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 March-April?

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

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 Feb 28th, 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

Poll is now up here: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
Vote through March 6th.

I have two good YA I read recently that I think the group might like:

Jordan vs. All the Boys by John Goode

This was a fun read, light in tone, but grounded in a real-feeling group of 16 year old boys - our gay MC and his three straight best friends -who are spending their first summer really focused on stepping out of their friend group to start dating. You have to be okay with just a little focus on gaming (but in the form of definitions, so you don't need to know much) as these young guys fumble their way through a summer of growing up.

Everyone has that one summer, the summer where you take your first steps into adulthood. The nights are longer, the songs are better, and the friends you make are forever. For Jordan, Brandon, Ethan, and Dominic, that summer is now. This pack of self-proclaimed nerds set out on an adventure that defines every young man’s life—the search for love, or at least what they think love is. As with all great quests there are pitfalls and challenges ahead of them and they will have to overcome their greatest enemy, their own egos. But the power of true friendship could give them the strength they need to complete their quest and win their prize.

And A Light Amongst Shadows by Kelley York and Rowan Altwood.

Be aware of trigger warnings for this one - (view spoiler)[for sexual and physical abuse history, past and present violence, drug addiction, death of a character (hide spoiler)]

A creepy Victorianesque, paranormal, ghost story, mystery gay romance - there are dark themes and some violence, but the tone is more mystery than deeply angsty since the MC has a very upbeat personality despite his own issues.

James Spencer is hardly the typical “troubled youth” who ends up at Whisperwood School for Boys. Instead of hating the strict schedules and tight oversight by staff, James blossoms, quickly making friends and indulging in his love of writing, while contemplating the merits of sneaking love poems to the elusive and aloof William Esher.

The rumours about William’s sexuality and opium reliance are prime gossip material amongst the third years. Rumours that only further pique James' curiosity to uncover what William is really like beneath all that emotional armor. And, when the normally collected William stumbles in one night, shaken and ranting of ghosts... James is the only one who believes him.

James himself has heard the nails dragging down his bedroom door and the sobs echoing in the halls at night. He knows others have, too, even if no one will admit it. The staff refuses to entertain such ridiculous tales, and punishment awaits anyone who brings it up.

Their fervent denial and the disappearance of students only furthers James’s determination to find out what secrets Whisperwood is hiding... Especially if it means keeping William and himself from becoming the next victims.

Murder at White Oak

A murder mystery...a gay love story...and a ghost.

Mind-blowing plot twists await in the new novel, "Murder at White Oak."

Jake Weston is a seventeen-year-old cross between Holden Caufield and Sherlock Holmes. He's fallen in love with his roommate at a private boys boarding school in the UK. Together they try to solve a murder of a former student...but they are putting themselves in danger.

This is a fun read...perfect for that long flight or rainy day!

How to Make a Wish
I really liked this one, it's a YA contemporary that highly focuses on the relationship with the MC and her mother..
The book has lesbian and bisexual rep, and it's own voices for the bi rep!

I Was Born for This
This one focuses on fandom as well as the effects of fame. It has a lot of LGBTQ+: one of the main narrators is a trans gay guy, and the other one is a hijabi supposedly aroace mc.

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages
This one is perfect for a busy month! I didn't love all of the stories but I highly enjoyed this anthology ^^

Marko wrote: "Murder at White Oak

A murder mystery...a gay love story...and a ghost.

Mind-blowing plot twists await in the new novel, "Murder at White Oak."

Jake Weston is a seventeen-year-old..."

Please note that we do not allow authors to nominate their own work - see the sentence in bold at the end of the directions. Another reader is welcome to nominate this book if they like it though, and you can nominate any other author's work.

Lau wrote: "How to Make a Wish
I really liked this one, it's a YA contemporary that highly focuses on the relationship with the MC and her mother..
The book has lesbian and bisexual rep, and i..."

Note that the directions allow for two nominations per member. Please let me know which two of these three books you want to nominate this month, and save the other for next month. Thanks (I know it's hard to pick favorites) :)

Sorry about that!! I must have missed it while reading the directions, I’m really sorry.

I nominate I Was Born For This and How To Make A Wish, then!

Lau wrote: "Sorry about that!! I must have missed it while reading the directions, I’m really sorry.

I nominate I Was Born For This and How To Make A Wish, then!"

That works - I'll add them. If you want, when April nominations come around, feel free to put All Out on that one. Thanks for joining in to suggest interesting books for us. <3

Sorry. I posted a recommendation of a book but I deleted it because I thought I had the wrong section to recommend a book... I have to learn how to use this app ;p

ASierra wrote: "Sorry. I posted a recommendation of a book but I deleted it because I thought I had the wrong section to recommend a book... I have to learn how to use this app ;p"

No worries (although you could also nominate it :) - the app is clumsy, more limited, and harder to use. (And I know authors who accidentally gave one of their own books 1 star using it.) I stick to my laptop. But many folk make it work.

Kaje wrote: "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 March-April?"

-The Brightsiders by Jen Wilde

- Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

No particular reason, I just really want to read both of them. :)

Nominations are closed - thanks to all who suggested books; poll will go up tomorrow.

Poll is now up here: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
Vote through March 6th.