Harriet Hatfield by May Sarton

Katie wrote: "Oh, there you are, Wendy. I posted this in the questions folder, but you probably didn't see it:

Would Mrs. Dalloway work for your task? I've been looking around online and there seems to be some..."
Book must have a positive gay or lesbian character. I listed a couple dozen books. If the author dances around the issue, then no. Must be out and clearly gay.

Ninny was adopted in fried green tomatoes. BTW

Grace wrote: "Would Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe A Novel be one? I was always under the impression that Ruth and Idgie were lovers."

Not explicitly. Wikipedia says no.

Kathleen wrote: "I was thinking of reading Sacred Country for this task. Would that work?"

Yes it works under transgender.

Grace wrote: "I'm not sure, it's been so long since I've read it. I know it said they were in love and Idgie was very manly but I don't know if it explicitly said it or not. Another one I came across just now wa..."

Kathleen wrote: "I was thinking of reading Sacred Country for this task. Would that work?"

Yes it works under transgender.

Grace wrote: "I'm not sure, it's been so long since I've read it. I know it said they were in love and Idgie was very manly but I don't know if it explicitly said it or not. Another one I came across just now wa..."

Fried green tomatoes works for adoption (Ninny) but not for lesbian.
However, The Education of Harriet Hatfield is great.

Katie wrote: "Oh, there you are, Wendy. I posted this in the questions folder, but you probably didn't see it:

Would Mrs. Dalloway work for your task? I've been looking around online and there seems to be some..."
Fine, I also left an answer on the questions folder.

There is a YA series called Immortals, one of my favorite series, and it has a gay character in it. The first book is Evermore and the second is Blue Moon.
I would recommend it to any paranormal fan.

Another good option for fans of paranormal is the Smoke series by Tanya Huff. It's technically a spin-off of her Blood series, but can stand alone without a problem. It follows the adventures of Tony Foster, who's a production assistant for a TV show about a vampire detective and has a knack for attracting trouble. The first book is Smoke and Shadows.

I also second Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner books. They're some of my favorites.

lesley wrote: "There is a YA series called Immortals, one of my favorite series, and it has a gay character in it. The first book is Evermore and the second is Blue Moon.
I would r..."

LOL I always thought that the vampires were just a substitution for gay characters.

Didn't JK Rowling once say that Dumledore was gay? So would Harry Potter count? I'm not going to use it, but I'm just throwing it out there.

Lindsey, I remember her saying something like that too. But my guess is that HP wouldn't work for the task because he never actually says anything about it within the book. In message #34, Wendy said that the character had to be openly gay and Dumbledore isn't at all, in my opinion. Although Wendy has last say. :)

Lindsey wrote: "Didn't JK Rowling once say that Dumledore was gay? So would Harry Potter count? I'm not going to use it, but I'm just throwing it out there. "

NO not at all. The idea is to read a book with an out positive gay character and by the way I just read Nick and Nora and neither of them are gay so you can't use it either. Thanks.

Beth(MN) wrote: "Lindsey, I remember her saying something like that too. But my guess is that HP wouldn't work for the task because he never actually says anything about it within the book. In message #34, Wendy ..."
Thanks and you have said it perfectly!!!

Sara wrote: "Sarah wrote: "This is just so hard for me because I hate to say it but I'm not sure how I feel about the whole issue. I mean I think it's wrong for others to discriminate against you. I guess I jus..."

Nick and Nora, neither are gay so you can't use it. I just finished it and it doesn't work. Sorry.

SuzieR wrote: "I see a lot of people are reading Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist for this one. I've added it in tentatively, as I've wanted to read it for ages, but I'm not sure who the gay/lesbian..."

Nick and Nora are not gay so it doesn't work for this task.

Oooh, ok Wendy, will look for something else! Thanks :)

any suggestions for this task?