YA LGBT Books discussion

What YA LGBTQ book would you like to read, or do you think members who haven't read it should try, (and those who have read it can discuss), as our BotM for June-July?

What book made a difference to you, and might to other readers? What sounds interesting, appealing or different that you want to read?

If possible, link the book page on GR and tell us a little about it or why you picked it, or post the blurb.

The titles of past books of the month that we have read are on all the threads in this "Book of the Month" folder, and you can also check with a search of the group's book-of-the-month Bookshelf at - https://www.goodreads.com/group/books... Please do not repeat a book we have read - either as a past Book of the Month or as a Buddy Read (check the Buddy Read folder) - and please only nominate the first book in a series, unless a later book stands alone as a solo read.

Up to two nominations per member. Nominations will be open through Midnight May 30th, or sooner if we get 12 nominations - the max for voting. Feel free to renominate a book that did not win in a past vote, if it fits this category.

Authors please do not nominate your own books - but readers can definitely nominate a member author's work

Nominations are closed - the poll is here through June 7th : https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

I read a couple of really good YA this month - I want to nominate The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg

This is a lovely story of two 17-year-old guys falling for each other while facing difficult situations - on the one hand a single parent with mental health issues, on the other a night with an older guy that Max doesn't want to think about or remember. Both situations are handled with realism and a gentle touch, and the characters are for the most part nuanced and not black-and-white. I really enjoyed this one.

Max: Chill. Sports. Video games. Gay and not a big deal, not to him, not to his mom, not to his buddies. And a secret: An encounter with an older kid that makes it hard to breathe, one that he doesn't want to think about, ever.

Jordan: The opposite of chill. Poetry. His "wives" and the Chandler Mall. Never been kissed and searching for Mr. Right, who probably won't like him anyway. And a secret: A spiraling out of control mother, and the knowledge that he's the only one who can keep the family from falling apart.

Throw in a rickety, 1980s-era food truck called Coq Au Vinny. Add in prickly pears, cloud eggs, and a murky idea of what's considered locally sourced and organic. Place it all in Mesa, Arizona, in June, where the temp regularly hits 114. And top it off with a touch of undeniable chemistry between utter opposites.

Over the course of one summer, two boys will have to face their biggest fears and decide what they're willing to risk -- to get the thing they want the most.

And I want to read I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver

I've been looking for more YA with a non-binary MC, and this one is highly rated so far.

When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents' rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school.

But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.

At turns heartbreaking and joyous, I Wish You All the Best is both a celebration of life, friendship, and love, and a shining example of hope in the face of adversity.

I bought it (signed and personalized!) and greatly enjoyed it. 💜

Good to know :)

Nominations are closed - the poll is here through June 7th : https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

I voted for one, but to be honest, I'll probably read both. They both sound interesting.

Iamshadow wrote: "I voted for one, but to be honest, I'll probably read both. They both sound interesting."

I really enjoyed both books.