Tag: books

RTW: Your Favorite LGBT Novel

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(This week’s post was inspired by YA Highway’s Road Trip Wednesday question: What’s your favorite LGBT novel?)

The YA world moves fast. Topics change. Trends evolve. Things that were considered crazy or taboo are now normal. And, honestly, that’s awesome.

I’ve always had friends who were gay. There was never a time when that was weird or different; it just was as normal as having a friend who was Asian. So while getting my MLIS, I did a rather extensive research paper on the trends in YA lit with homosexual lead characters. I looked at books from different countries, and saw how these main characters were portrayed, and if the overall story was a happy or sad one. (For a while, most books that had main gay characters ended tragically. It was nice when they started evolving into something more positive.)

After I completed the paper, I wanted to write a follow-up called Out of the Closet. The thing is, all of those books I studied (this was back in 2010) dealt with characters coming out to their peers and families, and the reactions they endured. In my follow-up I wanted to discuss books where these characters were already out, and living normal lives. It was rare at the time.

Now, three years later, it’s the norm. And I love it. I love that there are brilliant YA books where characters are just gay, and that’s it. There’s no drama, no bullying. And while those events still unfortunately happen in real life, it’s nice showing that there’s more. That there are complicated, gut-wrenching romances between two characters who happen to be gay. That there are characters who save the world and are also, hey, gay. And while, yes, I still want and appreciate the coming out stories, I want more books where it’s after the fact, too.

After the DOMA decision, I made a YA LGBT display at the library. We carry A LOT of YA books with LGBT characters (both main and secondary), and I was pleasantly surprised to find the majority of them checked out. Those pictured were left. And within the day, many were taken.

So, to answer the question – I’ve read a lot, so i’ll go with my favorites from just this year.

Every Day by David Levithan
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Winger by Andrew Smith (not the main character, but my favorite character)

All amazing books. All amazing characters.

Loving Frenchie

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To go off my last post, there’s another book I was swept away by, but I’m giving it a post of its own. This may be because I adore the author and watched the book grow from sent-to-editor to publication. Yes, I’m being totally biased in my push for people to buy/borrow/just plain read this but, but at least I’m being honest about it, right?

Anyway.

Happy book birthday to Jenny Torres Sanchez’s DEATH, DICKINSON, AND THE DEMENTED LIFE OF FRENCHIE GARCIA!!!!

It is the summer after Frenchie Garcia’s senior year, and she can’t come to grips with the death of Andy Cooper. Her friends don’t know that she had a secret crush on her classmate, and they especially don’t know that she was with Andy right before he committed suicide. The only person who does know is Frenchie’s imaginary pal Em (a.k.a. Emily Dickinson), who she hangs out with at the cemetery down the street.

When Frenchie’s guilt and confusion come to a head, she decides there is only one way to truly figure out why Andy chose to be with her during his last hours.

To mimic Stefan for a second, this book’s got everything. A night of craziness. Graveyard secrets. Poetry. Swan boat theft.

(It also received a Kirkus starred review!)

Seriously, it’s a wonderful, wonderful book about a girl coming to grip with the fact that some people have more going on than what’s shown, some people have secrets no one knows, and sometimes no matter what you do, you cannot reach them. It’s about realizing some situations aren’t always black and white. That not every event has a perfect solution. And that sometimes you just need to accept the unknown.

Frenchie is one of those real characters that sticks with you. She’s not perfect, but she knows it. And I think readers will remember her for quite some time. Go read, and let me know what you think.

RTW: Swept Away

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This week’s Road Trip Wednesday asks: What’s been your most surprising read of the year so far—the book you weren’t sure about going in that really swept you off your feet?

Because I’m wordy, I’m going to answer with THREE books:

TRINKETS by Kirsten Smith

Moe (the outcast), Elodie (the innocent new girl in town), and Tabitha (the most popular girl in school), are polar opposites. But they all have one thing in common – they shoplift. They’re caught. This is the story of them meeting at a shoplifters anonymous group, and learning that each girl is more than meets the eye. I was surprised with how much I really, really liked this book. The chapters rotate back and forth, narrated by each girl (Moe in diary entries, Elodie in verse, Tabitha in first-person narrative), and it’s really wonderful seeing them grow and change. It’s real, it’s fun, it’s lovely, and I’d recommend it to anyone.

WINGER by Andrew Smith

Ryan Dean West is a 14-year-old junior in boarding school who’s in love with his best friend, Annie, and living in the “bad kids” dorm due to hacking into a cell phone. This year, he wants to prove himself. Winger is hilarious, heartwarming, perverted, and just…wonderful. It’s long, but I wanted it to be longer. You get so wrapped into the lives of all the characters that you feel like it’s your school and your friends. And the twist ending is completely, heartrendingly, earned. Loved it.

WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE by Maria Semple

The premise of this book is fantastic – a mom, Bernadette, has disappeared. Her daughter compiled every e-mail, memo, letter from the days leading up to the disappearance, and that’s what you’re reading. You’re reading a woman’s struggle through her correspondence, through situations that she’s going through. The characters are beautifully brought to life, especially Bernadette who is absolutely hilarious, with her weird hatred of Seattle, her hidden past, her annoyance with neighbors. This received a 2013 Alex Award, and I can totally see why. Absolutely loved. 

MOST EXCITING NEWS EVER

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I have some Important News…

MY BOOK IS BEING PUBLISHED!!!!!!!!!

THE NIGHT WE SAID YES is going to be a book! A real book!

My amazing agent Michelle has sold it to the fabulous Karen Chaplin at HarperCollins. It is going to be published. It will be in libraries. And stores. You guys will all be able to read it. And I can’t stop smiling, because how often do dreams like this come true?

I got The Call when I was at work. I stepped outside and promptly started crying in front of the library. Because that’s what I do when amazing things happen. I cry. I’m pretty sure I professed my undying love to my agent. I’m not sure. I don’t really remember those moments too well.

What’s better – Harper preempted for TWO books. I will have TWO BOOKS PUBLISHED. TNWSY is tentatively scheduled for Summer 2015, and my second book for Summer 2016.

Ahhh!

So that’s my amazing news. I will be an author. My little book is going to be read by people. Everything I hoped for is actually happening. It’s weird and crazy and exciting and I still can’t believe it. Because it started as words, a fleeting idea. And now it’s this.

And, you guys, I couldn’t be happier.

Writing

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A few of my friends have asked me how I find time to write between a full-time job, reading for said full-time job, moving, and, generally, life.

The truth is – I just do.

When writing – real first draft writing – I’m always planning. If I have an idea for a scene, I write it down. During downtime at work (shh), moments before meetings, waiting at red lights (also, shhh – I do not recommend this). I’ll always find time to jot a few things down on my notebook. And then in the mornings, or at night long after work, I’ll get out my laptop and write everything. As much as I can. As fast as I can. That’s how I write best.

And then when editing? I bring my laptop with me to work and edit during breaks, during lunch hours. I make myself do it, even when I’d rather hang out with co-workers and laugh about the day’s events.

The truth of the matter is – yeah, sometimes it is hard to find time to write.

But I just do it anyway.

Because I can’t not do it.

So for you trying – don’t try to find time. Make time in those small moments. They amount to a lot in the end.