Skip to main content

Good LGBT+ Books (Pride Month 2016)


Happy Pride Month, everyone! (That is, if you are in the United States.) Yes, that's right: in the US, it is pride month. Yesterday, it was officially one year since gay marriage was legalized in the United States, making it one year and one day today. In celebration of this, I have formed this post: a post on some good LGBT+ books. I have also made a list of LGBT+ books that I have not read but look good, so you may check that out, too.

(Note: I apologize for all of these list posts and such - "filler posts", as I sometimes call them. Don't worry, for next Monday there should be a book review up on the blog; can't do it this Friday because that'll be our monthly reflection. If you have any suggestions for posts, feel free to tell me. I am always looking for post ideas!)

1. Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg
This is the first LGBT+ book that I have read. (I have read some other books before this where LGBT+ was a small subcategory, but this was the first with it being a big part of the book.) I did think that it was a good book (I will reread it so that I can give it a proper review), even if I was a little upset with Rafe (the main character) due to some of his decisions. Particularly the decision which describes a big portion of the book, which is his decision to not tell any of his new classmates that he is gay. Not only does he not mention it (which would be fine), but he lies and implies that he likes girls, which really got me mad. I still thought it was a great book, though. Em agrees.

2. Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin
This was the second book that I have read with a main LGBT+ theme. (Kinda going in chronological order, here.) Symptoms of Being Human has a genderfluid individual named Riley as the narrator and main character. The book follows Riley as they try to navigate a new school, new classmates (who could be good or bad), and their dad's public job as a congressman, all while dealing with their identity. Riley's therapist suggests that they start a blog to help deal with stress and pressure, and when they do this, they don't expect the amount of attention that it gets. What I really like about this book is that it shows that, even if Riley is genderfluid, they are still human. To read my full book review on Symptoms of Being Human, click here.

3. Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings
Unlike the other books I have listed so far, this one is not fiction and is actually a memoir written by Jazz Jennings, a transgender teen who has become a strong voice in the LGBT+ community for LGBT+ youth. I have to be honest when I say that I haven't actually started it yet. I have, however, read a bit of the first chapter and have been looking forward towards its release. In the book, she discusses some hardships and challenges that she has faced being transgender, and guides readers along her journey.

The next two books are books where a LGBT+ theme is present but not as large.

4. Rumble by Ellen Hopkins
Like most other LGBT+ books for teens that I have seen, this one includes the LGBT+ community with the subject of gay individuals. But that's okay. Anyway, moving on, in this book, the main character/narrator, Matt, had a gay brother who unfortunately committed suicide after being bullied nonstop for his sexuality. Not only does the book say that being gay is alright through this tragic event, but Hopkins also brings up the topic again when the a few students at Matt's school, along with a few parents, try to ban books with gay content from the school. The book is mostly about Matt trying to accept what happened and to overcome the guilt he bears. To read my full book review on Rumble, click here.

5. How Many Letters Are in Goodbye? by Yvonne Cassidy
Rhea, the main character of How Many Letters Are in Goodbye? is a lesbian who has a hard time accepting this fact. Not only is there that, but she also has run away from "home" (if she can even call it that), lost both of her parents, and lives life with only a portion of her right arm due to a childhood accident. This book is about self-discovery, and I am currently making my way through it. There should be a book review on it publishing next Monday, if I stick to the schedule.

The following are some LGBT+ books that I am thinking about reading.

The Inside of Out
The Art of Being Normal
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel
Labels:

Comments

  1. I was in London recently and happened to be there during their Pride Day - such a joyful group. And London had welcomed the celebrants by changing their street lights. Instead of lighting up as a green person walking, the lights showed a green heart, or two green female (or male) symbols. Thanks for this post.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

We would like to hear from you! What did you think of this post? Do you have any suggestions? Then please leave a comment. (We allow anonymous comments too!)

This Month's Popular Posts

2017 Reading Goals - Update

Now that we're more or less halfway through 2017, I decided that it's about time to do a little update on how well Em and I are doing with the reading goals we made for ourselves at the beginning of 2017. We didn't make our goals extremely specific. All we did was choose a number based on how much we wanted to read and what seemed reasonable based on how much we knew we had read in 2016. And now it's time to reflect on those goals... oh boy.

I honestly don't think things are going well for Em. When I asked her if she remembered her original goal, she had no clue. (It was 50 books!) But, after a few months with only one book finished at the end of each one, she had lessened her goal to a more reasonable 30. (She couldn't remember this number, either!) Drawing knowledge from my experience with my monthly goals for Reading is Inevitable, I don't think that you can do all too well if you don't remember your goals. And it looks like this is true for Em as w…
Post a Comment
READ MORE »

Denik's New Layflat Softcover Notebooks - Review

Hey there everyone! If you've seen our bookstagram recently, you would know that we got some amazing new Denik notebooks! Now if you've never heard the name "Denik" before then I think it's time that you know, and after you read this post go check out their website, okay? (They actually came out with a new website design, too. It's amazing.)

Denik is so much more than just a notebook/sketchbook-selling company. The word Denik describes the whole community and cause that surrounds the company, a "grassroots, artsy-eclectic bunch", as it is so beautifully described on their website. The designs displayed on the covers of their products are made by artists around the world, no matter who they are or where they come from. With the income from the notebooks and sketchbooks they sell, Denik gives some to support these artists and to build schools for children around the world. The whole idea that Denik is built upon is that, together, art and people can …
Post a Comment
READ MORE »

All the Books I Own But Have Not Read (Part 1)

As of Wednesday, June 21st, summer is officially here. Ah: summer. That season when the sun comes out and kids get off from school. And, yes, while this does sound nice, this also means that it's going to be really hot and you're going to have so much time on your hands that you won't know what to do with it. Lucky for me, however, I also happen to own a whole bunch of books that I haven't yet read.

That's reasonable, though, right? Us bookworms find it a little hard to buy just one book when going to the bookstore, and since you kinda have a reputation for loving books, there's a good chance that you'll receive two or three books around holidays and birthdays. And you don't even want to get me started about book sales. Therefore, the books just start to pile up a bit. And while you'd love to read them, school and/or work and just life in general gets in the way.

However, the school year ended quite a bit ago. Summer vacation has begun. I finally h…
Post a Comment
READ MORE »

Quotes: Audacity

As some of you may know by looking at my posts on our social media page (@readingisinevitable on Instagram), I am currently reading Audacity by Melanie Crowder. It is a beautiful book written in free verse, and follows the life of Clara Lemlich, a female Jewish immigrant who came to America in the early 1900s. (For the full summary of the book, click here.) I absolutely love books written in free verse, or any type of poetry, in fact! This book is so lovely that I have decided to dedicate a whole post to some of my favorite quotes or parts! (Note: I am only on page 294, and there are 366 pages, not including the extra content at the end of my local library's copy.)
1 comment
READ MORE »